Couple More Pictures

A couple more pictures from the North Shore of Minnesota and from Minneapolis . . .

We hiked to some waterfalls in Gooseberry Creek State Park.

If you look between heads, you'll notice a furry guy relaxing in the tree . . .

This "sloth"-ful guy! 

Lake Superior

 

Score!

Yesterday we flew to Minneapolis (even though our stewardess kept calling it Minnie-annapolis! Maybe she was originally from Maryland?). Anyway, first took an very early morning flight from DC to Chicago, and then we were to fly to Minneapolis. However, when we got to Chicago, they had switched airplanes on us and the new one had fewer seats - so they were now overbooked by 9. So they asked for 9 volunteers to give up their seats for a $500 voucher. A couple did so. I inquired, but the next available flight out was 2:30 in the afternoon - about a 6 hour wait for us. We had plans to visit a state park after getting to Minnesota, so no, not yet. A few more persons inquired, but no other takers. Still needed 7 more.

They asked a couple more times - no takers. They said: come up and we'll let you know how much the voucher will be. Still no takers. It was now getting very close to boarding time, so they were getting desperate. They announced $1,000 vouchers, then $1,050. We decided that was worth the wait. So we went up and gave up our seats. By the end of it all, we got $1,200 each for our seats which only cost us $200 to begin with! (Plus they rebooked us on the later flight.) So while waiting around wasn't the greatest, in the end we had 3,600 good reasons to do so! :-) Yee-haw! Thanks American Airlines!

A Senior Picture

My youngest is a High School senior this year. Soon she will be off to college. For the past few years she has been a member of The Capitol Symphonic Youth Orchestra, a select, audition-only, group of High School students from all about the DC area. Here is the picture they took of all the seniors after their last concert. (Not their final concert! That's coming up in May. :-)

Quite a good looking group, yes? (Though I may be biased . . .)

Update

I know, I know. On Easter I said I would post more "tomorrow." Well, you know how that goes!

After Easter I took two days off for some R&R. On Monday my wife worked, so my daughter and I went to a delightful breakfast with another family in our church and then headed off to our favorite used book store. I got a couple of books and a couple of books for gifts later this year. I have quite the pile to read already, so tried to control myself! One book I found is a novel about Lincoln surviving his assassination attempt and what reconstruction might have looked like had he survived. Could be interesting. 

Then on Tuesday my daughter had to return to school, so my wife and I went to our favorite thrift store and bought probably too much! We got a bunch of puzzles (some for us and some for gifts) and I found a pair of jeans and a couple of spring/summer blazers - they were greatly needed! 

Then on Wednesday, it was back to work for me . . .

The Lenten season was good, but this was a tough one for me. Maybe I'm just getting old! I did well on my primary Lenten discipline, not so good on my secondary one. But that's okay. I was also trying to get our Mission Plant in Purcellville to a new location and working out those details and lease agreement, which added to things. We met at our new location for the first time this past Sunday - an adjustment, but I think it will be good. I also had a big lift with my Board for International Mission assignment - getting a report and a presentation ready for the two mission boards meeting in April and May, along with a survey being sent out. It all gets done, but sometimes causes other things to pile up and back up.

Now starts the travel season . . . stay home in Lent, go on the road after Easter! So I've got stuff happening in DC, Minnesota/Iowa, St, Louis, Wilkes-Barre, and then three separate trips to Milwaukee! Homeschool chapel also starts back up this week, and with all those trips, I'll have to pre-record some of them. 

Our Good Shepherd seminar is also coming up, so have to get ready for that. And then with Spring there is all the yard work that now needs to be done (when the weather cooperates!). I got our vegetable garden plot turned, weeded, and mulched. The front gardens have been cleaned out but not yet mulched or weeded. I got the first mowing of the year done . . .

Always lots going on, but I think that's a good thing . . . I think! :-)

And, a couple Easter pictures for you . . .

Family . . . minus one :-(

Easter confirmands

Blessed Easter!

 

Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

I'll post more tomorrow . . . a recap of this Lenten season . . . 

But for today rejoice and rest in the glory of our Saviour!

Did Jacob Ever Find Out?

We've been reading through the narrative of Joseph in Egypt in Morning Prayer and today we heard when Jacob finds out Joseph is still alive. He and all his family will now go to Egypt and live there under Joseph's care.

So I was thinking today, and wondering . . . did Jacob ever find out exactly what happened to Joseph? Did Joseph's brothers finally confess what they had done to their father? Did Joseph throw his brothers under the bus? Jacob must have asked Joseph what happened! How did he get to Egypt? How had he escaped from the beast that bloodied his coat of many colors? What did Joseph say? Throwing his brothers under the bus doesn't seem in character with Joseph, and covering their sin would be in keeping with his Christ-likeness. We're not told if Jacob ever found out. But I'd sure like to know how that conversation went . . .

My Prediction . . .

So the president of my seminary alma mater resigned and they are in the process of selecting a new president. Their website says that 42 people were nominated and 19 let their names stand. Those names are listed there. That list will now be whittled down to 5 or so, and from them the new president will be elected. Frankly, not all are qualified to be president of a seminary, which should eliminate them. Some are good at playing political games, which might include them, but shouldn't. (I'm not going to list those names here!) There are then some who are qualified, but would they do a good job as president? Time will tell. Anyway, here's my prediction for the short list (in alphabetical order), or at least, what I think it should be - we'll see how close I get. :-)

Charles Gieschen, Jamison Hardy, Jeffrey Pulse.

(Name I'd like to include, but am not: Gregory Todd)

Nadab and Abihu

Who? Abi-who?

Glad you asked! Nadab and Abihu were two of the four sons of Aaron, the brother of Moses, in the Old Testament. After the people of Israel came out of Egypt and came to Mount Sinai, God gave them the instructions for the building of the Tabernacle, and the priesthood, and the sacrifices. Aaron and his four sons - along with Eleazar and Ithamar (and their sons after them), were to be the priests.

I was reading about their ordination this morning (all five of them). It took seven full days (Leviticus 10). Then, on the eighth day (that's significant!), when they were to begin their service, Nadab and Abihu decided not to do what God told them to do, not to listen to the Word of God, but do what they wanted. The took their censers and offered "unauthorized fire" before the Lord. And they were consumed by fire. Big deal? It was to God. Don't mess with God's holiness. Their priestly career didn't even last one day! I knew that story; what I did not remember was that it happened so suddenly - on their first full day of priesthood!

It reminded me of Genesis. God created all things in six days, and on the seventh day, He rested. Then, right away (on the eighth day?), we read that Adam and Eve decided to do things their own way, not listen to the Word of God, and ate the forbidden fruit. And God had said, On the day you eat of it, you shall surely die. They did. Not physically (like Nadab and Abihu), but spiritually (a greater death than physical death). Their relationship with God was broken. 

Both happened right away. Sin (and satan!) wastes no time. It reminded me of something GK Chesterton (I think) said: Heterodoxy cannot wait and is always in a hurry; Orthodoxy is patient and waits for the Lord. And, I would add, listens to the Word of God. A good reminder for us, this Lenten season.

Book

I just finished reading this book, Forerunners of the Reformation: The Shape of Late Medieval Thought Illustrated by Key Documents by Heiko Oberman. The thesis of the book is that many of the issues spoken and written during the Reformation had their roots in discussions and disagreements already in the Middle Ages. These were not issues that just popped up out of nowhere. I guess there was a time when that was the prevailing thought among some. In my doctoral studies I realized pretty quickly that was not the case. So this book wasn't surprising to me. However, it was interesting to read what various theologians wrote in the 13-15th centuries in their own words. I especially appreciated the discussion regarding Scripture and Tradition and whether there are two sources of truth or only one; and if only one, the relation of Scripture and Tradition, and the multiplicity of views on that. Johann von Staupitz's chapter was also very interesting. Being Luther's superior in the Augustinian Order, you can clearly see Luther's thoughts in his writing. Not an easy book, but worthwhile for learning more about the background of the Reformation and the undercurrents that influenced events and how folks regarded Luther. 

Virginia State March for Life

According to the Virginia Capitol Police, approximately 3,000 - 3,500 people gathered on the State Capitol grounds in Richmond yesterday for the 6th Virginia State March for Life. The weather was perfect, the crowd energized and friendly, and the planners did a great job! Everything went well and without a hitch. 

Our LCMS contingent met at Grace Lutheran Church in Chester for a pre-march Matins service.

Pastor Douthwaite preaching at Matins.

From there we took a bus up to the Capitol for the rally . . .

. . . and marched through downtown Richmond.

We also met some fellow LCMS-ers who had come with other groups, but saw our signs and came over to meet us!

This year was our first year trying to really organize and encourage Lutherans across the state to come to this march. Hopefully, now we can build on this year and have an even bigger presence next year! Hope you'll be one of them and join us!

Ash Wednesday

Happy Lent! 

Our new 2024 Lenten Life Calendar kicks-off today - check it out! 

And . . 

Only one week until we march again!

Join us!

Click here for more information.

A Very Interesting Day!

Well, Sunday was quite the interesting day!

The day started with a gas leak! When we arrived at church, there was the smell of gas, so we called the gas company to get it checked out. They found two places where there was some amount of leaking. So they shut the gas down. Fortunately for us it was a mild day, so we could open the windows to air out the sanctuary and not be too cold. Hopefully our landlord will get this fixed quickly!

We also decided to celebrate my wife's birthday on Sunday. My daughter and I came up with a plan for a homemade dinner, but bit off a little more than we thought! Our menu: homemade ravioli (vegetable and cheese) with a cream sauce topping, green beans, fresh bread, and apple pie cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and apple compote on top. First we made the cupcakes so they would have enough time to cool - that went fine. Then we set at preparing the vegetables for the ravioli - an eggplant, zucchini, pepper, tomato, and onion combination. All that prep took us a bit longer than we anticipated. Once we got that simmering, we started on the pasta . . . and this is where it really started to bog down! Kneading the dough, letting it rest, getting it through the pasta machine, cutting the pieces for the ravioli, and then putting it all together . . . wow! That was a lot of work! But we got it done and it did taste good! We served it all with a Rose of Pinot Noir wine. 

After dinner, dessert, presents, and clean-up (yeah, we made quite a mess!), we were wiped! So I actually didn't see much of the Super Bowl, just a little as I went to bed and before I quickly fell asleep. :-)

Marching for Life . . . Again!

Here's the current plan:

We’ll meet at

Grace Lutheran Church

13028 Harrowgate Rd, Chester, VA, 23831

     (about 30 minutes south of Richmond, Pastor Gann hosting)

Lots of free parking!

Matins at 9 am, to hear God’s Word and pray for life.

Coffee and donuts following.

Board busses (free for you!) to take us to the Capitol in Richmond, so you don’t have to worry about where to park and paying for parking (10 - 10:15).

Rally on the State Capitol grounds starts at 11:00 am.

March scheduled to begin at 12 Noon.

Board busses to return to Grace, 1-ish.

Return to Grace to depart for home 1:30-ish.

Join us! 

Snow Wimps!

When did we become such snow wimps? With even a mere forecast of snow (which is always 50-50 at best!) schools close, government closes, churches close - people freak out! Snowmageddon! It wasn't always that way. 

I love snow. I'm glad we got some. The March for Life is still on and it will be fun marching in the snow. ;-) Yeah, it'll be cold. Layer up! 

What's on My Mind

Well, I said I was going to try to post more this year . . . but this has been a busy week! Back to my full schedule and then some. Lots of emails, phone calls, video meetings, scheduling, and getting ready to go to a Pastors' Conference next week. (Whenever I have to travel, I have to work double to get things done and ready ahead of time.) So, no blog entries! Until today. Not sure what all to say, but here goes . . . 

We got our Christmas tree and decorations taken down this week. That's always sad. but time to move on.

We still have lots of Christmas cookies and sweets, so still eating too many of those! But I have such a large sweet tooth!

I realized the other day that it's not the big things that I have trouble with in my schedule and that make me busy - it's all the little things. Some days and weeks is death by a thousand cuts.

Amazon delivery has really slipped. Not too long ago, their two day delivery promise meant two day delivery. Not any more. Now, two day delivery is the exception, not the rule. So, I ordered new toner for our church printer, promised delivery: Thursday. Plenty of time to get the bulletin printed. But then Thursday, an email: delivery delay until Saturday. Okaaaay. Saturday morning comes . . . Saturday afternoon . . . no notification that my order is out for delivery. So off to Staples to buy the toner so we actually have bulletins for church. Not until Saturday night do I get the notification: delivery delay until next week. Good call on my part! But sheesh. During Covid, okay, I get it. But now. C'mon Amazon! Gotta do better.

The weather forecasters haven't fared much better. Earlier this week my daughter was excited: snow forecast for next week! Yay! But the next day the forecast changed - no snow. Then the day after that the snow was back. Really? C'mon.

Looking forward to my Pastors' Conference next week. We have so many vacancies right now our number will be down, but it will still be good to be with the brothers. But I hope some of our churches get pastors soon!

Snow? NOT!

I like snow. A winter without snow is like a day without sunshine. We haven't had much snow (actually, hardly ANY!) the past two winters. So early this week, when the reports were coming out that a storm was coming . . . I thought: great!

But alas, once again I am disappointed. Another false alarm. Another incorrect forecast. It's going to be a dud. Maybe some flurries a bit this morning, probably not sticking, or if they do, melting quickly. The rest of the day will be a cold, nasty rain.  ;-(

Digital Church

I was reading an journal article about technology and the church and came across this quote:

Through digital devices, the internet, and social media, "we continue to go to confession. We expose ourselves voluntarily, yet we're no longer asking for forgiveness, but rather for attention." And, it should be added, asking for acceptance and affirmation.  

Because if something is accepted and affirmed, it can't be wrong . . . right?

A New Post! Whaaaaat?

Yes, your eyes are not deceiving you. A new post!

2023 turned out to be quite the busy year for me. My daughter added up the number of trips I took and turns out I was away some part of about half the weeks of the year! I hope this year isn't quite so bad. I also hope to revive this blog (and others) and post a bit more often.

So, in that spirit . . .

I just finished a book: Western Society and the Church in the Middle Ages by R.W. Southern. I know, I know, not your typical reading material. But I like history and the history of the church in the Middle Ages leading up to Luther is important to understand what happened in the time of the Reformation. So I saw this book in a used book store and my daughter bought it for me for my birthday.

It was an interesting read, and reminded me just how complex a time the Middle Ages were. Three items that stood out for me (that may also be of interest to you!):

#1 - I have often heard it said that clerical garb was copied (perhaps that is too strong a word) or adopted from what secular rulers wore. But this book suggested exactly the opposite! Here's a quote: "Human government was especially subject to the curse of meaningless flux. It combined two of the chief features of the transitoriness of worldly things: violence and impotence. It was therefore especially necessary that the ruler should seek a supernatural sanction to mark him off from other men and give him a divine right to rule as the Vicar of Christ. Men had no confidence in mere policy or in the human machinery of government . . . At their anointing and on ceremonial occasions they wore vestments essentially ecclesiastical; they were anointed with holy oil used in the consecration of bishops . . ." So the secular rulers took their vestments from the ecclesiastical. How 'bout that?

#2 - This flows from item #1 . . . did you catch it? The secular ruler having "a divine right to rule as the Vicar of Christ"! Now, as Lutherans, God using and ruling both the kingdoms of the world and the kingdom of the church is familiar to us. But the use of that title is interesting. This book explained how the pope, at the beginning of the Middle Ages, did not call or consider himself the Vicar of Christ, but the Vicar of St. Peter. He took his authority from following and standing in the stead of the great Apostle. Only later did that change to Vicar of Christ. Again, how 'bout that?

#3 - Relics. "All kings had relics in their crowns and around their necks. In the relic collections of the king lay the safety of the kingdom." This jumped out to me as I thought about Frederick the Wise, who protected Luther from the Pope and Emperor. He had one of the largest relic collections ever and was very proud of it. Yet eventually he gave it up. This, I always thought, was a purely theological thing. But with this, according to the beliefs at that time, Frederick would also have been giving up the safety of his kingdom! That makes what he did of an even greater magnitude.

So all-in-all, I learned a lot from this book. It reminded me (as I said before) of the complexities of that time in history, and also refreshed my memory of the development of the religious orders (the Benedictines, Dominicans, Augustinians, Franciscans, and Cistercians). It's not really light reading and you have to like history, but if you do, might be a good book for you.  :-)