Octoberfest

Happy Friday!  It is a beautiful cool breezy fall day here, and not only is it Friday; it is also Octoberfest here at the seminary.  I am super excited for good Schlafly's keg beer, brats, and of course wonderful fellowship.  I have had a pretty good week all in all.  Wednesday I had Historical Theology and Pastoral Ministry.  In History we talked about Aquinas, who is of course a major early church writer.  However, what I got from the reading and what we talked about in class were two completely different things.  This meant that my paper I was about to turn in from the readings was completely wrong.  So I kindly asked for the professor's mercy, and he gave it to me.  He let me rewrite the paper so I didn't fail it.  I was very happy that one I didn't fail, and two that I got to go back and look through the text again with the right view in mind.  Then Pastoral Ministry was all about how a Pastor gambles on making decisions.  

Wednesday afternoon our group went to the Sherbrook Village nursing home as always.  Hunter, the one guy in our group, was having a terrible day and did not want to go.  To tell you the truth I actually thought about not going too.  However, we both went and we were both extremely glad we did.  He went back and talked to a guy he had already visited once, and it made his entire day better and all the bad stuff seem not so bad.  I went back and visited with Carl again.  I was so glad I went, because praise the Lord he gets to go home tomorrow.  I would have been very upset with myself if I had missed the chance to get to talk more in depth with him.  We talked a full hour and then some.  I could have sat there and talked with him (well actually I just mostly listened) for another three hours had I been able to.  He is such an awesome man, and I am so glad the Lord blessed my getting to know him.  He started out with his excitement about getting to go home, but then followed with his concerns about not falling again.  After this we started talking about his family and then he spent the rest of our time talking about his childhood, his brothers, his father, and so forth.  He is third out of thirteen. He listed all six boys by name in order, (which when he got to the third and listed Carl, he said, "That's me."  Made me chuckle) but then after listing all six boys by name, he said, "And I can't remember how many girls."  I take it he wasn't nearly as close to his sisters as he was with his brothers.  He told me his praises of the type of woman his mother was.  He told me all about his father.  He was a smart guy and an entrepreneur.  He was always coming up with new ways trying to make money and better himself.  However, he was greedy, a heavy drinker, and a big fighter.  Carl told me about how his neighbors would be talking to him, and all of a sudden his dad would be wanting to fist fight.  It was interesting because I think Carl had a lot of respect for his father, but certainly did not approve of his drinking and fighting.  He did tell me one story that I still laugh about, and the way he told it was priceless.  Carl told me he had done something that he got in trouble for and his mother said, "Wait until your father gets home."  So Carl told me he ran to the barn and climbed to the very top were the chickens roosted. When his father got home, he came in the barn and yelled, "Is anyone in here?"  

Carl told me, "I said, 'Nobody's up here but us chickens."  He stopped to just let a genuine rumble of laughter chuckle out and he slapped his knee almost in tears when he said, "How stupid could I be, what a dummy I was."  He continued to tell me he heard his dad coming up the ladder so he went down the back way and took off running through the fields.  He said his father never did catch him.  We both laughed for quite awhile. Carl would also during our talk, stop and say, “Aren’t you suppose to do the talking?”  I would tell him I was enjoying his stories and then he would also stop and say, “Am I boring you yet?”

It was such a great talk, and he told me that he could tell I was going to make a good pastor because I honestly believe my faith instead of just talking about it.  He also told me he considered me a friend, which made my day.  As I had to go I told him I was glad to meet him and wish the Lord’s blessings for him as he heads home.  I asked to close in prayer.  He told me he would love that so I did.  However, the cool part was as soon as I said amen, without waiting a second he started to pray.  I wish I could remember exactly how he said it, but he finished by saying something to the effect of, “Amen. Praise the Lord. Amen.”  I can’t remember exactly how he said the middle part but it was definitely an emphatic Amen!  I know he believes deep down in his heart, and I was glad to see my friend Ben and I could help him remember that faith.  I am going to miss him as we go back and he is not there; however, I know he is at home wife his wife where he belongs.

Rev. Roger told me that Celeste, the lady I had visited with for a very short while the week before, had told him at Bible study how much she greatly appreciated me talking to her.  I guess he said I must have really made an impression on her, because she is not the type to normally say anything about how something made her feel.  I was touched to hear this, because I hadn’t thought much about our visit since it was so short.  I guess a quick chat with a prayer can have just as much effect as a long conversation.   

Then Wednesday night, after work, I went to a lecture held by Dr. Beirmann.  It is a four week, two hours every Wednesday night, lecture about politics and Lutheranism.  Basically he is diving into the details of the two realms.  It was super fascinating, and it gave the four of us guys who went a lot to discuss and talk about after the lecture.  I plan to go to the rest of the Wednesday nights and hear the rest of what he has to say. 

Thursday was also a great day.  I went to all four classes, and the only downfall was that we didn’t get our Greek tests back.  Monday, however, we will get to see how we did.  I think I did pretty well, but will wait for the official results.  Last night I watched more baseball, and just hung out with the guys. 

Today is going to be an exciting day.  One of my friends from Seward, who is from St Louis, is home for fall break.  So she and I plan to hang out this afternoon.  Then tonight I work for a little bit and then Octoberfest. 

My thought for the day comes from Carl.  As he was sitting in his wheelchair talking to me, he was in such a better mood from the last time I talked to him.  The last time I had talked to him I believe he thought he was in the nursing home for good.  This week he had gotten the news that he was heading home.  He was in a better mood, his spirit was higher, and he was more willing to just openly talk.  This is a reminder of our faith.  Sometimes we forget that we are children of God.  We start to believe that this life on earth is the only thing that matters.  We get swamped with things to do, places to be, and concerns and worries fill the back of our mind.  We feel like we are stuck here.  Just like Carl thought he was stuck in that nursing home for the rest of his days, we start to think we are stuck in this life and then that’s it.  However, Carl got the good news that he would be going home.  This is the reminder we all need when we begin to feel trapped in this earthly life.  We need to hear the good news that even though we are here in this life, we are only here a short while before we get to go home.  Only difference is, instead of home being a house in St Louis, our home is Heaven.  We are children of God, we have been claimed by Him, and He placed His name on us in our baptism.  We live this live to the best of our ability, always praising and worshipping Him.  Then after this life is over, we are not stuck or trapped, but called home to Him.  Then we can recline at His table and eat in His presence while singing and praising His holy name.  All praise be to Him!

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you so much for the people we meet here on this earth that remind us that we are all Your children.  I thank you especially for the chance to meet and talk with Carl.  Please be with him Lord as he goes home to be with his wife.  Help them both to be happy, healthy, and strong in their faith and love for You.  Please be with all of us as we hear Your good news, and remember that Your name has been placed on us.  We are not stuck in this world because You are with us, and You will one day call us all home. We pray this and all other prayers in our heart through the name of Your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.