Happy 90th Birthday, First United Lutheran Church!

What a wonderful day celebrating God’s gracious work through First United Lutheran Church for the past 90 years! We started by reviewing the congregation’s history during the Sunday Morning Adult Study at 9:15am. An anniversary festival worship service followed in our 1963 building (the usual location where we meet!). The order of service included portions from the 1923 era, then the "new" book of the late 1950s, concluding with our current worship resource.
Then we recessed to the 1947 worship space (the current Parish Hall) for light refreshments and fellowship. Opportunities to view scenes from the past will be included. Special anniversary offerings were received and undesignated offerings were divided between White Rock Center of Hope, Mt. Olive Lutheran Church Food Pantry, and First United Lutheran Church.

First United Lutheran Church began from a group who started meeting in 1922 at First Baptist Church with SMU theological students leading worship until a full-time pastor could arrive. By late April 1923 a congregation was organized and a building purchased that Summer on Cole Avenue near Knox. The congregation remained vital but small, weathering the Great Depression, then relocating after World War II to minister to the growing area of Northeast Dallas, moving in a former military chapel in 1947 for a worship space. The congregation gathered an interesting mix of professionals, business folks, and persons in the construction industry, Swedish, Icelandic, and German immigrants, old time Lutherans and the recently interested. After raising a new building in 1963, the congregation became crucial in the start of several other area congregations (such as Bethany on Walnut Hill, King of Glory on LBJ, and St. Luke’s in Richardson) as the Lutheran church expanded in the Dallas area. After a challenging period, stability has returned in the new millennia and we are evaluating how we might best gather, grow, minister, and respond in the years ahead!

More Easter -- and no April Fooling!

Happy Easter for Seven More Weeks!

I always thought Christians had an advantage in celebrating Easter for another seven Sundays after Easter Sunday. And not just because the Easter candy is reduced in price at Walgreens and Target!
The real sweetness comes from realizing that the dramatic message of the resurrection has meaning not only for Jesus but for the followers of Jesus. So, we are not quite ready to let the wonder of Easter go. In the Sunday readings we discover the power of Easter in the early church, and we can discover the Easter power in our own lives. And not just because we too will be resurrected in the future. But right now, the power of Easter can promise hope, a hope greater than the oncoming Spring. God can raise our vision to see possibilities where we might see only dead-ends or tombs. It is interesting that Luke’s Gospel continues after the resurrection account with the risen Christ offering peace and blessing to his followers, and in their joy those first followers gathered together for worship. We still can gather for worship. We can still know greater joy because of the resurrection. We still receive blessings in this world from the risen Christ. We can know peace in a sometimes frantic world because of the resurrected Jesus.
So I invite you to worship. I invite you to consider blessings that are blooming in your lives. I invite you to know peace. I invite you to continue to share the joy of the Easter message.

I cannot leave this continent yet -- how about Turkey!

So, Sylvia and I decided to combine this Luther study time with a brief vacation in Turkey.

More on this fabulous time later!
But how about a delicious breakfast!

Time to Leave but who are these Mini Me Wannabes?

Luther can be found throughout Wittenberg. Go visit and soon!
Maybe you will spot the Martin Luther Minis.

Monday into the country

After Monday's class we headed out away from Wittenberg to visit a rural parish, Seyda. Such friendly people, so welcoming. It reminded me of my own early pastoral service at congregations in South Texas -- can you say Nordheim, Runge, Westhoff, Lindenau? This church was actually in existence in the time of Martin Luther, and was one visited prior to the introduction of the Small Catechism.

Even inside furnishings were so antique and yet so full of Gospel proclamation.

Sunday Go to Meeting then Go to Torgau

On Sunday, I worshiped for the second time in the main town church, where Luther preached most often in his lifetime. And what an amazing altar to view and receive communion before.

Then after lunch we headed for Torgau, assisting a local church in copying the whole Bible a sentence a person for 2013. The old castle stands firm, and here is where Luther's wife, Katie died. The women in our group gathered around her ancient grave marker.

Weekend to Wartburg and elsewhere

For the weekend, we took a break from classes and Wittenberg to explore other Luther sites.
So, it was off to the Wartburg Castle. On the way we stopped for a real German meal.

The Chilean told me I was not really trying!

Now we had the energy to climb up to the Wartburg!

Great display of artifacts.

Slippery going down hill as the ice began forming again, but I purchased some beautiful hand-painted eggs, depicting the castle and Luther's seal.

Luther in the Library

Wittenberg is undergoing renewal in preparation for the culmination of celebrations. And I hope more follow. In the midst of that, changes are occurring. the university has moved to nearby Halle, while the pastor's seminary will stay in Wartburg. The prized library is in transition but apparently will be relocated to the Castle Church at the edge of the old city of Wittenberg. In the meantime, we got to visit and view some of their rare books.

I particularly enjoyed seeing books that Martin Luther used, loaned, or took marginal notes on the pages.

Just a sampling

Classes, yes

Exchanging our stories and listening to the experiences of others.

We even rotated responsibility of meals by preparing one from our own cultures, enjoying Lutheran flavors from around the world. I decided to offer Tex-Mex fare! No pictures of that as I was hustling to feed twenty. And who knew that actually had avocados in Germany?

Start in a Luther Chapel

Right off the bat, I was informed that I volunteered for the first worship service to be led by participants.
Here I am in the small, VERY cold chapel where Luther frequently preached, preparing for my service. Although held in Germany the primary language for worship and the classes was English because of the international nature of the group -- Europeans, Asians, Africans, Americans (North and South).