Easter Sunday 2

Struck me on Easter:  all the portraits on the mantels.  Of the pre-deceased.

My grandmother had a buffet with all sorts of pictures.  But her Alzheimer's was setting in.  She started talking to me about people on one end, went down the row, and then started over...and did it again.

Here were are having dinner together, feasting, saying long thanksgiving meal time prayers, remembering those who have gone ahead and not sitting with us any longer, the graces we have all received.

Easter is like Christmas.  We remember who and what and were and why...  We talked about the long and dangerous winter we have just come through, the car accidents that were had and nearly had, the cost of damages, the spray painting required.

It is the strangest thing that some of us are still here and some of us are not.  It is as if there were two adjoining rooms, one with us in it, connected by a door to another room, with all the others ones in it.  We can imagine them but we can't see them.

Before my father died he wrote a few silly poems.  They were both serious and gallows humor at the same time.  He talked about the ancestors whom he found himself talking to.   But his faith was wavering.  Did they really still exist?, he asked.  I thought at the time, that there is no way that they don't.  How can a personality just be wiped out?

I was just reading something on the internet, where people are talking about all the space probes that have been sent out, to find some meaning in the in universe, a future for mankind.  What would another culture really do with one of our space-probes?

We have been sent the Son.  Do we believe Him?

Does he have our back?  Has he come and won the victory on our behalf?  Will we pass through that door and find another room?

Will the Son of Man come and find faith upon the earth?

Weddings

We were happy to attend a wedding, yesterday.  It had been quite a while.  Since we are in such an in between age group, we have our child married but no nieces and nephews yet, and those in our age group are thankfully mostly in stable marriages not requiring us to deal with second marriages.  Also, in our age group, not many have died yet, so that we don't have widows and widowers remarrying, either.  So, as we see, all has been quiet on the weddings front. -- Funerals, yes.  Funerals of the generation ahead of us are coming rapidly, as of late; sad to say.  `

Therefore, a wedding to attend, and to not be the mother-of-the-bride for, just relaxing and enjoying, turned out to be a rare treat.  It filled me with no regrets about my life not going the way I want it to, as some weddings had when I was younger, since a good chunk of my life must be over already by now.  I just took it in, contentedly.  What filled me with joy and amazement besides the glorious young couple in splendor of youth, of  gorgeous hair and lovely complexion, not to mention stunning figures--were the opening readings.  Christ is our bridegroom and the church is the bride. -- We know this of course, but there is a difference between knowing it and having the object lesson come down the isle in full regalia.

Oh, but really what a homely bride this church seems at time, we the church full of sinner/saints, and yet resplendent in the clothing of righteousness given to us.  We are to our groom this glorious creature.  What love in his eyes.  His eyes.

The world may think we are a joke and derides us.  We ourselves don't know our own value and dignity always. It is a humbling thing to be the bride of such a great man.  What mercy and love.  We sing about it all the time.  But look at this bride and groom.  We are the crown of creation, of our God's achievement, the assembly of the blood-bought.

This bride came down the isle by herself because her father was the minister. The Father and the groom were both waiting at the front.   So it is.  Our loving God has everything ready for us, and our time will come. And we will be just as happy and just as white.

Love is kind. Period.

For our wedding anniversary. -- Lately, some people (maybe post-modern in outlook; I don't understand all that) have been trying to say to me that love is hate and hate is love and we need to be harsher and tell the truth. Yes, we are to tell the truth. But love is still kind. We may fail often or continually, but this does not change that love is kind. Love may be tough, at times, but still love is kind. We don't need to get that all mixed up. Don't let anyone confuse you.  Thanks, Paul. 

For a change of scenery: Zwingenberg

In this town I spent a considerable amount of time visiting my grandmother and grandfather on my mothers side.  Many other dear relatives of mine still reside there.  The medieval city wall is 800 years old.  My parents were married in the "Bergkirche" (mountain church).  My cousins and their children are married, baptized, etc. there still.  I used to go to this church with my grandpa and because he was an elder we would go early and pray with the pastor and the organist.  From this custom, I always appreciated it when the pastor comes early and prays with the organist.

On the market square is the city hall (visible in middle picture), where my grandpa worked in the finance department.  The family name goes back in this town for centuries.

The Thanksgiving picture is a plaque that was given to my grandpa for a special birthday.  The words behind on the wood are:  "Alles was Odem hat lobe den Herrn"  ("Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.")

All Saints Day/ Baptism Birthday

Today we celebrated All Saints' Day and sang a number of tremendous hymns to Gary's uplifting organ playing.  Indeed, through Christ's precious blood we are made his saints.  Our robes have been made white through the blood of the lamb. Through joys and tribulations we make pilgrimage through this life until we reach our real home.  

I post this picture because it is the time of year when I was baptized (and that is me, there, arrayed in white), and because of the dear saints there surrounding me.  My parents and all my grandparents are there;  and they have all gone on a long time ago.  Each one of them took time to teach me the Bible, prayers and songs, beautiful things from the hymnbook, and sing and pray with me.  You knew it was the most precious thing to each of them. 

There I am this little thing brought by such witnesses and given such great gifts.  My grandpa Wilhelm, especially, prayed for all of us without ceasing and I still feel that much good has come my way from his intercession.  How much to be grateful for!

My Uncle

My Uncle Gotthold died in Germany today. 

He was my father's youngest sister's husband and a good friend of our family.  His children, of course, are my cousins and they have been keeping in touch with us emigres. 

He was always very good to us and often provided accommodation and intelligent conversation for us on our visits.  He loved to talk politics and sometimes religion.  He had a understated, yet sometimes "wicked" wit, smiling gently at his own smart jokes, and loved to lecture on exalted topics. He was a pastor's son, studied to be a preacher, became a career soldier and then social worker for ex-convicts. He had a great sensitivity.  He and my aunt visited us often in Canada. 

I will be missing the funeral.  I  miss all the funerals of the extended family.  I missed the funerals of every single one of my grandparents.  This is a bad part of living so far away.  Our thoughts and prayers are certainly with the clan, as well as gratitude for the many warm favors I have enjoyed from him and my aunt.  His Savior he knew, I am assured by my cousin.  Lord be with my dear ones.

A few random things from the wedding

The wedding went very well and was most beautiful, joyful, inclusive and tasteful (due to other people's designing and planning skills).  The sermon was great, too, and we sang a lovely hymn. The mother of the groom brought her military execution skills to implementing practical things.  I learned the phrase:  "Time spent on reconi is seldom wasted." ("reconi" being "reconnaissance").

If you must know, the mother of the bride went into basket case mode right away.  When Stefan's little brother came down the isle with the rings with he girls, I was done for and never quite recovered the rest of the day.  Crying is very bad for me, but I never got a headache, at least.  I don't think I look very good on any of the pictures, and this could have been part of the problem.  Other than that I think getting done up is not something that really helps.  I will gladly keep things simple.  I am desperately trying to get myself untagged from all kinds of pictures on facebook.  But with the onslaught of pictures, it is hard to keep up with that.  Ack.

There were other people who complained about how ugly, plain, chubby, etc. they are.  I started quoting them a song from Mattias Claudius, "Ich freue mich und danke Gott"  (http://ingeb.org/Lieder/ichdanke.html), in which among other things, you thank God for your very own face, just the way it is.  They told me I was whining about my own weight and was being hypocritical (--that's the German youth for you, nowadays, what can I say :).  What is it with this finding of discrepancies. :)).

Mother of the bride was not the only basket case.  I was told some young men were crying on the other side of the church and someone was wondering "why".  I cannot quite imagine how someone could not know "why" right away. But maybe it's not that obvious.  Stefan's friends are nowhere near over his death.  Something like this will stick with them for life, like for us.

There were some others dissolved in tears around my neck later on, and I tried to comfort them the best I could talking about the other wedding banquet, which was on my soul anyhow from all this preparing for a wedding... -- It was all a little much for the emotional capacity.  You may pray for this happy, sad congregation we had, and the youth of our towns.  The young people keep grieving just like the immediate family. They lose too many friends.  But basically we tried all day not to push too many emotional buttons.

On the other hand, the  bridal couple was completely radiant, and we have been given such a great gift in them, and they in each other.  The groom was shining like the sun when the vows were said to him.  I have never quite seen such a thing.  God bless their union.  To have such a marvelous daughter and excellent God-son/son-in-law is a most astonishing blessing.  For them and all of us, it is also most wonderful to have so many great sets of families, who all came to the wedding.  The openness in adoption has certainly worked very well for all involved.

There was also an experienced social worker present that day, who talked generally about some cases, and remarked on how this was really the way to do it.  Too many children have no roots and no good, meaningful connections.  I can tell you, as an adoptive parent, you really do have to learn to share, but that's not such a bad thing.  As much as we say that your adopted children are your very own children, there are differences.   But now they are founding their own family, and we are all part of their lives.  Most of all, if we are oriented toward the Lord, we will know that we are all blood brothers and sisters and part of the same family, anyways.  Thanks be to him for all great gifts. And his will  we receive in this context, even if we do not understand.

Wedding picture

Renaturalisierung/ Reunions

I learned a newly coined German word today:  "Renaturalisierung".  It would be in English:  "Renaturalizing".  The word came up when we were at the beaver dam and someone thought the filtration system of the water there was something worth remarking on.  Germans always seem to have technical ideas when they are in nature. Practical and romantic people at the same time.  It would be an example of  "Renaturalisierung".  It is supposed to be THE concept.  -- OK.  I don't think I totally got it.

It is so amazing to have a reunion after all these times and to meet the young folk, one's blood relatives whom you barely know or have never met, your elders who know all the stories.  If we can be so happy, how will it be when we are with the Lord?

It makes me think of the adopted persons, too, and how much they love their birthfamilies.

More relatives

My other elderly relatives are coming from Vancouver.  What a pleasure!  I have scrounged up two wheelchairs for them.  Pray, nobody has any emergencies. 

Sommersendepause/ summer break in broadcasting

In the title, find a nice German compound noun for you.  All the nouns just get run together to form a new noun.

As you could tell, going through "Christ have Mercy"  got me started reading and writing on a ton of stuff again.  This is all good, except not right now.  We will pick up where we left off, later.

In the meantime, safe and happy holidays to everyone!  Hopefully, everyone can grab a little vacation.


You may pray for our bridal couple and all our families.  The wedding is on July 17th.  The relatives are arriving in 15 days.  We are engaging in lots of great get-togethers. It will be rather a large wedding now. Hardly anyone has declined the invitation and long lost relatives have announced themselves by word of mouth.  All of this is delightful.

June 28th would also have marked Stefan's 20th birthday.  I won't be posting anything for that.  But he will be on our minds, as always.  Find is youtube videos under "nafteslooc" (cool Stefan, backwards)

If anyone wants to e-mail, phone or visit, that would be splendid.  My contact is in the profile.

Just something from Romans that relates to mercy, justification and our limited understanding.  (Romans 11:30-36)  What would we ever be without the word and what would we be without God's mercy.

 For just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience,  so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now  receive mercy.  For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all. 
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

“For who has known the mind of the Lord,
or who has been his counselor?”
 “Or who has given a gift to him
that he might be repaid?”

For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

The Bride and I / 2

The bride and I did not purchase this veil.  We're making one.

What the mother of the bride will wear is still up in the air.  Nothing I tried was right.  I should have started looking sooner;  I would have gone on a diet sooner!  Would have's, could have's. --  Maybe we'll sew that, too.  (Better not.)

The Germans are arriving in 19 days--eight relatives, three generations. It  will be quite a wedding.

The Bride and I

The bride and I are on errands.


Just for my memory and for anyone's interest:  the was an I-Monk post recently on Wright, linking to some talks of his.  My comment is the last one.  Wright is quite wrong on Luther.  Let's all pray he reads some.

http://www.internetmonk.com/archive/recommended#respond

There was a thread on Bonhoeffer, too, which was pretty mangled, in my opinion.  My comment is pretty much the last, as well.

http://www.internetmonk.com/archive/wash-your-ears-out-with-this#respond

Besides reading books, this is how I come to some of my opinions. 

Another thing:  I --sort of--asked someone for forgiveness this week and guess what he said:  "You could never offend me."

Now that was gracious.

Busy for a while

Busy with family things for a while.  Congratulations to our baby!

Pentecost and Confirmation in the Rocky Mountains

Busy time/ weddings, death, children and weather

It's been a busy week with many unusual errands.  We're blessed to attend another confirmation this weekend.

My brother sent this Youtube clip (below) highlighting the weather during May and his house and home, mostly likely produced for the grandparents in Germany.

The wedding dress arrived in the mail, having been ordered on-line.  It has been tried and found to fit perfectly and be wonderful.  Of course, you cannot get a picture of that, sorry to say.   The bride and I are the first and only ones to have laid eyes on it so far.  I was going to tell her what a wonderful girl she has become and how I miss Stefan, but when the thought came to me, I felt I was going to burst into tears, so I did not tell her.  I think this will be the collective thought and feeling through the whole wedding.  Best to think of it ahead of time and maybe work it through the system beforehand, as much as possible.

Still reading the large catechism.  There is a lot there.

Also started Matt Harrison's "Christ have Mercy" (ordered it from Pastor Erickson's Amazon list). [I stand corrected, apparently, this book is not on Pastor Erickson's list.  It must have come up as a "custormers who bought this, also bought this"-- item.  I did buy something off Bror's lists, though.  Will get to that another time. Check out the lists.]

The first chapter on the car accident in a small community claiming a young person around graduation time and ministering in that situation, grabbed me, of course.  Here is a bit from this first chapter titled:  "Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy" . On death:  "I had witnessed a foreshadowing of the Last Day.  "Marrying and giving in marriage"... will be going on at the last.  And then Jesus shall come "like a thief in the night".  Every death, in fact, is a harbinger of that great and terrible day of the Lord.  Every death is that thief in the night.  Death stands over our shoulder, ever ready to steal us away.  We avoid looking back, but occasionally we risk a glance into the dark, though we quickly return to the party.  Death's beady eyes remain trained on us as we take our every breath, his steely stare like ice on our bare necks.  When we refuse to acknowledge him, our consciences stir our stomachs with disquiet."

That's just the beginning of the book.  Haven't got much further, only looked at it last night. The chapter title reminds me of my father at my mother's death bed at home.  She had just drawn her last breath and it was just he and we children there.  That's all he said:  "Lord, have mercy".

It's getting there, almost spring.

I wanted to split some perennial plants the other day, but they are as yet nowhere to be seen.  Garden is still dormant. 

I'm flying to Vancouver for the weekend.  No emergency.  Martin wants me to attend something.

Starting Weight Watchers with a friend.  It's time.   Breakfast today:  yoghurt with All  bran.  Not too bad.

See Mother's Day visit with my nieces.

I'm taking one of those new large catechism with me. I'm meeting someone who needs one;  I'm not sure he agrees yet.  He took theology through the United Church and had all faith killed during his training.

There are so many people I've not seen over the winter or since Christmas.  I can't wait to see everyone for the coming events.  You may pray for God's blessing on all endeavors.  Thanks, yours, signing off for a bit.

The wedding is less than 10 weeks away!

We are getting more and more geared up for a largish wedding.  Everything is looking great. Bride and I have spent time going through a variety of things.  All fun.  Her exams were excellent and she is in a fabulous mood. Mother-in-law will be back from Afghanistan soon.

Mother's day was good.  My brother's family came over with a cake my brother supposedly baked, but... (my sister-in-law is a very gracious woman...)  Lots of fun with little nieces and nephew.  I made some Hefestueckchen (yeast pieces, with quark and streussel) and we read my kid's children's books.

The grass is green.  The leaves are late.  The neighbor is putting her thin horse on our empty pasture.  I dug over my garden.  I guess I should seed it soon, while the soil is so nice, not too wet and not too dry.  However, the danger of frost is not past.

Our bridal couple / free coffee at McDonald's

Quote

We attended with a different Lutheran congregation the other week. In the bulletin was this little quote about the Bible, not attributed to anyone. Martin really wanted to keep it, so now it's here in this post. He can get it whenever he wants. He wants to copy this into a Lutheran Study Bible he has coming for an upcoming confirmation of a god-child.
The quote:

The Bible

This book contains: the mind of God, the state of mankind, way of salvation, the fate of sinners, and the happiness of believers.

Its doctrine is holy, its precepts are binding, its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable. Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, and practice it to be holy.

It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you. It is the traveler's map, the pilgrim’s staff, the pilot’s compass, the soldier’s sword, and the Christian’s charter. Here heaven is open, and the gates of hell disclosed.

Christ is its grand subject, our good its design, and the glory of God its end. It should fill the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet.

Read it slowly, frequently, and prayerfully. It is a mine of wealth, health to the soul, established forever.

It involves the highest responsibility, will reward the greatest labor, and condemn all who trifle with its contents.

I might not have said "practice it to be holy" as we are holy independent of our works and practice; yet it's not wrong because we are called to practice it.



While I was shopping at CPH, I also ordered the recording of the daily orders of prayer CD, which is new. I'm really looking forward to this one coming. Paul McCain has a post about this. Only $10.00.