But I Don't Know Queen!

Here is a glimpse from Amen in the Poconos. A few too many Diet Cokes, and sleep deprivation leads to such displays! LOL

Thanks to Pastor Borghardt and Jon Kohlmeier for directing my attention to this! Black mail material for a few of my friends. haha

I will be at Amen in Saint Louis this week! Keep an eye on Higher Things for details.

Life's Soundtrack

Indiana Jane had this on her blog, and Kristi thought it was a hoot! I did too.

IF YOUR LIFE WAS A MOVIE, WHAT WOULD THE SOUNDTRACK BE?
Here's how it works:

1. Open your library (iTunes, Media Player, iPod, etc)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every question, type the song that's playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button
6. Don't lie and try to pretend you're cool...
7. Include commentary

Opening Credits: “Imagine” sung by David Archuleta. Yes, the original is quite blasphemous, but David was very moving in the selection and performance.

Waking Up: “Paint it Black” sung by Gina Glocksen. Yeah. Paint the windows black, so I can sleep another few hours!

First Day at School: “This Year” by the A Teens (Kim Possible) (Remember that Ben shares our library.) :-)

Falling in Love: “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by the A Teens (Lilo & Stitch) No kidding! This really pulled up!

Fight Song: “Get Up on Ya Feet” by Aaron Carter (Kim Possible) That’s three from Ben’s portion of our library. Haha. I just have been lazy and not bothered to only sync our songs.

Breaking Up: “Cooties” by Aimee Allen (Hairspray). I suppose that would be a reason for kids to break up.

Prom: “The Music of the Night” David Cook. David Cook became our favorite when we got to the Top 12 on Idol. This song was amazing!

Life's Ok: “That’s How It Goes” by Michael Buble. Thanks to our cousin, “Sweet Amy,” for introducing us to Michael Buble! (His music, not meeting in person.)

Mental Breakdown: “America the Beautiful” by the Walt Disney World Band. OK, the only way to bring this together is that we’d have a break down that we are not there on Main Street, USA, to hear the band!

Driving: “SFunkae” by Lord Ming (One of those free downloads we never listen to and hadn’t cleared off the list yet.)

Flashback: “Moonlight Serenade” composed by Klaus Badelt (Pirates of the Caribbean Soundtrack). LOVE the Pirates soundtrack. And this would be good “flashback” music!

Getting Back Together: “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” by Amy Grant. Hmmm…I think this one is a bust.

Wedding: “Have a Nice Day” sung by Melinda Doolittle. Indeed! The nicest!

Birth of Child: “Rock Lobster” by the B 52’s. Haha! You always want to remember that birth, and Rock Lobster is a song you just can’t get out of your head.

Final Battle: “Nesciens Mater” composed by Josquin Desprez. Hmm…another miss. Josquin was Luther’s favorite composer.

Death Scene: “Chapel Bell and Entrance of Congregation” from Evensong (the Choir of Kings College, Cambridge.) Very churchly. What a way to go!

Funeral Song: “Pumpin’ Up the Party” by Hannah Montana. Yes, the party of Paradise with our Lord!

End Credits: “Jungle Book” by Drew K & French (The Lion King 1 ½.) Another Ben feature.

OK, so I tag Kristi, Jessica, Will Weedon, and David Juhl. Are any of you reading this? :-)

Sing Alleluia! Amen!

For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. (1 Corinthians 5:7b-8 ESV)

Thirty-four years ago, the Rev. Dr. Martin Franzmann pondered these words from the historic Epistle for the Resurrection of Our Lord. As the Lord blessed his imagination, talent, and eloquence, Dr. Franzmann’s pen issued forth a text with beauty and strength – one that begets many “Alleluias” and “Amens!”

Our Paschal Lamb, that sets us free,

Is sacrificed. O keep

The feast of freedom gallantly;

Let alleluias leap:

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Again

Sing alleluia, cry aloud: Alleluia! Amen!

Jesus Christ is the true and great Paschal Lamb. All Passover lambs had always anticipated THE Lamb. The innocent shedding of blood, and the body given to eat in celebration of the Lord’s deliverance, had pointed forward for some 1470 years, to the great events of our Savior’s death and resurrection.

As Saint Paul wrote God’s Word to the church at Corinth, the Lord’s Pascha (Easter) had been celebrated 25 years or so. The Church is jubilant as we recall and commemorate Jesus’ innocent suffering and death as our once-and-for-all sacrifice – and His triumphant resurrection.

Our festival is gallant – fearless – as we look death straight in the eye and declare: “You have no power over me! Christ died in my place. Now He is risen! You will not prevail!” And a host of “alleluias” stream from our mouths, concluded as only they can be, with the great “Amen!” of faith from Christ. Gift given. Gift received. Yes. Yes. It shall be so!

Let all our lives now celebrate

The feast; let malice die.

Let love grow strong anew, and great,

Let truth stamp out the lie.

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Again

Sing alleluia, cry aloud: Alleluia! Amen!

Living out the faith God gives, our entire lives now rejoice in our Risen Savior. Hatred and strife pass away, as they are defeated by Him who is the Truth. He stamps out the lies of sin and death, spewed by Satan. Again, the response of the baptized cannot help but be “Alleluia!” and “Amen!”

Let all our deeds, unanimous,

Confess Him as our Lord

Who by the Spirit lives in us,

The Father’s living Word.

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Again

Sing alleluia, cry aloud: Alleluia! Amen!

Now we, along with the whole Church on earth, together “with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven, …laud and magnify” the Lord. We confess what the Triune God has given us to confess: that the Word became flesh, and dwelt as the Lamb of God among us, that He suffered and died as the Paschal Sacrifice, and is now risen from the dead, and lives and reigns to all eternity. This is most certainly true! (Amen!)

Going to Bender's

Glenda at I Shouldn't Be Doin' This has brought it up a few times. Kristi has talked about it too. I'm getting excited myself.

Next Wednesday evening begins the Catechesis Symposium of the Concordia Catechetical Academy. We call it "Going to Bender's" for short. LOL

Pastor Peter Bender has been a personal hero for some time. He is pastor of Peace Lutheran Church in Sussex (suburban Milwaukee), Wisconsin, and the CCA is an auxiliary of that parish, which promotes Luther's Small Catechism, and the formation in the faith that we call "catechesis." While this is not required, it is by far the one that has the most direct applications to my daily parish ministry.

The sessions are stimulating and informing, yet accessible to laity as well. It is a very "family friendly" conference. And the two Divine Services alone make the 1000 mile round-trip worth it!

Of course, the food is another highlight. Peace provides a beautiful and tasty spread on Wednesday night. We also go to Kopp's, a local frozen custard place, on Thursday nights. Thursday lunch is always Weissgerber's, an amazing German restaurant. Mmmm....what a great trip!

GREAT Chinese Food

Mmmmmm! You just cannot top it!

Kristi and I diverted our path on our way home from the bead show by stopping in Evergreen Park at "our" restaurant: Chi Tung. Chi Tung is the best asian restaurant we have ever experienced. We frequented it when we lived less than a mile from it. Now, every time we pass through Chicagoland, we have to stop!

As we were seated this past Saturday (the first visit we have EVER had no wait), we were greeted with hot, steamy hand towels. Very refreshing! We ordered lunch-sized specials (which were still more than enough.) Cashew Chicken is our all time favorite. Even the egg rolls are far superior to anyone else's. The wraps are flaky and crispy, the filling quite tasty, and the sweet and sour magnificent!

Have I mentioned that we adore and miss this place?

My Kind of Town...

Tomorrow Kristi and I will head to Chicago. We will enjoy an evening with our friend Mary, and proceed to Milwaukee for the Bead Show. After that excursion, we will spend a brief time with Martin & Amy and their family.

I'm getting ready for the feeling to hit. Every time we visit the Windy City, we get a little home sick. It happens with Saint Louis too. Lots of people we love in both cities, and great culture. We love it.

We'll be back before we even will know we'd left. But in between, Giordano's Chicago-style pizza and Chi Tung!!! Woo hoo!