May 8, 2009
Kairos A Publication of the Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary Community
By Stella Burkhalter, MDiv Senior
There’s a last time for everything - a last time you
lay sleepless in bed on Christmas Eve night because you
really believed Santa was going to land on your rooftop
any minute, or a last time you and your friends tried to
stay up all night at a sleepover. The problem is, you don’t
usually know it’s the last time.
This was the point of a story in an e-mail some-
one forwarded to me a long time ago. I could kick myself
for not saving it – it’s long gone – but the memory of it will
stay with me forever. The author wrote about the last time
he laid on the back dashboard of the car looking up at the
stars in the night sky as his parents drove down a dark
highway. I remember doing that. He wrote about the last
time his son fell asleep on the couch and he carried him
to his bed. My kids are too big to carry like that now, too,
and I’m so sorry I didn’t know I was carrying them for the
last time when I carried them for the last time. I would
have lingered in the dark room and smelled her hair or
buried my face in the space between his little shoulder
and cheek. On second thought, maybe it’s better I didn’t
know.
A lot of last times are like that. We take special
care to commemorate certain last times. We wrap cere-
monies around them and shed tears. Maybe some last
times come and go without us knowing because our souls
would be too torn up if we had to grieve the loss of them.
I’m thinking about last times, of course, because
school is almost done for the year. I’m a senior, but I’m
not graduating, so I get to watch others grieve and mark
their last times with caps and gowns and engraved invita-
tions. The friends who crowded into the bus bound for
TexLake with me, who sat and listened to Stan Hall’s
song of the day with me, who wrinkled their faces and
tried to fathom Cindy’s lectures with me, will be moving
on. Most of them anyway. A few will walk with me in
2010 and we’ll feel very mature and mysterious, swoop-
ing in for the big day. The others will politely include us in
Inside This Issue
Announcements & Events . . . 2 Self Assessment . . . . . . . 4
Letter from the New Editor . . . 3 Reception for Andy. . . . . . 5
A Final Will . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Commencement Info. . . 6-7
Issue #182
their parties and slide shows, offer us cake with the frost-
ing that turns your tongue blue, but we won’t really be
part of them. Maybe it’s more merciful this way.
The problem with knowing I won’t be around
much next year is that I don’t know how many last times
have come and gone without my notice. Have I already
had the last time sitting on the Stotts patio reading in the
sunshine for an hour? Have I already had the last time
some stranger asks me what I do and I proudly replied,
“graduate student,” imagining myself in a tweed coat with
patches on the elbows. Have I already had the last time I
plopped my backpack on the chair at my favorite lunch
table and tried to figure out how we could possibly be
talking about bacon and guitars and English literature and
the Presbyterian call system all at the same time? Have I
already had the last time I snuck back to the room off the
altar in the chapel to see if a friend needed to pray before
preaching? Have I already had the last time I paused
before climbing those steep stairs between the vine-
covered walls because even after years of being here, it
still makes me breathless with gratitude that I get to be?
Have I already had the last time I dropped to the blue
couch in McMillan to join the others who finished their
exams so we could compare notes? Have I already had
the last time I stopped by a professor’s office for five min-
utes and ended up staying forty-five? Have I already
had the last time I crumbled to a bench on campus and
let the tears flow while someone put an arm around me
and a little crowd gathered around to just love me? When
did I cross that threshold? Why didn’t anyone warn me?
My brother died in 2001. I don’t remember the
last time I saw him. I don’t remember what we did or
what we talked about. It was too ordinary to matter. I’ve
often wished I could have one more last time with him,
but it’s probably for the best. I would hang on too tightly,
it would hurt too much. Some last times are like that.
© 2009 Austin Presbyterian
What I Learned In Seminary Today . . . 8 Theological Seminary
Weekly Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
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Chapel Schedule Commencement

Corner
Reading Week
Mark your calendars!
Contemplative Worship
Baccalaureate
On Tuesday, May 12, Sat., May 23
Still Small Voice will lead a 6:00 p.m.
contemplative worship service
in the chapel at 8pm. Contact Commencement
Margaret Talbot for more Sun., May 24
information. 2:30 p.m.

Both Events Will Be Held At

Meet the Peeps
University Presbyterian Church
A Community Open House

Sunday, May 17th, “Meet the Peeps”: A See pages 3 and 4

Community Open House, 3pm-5pm at Hicks Com-
munity House. Our new Vice President for Student
Affairs and Vocation, Jackie Saxon, would like to
informally meet and greet students and their fami-
lies. Light refreshments will be served and everyone
is welcome! Hope to see you there!
Student Volunteers Needed!
Student volunteers are needed Saturday,
May 23rd and Sunday, May 24th to assist with the
Anderson House Dedication Ceremony, Baccalaure-
ate, and the Graduation Commencement Cere-
mony. Responsibilities will include directing traffic,
guiding Anderson House tours, ushering guests, etc.
If interested, contact Chris Kreisher at
chris.kreisher@austinseminary.edu
for more information.
Art Display in the Library
The Stitt Library has a display of the art work
of Austin artist, Joan Salvant. It is Voices from the
Walls: a Celebration of the Art and Architecture of
Shelton Chapel. Ten beautiful watercolor versions
of different symbols found in the chapel are in the
display case along with an explanation of the loca-
tion of the symbol in the chapel and its meaning.
Take time from the hectic pace of the ending of the
semester and come enjoy this art. Contact person:
Lila Parrish, x4878

Anderson House Dedication

and Open House
Saturday, May 23rd – All are welcome to attend the Anderson
House Dedication Open House from 12noon ‘til 3pm. We will have
tours of the Anderson House, free lunch, music by Ben Dubois, and
much more. Come relax, fellowship, and just hang out! It is re-
quested that you RSVP as soon as possible to
Ben Dubois, shown here providing
rsvp@austinseminary.edu live music for this year’s Spring
Flung, will also entertain us at the
Anderson House Dedication
Ceremony.
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A Letter from the New Editor

To the student body, staff and faculty of Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary:

First let me express my sincere gratitude, honor and privilege in being named the next Kairos edi-
tor. I look forward to the challenges and excitement it will evoke in my senior year of academics.

Second, I want to sincerely thank Paul Dubois for his commitment, patience, and leadership
shown in this past year’s publication. From a personal standpoint, I am indebted to his willingness
to edit, not just for grammatically mistakes, but also for comprehension. As I wrote my Reflections
on Identity, Paul invested time, effort and a desire to fully comprehend what I wanted to portray. It
was a pleasure to work with him and it was honor to have his insight.

I also appreciated Paul’s weekly pieces on “What I learned in Seminary Today.” It is sometimes
difficult to be vulnerable and scholarly, yet Paul balanced both very well. Paul – I am blessed to
have worked with you and I hope your ministry continues to grow and shape you.

Paul has left me big shoes to fill and I hope and pray that this next academic year you, the stu-
dent body, can help me fulfill those shoes. I may be dreaming big, but I hope to set goals and ac-
complish them in the 2009-2010 academic year. These include:

•An invitation for every student to write at least once for Kairos.
•Complete coverage of our sports teams & community life.
•Reflections from Seniors
•Transitions experienced by Middlers
•Introductions of Juniors

I am open to new ideas and creativity! So if you are interested in helping write, take pictures, re-
port or have ideas of your own, please feel free to contact me by e-mail at
maryelizabeth.prentice@austinseminary.edu or kairos@austinseminary.edu.

Blessings during reading week and congratulations to all of those graduating!

Mary Elizabeth Prentice

Kairos Editor, 2009-2010

A Final Will
From Megan Dosher and Margaret Talbot

Dear friends,
This is our last will and testament, to all of you who aren't graduating and haven't yet discovered the
secret for yourself. You won't read it in the student handbook; your committee members and denominational
powers won't tell you; your advisor might or might not let you in on it. We attest to you: You HAVE to have
TH237, Theology & Hermeneutics, before you leave Austin Seminary. This course IS required!* We leave
the secret knowledge of this required course to your care. Take advantage of it. We hope you love it, as we
have.

* in our estimation—and we know there are others who agree (like the editor who allowed this to be published)
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Self-Assessment Time
Tired of filling out course evaluation forms? Try this one. It’s shorter. Each semester, new MDiv
and MATS students — and other members of the community — are invited to recite Austin Seminary’s
Declaration of Intent, which is as follows:

“In recognition of the claims of God upon me and in reliance upon God’s grace, I declare my inten-
tion to live responsibly in this community, to be persistent in the pursuit of learning, diligent in prayer and
praise, responsive to the needs of my fellow members, and open to their efforts to contribute to my equip-
ment for the service of Christ.”

Sound familiar?

And then each of us were offered the opportunity to “Sign the Book” as we voluntarily consented
to the principles of this declaration. That is, we voluntarily consented to live and learn in this particular
community in this particular manner. So, now, at the end of one year… or two… or three… or more… how
have you done? It’s easy, really. Only two questions:

1. My life and learning and being in community during this time has been consistent with the Declaration
of Intent (check one)

Always
Most of the Time
Usually
Occasionally
Never

2. What could you have done differently, and what will you do differently in the future (in this community
or in others in which you find yourself) to live and learn and be in community in a manner consistent
with the Declaration of Intent?

Note: your conscience will not step out of the classroom while you complete this survey, and will, in fact,
stay with you after you complete it, and, hopefully, for the rest of your life.

Contemplative Worship Service

Tuesday, May 12th

8pm
Shelton Chapel
Letting go….
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Please Come
to a Farewell
Reception for

Andy Dearman
on
Thursday, May 14
5:00 p.m.
McCord Atrium
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DETAILED COMMENCEMENT INFORMATION

MEMORANDUM

To: Class of 2009, Board of Trustees, Faculty, Administrators, Staff and Students
From: Michael Jinkins, Academic Dean
Date: April, 2009
Re: 2009 Baccalaureate and Commencement Activities
Held at: University Presbyterian Church, 2203 San Antonio Street
Directions are provided at the end of this memo.

Regalia for Graduates

• Cap and gown pickup
• Caps and gowns will be available for pickup, upon receipt of the completed graduation checkout
form, from the Registrar=s office during the week of May 18 and until 5:00 p.m. on Friday, May
22nd (details to follow). Note that gowns will be wrinkled and will require pressing.
• Graduates can make arrangements for someone to pick up their regalia if they are unable to do
so.
• Cap, gown, and academic hood return (graduates are hooded during the commencement ceremony)
• All items are rented by the seminary and must be returned following the ceremony on the day
of graduation to the library at University Presbyterian Church.
• Failure to return regalia will result in a fine of $300 to cover the cost of the items, and a hold will
be placed on the graduate’s record.
Baccalaureate Service and Celebration of the Lord=s Supper
• Saturday, May 23, 2009, University Presbyterian Church, 6:00 p.m.
• All graduates are expected to attend the Baccalaureate service, and all other students are encour-
aged to attend.
• There is no academic procession at this service.
• Graduates and Faculty will not robe.
• There is no assigned seating.
• Childcare will be provided at the church during the Baccalaureate service for children age 6 and
younger only. Register childcare needs no later than May 15, 2009 with Mona Minjarez in the Busi-
ness Office.
Baccalaureate Preacher: The Rev. Dr. J. Andrew Dearman
Celebrants: The Rev. Dr. David Johnson and The Rev. Jacquline Saxon
Commencement Service
• Sunday, May 24, 2009, University Presbyterian Church, 2:30 p.m.
• All graduates are required to attend the Commencement service, and all other students are encour-
aged to attend. (To graduate in absentia, one must request permission in writing from the Academic
Dean).
• There is an academic procession at this service. Allan Cole will serve as marshal.
• Graduates and Faculty wear academic regalia, including caps.
• There is assigned seating for Trustees, Faculty, and graduating students.
• Childcare is provided at the church for children age 6 and younger only. Register childcare needs no
later than May 15, 2009, with Mona Minjarez in the Business Office.

Commencement Speaker: The Rev. Dr. Joseph J. Clifford, Senior Pastor,

First Presbyterian Church, Dallas, Texas

Continued on page 7
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DETAILED COMMENCEMENT INFORMATION

Continued from page 6

Before the service — for Graduates and their Families

• Rehearsal (without robes) for graduates will be conducted in the church sanctuary at 1:15 p.m. Robes
and personal belongings can be left in Room 212 (the Youth Room) at University Presbyterian Church
between 1:00 and 1:30 p.m. The room will be monitored and locked.
• Families may gather in the fellowship hall or courtyard until rehearsal is finished, approxi-
mately 1:45 - 2:00.
• Immediately following this rehearsal, graduates will gather in Room 212 to robe and pose for the class
photograph.
• After the photograph, graduates will be lined up in processional order.

Before the service — for Trustees and Faculty

• The Board of Trustees and Faculty gather for instructions no later than 2:00 p.m. in Room 210 (the
room next to the Youth Room upstairs) at University Presbyterian Church.

Order for Commencement Procession

st nd rd th th
• 1 — Commencement Leaders; 2 — Marshal; 3 — Board of Trustees; 4 — Faculty; 5 — Class
of 2009.
• Entering the sanctuary from the rear:
• The Board of Trustees will sit in the front rows on the left (spouses sit in rows behind trustees)
• Faculty will sit in the chancel (spouses sit in sanctuary in rows behind trustees)
• Graduates will sit in the front rows on the right.
• An alphabetical processional list of all graduates participating in the Commencement ceremony will be
sent out prior to graduation.
*** Don’t forget to return your regalia to the church library after the service * * *
Reception
• All are invited and encouraged to attend a reception in the courtyard of University Presbyterian Church
immediately following the Commencement exercises.
Directions to University Presbyterian Church
• From IH-35:
th
• Take the Dean Keaton exit (26 Street) and drive west to Guadalupe Street. Turn south (left) on
Guadalupe Street and proceed to 22nd Street.
nd
• At 22 Street, turn west (right) and drive one block to San Antonio Street. The church is located
on the northeast corner of 22nd Street and San Antonio. San Antonio Street is one way going
north, and parking is in the University Co-Op Garage one half-block north of the church on the
west (left) side of the street, across the street from the church.
• From Mopac:
• Take the Windsor Road exit and drive east to Guadalupe. Turn south (right) on Guadalupe to
22nd St.
nd
• At 22 Street, turn west (right) and drive one block to San Antonio. The church is located on the
northeast corner of 22nd Street and San Antonio.
nd
• Note: If driving north on Guadalupe from MLK Blvd., a left turn on 22 is prohibited. Instead, from
MLK Blvd., go one block west of Guadalupe, turn north on San Antonio and continue to 22nd
Street.
Parking
• Free parking for Baccalaureate and Commencement is available in the University Co-Op Garage one
half-block north of the church on the west (left) side of the street, across the street from the church.
 Issue 182 www.austinseminary.typepad.com/portal/kairos.html
A Weekly Column Offering Musings, Insights, and Reflections on the Seminary Life
Give Us This Day Our Daily Words
By Paul Dubois, MDiv Senior
In a little while I will print this, my last ‘What I
Learned in Seminary Today’ column after a two year run,
and my last issue of Kairos as its editor. Within moments
of making 50 copies, I will surely be blessed–or cursed–
with a dozen other thoughts about what I should have said
in the last two years, and today especially. It happens
every week. But I have found that this ex post facto
bounty of ideas and possibilities are usually not the things
I am to write when I finally do sit down to write.
I had given some thought to how to bring this to a
close. One thought was to write a column for each of my
three children. The problem is... I got that idea only a
week ago, one child, one column too short. And that sum-
marizes how I write... at the last minute. I hate it, but I
seem powerless to change it. And yet it forces me to at-
tune to who I am now, where I am now, and what is going
on around me now. And by virtue of our relational reality, I
also can say that it helps be to attune to who we are now,
where we are now, and what is going on around us now.
When I reflect on my experience writing these essays, the
inspiration really boils down to a prayer, a prayer that I
realized only just this morning as I struggled to find a last
beginning, and the prayer is this:
Give me this day my daily words.
And so I pray. I ask God for the words that I am to
write, the words I need to write. And then I struggle with
the writing. This writing is for me, first and foremost a
spiritual discipline that each week searches for my voice.
It is justifying, empowering, and, at best, liberating. It is
spiritual and therapeutic. It is exhausting! I write to dis-
cern, to think, and to learn. To be open to possibilities–
sometimes feebly attempting to understand them, but
other times simply being present to them. The words are
not just for me; they come through me but they also go on
to others–to you, the reader, and to others with whom I am
in relationship, whether they read them or not. I’ve heard
it said that a preacher preaches the sermon he or she
most needs to hear. It is something like that, although
such a statement should not be seen as selfish, either.
The words I receive–that I also write–form me, but the
Spirit that inspires them moves through all of creation. It
is at the same time all about me yet absolutely not about
me.
There are times–like now, frankly–when I’m not
writing about what is on my heart because I cannot seem
to put my finger on it. Or, more probably, I’m afraid to put
my finger on it, or ashamed. Yet, even during these times,
writing is a way to explore what is, to summon the cour-
age, to look for a chink in my armor, a way to leverage
Page 8
reflection and vulnerability for insight and growth. It is a
longing to eat solid food, desperately hoping that I am able
after 40-odd years of milk. Most people learn to eat long
before they write. Not me. Writing teaches me how to
eat. Maybe it is doubt. Maybe doubt is what I am writing
around, desperately not wanting to write about. But it
could be fear, or insecurity, or self pity, too. I’m struggling
yet again with this notion of ‘calling’. I think that the lan-
guage of ‘call’ is somewhat foreign to me. I picked it up
and tried it on because everyone around here seemed to
be wearing one, but it doesn’t fit right. Maybe it’s just not
my color. It’s not that I don’t believe in what lies behind
this language–I truly do–but I wouldn’t be caught dead
wearing it. Oh, I digress...
There are other times–again, like now, frankly–
when I am open and find myself dancing in and among the
words. Picking out the dance partners that meet my
fancy, twirling with them and hoping they like me enough
to stick around. It is inspiring. But to write to seek inspira-
tion isn’t quite right, either. It is not so much to seek the
Spirit–who is constantly seeking us–but, instead to be
open, receptive, and willing to receive the Spirit who de-
sires to work in, with, and through us. No, at the dance I
am the one waiting to be asked to dance, willing to leave
my wallflower-ness behind. This is inspiration. This is
why I write. And yet the writing itself has limits. It is al-
ways analogical... what I write may be true, but it never
circumscribes the truth. When I came here three years
ago I was hoping to find certainty. I cannot say for sure
what all I have found at seminary, but it was surely not
certainty. God no. I thank God that I don’t look for that
any more! Oh, but here is the joy of playing with inspira-
tion and words and their possibilities!
You know, I have found a grace in writing because
it is not speaking. In class, in spiritual direction group, in
small-group efforts, and in other personal venues, too of-
ten it seems that precise spoken words elude me. I so
want to be the preacher that stands up and can proclaim
the gospel without notes. But I think the precision of the
written manuscript–or the hope for such precision–has
grasped me. Yet do not confuse the word ‘precision’ to
suggest something too technical in the modern sense.
But do allow it to suggest an artistic sense. These are the
words that, when the come, are beautiful. These are the
words that say more than I could ever hope to say.
Well, I think I’m ready to be done now. I think I’m
ready to let these words pass, to let them be written. I’m
willing now to let them go. I’m also ready to receive now
the words I should have written. They will have their day,
just not today.
Grace, peace, and thanks.
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Monday, May 11th

8:30 – 9:30 a.m. Institutional Advancement Staff Meeting – Laura Harris Knox Dining Room
9:30 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Supervisory Skills Development Conference – Ann Davis McCord 204
12:00 – 1:00 p.m. Spiritual Direction – Scott Quinn McCord 202
12:00 – 1:00 p.m. Acts 2:42 – Jose Lopez McCord 203

Tuesday, May 12th

9:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Supervisory Skills Development Conference – Ann Davis McCord 204
12:00 – 1:30 p.m. President’s Student Luncheon – Nancy Reese Knox Dining Hall
WEEKLY CALENDAR OF EVENTS

4:15 – 8:15 p.m. Reading, Writing, and Study Skills – Light German Knox Dining Hall

Wednesday, May 13th

9:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Texas Presbyterian Foundation BOT – Nancy Reese McMillan 201/210
11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Spiritual Direction – Jean Springer McCord 202
MAY 11-MAY 17, 2009

12:00 – 1:00 p.m. Corpus Christi – Scott Spence McCord 201

12:00 – 1:00 p.m. Student Senate – Melissa Koerner McMillan 206
12:00 – 1:00 p.m. Theological Historical Department – David Jensen McMillan 209
12:45 – 2:30 p.m. Korean Bible Study – In Hye Park McMillan 204
1:00 – 2:00 p.m. Spiritual Direction – Barbara Schutz McMillan 205
1:00 – 2:30 p.m. Event Planning Meeting – Renee Menke Knox Dining Hall
1:30 – 10:00 p.m. Campaign Planning Committee – Donna Scott Trull Boardroom
2:00 – 3:30 p.m. Student Life/Student Standing Committee – Ellen Babinsky McCord 201
2:00 – 3:30 p.m. Admissions Commission – Bill Greenway McMillan 105
3:30 – 5:00 p.m. Worship Committee – Jennifer Lord McCord 201
3:30 – 5:00 p.m. Program of Study Committee – Ismael Garcia McMillan 105
5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Campaign Planning Committee – Donna Scott McCord 204
6:00 – 9:00 p.m. Balcones Community Orchestra – Outside Group McMillan 211

Thursday, May 14th

8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Campaign Planning Committee – Donna Scott Trull Boardroom
8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Recent Graduate Seminar – Laura Harris McCord 203
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Call 2 – Gail Dalrymple McCord 201
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Spiritual Direction – Barbara Schutz McCord 202
5:00 – 6:30 p.m. Reception for Andy Dearman – Nancy Reese Vickery Atrium
7:00 – 9:00 p.m. Interfaith Comm. for Palestinian Rights – Outside Group McCord 204

Friday, May 15th

8:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Recent Graduate Seminar – Laura Harris McCord 203
8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. CLE Seminar – Conflict Prevention and Resolution McCord 201/204
8:30 – 10:00 a.m. Spiritual Direction – Joe Berry McCord 202
1:30 – 5:30 p.m. Lexington Seminar – Outside Group McCord 203

Saturday, May 16th

No Events Today

Sunday, May 17th

2:00 – 3:30 p.m. Austin Girl’s Choir – Sara McClure Shelton Chapel
12:00 – 4:00 p.m. University Outreach Graduation Reception – Outside Group Stotts Hall
3:00-5:00 p.m. Meet the Peeps—Community Open House Hicks Community House

Submissions to Kairos: Email submissions to the editor, Paul Dubois, at Kairos@austinseminary.edu. Calendar events and room reservation
requests should be sent to Katherine Sweet at ksweet@austinseminary.edu or made in person at the McCord desk. Editorial decisions are based
on urgency, availability of space, and editorial guidelines. Deadline is Wednesday at 5:00 P.M. Submissions made after deadline must be
accompanied by a dunkel.

Kairos Editorial Guidelines

1 Kairos is the voice of students at Austin Seminary.
2 Kairos generally carries no advertisement for sales of goods or services by individuals. An exception is the sale of a student’s library or other
study aids.
3 It is not possible to make all program announcements which are submitted by individual churches. Kairos is more likely to be able to run an-
nouncements which apply to ecumenical or interfaith groups or groups of churches.
4 No letters which attack individuals or groups will be run in Kairos. This is to be distinguished from letters which might criticize the actions of
individuals or groups.
5 Kairos will publish letters to the editor that contribute to Christian conversation on the APTS campus. All letters must be signed.