Celebrate Life Conference

So the weekend before going to Higher Things was the National Celebrate Life Conference in DC. This was a gathering of pro-life groups from all over the country to celebrate the 2nd anniversary of the Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade and to encourage one another to continue the work of fighting for life - all life. The LCMS was a sponsor for this conference (the only church body to do so!). I wasn't able to attend the entire conference, but did talk to lots of folks and learned about a lot of organizations doing fantastic work! Like one group that helps folks leaving employment at Planned Parenthood find a job elsewhere, and another that helps women who have received a negative pre-natal diagnosis deal with the decision making and emotions. Seven Weeks Coffee was there, as was Everylife - check them out!

I was privileged to give the Opening Devotion on Saturday morning. Click here to read.

(Photo credit: LCMS photographer Frank Kohn)

Higher Things Days 4 and 5

Sorry it took me so long to post about the final two days! 

For the final day this year, a slightly different schedule. Usually we have Matins, then a plenary session, lunch, packing time, and then the closing Divine Service in the afternoon - which means departure around 3 pm or so. This year, they did away with the final Matins and simply had the final plenary followed by the closing Divine Service and lunch. That meant we pulled out around 1 pm, which made the drive home a LOT easier! It was still a long drive - especially with a ONE HOUR back-up through Chicago! But we made it. :-)  We drove to just outside Youngstown, Ohio on Friday, and then the rest of the way home on Saturday, dropping folks off along the way.

Some pictures from the final day . . .

I didn't have any pictures of my daughter and I posted yet, so here's a picture from breakfast.

Paul Soulek, Cantor extraordinaire! I got to know Paul last year when I worked with him in San Antonio.

Deaconess student Paige and her service dog Mina. Again, I got to know Paige and Mina last year as she served as one of the chapel deaclets.

What would I do different for next year? Well, the 15 person passenger van didn't quite work out as expected. It was very difficult to hear from front to back. Depending on our numbers next year and the cost, it might be better to rent two smaller vans. Also what MIGHT help us next year is that one of the conferences is currently scheduled to be held in Massachusetts! That would be way easier for us to get to - a 7 or 8 hour drive instead of 12-14! Hopefully they will get enough registrations for that conference that they won't have to cancel it.

And the theme next year? All Things New. Conference Hymn #672, Jerusalem the Golden. Should be good!

Higher Things Day 3

Today was our second full day of the conference, which meant Matins, Plenary speaker, Vespers, Breakways, Evening Prayer, Free Time, Compline, and much more! These are full and busy days, but good, as we receive the gifts of God, learn, grow, have fun, and make new friends. Always a few hiccups, but not too many. :-)

Some pictures . . .

Petting Zoo

Pool was a favorite free time activity

I was asked to lead the fireside chat Thursday night - a time to gather around the fire and fire questions at the pastor! That's frightening, but good. :-)  Lots of good questions and conversation.

And, of course, some old (and new!) friends:

Rev. Joe Murphy, classmate at seminary.

Rev. Jonathan Baker, the new campus pastor at Concordia-Wisconsin.

Rev. John Henry, formerly in the SELC District - we miss him!

Rev. Noah Rogness, formerly of Immanuel, Alexandria, now up in Tomah, Wisconsin. He and his family came down for the day. He has some former-members-but-still-Athanasians at his congregation there!

Since I led the fireside chat (all 2.5 hours of it!), I didn't get to go around to all the free time activities this night that were going on. The last night is always lots of fun. So that's kind of a bummer, but I'm glad to help out, and our youth ask really good questions! This conference is for them, anyway. We'll be sad to leave tomorrow, as always. Look for that update!

Higher Things Day 2

Today was an absolutely beautiful day here on the shores of Lake Michigan. After the sun went down it actually got cold last night! Quite a change from our temps back home. 

Conference-wise, two excellent sermons, the plenary speaker, Flame, really held the youth's attention while he spoke and not only told his story of his journey to the church and then later, Lutheranism, but also helped them understand the difference between the denominations and why it matters. There was a panel discussion with lots of good questions asked by the youth. Two breakaway sessions, too - I taught my second one. It went much better this time with one already under my belt. Lots and lots for the youth to do during free time - you can't get bored! Oh, and I've impressed some youth with both my ping pong and pool playing abilities (they forget I was young once!). 

Anyway, some pictures for you . . .

Youth waiting to get INTO church!

A look inside the Chapel of the Resurrection.

Flame presenting to the youth.

Chaplain Brian Hamer - Kantorei and trumpet playing buddy.

Seminarian James Chester - one of my summer vicars last year at Higher Things San Antonio.

Rev. Nathan Neugebauer - a couple of years ago he challenged me to get a picture on the Jackalope at Wall Drug - and I did!

Chaplain Craig Mueller, head of the chaplains for the LCMS.

Rev. Peter Ill, Worship Executive for Higher Things.

Rev. Joel Shaltanis, one of my newer pastor friends.

Rev. Randy Sturzenbecher, President of the Board of Higher Things.

Our group photo for this year!

Higher Things Days 0 and 1

Yes, it's Higher Things week again! We're in Wisconsin at Concordia University, right on Lake Michigan. How is it here? Well, it was hot yesterday! But we're settling in and getting going . . .

Monday was the big travel day, picking everyone up, and then heading west. The drive was mostly uneventful. Just long. We pulled into the Ft. Wayne Seminary around 7 pm. The ever-so-gracious and patient and newly-elected president Jon Bruss gave our group a quick tour before dinner. How great is that! We also saw lots of friends at dinner - the Broaddus, Hoverson, and Hall families, and the Nus children. So we had a full room to eat pizza an unwind after the drive. Sadly, it was such a long day and things were so hectic, I didn't even think to take pictures. UGH!

Sleepy head

Here's a truck were we behind in Chicago . . . Why am I showing you this? Here's why:

Who hangs a baby on the back of their truck?

So Monday morning back on the road early to finish our drive. Had some torrential rain in western Indiana, then a lot of traffic through Chicago (of course, and in the picture above), but got to campus to check in around 12:45. After a couple of hiccups, we got everyone to their rooms and settled in, then over to the chapel for the 2:00 Opening Service. 

The chapel was jam packed! Which is nice to see, except we were on the later side of getting there, so very little seating left. So we didn't get the greatest seats and couldn't all sit together. The service was good, though! As always.

I taught my first breakaway at 7 pm, which was just meh. I can do better. Hopefully I will today on my second go 'round.

For now, a few more pictures until tomorrow, many, as usual, of friends I see and get to catch up with . . .

Pastor John Berg

This is what happens in the foam bubble pit!

Pastor Joel Fritsche, former missionary in the Dominican Republic and now at Concordia, Seminary, St, Louis. We were supposed to be together in the Dominican Republic next week for Higher Things Abroad, but sadly, that had to be cancelled.

Cool Picture

This morning, as we were arriving back at Reagan National and coming up the Potomac, my daughter took this cool picture out the window of the shadow of our airplane in the water. :-)

Guess Who?

So, flew back to Milwaukee yesterday for an orientation/welcome session at Concordia University-Wisconsin with my youngest, and guess who was at the airport with us?

Yup, that's his plane (was he on it?) sitting right behind ours and blocking the way! So, we were a bit late taking off. Not sure it was all his fault or not, but we weren't in a hurry so it was all good.

But that's not the end of the story . . . (well, it is of the Trump story!) When we got to our hotel where we had reserved a room, the hotel wasn't there! I mean, the building was, but it was now owned by a different company. Fortunately they still had our reservation and we got a very nice room (though I found out this morning the bike is the exercise room only half works :-(.

Now it's off to breakfast and the campus. Beautiful day for it here - sunny and high around 70 degrees!