Summer 2006 Newsletter
The end of my first year of Seminary has drawn to a close. To recap, I learned Koine Greek, covered the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, the Augsburg Confession and Apology, the history and practice of the liturgy, Church History from 0-1450 A.D. (with 1450 to current this summer), Homiletics (preaching), pastoral counseling, and an introduction to missions/evangelism. What a mouthful! I barely had time to chew! On top of the coursework, I continue my fieldwork assignment where I serve as liturgist, making a few visitations and have taught sunday morning Bible class including a series on the doctrine of Vocation. One might ask if all this has contributed to my aptitude for pastor. Indeed, all the above activities have that goal in mind and they have helped contribute to my formation as a future pastor (God willing!) Equally valid contribution came from the one-on-one discussion with classmates and professors where challenging questions were asked and the intellect was stretched to its limit. Be assured that the office of the Holy Ministry is a vocation that comes with great blessings but also risk of great peril. Through our study of church history, the history of missions, the reality of pastoral counseling, and even the challenges of Jesus and his disciples in the Gospels, we see time and time again that the office is no cakewalk. It is a vocation of service which cannot be undertaken lightly. The precarious reality is that there is always need for diligent laborers. As shepherd of a flock of Christ’s sheep, the wrong path of the hireling who cares more for himself than the sheep is often too tempting. Over and over again, the seminary life proves that constant study and diligent watchfulness is essential to staying the course. When pastors have exceeded this God-given course they neglect the needs of the flock. We seminarians are being folded in the hot fire and honed to a fine edge. After leaving, is the sword of the Spirit kept sharp, focused, and true or does it grow dull with misuse and neglect? My formation as pastor is one that recognizes that the seminary is not the end but the beginning. It is the start of a great and serious undertaking that scares me beyond belief. I have learned that I must approach this task with humility, resting in of the promise of God’s Spirit to support us. There is much in hindsight I would have done differently. I would have purchased our home earlier, purchased a newer one for lower maintenance, taken the pre-seminary classes via correspondence, lived closer to campus, gotten more involved in campus life, and perhaps adjusted my class load to make the fall semester a bit easier. On the other hand I was able to spend a great deal of time with my family which wasn’t possible in my previous vocation. We have been able to do things that never were possible before like plant a garden, walk to the park on a “work dayâ€, and eat dinner together almost every day. These are blessings I did not expect. I have no regret being here, where I have been placed. The seminary is an incredible experience and has given me the opportunity to be challenged in ways I never have before. Thank you for the continued prayer and financial support! Maggie, the puppy In a fit of complete lack of logic, Anne acquiesced and let me (Chris) get a puppy. Admittedly I have wanted a dog for a long time. She is 8 weeks old, a black Lab / Aussie collie mix. The first week has been a bit of work. We have been cleaning up accidents, teaching her not to chew on everything, keep her from attacking (playing) with the kids, and getting up throughout the night so she can go out. Thankfully she can make it most of the way through the night now. It’s also nice to have a 5:30 a.m. alarm clock! What were we thinking??!?!! Family Update The last time you heard from us (which is admittedly too long!), little Luke had just been born. From the picture below, you can see that our five-month-old has grown significantly. Everyone has adapted to the presence of a new brother, now showering him with all the sibling affection they can muster. Ethan continues to surprise us with the occasional “this says _____†where he sounded out the word on his own. We think this is great since we’ve been delinquent on his reading lessons. Elsie and Gabriel continue to grow. Elsie loves being the princess of the family, always getting extra girl-ish privileges. Gabriel seems to have fallen into his middle boy role and adjusted as best he can. Being our little “bruiserâ€, he just uses his physicality to gain the attention he wants. I just don’t know if Elsie likes being “tackled†though! Anne is helping out with the Seminary wives hospitality committee. They provide meals for parents with newborns and other family emergencies. She also has been attending Stole Sisters where they have a devotion and then learn to make stoles for their husbands. The cost is lower since she makes them herself. Her practice stoles go to foreign missions. Finally, I (Chris) am in summer classes. I’ve already taken three intensive classes of Hebrew, Church History, and Latin. At the moment I am suffering through four hours of Hebrew and Lutheran Church in America. I am glad to have a month off before classes start up in the fall. We’ll take a week for vacation, a week for working on the house, and a week for working on campus. ]]>
