May 16, 2015 – “V” is for Vicar

When a third year seminarian from a Lutheran Seminary enters into his or her “Internship”, they are then named a “Vicar”. The name Vicar has a long history of meaning. The Wikipedia page for Vicar indicates “Vicar derives from the Latin “vicarius” meaning a substitute.”

“Vicar is the title given to certain parish priests in the Church of England. It has played a significant role in Anglican Church organization in ways that are different from other Christian denominations. The title is very old and arises from the medieval situation where priests were appointed either by a secular lord, by a bishop or by a religious foundation. Wherever there is a vicar he shares the benefice with a rector (usually non-resident) to whom the great tithes were paid.” (Wikipedia on Anglicanism)

In the Roman Catholic Church a Vicar is a parish representative for the pope or a bishop. And, as I mentioned above, in the Lutheran church, a Vicar would technically be an assistant in worship life of a congregation or mission. During a Seminarians four-year education, they serve in several roles. The first is during their first year of education, where they are assigned to a parish for what is called “Teaching Parish”. Often, the student will be called a “Vicar” in this circumstance, although it is not the true meaning of the word for first-year Seminarians. However, in this circumstance, there is a loss for what members of the congregation should call this individual, and since Seminarian is too “specific” or too sanitized, often the term Vicar is chosen.

The true Vicar in the Lutheran church is a Seminary student in their third year or in their internship year of education. They are assigned to a congregation and are given specific duties throughout the internship experience. It is the most important year of Seminary education, in my opinion, because it is during this year that the student has the opportunity to form their identity (or at least begin that formation) as a pastor.

On May 13, 2015 I celebrated my 10th year anniversary of graduating from Gettysburg Seminary. Since my ordination on June 10, 2005 I have been a parish pastor serving first Christ Lutheran Church in Duncannon and now Trinity Lutheran Church, Lemoyne PA. When I think back on my seminary education, while all of the classes had value, the classes that have had the most impact on my parish ministry would include (but is not necessarily all-inclusive) preaching, worship, all of the biblical classes (new and old testament), reformation and church history, and all field education classes (CPE, Internship, Teaching Parish, and others). The classes I wish I would have taken, fall in the areas of spirituality and church administration. Each year that goes by in my ministry I find it harder to set aside the appropriate time for bible reading and personal spiritual practices. Currently our congregation is supporting a first year seminary student who is one of our own — and as he progresses through his seminary education I plan to encourage him to find time to work on his spirituality. And we can all take a lesson from Jesus — who found the time to get away from the crowds and the stresses of his ministry to be alone and to pray.

Pastor Dave