Sarah's Luau Open House

Sarah's "Luau Open House" this past Saturday was a great success.  The decorations were awesome, the food was delicious, the weather was fabulous, and the turnout was even greater than expected.  A HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who put so much time and energy into preparing for the big bash - especially my parents, who spent many hours helping us get ready.  It truly was a splendid affair and the absolute best graduation party I have ever attended (of course, I'm admittedly biased! :).  Here are a few pics from the occasion (can't wait for others to send me their pics, since I didn't take very many myself - ugh!):

   

Freda Hill + 4/1/21 - 6/22/10 +

Freda was called home by her Lord this morning at 4:09 a.m.  The family received a phone call a few minutes before 4:00 a.m. notifying them that Freda's breathing had become more and more shallow and that she was going quickly.  The family called me shortly after 4:00 a.m. with the news.  None of us were able to make it there before Freda departed this vale of tears, but I think that's exactly how Freda wanted it.  She wanted to go quickly and peacefully and the Lord graciously granted her request.  Nobody thought that she would go as quickly as she did.  I kept my cell next to me last night, just in case, but I was pretty sure that we would have at least another day or two with Freda.  So, I was surprised to hear the cell ring, and even more surprised to get there only to find that she had already fallen asleep in Jesus.  But, as I said in my last post, only the Lord knows these things, and He takes us home in His way and in His time.  I am thrilled for Freda.  What a blessing to go so quickly and peacefully!  I will miss her immensely.  She was one of a kind and always a ton of fun to be around.  But, I know that I shall see her again.  Besides, in true Freda fashion, she said to me last night, "I'll put a good word in for you with the Lord when I see Him."  Yeah, I'm gonna miss her bunches!

+ Freda Hill +

4/1/21 - 6/22/10

Rest eternal, grant her, O Lord, and let light perpetual shine upon her!

Arrangements are as follows:

Thursday:  Visitation at Berry Funeral Home in Shepherd from 3:00-8:00 p.m.

Friday:  Visitation at Peace at 10:00 a.m.; Funeral Service at Peace at 11:00 a.m. (luncheon at Peace to follow Service)

Saturday:  Committal in Newark, Ohio, to be conducted by Pr. Larry Kudart (Freda's former pastor at Trinity Lutheran in Zanesville, OH) 

Saying Goodbye to a Dear Friend

I wasn't expecting the phone call I received from Tina this afternoon.  I just saw Freda last week and she seemed to be recovering well from her latest setback.  Same ole' Freda, fun as ever to sit and chat with, sharp as a tack and quick with the wit.  I wonder how many hours I have spent with her these past five years.  I have always saved visiting her for last when out on the rounds, since I knew I'd be settling in for a lengthy pow-wow.  I could count on hearing her say upon my entering her room, "Oh Lord, look what the cat dragged in.  I thought you only worked on Sundays."  Or something like that.  To which I would respond with something like, "Just dropping by to see if you're still around.  I thought you would have surely kicked the bucket by now."  I know, doesn't sound very pastoral, does it?  But, that's only if you don't know Freda and our history together.  She loves to get her jabs in at me, and loves it even more when I jab her back.  We've grown very close over the years and as much joking as we've done together about her many unsuccessful attempts to exit this world (the running joke is that I've conducted Last Rites on her at least four times - actually, it's only been once, and it wasn't exactly Last Rites, but the Lutheran version - Commendation of the Dying - a few years ago when death was all but certain), I am going to miss her immensely when the Lord does finally take her home, which appears to be very soon now.

She is a dear friend and I love her very much.  I've grown very attached to her.  She is family.  I don't want her to go.  And yet, I know how much she wants to go and I am comforted by the fact that both she and I know where she's going.  She has great faith.  Even now, as she nears the end, that faith is on full display for all to see.  She is not the least bit worried about things.  She is ready.

I am ever so thankful for the countless hours I've had the privilege to spend with Miss Freda these past five years, but especially for the time I got to spend with her this evening.  When I walked in the room, she said, "Well, if he's here, things must be pretty bad."  Typical Freda.  Then, as I knelt by her bed to talk with her, she said, with that smirk on her face I've grown to cherish, "Remember that time when you forgot to give me Communion?"  "Even now," I said, "even now you have to bring that up?"  She laughed.  Then, she grabbed my hand and pulled me close and said, "Pastor, I think it's really time this time.  I'm going home."  And then we had the most serious and profound discussion we've ever had together.  During that conversation, I asked her why she was so sure that this time was for real.  "Because I've never seen an angel in my room before and I know he's the one who will be taking me to heaven."  Then, after a lengthy pause, she said, "I know I'm not crazy.  I've seen that angel three times today."  I told her that I didn't think she was crazy at all and that I believed her.  And, I wasn't lying.  I do believe her.  So, we prayed together, I comforted her with the Gospel, and we talked about the joys of heaven at great length.  Yeah, I'd say that of all the visits I've had with Freda - all of which were immensely enjoyable - this was the best one ever.

I don't know how long Freda has left in this vale of tears.  I spent the whole evening with her tonight (well, last night, now), and while it seems like it won't be long, only the Lord knows for sure.  Freda seems convinced that she will be leaving us tomorrow evening (well, this evening, now).  She said that many times and seems pretty sure of it.  It wouldn't surprise me if she was right.  But, who knows?  Again, only the Lord.  But, what I do know is that she is fully prepared to leave this world for the next.  She is in pain, but that pain is being made bearable, and as hard as it will be to say goodbye to my dear friend, I pray that she will soon be whisked away to where there is no more pain and suffering, but only unknowable comfort and peace.

O Lord, have mercy.

O Christ, have mercy.

O Lord, have mercy.

God the Father in heaven, have mercy on us.

God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.

God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.

Be gracious to us.  Spare us, good Lord.

Be gracious to us.  Help us, good Lord.

From all sin, from all evil, from all suffering, good Lord, deliver us.

By Your incarnation, by Your cross and suffering, by Your death and burial, help us, good Lord.

By Your resurrection and ascension, by the coming of Your Holy Spirit, help us, good Lord.

We poor sinners implore You to hear us, good Lord.

That You deliver Your servant Freda from all evil and from eternal death, we implore You to hear us, good Lord.

That You forgive all her sins, we implore You to hear us, good Lord.

That You give her refreshment and everlasting blessing, we implore You to hear us, good Lord.

That You give her joy and gladness in heaven with Your saints, we implore You to hear us, good Lord.

Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, have mercy on us.

Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, have mercy on us.

Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, grant us Your peace.

O Lord, have mercy.

O Christ, have mercy.

O Lord, have mercy.  

(Litany for the Dying)

 

Excellent thoughts . . .

shared by Pr. Brown over at Confessional Gadfly on the true understanding of outreach.  Go.  Read.  Now!

Some of the projects . . .

we did around the house this past week:

Landscaping under the pool deck my dad and I built last year

Landscaping around the deck on the back of our home (something we've been wanting to do for five years!)

Landscaping the triangular section of our walkway out front

One of the many rose bushes we strategically transplanted around our property

The Tiki Bar my dad built from scratch and we all pitched in decorating for Sarah's "Luau Open House" next weekend

VBS

I was very impressed with our VBS this week.  We used the excellent program from Pax Domini Press titled "Five Words of Understanding."    The program is designed around the Greek word "Ichthus," which means "fish," and is the symbol the early Christians used to identify themselves one to another.  This ordinary word serves as an acronym which points to the One in whom Christians place their faith and trust:

I = Jesus; CH = Christ; TH = God's; U = Son; S = Savior.  

"Jesus Christ, God's Son, Savior"

Each day, the kids learned what each of the words represented by the letters in Ichthus meant, and how they applied to the salvation won for them by Jesus.  If you click on the link provided above, you can see the theme and accompanying Scripture passages for each day.  

We started using resources from Pax Domini Press a couple of years ago and I have been extremely pleased with them.  I also love the philosophy we follow when doing VBS, which is based on what we have learned from Higher Things, namely that we worship when we worship, play when we play, and work when we work, being careful not to inter-mix those things.  Even little children are capable of learning how to distinguish these things.  Our format includes an opening and closing chapel each day, which is reverent and appropriate for gathering together in our Lord's House, a time for a puppet show and fun sing-along, a time for crafts, a time for games outside, a time for instruction, and a time for snacks.  We want the children who come to have a lot of fun, but we also want them to learn about our Christian faith and how we practice that faith in worship, work, and play.  I really enjoy the format and am ever so thankful to all those who volunteered their time this past week to serve during VBS.  It was truly a blessed week!  Here are a few pics:

 Some of the crafts the kids made

Yeah, I made this all by my lonesome!  (Sparty colors, of course!)

Post-puppet show, fun, sing-along

Planting flowers in the children's flower bed on the last day

Lunch on the final day

The best way to eat hot dogs!

Our youngest VBS attendee, Mabel (they don't get much cuter than this, folks!)

Our oldest VBS attendee (and congregational president), Chris (actually, he just showed up for lunch on the last day - things that make you go, "Hmmm." :)

 

A Busy Week

This past week was one of those extra-busy weeks for me.  I've learned in my almost five years of serving as a parish pastor that this is just a plain busy vocation.  The old joke about pastors only working a few hours a week on Sundays stopped being funny a long time ago.  Not that I'm complaining.  I love what I do.  I don't mind the busy-ness that goes hand-in-hand with being a full-time parish pastor.  I really don't.  I actually enjoy it.  What I do find difficult is trying to find an agreeable balance between being faithful to my vocation as a pastor and to my various other vocations as a husband, father, and home maintenance dude.  Often, the busy-ness of being a pastor results in having to miss this or that event in which my children participate and in getting woefully behind around the house (can you hear my wife, Lisa, screaming a hearty "AMEN!" to that?).

Anyway, this past week, I tried to do it all.  We had VBS this week every day from 9am-Noon, after which I grabbed a quick bite to eat and then started tackling the many chores and projects around the house that have piled up on me, while also trying to get my visits in, prepare Services, and write sermons.  A busy week, indeed!  Thank God my parents were here to help around the house.  Nowhere near as much would have been accomplished without them.  We got all the landscaping done that we wanted to get done, got the pool up and running, and got much of the preparations done for the big bash (Sarah's Open House) we'll be having here next weekend.  There is still much to do, but it is much more manageable than it was a week ago, and I'm confident that we'll get everything else done.  As for my pastoral duties, I'm still catching up on those.  Still have visits to make, sermons to finish, the newsletter to get ready, etc.  So, the busy-ness will continue, but such is life.

What I have learned about myself in trying to go full-bore from early morn to late at night is that I am woefully out of shape and my body doesn't agree with physical labor like it used to.  I need to catch me a little Weedon-itis and start making myself exercise daily, 'cause the aches and pains I've experienced this week have been no fun at all.  Man, if only I had more time . . . :)

A Great Politician

Say what you will about LCMS President Rev. Gerald Kieschnick, there is one thing for certain:  He is a great politician.  You gotta give the man his props in this area.  He knows what to say and when and how to say it.  Like all great politicians, he has mastered the art of spin and has the uncanny ability to deflect criticism away from himself and back onto his critics.  Anyone who has paid even a little attention to the way in which Pres. Kieschnick has carried himself these last nine years must admit that he is a political genius.  He has been careful to maintain plausible deniability regarding many controversial happenings under his watch, always managing to keep himself out of the eye of the storm, so to speak.

So it is that in the latest "President's Leadership News" (the fancy, colorful insert included in the Reporter), we see Pres. Kieschnick's political prowess at its best, especially in the section where he answers a few questions regarding the Blue Ribbon Task Force on Synod Structure and Governance, whose proposals have now been drafted into resolutions to be presented and voted upon at the LCMS National Convention next month.  All three of the answers Pres. Kieschnick provides to the three questions in this section are politically captivating, but the third Q and A is simply marvelous.  Just read for yourself:

Q:  I've heard that task force recommendations are really just an effort to concentrate power in the Office of the President of the Synod.  Is that true?

A:  No.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  For five years, task force members have addressed organizational and structural challenges in our Synod - unnecessary bureaucracy, lack of coordination, ambiguous supervisory relationships, inequitable representation, inefficient organization, insufficient accountability, etc.  They have sought and responded to feedback from convention delegates and other leaders.  Approval of the recommendations will streamline the operations of the national Synod and reduce or even eliminate the "silo" effect that currently stymies cross-pollination and necessary coordination of efforts and resources.  

Now, come on, you have to admit it - this is genius!  First of all, note the phrase in the question, "just an effort to concentrate power."  Talk about a softball!  Of course Pres. Kieshnick can adamantly respond with a resounding, "No.  Nothing could be further from the truth."  But, who in the world has ever said that the task force recommendations are "JUST an effort to concentrate power in the Presidential Office"?  To be sure, there have been a great many who have noted that the adoption of the task force proposals would, in fact, result in a further concentration of power in the office of the synodical president.  Heck, even outside consultants with no dog in this fight have noted this.  But, having the question phrased the way it is here allows for Pres. Kieschnick to cleverly avoid having to address the whole centralization of power issue at all.  Brilliant!

But, there is more here than meets the eye.  This is politics at its best, folks.  This question and answer is provided in this specific way by Pres. Kieschnick for a specific purpose, and that purpose is to convince the people in our synod, including the delegates who will be voting on these proposals, to simply ignore any talk about these proposals resulting in further concentration of power in his office.  Rather, they should direct their attention toward the fact that this task force has been working hard for five years in the attempt to address a whole host of issues which currently stymie our structure and governance.  Like a great politician, Pres. Kieschnick manages to completely avoid the heart of the question to which he is responding, which, as noted, is helped along by the phrasing of the question.  Again, brilliant!

Pres. Kieschnick is fully aware of the fact that the real question he should be responding to is:  Will the adoption of the proposals of the task force result in further concentration of power in the office of the president?  Of course, if the question was phrased in that manner, he would have no choice but to answer, "Yes."  I mean, there is no debating the fact that the adoption of the task force's proposals will result in further concentration of power in the office of the president.  That's simply an unquestionable fact.  But, a good politician knows how to avoid unquestionable facts - or, at least, to avoid having to address unquestionable facts.  And, President Kieschnick is a good politician.  This is most certainly true!         

Not So Different

One of the arguments I hear time and time again from those who abandon the historic liturgy and replace it with other forms of worship is that this is necessitated by the fact that we have so many different cultures within the boundaries of our country.  The historic liturgy may be appropriate in some places, but it simply doesn't play well in other places, or so the argument goes.  I don't buy this at all. 

I'm certainly not so naive or uninformed as to think that there are not some cultural differences from region to region here in America.  Surely there are.  But, these differences are not so great as to demand the employment of different forms of worship, as if the historic liturgy would be so utterly foreign and useless in this or that region that it simply must be abandoned.  Ba-lo-ney!  Those who make this argument are simply looking for a way to justify the use of the different forms of worship that they themselves desire.

I witnessed an example of this a couple of summers ago when I was visiting my kinfolk in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia.  I attended the nearest LCMS congregation on the Sunday I was there.  It turned out that this particular congregation (which is one of only three in the whole state of West Virginia) was currently without a pastor.  An LCMS Mission Executive was there that day to lead the Service.  I was thoroughly disappointed with what I witnessed.  I really don't even know how to describe it.  It was a hodge-podge of various liturgical elements, some familiar, others obviously made up, with several contemporary Christian "praise songs" interspersed throughout.  It was wholly informal and dependent upon a theology of worship inconsistent with our Lutheran confession of the faith.  I could have saved the gas I spent to travel the 45 minutes to this congregation and just drove a mile down the hollar to attend Lick Creek Community Church and got the same thing.

The worst part about this experience was that I learned that the decidedly un-Lutheran "style" of worship I suffered through there was completely intentional.  Rather than preaching a Law-Gospel sermon, the Mission Executive's "message" was a power-point presentation, the main purpose of which was to drive home the point that you simply cannot worship like Lutherans in West Virginia.  He repeatedly emphasized the idea that the "old ways" of doing mission and ministry do not work in places like West Virginia, which "has a completely different culture."  One of the lines still firmly entrenched into my memory bank was, "We can't come into West Virginia as Lutherans, but need to first establish ourselves as Christians."  Huh?  What in the world does that even mean?  Was he actually making the argument that Lutherans doing mission and ministry in West Virginia should refrain from being Lutherans?  Yep.  That's exactly the argument he made.  Lutheranism doesn't play in West Virginia.  Lutherans can't preach like Lutherans there.  Lutherans can't worship like Lutherans there.  Lutherans can't teach like Lutherans there.  Lutherans simply can't be Lutherans in West Virginia.  The culture is just too different for such a thing.  Lutherans have to forsake their confession of the faith and pretend to be the kind of Christians West Virginians are used to if they have any hope of being successful there.

I wanted to raise my hand and say, "Gee whiz, maybe we Lutherans should just stay the heck out of West Virginia then!"  I mean, why bother?  If the culture is so vastly different and Lutherans have to forsake their confession of the faith and alter their doctrine and practice to fit in, what's the point?  If we're not going to be bringing Lutheranism into West Virginia, we really shouldn't be doing mission work there.

But, hey, this Mission Executive had a plan.  He had recently spoken at length with the leader of the Southern Baptist Convention, after all, and he was confident that he could sneak Lutheranism into West Virginia.  He would just have to pretend to be a Baptist to do so, that's all.  He was sure that Lutherans in West Virginia would be able to actually be Lutherans someday, but it would take many years (maybe even a few generations) of being Baptists before that would be possible.

I also learned during this presentation that the reason this congregation had not yet issued a call to a pastor was because they were having trouble finding a guy who would be comfortable with the approach that needed to be taken there.  The guys they had already interviewed were just too Lutheran.  They needed a guy who would be willing to forsake Lutheranism and embrace being a Baptist.  It was actually refreshing to my ears to hear that they were having trouble finding a guy like that, although I knew that they eventually would.

Anyway, back to the point.  Having been visiting my kinfolk in West Virginia since I was a baby, the one thing I am absolutely certain of is that the culture there is not so different from the culture in which I live here in Michigan.  There are differences, to be sure.  But, these differences pale greatly in comparison to the commonalities we share culturally.  And I would say that this holds true throughout our country.  From coast to coast, from our northern to our southern borders, we Americans share a common culture which far outweighs the subtle differences we find from region to region and place to place.  To claim that the culture of this or that region of our country is so vastly different from others is to deny this reality.  And, to do so for the sake of abandoning our Lutheran confession of the faith and altering our Lutheran doctrine and practice is completely absurd.  Of course, when we seek the advice of the leader of the Southern Baptist Convention and other non-Lutheran "church consultants" to guide us in our endeavors to do mission and ministry throughout our great land, it shouldn't surprise us to witness Lutherans buying into the fallacy that we just can't be Lutherans in this or that area.

The other thing I am absolutely sure of when it comes to my kinfolk in West Virginia is that what is needed in their region is the pure Gospel confessed and practiced in their midst.  Come to think of it, I'm pretty sure that this is what is needed everywhere in our country and all over the world.  Lutherans should be doing Lutheran mission work wherever they go, wholly committed to presenting the pure Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ in confession and practice, unwilling to compromise that in any way, for the saving of souls wherever they find themselves.  That requires a commitment to our confession of the faith, which flows from an unwavering confidence that our confession is true.  This, of course, is the hard way of doing things.  It is much easier to compromise and adapt to our surroundings in order to fit in.  But, this should not be an option for Lutherans, not if we actually believe in our confession.

Lastly, those who continue to make the argument that different cultures require us to abandon the historic liturgy and employ different worship forms would do well to remember that the historic liturgy of the Christian Church has been employed throughout the world, across actual cultural divides, for quite some time.  The theological principle employed in this regard by Christians throughout history has been that the Church has her own distinct culture which must be maintained wherever she finds herself.  Worldly cultures cannot be allowed to influence the Church's culture in such a way that her culture would be altered and no longer identifiable.  On the contrary, the Church's culture is to have an impact on the worldly culture, no matter how diverse it is from place to place, so that those who are drawn in from the world are drawn into a decidedly different culture from the one in which they live out their daily lives.  In other words, the Church must always remain distinct from the world.  That's a decidedly Biblical principle and one in which true Lutherans continue to confess to this day.

If the historic liturgy works among Lutherans in Africa and Haiti and Russia and Sweden and in many other parts of the world, where there really are vast differences between cultures, one wonders how any sane Lutheran can actually try to advance the argument that it won't play in this or that region of our own country, where we share a culture that is far more common than diverse.  The only plausible explanation for this is that such Lutherans simply don't like being Lutherans.  Or, am I missing something?      

You gotta check this out!

Okay, so I'm a day late and a dollar short on this, but I know there are still some of you who have not yet been introduced to the most excellent video presentations of my friend, Rev. Jonathan Fisk.  I met Pr. Fisk at the Brothers of John the Steadfast Conference earlier this year and had the opportunity to chat with him, get to know him a bit, and swap stories about life as a parish pastor, and about the writing assignments each of us are working on (which I'm betting that he'll complete far sooner than I ever will!).  Anyway, he uploads videos every Tuesday and Friday to his youtube channel, and not only are they wildly entertaining, but they are solidly Lutheran and very informative.  I HIGHLY SUGGEST that you check them out!

The video posted below is from a couple of weeks ago.  In it, Pr. Fisk does an awesome job of showing us what it actually looks like to change the style, but keep the substance of Lutheran worship by providing clips from our Lutheran brethren in Africa, and comparing and contrasting those clips with clips from American Lutherans whose changed style results in changed substance.  The constant argument employed by those in our midst who advocate and practice contemporary worship is that they are changing the style, but keeping the substance of our Lutheran confession of the faith.  Um, not so much, as can be clearly seen by Pr. Fisk's fine display in this video.  Again, check it out!  (I love the Sesame Street song - so on target!).   

Also in this video, Pr. Fisk presents a challenge to support the work of Pr. James May, who is a real, flesh-and-blood missionary doing wonderful work in Africa (i.e. he's not the sort of "missionary" so oft promoted in our midst today; you know, the kind of lay "missionary" who goes on a two-week vacation short-term "mission" trip to teach English as a second language and see the sights - NOPE!  He's a real missionary doing real Word and Sacrament Ministry in Africa, which is, sadly, a rather novel concept in our synod today).  Pr. May and his family need our support so that they can remain where they are and allow Pr. May to baptize, catechize, and feed the people there - you know, do what real missionaries do!  If you have the means, this is something well worth your support!  You can send donations to Pr. May's home congregation:

Bethlehem Lutheran Church

7500 State Road

Parma, Ohio 44134
(indicate "support Lutherans in Africa")

Okay, so here's the video (be sure to visit Pr. Fisk's youtube channel to see more of his great videos):

A Pleasant Suprise

Last night, in the midst of a family Texas Hold 'Em game, my sister's boyfriend, Mike, shocked everyone by returning from a trip to the bathroom with a ring and a proposal, which Brandy happily accepted.  He further announced that they would be heading to Toledo today to tie the knot in front of the Justice of the Peace, which they did and are now officially husband and wife.  They have been dating for over a year now and always appear to be far more happy than any couple should be. :)  Seriously, I am thrilled for both of them.  This will be the second marriage for both and I am confident that they are committed to remaining together for as long as they live.  Mike is a great guy and treats my sister wonderfully.  He is a lot of fun to be around and we have all enjoyed getting to know him and welcome him with open arms into our family.  They are expecting their first child in October, which is nothing short of a miracle, since it was all but certain that bearing children would not be possible for Brandy.  I am anxiously awaiting the birth of my first nephew or niece and pray that all goes well with the remainder of the pregnancy and delivery. 

Of course, part of the dilemma of having a brother who is a pastor is that they'll just have to put up with my nagging them to get their butts into a Lutheran church where they, and their child-to-be, can receive the blessings our Lord has in store for them.  Sorry guys, that's just the way it is. :)  So, congrats!  I am very happy for you, but I fervently hope and pray that you will get yourselves to Christ's church, that your marriage and your child(ren) would be blessed by God.

A pic of the happy couple in the moments following the surprise announcement last night:

 

 

All Edumicated and Gradumated

Yesterday, during Divine Service, we took time before the Prayer of the Church to recognize, pray for, and bless Sarah, my daughter, upon graduating from high school.  This is a tradition we observe every year when we have members graduating from high school; this year, Sarah is the only one.

Heavenly Father, we thank You for graciously bringing Sarah to this point of formal education.  For all the efforts of parents and teachers through these years we praise You.  We ask wisdom and guidance for Sarah as she makes decisions about her life that will have implications for years to come.  Give her a rich measure of Your Spirit as fields of study and opportunities for employment become available.  Help her accurately assess the gifts and abilities You have given and bless the choices that she makes.  May she ever grow closer to You in faith and with her life honor the name of Your only Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen.

Sarah, the Almighty God, Father, + Son, and Holy Spirit, be with you now and always to strengthen you with His grace unto life everlasting.  Amen.

A pic of Sarah and me after the Service:

Alma's graduation ceremony took place yesterday afternoon.  It was a nice ceremony, and much shorter than I anticipated it would be, lasting only about an hour.  Sarah had plenty of family and friends in attendance to whoop it up when her name was announced (I'm guessing that we came in about third place for loudest whooping :).  Here are a few of the hundreds of pics taken:

During the procession; Sarah is the one in the yellow stole on the end of the fifth row looking up at us (this is the best I could do with my zoom-less iphone; can't wait to get pics from those who were using real cameras)

The diploma - after Sarah's Open House, this will surely find its way into a box in the attic never to be seen again, just like all other high school diplomas :)

A proud family 

Sarah with Grandma Sally and Papa Clay (my parents)

Sarah with Grandma Maxine and Aunt Juanita (Lisa's mom and sister)

Sarah with Great-grandma Joyce (my grandma)

Sarah with her god-mother, Bernice

Sarah with Aunt Brandy and, as of today, Uncle Mike (my sister and brother-in-law)

Sarah and Jordan (that guy she's hung around with for the last couple of years :)

Sarah with friends, Jaycee and Haley, in their best "Manly Pose"

Haley, Chelsea, Janelle, and Sarah - "Jumping for Joy - Part I"

Haley, Chelsea, Janelle, and Sarah - "Jumping for Joy - Part II"

Honors Night

Last night was Honors Night at Alma High School.  It's an event that provides parents, faculty, and members of the community the opportunity to recognize students (especially graduating students) for their outstanding achievements.  Our daughter, Sarah, was one of the students recognized and honored. 

I am so very proud of Sarah and what she has accomplished during her high school career.  She has earned a 3.981 GPA (suffering only 2 A-minuses) even while taking as many AP courses as she could, has been involved in many extra-curricular activities, lettering in three different Varsity sports, leading a section of the elite Chamber Choir for three years, and serving as a choir teaching assistant during her senior year, among many other activities which could be listed.  Sarah has certainly excelled and well deserves being honored.

Sarah received the Senior Academic Achievement Award, which is given to all who have earned a 3.6 GPA or above, and the President's Award for Educational Excellence, which is accompanied by a letter from President Obama and is given to all high school graduates who have earned a 3.5 GPA or above and at least an 85% in a nationally recognized test in reading and math.  She didn't get chosen to receive any of the other scholarships and awards given out last night, which is a little disappointing, but not surprising.  Some of those certainly went to students more deserving than Sarah, others to students who excelled in very specific areas, and others to students whose achievements, while certainly honorable, fall well below Sarah's, but who are fortunate enough to have the right family ties, if you know what I mean.  I suppose a certain amount of nepotism is always to be expected, especially in small communities such as ours, but that doesn't make it right, and it is always a difficult lesson for young people to learn.  Oh well.  Such is life in this sinful world.

Anyway, again, I am so very proud of Sarah.  Her plans are to attend Michigan State University (the best school in the land - just sayin') and work toward a degree in secondary education.  Her dream is to teach high school and coach girls' basketball and she would be excellent at both.  Now, if we can just figure out how to pay for all this!  If there are any millionaires out there who want to adopt Sarah for the next four years, please let me know. :)

Some Confirmation Pics (better late than never!)

Haven't had the chance to do much blogging lately (as a few of you have been all too eager to point out :).  That is partly due to the internet connectivity issues we've been facing lately (ugh!), but also due to being a little busier than usual, and to spending some time away.

Anyhoo . . . we were blessed to include the Rite of Confirmation during Divine Service on Pentecost Sunday a couple of weeks ago (May 23).  Our sole confirmand this year was Natalie Penzien.  The Service of Public Questioning was held prior to Divine Service that Sunday and Natalie did a fabulous job making the good confession of the faith by answering all the Scriptural and Catechetical questions asked of her.  She then vowed to continue steadfast in this confession and Church and to suffer all, even death, rather than fall away from it during the Rite of Confirmation.

Here are a few pics: