Mystagogy

After sharing their first six years of marriage as college and graduate students, Dwight and Linda served for twenty years on the faculty of Westmar College in LeMars, Iowa (1965-1985) where Dwight taught philosophy and religion and led the worship life of the college community. Linda taught Christian education, developed a minor in gerontology and served as director of continuing education where one of her joys during this time was to be the advisor for the increasing number of older (than “traditionally-aged”) students.

They spent their first sabbatical at the Institute for Ecumenical and Cultural Research (IECR) at St. John’s Abbey and University in Collegeville, MN. It was there that they each completed their first books—Linda’s Helping a Child Understand Death, (1975) which was published by Fortress Press and later translated into Spanish, and Dwight’s Psalms for Worship Today (Concordia Press).

Dwight and Linda have co-authored two books: Sacramental Living: Falling Stars and Coloring Outside the Lines (1999) and Syncopated Grace: Times and Seasons with God (2002), both published by Upper Room Books. They served in team ministry at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Dubuque, IA before joining the faculty at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary where they served for sixteen years.

During his years on the seminary faculty, Dwight was Professor of Theology and Ministry and Director of the Nellie B. Ebersole Program in Sacred Music. He coordinated the M.A. in music ministry and the Ph.D. in liturgical studies degree programs, and directed the seminary choir. He is a member of The Order of Saint Luke which he served as Abbot. Dwight is an elected member of The North American Academy of Liturgy where he was convener of the Liturgical Theology seminar, and has been an active member of both The Fellowship of United Methodists in Music and Worship Arts, and The United Methodist Association of Scholars in Christian Education. He was Dean of the Chapel at Garrett-Evangelical and was minister of music at Northbrook United Methodist Church. Dwight is now Styberg Professor Emeritus of Worship and Preaching at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary.

Linda was Professor of Christian education at Garrett-Evangelical and served on the graduate faculty of Northwestern University. She is active in the Christian Educator’s Fellowship (serving as president of the board of directors—2005-2007). She has served as president of the United Methodist Association of Scholars in Christian Education; is a member of the Religious Education Association and of the North American Academy of Liturgy where she is a member of the seminar on teaching feminist liturgy. She is now Professor Emerita of Christian Education at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary.

Linda was a diaconal minister and is now an ordained deacon in full connection in the United Methodist Church. Dwight is an ordained elder; both are members of the Iowa Annual Conference. They were privileged to preach a dialogue sermon at the Iowa Conference retirement service in 2003—perhaps the first time such a service had the Word proclaimed by a deacon and an elder together.

Their three adult children, three (now adult) grandchildren (one of whom--heir grandson, Caleb Pulver--was killed in a motorcycle accident at age 26) and a baby granddaughter, and their four great-grandchildren bring them much joy.

Their decision to move to Pilgrim Place (see pilgrimplace.org) was a great surprise to these midwesterners. They stopped to visit a colleague on their way to a conference at Santa Barbara, California and this intentional Christian community reached out and drew them in with its global perspective and deep commitment to social justice. They moved into their home at Pilgrim Place on Ash Wednesday, February 9, 2005, and hung their last picture on Easter Sunday afternoon. This proved to be the most strange and unique Lent of their lives!

Dwight and Linda are active participants in the life of Claremont United Methodist Church—a Peace with Justice Covenant Congregation. In retirement, their commitment “to pay our rent on the planet” draws them to work for sustainability of the earth and peace with justice, seeking both to live, and encourage others to live, the sacramental life. They continue leading workshops and teaching intensive seminary courses when opportunities arise. In the spring of 2007, they team-taught a course in Liturgy for the University of Dayton at Deepahalli (an education center for the Society of Mary near Bangalore, India).

Dwight received his B.A. degree from Westmar College and Linda received her B.S. from Boston University in elementary education. Dwight completed an M.A. in philosophy from Boston University. They received their theological degrees from Andover Newton Theological Seminary. Dwight earned his Ph.D. in systematic theology from Northwestern University (1968). Linda completed a graduate specialization in gerontology from the University of Nebraska at Omaha (1977) and her Ph.D. in adult education and gerontology from the University of Iowa (1981).

Linda’s books include The Religious Education of Older Adults (Religious Education Press, 1984), Teaching Older Adults (Discipleship Resources, 1988), Teaching and Learning in Communities of Faith: Empowering Adults through Religious Education (Jossey-Bass, 1991), Rituals for Resurrection: Celebrating Life and Death (Upper Room Books, 1996). She also wrote the “Introduction: A Guide to Congregational Change”; “Chapter Five: Transformative Teaching and Learning”; Chapter Eight: Claiming Ministries of Compassion and Justice: Being the Body of Christ” in People of a Compassionate God: Creating Welcoming Congregations, edited by Janet F. Fishburn and published by Abingdon Press in 2003. She contributed a chapter, “Reckoning with the Spiritual Lives of Adult Educators,” to Addressing the Spiritual Dimensions of Adult Learning: What Educators Can Do, edited by Leona M. English and Marie A. Gillen (Jossey-Bass, 2000).

Dwight edited the five volume Daily Office: A Book of Hours for Daily Prayer, published by the Order of Saint Luke. Other writings include Ordo: Bath, Word, Prayer, Table (co-edited with Dirk Lange, OSL Publications, 2006); Food for Pilgrims (OSL Publications, 2005), Primary Sources in Liturgical Theology: A Reader (Liturgical Press, 2000), By Water and the Spirit (a guide to the United Methodist Baptism Study Document). He was a member of writing teams for both Standing at the Door: Millennial Change Worship Resources (l999) and WorshipMatters (1999) for Discipleship Resources; and he has a chapter in The Loyal Opposition (Abingdon, 2000).