Stan Hallisms

Many of the APTS blogging community have made comments about the death of beloved professor Stanley R. Hall. He was an editor of the Presbyterian Book of Common Worship and was the one who taught me (and many others) to love and respect liturgy and worship. Since taking The Church as Worshipping Community my junior year, I have looked at worship and worship space differently.

One of the fun things about class with Stan was his quirky turns of phrase, what have been lovingly dubbed "Stan Hallisms." You never knew when one would be uttered, but some of them were absolutely priceless. Here are some of my favorites.

• Presbyterian worship, boredom to the glory of God
• Nothing is as new as what is old
• To gather as a community we commit theology
• No prejudice against the merely dead in Christ
• Prayer – doing deals with God
• To make a difference, that if we closed our doors we would be missed
• Never neglect the use of strange funny words
• Latin is a good language for offering sacrifice
• Big sucking font
• Great God org
• The 70’s brought in a lot of balloons and grab-ass liturgy
• Jesus soup
• Rich visceral stuff
• Wigged out over worship
• Gifts to the church are your enemy
• Aesthetically slightly ugly
• Enough water to drown a cat

So to Stan who has transferred membership to the church triumphant, thank you for a new look at boredom to the glory of God, for an appreciation of the rich visceral stuff that happens so that we would indeed be missed if we closed our doors. I promise not to relive the 70's or to create church architecture that is aesthetically slightly ugly. Stan Hall will be missed, but I am richer for having known him.

The Adventures in Ministry Begins

Although it is not what I expected my first step to be, I have accepted a position as the Christian Educator at Westminster Presbyterian Church of Austin, TX. At this point it is a non-ordained position, but there is possibility of it becoming ordained down the road. I have begun to feel that I am marking time and this church offers a chance to engage in congregational ministry and gain experience. I have also discovered a passion for working with children and youth and exploring theology.

I see this as a chance to vision with people for what they want in ministry with children and youth and help them work toward it. I also understand that this is only one stop of many in my future of ministry.

Yet another library burns...

Today marked the 2nd library to burn in the last week. Last week saw the death of Jack Stotts. Today the living library Stanley R Hall died. I am grateful for the time that I got to spend learning from Stan and getting to know Stan. He has left a living legacy in all the students who sat in class with him, whether they agreed with him or not. I have been shaped by Stan's gift of knowledge.

I can't help but think that there is now a task ahead for the students of Stan and Jack. For those of us who knew these men, we know the legacy that they left us. The torch has been passed. it is now ours to run with, to nurture the flame and to watch it grow.

I pray for comfort for the family and friends of Stan Hall as they mourn his passing. For me, Stan Hallisms run through my head. The one that yells the loudest in my mind is "Let us not be prejudice against the merely dead in Christ."