Satan Falling: A Homily for the Feast of St. Michael & All Angels

Luke10:17-20

Feast of St. Michael & All Angels (observed)                        

25 September 2011

St. John’s, Chicago, IL

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

About a week ago, a high school friend of Kristi's received the kind of contact no parent wants to ever get: police telling him that his son was in a terrible car accident.  The teenage boy was driving home and fell asleep at the wheel, and the car ended up wrapped around a tree.  With only what appears to be a broken leg and some bruising, amazingly, he survived!  When you look at the car, you know that he should not have come out of that car alive.  Only by the grace of God, protecting the teen with His holy angels, is that boy still here.

On Leap Day of 2008, another friend was returning from work, driving in the fast lane of the interstate.  Suddenly, the SUV in front of her swerved, to reveal a broken down semi.  There was no time to react, other than braking as much as she could.  Her car was crushed as it impacted with the rear of the trailer.  In the end, there was one inch between her head and the tailgate of the truck.  No earthly reason why she survived.  Simply the Lord's holy angels protecting.

“I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.”  Satan, the old evil foe, the prince of this world, falls down.  That wicked serpent who deceived our mother Eve, who set Israelite hearts to reinvent God in their own image while newly delivered from Pharaoh at the Red Sea – although he is powerful and a strong adversary, he is powerless against the Word of Christ.

Watch yourselves, though.  For often we do not encourage Satan’s fall.  Sometimes we help and aid him.  When you refrain from being sustained in the Divine Service by Gospel and Sacrament, Satan is happy; it helps him up!  When you convince yourself that you “didn’t get anything” out of a service where God’s Word was faithfully preached and His Sacrament administered, you have been tricked by the devil, and rather than help his fall, you help him back up. 

Today we pause and thank God for His holy angels.  He placed an angel at the Garden of Eden when our first parents fell.  They shattered the image of God and plunged us all into the depths of sin, sickness, and death.  So the Lord God placed cherubim at the entrance to Eden, to be sure that humans did not go and eat of the tree of life.  Sounds mean and vindictive, doesn’t it?  Yet that very action was one of love.  In His judgment, the Lord had mercy, to prevent Adam and Eve from finding that fruit and living forever in a fallen, sick, sinful and suffering condition.  He was protecting you, even as you join in the rebellion of your ancestors!

But for all those rebellious times, our compassionate Savior and loving Lord rescues us.  He dishes out His forgiveness and mercy through His means of grace.  And with every helping, Satan fall[s] like lightning from heaven!

You see, to begin with, on the cross Jesus assumed all sin on Himself and paid the price with His innocent and holy sacrifice, once and for all.  The righteousness of Christ – His just perfection and holiness – are given through His precious blood.   He was innocent, yet suffered and endured the miserable death that you and I deserve.  There on that mountain, He paid the price and it stands paid forever!

He purchased your right to enter His Church.  His innocent suffering and death on the cross made it a tree of life.  One that angels do not guard to keep you from it, but a new tree of life to which angels rejoice to encourage you.  And these holy angels rejoice as God gathers repentant sinners to Himself, and crashes in on the devil’s kingdom.

Even now, here in the kingdom, here at St. John’s, every time a pastor’s hand dips in that font and pours a cleansing flood over someone, Christ wins.  And the devil falls down.  Every time the saving work of Jesus Christ is proclaimed, and His forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation are declared to people, every time someone repents and comes and confesses their sin to their pastor and he absolves him, every time someone comes to the Holy Supper of our Lord, and receives the Holy Gift of Christ Himself, Satan fall[s], like lightning from heaven.

But as joyous as it is, to know that Satan is falling, our Lord Christ declares that we are not to spend too much time focusing on that.  No.  He says, “Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”  Jesus says, “Yeah.  It is great! But this is even better: You get to spend eternity in heaven with Me!”  You have been called by the Gospel, enlightened with His Gifts, sanctified and kept in the true faith.  You have been given new birth by Water and the Word, and continue to be nourished by His Gospel and Eucharist.  Through these Gifts, Jesus is preserving you on that list, “written in heaven.” 

So many want to find salvation in other places.  They don’t want to think it is that simple and that particular, that salvation comes through Christ alone, with His work on Mount Calvary and His delivery through His Holy Church.  We even have to be careful as we discuss angels.  If you give too much attention to Gabriel or Michael or Raphael, you end up distracting from Christ.  Do not lose focus.

On this Church festival of Saint Michael & All Angels, it can get easy to lose that focus.  For well over a thousand years, the Holy Church has taken the 29^th of September as a day to give thanks to God for His holy angels who serve and protect us.  In the Lutheran Church, we sometimes transfer this celebration to a Sunday, so more people can participate in the occasion.  We praise the Lord for His legions of spirit warriors who defend us from the evil one, and watch over God’s children.  They do amazing work – miraculous work – that blesses us in our earthly pilgrimage, and for this it is completely appropriate to pause and thank our heavenly Father.  Yet do it with the proper focus.

Jesus, Lord over men and angels, reminds us, “Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”  And until we join Him there, dear friends in Christ, you can join the thrilling celebration of Satan falling like lightning.  We rejoice not simply in his defeat, but knowing that his defeat is Christ’s victory!  Jesus baptizing another.  Jesus preaching His Gospel to another.  Jesus feeding another with His Body and Blood.

Praise God!  Michael and Gabriel, angels, and archangels and all the company of heaven join in this praising.  Celebrate that our gracious God sends them to serve and protect His children and His Church.  But even more, dear friends in Christ, rejoice that [by His suffering and death on Calvary, and the giving of His gifts in the Divine Service that keep you in the faith] your names are written in heaven.  Amen.

Jesus Rises in Your Marriage: The Wedding Homily for Matt and Tiffany Pahnke

Holy Marriage of Matthew and Tiffany Carroll Pahnke

23 June 2012

In the Name of the Father and of the +Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

So here we are, what seemed like endless months, even years, and we are finally here...26 days until the release of Dark Knight Rises.  Ok, maybe that isn't what you have been waiting for so intensely -- at least not the highest priority.

But there has been waiting.  Anticipation.  A looking forward to all that God will do as He brings you together as husband and wife. You already have become such a part of each other's life, that it is difficult for each to think about what it was like without the other.

Perhaps you imagined it for a brief instant when the deputy county clerk told you that the wedding license department was closed until August.  Good thing he was joking.

"It is not good that the man should be alone."  Nor the woman.  The Lord God has made you, and redeemed you, yet you have been incomplete.  There was something missing, or rather, someone.  In terms of faith and salvation, all has been made good in Christ.  But you lacked someone to share that with -- a husband or wife to be united with, in the Lord.

And so, as the Perfect Bridegroom Jesus is joined to His Bride, the Church, so He brings Matt the Bridegroom and joins him to his bride, Tiffany.  Christ was first united with His bride at His cross, and continues to unite with her at His altar.  At this same altar, He joins you.  Matthew is leaving his father and mother to be joined to his wife, before the holy altar of the Lord, where the Word of the Lord is proclaimed, His Body and Blood are fed to His Bride, and you return week after week to receive Him.

And week after week, you are comforted with the message of the Gospel you just heard.  Just as the wedding at Cana was blessed with Jesus' presence, and did not run out of wine, so your wedding and marriage is bless by Jesus' presence, and will never run out of Jesus!

Will you always be the perfect husband or perfect wife?  Will you constantly see your spouse as the greatest gift from God, aside from salvation through Christ?   Sadly, no.  You will find times when you would rather sit and watch Frasier reruns, rather than do what your husband would like to do.  Or when you would like to spend some extra cash on a collectible piece of movie memorabilia, while your wife feels a need to spend on some clothes or household items, or even to save. 

But don't worry.  Fear not.  Your loving Lord does not leave you stuck in your selfishness or doomed in disunity.  Our Savior has brought you together, and united you in faith, and now is uniting you in heart, body, and mind.  He pours out His mercy, forgiveness, and love, and leads you to do the same.  And a Christian marriage will always thrive as the husband and wife, children of God, receive and give that mercy, forgiveness, and love.

You already know the strength of your marriage before it has officially begun.  Your relationship is not just about each of you as individuals.  Believe it or not, your marriage is not even about you as a couple.  It is about husband, wife, and Jesus Christ. 

The Lord Jesus is the third (and most important) One in this relationship.  He is the true and perfect Hero who is risen.  He has rescued you from the devil, the world, and your sinful self, and keeps bringing you back to this altar to receive that mercy, forgiveness, and love from Him through His Gospel and Sacraments.  He brings you to this very altar rail, where you will never run out of Jesus, and where He feeds you forgiveness, life, and salvation, at His wedding feast of love.  And that is the foundation of your ideal marriage in the Lord.  Amen.

Leaping for Life

Leap Day is not just simply a time to thank God for an extra day. For those who know the Oberdieck family, it is a time to thank God for EVERY day. A day to remember that every day is a precious gift from the Lord of Life.

Four years ago this afternoon, the Lord sent His holy angels to stop the car that Emma Oberdieck was driving, at precisely the inch necessary. She was driving in the "fast lane" of I-64, returning to Lanesville, IN from her work in Louisville, KY. The SUV in front of her swerved suddenly, revealing a broken down semi, stopped in that "fast lane." With no time to react, Emma's vehicle crashed into the tailgate of the semi.

One inch more would have meant that her earthly life was over, and she would have gone to the Lord that day. (And while it would have been joyful for her, it would have been tragic to her husband, her three sons, family, and all of us at that time at St. John's Lutheran in Lanesville.)

As it turned out, bruising, a broken knee, some shattered glass in her scalp, and multiple fractures in her wrist were the worst of the physical results. (Oh, and her new coat from Christmas that had to be cut to get her out of the crushed car.)

We are so thankful for the protection of God's holy angels, thankful for the gift of life, and thankful for our friend, Emma. Happy Leap Day, Emma!

Castle on a Cloud

Sometimes friends never say how much they appreciate each other, and lose touch over the years.

Thank you, friend, for sharpening our appreciation of sarcastic wit.

Thank you, friend, for introducing me to Les Miserables and Phantom.

Thank you, friend, for expanding my already-present love of libraries.

Thank you, friend, for letting us vicariously vacation in Disney more often than our budget would allow real trips!

Thank you, friend, for continuing to bear witness to the Newborn King who has come to save us!

Our hearts are heavy for ourselves and your family, yet we rejoice that you are with the Lord even now, in the ULTIMATE "Castle on a Cloud," in an eternal celebration of Christmas and Easter! Merry Christmas, Friend!

Put

We've been here for two weeks, and so much has happened! We moved on the 30th of July, and our moving truck pulled up the next morning to unload. After a week, Kristi and her mom had it looking like we've lived here forever. Pictures are hung, as well as curtains. Things not only out of their boxes, but in their places. The main floor is great, and ready for visitors. :-)


The sofa did not fit down the stairs for our basement family room. The overstuffed back and arms, with the deep dimensions, just would not get through the threshold. Other than that, it looks great. We'll just need to get a newer, smaller sofa.

There have been several hospital calls already, including two surgeries. The vacancy pastor had atypical pneumonia, and it ended up that I preached the morning before I was installed! (He is doing OK.) There were also THREE baptisms lined up for that morning. So what a day! It was great!

The installation was scheduled for 6 PM. Originally I wasn't wanting such a late time, but it was good. The day was VERY hot, and it would have been much worse earlier in the afternoon.

Pastor George Borghardt, a good friend of mine and the Higher Things executive for Conferences flew into O'Hare to preach. He preached in Conroe, TX (suburban Houston) that morning and had planned just enough time to make it. Of course, his plane was delayed by almost a half hour. I got a little nervous as he Twittered this update!

But the Lord was gracious, and got him here in plenty of time. And what a blessing indeed! You can read or hear his sermon here. I thank God for the words he gave Pastor Borghardt -- it was a great homily! It's making its rounds on the web too. Pr. Borghardt has it on his Facebook page and his blog, Weedon has linked it on his blog too. Who knows where else it is by now. The word "Gospelly" will no doubt be added to next year's edition of the Oxford Dictionary of the English Language.

Several friends from college and from Mt. Greenwood Lutheran (my first parish on the south side of Chicago) were here to celebrate with us. Pastor Allan Buss (1st VP of the Northern Illinois District) and his wife Marie (family friends) came too. Also, several friends from Higher Things came. Jon Kohlmeier, Stan Lemon, Pastor Borghardt and I took the classic HT "Two thimbs up" pose after the Divine Service.

The people of St. John's have been very warm and welcoming! They are excited to have a new shepherd. And we are excited to join them in serving the Lord here.

It is my pleasure to be "put" here by God to dish out His forgiveness. "You can't get any more gospelly than that."

Jesus Sends

This morning I made the following announcement to the faithful gathered at Saint John's Lutheran Church in Lanesville.

A little over ten years ago, we were faced with a similar situation and decision: to remain with many loved ones and a Call that was filled with the familiar, or to say, "Here am I; send me, send me!"

Today, after three weeks of much prayer and consideration, I have come to the conclusion that the Lord can currently make the best use of the talents and abilities He has given my family and me in the context of St. John's Lutheran Church & School in Chicago.

I thank the Lord of the Church for the four years of blessings and fellowship at Mt. Greenwood Lutheran Church in Chicago, and then the ten years of blessings and fellowship here.

We ask for your continued prayers, especially in these last few weeks here, for my family and for the two Saint John's, that Christ Jesus would continue to bless us with the healing, forgiving, and sustaining Gifts of His Gospel and Sacraments -- Gifts He will always deliver to His Church through the pastors He sends out in the footsteps of the Twelve.

Let Us Pray

I have received a Divine Call to serve as Pastor for Saint John's Lutheran Church & School in Chicago, Illinois. Saint John's is on the north side, near the intersection of Cicero Ave. & Montrose Ave. There are over 1,000 baptized members, with 250 regular attendees.

There is much to ponder in the coming days, trying to see where God can use my gifts best, and where He would have me serve in my vocations as pastor, husband and father.

We ask you to join us in prayer, for the building of His kingdom and the giving of His Gifts.

Wordless Wednesday: "USO Night"

Br'yn

Last month, we drove to Terre Haute for the day to celebrate with Brooklyn. She was Ben's first babysitter, and became very dear to our family. When he was first talking, he called her "Br'yn," which later developed into "Brook'n."

Brooklyn just graduated from Indiana State with a degree in business, and is busy planning her wedding for next spring. What a joy it is to "adopt" people like Brooklyn into your family, and also be "adopted" into theirs!

A Grand Tea

As you might have caught in the previous post, I have been looking through some pictures in my computer tonight. Here are a few from five years ago, combining two of our favorite things: tea and Walt Disney World.


In 2004 we organized a group from St. John's and went on a bus trip to Disney. It was an incredibly fun week!



One of the things we try to do on each trip to the "Happiest Place on Earth" is to take tea at the Garden View Lounge at the Grand Floridian. This tradition began on our honeymoon, when we were able to simply walk up and be seated. (Normally, one must make reservations far in advance. We did not make them far enough in advance for our December 2008 trip, and were saddened to miss out on a "Christmas" tea.


On this trip in 2004, Ruth and Davie joined us. This was also the first time that Ben experienced tea at the Grand (although he had gone with us to the Drake and the Ritz in Chicago.)


Tea at the Grand is delightful! We had the traditional courses of savories, scones, and sweets. Also a delight is that it is all served on Royal Albert china -- the Old Country Roses pattern, which is our china pattern.


As at the hotels in Chicago, Ben had hot chocolate in his tea cup, and peanut butter & jelly sandwiches. That made him happy.


Of course, as delightful as it is at the Grand, and as amazing as afternoon tea at the Drake Hotel is, I have to say that a Kristi Heinz tea still tops them all!

Easter Cemetery Sunrise Service

The following is a poem by Chad Bird, M.Div., S.T.M.
Chad is a gifted poet and hymnist.



Ten acres of frigid rural soil
Thickly frosted in Easter’s pre-dawn Subterranean saints,
quilted in earth Smile warmly at the band of believers
Huddled above to catcall verses of victory
Into the mocking mien of chiseled stones
The rocky trophies of mortality’s coup
North, south, west, and east of Eden

Wizened hags, pimpled teens, snotty-nosed kids
All dust to dust, prey of the funereal broom
Swept beneath this rug of grass and weeds
Most forgotten by man, yet all remembered
By Him whose lungs breathed mud into man
Each fruit of a womb, the apple of His eye
Each soul, a priceless pearl, purchased
With crimson coinage minted in divinity’s veins

These wooden suitcases of rotting raiment
Sepulchered beneath the worshipers’ feet
Travel on, transported by time not space
From the hour of death to the day of judgment
Ever ready to spill their contents upward
No longer as bags of bones and soiled flesh
But resculptured clay pulsating with life
Lazaruses wiping graveyard dust from their feet

Like champagne corks, grave-stones shall pop
As unbottled bodies after long fermentation
Bubble upward with fresh blood and skin
Ready for their vintage soul waiting above
And joined by that ragtag band of believers
Who awoke early to go to the place of sleepers
Defying death and mocking mortality
Early one Easter morn.

ChipIn

CJ got to go home last night. You can check out CJ's Blog to get the latest. You may notice that there is a widget on the side to "Chip In" if you are able to donate toward his medical bills.

Note also that you can copy that widget or follow the link and get your own variation on it for your Facebook, blog, MySpace, etc.

We are in this Lenten season, being reminded of almsgiving as we are able. This is just another opportunity to reflect the love of our Savior.

CJ's Blog

One of the toughest things any family can face is to have a sick child. Flu, strep throat, and ear infections are bad enough, but when it's something as serious as leukemia, it can be frightening and overwhelming.

CJ, one of our four-year-olds from Saint John's has recently been diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL.) The good news is that this is the most common and the most treatable form of leukemia in children.

CJ and his family are really doing quite well, all things considered. They have created a Facebook page to keep everyone updated, and now a blog, simply called: CJ's Blog. Feel free to join the Facebook group and/or follow the blog. And most importantly, please remember CJ (and all other cancer & leukemia patients) in your prayers.

Location, Location, Location

We live in a very mobile society. This is an era when many people go away to school and often end up moving to completely oppposite ends of the country. Many thousands of college students don't even bat an eye when their job offers take them to distant locales.

On the other hand are communities such as ours. Lanesville is a town in which many students decide not to leave for college, and look for employment close to home. And yet, you don't even have to be in a small town. I have friends and family members in Peoria that never ventured beyond their hometown for schooling or career opportunities.

Two uncles on my mom's side of the family moved an hour from home. One uncle on my dad's side now lives in Florida. Other than that, everyone else is still there. We are the second furthest from the family. (It took my sister years to forgive us for moving so far away.)

While there have been many joys over the years of being in Chicago and later in southern Indiana, there are also frustrations. Special occasions, holidays, and awards often are not shared because of the distance or other commitments.

In the end, I guess it can often be chalked up to a sacrifice of living in the ministry. Still, it doesn't make it easier when feeling isolated.

Homily for the Funeral of a World War II P.O.W.

Earl Faith was a dear man in our parish who recently suffered from leukemia. Earl was born in 1920, and had served in the Second World War. Not long after boot camp, he was in Northern Africa, on a truck full of ammo. They were ambushed by Germans. Knowing it was too dangerous with the explosive ammo on the truck, the Americans fled to the desert surrounding the road, and dug foxholes. They were found quickly, and taken to a P.O.W. camp that ran a potato farm. Life was harsh there for 2 1/2 years, until the war concluded. What follows is the homily from Earl's funeral.

Isaiah 61:1-3 ESV

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified.

Two and a half years may not seem like a long time to many people, but to a prisoner, it can seem like forever. Young Earl had barely begun his service to our country when his unit was ambushed in Northern Africa and he ended up in a German P.O.W. camp.

No one outside of the veterans who have experienced it can understand the oppression. The loss of liberties can be disheartening and depressing. And they will cling to any good news that makes it to them.

Perhaps it was enduring those prison hardships as a P.O.W. that gave Earl all the more focus on those he loved. An adoring husband and loving father, Earl raised a healthy, happy, and fun-loving family. More importantly, he headed a household in faith.

But the prison of hard labor and poor care on the potato farm was nothing compared to the prison of sin that Earl and every one of us were born into. “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.” That sin we were conceived in was holding us captive. Not one of us could release ourselves. It was not until our dear Lord came and worked His redeeming work that this changed.

When Jesus preached His first sermon in Nazareth, He read and proclaimed another passage from Isaiah that speaks the same themes. As the Messiah, His mission was about release. Releasing the blind from their darkness; releasing the deaf from their silence; releasing people from bondage to sin, death, and the devil.

When Jesus came and was conceived and born, He began our release. As He came to the cross, and suffered and died on that cross, the release was purchased. As He burst from the prison of His tomb, our release was sealed.

Across the years, the release is delivered through the Holy washing of Baptism. The raging flood of the font breaks the bonds, crushes the chains, bursts the gates of brass and causes those iron fetters to yield.

Earl had the joy of release from the German prison, where Red Cross care packages and an occasional bit of food beyond potatoes and black bread had been the only comforts. After two and a half years, our Savior gave him freedom from his earthly enemies.

But far more joyful was the release from sin and death that Jesus gave through His Holy Baptism, His Holy Gospel, Holy Absolution, and His Holy Supper. In these precious Gifts, Earl was frequently reminded that our Savior released him from these enemies of the soul. In these Gifts, we all have joined Earl in experiencing the thrill of release.

Over recent weeks and months, Earl faced yet another captor: leukemia. The gates of brass and iron fetters did not surround him; instead, they ran through his veins. Yet in the pre-dawn hours of Thursday morning, Earl finally was granted a peaceful release. The Lord had mercy and flung wide the doors of paradise. The confines of this suffering world were opened and he was blessed with liberation beyond our imagination.

As you approach this holy season of Christmas, it will be a challenging and hurtful time. But do not despair. As Jesus brings release to you in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar, He is bringing you into communion with Earl. Jesus frees you from sin in the very same sacrament that He gives you a foretaste of heaven, and joins you with Earl in celebrating and welcoming the Coming King. Amazing! With every Eucharist, you rejoice with Earl in the bliss of heaven!

Today, the Third Sunday in Advent, has the Latin name Gaudete. It means, “Rejoice.” And so we are reminded by God to rejoice and join Earl in singing with joy in our hearts, “Hark the glad sound! The Savior comes, the Savior promised long; let every heart prepare a throne and ev’ry voice a song.” “He comes the pris’ners to release, in Satan’s bondage held. The gates of brass before Him burst, the iron fetters yield.”

We live in this world awaiting that rejoicing release as well. We continue to suffer in the prison of this earth, fenced in by sin, threatened by death, and guarded by the devil. But our liberating Lord awaits the day when He will gather us with Earl and all who have departed in the faith. He desires to come and gather us home with Him forever, echoing the same words of love that He has just spoken to Earl: “Well done, thou good and faithful servant; enter into the pleasure of My Father’s kingdom.”

Sevens: A Holy Number MeMe

My dear wife tagged me, after she was tagged by Glenda Mumme. :-) It's a meme with everything in "sevens."

Seven things I did before (a) child(ren):
1. Stayed up until 1 a.m. watching "Star Trek" or "Travels in Europe with Rick Steves."

2. Spent money more loosely on books and hobbies.

3. Took long walks with my wife at our Fairy Godmother's condo.

4. Bought and displayed Department 56 like there was no tomorrow.

5. Spent two weeks (and put over 1,000 miles on a rental car) in Great Britain with sem buddies.

6. Drove only midsize cars, and didn't THINK about a mini-van.

7. Had one too many "Nazis from hell" at Applebee's near the sem.

Seven Things I Do Now
1. Recognize Hannah Montana songs.

2. Drive a mini-van (and LOVE it.)

3. Share my Star Wars toys with my son.

4. Serve as Cubmaster (and soon to cross over with my son into Boy Scouts.)

5. Watch American Idol, Dancing with the Stars, So You Think You Can Dance, and other "reality shows."

6. Take care of my son's pets.

7. Nag my son about a room that is only as messy as mine was at his age.

Seven Things I Would Like to Do
1. Travel around Europe with my family (same as Kristi and Glenda.)

2. Further my education.

3. Retire to Walt Disney World and work at the "Happiest Place on Earth."

4. Be more faithful in praying the Daily Office.

5. Be more faithful in going to the Y.

6. Have more free time as a couple & family.

7. Be wealthy enough to give like crazy to churches and charities.

Seven Things That Attract Me to My Wife:
1. Her faith & witness.

2. Her sparkling eyes.

3. Her laughter & sense of humor.

4. Her desire to give and help others.

5. Her endless creativity!

6. Her love of Christmas.

7. She's my Cinderella!

Seven Favorite Foods
1. Crab legs

2. Coca Cola (do drinks count?)

3. Coconut Shrimp

4. Coconut-Almond Chicken from the Polynesian (which my dear wife amazingly re-created!)

5. Steak, salad & baked potato

6. Cashew Chicken (Chi Tung's is the best!)

7. Key Lime Pie

Seven Things I Say Most Often

1. "In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."

2. "Amen."

3. "We're going to Disney!" (Responding to Kristi's daily question: "Guess what?!"

4. "Love you, Lady. buh bye!" (Quoting an Animaniacs episode.)

5. "You need to tie your shoe!" (To Ben, at least twice daily.)

6. "What do you want to do for dinner?"

7. "Do you need anything else before I go?" (To Kristi, as I head over to the church.)


(Knowing that this is lighter fare than some of these bloggers are wont to write)
Seven People I'm Tagging for this:
1. Tyler Best

2. Jon Kohlmeier

3. Randy Asburry

4. Wil Weedon

5. David Juhl

6. Paul Beisel

7. Rick Stuckwisch

Know Thyself

A new blog has surfaced in Lutheran blogdom. A pastor who has been suffering from depression has started Know Thyself, and it looks fascinating.

Lots of us (Lutheran pastors) deal with the burdens of others as well as our own. Often, it can be overwhelming. This brother in the ministry is sharing his experiences in the hopes of helping others.

While this pastor is remaining anonymous, I can assure you of two things:
1. This is a real pastor.
2. This pastor is not me.

Check out Know Thyself, and pass it on to anyone you know who may be touched by depression.

What if Starbucks Marketed Like a Church?

My friend, Pastor David Juhl, posted this video today. As he states, I would not condone the website or theology of the source, but this film gives us food for thought.

While I dislike the talk of "marketing" a church, there is something to be said for the welcoming attitudes and friendly atmosphere of some parishes, versus the cliques, silent glances, and awkward avoidances of visitors in others. When we know we have the theologically sound, Christ-centered, sacramental liturgy and preaching, how can we be content with many of our congregations' snobbish first impressions? The problem reaches across the country, and beyond. Yes, friends, we can be completely orthodox evangelical catholics -- i.e. solidly Lutheran -- and still be friendly, receiving new members into the fold.

Most pastors know this. It is a matter of lovingly and gently encouraging our parishes to hop on board! In the mean time, take a look at this parable.

Scout Hike

This morning, Ben had his first Scout hike. We went to Wyandotte Woods, in the local state park, for a three-mile hike. It was a fun morning. The first half was pretty much uphill. Then we turned around and returned on the same path. It was a horse riding trail, so we had to watch where we stepped, if you know what I mean!

It was a beautiful October morning for a hike. In the 50's to 60's and sunny. We began hiking at 9 and finished at 11. Not bad for a bunch of ten-year-olds on their first hike!

Wittenberg Trail

If you haven't checked out The Wittenberg Trail in a while, you might want to visit. On the front page, before looking at any one person's "member" pages, there's a slide show of really cool photos from our parishes, pastors & people!


Find more photos like this on The Wittenberg Trail