Just a news update...

It's been a few days since I've posted, but there's been a lot going on leaving me little time for blogging (actually, I have two papers due by Friday, on 1000-1200 words, the other 1350-1650 words). My intention was to begin them this afternoon, but I have some time before the deadline to get them done...

So last Friday my Liturguics class had a lab with the kantors (music guys) and we got our first chanting lesson. I suck at it. If you're not familiar with chanting in the Lutheran worship service, you're in the majority.

Friday night we attended a dinner hosted by the LCMS Texas District president at the seminary-- brisket and Shiner. We had a chance to talk with the president about my particular situation as a one-year Alternate Route student finishing on August 2 (as opposed to the majority of the traditional 4-year students in the herd). He asked us if we would like to serve in Texas after the seminary and before I could open my mouth, my wife said "Yes!" So, I will be interviewing with him in January, along with the 4th year students looking for an assignment in Texas.

Saturday morning it rained here steadily through early afternoon. We made our way to the 42nd Annual Johnny Appleseed Festival in the rain, slogging past dozens of vendors in period costumes. One of the folksier draws is that all the food has to be prepared as in ol' Johnny's day as the festival itself tries to present an "historically accurate representation of rural pioneer life in the 19th century." It was as wet as it was interesting...

Saturday evening we, along with three other couples and one unmarried student, shared dessert and a glass of wine or two at my advisor's house on the seminary campus. The other two married guys are also one-year Alternate Route students (and one, with whom I became friends with in Greek over the summer, is already ordained through an online program similar to what I began in 2005-- he is here to get certified for general ministry, like me, not to get a masters degree). The single guy and one of the other couples are from Norway. We had a good time chatting (and before we left, the hymnals came out and we sang-- I without my readers...I think my hymnal was upside-down the whole time) and over the course of conversation learned that the single Norwegian guy is a juggler. That's him in the picture. It was a nice time, but went past our bedtime...

Today all the first-year pastoral and deaconess students were formally assigned field work churches. First- and second-year seminary students are "farmed out" to area congregations for OJT. I sort of greased the skids (as we used to say in the Navy) by talking with the pastor at Suburban Bethlehem Lutheran Church here in Ft. Wayne where we have been worshiping for the last month and a half. I asked him if he would accept me as a field worker and he was more than willing. During the summer we got to know the couple who were assigned as field workers there last year (she's in the deaconess program...and has the same name as my wife, same less common spelling, too) and have remained assigned for their second year. So the pastor was on campus this morning for our "convocation" and then we had lunch together and discussed the next steps, the first of which is to be introduced officially to the congregation at both worship services next Sunday. After that, I am at the pastor's beck and call, basically-- he's a very nice guy and I think we'll have a great working relationship; plus, we're friends with the other field worker couple, so it shouldn't be too taxing of an assignment (outside of time management).

Now I'm just waiting to hear whether or not I need to do a one-year vicarage (internship) as part of my program requirement or that it can be waived in light of the two-year vicarage I did as part of the online program I was in a few years ago. That decision should be coming soon.

Oh and since June I have been battling with the Tarrant County, Texas, voter registrar who twice has rejected my application for ballot by mail (I hope they handle ballots better than applications!). In today's mail I received a third rejection letter, along with my new county registration card-- so I called the registrar's office this afternoon and they assured me that the third rejection letter is a mistake and that I will be receiving my ballot in the mail after September 23. (Now I'm not even sure I want to vote, given the candidates.)

AND tonight Gotham is back on! Woo-hoo! (I'm kind of addicted...)

There you have it. All is good in our neck of the woods for today.

С Богом!