Think I'll sit down here for a bit... (11)

[Tangible]

Good Friday service was nice. Used setting three, which I like. The pastor has been doing sermons on the last words of Christ all during Lent and tonight was "into your hands I commend my spirit."

We have communion Thursday and Friday nights, but not on Easter Sunday - don't get me started. And we used individual cups instead of the common cup. Other than that it was a good service.

Tennebrae will be at 10:00, but with a baby and little ones we've decided not to go this year.

 

[Studeclunker]

Paula and I didn't make it for the Thursday & Friday services this week. We're moving her daughter and both of us are exhausted. I'm very much looking forward to Easter services though.

 

[PreachersWife2004]

hubby broke the door to the sacristy whilst making the strepitus at tonight's Tenebrae service.

 

[alexnbethmom]

hubby broke the door to the sacristy whilst making the strepitus at tonight's Tenebrae service.

how in the world did he do that?? dang!!!

our Tenebrae service tonight was very very moving....had about 40 people in attendance, and alex got to be acolyte again.....pastor accidentally blew right past a hymn we were supposed to sing ("Stricken, Smitten and Afflicted"), but we did sing "O Sacred Head, Now Wounded".....by the end we were in complete darkness, and then pastor did the strepitus - last year he used the broadside of a hammer on a piece of wood, but was absolutely scared to death that he cracked the altar doing that (thank God he didn't) - so this year, he took a big Bible and slammed it just on the edge of the altar - made a VERY impressive noise.....

we had Communion last night, but not tonight - and we'll have Communion on Easter Sunday, apparently, which i think this is the first time we've done that since i've been there....

now that i've gotten to talk to my love, it's time to go sleepy-bye, for this weekend is jam-packed full of activity.....i need my beauty sleep.....(won't do any good, but hey....)

have a blessed Saturday, everybody!!

 

[DaRev]

i need my beauty sleep.....(won't do any good, but hey....)

You don't need beauty sleep.

 

[alexnbethmom]

You don't need beauty sleep.

you're beautiful......

 

[PreachersWife2004]

how in the world did he do that?? dang!!!

I think the door frame was weak to begin with. They'll just have to reinforce it, which will actually make next year's strepitus that much more effective!

our Tenebrae service tonight was very very moving....had about 40 people in attendance, and alex got to be acolyte again.....pastor accidentally blew right past a hymn we were supposed to sing ("Stricken, Smitten and Afflicted"), but we did sing "O Sacred Head, Now Wounded".....by the end we were in complete darkness, and then pastor did the strepitus - last year he used the broadside of a hammer on a piece of wood, but was absolutely scared to death that he cracked the altar doing that (thank God he didn't) - so this year, he took a big Bible and slammed it just on the edge of the altar - made a VERY impressive noise.....

Our only issue (aside from the broken door) is that our ushers shut off the last light in the middle of the last verse of the hymn, which meant that virtually everyone there stopped singing because they couldn't see the words. I happened to be sitting next to the piano so I had that light to see by, fortunately. Tenebrae services are still new to this congregation so we're still working out the bumps!

we had Communion last night, but not tonight - and we'll have Communion on Easter Sunday, apparently, which i think this is the first time we've done that since i've been there....

We have communion on Maundy Thursday but not Good Friday or Easter. I'd love to see communion on Easter, but the extenuating argument is that we have about 45% uptick in visitors that day who are not able to commune and it makes for a sticky situation during the service, even though we fully announce that we practice close communion and an explanation is given in the bulletin. We would just rather not put souls in jeopardy. It does work for a good majority of congregations, though.

now that i've gotten to talk to my love, it's time to go sleepy-bye, for this weekend is jam-packed full of activity.....i need my beauty sleep.....(won't do any good, but hey....)

have a blessed Saturday, everybody!!

I agree with DaRev, judging by your pics I don't think you need any beauty sleep!!

 

[Luther073082]

Melissa wanted to go to the Chapel of the Resurrection at Valparaiso University (My alma mater) for Easter because she has never been in the chapel. And easter is one of a few services where there is a good cross section of people (as opposed to just college students.)

And honestly what better place to go for Easter then the Chapel of the Ressurection??

So anyways here are some photos from our trip. (Its about an hour away from where we live.)

(BTW The chapel pretty significant to me because I first became a Christian and a Lutheran there, it was my cradle as a baby Christian, and I graduated in that building.)

Us in front of the high altar

Victory over the cross

Organ

High altar

Lebien baptistry

Exterior

 

[seajoy]

Beautiful pictures!

I spent the entire weekend sick and in bed at my daughter's house. I went to Good Friday services, then went to bed when we got home and didn't get up until Sunday at about 10am. I looked like walking death, but managed to make myself presentable before the family got home from church. My husband told me all about the weekend while we drove home from Wisconsin last night. Happy Easter!

 

[Aibrean]

After lunch on Easter I took a 3 hour nap. With a 7am service it really puts my body out of whack and I had a headache.

 

[PreachersWife2004]

After lunch on Easter I took a 3 hour nap. With a 7am service it really puts my body out of whack and I had a headache.

We had a sunrise service on Easter and I was up until 1:30am getting music ready, setting out the boys' clothes, getting their Easter baskets ready and then realizing that I had no idea what I was wearing.

Then, after all the services were done (we also have a children's service after the Easter breakfast) we went over to a member's house for lunch. When we got home, we ALL took naps. Then we played outside for a good amount of time - the boys slept well when we finally got around to putting them to bed, that's for sure.

As much as I love Easter, Holy Week is our craziest week time-wise, mainly because of prep for the special services but also because it's the second to last week prior to confirmation so hubby is still going crazy trying to figure that all out. I'm glad the craziness is done and that I can focus on what we celebrated: Christ's resurrection.

 

[QuiltAngel]

both my sons, a niece and my mother-in-law were all here for Easter. They arrived on Friday in time for supper and niece left yesterday afternoon and the others this morning. We had a great weekend celebrating Jesus life, death and resurrection. Being together was great also.

I fixed lamb for dinner and then I took a 3 hour nap. The others worked on a puzzle, went to the park and other things. A good time was had by all.

 

[DaRev]

I have my own opinions concerning Valpo... but I will keep them to myself.

 

[Luther073082]

I have my own opinions concerning Valpo... but I will keep them to myself.

I know, a lot of confessional's take an issue with how the chapel attempts to serve both confessional and non-confessional Lutherans at the same time.

Its a tough balance for them I think. Mostly because neither side really "owns" Valpo and so they are sort of stuck trying to be a balance between the two. And with the ELCA's decisions a couple of years ago that is only going to be more difficult. I knew of Lutherans on both sides who didn't attend chapel services (but went to nearby churchs) because they believed that the chapel served more to the other side.

What I havn't seen anybody comment on was the fact that the university a while ago bought a drug store accross the street from campus, paid to convert it into a Roman Catholic church and currently pays a Roman Catholic priest as part of its ministry staff for its Roman Catholic students. (Which there are quite a few of.)

To be honest I think even I had a hard time with it, because what I've come to realize is that while the chapel is Christian it doesn't really preach much of a doctrine because they are trying to be everything for everyone.

BTW I did find out that Pastor Cunningham resigned as University Pastor and moved on to other opprotunies and Pastor Weinstein is now the University Pastor.

 

[QuiltAngel]

Lots of concerning things happen at Valpo, that I know.

As far as the chapel building, I think it has some beauty. I do prefer a much simpler worship area, but appreciate the beauty of such chapels too.

 

[Tangible]

.
http://www.retirelikeme.com/2011/04/21/mississippi-town-destroys-westboro-baptist-plans/

 

[alexnbethmom]

we got some very sad news this morning.....one of our ushers at church got called Home to be with Jesus this morning.....he had a heart attack. he was only in his late 50's, and he was anxiously awaiting the arrival of their first grandchild. he sat behind me either at the Maundy Thursday or Good Friday service, and i saw him at church on Sunday, and he was all smiles.....

he was a beautiful man - i'm going to miss him a lot. i know he is with our Lord now - but i'm still very sad.....

remember to tell the ones you love that you love them - each and every day. you just never know how long you're going to have them - or how long they'll have you....

 

[Luther073082]

we got some very sad news this morning.....one of our ushers at church got called Home to be with Jesus this morning.....he had a heart attack. he was only in his late 50's, and he was anxiously awaiting the arrival of their first grandchild. he sat behind me either at the Maundy Thursday or Good Friday service, and i saw him at church on Sunday, and he was all smiles.....

he was a beautiful man - i'm going to miss him a lot. i know he is with our Lord now - but i'm still very sad.....

remember to tell the ones you love that you love them - each and every day. you just never know how long you're going to have them - or how long they'll have you....

The church we've been going to right now has a long term interm pastor because their previous pastor who was in his mid 30's with 3 young kids suddenly passed away from a heart condition.

The awkward thing was the people who where telling us about this decided at that moment to call over his widow to say hi. What do you say to a random woman that you don't know who just lost her 36 year old husband and is now widowed with 3 children.

 

[alexnbethmom]

The church we've been going to right now has a long term interm pastor because their previous pastor who was in his mid 30's with 3 young kids suddenly passed away from a heart condition.

The awkward thing was the people who where telling us about this decided at that moment to call over his widow to say hi. What do you say to a random woman that you don't know who just lost her 36 year old husband and is now widowed with 3 children.

having been in that very situation, i still wouldn't know what to say....

my husband passed away at the age of 39, leaving me a widow with 2 children. he wasn't a pastor, but still.....

i feel very very sad for that young family - how long ago did this happen?

 

[Luther073082]

having been in that very situation, i still wouldn't know what to say....

my husband passed away at the age of 39, leaving me a widow with 2 children. he wasn't a pastor, but still.....

i feel very very sad for that young family - how long ago did this happen?

I think it must have only been a few months ago, I don't remember when he said it happened but I don't think it was long before we started attending.

The interm pastor I like as a person but I'm actually glad he's just an interm pastor because I found his blog and he has some views which are highly liberal for an LCMS pastor. I'm sort of curious as to if anyone at the church has read his blog.

Of course this will confirm what a lot of people already think about my alma-mater but his full time position is as a theology professor at Valparaiso University.