Communion on 9/11

Gathering for Communion on September 11, 2008, Ph.D. student Jane Huber led the community in reflections on the writings of Wendell Berry. The congregation gathered around tables to consider, discuss, and pray in the light of these readings before coming to communion.

Watch the clip below and offer your response to the day.

Rosemary Keller Memorial

On September 24, 2008, the Union Community gathered to remember Former Dean and Professor Emerita of Church History Rosemary Skinner Keller. Prof. Keller died on June 5, 2008 after a long battle with kidney cancer. Announcing her appointment as Dean in 1996, Holland Hendrix (then President of Union) called her "a visionary firmly grounded in the practical challenges of education and theology" whose particular experience would be "ideally suited" to the Seminary's opportunities and challenges at the time. When she came to Union, she had just completed 19 years on the faculty of Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois. For the last three of those years she served as that seminary's first woman Academic Dean and Vice President of Academic Affairs. For more on Rosemary Skinner Keller click here.

Here is a clip of excerpts from her service. Feel free to add other remembrances in the comments below....

Barbara Lundblad - Emmaus

Below is a video clip of Professor of Preaching Barbara Lundblad at a communion service on Thursday, April 10. At this service our acting dean James Hayes announced to the community that Rev. Lundblad had just been promoted from Associate to full Professor. We celebrate with Professor Lundblad and know that she is such a valued member of the Union community and to all those who study and practice the art of preaching. In this service she preaches about the post-Easter Emmaus text. She picks up the story where many of find ourselves--way past the dawn of resurrection. In her telling we hear how "the guest becomes the host." She describes what it takes to turn these followers of Jesus around, in the middle of the night, to walk all the way back to Jerusalem. What would it take to turn us around?

I love this sermon because she picks up and affirms the myriad ways resurrection continues to happen in our midst, particularly in James Chapel. Listen and give us a comment.

A Rock Communion: Isaac Everett/j. Snodgrass

On Thursday, March 27, Isaac Everett and his band performed 8 songs off his new album TRANSMISSION for our weekly communion. Isaac and lyricist j. Snodgrass are both Union students who translate an Episcopal Eucharist into contemporary language and sound.

Below are links to three songs from the service. The first "God Help Me" is based on the Kyrie, "The Stranger" is the Great Thanksgiving, while "Tomorrow and Today" is the communion hymn.

Listen to them at the links below:

• God Help Me
• The Stranger
• Tomorrow and Today

And for the lyrics written by j. snodgrass:

• Transmission Lyrics

Please post a response to Isaac and John's music.

Just Where Is the Mark?

The second semester has been a very hectic time for the worship office. We participated in the inauguration of Professor Paul Knitter and then a special week of services leading up to our annual Trailblazers service.

The week of Trailblazers chapels each used the text from Phil. 3:12-14 with the theme "Pressing toward the Mark." Here is a short clip from the chapel of Tuesday, February 26. Jen Brown begins with an excerpt from "Letters of Love and Hope: The Story of the Cuban Five," and Derrick preaches a sermon titled "Just Where is the Mark?"

Enjoy and send your comments.




video and editing by Patricia Santiago