Fall 2015/Pasadena

IS500

Tiersma-Watson

IS500: PRACTICES OF VOCATIONAL FORMATION (4 Units: 160 hours). Jude Tiersma-Watson.

DESCRIPTION: Christian practices constitute the Christian life. The combined Christian practices of vocational formation, worship, community, and mission facilitate the integration of personal, spiritual, academic, and global formation into the vocational coherence of a Christian leader through reflection, relationships, and practices. IS500 is an integrative course that explores the identity and practices of Christian vocational formation as a people called, gathered, and sent by God. Together, professor and students study and enact historic Christian disciplines necessitated by this distinctive identity (Listening, Guidance, Lament, Discernment, Stewardship, Simplicity, Rhythms of Rest, Honoring the Body).

LEARNING OUTCOMES: (1) Students will reflect on their current and past experiences of Christian practices of vocational formation. (2) Students will participate in local contexts and demonstrate the capacity to engage in activities and exercises related to Christian spiritual disciplines and practices of vocational formation. (3) Students will demonstrate the capacity to engage scripture, tradition, and contemporary resources to reflect theologically on historic practices of vocational formation. (4) Students will articulate how vocational formation practices impact their response to the Central Integration Question (CIQ) and will identify exercises, habits, and disciplines to embody these practices within their sociocultural context.

COURSE FORMAT: This class meets twice weekly for two hour sessions for a total of 40 instructional hours in the classroom for lecture and discussion (which includes 8 hours of participation in vocation and formation groups).

REQUIRED READING: 800 pp. of required reading.

A. Core Text.

Placher, William C. Callings: Twenty Centuries of Christian Wisdom on Vocation. Eerdmans, 2005. ISBN: 978-0802829276, Pub. Price $30.00 [150 pp. assigned].

B. Israel, the Church, and vocation

Biblical texts assigned, related to call narratives in scripture [50 pages].

Labberton, Mark. Called: The Crisis and Promise of Following Jesus Today. IVP Books, 2014. ISBN: 978-0830836833, Pub. Price $16.00 [approx. 100 pp. assigned].

C. Theology (ecclesiology), contemporary challenges (culture), and vocational practices.

Selected Articles and Chapters:

Bolsinger, Tod. “Formed, Not Found” Fuller Magazine, Issue 1[4 pp.]

D. Core practices of Listening, Guidance, Lament, Discernment, Stewardship, Simplicity, Rhythms of Rest, Honoring the Body.

Barton, Ruth Haley. Sacred Rhythms: Arranging Our Lives for Spiritual Transformation. IVP Books, 2006. ISBN: 978-0830833337, Pub. Price $18.00 [100 pp. assigned]. (listening, lament, rhythms of rest, honoring the body, lectio)

Choose two of the following:

Bill, J. Brent. Sacred Compass: The Way of Spiritual Discernment. Paraclete Press, 2012. ISBN: 978-1612612508, Pub. Price $13.99 [110 pp. assigned] (listening, guidance, discernment)

Newell, J. Philip. Listening for the Heartbeat of God: A Celtic Spirituality. Paulist Press, 1997. ISBN: 978-0809137596, Pub. Price $10.95 [110 pp. assigned] (listening, guidance, discernment)

Parker, Palmer. Let Your Life Speak. Jossey-Bass, 2000. ISBN: 978-0787947354, Pub. Price $18.95 [110 pp. assigned]. (listening, guidance, discernment)

Tutu, Desmond. God Has a Dream. Image, 2005. ISBN: 978-0385483711, Pub. Price $14.00 [110 pp. assigned] (listening, guidance, discernment)

Wolff, Pierre. Discernment: the Art of Choosing Well. Liguori, 2003. ISBN: 978-0764809897, Pub. Price $14.99 [110 pp. assigned] (listening, guidance, discernment)

Selected Articles and Chapters:

Brueggemann, Walter. "The liturgy of abundance, the myth of scarcity." Christian Century 116, no. 10 (1999): 342-47. [5 pp.] (stewardship)

Reese, Randy and Robert Loane, 2012. Deep Mentoring, IVP, pp 49-74 [25 pp] (listening)

Scazzero, Peter. 2015. The Emotionally Healthy Leader, Zondervan, pp 78-124 [45pp.] (stewardship, rhythms of rest, honoring the body)

Wuthnow, Robert. 1999. “The Crisis in the Churches” in Financing American Religion, Mark Chaves and Sharon L. Miller, Eds., Walnut Creek, CA: AltaMira Press [10 pp.]. (stewardship)

Videos and additional articles will be posted in e-reserves.

Students in IS500 are required to take the Clifton StrengthsFinder assessment, receive a CoreClarity coaching packet based off of their top 5 strengths, and participate in a 45-minute coaching call with a CoreClarity coach. There will be a $40 charge for StrengthFinder® assessment, Coaching Packet, and Coaching Session which will automatically be charged to your student account.

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

1. 800 pages reading and videos, including at least 50 pages of biblical text. [This assignment is related to learning outcome #3]. [40 hours].
2. Classroom: for each practice, students will engage, reflect, create (utilizing instruction, participation, presentation, discussion, engaging action/reflection cycle for theological reflection, case studies) (15%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1, 2, 3]. [32 hours].
3. Vocation Formation Group (VFG) - In a Vocation Formation Group, students will engage spiritual disciplines, practices, and discussion. Students will listen to scripture, and share and listen to stories related to the practices. (Vocation Formation Group Leader (VFGL) will let professor know if students have been present and engaged). (10%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1, 2, and 4]. [8 hours].
4. Students will participate in directed practices and disciplines relating to Lectio Divina and other core disciplines over the course of the quarter (25%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #2]. [30 hours].
5. Four fieldwork activities and reflections (20%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #2]. [10 hours + 10 hours].
6. Autobiography related to core course concept of vocational formation (10%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1]. [5 hours].
7. Signature Assignment: 100 word CIQ response, integration paper related to course practices, and Rule of Life (2,500 words total) (20%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1, #3, and #4]. [25 hours].

PREREQUISITES: None. Recommended in first year of study.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Meets a core integrative requirement in the 120 MDiv Program and the 80 MAT, 80 MATM, 80 MAICS Programs (Fall 2015).

FINAL EXAMINATION: None.