Written by: United Theological Seminary December 21, 2020

Movies for What Ails You: Reflecting on Holiday Favorites.

Around winter holidays, one of the most beloved traditions is staying in, bundling up, and watching a favorite movie or television show. Eventually, the media we are drawn to once becomes something we might return whether after many years or on a regular annual basis. Movies, like other forms of art, both entertain us and give us insight that we can describe as not only culturally relevant but theological, ministerial, or even prophetic. At United Community, we are committed to the role of art in our collective ministry, and so this year, some of our faculty and staff have opted to share about our favorite holiday movies, the lessons we’ve learned, and blessing we can draw from them.

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National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

Our family has inadvertently made it a tradition to watch this movie every Christmas Day when we gather for our extended family get together of games, food, drinks and stories. There are always laughs and shouts of our favorite movie lines, and so many happy memories.

While it might not be theological reflections exactly (I’ll leave that to the professors), there are a few good sense themes that can be picked out of this classic movie.

First, don’t be a snotty, materialistic, money hungry jerk. Karma’s a bitch, and when it comes knocking you might find an expensive stereo destroyed mysteriously by something wet, or you might find yourself kidnapped by an employee’s crazy cousin Eddie.

Second, don’t put unreal expectations on yourself or expect everything to go perfectly as planned. Clark’s wife points this out to him in the beginning of the movie, setting the stage for “Sparky’s” unrealistic plans and subsequent failures. However, when things do get hairy, you can take his dad’s advice and get some help from your friend Jack Daniels.

Third, it’s ok to just roll with it when the unexpected happens. The odd cousin may show up, the family cat may get wrapped up for a Christmas present, the Pledge of Allegiance is said in place of the dinner blessing, you may get stuck in the attic while everybody is shopping, the turkey may be overcooked, or you may nearly get killed on your way to choose the Christmas Tree. Life is what you make of it, and sometimes you just have to roll with whatever happens and all you can do is laugh.

Finally, we all have quirks that make us unique, but the holiday season is about showing love and compassion for all family, friends, and humanity in general.

“Hallelujah! Holy Shit! Where’s the Tylenol?”

–Hillary Vamstad, Registrar and Academic Advisor Title IX Coordinator

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Tokyo Godfathers

Tokyo Godfathers is a 2003 animated film by the late director Satoshi Kon. The “godfathers” of the film are three people who are experiencing homelessness: the gambling, alcoholic Gin; the transgender and former drag queen Hana; and Miyuki, the runaway teen daughter of a police officer. These three, a kind of assembled family, discover an abandoned baby on Christmas Eve. Hana wants to raise the child, but the three realize they don’t have the means to raise her, so Hana agrees to help the others find the baby’s parents on the condition that the parents explain how they could abandon their child. What ensues is a manic adventure full of humor, hijinks, and heartfelt realizations, where miraculous coincidences occur, and where each of the “godfather’s” utterly human backstory is unveiled. Meanwhile, the buildings, streets, windows, graveyards, and alleyways of Tokyo become characters in their own right, animated as a brightly lit, snowclad, and constantly shifting as they aid the trio on their quest.

As a queer person myself, I return to this movie every year for its complexification and celebration of “family” beyond the most traditional or heteronormative notions. I love how the film asks what we owe our neighbors and strangers along with our blood relatives. I also learn from and relate to its portrayal of a gender-non-conforming character in Hana who bears some of the greatest hurts of the characters while nonetheless acting as source of poetry and direction for the three misfits. And I love that none of the characters are of the saccharine Hallmark variety. Rather, they are warted, petty, hyperbolic, foolish, angry, and apathetic in turns, just like all of us. And within each character is a well of love, just like in all of us.

The figures of Hana, Miyuki, and Gin reinterpret for a modern context the heart of the Biblical Nativity Story, with its refugees, poor shepherds, and “suspect” women. For Satoshi Kon, the miraculous is in the mundane, the mundane beams with vibrancy, moments of time and space explode with color, gesture, emotion, and music only to realign into a clarity of revelation. May we all be like the Tokyo godfathers and glimpse from the chaos, fear, and confusion of our lives a sense of wonder; may we search for what is right, even if it takes us onto strange and winding paths; and may we foster such love between one another, reimagining family into its most expansive possibilities.

–Max Yeshaye Brumberg-Kraus ’20, Alum

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy

My favorite holiday movie is not a holiday movie. Every year one was released, right around Christmas time, my family went and saw The Lord of the Rings Trilogy movies. We never saw movies in the theater as a family, but for some reason, we went to these – I think because my dad loved C. S. Lewis, and Tolkien was associated with Lewis, so we could talk him into liking TLOTR, and if dad was in, we all were.

Tolkien had a gift for weaving the traditional themes of good vs. evil and the Hero’s Journey with beautiful stories of friendship, respect, wisdom, deep connection with creation, and history. He also helped us see the need for not only a single individual or community to stand against evil, but for a network – or system – of communities to collectively overcome the powers of hatred, fear and death.

For me, Frodo’s intentional, purposeful and inexorable plodding trudge to Mordor is a powerful depiction of the Jesus event of overcoming death by entering into death – not just for one’s self, but for the entire world. This is the trilogy’s key lesson: that we cannot avoid or reject evil and death, we have to enter into the vulnerable places, the shadow side of ourselves, our church, our communities and our world with intention and purpose and embrace our own death/loss/brokenness; in doing so, we enact redemption for ourselves and for at least our little corner of God’s beloved creation.

I pray that people around the world use this time of pandemic, social unrest and isolation to embark on their own courageous adventure toward embracing their shadow side and unearthing their True Self, the Self that leads us all toward wholeness and life abundant.

–Emily Meyer, Ministry Lab Executive Director

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The Nightmare Before Christmas

One of the benefits of The Nightmare before Christmas (1993) is that it can be ceremoniously viewed at both Halloween and Christmas. In it, the protagonist Jack Skellington, king of Halloween Town, has grown tired of his role and after stepping through a door deep in the woods, discovers the enchanting Christmas Town, and then hatches a plan to give Santa a break. Hilarity, screams, several musical numbers, and eventually disaster ensues. What I’ve always appreciated about the film (besides the aesthetic, the stop-motion animation, and Danny Elfman’s voice) is Jack’s struggle to articulate something ineffable about Christmas. His eureka moment comes in a song called “Jack’s Obsession,” during which he uses scientific equipment to study various Christmas-related objects. He seems to lament:

Christmas time is buzzing in my skull
Will it let me be? I cannot tell
There are so many things I cannot grasp
When I think I’ve got it, and then at last
Through my bony fingers it does slip
Like a snowflake in a fiery grip

The elusiveness of the meaning of Christmas frustrates and compels Jack. He describes it as a process of remembering or recognition:

Something’s here I’m not quite getting
Though I try, I keep forgetting
Like a memory long since past
Here in an instant, gone in a flash
What does it mean?
What does it mean?

But the pursuit is as enjoyable as it is futile, and perhaps it is precisely that delight that spurs Jack on:

These dolls and toys confuse me so
Confound it all, I love it though

When his calculations and material examination of decorations fail to produce anything, he begins to understand that there is more to Christmas and in fact it is accessible to everyone:

It’s simple really, very clear
Like music drifting in the air
Invisible, but everywhere
Just because I cannot see it
Doesn’t mean I can’t believe it

While this song concludes with Jack thinking he’s understood Christmas, from which he goes on to orchestrate the kidnapping of Santa Claus and the hijacking of Christmas, in the end, Jack realizes he had indeed failed to fully understand what Christmas was about, and in the process comes to appreciate Halloween Town anew. No doubt theologians and seminarians can especially relate to Jack’s attraction to and struggle with understanding and articulating the unknown. During this season of wintry stillness and anticipation, may we experience joy in the pursuit of the ineffable divine.

–Dr. Jennifer Awes-Freeman, Assistant Professor of Arts and Theology; Program Director for Theology and the Arts

May these movies bring you blessings for the new years. And may take time to enjoy the movies, visual art, television shows, music, books, food and company that make this season special for you!

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September 18, 2026

Announcements News Releases President

United Launches National Search for Its Next President

The Position Profile and Application Are Now Available Today, the Presidential Search Committee, on behalf of United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities, is opening the national search for the seminary’s next leader. This comes after the July announcement of Rev. Dr. Molly T. Marshall’s 2027 retirement following six transformative years of institutional growth and expansion. United’s next president will helm a dynamic school with a student body that has more than doubled in size in just ten years; a world-class faculty of artists, scholars, and theologians; and a diverse and interreligious student body preaching in pulpits, ministering in ICUs, leading nonprofits, and organizing for the common good. In a message shared with the United community, trustee and committee chair Rev. Dr. Kenneth V. Daniel (’81) describes the committee’s work in concert with executive search firm Isaacson, Miller (IM) to help “the seminary step into the next chapter of United’s mission and ministry.” Describing the ideal candidate, Dr. Daniel writes, “We are seeking an engaged leader who will join our mission to inspire creative scholarship, advance innovative pedagogy, develop leaders of distinction, and move the school forward to increased sustainability and global impact.” As of today, the public profile of the President’s role, as well as the application, is available to prospective applicants. Additionally, the public is invited to nominate individuals for consideration by the Committee. The application is linked on an official landing page that features Dr. Daniel’s note and a list of the committee members and their affiliations. The committee includes trustees as well as current and former faculty, student, staff, and alum representatives. Each faithfully brings their experiences to bear on their assignment. Dr. Daniel urges qualified leaders from myriad backgrounds to consider applying, writing, “Leaders from interfaith and ecumenical traditions, academic disciplines, relevant professional and denominational roles, and innovators in educational practices are invited to consider this unique opportunity.” Visit the link below to learn more, nominate a candidate, or submit your application. Apply or Nominate a Candidate About United Founded by the United Church of Christ (UCC) as a welcoming, ecumenical school that embraces all denominations and faith traditions, United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities has been on the creative edge of progressive theological thought and leadership since it was established in 1962. Today, United continues to educate leaders who, through the eyes of faith, engage in the dismantling of systems of oppression, exploring multi-faith spirituality, and pushing the boundaries of knowledge. Search Committee Contact Grace Pennings Guenthner (’26) Administrative Assistant, Presidential Search Committee pssearch@unitedseminary.edu

United Welcomes Site Visit by The Association of Theological Schools’ Commission on Accrediting

United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities is hosting a comprehensive evaluation visit for reaffirmation of accreditation by the Association of Theological Schools’ Commission on Accrediting on October 12–15, 2026. The purpose of this visit is to verify that the school meets all applicable Commission Standards of Accreditation. Comments regarding how well the school meets those standards and/or generally demonstrates educational quality may be sent to accrediting@ats.edu at least two weeks before the visit. Comments may also or instead be sent in writing to the Dean of the Seminary Kyle Roberts at kroberts@unitedseminary.edu. All comments will be shared with the onsite evaluation committee. For more about United's accreditation, click here. >

Rev. Dr. Molly T. Marshall to Retire in 2027 Following Six Exemplary Years as President

Her Vision and Leadership Have Transformed United Following six historic and transformative years as President of United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities, Rev. Dr. Molly T. Marshall will retire on June 30, 2027, upon completion of the seminary’s 65th academic year. President Marshall secured United’s financial standing, advanced institutional objectives toward long-term sustainability, and catalyzed historic growth in institutional fundraising and student enrollment. Rev. Dr. Marshall assumed her role as Interim President in March 2021 following thorough vetting by a search committee and the Board of Trustees’ unanimous vote. Having served in theological education for more than 40 years, her reputation preceded her. She made headlines as the first woman appointed to the School of Theology at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, the flagship school of the Southern Baptist Convention. Ordained as a Southern Baptist, she later received the privilege of call by the American Baptist Church. In 1997, she joined the faculty of Central Baptist Theological Seminary as professor of Theology and Spiritual Formation, thereafter stabilizing and revitalizing the school as President from 2004 to 2020, becoming the first woman ever to lead a Baptist seminary or divinity school. President Marshall’s respect and renown culminated in her executive report on effective seminary leadership, written for The Association of Theological Schools (ATS) before she arrived at United. Her experiences as a congregational minister, feminist theologian, prodigious academician, and her achievements as an administrator in theological education augured well for the seminary’s future in her care. Less than a year later, her position was made permanent, formally making her United’s tenth president, and, desiring to honor United's legacy, she pursued and received clergy standing with the MN United Church of Christ. United trustees outlined a set of priorities at the beginning of President Marshall’s tenure, on which she began immediate work. She invested much of her first several months in office in forming connections with alums, donors, and faculty. She concentrated her relational acumen on Advancement, and donors responded enthusiastically. In September 2021, United announced the Johnson-Fry Chair in World Religions and Intercultural Studies, endowed by Rev. Dr. Andrea Johnson (’17, ’23) and David Fry. Cultivating “respect for the lived religion of others,” as President Marshall often asserts, is a pillar of her scholarship and the seminary’s academic ethos. The Sophia Chair in Religious and Theological Studies, funded by a generous gift from Dr. Mary Farrell Bednarowski—Professor Emerita of Religious Studies (1976–2004)—and her husband and former trustee, Keith Bednarowski, followed in 2024. Finally, in 2025, a cadre of friends, alums, and former faculty established the Wilson Yates Chair in Theology and the Arts. These chairs, paired with substantial growth in endowed scholarships, feature prominently in President Marshall’s legacy and will endure as a witness to her faithful stewardship of alum and donor relations. Rev. Dr. Cindi Beth Johnson, Vice President for Advancement, reflects, “President Marshall’s enthusiasm, attention, and engagement with our donors have been important components of her leadership. She has honored our alums and delighted in our students. Molly has valued United’s history even as she has led us into new ways of being. She has built a culture that reflects her dedication, vision, and generosity. She has been a bright light in the broader community, embodying her passion for and dedication to United. Molly arrived with both expertise and heart, and she has shared them generously. She leaves a lasting imprint, and we are better for that. On a personal note, it has been a great gift to be her colleague.” Historic enrollment has been a fixture of President Marshall’s tenure. Between fall 2020 and fall 2025, degree-seeking student enrollment grew 57 percent, with the seminary welcoming its largest incoming class of degree-seeking students ever in fall 2025. In a climate where many theological schools have experienced stable or declining enrollment, United has surged. The Association of Theological Schools (ATS), one of the seminary’s two accrediting bodies, named United in its 2023 Holiday Colloquy Online issue as one of only 18 ATS-accredited seminaries to have demonstrated “steady year-over-year growth during the past five years.” President Marshall has positioned United as a leader in progressive theological education and a model for historically Mainline Christian schools. Commenting on what makes the seminary unique, President Marshall astutely noted United’s “desirable curriculum that emphasizes social transformation, theology and the arts, interreligious engagement, and public theology” and the intentional welcome of “students with myriad religious, spiritual, and theological leanings.” She sharpened and raised the seminary’s prophetic voice, believing that progressive theological education exists to serve the common good. From considerable growth in the Interreligious Chaplaincy program to the establishment of the Sims Scholars Initiative, she has expanded the student body’s depth and breadth. Under President Marshall’s fastidious leadership, United completed a Five-Year Strategic Plan in 2026. David S. Anderson, former Chair of the Board of Trustees (2020–2026), witnessed firsthand President Marshall’s effective management of United’s revitalization and her manifold accomplishments in office. On his close friend and colleague, David writes, “In her writings, President Marshall, Molly to me, once observed, ‘. . . following the Spirit will require of all of us faith—all the guidance we usually get is enough to take the next uncertain step.’ United, in late 2020, was indeed in a state of uncertainty, and President Marshall’s emergence as its next president must be seen as a revelation of the Spirit. She has led United to a platform of stability from which it will move forward with confidence, heeding the Spirit toward an uncertain, as human endeavors are, but bright and sustainable future.” Dr. Kyle Roberts, Dean and Vice President for Academic Affairs, shared the news of President Marshall’s retirement with students this morning. With profound gratitude for her enrichment of the seminary’s faculty and scholarship, he remarked, “President Marshall has been just the leader this seminary needed to reclaim its vision, its vibrancy, and its voice in theological education. She has led a process of internal healing and of increasing external influence. She has been a champion of rigorous but applied theological education for spiritual leadership, supporting and encouraging the faculty in their teaching and the staff in their work. United,” he affirmed, “will always be indebted to her years of service and to her passion and care in moving the seminary to its next stage. United is, once again, a leading voice in progressive seminary education in large part because of President Marshall.” Rev. Dr. Dianne Oliver, Chair of the Board of Trustees, celebrates President Marshall’s transformative tenure and looks toward a bright future ahead. She affirms, “President Marshall’s impact on United is really extraordinary, and she will leave a profound legacy at the institution. Clearly, she has been successful in the ways often highlighted for an outstanding President—record enrollment, expanded academic programs, and financial stability, building a strong foundation for the next steps on United’s journey. Add to these leadership successes Molly’s theological acumen and prophetic voice in challenging times, and it is easy to see the scope of her leadership. Just as importantly, though, Molly has helped create a deep sense of community among the faculty, staff, students, trustees, and the broader community who support the work of United. Her leadership and accomplishments ensure United will keep living into the fullness of its mission and vision as the context for theological education continues to evolve.” Reflecting on her service to the seminary, President Marshall writes, “Serving as United’s President has been a joyful pursuit over these past several years as I have lived into the storied history of this good seminary. I have been invited into a theologically expansive landscape where courageous learning and creative ministries have renewed my own vocation in theological education.” She continues, “Faculty, staff, students, board members, donors, and friends have welcomed me to help craft this chapter of our shared mission. I could not be more grateful for the opportunity to serve as United’s tenth president. (Don’t say goodbye to me yet; there’s still work to be done!)” A Presidential Search Committee, comprised of trustees and representatives from the student body, alums, faculty, and staff, has been engaged in faithful preparation ahead of the public search for President Marshall’s successor. The seminary will share details about this process in the days ahead. Friends and colleagues from throughout President Marshall’s career were invited to submit reflections in her honor. These have been published on our announcement page. United eagerly anticipates celebrating President Marshall and her myriad contributions to the life of the seminary community during special events in spring 2027. Details will be made available in the months ahead. Strengthened and invigorated by President Marshall’s faithful leadership over these six years, United enters its 65th year of progressive theological education, steadfast in its mission: preparing innovative and compassionate leaders for the equipping of churches, other faith communities, and society toward justice and peace. Honoring President Marshall In celebration of President Marshall's tenure, a webpage featuring images, reflections by friends and colleagues, and opportunities to honor her achievements is now available. Visit the link below to learn more. Learn More About United Founded by the United Church of Christ (UCC) as a welcoming, ecumenical school that embraces all denominations and faith traditions, United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities has been on the creative edge of progressive theological thought and leadership since it was established in 1962. Today, United continues to educate leaders who, through the eyes of faith, engage in the dismantling of systems of oppression, exploring multi-faith spirituality, and pushing the boundaries of knowledge. Media Contact Nathanial Green (he/him) Director of Marketing and Communications press@unitedseminary.edu • 651.255.6138