|
|
|
|
About KingIn 1987, after ten years as a parish priest, I had sensed that God wanted me to change directions. To publish—and to do so from the position of my primary responsibility as a priest. That “call” was fine, except that I also wanted to eat. And I had a hunch that my family wanted to eat too. What was I to do? Necessity might as often prove to be the “mother of invention” in the Church as anywhere else. It was for me. The solution flowered at a seminar on desktop publishing that Nynex Corporation and Aldus put on in Atlanta. I could see after the seminar that typesetters were going the way of Noah’s ark after reaching land—they were history. Anybody could publish stuff with a computer, so why not produce a publication, based upon the Episcopal Eucharistic Lectionary, that would assist clergy in the often lonely, yet exhilarating, task of preaching every week? A survey by the College of Preachers in 1987 provided the hard data I needed to convince me that this kind of publication was needed in the Episcopal Church. In effect, the survey said that clergy loved to preach, but felt overwhelmed by the process of getting there. Sunday was not a day of rest for them. And the rest of the week was even worse. They needed help. And if they needed help, their parishioners needed help too—believe me. Surviving a lousy sermon ain’t no fun. And so, fresh from earning a graduate degree from the School of Theology at the University of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee, I turned to three of my favorite teachers as possible contributing editors in their respective fields: Howard Rhys in Scripture; Don Armentrout in Church History; and Sue Armentrout in Church and Culture. They jumped at the opportunity, and Sue Armentrout suggested that the publication be called “Synthesis,” since Anglicanism rests on a “synthesis” of Scripture, Tradition, Reason, and Experience. The name Synthesis worked, and we were off to the races. Susan McLeod, a gifted liturgist and parish musician from the Church of the Ascension in Cartersville, Georgia, came on board as the “Worship” editor. Isabel Anders, a fine writer with exceptional editorial skills, also joined our team as Managing Editor. I took on the “Experience” component of the Anglican Quadrilateral, and ended each week’s issue with “Postscript,” a page-long piece that dealt not so much with what the Scripture said as what is says. Synthesis, more than I ever dreamed possible, took off. Nearly 550 issues have been produced for subscribers—mainly in the United States—over the last ten years. Other subscribers are in Canada, the Philippines, Honduras, France, and Kenya—even Tasmania. The outreach has extended around the world. Synthesis has also spawned several
other publications, including Synthesis CE—a lectionary
study curriculum—and three books relating to that endeavor: Understanding the
Sunday Scriptures: The Synthesis Commentary, Years A, B, and C.
I was cajoled for several
years by lay subscribers to bring out a collection of my
“Postscripts” as a book. “Between the Lines:
Reflections on the Gospels Through the Church Year” was the
result of their importunity.
The Rev. H. King Oehmig lives with his family in Chattanooga. His background as an Episcopal parish priest in Mississippi, Tennessee, and Georgia; and as a cancer recovery-group facilitator, speaker, and teacher, along with his insights into contemporary spirituality make Soul Openings a journey beyond words. He would love to hear from you, the listener. Please write him at: 711 Publishing, 317 High Street, Chattanooga, TN 37403.
Other PublicationsFor more information about Synthesis materials, please contact: support@pnmsi.com, or call 1-301-528-0011. To learn more about the book: Between the Lines , please use this link: About King's Book.
|
