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“You yourselves are our letter, writ-ten on our hearts, known and read by everybody. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the liv-ing God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.” (2 Corinthians 3: 2-3, NIV)

In the spring of 1996, during a particu-larly difficult season in my life, I sat

down at a desk in the senior common room of my college in Oxford and wrote a letter to Jim Houston. I well remem-ber the letter I received in return. Jim lovingly redirected me to see my situa-tion differently: God was offering me a different post-doctoral education than I had planned for myself.

I’m sure that you have letters like this too—letters that spoke to you in a deeply personal way at a significant time in your life.

It is probably no accident that much of the New Testament is itself made up of let-ters, and that Paul natural ly turns to the personal letter as a metaphor for the Corinthian church and their relationship to Christ and to the apostle. A personal letter doesn’t pretend to the objectivity of the essay (where the author disappears) or the subjectivity of the diary (where the reader disappears). It is a distinctively personal form of communica-tion.

And yet personal does not mean insub-

stantial. A letter really should say something. It is not like digital or instant communication: sup cu l8r k? (What’s up? See you later, okay?). It is hard to say whether the digital revolu-tion has introduced a new renaissance in personal communication or has led to new levels of banality—or both. It is probably difficult for any of us to imag-ine an Oxford Book of E-mails.

I am currently working on a research project on religious letters written by figures such as John Wesley and John Newton, who offered much of their spiritual direction to people through letters. These letters were personal, but they also had a message. In fact, during the eighteenth century the recipient generally paid the postage, so it really was important to have some-thing to say in your letter. Or at least, if you didn’t, you had better hope that your correspondent loved you well. (In this regard, John Wesley once had to

encourage the young Samuel Furly at Cambridge not to be afraid to write to him, assuring Furly that he would always pay the postage, regardless.)

Certainly, Jim Houston’s letter to me in 1996 was both personal and carried a weighty message—even, I dare say, a message that was crafted with, and demanded, careful intellectual reflec-tion. He is himself a master of the art of letter-writing as a form of spiritual direction. I enjoyed reading through his two-volume Letters of Faith Through the Seasons: A Treasury of Great Christians’ Correspondence with a group of students last year. This anthology demonstrates both how deeply he has been influenced by the form and content of personal let-ters and how much theological freight has been carried in epistolary form over the years. The genre of the familiar letter is a perfect match to the personalist con-cerns that Jim Houston has brought to his teaching of theology over the years.

Perhaps we ought to think of all theological education in these terms: as personal communication about seri-ous matters, not unlike letter-writing. In fact, perhaps we ought to think of Regent College itself as a kind of per-sonal letter written on the hearts of our students and alumni. Better yet—as the apostle adds to the Corinthians—Regent College is a letter from Christ himself, written not with pen and ink (or their digital equivalent) but with the Spirit of the Living God.

“On human hearts…from Christ…by the Spirit of the living God.” The source of any substantial and personal com-munication about God is finally the Holy Trinity. And such very personal theology is in turn a blessing to the world, “known and read by everybody.”

~ Dr. Bruce Hindmarsh James Houston Professor of Spiritual Theology

Written on Tablets of Human Hearts

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Bruce Hindmarsh

I just got off the phone with a discour-aged pastor; discouraged because he

had received a letter laced with criticism and attack. As I reflected on our conver-sation, and on the theme of this issue of Regent World, I realized that the Proverb, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue”1 is still true—whether the tongue is expressing itself directly, or through a keyboard or pen. Unfortunately, the indi-vidual who wrote to my friend followed in a historical tradition of letter writers who have sought to discourage and dis-empower God’s people and God’s work.

Think of what David (the man after God’s own heart) did with his letter: he writes to Joab, telling him that Uriah should be put on the front line of battle (where the fighting is fiercest—so he will be killed), and then gives the letter to Uriah to deliver!2 Jezebel, the wife of King Ahab of Samaria, writes a letter (in Ahab’s name and under his seal) that results in the stoning of Naboth.3 King Sennacherib of Assyria, attempting to weaken the Israelites’ faith, sends out letters that express contempt for the Lord God of Israel.4 All three of these writers do nothing to strengthen others or affirm God’s work in the world. Rather, they invite others to die: both metaphorically and literally.

The story of rebuilding the temple and the wall also involves letters intend-ed to sap the motivation of the workers and ultimately to thwart the work of restoration. Adversaries of Judah and Benjamin are upset that a temple is being built to the Lord so they write a letter to King Artaxerxes, who writes back in such a way that the work of rebuilding is stopped.5 Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem, critics of the reconstruction of the wall, ask Nehemiah four times to come and meet with them and the fifth time arrive with a letter which makes numerous accusations and innuendos.6 Nehemiah sums up the nature of these kinds of let-ters well when he says, “Tobiah sent let-ters to intimidate me.”7

My friend had in common with Nehemiah, with Ezra, with Uriah and Naboth a correspondence inviting him to step into death and discouragement. Thankfully, there is another historical tradition of letter writers, one character-ized by an invitation to live and to grow in virtuous living.

The army commander Naaman has his leprosy cured after a letter from the King of Aram to the King of Israel that expresses tenacious belief in God and in God’s prophet Elisha.8 The evil house of Ahab is destroyed through a process that begins with a letter from Jehu—and Israel is freed from Baal and released to wor-ship the Living God again, should they so choose.9 King Huram of Tyre sends a letter to Solomon praising him for his wisdom, discretion and understand-ing in building a temple and palace.10 A letter from the king affirms Ezra in his rebuilding of the temple, (even offering the wealth of a foreign nation to bring

sacrifice to the Lord God of Israel)12

while another letter from the king to Nehemiah gives Nehemiah safe passage to Judah and an opportunity to get timber for the rebuilding of the gates and wall of Jerusalem.13 Hezekiah sends letters out through all Israel and Judah inviting peo-ple to come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover and—though many mock those who carry the letters—some humble themselves to attend. This celebration becomes a time of healing, renewal and joy for God’s exiled people.11

So, as we sit down in front of paper or screen, with pen or keyboard, we have a choice: we can follow in the tradition of letter writers such as David, Jezebel and Sennacherib—such as the individual who wrote to my friend—and invite another to die; or we can participate in another tradi-tion, one in which those who receive our letters will be invited to live. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.”

Rod WilsonPresident, Regent College

Endnotes1 Proverbs 18:122 2 Samuel 11:143 1 Kings 21:8–114 2 Chronicles 32:175 Ezra 4:7-236 Nehemiah 6:5-197 Nehemiah 6:198 2 Kings 5:5-79 2 Kings 10:1-710 2 Chronicles 2:1111 2 Chronicles 30:1-612 Ezra 7:1113 Nehemiah 2:7-9

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Letter-Writing: Invitation to Death or Life?

The Regent WORLDWinter 2009, Volume 21, Number 1

Editor Dal Schindell Interim Editor Stacey Gleddiesmith Designer Rosi Petkova

Writers Krisha Beyer, Sarah Chestnut, Stacey Gleddiesmith, Ruth Musonda, Kristin NiehofPhotographers Martin Dee, Ken McAllister, Celia Olson Printer Western Printers and Lithographers

5800 University Blvd, Vancouver, BC, V6T 2E4 Canada

FAITH AND FORM magazine and The Interfaith Forum on Religion, Art and Architecture recently honoured the True North Wind Tower with a 2008 Design Merit award in the category of Sacred Landscape. The tower was also featured on the cover of the August 2008 issue of PV Power.

Do Christians Have a Role in the Environmental Debate? As a follow-up to the Creating Wealth and the Created World conference held at Regent in November of 2007, a forum on the role of faith in the conflict between environmental protection and industrial growth was held in Calgary, Alberta in November of 2008. There is a link to a Calgary Herald article reporting on this event on the Regent College website <www.regent-college.edu>.

Creating Wealth

Created WorldCreated World

MARKETPLACE INSTITUTE

Supported by

CONFERENCE ON BUSINESS AND THE ENVIRONMENT

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Regent College Publishing has recently released The Bible in World Christian Perspective: Studies in Honor of Carl Edwin Armerding, a collection of essays edited by David W. Baker and W. Ward Gasque. Armerding was a founding member of the Regent College faculty, served as Regent College Principal from 1978-1988 and

is still active in the Regent community. Contributors to this collection include Regent alumni and emeriti pro-fessors of Regent College.

The parallel prose edition of Milton’s Paradise Lost by DENNIS DANIELSON (Member of the Regent College Board of Governors and Head of the English Department at UBC) has been very well received. American literary theorist Stanley Fish, in his review of Danielson’s edition of Paradise Lost for the New York Times, concluded: “armed with just this edition which has no editorial apparatus…you can teach a course in Milton and venture into some deep philosophical waters as well.”

New Books

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PAUL WILLIAMS (David J. Brown Family Associate Professor of Marketplace Theology and Leadership) was recently appointed a Senior Fellow of Cardus (for-merly the Work Research Foundation), a “North American public policy think tank, equipping change agents with best theories and practices of public life to renew North American social architec-ture.” Cardus recognizes the interaction of economic, social and religious patterns, and their website describes the Cardus Senior Fellows as “a network of North America’s leading voices in culture and politics…pioneers and leaders in their fields.”

J.I. PACKER (Board of Governors’ Professor in Theology) received the Mark O. Hatfield Leadership Award. The Council for Christian Colleges and Universities presents this award to “individuals who have demon-strated uncommon leadership that reflects the values of Christian higher education.”

Regent Alumnus DAVID BARNARD was recently appointed President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Manitoba. Terry Sargeant, the Chair of the university’s Board of Governors stated: “After a consul-tative and comprehensive search process, the University of Manitoba is fortunate to have found someone as ideally suited for the position as Dr. David Barnard.”

In recognition of his outstanding professional and community service, PHILIP HILL has received the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of B.C.’s highest honour: the R.A. McLachlan Memorial Award. Hill served on the Regent College Board of Governors from 1978 to 1981 and again from 1999 to 2004.

Awards and Honours

Regent College Teaching Fellow PAUL BARNETT has been awarded an honorary Doctor of Theology degree by the Australian College of Theology. The degree was awarded “in recognition of Dr. Barnett’s contribution to the life and work of the Anglican Church of Australia and particularly his substantial academic and scholarly contributions.”

R. PAUL STEVENS (Professor Emeritus of Marketplace Theology) and MAXINE HANCOCK (Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies and Spiritual Theology) join 44 other Christian writers in the publica-tion of a major new anthology of Christian writing in Canada, entitled Northern Lights. This gathering of writers and topics is intended to display the diverse spiritual geography of the Christian community living within Canada’s diverse physical geography.

Paternoster has recently pub-lished CINDY AALDERS’ (Director of Admissions at Regent College) Master of Theology thesis: To Express the Ineffable: The Hymns and Spirituality of Anne Steele. This aca-demic study of the life and work of Anne Steele, the first major female hymn-writer in Christian history, has been hailed not only as well-written and carefully researched, but also as a sensitive and insightful treat-ment of Steele’s life. Historians, literary critics, litur-gists and musicians alike will want to read this work as a means of exploring Steele’s unique and compelling contribution to eighteenth-century hymnody.

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Writings of the Soul: Themes in Spiritual Autobiography Sharon Jebb SmithA Regent College alumna, Sharon Jebb Smith has studied both literature and spiritual theology, and currently teaches at the University of Aberdeen. When Jebb Smith taught a course integrating literature and spiritual theology two summers ago, students encoun-tered rich discussion and contemplation. This summer she will return to teach a course with the same pairing of disciplines.

Writings of the Soul will use the autobiographical writings of eight authors as a guide for personal spiritual reflection. The choice of texts ranges through time and place, from Augustine, to Ignatius, to contemporary British author Sara Maitland. Each work will pro-vide entry into exploration of a given theme (such as desire, self and silence). Students will then be given the opportunity of in-depth study on a theme of particular interest to them.

For Jebb Smith, the value of these texts lies in the authors’ honest engagement with God and the long view of a spiritual life that autobiography affords. In times of discour-agement, it can be helpful to find that even spiritual giants faced similar difficulties. For example, Teresa of Avila writes that she struggled with prayer for twenty years before reaching a breakthrough.

Of the texts listed on the syllabus, one in particular brings the wisdom of the past to shed light on the present. In Kathleen Norris’s new book Acedia and Me, she examines the ancient deadly sin of acedia—the Greek word for negligence or indifference, sometimes translated “sloth.” Norris sees its modern version in the boredom, escapism and despair that plague today’s society. This, according to Jebb Smith, is another benefit of reading across the centuries: it refreshes our own way of thinking. “Being lift-ed out of our culture and steeped in other worlds allows us to measure all that we’ve absorbed from our own culture,” she explains.

The writers that Jebb Smith will present have analyzed and adjusted their lives as they have gained wisdom. With these new com-panions for their spiritual journeys, students will be encouraged to take a similar posture of analysis and adjustment in their own lives.

Subzero Evangelism: Communicating the Gospel in Post-Christian Contexts Krish Kandiah

Summer term at Regent College offers so much variety, that it can be difficult to know where to begin. While our Summer Programs Brochure provides complete information on all courses offered, we thought we would give you a “core sample” of the options available to you. Thus, we are pleased to provide in-depth profiles of two visiting professors and the classes they will teach and also (in recognition that different courses will appeal to different people at different times) a goal-oriented approach to what is on offer at Regent College this Spring and Summer.

A Core Section of Summer at Regent

This spring Krish Kandiah will make his first trip from the UK to Regent College to teach a course he is uniquely qualified to teach. Having grown up with a Hindu father and a Catholic mother, Kandiah became a Christian at the age of fifteen due to a classmate’s witness. Since then, he has carried a passion to share the gospel in as effective a manner as possible.

Kandiah was formerly the director of the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics, has pastored a multicultural church and has lectured in theology at Oxford University. He is currently one of the directors of the UK Evangelical Alliance, and has written six books in the last three years.

Kandiah’s blog is a concrete example of his evangelistic passion. It is peppered with thoughtful—and often theological—commentary on everything from dance competitions to the extra second added to 2008. A recent post focuses on the arrest of Liverpool soccer (football) player Steven Gerrard. After a humorous commentary that includes three video clips, the post ends with a meditation on Psalm 41 and the constancy of God in the midst of changing circumstances, such as those Gerrard found himself in.

This post is just one example of evangelism engaging culture, one of the emphases of the Subzero Evangelism course. Grounded in grass-roots experience, the course will also stress the connection between theology and evangelism. Kandiah explains, “Too often evangelism is taught non-theologically. And unless we are wrestling with the realities of evangelism, our theology becomes an ivory-tower.”

Coursework will reflect this balance of theological reflection and pragmatic evangelism. Students will interact with the writings of missiologists such as Lesslie Newbigin and Scott McKnight, and will also assess evangelistic approaches such as café churches and the Alpha course.

With such an energetic man at the helm, this course promises to be fruitful and engaging. The ultimate goal, says Kandiah, is to learn “how to present the never-changing gospel in an ever-changing culture.”sum

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www.regent-college.edu/summer

If you want to……return to the basics

Old Testament Foundations Iain Provan Many students name this as one of their favou-rite Regent courses. Taught by a meticulous and creative biblical scholar, this course will cause you read familiar text with new eyes.

Systematic Theology A: Prolegomena, Scripture, and

the Triune God Oliver Crisp Find out what “prolegomena” means, and dis-cover other foundations of Christian doctrine

with a brilliant and well-loved visiting professor.

You might also be interested in…The New Testament Use of the Old: What Were the New Testament Authors Up To?Rikk Watts

Paul and the Gift: Explorations in Paul’s

Theology of Grace John Barclay

…worship through the artsDwelling with Music: Unceasing Worship and Its Musical Worlds Harold Best Known both for his musical compositions and his reflections on music in Christian wor-ship, this summer Best will offer a course that explores the use of music across cultures and

religions, while developing a Christian worldview of music.

The Ethics of FilmmakingRalph Winter & John Stackhouse As the primary storytellers of our age, filmmakers have an enormous impact on their audiences. In this course film producer Ralph

Winter (producer of films such as X-Men and Fantastic Four) and Regent theologian John Stackhouse team up to discuss both the opportunities and difficulties that face Christians who work in the world of film.

You might also be interested in…To See Thee More Clearly: A Calligraphy WorkshopTimothy Botts (not offered for credit)

Traditions, Contradiction and Confession: Reading

the Poetry of T. S. Eliot Maxine Hancock

…deepen your spiritual lifePractising Resurrection: The Church’s Life through the Spirit Cherith Fee Nordling Learn what it means to be people of the resur-rection in this life, indwelt by the life-giving Holy Spirit. Students of Fee Nordling’s summer school course last year spoke of her infectious

energy and communion with the Spirit. One student wrote, “she empowers her students to truly believe, with their whole bodies, the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

You might also be interested in…Spiritual Discernment Marva Dawn

Foundations for Spiritual Life

Susan Phillips

…live out the gospel in cultureFaithful Medicine: Bioethics and Christian Thought Jennie McLaurin Followed by a weekend bioethics conference, this course will look at the role of medicine in society and how a Christian worldview affects the decisions we make about human life.

McLaurin brings to this course both medical and theologi-cal training, as well as years of experience working in public health. Continuing Medical Education (CME) credit will be offered for health professionals.

You might also be interested in…The Moral Fit: A Fresh Look at the Relationship of the Sexes

Bernd Wannenwetsch

…understand the church’s historyThe History of Christianity in Hymns Mark NollAn expert in the history of evangelicalism, Noll will explicate it through the particular lens of hymns. From Martin Luther’s “A Mighty Fortress is Our God” to John Newton’s “Amazing Grace,” Noll will show how church history has been both

documented and changed by powerful music and lyrics.

You might also be interested in…The Devotional Use of the Psalms in the History of the Christian ChurchJames Houston

John Calvin: A Guide for the Perplexed

Paul Helm

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Summer at RegentSummer Term at Regent College is not only a great learning experi-ence, but also offers several unique means of participation in the Regent Community. Chapel ser-vices provide a rich way to place your studies within a context of worship. You may also choose to enroll in one of several prayer retreats led by visiting and resident faculty. Tasty and well-balanced meals for only $4 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays allow for great conversa-tions, and during the month of July we invite guest musicians to play during lunch-hour, which provides a festival feeling (especially when weather allows us to hold the concerts out-doors). Coffee and Dialogue, Tea on the Lawn and Roundtable Discussions allow for greater interaction with resident and vis-iting professors, and in addition to all the great opportunities listed above, you also get to study and live (at least for a short time) in one of the top vacation destinations in Canada!

Summer in VancouverAlthough we often moan about the rain during winter—spring and summer in Vancouver are nothing short of spec-tacular. Blooming shrubs and bulbs explode into colour during our early (for Canada) spring and a light ocean breeze keeps the city from roasting during summer. Nestled between the mountains and the ocean, Vancouver has activities to delight all ages and all temperaments. Here are a few sugges-tions from seasoned Regent students.

The Great Active OutdoorsYou can’t come to Vancouver without experiencing the great outdoors. Here are a few activities that will delight the expert as well as the novice.Roll Around Stanley Park: The seawall of Stanley

Park, 8.8 kilometers of paved trail with some absolutely beautiful view-points, is one of the best places to bike and rollerblade in Vancouver. Rollerblades and bikes (even bicycles built for two) may be rented near Stanley Park, on Denman Street.

Scale the Chief: Squamish is the “Outdoor Recreation Capital of Canada,” and one of the top rock-climbing destinations in the world—and it’s just a hop, step and a jump from Vancouver. The Stwamus Chief (affec-tionately known as “The Chief”) is the second-largest granite monolith in the world, with multiple routes up, from casual scrambles to 5.14 test pieces (whatever that means).

Hike to Your Heart’s Content: There are a multitude of hiking trails in and around Vancouver. You can stroll through the rainforest trails on the University Endowment Lands (Pacific Spirit Park), head to Squamish for a more ambitious hike or try the variety of trails on Grouse, Seymour and Cypress Mountains. All hiking trails are possible wildlife sighting locations—just watch out for bears!

Get out on the Water: Rent a windsurf board from Windsure at the Jericho Sailing Centre (or take a les-son, if you’re new to the sport). Rent kayaks in Deep Cove and paddle in and out through the small islands that dot this peaceful inlet—play tag with a seal or two, or even paddle out and enjoy some no-frills camping on one of the islands.

Explore Whistler: One of the top mountain-biking destinations in the world, Whistler (home of the 2010 Winter Olympics) offers a variety of outdoor activities. You can rent mountain bikes in the village, head to one of the many near-by lakes for a day of sun and swim-ming, go whitewater rafting for a bit of excitement, or take a canoe out on a self-guided tour of a quiet river that boasts frequent wildlife sightings (yes, including bears) on the bank.

Vancouver CultureOne of the benefits of being in a large-ish and diverse city is the number of cultural activities available. Here are some tips to help you to experience some of the diversity of Vancouver.The UBC Museum of Anthropology: Considered one

of the best museums of its kind, the UBC Museum of Anthropology houses cultural objects from around the world, with a focus on the achievements and concerns of the First Peoples and the cultural communities of British Columbia. Tuesday evenings are cheap-nights.

Bard on the Beach: Each summer a small city of tents rises in Vanier Park. From May 28-September 26 these tents will be home to world-class performances of Shakespeare’s plays. All performances are highly recommended, and this season features “The Comedy of Errors,” “Othello,” “All’s Well that Ends Well,” and “Richard II.”

Folk Festival: This festival gets larger every year. Held at Jericho Beach, the Vancouver Folk Fest runs for three days, July 17-19 and features top folk performers from all over the world. If you don’t have the money for tickets, try claiming a spot of sand within ear-shot of one of the main stages, enjoy the many booths set up by local crafts-persons along the beach path and bring some bocci balls for a game or two between musical acts.

Art Gallery: This summer the Vancouver Art Gallery is featuring Dutch masters of the 17th century such as Vermeer and Rembrandt. This exhibition is presented in collaboration with the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, which has the finest collection of 17th century Dutch art in the world.

Eat: Vancouver is a cultural culinary haven. Explore the food of the world! Choose a different nationality every night, if you like. A concentration of great international restaurants can be found along Commercial Drive—but your best bet is to do a little Regent research: find a few students who have been around Regent for a year or two and pump them for their favourite restaurants.Su

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Absolutely FreeNot every activity in Vancouver comes at a cost. Here are a few “free” tips for the tight-budget adventurer.Walk to Granville Island: It will take a seasoned walker

roughly 1.5 hours to walk to Granville Island from UBC. If you want a shorter trip, start at Kitsilano Beach and enjoy a pleasant half-hour walk along English Bay—then wander through the market and artisan shops that abound in this old warehouse district of the city.

Picnic in Lynn Canyon: The Capilano Suspension Bridge may be the most famous suspension bridge in Vancouver, but the Lynn Canyon suspension bridge is absolutely free! Bring along a picnic, bathing suit and towel and swim in one of the natural pools, or enjoy one of the tree-shadowed hikes (varying trail lengths) through the canyon.

HSBC Celebration of Lights: On July 22, 24, 29 and August 1 fireworks will explode over English Bay as coun-tries compete against each other for the best display. Head down early with a picnic dinner to secure a good viewing point. If you have access to one, bring along a battery-oper-ated radio and tune in to 101.1FM—the firework displays are set to music.

Sunset at Lighthouse Park: If you have access to a vehicle, take a trip down to Lighthouse Park in West Vancouver. There are a number of trails through old growth rainforest, and some secluded beaches to explore. This is a great spot to let kids run around and explore. If, however, you want/require a romantic getaway, there are some lovely view-points from which to watch the sunset. Bring a thermos of hot chocolate, a flashlight (just in case), and plenty of lip balm.

Gordon MacMillan Southam Observatory: Spend an evening with the stars. On Friday and Saturday evenings entrance to the observatory is by donation. A new “celes-tial target” is featured each week.

Child’s PlayIf you looked at all the above activities and wondered just what you’d do with a handful of kids in Vancouver, here are a few sug-gestions for family fun.Aquarium: Although a little pricy, the aquarium is well worth

the entrance fee. Great kids programs, and wonderful

displays of local and tropical ocean wildlife make this a fantastic family experience. One of the most recent and definite-ly one of the most popular additions to the aquarium is Tiqa, the baby beluga whale.

Grouse Mountain: On a clear day, take the Sky Ride up Grouse Mountain. You’ll enjoy the stunning views of Vancouver, and the kids will love the gondola ride! At the top there are several shows you can watch (including a lumber jack show), and you can also visit the Refuge for Endangered Wildlife. See if you can spot the two orphaned grizzly bears, or spy one of the elusive grey wolves—all safely behind a high fence in their 5-acre natural habitat.

Telus World of Science: Let your kids explore and play to their hearts content at the Telus World of Science. There are special exhibits from time to time, but even the basic show is worth a visit: a multiplicity of inter-active games and displays—all educational of course. There is a great gelato place just down Quebec Street for after-exploration treats.

HR MacMillan Space Centre: If you’ve ever wondered what it feels like to travel through space, this is the place to find out. The Space Centre offers a 360° view of the heavens over Vancouver, and you can also touch a real moon rock and practise dock-ing the Space Shuttle to the International Space Station.

Playland at the PNE: For older kids, Playland is the place to be. Featuring a wooden rollercoaster built in 1958 (don’t worry, it’s rigorously tested for safe-ty), Playland has all the rides, games and eats that a kid could want.

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Preaching is the most visible thing most pastors do. “If they are faithful to the task, it is the biggest single chunk

of responsibility a pastor has—after intercessory prayer,” says Darrell Johnson, Regent College Associate Professor of Pastoral Theology and conference host. Last year, the Pastors’ Conference theme was “Pastor as Pray-er” and the event set an attendance record; this year, the conference will focus on “The Pastor as Preacher.” But it is not only the conference themes that draw people here: “The Pastors’ Conference is an event,” notes Johnson, “but hopefully it is also a movement of people who want to be here because they know God is doing something.” This year, the hope is that pastors will find encouragement to be effective communica-tors and, in Johnson’s words, “encouragement that preaching still works.” To foster this, Reverend Fleming Rutledge and Reverend Earl Palmer will join Johnson in exemplifying and examining preaching that is both faithful to the biblical text and creatively connected to contemporary culture—a pairing not always easily made.

When asked why Rutledge and Palmer were the top choices for this year’s conference, Johnson emphasized the fact that both ministers have “maintained excellence in preaching over the long haul,” though they have done so in very different contexts.

Fleming Rutledge was one of the first women ordained to ministry in the Episcopal Church and has spent twenty-two years in parish ministry, expositing Scripture in a highly

liturgical context, working with multiple texts. She now preaches and teaches internationally, has published three inter-denominationally acclaimed sermon collections and is working on a book-length project examining the meaning of the Crucifixion for today’s world. “I have read most of her sermons,” states Johnson, “and I find her to be winsome and articulate.”

Earl Palmer, pastor emeritus of University Presbyterian Church in Seattle, has spent over fifty years in pastoral ministry. He is the author of numerous books and a long-time friend of both Regent College and Darrell Johnson. Preaching and ministering in contexts that have afforded him a great deal of freedom, he too has proved to consis-tently engage the biblical text with creative vitality and sound exegesis. Palmer has pastored in Seattle, Berkeley and Manila, and is currently the Preaching Pastor in Residence for the National Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C.

Though many expected Johnson to lead the preaching at this year’s conference, he will instead lead the interaction with Rutledge and Palmer. He states: “They will preach and I will engage them on why they chose to put the sermon together as they did, press exegetical issues and learn how they determined the heart of the text. My role will be to engage the preachers on behalf of the participants. I antici-pate being refreshed, encouraged that preaching really does change lives, and I expect to gain new insights into the text from both Fleming and Earl…I know I will.”

Why work? Why work hard or heartily? How do we inte-grate our faith with our daily work? These are a few of

the questions Paul Stevens, Professor Emeritus of Marketplace Theology and Bruce Waltke, Professor Emeritus of Old Testament, plan to address at this year’s Regent Tradition Conference. To learn a little more about the conference, we spoke with Paul Stevens.Q: Could you unpack the conference title, “Work-Wise: Making Sense of the Other Six Days?”RPS: Work is a fundamental dimension of human existence; it links us with God. Understanding what work means, how to work well and how work is itself a spiritual discipline and part of our spiritual and character growth is fundamental. This is why the conference is called “work-wise.” Wisdom is not esoteric information, but prac-tical know-how about living in the light of God’s good purposes. Dr. Waltke will focus on two passages in Proverbs: the slothful worker (and you will be surprised to discover that workaholism is a form of moral sloth) and the entrepreneurial woman in Proverbs 31. I will be opening up the Genesis account of what God intended in regard

to work, and proceeding to a larger overview to show that even in the new heaven and new earth we will be working.Q: Why do you think this topic is a particularly timely one? RPS: There is no doubt that many people find work hard, messy, challenging and sometimes nonexistent. Many people in the north and west of the globe spend their lives searching for satisfying work, as though work could fill the god-shaped vacuum in our souls. In other parts of the world, the problem is not too little but too much (and too stressful) work. We are dealing with a topic that touches our everyday life centrally, but more than that, work is an arena of spiritual struggle and spiritual growth. Far from regarding the Monday to Friday (or Monday to Saturday-plus) experience as a hindrance to the spiritual life, work itself is meant to be a pathway to God. Most people today are trying to solve the oppressive demands of work through time management but there is a deeper answer, one we intend to explore. For more information on either of these conferences, please visit the Regent College Conferences website: www.regent-college.edu/events/conferences.

Regent Tradition Conference

Work-WiseMaking Sense of the Other Six Days

Paul Stevens and Bruce WaltkeApril 4, 2009

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Fleming Rutledge

R. Paul Stevens

Darrell Johnson

Earl Palmer

Bruce Waltke

Regent Pastors’ Conference 2009: The Pastor as Preacher

May 5–8, 2009

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Old TestamentIain Provan May 11–22

Old Testament FoundationsIain Provan May 11–22

Living with Beastly Empires: The Book of DanielRikk Watts May 25–June 5

The New Testament Use of the Old: What Were the NT Authors Up To?Bruce Waltke July 13–24 Light from the Dark Ages: An Exposition of Judges and Ruth

New TestamentPaul Barnett June 29–July 10

Knowing God’s Plan for the World: Paul Writes to the Romans

John Barclay July 13–24 Paul and the Gift: Explorations in Paul’s Theology of Grace

J.I. Packer July 13–24 Letters to Colossae: Colossians, Philemon and Ephesians

Tony Cummins July 27–31 Life in His Name: The Gospel According to John

TheologyHans Boersma May 25–June 5 Systematic Theology C Hans Boersma May 25–June 5

Theology of CulturePaul Helm June 29–July 10

John Calvin: A Guide for the PerplexedOliver Crisp June 29–July 10 Systematic Theology A

Everyday LivingLoren and Mary Ruth Wilkinson May 25–June 5 Food: Communion, Community and CreationJennie McLaurin June 8–12 + Optional Conference June 12–13

Faithful Medicine: Bioethics and Christian ThoughtPaul Stevens June 29–July 10

Taking Your Soul to Work: Experiencing God in the MarketplaceBernd Wannenwetsch July 13–24

The Moral Fit: A Fresh Look at the Relationship of the Sexes

Church and PracticeCherith Fee Nordling May 11–22 Practising Resurrection: The Church’s Life Through the SpiritRod Wilson May 11–15 Dynamics of Church LeadershipKrish Kandiah May 25–June 5 Subzero Evangelism: Communicating the Gospel

in Post-Christian ContextsMinho Song July 27–31 Becoming a Missional Church

ArtTimothy Botts June 8–12 To See Thee More Clearly: A Calligraphy Workshop

SoundHarold Best May 11–22 Dwelling with Music: Unceasing Worship and its Musical WorldsMark Noll July 13–24 The History of Christianity in Hymns

ScreenBruce Marchfelder May 11–22 Reading Film: A Theological ApproachRalph Winter & John Stackhouse July 27-31 The Ethics of Filmmaking

WordMaxine Hancock June 8–12 Tradition, Contradiction and Confession:

Reading the Poetry of T.S. Eliot Sharon Jebb Smith July 13–24 Writings of the Soul: Themes in Spiritual Autobiography Michael Ward July 27–31 The Theological Imagination of C.S. Lewis

SpiritualityMarva Dawn May 18–22 Spiritual DiscernmentJames Houston May 25–June 5 The Devotional Use of the Psalms

in the History of the Christian ChurchSusan Phillips June 29–July 10 Foundations for Spiritual Life

Currents and FuturesMiriam Adeney May 25–29 Eat, Pray, Love:

Global Christianity in the 21st CenturySteven Keillor June 29–July 10 The Christian Faith: Testimony as Knowledge Quentin Schultze July 27–31 From God-Blogs to God-Tubes to In-Your-Face

God Books: Understanding Emerging Evangelical Media

Biblical Languages June 29–August 14

Carolyn Hindmarsh Introductory New Testament Greek Keith Ganzer Introductory Old Testament Hebrew

COURSES

CONFERENCES

www.regent-college.edu/summer

PASTORS’ CONFERENCE May 5–8The Pastor as Preacher

Earl Palmer, Fleming Rutledge and Darrell Johnson

BIOETHICS CONFERENCE June 12–13Faithful Medicine: Bioethics and Christian Thought

Jennie McLaurin, MD

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Letters HomeMany students who attend Regent College move to Vancouver from other parts of the world. As they leave to embark on this new adventure, it is important that they remain in contact with friends and family at home. We asked three students to share with us their thoughts about their written correspondence while studying at Regent.

CLAUDIA CARRARA is an Austrian student who has been at Regent for two years. Written correspondence is important to her: “It is beautiful to receive mail and know somebody thought about you.” Nevertheless, she also finds it difficult to make time for

correspondence (because she wants to answer letters carefully and at length), and admits that she also finds it overwhelming to know how many people she is able to keep in touch with because of Facebook and e-mail. For this reason she describes written correspondence in the computer age as both a “gift and a curse.”

One way in which Carrara helps her correspondents to understand her life at Regent is by sending them some of her academic papers. This allows them to see what she is thinking about and opens up written conversations that allow others to participate with her in her Regent studies. She believes that a paper should not only be an individual project but should also be a “community learning experience.” E-mail allows friends on the other side of the world to participate in this shared experience.

Writing has helped Carrara to stay connected and to continue to journey with people who are far away. However, no amount of writing can make up for the lack of personal encounter with old friends. Carrara shares that her writing self is only a small part of her whole person, but also states that being forced to write provides helpful reflection space in which to structure her thinking and feelings and to focus on what God has been doing in her life.

DAVID HORN is from the United States originally, but lived in New Zealand for three years before com-ing to Regent two years ago. He keeps in touch with friends around the world through e-mail, but also enjoys handwritten communication with one friend in particular. Because they have never lived in the same city, written communication has been “essential for Doug and me,” Horn says.

Letter-writing in this context provides a shared history and the possibility of intimacy because it is a direct window into the thought world of the other person. Although it is impossible to feel truly con-nected with others without some degree of physical presence, writing provides other benefits. As Horn puts it, “The advantage to letters is that it’s more of a reflective process. Writing it out seems to help process it.” This is important to Horn since he describes himself as an external processor who needs to discuss what he experiences in order to make sense of the world.

Horn cites John Newton, the subject of his first term paper at Regent, as an inspiration because of his role as “the great spiritual director through the post.” This has been an important theme for Horn during his time at Regent because of his calling to walk with people through life, even those he has physically left behind.

RACHEL YEO has been a student at Regent since the fall of 2007, when she traveled to Vancouver from her home country of Singapore. Yeo has been intentional about staying in contact with her immediate family and close friends during her time at Regent. She does this through her personal blog, update letters and, more recently, through Facebook. Yeo regards letter-writing as a personal “discipline of sorts.” It requires significant effort, but she considers this effort worthwhile.

Letters have enabled Yeo to share with those at home thoughts that have germinated during her time at Regent—whether from class time, through people she has met or because of her experience of being away from home in a new place. Although she does struggle with feeling unable to fully express the growth and change she is experiencing while at Regent, Yeo states that she just tries to “do it any-how as a way for others to journey along with me.”

The act of correspondence has also been spiritually meaningful to her, because it causes her to be attentive to the ways that God works in her life as well as in her correspondents’ lives. Correspondence, for Yeo, has been “an attempt at valuing and up-keeping relationship,” as it enables her to be account-able to the people who encourage her, support her and pray for her.

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Recently, the writer of this article found herself chatting with Santa Claus. Surprisingly, Santa ended his short story with a casual “OMG, I was ROFL” (which, when translated from the original language, means: Oh my goodness, I was rolling on the floor laughing). Perhaps insignificant in itself, Santa’s little abbreviation exemplifies an increasingly evident reality: technology has changed the way we communicate with each other.

The ability to discuss (or communicate about) communi-cation, according to Quentin Schultze, an upcoming Summer School lecturer at Regent College,1 is not only a uniquely human ability, it is a gift from God.2 In his course, From God-Blogs to God-Tubes to In-Your-Face God-Books: Understanding Emerging Evangelical Media, he will pose the question: “How do we get to know one another and love each other and God more fully when we are so message-saturated with interesting but relatively unimportant minutiaE?”

The question is a timely one for the Church, given that the prevalence of social media (such as Facebook, YouTube and blogs) appear to be affecting our interpersonal commu-nication, and consequently our spiritual formation. How are these new communication devices impacting our ability to follow Christ in the 21st century?

Maxine Hancock, Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies and Spiritual Theology at Regent, points to the difference between acquaintance and intimacy, and the value we are beginning to place on each. “Facebook, for instance, lends itself to a general wave and ‘Hi’ in the direction of a wide range of friends.” She likens this form of interaction to “arrow prayers” or even the memorized “Jesus prayer” of the Eastern Orthodox tradition. While these prayers “certainly keep an ongoing awareness of God alive in the mind and spirit,” she cautions that they “may not lead to or spring from intimacy,” and suggests that perhaps one of the greatest challenges with which the “Facebook generation” is faced is the intentional cultivation of intimate relationships and prayer.

The challenge to maintain intimacy is real. But so is the potential usefulness of social media for the Church. One para-church organization, Power to Change Ministry (formerly Campus Crusade for Christ), states on their website: “There’s no question that the Internet is a powerful influence today. We believe its potential for evangelism is only beginning to be tapped.”3 Their formative web ministry, “from websites, to chatrooms to online mentoring,” 4 furthers their goal of build-ing “online communities of evangelism and discipleship.”5

John Stackhouse, the Sangwoo Youtong Chee Professor of Theology and Culture at Regent, suggests that while the Church may possibly stand to gain from increased opportuni-

ties to assert its voice into the chorus provided by the new social media, the veritable cacophony generally reinforces only those voices with which people are already familiar. Nevertheless, Stackhouse added, “Churches are slowly realizing that their website (if they have one) is their new ‘church sign,’ and are putting more and better resources into that very different and complicated medium.”

Schultze summarizes the situation in this way: human communication can simultaneously unify and divide. While media-saturation can create a Pentecost-like awareness of the need for simplicity, leading to “real communion with God and others,” it can also alienate, resulting in a highly anxious, fragmented life, like the aftermath of Babel. The Church today conducts its min-istry in a highly pluralized and polarized society, seeking to communicate the gospel meaningfully within it.

Resisting the reduction of communication to incoher-ence is by nature a counter-cultural act. Inspired by Eugene Peterson’s Subversive Spirituality, Schultze states that humans are “always on the verge of losing more than we are gain-ing, of forgetting who we are and what’s worth saving or remembering.” In this light, he feels that “the best human communication is not just creative but also an act of remem-brance, which is also an act of gratitude.” Unlike the tangible presence of letters, e-mails appear and disappear without ever entering our hands. Consequently, Schultze chooses to print e-mails that are worth remembering, realizing the importance of preserving these records of written interaction.

Clearly, knowing each other and God in a media-soaked environment presents us with a uniquely 21st century ques-tion. And what we do with the distinctly human gift of con-templating communication—what we do to remember and show our gratitude—is an increasingly pressing issue. Perhaps the answer lies, in part, in recalling that Israel was continu-ally commissioned by God to remember and be transformed. In this light, our “modern” predicament perhaps reveals itself, once again, to be an ancient one.

Endnotes1 Schultze is the Arthur H. DeKruyter Chair and Professor of

Communication Arts and Sciences at Calvin College and is a prolific writer and speaker.

2 Schultze, Quentin J., “Human Communication is a Gift,” www.quentinschultze.com/2008/02/human-communica-tion-as-gift.html

3 powertochange.com/corporate/canada/about/4 powertochange.com/corporate/canada/ministries/tm/5 truthmedia.com/index.php

Babel and Pentecost:Contemplating Social Media and Communication

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The Church in Joy-ous Obedience: Biblical Expositions (Laing Lectures’08)What insight and challenge can the ancient Hebrew text of the Old Testament offer the faith, life

and practice of the contemporary church? Brueggemann considers texts from the Exodus narrative, the Jeremiah oracle and the Isaiah sequence.

Come Before Winter: The Last Book of St. Paul, 2 Timothy Palmer explores the book of 2 Timothy expo-sitionally, in the understanding

that its discipleship and ministry teaching also have vital theological relevance for our present understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

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To orderany book or audio set please visit the web-sites listed, or call the bookstore toll free at 1.800.334.3279. If you live in the Vancouver area, our local number is 604.228.1820.

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Regent Radio allows you to listen to individuallectures and complete series by Regent CollegeFaculty Members, Emeritus Professors and Visit-ing Lecturers over the Internet. This is a great way to participate in the “Regent World,” regard-less of where in the world you live. Broadcast schedules are posted daily.

address: Regent College, 5800 University Blvd.Vancouver BC, V6T 2E4 ph: 604.224.3245

Walter Brueggemann

The Gospel and Human PovertyTo end world-wide spiritual and physical hunger, we must begin with indi-

viduals who discover their own poverty, embrace God’s abundant grace and are being transformed to do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with God.

Michael Pucci Ross HastingsEarl Palmer

www.regentbookstore.comPaul Schneider: Witness of BuchenwaldDaniel Bloesch translatorUntil now, English-speaking audiences have been largely unaware of this courageous German Reformed pastor’s story.

Part of the Bekennende Kirche during World War II, Schneider’s opposition of the Nazi regime led to his imprisonment, and eventu-ally to his death.

The Left Hand of God: And Other Uncommon Tales from Esther, Nehemiah and Ezra“The Left Hand of God brings biblically soaked imagination to the craft of story-telling. In these three stories Rob Alloway makes the most of the scant materials that the Bible preserves for us. He

provides us with memorable and believable com-panions as we glean in the fields of scripture. I hope this book will bring as much pleasure to others as it has to me!” Eugene Peterson.

Paradise Lost: Parallel Prose EditionIn celebration of the 400th anniversary of John Milton’s birth, Danielson has completed the first prose parallel edition of what has been called the greatest poem ever written.

Rudolf Wentorf Rob Alloway Dennis Danielson