What does a seminarian do over break?

Ever wonder what a seminarian does over break? Do you think that we lock ourselves up in our rooms/houses, eagerly awaiting the start of the next term? Well, yeah… some of us look forward to class… but we also have lives outside of the seminary.

What am I doing this break (two weeks between end of spring term and start of summer term)?

First, I’m helped out at a wonderful church in Southern Illinois last weekend and I will be preaching this next weekend at my home church. This will be my third time helping out there… and my first time preaching… ever! While I am certainly nervous about this… I’m also excited about this opportunity.

Second, I’m doing a lot of work with the American Red Cross. I’ve been a lifeguard instructor for about six years now. I’ve since expanded out to nearly all the available first aid and CPR courses that the Red Cross offers. Yesterday and today I helped with a lifeguarding course at SLU. Tomorrow is a day of rest and preparation. Thursday I teach a First Aid and CPR course at a Lutheran Camp. Friday I will help with testing and skills tests at a lifeguard class.

Saturday I head with my wife to see my grandfather who is having is oil changed… aka… getting a new defibrillator. This will be his third one. Please keep him in your prayers… his name is Elvis (how cool of a name is that!). With this visit to Central MO comes preaching at my home church.

Then the big event begins on Monday… I’m still not entirely sure if the “big event” will happen… so I’m not going to talk about it. If it does… I’ll be posting pictures and videos. All I can say and ask is that you keep me in your prayers as I will be partaking in something that has an “inherent risk of injury or death.” Don’t worry… I will be with trained professionals. 

Then… back to class. Lutheran Confessions II, John and the Catholic Epistles, and (pending approval) Christian Initiation (a independent study course looking at Christian initiation rites and working toward a faithful Lutheran practice of the catechumenate). 

Are we a cult?

Cult:

• a system of religious veneration and devotion directed toward a particular figure or object : the cult of St. Olaf.
• a relatively small group of people having religious beliefs or practices regarded by others as strange or sinister : a network of Satan-worshiping cults.
• a misplaced or excessive admiration for a particular person or thing : a cult of personality surrounding the leaders.

Now the question… are we, the Holy, Catholic, and Apostlic Church a cult?

This question got posed to me in my contemporary cults class at CUNE. The general consensus of the class, after some debate was, “Yes, we are a cult.. and that’s okay.”

I started thinking more about this on Friday as I gave a presentation in my Teaching the Catechism with Luther class. I’ve been researching the early church catechumenate, specifically focusing on the mystagogical preachers, Ambrose of Milan, Cyril of Jerusalem, Chrysostom, and Theodore of Mopsuestia. I’m also studying Augustine, since he was a catechumen under Ambrose. As I was describing the early church rituals surrounding the catechumenate, specifically focusing on the Lenten discipline, the Easter Vigil, and the subsequent Mystagogy (preaching on the mysteries), I brought up the secrecy and the mystery that surrounded the church. This was not discouraged, but was encouraged by the Fathers. They didn’t want people to know, prior to Baptism, what took place with the Sacrament. They were encouraged to keep the creed amongst the baptized and not let it “get out.” A fourth-year said, “This sounds awfully cult-like,” to which I responded, “Yup… and I think that’s okay.” I also said, “think about it… we make exclusive claims about salvation, are a relatively small group (the invisible church), we have an exclusive object of our faith (Jesus Christ), and we do things that are considered strange (pouring water on a baby’s head and drinking small sips of wine and eating small pieces of bread).”

Yup… I think we are a cult… and that’s okay.

What do you think?

Desk of a seminarian

Some time ago Pastor Weedon posted some nice pictures of his study. However, being the seminarian that I am… I don’t have a study. I have a computer desk that I share with my wife, a kitchen table, and a study carol (which I am eternally thankful for). My wife tolerates my organizational method… stacks of books. An example follows. I’m not sure exactly how many books are stacked on there… but I know at least one English Bible, a Biblia Hebraica, three volumes of Pieper, two Hebrew grammars, and probably 50 pages of copies. Oh… and some Luther!

Library Fun!

Check out the library thing blog with two great games. One is a Library of Congressing book reshelving game and the other is a reference desk type game.

Library Thing

Liturgical Beauty

We normally sings the Psalms unaccompanied in the chapel at the seminary. There is great beauty in this with the entire congregation singing in unison. What makes it even better is the Gloria Patri at the end. There is always a change in volume as a large portion of the congregation bows its head reverencing the Holy Trinity and then an increase in volume as the words “as it was in the beginning” are said.

Pure beauty.

Ack! Christian News

The words that no seminarian ever wants to hear are: “You’ve made Christian News!”

A friend of mine from Ft. Wayne, vicaring up in Wisconsin calls me this afternoon and utters those very words. The various four-letter words that came to my mind are not for print. Thankfully the mention of me (by way of this blog) was just in a list of Lutheran blogs that the publisher prints from time to time.

Whew…

Sacristan Dream

I’m the new Sacristan for the Chapel of St. Timothy and St. Titus. I took over from Tutal. A sacristan does many things including taking care of the preperations for daily chapel services and general duties around the chapel.

Last night I had a dream that I showed up right before chapel on a Wednesday (our normal time to celebrate the Lord’s Supper) and I had somehow forgot that we were having it that day. Instead of waiting until I finished preparing the altar area they started chapel and things went crazy. Also, for some reason there were like six professors involved instead of the normal three. Very weird…

Paul Gerhardt - Meyer Minute

Posted from the “Meyer Minute” that Pres. Dale Meyer sends out daily:

Today is the 400th anniversary of the birth of hymn writer Paul Gerhardt. Born March 12, 1607 , Gerhardt experienced terrible suffering. His childhood home was destroyed in the Thirty Years War, a war that killed over 20% of Germany ’s population. Gerhardt’s wife and four of his five children died from disease. Struggles between the government and church cost him his job. So when this hymn writer wrote about troubles in life, he knew whereof he spoke.

“Entrust your days and burdens / to God’s most loving hand; / He cares for you while ruling / the sky, the sea, the land. / For He who guides the tempest / along their thunderous ways / will find for you a pathway / and guide you all your days.” Dr. Uwe Siemon-Netto contrasts that Gerhardt verse to the following contemporary Christian ditty: “He is able more than able / To accomplish what concerns me today/ He is able more than able / To handle anything that comes my way.” Which song offers more substance to support you in times of trouble?

Christian Moeller says Gerhardt belonged to an era “which was attentive to doctrinal clarity, and therefore sang with clarity. I do wish the days of doctrinal clarity came back…leading to more clarity in people’s lives and song.” (“The Lutheran Witness,” March, 2007; pp. 24-25).

Copyright (c) Dale A Meyer 2007
http://www.daleameyer.com

Paul Gerhardt Hymn Festival

Paul Gerhardt Hymn Festival
March 18, 2007
3:00 p.m.
Chapel of St. Timothy and St. Titus
Concordia Seminary, St. Louis

Concordia Seminary will hold a Paul Gerhardt Hymn Festival on Sunday, March 18, at 3:00 p.m. in The Chapel of St. Timothy and St. Titus. The festival will commemorate the work of Lutheran hymn writer Paul Gerhardt, in celebration of the 400th anniversary of his birth.

Participating in the celebration will be the Concordia Seminary Chorus and Pro Musica Sacra, under the direction of Rev. Henry V. Gerike, and eight guest organists from Lutheran churches in the St. Louis area. The service will include commentary and Scripture readings, in addition to hymns.

Song of the Gospel, Vol. 2—Chorale Preludes on the Hymns of Paul Gerhardt, published by Concordia Publishing House, will be released and available for purchase at a reception in the Seminary’s library following the festival.

A buffet banquet, featuring guest speaker Carl Schalk, Lutheran composer, professor and historian, will be held at 5:30 p.m. in Wartburg Dining Hall. Tickets to the banquet cost $18.

Born in Gräfenhainichen, Germany, in 1607, Paul Gerhardt was one of the greatest hymn writers of the church. He authored over 100 hymns that are still being sung throughout the world today, including “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded,” “O Lord, How Shall I Meet You?” and “Awake, My Heart, with Gladness.” In addition to being the most well-known German hymnist next to Martin Luther, Gerhardt was a faithful and orthodox Lutheran pastor who served amidst much turmoil and adversity.

For more information or to order banquet tickets, please contact Seminary Relations, Concordia Seminary, 801 Seminary Place, St. Louis, MO 63105; (314) 505-7370; SemRelations@csl.edu.

Banquet Reservation Form

St. Louis 80 - Ft. Wayne 50

I’m proud (but not too proud) that the Concordia Seminary Preachers defeated the Concordia Theological Seminary King’s Men 80-50. It was a great game to watch. The Seminary Chorus sang the National Anthem before the game, the brass choir served as the pep band, and the stands were full. The half-time “show” was a two-on-two basketball game between a team  made up of Drs. Gibbs and Voelz and a team made up of Drs. Marrs and Raabe. Drs. Gibbs and Voelz schooled Marrs and Raabe.

All in all a good game. Props to Ft. Wayne for playing hard and making this one of the best basketball games this year.