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Showing posts from December, 2007

Goin' Back To Getty, Getty

I'll be leaving the land of snow and Dell's with an original Pentium processor running Windows 95 with a dial up modem, and headed back to The LTS. Happy New Year! While the video is bad, all you need is the audio. Edited January 2. I really am planning on going back. One day when there is less than a foot of new snow and high winds. Maybe I'll get there for graduation.

Most Asked Question? ... Survey Says!

While I have been home in the middle of the Mitten State, I have had a chance to talk to a lot of relatives, friends, former co-workers and random people, many who have had questions about my change in career paths. Besides telling them I'm doing it for the wardrobe and the work hours (weekends and holidays ON), I've had to answer a gazillion theological/religious questions. Couldn't THE LTS have given us a pamphlet with the FAQ for rookie seminarians returning home? But the top question(s), start with "What are your classmates like?" After starting to describe them in glowing terms, setting the case for their sainthood, they politely interrupt and ask, "No, what ages are they and where do they come from?" Besides a special corner of the Heavens, I share that most are from Pennsylvania, with some scattered from around the east coast and a few wanderers from Michigan, Minnesota, California & Alaska. Age wise, many pipeliners or neo-pipeliners (c), but

The Shack

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I just finished reading a book I would like to recommend to everyone. It is called The Shack and is written by William P. Young. It is the story of a man whose daughter is abducted and taken to a cabin in the Oregon wilderness. Four years later, the man receives what appears to be an invitation from God, inviting him to the shack for a weekend. I raced through the book in a single setting, because I could not put it down. The 250 pages just flew by. It is very well written, and quite touching and thought provoking. www.theshackbook.com

The sermon that wasn't

The birth of Jesus Christ came about this way: After His mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, it was discovered before they came together that she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit. So her husband Joseph, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly. But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to him in a dream saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you are to name Him Jesus because He will save His people from their sins.” Now all of this took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: “See, the virgin will become pregnant, and give birth to a son, and they will name Him Immanuel,” which is translated ‘God is with us.’” When Joseph got up from sleeping, he did as the Lord’s angel commanded him. He married her, but did not know her intimately until she gave b

Because Nobody Asked For It

Before I head back to Michigan, here are my predictions for all of the college bowl games. I have them listed in confidence order (for the ESPN Bowl Mania contest). So I am most confident in the outcome of the XXXX Sports bowl in Orlando on December 28, and least confident about the Independence Bowl. I'm not listing any corporate titles unless they make a donation. 32 XXXX Sports - Boston College over Michigan State (sorry Sparty) 31 Fiesta - Oklahoma over West Virginia 30 Sun - South Florida over Oregon 29 a pizza company.com - Cincinnati over Southern Mississippi 28 Las Vegas - BYU over UCLA 27 Orange - VaTech over Kansas 26 XXXX Car Care - UConn over Wake Forest 25 Rose - USC over Illinois 24 Humanitarian - Fresno St over Ga Tech 23 XXXX Steakhouse - Tenn over Wisc 22 Music City - Florida State over Kentucky 21 Cotton - Mizzu over Arkansas 20 Holiday - Texas over Az State 19 credit card - Florida over UM (Sorry, Lloyd) 18 Hawaii - Boise State over East Carolina 1

Two Paths In the Woods

Last night, I partook of a celebration of the end of the semester with some of my fellow juniors at THE LTS . During the conversation, some of my pipeliner friends shared with me that some of my second career fellow classmates had made them feel that the calls the pipeliners were responding to were less than the second career people because the second career people had given up SO much in order to follow God's call. The pipeliners were hurt; feeling that people who they respected didn't respect them. Having walked away from a house and a career, I understand what one of my second career friends may have meant. Because in coming to THE LTS , I gave up the life I had been leading. But my pipeliner friends are giving up their entire lives. They are choosing not to buy new cars, not to have wonderful homes full of the latest toys and gadgets. Who's call is more virtueous and who is called more deeply. I am not to say. Nor is anyone else. We are called when God wants us. God doe

And then, there were none

No more papers, tests, quizes, reflections, evaluations, presentations etc. Like a wrestler seeing Hogan "Hulk up," I am done. One semester down, five (plus internship) to go. While I'm back in Michigan (interviewing for the UM football job - but I'd never leave Gettysburg), I'll be internet-challenged, so posts may be infrequent. But Merry Christmas and God Bless Us, Everyone.

You'd Pay Good Money For This Type of Revelation

Today's deep theological insight .... Finals & final papers suck!

Kids Say The Darndest Things

A word of advice for people doing children's sermons during advent. If you are explaining the advent wreath and that it is made from evergreens, expect that one of the little darlings will point out that your evergreen wreath is made out of plastic. It didn't happen to me, but I felt their pain.

High 5ing of the Peace

No post yesterday, because I was out fellowshipping with my fellow students until early this morning. I realized yesterday what I've missed about coaching football. It is the celebration & satisfaction of seeing someone you've worked with doing it right and succeeding. I found that joy here yesterday. In our Intro to Homiletics class (Preaching with training wheels), most of the class gave mini-sermons. (I did mine before Turkey Day, the text is archived here .) I have to let the ELCA churches know, trade for draft picks in the 2011 draft. You WANT to draft preachers from THE LTS in 2011. The Spirit is at work here. And for my Lutheran brothers of the Missouri and Wisconsin persuasions, you guys are missing out on SOOOOOOO much. My new preaching hero used this for the jumping off point on a sermon for "Who do you say that I am?" Every day, I see something out of one my classmates where I just want to give them a high 5. That sense of accomplishment and seeing some

Fill Us With The Light Of Day

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Today was a good day. First, my group's OT presentation went pretty well. I got tie tounged, but I think it went moderately well. I got to share my theory that Aaron Sorkin stole part of the courtroom scene in "A Few Good Men" from the conclusion of the book of Job (You want answers? I want the truth! You can't handle the truth! ) Second, I got the Two for Tuesday special and got two, count 'em, two papers done today. And one isn't even due until next week! Then I come back from the library and find out the Tigers just made a blockbuster trade. Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis from the Marlins for for young left-hander Andrew Miller, outfielder Cameron Maybin, backup catcher Mike Rabelo and pitchers Burke Badenhop, Dallas Trahern and Eulogio De La Cruz. Those are a lot of good prospects, but those are two GREAT players. Now if they can replace Todd "Gasoline" Jones and keep Zumaya from getting hurt.... Since I'm in a joyful mood. L&G, Beet

Oh Yeah, Football

Quick Random Football Notes The BCS should be abolished. The OSU deserves to be in the title game, but making a case for LSU, Oklahoma or USC is very easy. I hate the ESPN whiners saying how tough a playoff would be. I think the sweater vest can use the extra resources at The OSU in a playoff a little better than he did at Youngstown State where he won 3 National Titles in 1AA. If division 3 non-scholarship teams can play a 16 game tournament, so can the megabucks schools. Michigan will be better off for not having Les Miles. Why Brian Kelly is not on any list amazes me. I'd love to see GoBlue call the sweater vest and offer a blank check. The Pats beat the Ravens to stay undefeated. The Ravens whine about "phantom calls." Mugging isn't a phantom crime. Losing your composure isn't a phantom crime. Having an "offensive genius" run an offense that has held back an all-time defense isn't a phantom crime. Billick is the only person in the NFL who need

I'm taking over the blogihood!

First, thanks to the two angels who corrected me that one of my papers is due THIS Wednesday, and not next Wednesday. God protects fools, drunks and little children. HAT TRICK! Copied & Bumped up to the top of the page. Thanks to Law & Gospel, Here I Stand and Lutheran Flavor for playing along and tagging others. And thanks to the others for playing along. And the questions are spreading across the blogiverse. OK, across the Lutheran seminary small corner of the blogihood. If I learned only one thing in Greek, (and that's a real possibility) it is alright to start a sentance with and. και ? Here is Law & Gospel's contribution. She's a good person, even if she likes fruitcake. ; D Here is Here I Stand's offerings. Angel Tree is a GREAT program. If your church isn't involved, get involved. It provides a great ministry to reach out to. Here is Lutheran Flavor's answers. White trees???? Other entries are from: Faith in Community , Art's Strange

The More You Know

Growing up, I remember singing "Create in me a clean heart..." every Sunday morning when the ushers took the golden plates up to the Pastor. While working on an OT presentation, I rediscovered the text comes from Psalm 51:10-12. How much more effective of a point would have been made if they included verses 1-9? Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are justified in your sentence and blameless when you pass judgement. Indeed, I was born guilty, a sinner when my mother conceived me. You desire truth in the inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the