Apply Now! Invite your youth to join us at The Confluence, June 23rd-28th, 2024

Written by Gretchen Roeck

Do you know a high school student who is trying to figure out who they are and what kind of life they want to live? Invite them to attend The Confluence!Ģż

The Confluence at Augsburg University is a week where high schoolers are invited to explore their vocation — that space where their personal story, God’s story and the world’s story converge.Ģż

Invite the youth you know to our weeklong, on-campus, summer program for high school students who have completed 9th-12th grades.Ģż

Students will learn through:

– vocational discernment

– meaningful peer relationshipsĢżĢż

– experiential learning with local leaders and organizations in the TwinCities

– personal reflection and discernment

– small group conversation led by current Augsburg student mentors

– spiritual practices and daily worship

– theological inquiry and study with Augsburg professor, Dr. Jeremy Myers.Ģż

We hope to reach curious youth who want to live purposefully in relationship with their neighbors, orientated to God’s vision of a just and sustainable world for all. Questions and doubts are welcome.Ģż

Cost: $400/participant. Participants are responsible for transportation to and from Augsburg University.Ģż

Apply now at: /confluence/join-us-this-summer/

Application Deadline: May 15th

Augsburg Scholarship Opportunity:Ģż Students who attend The Confluence and decide to attend Augsburg University as a full-time student will receive a minimum of $20,000 applied to their financial aid package for up to four years.

²Ļ³Ü±š²õ³Ł¾±“Ē²Ō²õ?Ģż

Please contact Gretchen Roeck, Program Director

roeck@augsburg.edu

612-330-1412

augsburg.edu/confluence

The post Apply Now! Invite Your Youth to Join Us at The Confluence, June 23rd-28th, 2024 appeared first on Bernhard Christensen Center for Vocation.

Gretchen Roeck is passionate about inviting youth to engage, critically examine and discern their gifts and call in the world. She loves empowering youth and young adults to be leaders in their own lives and communities. She dreams of building communities of people who are fully alive, connected and invested in one anotherā€™s flourishing.Ģż

Gretchen joined the Christensen Center for Vocation team in January 2024 as the Program Director for The Confluence. The Confluence is CCVā€™s summer institute for high school students, offering youth an opportunity to engage in vocational discernment by exploring the ways their own story merges with Godā€™s story and the worldā€™s story. Gretchen is excited to be a part of the CCV team and their work to inspire and equip people of faith to creatively orient their lives and work around Jesusā€™ call to be neighbor.Ģż

In addition to her work with The Confluence, Gretchen is a Priest in the Episcopal Church in Minnesota. She leads Children’s Ministry at St. Maryā€™s Episcopal Church in St. Paul, and is the chaplain at Circle of the Beloved, an intentional living community for young adults in North Minneapolis. Gretchen spent the last five years serving as the Priest and Internship Director at the University Episcopal Community, a campus ministry for young adults across the Twin Cities. Her ministry has been focused on children, youth and young adults ā€“inviting them into a relationship with God, fostering their personal growth, walking alongside them and guiding young people in their spiritual and vocational journeys. She is committed to building and sustaining safe, inclusive and welcoming communities that lead towards health and wholeness for individuals and their broader communities.Ģż

Creating safe, supportive and loving spaces extends into Gretchenā€™s personal life. She is the mother of two fun and creative boys, Elliott and Abraham, ages 10 and 6. Together they share a home in Minneapolis with Brigid the dog, and George and Molly, the cats.

The post Introducing our new Program Director for The Confluence: Gretchen Roeck! appeared first on Bernhard Christensen Center for Vocation.

Making new connections and building on those relationships can be really exciting but also really scary. I got the opportunity to make new connections with high school youth at the 2023 Augsburg Youth Theology Institute: The Confluence! This program was filled with connections between our story, Godā€™s story and The Worldā€™s story. We learned about our own spiritual gifts, practiced vocational discernment and heard stories from the neighbors in our community. Many memories, laughs, smiles, and even cries were shared. All of these things influenced why I chose to be a mentor this year. Having these connections with people who come from all over is a really important part of who we are. We get to hear each other’s stories, learn from them and grow because of them.

This weeklong program had a lot to offer to young people. However, as this week progressed there were some challenges that arose for us mentors. ā€œHaving the energy, the patience, and the positive attitude around the participants was the most challenging partā€ (A 2023 Mentor). But not only were there challenges, there were exciting moments. A fellow mentor said, ā€œIt was exciting to see the participants interact with guest pastors, speakers and teachers. Their curiosity was so inspiring and fun to watch.ā€ As mentors, we realized that it was truly amazing to get to know each other and all the participants. We were able to create a relationship with everyone at this program. By having our own small groups, we got to know and understand participants at a deeper level spiritually and we were able to help each other grow in our faithā€.ĢżĢżĢżĢżĢżĢżĢżĢżĢżĢżĢżĢżĢż

This week has helped all of us mentors in different ways. For some, it gave them a purpose and education that made them feel like they can make a difference in the community. For others, it helped gain a sense of their vocation and how that might impact what they pursue in the future. In our own ways, we were able to gain more experiences that contributed to a sense of our vocations. Being a mentor made a lot of us step out of our comfort zone and into a leadership role. Many of us realized how important being a leader can change a person in the community.Ģż

All of these participants had something in common. They all wanted to be the readers and listeners in our neighborhood to hear the stories our communities had to offer. We all have a different story, but itā€™s up to us if we want to tell it or not. Each of us can be the author, but not everyone wants to be the reader. It takes curiosity, motivation, and even experiences to bring us to our communities in our neighborhoods.Ģż

I am so glad I got to be a part of this amazing program and walk alongside these young people as we all discover our vocation and dive deeper into our own faith. As mentors, we will take this experience with us wherever we go and continue to make connections with those around us. We will grow not only individually, but as community members in our neighborhood.

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Pause. /±čĆ“³ś/

a temporary stop in action or speech.Ģż

So many times in my work as a youth director, in my job as a high school career counselor, and my life as a mama, I have found myself pushing the pause button to explain a scene in a movie, describe the steps in a college application, or decipher a lyric in a song. According to Wikipedia, the pause button was invented in the 1960s ā€œduring that decade for use on reel-to-reel audio recorder controlsā€ and was intended as an ā€œindicator which stops operation intermittently and keeps the equipment in operating modeā€. Today, we only have to look at the little two line symbol to know that once we hit that button, itā€™s just a momentary pause in whatever we are doing.

This summer, the staff at the Augsburg Youth Theology Institute had to make the difficult decision to cancel our summer institute due to low enrollment. This is the first time this significant decision has been made in our history. We are grieving. And yet with the hopefulness toward the future, we have energy for listening, dreaming, and creating. In order to do that, we are choosing to see this point in time as a pause in our regular communications. This pause will allow us to lean in, stop operations intermittently, and keep our program in operating mode as we discern the next steps on our journey. We are not ā€œoutā€ of this pandemic yet and we are not returning to any old ā€œnormalā€. Our congregations, our communities, and our young people are experiencing a shift. In response, we are choosing to accompany our congregational partners as we first listen and then learn a different way forward.Ģż

We believe wholeheartedly in the mission of the Augsburg Youth Theology Institute (AYTI). To inspire emerging high school theologians to observe, interpret, and engage their world through Christ for the sake of their neighbor. Our participants learn how to reflect theologically on culture and find meaningful ways to respond to the call from God that happens in this process of reflection.Ģż

Our social media posts and stories will be on pause for the summer as we listen to all that is happening, moving, and changing around us and for the young people we serve. We will be spending our time accompanying congregational partners, learning from them about the changing landscape of the young people they serve, and discerning next steps for mutual aid in these partnerships. We will be thinking theologically about our work at the institute and discovering meaningful ways to respond to Godā€™s call in the process of this reflection. We look forward to sharing what we have learned through this important time of intentional reflection later this fall.Ģż

How is God calling you to press pause this summer?Ģż

AYTI will see you in September!Ģż

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2022 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thank you to Pastor John Schwehn and Pastoral Intern Tori Remer for their guidance and support as mentors prepared to write these devotions. The hours of conversation, prayer, theological reflection, and support that were given throughout the process is gratefully appreciated. We are proud of our college mentors and their work this spring.

PERMISSION

AYTI offers these themes and devotions for use by our partners. All credit should be given to the Augsburg Youth Theology Institute when using this material. Thank you.Ģż

MISSION OF AYTI

The Augsburg Youth Theology Institute (AYTI) inspires emerging high school theologians to observe, interpret, and engage their world through Christ for the sake of their neighbor. Our participants learn how to reflect theologically on culture and find meaningful ways to respond to the call from God that happens in this process of reflection.Ģż

To achieve this, we provide an intense, one-week residential experience with a new theme every year. Students read theological texts and experience a college classroom, participate in worship, explore diverse community-based learning, and have intentional small group conversations led by college mentors. Following their week on campus, students write a theological paper on the theme and their paper is published in a journal to be shared with congregations and the wider community.Ģż

MONDAY DEVOTION

Author: Blaine Schultz (they/them), 1st year Undecided major

Daily Theme: Separation

Daily Verse: Genesis 3:1-13 NIV

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, ā€œDid God really say, ā€˜You must not eat from any tree in the gardenā€™?ā€

The woman said to the serpent, ā€œWe may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ā€˜You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.ā€™ā€

ā€œYou will not certainly die,ā€ the serpent said to the woman. ā€œFor God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.ā€

When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, ā€œWhere are you?ā€

He answered, ā€œI heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.ā€

And he said, ā€œWho told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?ā€

The man said, ā€œThe woman you put here with meā€”she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.ā€

Then the Lord God said to the woman, ā€œWhat is this you have done?ā€

The woman said, ā€œThe serpent deceived me, and I ate.ā€

Monday Questions

• Read the daily theme and the daily verse
• Can you think of a time where you might have done something different than what was asked of you?
• How did that affect you or make you feel? What about the others around you, or maybe the situation?

In these moments, we can find ourselves separated from others whether that is our own choosing or not. Even in times where we might find ourselves separated from others or from God, we can still remember that God walks through the garden to find us and be with us.

TUESDAY DEVOTIONS

Author: Carson Vincent (he/they), 2nd year Biochemistry major and Religion minor

Daily Theme: Covenant

Daily Verse: Genesis 9:8-17 NIV

Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him: ā€œI now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you and with every living creature that was with youā€”the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with youā€”every living creature on earth. I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.ā€ And God said, ā€œThis is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.ā€ So God said to Noah, ā€œThis is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth.ā€

Tuesday Questions

• Read the daily theme and the daily verse
• What are some words or ideas that stuck out to you from the bible verse?
  • Definition: A covenant is defined as an agreement between two people.Ģż
  • God made a lot of covenants in the bible and God also made a lot of promises. The difference between a covenant and a promise is two way vs one way.Ģż
• Is God’s love a covenant or a promise? In other words, do we need to do anything to receive God’s love?

WEDNESDAY DEVOTION

Author: Sarah Runck (she/her), 2nd year Music Therapy major

Daily Theme: Reunion

Daily Verse: Luke 15: 1-10 NIV

The Parable of the Lost Sheep – Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, ā€œThis man welcomes sinners and eats with them.ā€ Then Jesus told them this parable: ā€œSuppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesnā€™t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ā€˜Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.ā€™ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

The Parable of the Lost Coin – ā€œOr suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesnā€™t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ā€˜Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.ā€™ In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.ā€

Wednesday Questions

• Read the daily theme and the daily verse
• Can you recall a story where you connected with a person you hadnā€™t seen in a long time and felt an instant reunion?Ģż
• We all have felt lost in our lives, but who was the person, people, or thing that made you feel found?Ģż

THURSDAY DEVOTION

Author: Aaron Puent (he/him), 3rd year Religion major w/concentration in Global Studies

Daily Theme: Breaking Bread

Daily Verse: John 6: 1-15 NRSV

After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias. A large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near. When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming towards him, Jesus said to Philip, ā€˜Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?ā€™ He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, ā€˜Six monthsā€™ wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.ā€™ One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peterā€™s brother, said to him, ā€˜There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?ā€™ Jesus said, ā€˜Make the people sit down.ā€™ Now there was a great deal of grass in the place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all. Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, ā€˜Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.ā€™ So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets. When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, ā€˜This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world.ā€™

Thursday Questions

• Read the daily theme and the daily verse
• If you were in the crowd and Jesus asked you what you wanted him to cater for this group of people, what food would you choose?
• Why do you think itā€™s important for people to share a meal?
  • Before the mealā€¦Jesus gets in trouble for healing a sick man on the sabbath. Jesus says that it was the will of the Father. The people want to kill him because he claimed to be equal to God. Jesus speaks about the authority of the Son and refers to himself as such.
  • After the sermonā€¦ Begin with an argument/major claim against the understood status quo. Discuss this difficult and controversial topic over a meal. Leave as people are beginning to see Jesus for who he is.

Invitation: At the next two meals, pick a favorite Bible verse or poem or other writtenĢżwork.Ģż Read it before your next meal and then eat, then contemplate it. Then, atĢżyour next meal, eat and then read the same work. Contemplate. When did itĢżspeak to you the most?

FRIDAY DEVOTION

Author: Renee Christensen (she/her), 3rd year Theology & Public Leadership major

Friday Theme: Companionship

Friday Verse: Luke 24:13-35 Inclusive Translation

ā€œThat same day, two of the disciples were making their way to a village called Emmaus -which was several miles from Jerusalem- discussing all that had happened as they went. While they were discussing these things, Jesus approached and began to walk with them, though they were kept from recognizing Jesus, who asked them, ā€œWhat are you two discussing as you go your way?ā€ They stopped and looked sad. One of them, Cleopas by name, asked him, ā€œAre you the only one visiting Jerusalem who doesnā€™t know the things that have happened these past few days?ā€Ģż

Jesus said to them, ā€œWhat things?ā€ They said, ā€œAbout Jesus of Nazareth, a prophet powerful in word and deed in the eyes of God and all the people– who our chief priests and leaders delivered him up to be condemned to death and crucified him. We were hoping that he was the One who would set Israel free. Besides all this, today– the third day since these things happened– some women of our group have just brought us some astonishing news. They were at the tomb before dawn and didnā€™t find the body; they returned and informed us that they had seen a vision of angels, who declared that Jesus was alive. Some of our number went to the tomb and found it to be just as the women said, but they didnā€™t find Jesus.ā€Ģż

Then Jesus said to them, ā€œWhat little sense you have! How slow are you to believe all that the prophets have answered! Didnā€™t the Messiah have to undergo all this to enter into glory?ā€ Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, Jesus interpreted for them every passage of scripture which referred to the Messiah. By now they were near the village they were going to, and Jesus appeared to be going further. But they said eagerly, ā€œStay with us. Itā€™s nearly evening– the day is practically over.ā€ So the savior went in and stayed with them.Ģż

After sitting down with them to eat, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, then broke the bread and began to distribute it to them. With that their eyes were opened and they recognized Jesus, who immediately vanished from their sight. They said to one another, ā€œWerenā€™t our hearts burning inside us as this one talked to us on the road and explained the scriptures to us?ā€ They got up immediately and returned to Jerusalem, where they found the Eleven and the rest of the company assembled. They were greeted with ā€œChrist has risen! It is true! Jesus has appeared to Simon!ā€ Then the travelers recounted what had happened on the road, and how they had come to know Jesus in the breaking of the bread.ā€

Friday Questions

• Read the daily theme and the daily verse
• Think about a time where you were angry with someone or at something. How did that experience feel? Were you truly angry or were there other emotions hidden under anger?
• It says in the text, ā€œWere not our hearts burning?ā€. Think about what these two disciples just went through. These are all things that can cause a lot of trauma. Itā€™s very possible they were experiencing some feelings of anger.Ģż
  • What did these two do with all of those feelings? They did the one thing that they thought might help, walk away.Ģż
  • How do you handle situations like this?Ģż
• What are one or two things that ground you in the midst of big feelings? Maybe a walk in the woods, meditation, prayer, silence, a run, a swim, etc.Ģż
  • Take a few minutes of silence to write about those things that ground you. And you are encouraged to take some time today to practice one of them.Ģż

To stay up to date on the happenings of the Augsburg Youth Theology Institute, we invite you to follow one of our social media channels: , , and .

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ā€œReal isnā€™t how you are made,ā€ said the Skin Horse. ā€œItā€™s a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.ā€

ā€œDoes it hurt?ā€ asked the Rabbit.

ā€œSometimes,ā€ said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. ā€œWhen you are Real you donā€™t mind being hurt.ā€

ā€œDoes it happen all at once, like being wound up,ā€ he asked, ā€œor bit by bit?ā€

ā€œIt doesnā€™t happen all at once,ā€ said the Skin Horse. ā€œYou become. It takes a long time. Thatā€™s why it doesnā€™t happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things donā€™t matter at all, because once you are Real you canā€™t be ugly, except to people who donā€™t understand.ā€

Reconnection

As we sink deeper into our June theme of RECONNECTION, we are excited to share the great privilege we have at Augsburg University to stay connected with incredible people like Chris Stedman (he/him/his). Chris is a 2008 graduate from Augsburg and is now a writer, activist, and professor who currently teaches in the Department of Religion and Philosophy at Augsburg University in Minneapolis, MN.Ģż

He is also the creator, writer, and host of Unread, named one of the best podcasts of 2021 by the Guardian, Vulture, HuffPost, Mashable, and the CBC. Additionally, Chris is the author of IRL (2020) and Faitheist (2012) and has written popular essays for outlets including the Atlantic, Pitchfork, BuzzFeed, VICE, and the Washington Post. Previously the founding director of the Yale Humanist Community, he also served as a humanist chaplain at Harvard University and a trainer and content developer for Interfaith Youth Core, he has most recently served as an Interfaith Fellow with the Interfaith at Augsburg ³¦±š²Ō³Ł±š°ł.Ģż

In Chrisā€™ most recent book, ā€œIRL: Finding Realness, Meaning, and Belonging in Our Digital Livesā€ ā€“ which will be coming out in a this August ā€“ we are invited to get curious about what it means to have connected lives both in real time and online. For so long, online sharing was seen as shallow and disconnected from truth and honesty. Chris invites readers into the possibility that we can find connection in those spaces and that through that experience we might experience fuller reconnection in our real lives.Ģż

We caught up with Chris and asked him a few questions about his book and the concept of reconnection. Thanks so much Chris for sharing your wisdom and insight.

Interview with Chris

WHAT DO THE IDEAS CONNECTION & RECONNECTION MEAN TO YOU?Ģż

Weā€™ve spent the last few years navigating what has been, for most of us, an entirely unfamiliar landscape when it comes to connection, disconnection, and reconnection.Ģż

In the early days of the pandemic, for example, I was working from home and living alone, so for the first time in my life all of my interactions were digitally mediated. Though Iā€™m probably more online than the average person, itā€™s impossible to overstate what an immense shift this was. It gave me more of an appreciation for the internetā€™s ability to connect us in unprecedented ways, but also of its limitations, and our need to not only connect but also disconnect.

Even before the pandemic arrived, we lived in an age of constant connection, where we spend more and more time on digital platforms designed to monopolize our attention. Because of this, we have to be intentional about taking a step back from them sometimesā€”not because life online is inherently fake or inherently harmful, as some argue, but because we need the kind of perspective we can only get when weā€™re alone.

When I was growing up, I did not have regular internet access. I would only ever go online for a moment at school, or when Iā€™d bike to the local library. Even into adulthood, my time online was much more of a set-apart activity. I didnā€™t have a laptop until I was out of college, or a smartphone until after grad school, when I was in my first job. Before I had a smartphone, disconnection was my norm. I spent a lot of time alone, with my own thoughts, bored. The act of connecting required intention and effort. That connection was a lifeline sometimes; the internet was where I first came out to anyone as queer, for example. But I also needed those moments of disconnection and boredom to let my mind wander and imagine. Now, connectionā€”at least a certain kindā€”is constantly at my fingertips. Which means I have to make an effort to get the disconnection I need. In short, connection has become easier to find, and disconnection more important to seek out.

This doesnā€™t mean, of course, that disconnection is better than connection. The Catholic thinker Thomas Merton offers a great example. Though he once thought he would live as a religious hermit, he instead realized that for him the whole point of going on retreat was to give him the perspective he needed in order to re-enter the world. Similarly, I once took a three month social media sabbatical. At one point in my break, the stresses of online life began to fade away and I found myself feeling so much more at ease than usual, which would seem to confirm the negative perspectives many people offer on how the internet connects us. But those stresses faded away because I was on a retreat, disconnected from the struggles of the world. We need those moments to clear our head, to take time to disconnect from the world and connect with ourselves and whatever our sense of spirituality might be. Fortunately, the retreat gave me just the perspective I needed to reconnect and re-engage with a world that is now more connected than ever.

WHILE YOU DO NOT IDENTIFY AS CHRISTIAN, YOU ARE A RELIGION PROFESSOR AT A LUTHERAN SCHOOL; WEā€™RE CURIOUS WHAT YOU MEAN WHEN YOU SAY YOU WERE SHAPED BY LUTHERAN VALUES. TELL US MORE ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANS FOR YOU.

I consider myself ā€œLutheran shaped,ā€ in a very literal senseā€”I spent many of my formative years in Lutheran institutions, including when I was studying religion as an undergraduate student at Augsburg. Though I donā€™t identify as Lutheran, the Lutheran tradition definitely influences the kinds of questions I ask and how I ask them. Fortunately, I believe that all of us, no matter how we identify religiously or not, can benefit from learning from and about other traditions, just as I have from Lutheranism.

I sometimes joke that Iā€™m a ā€œBonhoeffer atheist,ā€ though I suppose itā€™s really not a joke. What I mean by that is this: Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a Lutheran theologian who has influenced a lot of how I see the world, argued that Christians have a responsibility to live as if there is no God. In other words, he thought that Christians shouldnā€™t expect God to intervene in the face of injustice for them. Rather, they should act on Godā€™s behalf in the world as justice agents.Ģż

I may not believe in a higher power, but I do believe in the importance of living in the as if way Bonhoeffer argued for. I believe in the importance of discerning what our responsibility is to the world around us instead, and acting on that responsibility. This work inevitably calls us into conversation and collaboration with one another; it means we must cooperate across lines of religious difference for justice. Which is why so much of my writing over the years has been about the value of working shoulder to shoulder with Christians and others for the common good.

The class I now teach at Augsburg is on vocationā€”a concept with deep roots in the Lutheran tradition, but that has resonances in all traditions and among secular humanists like me, too. We often talk about vocation as a kind of intersection, between your particular passions and values and the needs of the world around you. Lutheran ideas and institutions have played a large role in helping me find my own intersection.

YOUR MOST RECENT BOOK, ā€œIRL: FINDING REALNESS, MEANING, AND BELONGING IN OUR DIGITAL LIVESā€ WAS RELEASED IN 2020. TELL US WHY THIS STORY IS IMPORTANT FOR OUR LIVES NOW.

I had no idea while writing IRL just how relevant it would come to feel by the time it came out. I finished it in December 2019, just months before the pandemic hit the United States and forced many of us to move a great deal of our lives to digital space. But even before the pandemic, more and more of us were using the internet to connect with the world around us, to narrate our lives, and to find a sense of meaning and community. I wanted to understand how using this new tool for these age-old human projectsā€”projects religious traditions concern themselves withā€”was impacting us.Ģż

I think many of our online lives arenā€™t particularly considered ones, though itā€™s often not our fault; the platforms we use are actually designed to move us in more mindless directions, because mindless use keeps us clicking and scrolling. Which is why itā€™s all the more important to think about how weā€™re living in digital space. My hope in writing IRL was that it could be a tool for people who wish to do so.

The phrase ā€œin real lifeā€ā€”introduced as a way of distinguishing the activity of going online from the project of living lifeā€”once made sense. But for many of us, it no longer does. Going online is no longer just an activity. The internet is a space where many of us do things that are centrally connected to how we understand ourselves and locate a sense of meaning and belonging. Where we live our lives. We should treat it as if it is as real as any other part of our lives, bringing the same Bonhoeffer-style discernment to how we show up there that we bring to our offline activities.

THE VELVETEEN RABBIT QUOTE IS A THEME IN YOUR BOOK (WE LOVE IT!). CAN YOU TELL US WHAT THIS MEANS TO YOU?

The Velveteen Rabbit was my favorite story as a child. Itā€™s the tale of a rabbit who wants more than anything to become ā€œreal.ā€ As a child I took a very literal interpretation of itā€”the central character wants to go from toy rabbit to living, breathing rabbit. But as an adult I returned to the story and discovered it wasnā€™t as straightforward as I once thought. It actually raises all kinds of questions about what ā€œrealā€ means in the first place. Which made it feel like the perfect entry point for IRL, a book that asks what it means to be ā€œrealā€ in a time when so much of life happens online, a space weā€™ve long cast as less-real or even fake.Ģż

Part of that feeling about digital life comes, I think, from the pressure many of us feel online to not let our messy seams show. But as the Velveteen Rabbit reminds us, our rough edges are actually a big part of what makes us who we areā€”and sharing them with trusted others is part of how we become known and loved.

THERE IS SO MUCH PARADOX IN YOUR WRITING, AT LEAST THE INVITATION TO YOUR READERS THAT THERE IS LOVE AND HURT ONLINE, THAT WE HAVE ONLINE AND OFFLINE LIVES, OR WE CAN CHOOSE VULNERABILITY IN A DIGITAL SPACE THAT SEEMS UNKNOWN. CAN YOU SAY MORE ABOUT YOUR THEOLOGICAL UNDERSTANDING OF PARADOX?

Itā€™s in the messy, contradictory, in-between spaces that we often learn the most about ourselves and others. For example, we are in the middle of a massive cultural shift right now, from a pre-digital age to a digital one, and itā€™s changing our understanding of who we are and what it means to connect and disconnect. These periods of immense cultural change can be profoundly difficult, but theyā€™re also moments where weā€™re forced to ask ourselves what truly matters to us.Ģż

I write near the end of IRL about haloclines, places in the ocean where saltwater and freshwater meet. Theyā€™re unlike anywhere else on earth; for example, there are certain species that only live in haloclines. In some ways, the internet is like a haloclineā€”itā€™s a transitional space, a place where the online and offline meet, a place that sits between what weā€™ve known and what weā€™ve yet to discover, a place where paradox flourishes. This transitional moment, as we move from pre-digital living to a life that is lived both digitally and offline, is like that, too. Which may make it the perfect time and space to ask ourselves important questions about who we are and what matters to us.

Paradox, contradictionā€”these are the places I run to when I discover them in myself and in the world around me. Because theyā€™re the places that have consistently challenged and taught me the most.

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE AGE YOUTH REGARDING THE POSSIBILITIES FOR FINDING REALNESS, MEANING, AND BELONGING IN OUR DIGITAL LIVES?

Intention is everything. There was a very useful longitudinal study I came across while writing IRL that found two people could spend the same amount of time on the internet and have radically different experiences, which contradicts the common line of thinking that spending more time online will inevitably make us feel less happy, less like ourselves. In the study, it all came down to how intentional the user was being about their digital habits. People who identified the needs they were trying to meet by going online were better able to then meet those needs, instead of feeling sucked into algorithms that end up making them feel theyā€™re just wasting time. Of course, as long as our digital platforms are run by for-profit corporations, we will be swimming upstream in this respect. But we can still swim.

Our habits make us who we are. We are what we do day in and day out. At their best, religious traditions help us intentionally re-orient ourselves to our values by giving us toolsā€”rituals, communities, texts, ideasā€”that help us reconnect with ourselves and the world around us. Through these habits, we remind ourselves who we are and who we are trying to be, which helps us live those things out. Our online habits are no exception to this. But we need to bring the same intention to our digital rituals that religious traditions often offer us.

These days, when Iā€™m online, I try to ask myself the same kinds of questions my religion professors asked me when I was an undergraduate student at Augsburg: why am I interested in this? What does this mean to me? What am I hoping to get from this? What values are at play here, and do they align with my own? These are the kinds of questions that can help us connect and reconnect with a better understanding of who we are, and from that understanding develop meaningful ways of connecting with the world around us, too.

The CCV and AYTI staff encourage you to find ways for RECONNECTION in the month of June!Ģż

The post Interview with Adjunct Religion Instructor and Author: Chris Stedman appeared first on Bernhard Christensen Center for Vocation.

THE BEGINNINGā€¦

The first version of what is known now as AYTI, began in 2009 when Augsburg University received its first grant from the Lilly Endowment. With over 100 schools across the country leading theological education and vocational discernment experiences for high school students, we are grateful to hold this history of commitment to vocational discernment with young people.Ģż

°Õ°æ¶Ł“”³Ūā€¦

And today, the Augsburg Youth Theology Institute (AYTI) is an annual summer program for high school students (9th-12th grades). This experience aims to offer young leaders an opportunity for place-based vocational discernment around a theological and leadership focused theme. Students who attend AYTI take their questions and curiosity to the public square to learn, listen, pray, and play on the Augsburg campus, in the neighborhood, and in the city. Participants engage in daily reflection with a theologian, community based learning, small group relationship building, and worship. This commitment to wonder about how God is calling us to the common good for the sake of the world, is the reason why high school students leave AYTI inspired to be Godā€™s hands and feet in the world.Ģż

THE INSTITUTEā€¦

On the ground, AYTI is a place where staff and college mentors work diligently to create an inclusive and welcoming space for high school students to get really curious about all their big questions about God. And these days, and especially in these last few pandemic filled years, our young people have had a lot of big questions about God, the church and our call to be neighbor, racial injustice and how they should respond, mental health needs and the struggle to connect, a sense that they donā€™t belong, death and dying, health and living.Ģż

We are so grateful to be a community that welcomes these kinds of theological questions!Ģż

• AYTI is a community that makes claims about God – we live our theology.Ģż
• AYTI is a community that believes our vocation is to love and serve our neighbor. And we actively do that at the Institute.
• AYTI is a community that acknowledges racial injustices, particularly for black people as a result of white supremacy, and works to dismantle these systems in the small and significant ways we can.
• AYTI is a community that acknowledges individuals struggles to show up in places and spaces that do not accept them, and we strive to create an environment thatĢż
• AYTI is a community that is welcoming and affirming for all people, regardless of their gender expression, gender identity, and sexual orientation.Ģż
• AYTI is a community that believes we are made in Godā€™s image to love and be loved!Ģż

COVENANTS OF PRESENCEā€¦

During the Institute, our college mentors and participants agree to show up and abide by the Covenants of Presence as listed below. In all that we do: worship, classroom learning, community engagement, small groups, devotions and more, we agree to these commitments. These are some of the expectations participants can have when they show up for the AYTI.Ģż

WHAT DO YOUR YOUTH NEED?

Are you a pastor or youth director in the midst of all the changes the pandemic has brought? Are your high school students asking these questions but not showing up? Are you wondering what is next?Ģż

Do you just need a good meal and a listening ear? Adrienne, the AYTI program director, is eager to buy you a meal and lend a listening ear. Will you say yes to this accompaniment? Please send us an email and weā€™ll schedule a time! ayti@augsburg.edu

The post Augsburg Youth Theology Institute: A Place for Curiosity in the Public Square appeared first on Bernhard Christensen Center for Vocation.

We are excited to introduce to you the 2022 AYTI Mentors. They are such a fun group and we know the high school participants are going to enjoy spending the week of AYTI with them!

CARSON VINCENT (they/them)

Name, Pronouns, Year at Augsburg, Major/Minor

Carson Vincent, They/them/Theirs, 2nd year, Biochemistry Major with a minor in Religion

What should people know about Augsburg?

Augsburg is a small close knit school in the heart of Minneapolis. Because Augsburg is a smaller school it’s so much easier to form relationships with not only your peers but your professors as well. Iā€™ve had so many professors go out of their way to ensure my personal academic success.

What excites you most about being an AYTI Mentor?

Iā€™m most excited for the participants to be on campus this year! Iā€™ve experienced AYTI in person as a participant, and online as a mentor. Iā€™m excited for the participants to be able to interact and connect with each other face to face, and to be able to experience campus and the surrounding area!

How do you like to spend your free time?

In my free time I like to play video games, play with my cat, and drink some tea while watching a movie.

Favorite bible story and why?

My favorite bible story is the story of Joseph (Genesis 37) because it explores many themes that many queer people can relate to.

BLAINE SCHULTZ (they/them)

Name, Pronouns, Year at Augsburg, Major/Minor

Blaine Schultz, they/them/theirs, first-year, Undecided

What should people know about Augsburg?

Everyone on campus is so friendly! It really does feel like a close-knit community even though weā€™re in such a big city.

What excites you most about being an AYTI Mentor?

My experience as an AYTI participant was incredibly important in shaping my decision-making process when applying for colleges. I had amazing mentors who inspired me to actively pursue the opportunities that would benefit me. To be that person for even one participant, thatā€™s what I am most excited about.

How do you like to spend your free time?

I enjoy spending time with friends, curling up on the couch with a good book, and listening to music.

Favorite bible story and why?

The Rainbow Promise in Genesis 9:15-17. This was my confirmation verse, and thereā€™s a whole long story behind it, but I love it so much now because to me it symbolizes new beginnings.

SARAH RUNCK (she/her)

Name, Pronouns, Year at Augsburg, Major/Minor

Sarah Runck, She/Her/Hers, 2nd year, Music Therapy Major

What should people know about Augsburg?

I really enjoy the community at Augsburg. It is so welcoming and I feel at home here. Everyone is so nice and open and because of this there are meaningful connections and more opportunities to connect and engage with others around you.

What excites you most about being an AYTI Mentor?

I am really excited for AYTI! This is my first year being a part of AYTI and when I heard about it, I was really curious and wanted to find out more. I am excited to meet others and to learn more about AYTI as the year progresses.

How do you like to spend your free time?

I love to play instruments, listen to music, go on walks, watch movies, explore new places and foods and even do some embroidery.

Favorite bible story and why

One of my favorite bible stories is Genesis 17-22, ā€˜Abraham The Man of Faithā€™. I heard this story when I was younger in a bible camp and it stuck with me. I really enjoy this story because it has so much meaning about faith, being faithful and how God provides.

AARON PUENT (he/him)

Name, Pronouns, Year at Augsburg, Major/Minor

Aaron Puent, he/him/his, Junior, Religion Major w/ Concentration in Global Religions and Interfaith Studies.

What should people know about Augsburg?

Augsburg is a place to make connections and build both professional and personal relationships.Ģż The people who work here are interested in studentsā€™ success in both the classroom and beyond.

What excites you most about being an AYTI Mentor?

Learning is one of the most rewarding experiences for me, and my time as a mentor has been filled with plenty of opportunities to grow.Ģż I was never an AYTI participant, but I still find that I can learn alongside everyone, even as a mentor.

How do you like to spend your free time?

I enjoy spending time outside, usually through running and tennis (and the occasional game of pickleball).Ģż I have recently gotten into recreational reading again, as well as drawing, so thatā€™s how I typically spend my evenings.

Favorite bible story and why?

I always liked the stories of Abraham, especially surrounding his covenants with God.Ģż Their relationship is complex, to put it simply.Ģż I also appreciate his role as a father in faith to multiple traditions; he becomes a point of connection.

RENEE CHRISTENSEN (she/her)

Name, Pronouns, Year at Augsburg, Major/Minor

Renee Christensen, she/her, 3rd year, Theology and Public Leadership with a minor in Psychology

What should people know about Augsburg?

One thing for me that makes Augsburg stand out is the community. From professors and staff, to the people you meet in classes, the sense of community is exceptionally strong.

What excites you most about being an AYTI Mentor?

I am super excited to be in person this year! When I was a participant, one of the things I loved most about the week was being in the city, learning more about Augsburg and why so many of the mentors call Augsburg a second home!

How do you like to spend your free time?

In my free time, I love to read, listen to music, take walks, and hang out with my cats!

Favorite bible story and why?

A bible story that excites and intrigues me is Acts 8:26-40 ā€œThe Ethiopian Eunuchā€. I came across this story last year and anytime I reread this story, I am able to see it from a different perspective each time!

Do you know a high school student who would make a great participant at the Augsburg Youth Theology Institute? We encourage you to tell them about it and nominate them today! Check out more on our website here!

The post Mentors for the 2022 Youth Theology Institute appeared first on Bernhard Christensen Center for Vocation.

Major: Social work, Minor: Psychology

Hometown: Brooklyn Park, MN.Ģż

I am one of the Student Assistants at the Christensen Center and Augsburg Youth Theology Institute. Having a positive impact on others is very important to me, from my work to my schooling to my personal life. I have worked for organizations like City Hall and Second Harvest that value helping others. It is also why I accepted my current position with the CCV and AYTI. I value gaining experience and opportunities that will benefit me in the future.Ģż

Renee Christensen ā€˜23 (she/her)

Major: Theology and public leadership, Minor: Psychology

Hometown: Shafer, MN.

I am one of the Augsburg Youth Theology Institute Student Assistants, and have worked with AYTI for 3 years! I was lucky enough to attend AYTI as a participant and fell in love with Augsburg and this program! I am so excited to share all of the great ways AYTI has impacted the lives of youth!

Jam Pashyayeva ā€˜25 (she/her)

Major: Graphic Design

Hometown: Capital of Azerbaijan, Baku.

I am an international student at Augsburg. I am good at a range of different skills such as cooking, writing, and all sorts of sports (cycling, tennis, basketball, swimming and etc.). I know English, Russian, Ukrainian, and Azerbaijani languages on an exceptional level and currently learning French and Italian. I worked as a personal translator for KoƧSistem Company Director. Art was always my passion since a very young age that’s why I decided that working in the sphere that will require my skills and this position at CCV as part-time work is the best opportunity to start learning and getting on the right track for my future career.

Aaron Puent ā€˜23 (he/him)

Major: Religion w/ Concentration in Global Religions and Interfaith Studies

Hometown: La Crosse, WI.

Working in CCV is important to me because it combines my passion for studying theology with my interest in helping others find the spiritual and intellectual tools that they need. I began working with CCV last year when I was an AYTI mentor. The following fall, I was able to join as a recruiter for the Public Church Scholars program. Because of this work, I can help others find what they need for future success, and I am still learning about Augsburg, its affiliations, and the behind-the-scenes work that goes on in the background.ĢżĢż

Sarah Runck ā€˜24 (she/her)Ģż

Major: Music TherapyĢż

Hometown: New Ulm MN

I love to play instruments which include flute, piano, guitar, and ukulele. I also grew up on a farm where I always liked to be outside and go on walks. Along with this, I was involved with my church growing up. Some church things included helping with VBS, teaching Religious education to 2nd graders, helping with music, and helping with festivals. Faith has always been a strong passion of mine and working at CCV has given me the opportunity to grow in my faith and learn about other religions. I am excited to keep learning and to hear more stories!

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SAVE THE DATE

Sunday, June 26th – Friday, July 1st, 2022

THEME

God’s People [re]connect!

We believe God invites people to live together in unity, a beloved community. As we emerge from two years of change and uncertainty, we invite participants to ask big questions about connection and disconnection.

• What surprised you about how you could connect online?
• What did you learn about yourself?
• What did disconnection teach you?
• What do you need in order to feel connected?
• What about your virtual connections might you feel grateful for?
• What gratitude do you have for the gifts of being able to connect in person?
• Where did you see / feel / hear God?

At AYTI, we will ground ourselves in biblical stories of connection and disconnection, stories of theologians throughout time that can teach us about connection, and we build relationships and create stories together in real time. Participants will develop a theological understanding of connection and disconnection and seek ways to share these gifts with the world. Come to AYTI to [re]connect to your energy and power source – God who loves and connects all people.

“How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity!” ~ Psalm 133:1

Applications and Nominations are OPEN NOW!

Co-Instructors

Participants at the institute have a chance to experience a college classroom and with gratitude we share that two Augsburg University professors will be the co-instructors for the summer 2022 institute.

Matt Maruggi

Matt Maruggi is an Associate Professor in the Department of Religion and Philosophy at Augsburg University in Minneapolis, MN. He teaches and researches in the areas of vocation, spirituality, liberation theology, the ethics of world religions, and interfaith studies and action. Matt is an experiential educator; he promotes student learning outside the classroom through visits to various houses of worship in the Twin Cities, civic engagement in the Cedar Riverside neighborhood of Minneapolis, and study abroad courses in Central America. Matt co-directs the Interfaith Scholar Seminar, a curricular and co-curricular program that promotes interfaith dialogue and community engagement with students from a variety of religious traditions and core commitments.

Chris Stedman

Chris Stedman is a writer, activist, and professor who currently teaches in the Department of Religion and Philosophy at Augsburg University in Minneapolis, MN. He is the creator, writer, and host of Unread, named one of the best podcasts of 2021 by the Guardian, Vulture, HuffPost, Mashable, and the CBC. Additionally, Chris is the author of IRL (2020) and Faitheist (2012) and has written popular essays for outlets including the Atlantic, Pitchfork, BuzzFeed, VICE, and the Washington Post. Previously the founding director of the Yale Humanist Community, he also served as a humanist chaplain at Harvard University and a trainer and content developer for Interfaith Youth Core.

Learn more about the Augsburg Youth Theology Institute today!

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