“The faithful use of sacraments, and indeed a fully sacramental view of creation, is vital to the life of the Church. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are rites that directly shape the community and the Body, because they were given by God for that express purpose. A deficient practice of either will lead to a detriment in the Church.” – Christopher Kou

Kou was one of over 20 students from across the country who gathered at Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham for our Pentecost Intensive course on May 16-20.

Leonard Vander Zee, an author and pastor in Michigan, delivered most of the week’s lectures. He began the week by dealing with the gnostic tendencies that have come into the church, and with the embodiment of worship. He also taught on how the Eucharist creates the body of Christ, and that we relate to God through his ordained, material means. Peter Leithart delivered several lectures on Paedobaptism, The Baptized Body, and the seven sacraments. James B. Jordan, scholar-in-residence at Theopolis, gave two lectures on a theology of rites and on the biblical practices of sacraments in the life of the church.

Each day’s lectures and discussions were punctuated with worship. With Matins beginning the day, Sext before lunch, and Vespers to close the day, all of the learning was surrounded by the singing of psalms and hymns, hearing the bible read and taught, and prayers. Students ate breakfast and lunch together, and during lunch a student read a selection from the church fathers. Certificate students engaged in a lively seminar discussion each afternoon.

Sarah Davis, a musician and returning student to Theopolis, emphasized that these worship services were her favorite aspect of the course. She stated, “my view of reality was being shaped and re-storied through the daily worship services. I love how after saying and singing the same things five days in a row, I constantly have some portion of the sung liturgy playing in my head. It was powerful to come before God in worship over and over again surrounded by the voices of others who were doing and saying the same things. I wish I had this available to me throughout the rest of the days of the year.”

You can find some helpful quotes from throughout the week on our Twitter page, and you can also download the liturgy that we use throughout the week HERE. Our next class will be in August, where James B. Jordan will lead students through the Book of Leviticus. We would love to see many of you there.

Below you’ll find some photos from the week and more statements from students about the course and their experience.

“I experienced the worship service back at my own church differently after all that I learned and practiced at Theopolis. I am more conscious of my own embodiment and the presence of the very real people around me. I am going to be working to develop this perspective, thinking through how to better relate and serve as part of the corporate body of Christ, in and out of the story of God.

I am so thankful that I got to participate in this course. My understanding was deepened and challenged in many areas. I love what Theopolis is doing and the maturity and wisdom of the teaching and discussion.”
– Sarah Davis

“I was impressed anew with God’s goodness to humanity, both in the study of this theology, the beauty of the character in my classmates, the humility of the instructors, and the level of detail everyone invested in the research and discussions. God is enchanting the world with people who care, question, and work hard. I believe our churches need more of these kinds of people in them for a new culture of discipline and maturation.”
– Joseph Ebersole

“I’ll apply what I learned by teaching the importance of the created world and how we relate to God in it and through it. By emphasizing the unity of the Lord’s Supper and that it isn’t a meal that should be closed off to baptized Christians. In my private life, I’ll view all of creation as sacramental; all things exist as a revelation of God to humanity.”
– Adam McIntosh, Pastoral Assistant in Carbondale, Illinois

“It was wonderful to have Pastor Vander Zee as a Theopolis guest instructor. Someone from a slightly different background, who challenged us to think of things differently, with a somewhat new vocabulary and perspective. The student body this class was large and varied, which led to interesting and fruitful discussions.”
– Chris Kou

“The Church needs to give more thought to the theology and practice of the sacraments. We have rich Biblical, historical, and theological resources to draw from for this purpose.

I liked the sense of community fostered by the living arrangements and daily schedule, especially times of communal meals and worship. I sensed that I got a small taste of what Bonhoeffer wrote about in Life Together.

I very much appreciated the lectures of Pastor VanderZee. It was helpful to have someone from the broader Reformed community to balance the distinctive Theopolis/BH insights of Drs. Leithart and Jordan — theological cross-fertilization at its best!
– Steven Wright (Pastor: Covenant Presbyterian Church, PCA)