Howdy. I know I missed another day of writing. However, here is the story. Last night I went to work. Oh yeah I suppose I should probably fill you in in that too. A lot has happened in the last two and a half days. First off, the sad news. One of my fellow class mates withdrew from the seminary Wednesday. He was here over the summer doing classes, and the entire time he was struggling with if he really wanted to be here or not. He finally decided this place wasn't for him at this time in his life. He is a good guy and my prayers go out to him. Also he is an Iowa boy. He was also the guy ahead of me at work, because I was just a fill in guy when they needed me. Well since he left, I got his job, so now two afternoons every week I work general labor. So I worked Wednesday, and actually had to work decently hard cleaning all the wood work in the offices they just remodeled, and then move desks. I worked Tuesday for him because he asked me to, but that was before I knew he was withdrawing. Since I had to work Tuesday I didn't get to play flag football which was a major downer, other than the fact it was really hot that afternoon. However, we did get done with our work early so I got to go watch my team play. I need to switch my work schedule though, or else I am not going to get to play any flag football, which would be very sad. But back to Wednesday, I was tired from work. Then when I got done, I ate supper with the guys in our dorm lounge. After that I went to my room to study, and I could not stay awake to save my life. So I decided to lay down for an hour nap. I was awaken by my friend Aaron knocking on the door. I was in such a deep sleep, when I awoke I thought it was the next morning already. See Aaron comes down most mornings to get some coffee from my coffee pot and then we go to class together since we have the exact same schedule. So when I heard the knock and then his voice I thought it was time for class. It took me awhile to get my wits and realize it was still that night. I was going to do homework after he left, but laid back down which was my mistake. Luckily I had set my alarm for the next morning in time to get up to do my homework before class, because I slept the rest of the night. So the good night sleep was good, and I still got my homework done before class. So that is why I did not write last night.
I also still need to tell you about Tuesday's small Bible study group for chapel. It was good, although out of our fifteen only seven showed up. And three of the seven were faculty and staff, leaving only four students there. However, it was good and we made the most of our time. We covered Matthew 21:23-27. It is where the chief priests question the authority of Jesus. It is a great text, and we had a great Bible Study over it. Maybe this weekend I will add a post of our notes and what we talked about in this text, it's meaning and application. So that was good. Yesterday we had communion for Holy Cross day. Normally our communion is on Thursdays, except for weeks with Holy days. When I went up for communion the choir was singing a hymn a capella and in the original Latin. Plus they were singing it at a very slow tempo. So as I knelt at the Lord's Table, receiving the very Body and Blood of my Lord Jesus Christ, in, with, and under the bread and wine, listening to them sing so sweetly such a beautiful song of praise to the Lord I was receiving....! I was almost in tears. It was amazing, and the whole service was very well done. I really do enjoy our chapel services daily, and as Dr. Burreson always says, this is the one time in our life we have worship available six days a week. All Praise be to Him!
Yesterday's classes were Historical Theology, which the professor didn't even show up for. He had his TA lead us in a class project over critical thinking. And then also Pastoral Ministry which we discussed almost too thoroughly the exact definitions and implications of ministry with a little "m" versus ministry with a capital "M". Not that interesting, especially when one kid asked a hypothetical question and wouldn't let it go after that. However, I feel I still learned some good things about why our church does the things the way it does.
Today's classes were interesting. Lutheran mind was first a refresher on oratio, meditatio, and tentatio followed by further explanation of theology of the cross. Some times in that class, I really have to stop and struggle to wrap my mind around what they are teaching us. However, I have to keep in mind they are trying to push us to the very boundary to see how we react, and if we really believe the very nitty gritty that our Lutheran Synod believes. So it is good for my brain to get out of its comfort zone and do some serious thinking. I like it actually, its challenging but in a fun way. I do have a very unique story from that class today though. I sat next to a second career guy. He was a Lutheran school teacher for thirty some years before finally deciding to come here. He is a great guy, and has always hinted towards his family history being a little different but never goes into details. Well today, when I was talking with him one on one, we actually ended up staying late after class and talking. His family history is just a little different alright! His grandfather was in World War I. He was in a fox hole with some guys from his unit. They just finished saying the Lord's Prayer, and a shell hit their fox hole and killed most of the guys in it. He was spared, but went on to see churches bombed and burnt during the war as well. After the war he denounced God and said one could not exist after what he had seen. He died sadly enough still not accepting there is a god. It goes on, by this guy in my class telling me his mother was a Lutheran in Germany during World War II. His father was an SS soldier for the Nazi party. He said his dad's fellow soldiers used to publicly make fun of him and his wife saying, "Look at the Nazi with a Communist wife!" I never knew this fact, but in order to be an actual member of the SS party, you had to sing an oath denouncing your Christian faith. This guys father was a Catholic, and refused to sign that decree. Because he would not sign against his faith, he could not be an actual member of the official SS Party even though he was an SS soldier. Since he wasn't in the party he could never rise above Private first class. He was never allowed to be even a Corporal let alone an officer. This guy went on to tell me that his father was captured by the Allies, and escaped with some of his SS unit members. When they escaped and where headed back to their own territory, his father realized how terrible the SS actually was and decided it wasn't a good thing to be a part of. Now he didn't finish his story so I don't know if he left the SS or what happened, but he survived, stayed with his Lutheran wife and brought his family over to America eventually. He also made a comment, again no details, on the fact that how his mother and father met was quite unusual. I mean talk about a past! An atheist after WWI, and an SS soldier in WWII, and he ends up graduating from Concordia Seward Nebraska, and is now a first year at St. Louis Concordia Seminary. The Holy Spirit is one heck of a hard worker. An I was blown away that Hitler made his SS party denounce their faith in writing in order to be part of the party... talk about the Devil at obvious work, besides the Holocaust. This guy wants to write a book about his family history, and I strongly encouraged him to because that is a book I would read.
My other classes today included both Hebrew and Greek readings. I realized I retained a lot more of my Greek than my Hebrew from undergrad which surprised me because I always enjoyed Hebrew more. However, I greatly despise Hebrew now, and actually kind of slightly enjoy Greek. Crazy how that happened, but a little bit of it might have to do with the Greek professor being an amazing man with a great sense of humor. My last class was Pastoral Ministry in which we finished our ministry definitions, and moved on to our Missouri Synod history. It is quite the fascinating story, that I had never heard. Not all of it makes our church foundation look that great, but the founding fathers were sinners just like us. It was a pretty interesting little tale, that I might type up into a little short story if I can ask Dr. Utech what references he used for his information. It is something all Missouri Synod Lutherans should know, because it is quite impressive.
I also went to my Institutional Module today for orientation. I am at the Alexian Brothers with Sherbrook Village Nursing home. An institutional module is just more field work but at some place besides a church. The options were like nursing homes, hospitals, jails, and such. I really wanted the jail because jail ministry does interest me. Who needs the Lord more than people who are trapped in a cell of their own sin, and also literally in a cell because of their sins? However, that one wasn't available, so I got the nursing home which I think will be just as good. Now you may already know Alexian Brothers is a Catholic organization of Brothers who serve the sick and dying. They have a pretty cool history going clear back to the Black Plague. I am there with three other guys that I already knew from Seward, so that was good. The chaplain we are working with is a little different guy. I truly think he has the Holy Spirit working in him, and he is a good guy. He is not Lutheran, basically because he is not anything. He was baptized LCMS, converted to Baptism after college to keep his job as musical director at a Baptist Church. Went to Eden Seminary which is sponsored by the United Church of Christ, and was a parish pastor to two Methodist churches. He is now a chaplain to all residents of the nursing home, no matter what religion or denomination they are. He has a little different outlook and philosophy than Lutherans obviously, but did admit he goes to a Lutheran church and the pastor there is probably his closest friend. I am guessing its ELCA Lutheran, but could be wrong there. Again, I do think he has the right intentions for the people he serves, and definitely is passionate about making those people feel as good as he can.
He was telling us how he has such a problem with getting Perish pastors to come visit their parishioners. One lady went four years without communion and cried when she finally was able to join a Lutheran service and receive it. He calls pastors weekly that are close by asking them to stop and visit the residents, but unless they have a specific parishioner there, they don't feel it is their job to. I hope I never get that attitude. I know calls to the hospitalized, shut-ins, and nursing home residents may take quite a bit of time, but it is an important task of the pastors role. I, growing up in an elderly neighborhood and growing up always visiting with the elderly, I love to go visit with senior adults (as Rev. Roger called them). I hope it always stays a priority with me, because I know how lonely they get in those type of places and one visit even every other week can make a world of difference not only with their morale, but definitely with their spiritual health. I think I am going to really enjoy the next eight weeks of going there and spending time with the residents. It will mostly just be one on one time with random residents, and then if they are willing end with a short devotion and prayer. I think I am going to spend the majority of my time just trying to listen to them tell their story. I love learning about people's lives, especially those people who lived in a different time from me. Then I plan to ask if it is ok to end with a scripture reading and prayer. Nothing deep theologically, just let them receive the Word and let it speak for itself. Then prayer because that is always important with me. I hope it is a great experience, and I think it will be. I ask the Lord to let it teach me, and be a growing opportunity in both my education and faith.
One cool thing that happened tonight when a bunch of us guys were sitting around just finishing up our individual suppers in the lounge and a few guys were there studying too. As we were in mid conversation, one guy interrupted and said Dr. Meyer is coming in. Dr. Meyer is our seminary's president and the more I find out about him, the more I realize he is an amazing man. He just casually walked into the lounge, sat down and started chatting with us guys. He asked how we liked our dorms, and school year so far. He said he was out walking with his wife and dog, when his wife noticed us through the window so he came in. He asked if we liked the improvements to the dorm, which we used as an opportunity to slip in the fact that we still don't have cable. We are guessing that will be fixed very soon by the face he made. He then proceeded to pick up the Greek flashcards and go right through them with ease. He was just joking and laughing with us. It's not every school you get to hear your president making P.G. 13 jokes with random guys in the lounge. I thought it was very impressive and what a great example of the message he preaches to us about being friendly and kind to all.
Ok, so I know this is getting long, but it is two days worth. I know I probably still have more to fill you in on, but its getting late and I need to read a little more before I go to bed. So I am going to just wrap up with a quick word of scripture, maybe some study questions for you to ask yourself and ponder upon, and then a prayer. I will also ponder upon my questions and maybe give my own insights to them in tomorrow's post.
Scripture reading is Psalm 103. I'm not going to type it out because I want you to go open your Bible and read it. Even if you don't have a Bible, you are reading this on the internet, so you can go to Biblegateway.com and read it on there. So no excuses.
Questions just to think on or discuss with whoever you do devotions with:
1. Do you see a progression, or shift of movement throughout the Psalm?
2. Other than this being a prayer of thanksgiving, do you see an overall theme here?
3. Verses 8 through 12 would not be true with out what?
4. Who is this verse most comforting to? Are you included in that answer?
5. What life applications can we take from this psalm?
Two prayers by Luther we pray together:
Behold, Lord, here is an empty cast that needs to be filled. My Lord, fill it. I am weak in faith; strengthen me. I am cold in love; warm me and fill me with fire that my love may flow out over my neighbor. I do not have a firm, strong faith; I doubt at times and cannot fully trust God. O Lord, help me; increase my faith and trust for me. In Thee is locked the treasure of all my possessions. I am poor; Thou art rich and art come to have mercy upon the poor. I am a sinner; Thou art righteous. I pour forth a stream of sin; but in Thee are all fullness and righteousness.
O Lord, I am Thy sin; Thou art my righteousness. Therefore I triumph and am secure; for my sin cannot overcome Thy righteousness. nor can Thy righteousness let me be or remain a sinner. Blessed Lord God of mine, my Mercy and my Redeemer, in Thee only do I trust; never let me be ashamed. Amen.
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