As I have been getting ready for my trip Monday, and giving myself the aforementioned pep-talks on a daily basis, I was thinking about another overseas adventure I had some years ago, when I was much younger. When I was at Warburg Seminary, I spent the academic year of 1994/1995 studying overseas in Germany. There…… Continue reading Summoning My Younger Self
Author: happylutheran
I am the president at Wartburg Theological Seminary, my beloved alma mater. I am an inveterate optimist, runner, vegetarian, and harp player. I love Mary Oliver and Gerard Manley Hopkins, and like them, I'm continually delighted by all the surprising and wonderful ways God shows up in the world.
Readiness
I am what my mother calls a “belt-and-suspenders” person. By that, I mean someone who, when wanting to secure their pants, doesn’t trust either a belt or suspenders alone, but uses both, just to make sure. It is not enough to have a “plan A,” I also like to have a “plan B” and even…… Continue reading Readiness
Looking for Signs
As most of my friends and family members know by this point, I am a little nervous for my upcoming trip to India: not the “hyperventilating, can’t sleep at night, panic-attack” kind of nervous, nor the “I-wish-I-weren’t-going” king of nervous, but more like the “WOW—am I really ready for this?!“ kind of nervous—the kind of…… Continue reading Looking for Signs
Dreaming Bigger and Better
I am finally ready to start blogging again–I needed to give myself [and everyone else!] a break after the daily Israel posts. [I think when I am posting from India–I leave Feb. 27th–I won’t post QUITE as long, and I think I have even figured out how to do paragraphs. That, along with the pictures,…… Continue reading Dreaming Bigger and Better
Technology!
Now that I am home, I am trying to figure out how to post pictures before I leave for India next month! And, like so many other things–there’s an app for that! So, this is just a test, with a couple of my favorite pictures of little Henry–who, by the way, I will be flying…… Continue reading Technology!
Pictures from January 22
Another mezuzah – this time on the Jaffa GateSt. George’s CathedralThere are mezuzahs on almost all of the 7 Gates into JerusalemAbsalom’s PillarThe Sons of Hezir Tomb and the Pyramid of Zechariah
Leave-Taking & Home-Coming
I said goodbye to Jerusalem this morning, and I have turned my face toward home. The rain that was predicted held off until noon, so I was able to have one more nice run around the city walls, and one more nice long walk through the city. I managed to sneak in one new site…… Continue reading Leave-Taking & Home-Coming
Pictures from January 21
Another one by GullvagHere is HandalaAdd one more!One of the paintings by Hakon GullvagThe church ceilingThe view of JerusalemThe view from the church tower (see the wall?)Augusta Victoria ChurchAt Augusta VictoriaThe Messianic Jewish congregationMy Shabbat hostsKol HaneshamaA Segway tour in Jerusalem!
Messianic Jews & Lutherans
I’m sure I have already mentioned Luther’s explication of the 8th Commandment [Thou shall not bear false witness] at some point in this blog; and I’m sure I will do so multiple times before I am finished. Personally, the eighth commandment is my favorite [hmmm-what exactly does that mean? Surely it’s something different than saying…… Continue reading Messianic Jews & Lutherans
New Friends, with Connections to Old
So, today is the morning of the 17th [and it is a beautiful, quiet morning–a run on the Sabbath is quite a bit more peaceful than a run on any other day!], and I wanted to report on my wonderful evening last night. I was invited to the Shabbat service at Kehilat Kol Haneshama, a…… Continue reading New Friends, with Connections to Old
Happy Lutheran 