Claimed, gathered and sent

The Spring term at LTSG began today. A few are not yet back from the Jan. term trip to Geneva, Switzerland, but even so, the campus is once again humming with activity. Most of my class came for the 2 week Summer Greek course in August. After Summer Greek, we were divided into 2 sections for the Fall session of Introduction to New Testament Greek. Some of us were in the turtle group while others were in the rabbit group. We were reassured by both profs that in the Spring we would all be together again. That is what happened at 8:30 this morning in our Witness of the Gospels class. We even met in the same room that we'd met in for Summer Greek and some of us sat in the very same seats we were in last August. That seems so very long ago now, yet at the time it seemed Summer Greek would never end. I am grateful for the safe return of most of us who started out together in August (one is still recovering from a car accident, but doing well). G0d has faithfully brought us this far. Thi

A member of Christ Lutheran Church, Rev. Robert W. Koons D. D. penned a hymn whose words are sung to the tune of My Country Tis of Thee or God Bless Our Native Land (ELW 891). It appeared in Friday's Gettysburg Times. This indeed is an appropriate prayer for our new president. God bless our president, Uphold his high intent To rule aright-- Our nation's good pursue, Hope of world peace renew, All humankind to view As in Your sight. Your gracious Spirit pour On him, we now implore-- Give him your aid. Unite us all to stand With helping, serving hand. What You for earth have planned Be here displayed. In the copy given to us at church, each line of the above was explained from a theological perspective by the author. A fellow seminarian thought it was the best hymn we sang yesterday. Lord in your mercy...hear our prayer. flickr pictures

Today we celebrate Peter's confession of Jesus as the "Messiah, the Son of the living God" (Matthew 16:16). I listened as Christ Church's pastor preached an excellent message on the Matthew 16 text. Last semester, in homiletics, I too preached on this text. Rural Lutheran, my teaching parish, was the church I had in mind in this message. Everything we do as Christians is in response to Jesus' question. *** Over the past weeks, I have had the privilege of eating lunch with several of you. Your love for this church is tangible. Everyone is concerned about declining numbers, especially those who grew up here, remembering the once full pews. We are facing many challenges which are echoed in the hymn, “The Church of Christ, in Every Age.” “The church of Christ in ev’ry age beset by change, but Spirit led, must claim and test its heritage and keep on rising from the dead.” Today’s gospel text is set in Caesarea Philippi, a place noted for its worship o