Busy Times Continue

Sorry it has been awhile since our last entry, but we have been busy. (Yes, we ARE still working on papers!) I was concerned that I would really miss daily chapel on campus when the semester ended. And I have; but we have been able to participate in worship in a variety of settings that have been really wonderful, too.

For example, we were invited to the Lutheran retirement home where I did my CPE chaplaincy last summer to talk about our experiences on the Gulf coast. So we went for a midweek chapel service; I was able to share the good news about the great things taking place on the coast, and renew some aquaintances from last summer as well.

We also attended an ecumenical worship service at our field church on Ascension. It is truly a great feeling to sing God's praises and share communion with a large group of believers from a variety of denominations! I appreciate the opportunity to celebrate the things we have in common rather than dwell on the differences.

We have also been helping with the campground ministry and lakefront worship at a nearby congregation again this summer. So on Saturday afternoons, we put on our walking shoes and sunscreen and go visit with campers at the state park, distributing flyers and inviting them to worship. Then on Sunday morning, we help lead worship in an open air chapel on the lakeshore. Some people come into the chapel area, others sit in lawn chairs or in their cars, still others stay on their boats. With the help of a tremendous sound system, we are all able to worship together. (There is also a later service in the air-conditioned sanctuary - and by mid-morning, the cool air feels really wonderful!)

The weekend (well, Thursday-Saturday), we attended synod assembly, which is always a good chance to see people from all over the state - both old friends and new. Worship there was also wonderful. We used materials from the new soon-to-be-published ELW (Evangelical Lutheran Worship) and Renewing Worship materials and got to experience all the seasons of the entire church year. Thursday afternoon was Reformation, Thursday evening was Advent, Friday morning was Christmas and so on ... ending with Pentecost Saturday morning at the close of assembly. Tremendous preachers, glorious music, and God's presence in Holy Communion - everything worship should be!

It really has been a busy and inspirational time for us. We are also filling up our calendars with more worship services - we are already scheduled to preach and lead worship several times this summer. Now we are trying to get the last papers finished quickly, so that we can have some vacation time before we pack for our move to Alabama. The end of July will be here before we know it!