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Choral Evensong Highlights Seminary Choir and Pipe Organ on April 13

…music, will accompany the choir from the seminary’s pipe organ, built by Schoenstein & Co. Organ Builders and installed in August 2022. The Schoenstein family has been building distinguished instruments for five generations. This event is made possible through a grant from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship for the purpose of showcasing the beautiful new Watts Chapel instrument. Union…

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Union Seminary benefactor Josiah P. Rowe dies at 90

…in his memory may be made to Union Presbyterian Seminary, the Virginia Museum of History and Culture, Fredericksburg Cemetery or Friends of the Rappahannock. Obituary Top photo, from right, Josiah P. Rowe, Dr. Karen-Marie Yust, and Dr. Brian K. Blount at Yust’s installation ceremony at Union Presbyterian Seminary in 2015. ### Contact: Mike Frontiero Director of Communications mfrontiero@upsem.edu (804) 278-4279…

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Working…

Whether you are working in a parish setting or not, you are impacting your environment through the training you’ve received in seminary. You are the church in the world. It is an exciting opportunity to bring your expertise and curiosity to your vocational setting. However, just because you have graduated from seminary doesn’t mean that your learning is complete. There…

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Former trustee Bill Gravitt dies

Former Union Theological Seminary (now Union Presbyterian Seminary) trustee William Dean “Bill” Gravitt, loving husband, father, and grandfather, passed away peacefully at home on May 28, 2021, after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s. OBITUARY…

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Dinner on the Nile

…Ramses II. In the back was a Coptic church that Christine got to geek over. We ate dinner on the Nile and celebrated a birthday in the group—Amanda! We sang songs and had a huge cake! After dinner, we went on a short shopping trip in the street markets. Once back at the hotel for the night, a group of…

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A Prayer of God’s protection, deliverance, and safety

…our fortress, and our place of protection from dangers and distress. You are also our stronghold and our defense against our enemies. You are the only God whom we serve and only in You will we confidently place our trust. We trust not in our own abilities, nor in our own wisdom or strength; but we trust in You, O…

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Returning to a Place I Never Knew: Historical Perspectives on Spain

…around their conversions, and were often abused or even killed. The inquisition was established under the rule of King Ferdinand II and Queen Isabella I of Spain, the very same King and Queen who in 1492, sponsored Christopher Columbus’ journey to the west to find a trade route to Asia. The King and Queen wanted to obtain a competitive edge…

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Why We Need Public Theologians

…of Jesus. Many Black Christians that I meet are too caught up in Paul, who in too many instances is accommodating the theology of Rome. If we truly follow Jesus, we would not treat women, immigrants, and our LBGTQ brothers and sisters the way we do. We need more public theologians. Not just on a national level, but in our…

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Congregational Corner: Take on A Bit of Kindness

…I sat through one episode after another the other day, I wondered how I would respond to a stranger asking if they might stay in my home for the night. I realized that there are more times than I am comfortable with that I have completely ignored the request for something as simple as food and my heart broke as…

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Because God first loved us

…on that figurine and I know the answer to that youth’s question… I told you I love you because God loves you. I told you I love you because God loves me. I told you I love you because that is what I heard Christ say. I told you I love you because that is exactly what I am called…

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Congregational Corner: Take on, Caring for Creation

…we remember during Holy Week. As I pondered how I would approach this Lenten season, I decided that I wanted to turn things around in my own life and rather than give something up or give something away, I will take something on, just as Christ took on the sins of the world in his own death. Over the next…

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How to revitalize a church through music and drama

…then fed the congregation’s growing use of music, drama and even musical theater in its worship and congregational life. The Reverend Burns Stanfield has served as the church’s pastor for the last 27 years and led its afterschool offerings in music, art and children’s theater. he’s also a musician and an instructor at Harvard Divinity School and Andover Newton Seminary….

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Professor Katie Geneva Cannon honored

…Seminary of New York‘s Union Medal at the 178th Commencement. The seminary’s highest award honors persons of faith whose lives reflect the mission of the seminary in the world. Cannon, class of 1983, gave a short charge to the 2016 graduates. Watch her speech here at 1:42:30. Cannon was the first African-American woman ordained in the United Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)….

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Helping cops cope with traumatic violence: VALEAP

…in modern history. We are indeed living in very dangerous times. The police are traumatized by it too. They have a hard time asking for emotional help because, among cops, that’s been seen as a weakness. The Virginia Law Enforcement Assistance Program (VALEAP) is working to change all that by giving officers the support they desperately need. In our Union…

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This is National Estate Planning Awareness Week

What is Estate Planning and why should I consider it? Estate gifts are sometimes referred to as “stop-and-think” gifts because they require some planning and, often, help from a professional advisor such as an attorney. The most common estate gift is a bequest in a will or trust and it is one of the easiest ways to support an organization…

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6 things about Andy Spaulding’s summer break

…is dying, especially the Presbyterian church, both literally and metaphorically. This sentiment causes me extreme discomfort for a whole host of reasons. While it is true that membership and attendance are in decline, there is a vibrant life in the “up-and-coming/already here” church. If one more person tells me how Millennials are uninterested in organized religion, I’ll drop out of…

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India travel seminar: Spirit of the Sikhs

This is post 5 of 11 in the series “India travel seminar” India travel seminar begins India travel seminar: Religious and cultural diversities India travel seminar: Deep care & kindness India travel seminar: A dream fulfilled India travel seminar: Spirit of the Sikhs India travel seminar: Observing faith formation practices India travel seminar: Andhara Christian Theological College India travel seminar:…

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Degree Program

Master of Theology

All Th.M. students will successfully complete 30 semester hours, including a Research Methods course, a Th.M.-specific seminar, and a year-long colloquium. These and all other courses and directed studies are designed to prepare every Th.M. student to write a thesis or summative projects and to construct a final portfolio. Some Th.M. students may choose to concentrate their studies in a…

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Celebrate Constitution Day with us and RBG

BY DORA ROWE Constitution Day is Thursday, September 17, and Union Presbyterian Seminary Library is sponsoring events in celebration. This year, we will be hosting them mainly online, through highlighting videos in our collection and a research guide, as well as a physical book display in the library. This is the first thing I wanted to highlight, though, since it…

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Central America Travel Seminar: The War Years

…baby, who was no longer ill after they asked for Romero’s intercession. Afterward, we walked around Gerado Barrio’s plaza. The church sits on the plaza, and during Romero’s funeral shots were fired into the crowd from the nearby National Palace. It’s impossible to imagine such a tragedy, especially at a funeral. The weight of the place could be felt in…

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