Category Archives: Ministry

Christmas Presents

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We have been literally *SHOWERED* with gifts from the congregation. People have been giving us popcorn, cookies, money (a GOOD thing), ornaments, knick knacks, and candy. There will be much thank-you note writing come December 26th…

Today, we were making dinner after Confirmation ended when there was a knock on the door. One of my confirmands had come back and handed me two gift bags from his family. Inside were two sweatshirts with eagle logos on them: one with the words “Pastor of an LQPV Eagle” and the other with the words “Pastor’s Wife of an LQPV Eagle”. (LQPV is the local junior/senior high school and the Eagles are their mascot.) We’re pretty jazzed because we go to LOTS of games and we hadn’t been able to have any gear made for us because it wasn’t in the budget. Now we’ve got stuff we can wear!

Crazy Busy Life

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I did go to the wedding on Saturday and I shocked my parishioners by dressing up quite a bit. (The comment “Jen… you clean up well!” was uttered frequently. Apparently, me in a dress on Sunday doesn’t even compare?) I wore the dress my sister-in-law gave me for my birthday and I think I’ve found my Christmas dress for this year. (My ordination dress still fits but is loose enough to show my love handles which still need to be melted off.) I skipped the reception (wasn’t going to be able to eat the food and didn’t need the calories) and chilled at home.

I decided to skip the early service on Sunday and hitched a ride to church with some fellow church members. It was nice to be able to attend Sunday school and relax instead of having to be uber-social. After church, I came home, ate lunch, and took a nap until I had to get dressed again to go to an open house for a parishioner (who was turning 80) and then to Church #1 to decorate the church and go caroling afterwards.

Caroling was awesome! There were 10 of us and Jon and I were basically the youngest by far. (Everyone else had kids or grandkids our age.) Jon and a couple of the others sang a Christmas carol in Norwegian as well as one verse of Silent Night pa Norsk. We also sang a verse of “O Little Town of Bethlehem” and “O Come All Ye Faithful” as well as “We Wish You A Merry Christmas”. We went around and sang to some people in the church who were elderly and needed encouragement. One woman started crying and told us it was the best thing that had happened to them that year. After we’d sufficiently sung and frozen our butts off, we headed to someone’s farm for a potluck dinner. I ate waaaaaaaay too much and of course (as this is Minnesota), the food was NOT low-cal, low-fat, or low-carb.

Today, we did errands in Watertown and here in town. Tonight, I let Billy Blanks kick my butt for half an hour while Jon was at a Scout meeting. I just showered (and was pounced on by my gremlin who gets ferocious at the smell of my shower gel) and have that “beaten to a pulp but have an amazing high” feeling. I’m thinking I should be doing a whole lot more taebo or I should find some really good yoga tapes or something…

Worship-Leading

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There was a 50th anniversary celebration at Church #1 today, so I decided (since I’m really migraine-prone thanks to those *&%$ birth control pills) to just hitch a ride to church with someone else and skip it. I got to sleep in until 8:45, have a nice discussion on Old Testament justice in Sunday School, and not have to think about hurrying between churches.

Well… Jon was late, so I told the custodian to ring the bells so we could start the service on time. (He and I had discussed it with several people and they just told me to lead worship and we’d wing it until Jon got there.) I expected him to come in during the first hymn. He didn’t. So… I went up and did the Brief Order for Confession and Forgiveness. Still no Jon. I ended up having to cantor the Kyrie and Gloria (something that I am terrified of doing) as well as leading the Prayer of the Day. Jon arrived during the readings and was greeted by me outside the sanctuary with a HUGE bear hug because I had been afraid he’d had car trouble or something. (He had lost track of time while socializing.)

The rest of worship turned out OK though I was very adrenalinated through the rest of the service. Despite a couple mistakes (leaving out the Apostolic Greeting and reversing the order of the first hymn and the Confession), everything actually went pretty well. My cantoring wasn’t perfect but I did fine and I faced my fear (though it’s probably good that nobody could see my hands or knees which were shaking). Jon took me out for lunch afterwards (since he *DID* owe me hugely) and we ended up eating with our council pres and his family — very fun.

So maybe I’m over my fear of cantoring?

All Saints’ Day

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All Saints’ Day was technically a week ago, but we celebrated it yesterday in church. This was one of our hymns…

Rise, ye children of salvation,
All who cleave to Christ the Head;
Wake, awake, O mighty nation,
Ere the foe on Zion tread;
He draws nigh, and would defy
All the hosts of God most high.

Saints and martyrs long before us
Firmly on this ground have stood;
See their banner waving o’er us,
Conquerors through the Savior’s blood.
Ground we hold, whereon of old,
Fought the faithful and the bold.

Fighting, we shall be victorious
By the blood of Christ our Lord;
On our foreheads, bright and glorious,
Shines the witness of His Word;
Spear and shield on battlefield,
His great Name; we cannot yield.

When His servants stand before Him
Each receiving his reward,
When His saints in light adore Him,
Giving glory to the Lord;
“Victory!” our song shall be
Like the thunder of the sea.
—LBW 182

A Reformation Day Song

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When I was just ein junger Mann I studied canon law;
While Erfurt was a challenge, it was just to please my Pa.
Then came the storm, the lightning struck, I called upon Saint Anne,
I shaved my head, I took my vows, an Augustinian! Oh…

Chorus:
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation
Speak your mind against them and face excommunication!
Nail your theses to the door, let’s start a Reformation!
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation!

When Tetzel came near Wittenberg, St. Peter’s profits soared,
I wrote a little notice for the All Saints’ Bull’tin board:
“You cannot purchase merits, for we’re justified by grace!
Here’s 95 more reasons, Brother Tetzel, in your face!” Oh…

Chorus:
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation
Speak your mind against them and face excommunication!
Nail your theses to the door, let’s start a Reformation!
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation!

They loved my tracts, adored my wit, all were exempleror;
The Pope, however, hauled me up before the Emperor.
“Are these your books? Do you recant?” King Charles did demand,
“I will not change my Diet, Sir, God help me here I stand!” Oh…

Chorus:
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation –
Speak your mind against them and face excommunication!
Nail your theses to the door, let’s start a Reformation!
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation!

Duke Frederick took the Wise approach, responding to my words,
By knighting “George” as hostage in the Kingdom of the Birds.
Use Brother Martin’s model if the languages you seek,
Stay locked inside a castle with your Hebrew and your Greek! Oh…

Chorus:
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation –
Speak your mind against them and face excommunication!
Nail your theses to the door, let’s start a Reformation!
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation!

Let’s raise our steins and Concord Books while gathered in this place,
And spread the word that ‘catholic’ is spelled with lower case;
The Word remains unfettered when the Spirit gets his chance,
So come on, Katy, drop your lute, and join us in our dance! Oh…

Chorus:
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation –
Speak your mind against them and face excommunication!
Nail your theses to the door, let’s start a Reformation!
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation!

(ganked from Old Lutheran.Com)