We Knew Him When...

What has Mr. Schlump been up to since leaving the halls of Lutheran North?  Find out here.

Lutheran Theology and Youth Ministry?

I've listened to all three segments of Ministry to Youth, Observing the Youth in the Church by Dr. John Oberdeck of Concordia University-Wisconsin on Issues Etc.  All three segments are great but the third segment is my favorite. 

Give it a listen and let me know what you think.

Still interested?  Check out his book.  Eutychus Youth: Applied Theology for Youth Ministry in the 21st Century

College, Vocation, Christ

"The Christian fact is very straightforward: To be a student is a calling. Your parents are setting up accounts to pay the bills, or you are scraping together your own resources and taking out loans, or a scholarship is making college possible. Whatever the practical source, the end result is the same. You are privileged to enter a time – four years! – during which your main job is to listen to lectures, attend seminars, go to labs, and read books.
"…It is an extraordinary gift. We need you to take seriously the calling that is yours by virtue of going to college. You may well be thinking, 'What is he thinking? I’m just beginning my freshmen year. I’m not being called to be a student. None of my peers thinks he or she is called to be a student. They’re going to college because it prepares you for life. I’m going to college because it prepares you for life. I’m going to college so I can get a better job and have a better life than I’d have if I didn’t go to college. It’s not a calling.'

"But you are a Christian. This means you cannot go to college just to get a better job. These days, people talk about college as an investment because they think of education as a bank account: You deposit the knowledge and expertise you’ve earned, and when it comes time to get a job, you make a withdrawal, putting all that stuff on a resume and making money off the investment of your four years. Christians need jobs just like anybody else, but the years you spend as an undergraduate are like everything else in your life. They’re not yours to do with as you please. They’re Christ’s.

- From the essay “Go With God” by Stanley Hauerwas, professor of Theological Ethics at Duke Divinity School, as printed in the November 2010 issue of First Things.

Job Security

A former student sent this comic my way. 

Some may read this and grumble while immediately launching into the classic, "When I was a kid..." rant.  I just look it as more job security.  Go ahead, young ones, keep mindlessly texting.  As long as you would rather look than think, glance than peruse, stumble and stutter with "Uhs and Uhms" than powerfully articulate your intellect, I'll have great job security as a high school English teacher.

Thank You.

There's No Corralling These Fillies

The Fillies open up the freshmen hoops season on the road tomorrow at Almont High School. Let the games begin. Last year’s Fillies were successful at converting the tip-off play into a three point lead in less than three seconds. We could be proud of what we accomplished last year and use that to achieve the same goal. That, however, would be similar to President Obama thinking that because he won the Presidential election in 2008, he will win it again in 2012.

No, the 2010 Fillies will not be satisfied with achieving goals that have already been met. This year our goal is 5 in 7. We will score 5 points in 7 seconds. Like last year’s team we will win the tip and hit the triple in three seconds. We will immediately break into a full court denial defense, steal the ball and then score the layup. 5 in 7.

Oh, I can hear the doubters grumbling bravely under their breath for nobody to hear,

“They’ll never pull it off.”
“It can’t be done.”

“Bring back the minute bell!”

I’ll ignore this delusional skepticism because, with the exception of that minute bell lament, I heard the same ignorance last year. Last year, as in the year we hit a triple in less than two seconds in three games. Doubt not the 2010 Fillies.

Another reason to place trust in the Fillies is in our plays. No, not the actual X’s and O’s. Anyone can Google, Out-of-Bounds-Plays that Work, and as long as they don’t get caught watchin’ the paint dry, they will score. No, I’m talking about the names of our plays. In years past we have dedicated our out-of-bounds plays to inspirational cyclists: Merkcz, Hincappie, Lemond and the fan favorite, Finkel. This year we have the same plays but different names: Boehner, Rubio, Regan, Palin, Jindal. That’s right, this year our plays are named after conservative Republicans. Fret not, the season is early and we haven’t put all our plays in yet. Waiting to be introduced are Bush41 and Bush43.

Check out the Fillies’ hoops schedule and get to a game when you can. Get there early, however, because before you know it the score will be Fillies 7 – Opponents 0.

These Fillies won’t be corralled.

Distinguishing Law & Gospel and Why Any of That Matters

Reverend Fisk is a pastor at St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church in Springfield, Pennsylvania.  Enjoy his clear, insightful distinctions about the difference between Law and Gospel and why that difference matters.

Reformation Reading Recommendation

Remembering and celebrating the Reformation is two days away.  Here is a seasonal reading recommendation. 

Listen to LCMS President Rev. Matthew Harrison discuss the book.

LSB:656