Occasionally I still get questions such as, "Is it scary to preach to so many people with biblically and theologically based Ph.D.s?" I've discovered over the past 9 1/2 years that people don't need Ph.D.s to be critical. Funny how easily you can disappoint people, regardless of their levels of education. At the end of the day, I simply couldn't preach at Grandview if it weren't for the grace of God and the grace of those listening, be they listening with magna-doodles or magna cum lauds.
The reason I bring this up today is that I wanted to point any interested blog readers to a recent article by Grandview's Bob Hull. He is a New Testament scholar (Princeton) and the dean of Emmanuel School of Religion. His wife reads my blog sometimes (thanks, Loretta!). I know this will get back to him.
The first time I met Bob Hull I was flummoxed by his intimidating presence. My friend, Tom, told me that I would really appreciate Dr. Hull when I met him. Because he was sabbatical when I arrived at Emmanuel, I didn't meet him until the summer following my first year. I saw him in the hallway. Tall. Conservatively dressed. Serious. I approached him in my all my Hoosier-icity.
"Dr. Hull." I called from behind him. He stopped, slowly turned, and looked in my direction. "I'm Aaron Wymer, Tom Swift's youth minister in Jonesborough. I just wanted to introduce myself to you because Tom speaks so highly of you and tells me I will enjoy your classes."
And there we were. Mutt and Jeff in the hall of ESR. His eyes peered quietly from their perch far above my own. He held his paper in both hands and said, "Thank you. It's nice to meet you." That's all he said.
But he stood there.
I stood there.
It was quiet in that hallway.
In that moment I had the feeling he was looking through my skull at something on the carpet behind me. I thought, "This was a mistake." Then I thought, "He can read my thoughts. He knows I just thought that this was a mistake."
Over fifteen years later I now know that his sometimes intimidating silence, his knowledge, and his presence are stuffed into the body of a churchman, a choir member, and a devout lover of humor and of the ever challenging truth of God in Christ.
That's why I point you to his recent article on war that appeared in the January 20th, 2008 edition of the Christian Standard. Just click here.
1 comment:
Aaron, oh how I know the feeling! In my first year of working at Emmanuel I did not have much interaction with Dr. Hull. In fact, I wasnt sure he even noticed me. In my second year he was the professor in charge of our Fall Retreat. At the annual Fall Retreats it was a tradition to have a variety show. I was shocked beyond words when Dr. Hull asked me to be on the entertainment committee. As I pondered about our first planning meeting I thought how could a man so serious come up with a good variety show that is suppose to be filled with laughter. At the first meeting he passed out the "script" he had written. I read with skepticism but soon found myself grinning from ear to ear. As the old saying goes, don't judge a book by it's cover!! Bob Hull is one of the most genuine, honest, witty, charming, talented men I have ever had the honor to know. Dont ever miss a chance to hear him speak from the pulpit, give a communion meditation, play his dulcimer and sing a song, or tell a tale. He is an awesome man.
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