With Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve gatherings just around the corner, Father Guido Sarducci’s Five Minute University inspires me to invite Emerging Scholars to create their own Five Minute University.
A Five Minute University which frames the daily life in higher ed through the lens of loving God and neighbor with head, heart, and hands on campus and in one’s discipline[1]. No, this is not an academic talk. Maybe you build upon a particular story, image, or insight. Consider this not only a brief answer to questions such as “What do you do all day?” and “What are you planning to do with your life?” but also a teaser to further conversation which shares how you express your love of God through your vocation.
But there is more . . . The first ten Emerging Scholars to email me with an interest in contributing a piece to the wider benefit of the Emerging Scholars Network will receive a copy of Greg Jao‘s Your Mind’s Mission (InterVarsity Press, 2012). Please include in the email a proposal as to the desired form of your submission, e.g., video, blog post, powerpoint/slide presentation, etc. We can work out the details. Note: If you already have a copy of Your Mind’s Mission, I have an alternative InterVarsity Press publication available.
But there is more . . . If you are in the first ten and are able to make the submission by year end, you will receive the opportunity to select another free InterVarsity Press publication. More details to those who inquire.
But there is more . . . In 2014, we will give significant attention to the purpose of higher education, following Christ in one’s discipline, and navigating one’s current stage in the academic journey. If you’d like to contribute to this conversation (or make suggestions as to its direction) in some manner, please email me with your input. Join the growing team of contributors of topic suggestions and material not only on the blog, but also the Facebook Wall 🙂
Notes
- If you have not considered this at all previously, a few ESN resources to get you started: What’s the purpose of a university?, A Dialogical Campus Ministry, Series on Education for Human Flourishing, Calling & Vocation, Loving God in the Flesh in the Real World ↩
About the author:
Tom enjoys daily conversations regarding living out the Biblical Story with his wife Theresa and their four girls, around the block, at Elizabethtown Brethren in Christ Church (where he teaches adult electives and co-leads a small group), among healthcare professionals as the Northeast Regional Director for the Christian Medical & Dental Associations (CMDA), and in higher ed as a volunteer with the Emerging Scholars Network (ESN). For a number of years, the Christian Medical Society / CMDA at Penn State College of Medicine was the hub of his ministry with CMDA. Note: Tom served with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship / USA for 20+ years, including 6+ years as the Associate Director of ESN. He has written for the ESN blog from its launch in August 2008. He has studied Biology (B.S.), Higher Education (M.A.), Spiritual Direction (Certificate), Spiritual Formation (M.A.R.), Ministry to Emerging Generations (D.Min.). To God be the glory!