3.720b Wedding Proclamation

3.720B WEDDING PROCLAMATION /1.5 credits Fall Semester 2005 Instructor: Dr. S. K. Hedahl E-mail: shedahl@ltsg.edu Office Hours: By Appointment Only

I. RATIONALE

The minister is often called upon to preach wedding sermons. In order to enhance this part of ministry, students will study and practice the theological, biblical, pastoral, proclamatory and cultural realities influencing wedding sermon preparation. Design and presentation of such sermons will focus on the components of proclamation, context, and discussion.

II. OBJECTIVES

At course's end the student will have

1. Become acquainted with a variety of wedding sermons, learning what to include and avoid in wedding proclamation.

2. Designed and preached two wedding sermons.

3. Learned the vital role of biblical texts in wedding proclamation.

4. Gained experience in listening, speaking and engaging in effective class preaching, discussion, critique/analysis of wedding sermons.

5. Continued to grow in the use of language in ways that are creative, solid theologically, compassionate, inclusive and accurate. Class participants are expected to learn and utilize the guidelines in the Principles For Worship (ELCA publication)

III. STRATEGIES

The student will:

1. Attend and participate verbally and appropriately in all class sessions.

2. Preach twice: first time in an imaginative setting and the second time in a contextualized setting, e.g. a wedding service, done together with members of assigned teams.

3. Each sermon will be prefaced with a 'Pre-Sermon Presentation', a copy to be given to the instructor on the day the sermon is preached. The student will present this to the class verbally in the space of about four or five minutes prior to preaching. Information should include (in this order): • Context of wedding –e.g. specific information on participants • Text(s) chosen and why. This includes both biblical and other texts quoted. NO junky wedding poetry please! • Liturgical information on the context of the wedding • Theological themes and issues addressed in the sermon, and why

4. A copy of each sermon the student preaches must be given to the instructor on the day the sermon is preached. Manuscripts are to be double-spaced (not handwritten). The first wedding sermon should be a minimum of 7 minutes preaching time in public presentation and the second one between 6--8 minutes.

5. After conducting the service and /or preaching, the student will listen and respond to class critique of the sermon. The worship service context in the second sermon will receive class and instructor comment but will not be graded.

6. The audience focus of each wedding sermon is up to you: you can create an imaginary couple; address a composite situation/setting; proclaim a sermon in a way different from what you have actually heard in the past; try out a wedding sermon that you intend to preach some day. It is helpful to identify people in the room who can be the couple.

NOTE: since this question is asked with every wedding proclamation class, the answer is, “Yes, you can choose to do a service/sermon for a same sex couple.” If you do so, take some time to discuss your decisions with the class as to what you have called such a service, your choices in resources, biblical texts, theological matters, etc. See library reserve list for resources.

6. Required Reading Preaching the Wedding Sermon by Susan K. Hedahl Wedding Packet

Recommended Preaching I Corinthians 13 by Susan Karen Hedahl and Richard P. Carlson Living in Sin? By John Shelby Spong

Library Reserved Equal Rites: Lesbian and Gay Worship, Ceremonies and Celebrations by Kittredge Cherry and Zalmon Sherwood, editors. Life Passages (ELCA renewing worship book) LBW Marriage Service

IV. EVALUATION

A. Class Committee: Students will choose class representatives during the first week of class. B. Final Evaluation: FINAL COURSE GRADE DESCRIPTIVE #3.720B Wedding Proclamation - Fall Semester, 2005 Instructor: Dr. S. K. Hedahl

The student's grade is determined by the student’s choice of the Pass/Fail grading system or the letter grade system. The choice is noted below. The finale grade is determined by the extent to which the course objectives are fulfilled by the student in the instructor's judgment. A narrative summary of the objectives is on the reverse side.

Name of Student:__________________________________________ Grading System Choice: Pass/Fail or Grade

1. Participation: Listening Speaking Attendance

2. Sermon One with Pre-Sermon Preparation sheet

3. Sermon Two-Team Presentation with Pre-Sermon Preparation sheet

FINAL GRADE: ____ _____________________________________________________________________ Instructor's Signature Date

A “FAIL” or “F” in two or more categories constitutes a “Fail” for the course.

Note: Three copies of this form are made: one for the student, the student's candidacy committee and the registrar's files.

CLASS SCHEDULE October 31 Introduction; Two videos on weddings and blessing of a same sex union.

November 7 SERMON #1: Preachers #1-5 November 14 Preachers: #6--10 November 21 Preachers #11--15

November 28 SERMON # 2 Contextualized Wedding Sermon/Service TEAM # 1: Preachers #1--5

December 5 TEAM #2: Preachers #6--10

December 12 TEAM #3: Preachers #11—15

NOTE! No class during final's week: December 12, last day of class