Light from Ann Arbor

2011-12-16T14:54:00.003-05:00

“Continuing in Hope”The Rev. Dr. Munib YounanBishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy LandSt. Paul Lutheran Church, Dearborn, MIDecember 9, 2011 HopeHope comes from the Cross and the Cross was in Jerusalem. Despite the weaknesses of the church resulting from the current situation, ongoing emigration, etc., the church will continue to be a presence in the Holy Land

The Healing Mask

2010-06-08T11:35:00.001-04:00

Dear Friends, Those of you who were in worship (and awake during the sermon) at LOL on Sunday will recall that I shared a bit about a woman named Brenda with whom I attended the "Creating Healing Ceremonies" workshop recently. I wish I'd had the following video to offer you then as it provides a wonderfully animated version of a part of Brenda's story I did not include. As an added bonus,

Graduate Recognition Take Three: Tim Krohn's Sermon

2010-05-06T12:07:00.005-04:00

Tim Krohn has been at the heart of LOL/LCM for nearly a decade as a Peer Minister, the Campus Ministry Coordinatorand currently, Director of Music Ministries.Grace and Peace to you from the One who IS, who Was, and who is to come.It’s hard to believe that it’s been almost ten years since I first walked through these doors as an eager young freshman, having no idea of what the ensuing decade would

Graduate Recognition Sunday Take Two: Jackie Hibbard's Sermon

2010-05-06T09:19:00.008-04:00

Jackie Hibbard, University of Michigan, M.S.E Space Systems 2010, B.S.E. Aerospace 2009 delivered the sermon on Sunday, April 25th. With her permission, we reprint it here: May 09, 2007 [Episcopal News Service](with parenthetical comment by yours truly - sfs)Twenty Episcopalians (and 50 Lutherans, 10 of whom were from the Southeast Michigan Synod, ELCA) from around the country joined an ecumenical coalition in Washington, D.C., May 6-8 to press for sustained diplomatic engagement by

Graduate Recognition Sunday

2007-04-22T22:36:00.001-04:00

2007 Graduates: Patrick Lyon, Keith Pearson Fuhrhop, Kristin Pearson Fuhrhop, Matt Petering, Jessica Powell, Tiffany So, Isaac Williamson; not pictured: Chuck Chambers, Matt Steiner, Diana TarrApril 22, 2007This morning, as we honored our graduates, we were blessed to have Kristin Pearson Fuhrhop deliver the sermon. Below is the text of her homily. Wow. I’m graduating. And what I was planning to

Celebrating our Graduates!

2007-04-20T13:35:00.000-04:00

This Sunday, April 22nd, we will honor our 2007 graduates:Chuck ChambersChuck will be receiving an MA in German Language and Literature from Wayne State University, Detroit. His thesis focused on German gay silent films. After a summer of studying New Testament Greek, Chuck will be entering the M.Div. program at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. Ultimately, Chuck hopes to serve as a

The Impact of the Virginia Tech Tragedy

2007-04-19T10:43:00.000-04:00

Dear Friends,As you can imagine, the joy of this week, in which we mark the end of classes and prepare to honor our graduates, has been diminished by the tragic events at Virginia Tech. Our students are struggling with competing emotions as they try to focus on writing papers and preparing for exams while feeling deeply the suffering of the Virginia Tech community. Their questions are as profound

From the Campus Pastors at Virginia Tech

2007-04-19T10:36:00.000-04:00

The following meditation was sent out to the Lutheran community at Virginia Tech by its ELCA campus pastors, Bill King and Joanna Stallings. I found it deeply moving and worth sharing. - PSThe book of Job is the Bible’s most extended wrestling with the mystery of incomprehensible, pointless, “how-can-a-loving God-who-cares-one-iota-about-humanity-allow-such-absurdity” pain. It spills oceans of

Virginia Tech

2007-04-17T16:11:00.000-04:00

God of all grace, you sent your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, to bring life and immortality to light. We give you thanks because by his death Jesus destroyed the power of death and by his resurrection has opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers. Make us certain that because he lives we shall live also, and that neither death nor life, nor things present nor things to come shall be able to

Cultural Observations from Sweden

2007-04-17T16:04:00.000-04:00

Judy Moldenhauer, who is currently on a Fulbright in Sweden, is graciously allowing us to share some of her cultural observations. Here are her reflections upon Swedish Easter customs:Hej, hej!Attached are are pictures of the Easter (Påsk) decorations inEskilstuna.There is a Swedish tradition of gathering a bunch of thin birch branches, putting them in a vase (or planter) and then decorating the

Lutheran Students Bring Hope to the U.S. Gulf Coast

2007-03-14T13:24:00.000-04:00

ELCA NEWS SERVICEMarch 14, 200707-034-MRCNEW ORLEANS (ELCA) -- Dressed in white a hard hat with arespirator over her face, Lisa Evans, a senior at Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, Ind., said, "We're here to bring hope. We can make a big difference in just one week." Standing in front of a Hurricane Katrina-damaged house March 5 in New Orleans, Evans joined more than 800 college and

Another Point of View

2007-03-07T17:14:00.000-05:00

Marty Zimmann (pictured above), Pastor of St. John Lutheran Church, Dundee, Michigan, writes a daily devotion, "Peace It Together," which gives spiritual nurture to many. This week, Pastor Marty is part of a group doing disaster relief work along the Gulf Coast. I thank him for graciously permitting me to reproduce today's devotion here on our blog. ~ Pastor SueI told them that it didn't make any

Photos from Port Arthur

2007-03-06T13:13:00.000-05:00

For those of you who aren't on Facebook, here are a few photos of our work in Port Arthur (in no particular order due to the limited technological knowledge of the blogger!): Max and Ruth (from Iowa) measure sheetrock. Caution: Pastor with prybar! Be gone with you, pink walls! Karen earned a special place in Terry's heart byorganizing the contents of his trailer. The samebucket that holds knives

Sermon for March 4, 2007 by Dr. Perry C. Francis

2007-03-04T14:42:00.000-05:00

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:I am not going to preach on the lessons this morning. Instead I want to focus our attention more keenly on our season of Lent and the actions that we can take to help make Lent a growing season of giving.It all started like this…a storm system formed at the tail of an old frontal boundary, where convection and low-level circulation around an upper-level low

Mary's House

2007-02-28T21:29:00.000-05:00

Here's a photo of the front and side of Mary's house. The FEMA trailers are visible in the rear.

Greetings from Port Arthur!

2007-02-28T21:15:00.000-05:00

I’m sorry it’s taken so long to check in from Port Arthur. We have very limited internet access here as one finds neither wireless access nor internet cafes in Port Arthur. Our hosts at St. John’s UMC have graciously allowed us to use their computers to access the internet each evening but in order to minimize the time we spend monopolizing their computers, I need to write and download

Chagrined in Chicago

2007-02-24T17:12:00.000-05:00

Well, the best laid plans...Although I checked my flight's status repeatedly before leaving the house, I arrived at the airport to discover that my direct flight to Houston had been cancelled. I've been rerouted through Chicago - via two different airlines. That required double check-ins and a few other adventures. And I was hoping that I would avoid problems by getting out of town before the

Alternative Spring Break 2007: Destination Port Arthur, Texas

2007-02-20T18:12:00.000-05:00

Final preparations are underway for our Alternative Spring Break trip to participate in Lutheran Disaster Response's Hurricane Rita Relief Effort. Representing Lord of Light Lutheran Campus Ministry will be:Casey FrancisPerry FrancisMax WinelandKaren Wrenbeck...and yours trulyAbout Port ArthurAccording to wikipedia (which is to say, double check this information before repeating it with authority

Christmas Joy!

2006-12-16T15:21:00.000-05:00

We wish you...safe travels, joyful reunions, a blessed Christmas and a New Year filled with good health, much happiness and peace throughout the world!WT Bear as O Tannenbaum

Kelsey Stone Memorial CROP Walk a Great Success!

2006-11-03T13:04:00.000-05:00

Eli is happy to continue thefamily tradition of caring! Barry was proud to walk (okay, ride)in memory of his brother, Kelsey! Thanks to many generous donors, the Kelsey Stone Memorial CROP Walk, held as part of the annual Ann Arbor CROP Walk on Sunday, October 8th, netted $3,200 in funds to support local and international ministries!Barry and Eli Sprowls walked in memory of their brother,

Reformation Roundup!

2006-11-03T12:41:00.000-05:00

The Luthers: Reformation Royalty! The Papal Bull was eventually...decapitated! Katie Luther struggles to down just one more (gummy) worm! Andrew rocked at the Baptismal Apple Bobbing Contest!Wow!Our Reformation Homecoming Extravaganza was a blast!After catching the Wolverines trounce the Northwestern Wildcats, alumni gathered in the cozy lounge for a wonderful time of food, fellowship and

Festifall 2006

2006-09-16T22:51:00.000-04:00

Puppy Evangelism! Max does "the robot" with slap bracelets!Kyle Hofmann joins in the fun!Wow! Time flies! July and August have passed and we are now into the new academic year, which is off to a great start!For the first time, we participated in the EMU “Fajita Fest” for new students on Labor Day. Good conversations took place between currently active and prospective students.Rush LOL (lambda

Call for Campus Ministry Stories

2006-07-21T12:06:00.002-04:00

The Lutheran takes a look at higher education in its November issue each year to give readers a glimpse of ministry on campus at ELCA schools and other colleges and universities.This fall, our denominational magazine wants to help lay the foundation for the 2007 Centennial of Lutheran Campus Ministry by reporting stories from LCM alums. Please let us know if you have stories to share. Your

We Will Go Fishing

2006-07-18T14:56:00.000-04:00

Philip Melancthon, the great Reformation theologian, once said to his friend Martin Luther, "This day you and I will discuss the governance of theuniverse." What Luther said in response was unexpected: "This day you and I will go fishing and leave the governance of the universe to God."Source: Our Daily Bread, March-May, 1996

Campus Pastors Gathering

2006-07-04T17:58:00.000-04:00

Well, I have finally achieved yet another milestone in faith: my very first trip to Minnesota! While I had been planning to wait until the 10th anniversary of my ordination to make the pilgrimmage to the Lutheran Holy Land of the Upper Midwest, duty called and I went to Minneapolis for the Episcopal - Lutheran Campus Pastors' National Gathering.The event was held at Augsburg College, which is a

I can't leave it there...

2006-06-09T13:18:00.000-04:00

For the past week, I've been trying to break into this program to add a post-script to last Wednesday's entry. I simply couldn't fathom leaving that entry as the last one detailing our trip to the Holy Land! And so, let me try to add some additional light to the story...Picking up where we left off...While I had planned a trip to Yad Vashem, the Israeli Holocaust Memorial, on Wednesday afternoon

The Hardest Day - May 31

2006-05-31T15:50:00.000-04:00

Friends,Today was the hardest day. Those of you who have been here will understand what that means. It was the day when the emotional impact of the situation hit with full force.The day began simply enough - with a visit to the Lutheran World Federation's Vocational Training Center - which has been in existence since 1951. They teach metal working, auto-technology, woodworking, plumbing/

Hello from Hebron! May 30, 2006

2006-05-30T15:06:00.000-04:00

Hello from (or rather following) Hebron!I forgot to mention that yesterday afternoon we spent a couple of hours talking with Bishop Younan. It was a good dialogue and he is pleased with our growing partnership. It was a lively conversation!Okay. Today. We went to the little village of Tuwani, a tiny village mostly of shepherds, where we met with members of the Christian Peacemaker Team currently

Jammin' in Jerusalem May 29, 2006

2006-05-29T14:11:00.000-04:00

Greetings from Jerusalem!(YAY! The hard returns work on this computer!)I'm writing to you from an internet cafe by Jaffa Gate, the Old City. On Sunday morning, Marty and I went to worship with the Arabic speaking congregation at Redeemer in Jerusalem. What a wonderful group of folks!The pastor trained at Tubingen. Though he preaches in Arabic, his style is clearly German. Naturally, everyone in

Breathless in Bethlehem -- May 27, 2006

2006-05-27T10:24:00.000-04:00

Whew! I'm finally online! God willing, this will actually go through!We're here! It's our second night in Bethlehem and we've been running flat-out since we arrived. Or so it seems. Our flights were tiring but without incident. Our first night, at the 7 Arches in Jerusalem (Jeff, there were a lot of guys wearing potholders on their heads; what's that all about?), found us all collapsed in our

Weather Report for Jerusalem

2006-05-17T22:53:00.000-04:00

Here's the latest weather report for Jerusalem:Thursday, May 25th: High: 82; Low: 62; Chance of precipitation: 0%Friday, May 26th: High: 85; Low: 65 ; Chance of precipitation: 0%We've been told to be prepared to fry in the desert. Gosh, to me this sounds like pretty much perfect weather! Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh...back to the DRY warmth! I expect to be quite content!: )Sue

8 Days to the Holy Land

2006-05-17T00:00:00.000-04:00

In 8 days, a dozen folks from the Southeast Michigan Synod will begin our journey to the Holy Land. Preparations are well underway. Packing has begun. Tasks are being checked off of the lists. For those who are interested in learning about some of the organizations with which we will be meeting, here is the list given us by the synod:holyland-lutherans.orgThe web site of our companion synod, the

Maundy Thursday

2006-04-13T14:29:00.000-04:00

The following poem, by Macrina Wiederkehr, published in Seasons of Your Heart, arrived in my email "in box" today:Supper was special that nightThere was both a heaviness and a holiness hanging in the airWe couldn’t explain the mood It was sacred, yet sorrowful.Gathered around that table eating that solemn, holy mealseemed to us the most important meal we ever sat down to eatWe were dwelling in

FINAL Report from Biloxi

2006-04-07T12:19:00.000-04:00

One last word, I promise!It's 4 a.m. Friday, I've slept well on the church floor, but I can't sleep anymore before we actually get going at 4:45, and there were a couple of incidents last evening.Jay and I drove down to the far east end of Biloxi to view the US 90 bridge over to Ocean Springs that was wiped out by Katrina. These massive sections of concrete and steel highway just toppled over

(Almost) Final Report from Biloxi

2006-04-07T12:16:00.000-04:00

Hello up in the MIdwest and Eastern coast!And for you at Lord of Light in Ann Arbor: do you need a picket fence built? No sooner said than done! Yesterday Jay and I went out with a Lutheran Disaster Response Construction Site Manager to build a picket fence. We had hoped to take 2 or 3 more workers along, but Jay and I were the only ones Tim could scrounge up. He really should have stayed at the

Tuesday Report from Biloxi

2006-04-05T14:06:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, Monday, was a hot and sultry, but great day here. My colleague, Jay, from Lord of Light in Ann arbor, worked in the health clinic here at the church, wearing his Social Work hat rather than pastoral. He was in his element as he did Case Management and some Intake, but mostly coaching and supervising a terrific crew of 6 young women from American Corps. I did pastoral counseling for the

Sunday from Biloxi

2006-04-04T11:26:00.000-04:00

Hi, all!A nice Sunday on the demolished Gulf Coast -- sunny and quite warm. Had a great day in church this morning. It was a special treat to preach at BEthel for the pastor. It was the first Sunday his wife Judy, who is the site director for Lutheran Disaster Relief since she retired from 30 years in the VA here just when Katrina hit. She had a heart attack a month ago when we were here. So, it

Report from Roland: April 1st - No foolin'!

2006-04-02T10:33:00.000-04:00

Jay has his camera, and has taken a roll already. Today, after waiting around at a Habitat site (almost a whole block of homes that are in the stage of drywalling and painting) for over an hour, we finally got over to a house a mile away. This house also had its drywall done, and Jay and I had a somewhat lighter day in working in a much more finished home for a disabled widow. She served us

Report from Roland: March 31, 2006

2006-04-02T10:31:00.000-04:00

Roland Schaedig, our first "Biloxi Boomerang," and Jay Haite are in Biloxi for a week. Here's Roland's first report:Jay and I have arrived. I gave Judy the DVD right away--she was thrilled; she goes home for the afternoon and evening now. I gave Donna her envelope and left the envelopes for Judy and Kelli in their offices (Kelli is due in this evening).After lunch Jay and I drove down to the

On the Road Again...

2006-03-07T14:25:00.000-05:00

Just after 4AM on Saturday, we awoke, cleaned up a bit, dressed and hit the road for the airport.As we reviewed our luggage, we were once again grateful to Barbara and Roland for hauling much of our heaviest and bulkiest gear in their car.We arrived at the airport at the same time three buses of Navy Seabees pulled up. Apparently, they'd been in Biloxi for two weeks of training and were

Friday!

2006-03-07T13:40:00.000-05:00

On Friday morning, Roland returned to do pastoral care in the clinic while the rest of us hoofed it through a couple of neighborhoods, checking in with folks, sharing information regarding the services available through Lutheran Disaster Relief and doing preliminary sign ups for those in need of assistance. We were welcomed warmly and with gratitude by the folks we met. One woman took us out back

Meanwhile, Back at Lucinda Marie's House and Elsewhere...

2006-03-07T13:15:00.000-05:00

While Max, Chelsea and Emily were trying to do their part to beautify Biloxi, Roland took a group of 8 students from Augustana College to Lucinda Marie's house to finish the project. They completed the gutting of walls and removal of ceilings. Roland tells a very cute story about how two young men were pulling down a doorframe with their hammers. Despite Roland's encouragement that they use

Thursday's "Beach Clean-Up" - by Chelsea Mathis

2006-03-07T13:13:00.000-05:00

Thursday morning Max, Emily, and I trekked over to the Biloxi Town Green, an oasis in a desert of debris, to help out with the “Beach Clean-Up.” What we found after Pastor Sue dropped us off was a freshly sodded park with a grandstand and a brand new shoe fly. (A shoe fly, for all us Northern folk, is a deck wrapped around a tree.) We sat through an hour of speeches from local officials, like the

Wednesday Report - A Day Late!

2006-03-02T21:15:00.000-05:00

Now that Lent is underway, I must confess that I was just too tired to blog last night. In an attempt not to slosh myself with soup at supper, I tried to lean over my bowl. I couldn't do it. I had to lift the bowl off of the table! I'm really getting old!Yesterday began with an interesting experience when we stopped at Camp Biloxi to pick up some tools. Imagine my surprise when the first person I

My Very First Mardi Gras Parade!

2006-02-28T21:27:00.000-05:00

Okay. No more funsies with the fonts, folks. I'll just type and we'll all live with what we get, okay? Thank you for understanding the limits of my technical abilities!My first Mardi Gras parade was a blast! Judy gave us her insider's take on how to find parking. We did well and walked quite a ways along Route 90 before taking up spots on Porter Avenue, just beyond the corner at Route 90. (More

Tuesday...Happy Mardi Gras!

2006-02-28T20:33:00.000-05:00

Happy Mardi Gras!And what a day it's been!I, uh, overslept this morning. The earplugs worked wonders! The Tempur-pedic mattress was exquisite! And while I did have some strange dreams, I didn't even hear my alarm sound repeatedly at 6:30AM.After grabbing a quick bite to eat, I was greeted by Dorothy and Judy, who were both FULL of Mardi Gras cheer! Dorothy, pictured on the left, was QUEEN of the

Photos...I hope!

2006-02-27T21:57:00.000-05:00

Okay, so the silly program wouldn't allow me to upload photos into this afternoon's entry. So, here they are:This is the house Max and Emily worked on.Here are the SeaBees working with the HSSM Staff.Chelsea loved the kitties - literally! An attempted escape! Modern camping equipment!

Monday Evening - with Photos!

2006-02-27T21:42:00.000-05:00

Good Evening from Biloxi!This afternoon, Roland continued his day's ministry by sharing his pastoral skills with the folks visiting the clinic. He reports that the most frequent comment from patients was, "Thank you" along with, "Be sure to tell the people up north thank you from us." Others reported encountering similar expressions of appreciation throughout the course of their work.Barbara

Greetings from Biloxi! First Report

2006-02-27T14:41:00.000-05:00

Greetings from Biloxi!Well, there is so much to tell...Let's begin with what Barbara says is the story she'll never live down (that's not quite true but it is a fun story!).We were scheduled to gather at 2:30PM on Sunday to leave for the airport. At 1:22, I was pulling into my driveway (I had to run home to change and find my checkbook). Barbara called from Biloxi to say that, after worship at

The Excitement is Building!

2006-02-23T23:24:00.000-05:00

Roland and Barbara took off for Biloxi this morning, their station wagon packed with sleeping bags and supplies for our trip.On Sunday afternoon, Max, Chelsea, Emily and I will take to the skies and join them at Bethel Lutheran Church. We're almost ready!Sadly, Kelly will be unable to join us. Her beloved grandmother died on Monday and Kelly will be heading back to Buffalo for the funeral and