OK. So I'm at school working on the bibliographies for my comprehensive/candidacy exams, cleaning them up and getting them ready for signatures. So I look up the books in the online, electronic card catalog to make sure all the capitalization is correct. (The professors are sticklers on this kind of stuff!) Well, the title are listed twice for each book. The first entry, every word of the title is capitalized. Always. The second entry, only the first word of the title is capitalized. Always. ARGH! How come they just can't capitalize the title as it is in the book? So, I have to go and physically check all the books that I can to make sure of this. Why do they have to make it so hard? Then, why do they sometimes use ALL CAPITALS for the titles? [Growl] I'll be glad when this is over and I can just read the stuff!
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Home
I am now home from the conference. Got in late last night so I am dragging a bit this morning. Home is good. Comfortable. Back in my environment and routine. It was good to be with my brothers if office. It is also good to be home.
The second half of my presentation went well. The whole thing was kind of rough since I had little time to prepare, but overall we had good discussion. Now I need to catch up on things put off for being away. Our Good Shepherd seminar is coming up fast. If you read this and are in the area, come! There is still room.
The second half of my presentation went well. The whole thing was kind of rough since I had little time to prepare, but overall we had good discussion. Now I need to catch up on things put off for being away. Our Good Shepherd seminar is coming up fast. If you read this and are in the area, come! There is still room.
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Day Two of Conference
Day two of my conference in the books. It was a good day. We met only in the morning and had the afternoon off. There were some fun things planned, but I came back to the hotel and worked on French. Had a good dinner followed by Evening Prayer and good fellowship time afterward.
Today is the final half day. I will be leading a discussion on Private Absolution again this morning and am interested to see where the brothers want to take the discussion. If they don't, I'll talk about a recent book that is pushing for the return of "conditional absolution." I don't agree with him, but sympathize with where he coming from and why he has taken this direction. One question that arises from his book is: How normative is history? Just because our Lutheran forebears did something, does that make it "Lutheran?" Even more important, does that make it good?
After lunch, I drive back to Philly to have dinner with my Dad before heading home. Hopefully the drive will be easy. I've enjoyed my time here with the brothers, but it will be good to get home.
Today is the final half day. I will be leading a discussion on Private Absolution again this morning and am interested to see where the brothers want to take the discussion. If they don't, I'll talk about a recent book that is pushing for the return of "conditional absolution." I don't agree with him, but sympathize with where he coming from and why he has taken this direction. One question that arises from his book is: How normative is history? Just because our Lutheran forebears did something, does that make it "Lutheran?" Even more important, does that make it good?
After lunch, I drive back to Philly to have dinner with my Dad before heading home. Hopefully the drive will be easy. I've enjoyed my time here with the brothers, but it will be good to get home.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Father, fathers, and more
Well, I'm in northern Pennsylvania attending my circuit pastoral conference. I'm glad to be here. I've haven't been able to come much the past number of years due to my school class schedule. But now that I've completed my classwork, I can adjust a bit and start attending. It is good to be back with the brothers again. (They are the "fathers" in my title. There are some 12 of us here. A couple couldn't make it.) I led a discussion yesterday on "Luther and the Sacramentality of Absolution." It went well. Lots of good thoughts. Tomorrow I'll be up again and we'll talk about the more practical and pastoral issues dealing with private absolution. My only complaint is the driving. The traffic jam yesterday trying to get up here was terrific - and to add insult to injury, there was absolutely NO work being done in the lane closed in the "work area!" Then, after our time together yesterday it was a rather long drive to the hotel - which is closer to the church we'll be at today, but I was kinda tired last night.
The "father" in the title above is my father, who I spent Sunday night with on my way to the conference. He is becoming much more forgetful and lacking ambition. So I think we'll have to step up efforts to move him closer and give him more help and oversight. So sounds like it will be a busy time coming up and a busy summer doing that.
What's the "more?" Well, all the stuff that's been happening since I last posted, which has been some two weeks. Lots happening, just haven't been motivated to write and post.
+ I'm moving forward on my comprehensive exam bibliographies. I have one completed and ready for signature, one almost done, and one still in progress. Hopefully soon. Then I just have to read it all and be ready for my exams in the fall!
+ The Walk-Run-Ride for Life on Saturday was, well, interesting. Why? Well, the ride itself went fine. But getting there . . . I left my house keys on the roof of the car. On the drive there, I heard something hit the side of the car, but it didn't enter my mind what it was until we were farther done the road. So, since they fell off close to home, I called my wife and had her go out and look for them so I wouldn't have to backtrack and be late. Thankfully, she found them. A little bent, but still in tact!
Well, that's must be it for now. Time to shower and get ready for the day.
The "father" in the title above is my father, who I spent Sunday night with on my way to the conference. He is becoming much more forgetful and lacking ambition. So I think we'll have to step up efforts to move him closer and give him more help and oversight. So sounds like it will be a busy time coming up and a busy summer doing that.
What's the "more?" Well, all the stuff that's been happening since I last posted, which has been some two weeks. Lots happening, just haven't been motivated to write and post.
+ I'm moving forward on my comprehensive exam bibliographies. I have one completed and ready for signature, one almost done, and one still in progress. Hopefully soon. Then I just have to read it all and be ready for my exams in the fall!
+ The Walk-Run-Ride for Life on Saturday was, well, interesting. Why? Well, the ride itself went fine. But getting there . . . I left my house keys on the roof of the car. On the drive there, I heard something hit the side of the car, but it didn't enter my mind what it was until we were farther done the road. So, since they fell off close to home, I called my wife and had her go out and look for them so I wouldn't have to backtrack and be late. Thankfully, she found them. A little bent, but still in tact!
Well, that's must be it for now. Time to shower and get ready for the day.
Monday, April 8, 2013
Monday Coffee
More thoughts on a Monday morning . . .
+ Must.remember.to.bring.brain.next.Sunday!
+ Thanks to all who have sponsored me and our team for the Walk-Run-Ride for Life in 2 weeks! If you haven't done so yet, there is still time. Here is the link to my page. As you can see, I've raised all I signed up for. Actually, I've raised the total twice already! But even so, you can sponsor others on our team from my page as well and help them reach their totals! It's for a very good cause.
+ Went to Patrick Henry for Vespers Thursday evening. I really enjoy these times to pray with the students and visit with them. Hopefully more next year!
+ I discovered that land in this area is not as expensive as I once thought. (Not sure about zoning, however.) Could we be able to move forward with getting our own place soon?
+ I've been falling behind on my school work. Lots of church stuff going on. Hopefully beginning today I can do better.
+ I love singing TLH 202! "Welcome, happy morning! Age to age shall say; Hell today is vanquished, Heav'n is won today!"
+ Have a great week.
Monday, April 1, 2013
Easter Monday
Some Easter Monday thoughts . . .
+ The joy of Easter lives on.
+ I have not been impressed with the April Fool's offerings I've seen so far. Too obviously fake.
+ I found an old friend's blog the other day. I think about him often but had lost touch after his great fall. His writings seemed filled with a sadness. Made me sad.
+ I will go back to my tradition today of playing golf the day after Easter. :-) I could not last year because of school - I was in over my head with deadlines and papers. I still have much to do, but not so much this year. A nice day outside in the air is going to be nice.
+ I watched many of the Holy Week services from the Vatican this week. Gives me a break from things. I enjoy the ceremonial and how precisely and respectfully it is all done, but I will never get used to the Pope being treated like a rock star by screaming crowds. Just doesn't sit right with me.
+ Singing Easter hymns and giving the Lord's Body and Blood to a shut-in yesterday with ALS and who has lost almost all muscle function is what our Lord's resurrection is all about!
+ I hate it when I request a book through inter-library loan and I get sent the wrong book!
+ Speaking of books, my Amazon wish list is getting long. Any takers? ;-)
+ Speaking of books, if you haven't read Bill Hecht's "Two Wars We Must Not Lose" you must read it. It is not short, but the amount of information he brings together and synthesizes will change how you look at what is happening in our world today and how you listen to the news. Eye opening.
+ A good wife is a gift from the Lord. Amen!
UPDATE: I now have a greater appreciation for Luke 15:8-10, having just looked for the last hour for my wedding ring. It fell off while I was getting ready to play golf (I thought. At least, that when I noticed). Since I usually notice that pretty quickly, I looked all around the area, but nothing. I began expanding my search, even retracing walking my daughter to the bus stop - twice. Nothing. I search everywhere. Nothing. It's only a ring. But it's more than a ring. I saw my neighbor. He said I looked "pensive." I explained to him, then continued my search. FINALLY, search again (for about the fourth time) around where I thought I lost it, there it was! I don't know why I didn't see it before, but in any case, I am so thankful to have found it. And you know what the first thing I wanted to do was (after thanking God)? Go tell my neighbor! "And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the [ring] I had lost.' Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
+ The joy of Easter lives on.
+ I have not been impressed with the April Fool's offerings I've seen so far. Too obviously fake.
+ I found an old friend's blog the other day. I think about him often but had lost touch after his great fall. His writings seemed filled with a sadness. Made me sad.
+ I will go back to my tradition today of playing golf the day after Easter. :-) I could not last year because of school - I was in over my head with deadlines and papers. I still have much to do, but not so much this year. A nice day outside in the air is going to be nice.
+ I watched many of the Holy Week services from the Vatican this week. Gives me a break from things. I enjoy the ceremonial and how precisely and respectfully it is all done, but I will never get used to the Pope being treated like a rock star by screaming crowds. Just doesn't sit right with me.
+ Singing Easter hymns and giving the Lord's Body and Blood to a shut-in yesterday with ALS and who has lost almost all muscle function is what our Lord's resurrection is all about!
+ I hate it when I request a book through inter-library loan and I get sent the wrong book!
+ Speaking of books, my Amazon wish list is getting long. Any takers? ;-)
+ Speaking of books, if you haven't read Bill Hecht's "Two Wars We Must Not Lose" you must read it. It is not short, but the amount of information he brings together and synthesizes will change how you look at what is happening in our world today and how you listen to the news. Eye opening.
+ A good wife is a gift from the Lord. Amen!
UPDATE: I now have a greater appreciation for Luke 15:8-10, having just looked for the last hour for my wedding ring. It fell off while I was getting ready to play golf (I thought. At least, that when I noticed). Since I usually notice that pretty quickly, I looked all around the area, but nothing. I began expanding my search, even retracing walking my daughter to the bus stop - twice. Nothing. I search everywhere. Nothing. It's only a ring. But it's more than a ring. I saw my neighbor. He said I looked "pensive." I explained to him, then continued my search. FINALLY, search again (for about the fourth time) around where I thought I lost it, there it was! I don't know why I didn't see it before, but in any case, I am so thankful to have found it. And you know what the first thing I wanted to do was (after thanking God)? Go tell my neighbor! "And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the [ring] I had lost.' Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
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