Endings and Beginnings

So much has happened the past few months that I haven't had time to reflect. With the death of my friend's mother, I feel that I need to take stock of the changes that have taken place.

On the 31 July 2013, I finished 25 and a half years of teaching on the faculty at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg. With most of the books off the shelves and most of the papers, etc. shredded, I transitioned into the world of those who are retired. It was also the first day of the spring semester and I felt awkward seeing the coming and going of faculty, staff and students and I was not a part of it. At 1:30 in the afternoon, I had a ride to Dulles International Airport for a 5:15 flight to Paris. I needed to be in a place that was familiar and comfortable yet where I could be alone or with friends.

In the last hours in the office as a full-time member of the faculty, was greeted by a former student who is in the AME Church who was on campus for an event. She had taken a few courses with me. At the airport, one of the TSA attendants came over to greet me, he was a former student at Gettysburg from my first years on the faculty. Beginnings and ends are a part of our lives. I had my last Martin Luther King travel seminar during the January Term. It was a good and lively group of students who ventured with me to Atlanta, Georgia and Birmingham, Alabama. Life was not dull after that for in February I gave two talks on my Payne book, one for the Gettysburg Public Library and one for the Seminary Ridge Museum. Although my teaching ended, it was good to be a part of Black History Month activities.

The past weeks can certainly be called "transitions."

In Memory of Madame Reyntjes

This morning, about 30 minutes ago, I received an e-mail from Maryvonne, the widow of my friend Henri in Brittany, France, Otensia Reyntjes, Henri's mother died last night in the hospital in St. Méen le Grand (a town just north of Rennes, France). I called Ortensia, my French mother. I have known her since 1967. When I went to visit her after Henri's death, she showed me all the letters that I have written while I was in college and in seminary to Henri. She also showed me the pictures that were taken when Henri and I were at L'Abbaye de Boquen at the international work work sponsored by the World Council of Churches. Ortensia was a fabulous cook and gracious host. I always enjoyed her theological questions which always demanded a stretch in my French vocabulary. I will miss my visits to her home when I go to Brittany. May she rest in peace!

Christmas Day 2012

This is a quiet day here in Brooklyn, New York where I am with my sister and brother-in-law. I continue to reflect on the season. I presided at the Christmas Eve eucharist at Epiphany Lutheran Church.  Robert Gahagen, the pastor of the church and a good friend preached. His sermon pinpointed all that has happened locally and globally, the issues in the news and yet he reminded us that it is Christmas. Jesus, God incarnate, comes into the midst of what we hear and experience.

It is always good to return to Brooklyn. It is returning to my spiritual roots as I was nurtured in the faith at Epiphany. Many of the people I knew are now in the church triumphant but what they demonstrated in their lives as church men and women of God are still with me and the others who grew up in the parish.

Hodie Christus natus est!

Musings at Christmas

In November I attended and presented a paper, "Black Soldiers, education, and the U.S. Civil War: the Fight for Liberation" at the annual meeting of the Religious Education Association in Atlanta, Georgia. It was good to see old friends and new colleagues in the field. It was my last meeting as a full-time faculty member of the association.

Last week I held my last seminary Fall semester class. I certainly enjoyed the years of interacting with the students and my colleagues. Gettysburg Seminary has been a significant part of my life.

Epiphany Lutheran Church in Brooklyn has also been an important part of my life. Recently, I heard from an old Epiphany friend, Lorrain Nelson. I had not seen her in 50 years. We talked about our nurture in the parish, the good liturgical practices, and our time in Luther League. One month prior, I officiated at the funeral of Fred DeLeon, another Epiphany friend. He and my sister were in the same confirmation class. It was good to see old friends. We gathered in celebration of life that was shared and lived on the promises of God in Jesus. Epiphany helped to nurture us in faith.

I was walking through the Capitol City Mall near Camp Hill, PA on Saturday afternoon. There were the usual crowds and a lot of conversations. In the midst of hustle and bustle of shopping, there was a trio of voices singing Christmas carols. It made me think, the singers helped to remind shoppers the reality of the season. I saw one shop manager stop to listen as the singers were in front of his store...taking moment to reflect.

Payne Book

Last week, Daniel Alexander Payne: The Venerable Preceptor of the African Methodist Episcopal Church was released in the paperback edition. I certainly hope that readers get a glimpse of this remarkable African American clergyman of the 19th century.

It is amazing how scholarly work is now disseminated to the public. With the release of the book in e-text before the hardcopy, I know that the publishing industry is forever changed. One can get it from the publisher, University Press of America, Amazon, Kindle, Nook, eBooks, etc. It is truly amazing. With the availablility of varioius sources these days, I wonder if people are reading more? I certainly hope that is the case.

Retirement

As the new academic year begins I find that I am in a major transition. I announced my retirement two weeks ago. I will finish my years as a professor at Gettysburg Seminary on January 31, 2013 after 25 and a half years. As I wrote in my letter to President Michael Cooper-White, these years have been a pastoral and theological adventure. I'll continue to reflect on this period in my life in subsequent postings.
I should also add that during this last semester at Gettysburg, my book Daniel Alexander Payne: The Venerable Preceptor of the African Methodist Episcopal Church published by University Press of America, is now available in electronic format on Kindle, Nook, etc. and will be available in paperback next week. I certainly hope it can help spread the word about this remarkable 19th century African American.

Reflections on France, Finland, and Germany, Summer 2012

As some of you know, I go to France each summer. There are those who ask, how did this come about? The short answer is that I spent my sophomore and junior summers while in college living and studying in France. It instantly became my other country and continues to be to this day. The following is a brief chronology of my time there this summer. Part of the objective of this trip was to see Paris from the eyes of Daniel A. Payne, the 19^th century African American clergyman and educator. We have heard about writers and their travels, i.e. Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast. What would it mean to tour Paris via Payne, a clergyman? I share some of my trip with you. If you have any comments, please do not hesitate to contact me (strobert1@embarqmail.com)

17 July

I had a ride to Dulles from Eric Crump and boarded United Airlines #613 for Paris for a 5:15 PM flight.

20 July

I began my Payne tour by going to Le Jardin et Palais de Luxembourg. It t was really a nice sunny day. When I walked through the garden, lo and behold, there was band music from Ambassadors of Music. This was a group of high school students from Northern Virginia. Afterwards there was a youth orchestra from the England, just north of London.

July 27

Payne preached at the Methodist Church in Chantilly, France. I decided to find the church and visit the chateau. It was only a 20 minute train ride from Paris. I located the church which is now a restaurant. It was only a short walk from the train station and on the way to the chateau.

28 July

I went to Worms, Germany to visit Heinz and Gudrun (family). When I arrived at the station (Gare de L’Est) the 7 AM train was cancelled…so it was off to the office. I was rescheduled to take the train with a change in Karlsruhe, Germany. That was not a problem, however, I thought I had Heinz and Gudrun’s telephone number on my iPhone but I didn’t….Thanks to technology, I called my cousin Esther (his sister) who lives in Seattle, Washington. It was about 9 PM there when I called. She was wondering from where I was calling…I told her I was callingi from the train station in Paris waiting for the train to visit her brother. She gave me the telephone number so that I could call him and tell him that I would arrive an hour later than expected. It all worked out.

I enjoyed beer at the Hagenbrau  gashaus…which has great beer…Heinz, Gudrun, and I drank there which is on the Rhine. That evening we ate outside at home. It was overcast and Heinz said it was not going to rain. We began eating and in the middle of the dinner it started raining…a nice steady rain…so we finished dinner using three umbrellas in addition to the table umbrella….

29 July

Sunday we had a great German breakfast. We took our time until it was time to go to the train. I thought I left at 1:15 PM…I got my bags together and looked at my ticket…the train was leaving at 12:45 and it was 12:15 PM….I told Heinz…we (well Heinz) dashed to the station…I didn’t want to look at the speedometer as we cruised or flew on the autobahn….We arrived at 12:47 and ran to the gate…the train had not left…whew…I made it back to Paris. I should say that the trip was short because of so many people traveling that weekend…I didn’t have a problem on the train to Mannheim, it was the return trip. There was only one seat left. So, I had no choice but to take it.

1 August

I took a self-guided walking tour of Paris examining and taking photos of 19^th century buildings that were present during Payne’s time in Paris. It was a long walk that included: L’Arc de Triomphe,  Tuilleries gardens,  Crédit de Lyon, Gare St. Lazare, Galarie Lafayette. I will include these and the other sites on a PowerPoint presentation on Payne in Paris.

3 August

I flew to Helsinki, Finland to meet my friends and colleagues, Brooks Schramm and Kirsi Stjerna. They were going to attend the Luther Congress which was going to begin on Sunday afternoon. It was my first time in Scandinavian country. I took the Finnair Bus from the airport to the Crown Plaza hotel. Kirsi had texted the bus information.  

4 August

We walked around Helsinki. I was intrigued by the market on the wharf and the Lutheran Cathedral. We also ran into Duane Larson and his wife. He was also attending the Luther Congress

5 August

I began my last day in Helsinki with a sauna…it was great! I met Brooks and Kirsi (they only lived two blocks from my hotel) for lunch. I returned from downtown to make the 3:15 bus to the airport….I will certainly return to Helsinki.

9 August

I took the train to Girveny, Monet’s home and garden. One is transported to another part of the creation. It was a terrific visit. After all these years, I finally made the trip. I kept reflecting on the First Article of the Creed and Luther’s response. Even with all the tourists, it was still a tranquil place.

I took Rick Steve’s (the travel writer) advice and returned to the bus and train to go to Rouen. I had been there about 15 years ago. It is the place of Jeanne D’Arc’s execution. The cathedral is a magnificent structure. It is also the home of the Museum of Education.

11 August

I met Patricia LaPlante-Collins (co-ordinator and founder of Parissoirées for an interview for The Seminary Explores.  It took 4 hours…One hour was the interview and then we at lunch. I met her at 12:15 and left the restaurant at about 4:!5…I was truly a Parisian Saturday afternoon.

12 August

I gave a short talk on Payne in Paris for Parissoirées which took place at the Tibetan restaurant. It was well received. Would you believe a woman told me that she had been on the Gettysburg campus and that her brother lives in Hanover, Pennsylvania (about 20 miles from Gettysburg).

13 August

I started packing and cleaning the apartment. I bought Mme. Duguiez (the gardienne) roses. She has been so sympathique. She also told me an alternative way to get to the airport. I think she appreciated the gift.

Yves (a Parisian friend) called and asked whether I’d be interested in seeing Lola ( a classic French film from 1960). The movie was good and interesting in that it was before the tumultuous years in the France. Afterwards, we feasted on moules-frites at Léon de Bruxelles.

14 August

With my bags packed, I closed the door to the apartment and took the bus for the airport…I was the third person online. At 12:35 we left the gate and I was on my way to the U.S.A. I continue to be sad upon leaving France and yet I am excited about seeing family and close friends.

Josephine Baker stated, “I have two loves, my country and Paris.” It is true for me, too.