Eric Jensen
he/they
Master of Divinity
What is your favorite memory of your time at LSTC?
There have been many wonderful memories over the past three years, but a literal and metaphorical mountaintop moment would be during my January Term class out at Holden Village, in north Washington state. The pandemic was such a strange time to start seminary, and I remember how life-giving it was to get to experience a day snowshoeing around the valleys at Holden with dear friends after so much time isolated and stuck inside.
What was the most meaningful class you took?
Enmity in Biblical and Contemporary U.S. Racial Contexts, co-taught by Dr. Wickware and Dr. Adam, may have been both my most challenging seminary course and also the most meaningful one. I’m not one to shy away from a tough reading, but there were some in the class that I really struggled to understand. That said, what those readings and our coursework revealed about different concepts of enmity – especially in such a polarized world as ours – breathed new life into both the Hebrew Bible and the writings of Paul.
How did you feel supported during your seminary journey? Were you the recipient of any major scholarships? What communities or people uplifted you during your studies?
Earlier, I mentioned that the pandemic was such a strange time to be at LSTC – the addition of the building and housing transitions at the seminary made it even more so. But the wonderful web of community that coalesced for me in this time at LSTC has been such a blessing: the student body is so loving and committed to caring for each other, the group of friends I made at Holden has remained a support group post-graduation and on into our first calls, and I even met my now-fiancé, my first year at LSTC. I also could not have completed this degree without the generous support of both the ELCA Fund for Leaders scholarship and aid from LSTC itself.
What are your post-graduation plans?
Post-graduation and Approval, my fiancé Katie and I are eagerly looking forward to the search for calls in parish ministry, but for now are enjoying the closing months of our internships in the Boston area. We’re excited for a summer of ministry in New England, and for accompanying youth from our internship sites to the National Youth Gathering in New Orleans this July!
How did LSTC shape you as a future leader of the public church?
There’s so much about LSTC that helped me, as a future leader in the church, begin to recognize the complex and real ways our world seeks to limit and diminish the potential of the Gospel. LSTC’s focus on justice, on community organizing, and on equity were all reasons I wanted to attend seminary here. But the reason I’m most thankful for my time at LSTC is its encouragement to root this work in real love for the people of God. This is a love that is messy and real – willingness to listen, fail, and learn. This is the kind of love that was at the core of Jesus’ ministry and remains at the core of my call in this rapidly changing world.
