Cristo esta resucitado! or Kristus er oppstanden!

It's good to have family in warm places this time of year. And I had plenty. So I joined them.

I spent Easter break on Captiva Island in Florida. Most of my school vacations this year have been opportunities to work a few more hours, concentrate on wedding planning or write papers I'd put off for weeks. This time, there was a true break.

I packed different clothes. I spent time with different people. I read different books. I slept different hours. And my to-do list consisted of bringing a chair with me to the beach or deciding between ice cream flavors at the general store. No cell phone service. No demands. Just sun, rain and the sounds of spring promised.

The bells tolled at noon on Good Friday. I was nearby but not properly clad and came barefoot from the sand. There was prayer and song. In this paradise and chapel of white washed grace, we recalled Jesus crucified. I wandered through the graveyard, a place I remembered from a few childhood visits here. It is strange to think of death and suffering in a place like this.

The cousins spoke in broken and goofy trilingual bliss, calling upon short phrases in Spanish and Norwegian that connect us and cause laughter. We are so different from each other, but curiosity for the other and familial bonds built sacred similarities.

Mason Jennings sings a song called California that conceeds, "And I miss the ocean when I go to sleep". These lyrics are true on the nights my brothers and I are reunited with waves crashing. Growing up in San Diego seems so long ago...until we hear their rhythm. And though we are all growing and following vocations that take us in each direction the wind blows, we gather together on Easter morning ready to sing the hymns of our heritage, the songs that give us strength.

This little chapel was filled like Swiss cheese on Friday, but on Sunday it was surrounded by the faithful in hundreds of folding chairs and hymnals filled with the tunes we all knew. People came from all over the country, Canada and across the pond. The tiny organ inside pumped out the truth and we sang believing. Christ the Lord is risen today - Alleluia!

The pastor preached an ecumenical message to those in front of her and then would turn to look out the window, feeding us with the miracle of new beginnings. There was abundance. And while we sang and heard the Word, the weekend clouds thinned in approval of her promise. By evening there was a sunset that regressed triumphantly with the fanfare of morning. It is good to be in the Body - hearing, singing and believing. And it is good to be with those who speak your language - the promises of past, present and future.

The Burntvedt-Sandgren Town Meeting

On Friday, the 14^th of March, Student Housing Coordinator Carole Krieger and Dean of Students Patricia Lull hosted a community meeting for residents of Burntvedt and Sandgren. Head Residents Ryan Gage and Chris Zuraff, and the Seminary Family Coordinator, Sarah Ruch, also hosted the meeting.

There was a plethora of delicious desserts and coffee; babysitting was arranged for families with children that wanted to attend. About 75-100 residents showed up. There was generally a good buzz about the meeting and many of those present expressed gratitude that such a meeting was organized. Several people commented that hosting such an event regularly would facilitate better communication between residents and the seminary and would increase the sense of communal care and responsibility for and to each other. One student commented that this was the first such event in his three years here.

The meeting started with a review of policies led by Coordinator Krieger. She touched on all manner of topics outlined for residents in their housing agreement and that, due to complaints from fellow residents or the attention of the Housing office, needed reiterating.

The meeting continued with both staff and students sharing concerns and news of developments, asking questions and seeking clarification on different matters. In part of her response to a resident’s concern about safety in the parking lot at night, Dean Lull pointed out that some things at Burntvedt-Sandgren are going well and some things here still require the attention of the seminary in order to bring them to where they ought to be. In the spirit of that analysis, the following is a list of residents’ comments listed in two categories. I invite others to add to the list (whether you heard something at the meeting that was missed or want to add additional thoughts).

Things Going Well

1. In lieu of assigned parking spots, the maintenance staff has been terrific at shoveling/plowing off the parking lots.
2. Head residents have been quite responsive to emergency and other calls, and encouraged residents to call either of them if needed.
3. Staff learned that not communicating with residents (e.g. with regard to the removal of assigned parking spot signs) is a mistake and are working to improve communication.
4. Student Security details are more visible in the Burntvedt-Sandgren parking lots and can be contacted for escort between 5pm and 2am.
5. The Lauderdale Police Department is making more regular sweeps through the property.
6. Having the Housing Coordinator’s office in Sandgren (the location, along with Burntvedt, of the majority of on-campus students) has been helpful.

Things Still Requiring Attention

1. Lighting in the parking lots is still quite poor and contributes to an experience of compromised safety. As of the 20^th of March, the lights in the central courtyard of Burntvedt are out, rendering the sidewalk quite dark
2. There are too few parking spots on the north side of Burntvedt. Residents commented that what is needed could be either creating additional spots or having residents elect to park only one of their cars in that area (if they have multiple).
3. The Student Security detail is not enough of a presence. Regularly I hear fellow students quip, “What are they going to do with a Maglight and reflective vest?”
4. Maintenance is not responsive during the weekend. Sandgren’s main entrance was incapable of opening due to a broken doorknob for at least 24 hours on a recent Sunday. This is a hazard and a violation of fire code.
5. Burntvedt and Sandgren apartments are quite poor in utility efficiency. This creates not only the experience of drafty apartments in winter with icy-cold walls, but significant dissonance with the Seminary’s stated commitment to environmental stewardship. In the words of one attendee, “The windows absolutely suck.” Ensuing laughter indicated others concurred.
6. The promised Tot Lot in the Burntvedt Courtyard has still not come to fruition. (In August 2006, a swing-set, slide, sandbox, and some bouncy toys were removed with the promise that a new play area would soon replace it.) Carole Krieger informed the gathering that further delays are expected due to increased costs.
7. While the work and communication of the Housing office and other staff present was lauded, it was noted that personnel above these staff, in the office of Vice President for Administration and Finance are poor at communicating and are perceived as indifferent to resident’s concerns. This experience renders the good efforts of those staff below them counterproductive.

Easter

Easter seems a quiet time here at Luther.

We're on vacation for six days and many students travel home to be with family and friends so the parking lot is obviously more spacious. Many students use the time to either get ahead on studies or catch up on projects overdue. Many students are involved at congregations here in the Cities (whether for their required Teaching Parish experience or other) and may be preaching or leading worship and other activities. Many students are watching endless first and second round NCAA basketball games. Some students and their families are building snowmen, snow forts, and snow balls (with which to barrage ________). Yes, snow at Easter. It has snowed here intermittently since Friday and there are several inches collected on the ground. There was a family Easter egg hunt yesterday held indoors and numerous Seminary children are currently coming down from Jesus-raised-from-the-dead-thanks-for-the-sugar-coated-marshmallow-chicken-sucrose-high (http://www.peepresearch.org/).

Maybe Easter is not so quiet here at Luther.

A California Fable

Once upon a time there was a young boy named Ybot. This young boy loved to play and dance and sing. He would often sing songs about those whom he loved and would look to the day that he could reunite with loved ones now distant.

Ecnatsid was a monster that threatened Ybot’s happiness. Day in, day out Ecnatsid would taunt the boy, saying, “Ho ho ho, ha ha ha. I have kept you from those whom you love and though you sing and dance you are not able to do so fully. As long as I am here you will always be aware that your songs are happy but bittersweet, your dances are joyful but weighed down.”

Ybot sat down and cried. Though he’d resisted accepting Ecnatsid’s dire proclamation for so long, he could do so no longer. Ybot quit dancing and he quit singing. In a cloud of dust, he sat down and ceased to begin.

In a flash of light, Nivek appeared and drew his sword. With a quick flash of steel, Nivek slayed the monster once known as Ecnatsid, shattering the power and presence that he had held over young Ybot.

Ybot and Nivek joined together in song and dance. And they both lived happily ever after.

Good Things about Luther Vol XIIVI: Pets; Bad Things about Luther Vol XIIVI: Pets

Pet ownership is a possibility for you if you’re thinking of coming to study at Luther Seminary. In the Burntvedt Court apartments there are several one, two, or three bedroom apartments that accommodate pets.

Pets have been a hot topic for Burntvedt residents of late. There is an area on the north side of the parking lot that residents, when they sign up to live here, agree to take their dogs to poop and pee. They also agree to pick up the waste and put it in Luther's dumpster. Pet owners are not to let their animals poop or pee in the central area of Burntvedt Court, a long, narrow, grassy area (akin to a backyard) on which children play, seminarians read and sunbathe, and residents picnic with their barbeques when the weather is nice (one staff person reported at Friday's community meeting that an animal pile was recently left on one of the picnic tables).

Many residents find this to be an agreeable situation. They get the joy of companionship and play with a domesticated animal and all residents get to avoid dealing with waste that is not their own. When this agreement works well no Burntvedt-er has to worry before they step or sit, no parent has to fear the potential crap-cake ruining their child’s appetite. Many residents work the plan and make the plan work.

Thanks to what is quite likely a minority, the plan is not working.

1. Several pet owners have told me that the designated poop-and-pick-up area is not being treated as such. It is feces land mine zone.
2. Many piles are left outside the designated area. During the winter, the sidewalks of the central area were regularly lined with yellow patches. I have picked up three piles of in the last three days, all located in the central area, each within 20 feet of an apartment door. Other residents have told me of similar experiences.
3. Perhaps all the damage is being done by non-campus pets since we do live in a heavily populated neighborhood and have open property lines. This could be the case. However, it seems odd that it would be the entire cause given the piles’ often close proximity to apartments.

What can be done? Perhaps those of us who don’t own pets should move to Sandgren (where pets are not allowed) and leave the lawn for puppies. Perhaps pets should only be allowed in the one or two buildings nearest the designated drop zone. Perhaps Luther should only allow pets that crap inside their owner's apartment (i.e. fish, turtles, cats, parakeets, and children). There is talk of a dog park but anyone who's been around the last two years and recalls Don Lewis's alleged commitment to another similar project, the Tot Lot at Burntvedt ("end of summer '06," "spring '07," "summer '08," "maybe a bit longer"), should not hold their breath. Even if that dog park was built, it still falls to the minority to actually use it. Perhaps pet owners should take their pets to the drop zone.

I am sure the conversation will continue. For now, however, bring your pets when you come to Seminary.

St. Patrick's Day at Luther

Today is a really low feast day here at Luther Seminary. There are no school-sanctioned Paddy activities, like those you might see for Fat Tuesday, Thanksgiving, Syttende Mai, Christmas, Reformation Day, or Holy Week. No, you're going to have to make your own green fun if you decide to complete a degree here. If you're currently a student, how did you make the day?

Pinching blue-shirted professors?
Harassing non-Gaelic students?
Drinking green beer?
Convincing Kevin to visit the Mississippi again while it's still green and the kids are young?
Ridding North Atlantic islands of snakes?
Filling your loo with green food dye and, with much ado, proclaiming to your roommate that this year's St. Paddy's day miracle is the color of your urine?
Paying 10 bucks for a 10 oz Guinness at some faux chic Irish bar that plays way too much U2?

Those of you here in the Cities, leave your recommendations below in the comments section so those that have yet to take advantage of what's on offer here for St. Paddy's Day can embrace the local traditions...

A Registration Blip Gone Right

Earlier this winter I registered for Worship in Israel and Psalms - two separate courses that would occupy the first half of this spring semester. It didn't take long to realize that these courses have a lot in common (including two textbooks). When I realized this fluke, I decided to embrace the situation and the perks of overlapping homework.

Today is my last lecture for both courses before we break for Easter and pick up new courses in April. I've been blessed by this registration faux pas and have been given basic tools, lessons and practices that will better equip me for ministry and personal reflection.

I appreciated tools like Eaton's commentary and Eugene Peterson's Answering God and spending quality time in the form and style of particular psalms. But most importantly, I was asked to read and pray them consistently during Lent. I kept a Psalm journal that followed me everywhere in case there was time to sit and write while I waited for an oil change or between classes. I was challenged to apply these Psalms to both unique and ordinary worship experiences, exploring the musical and prayerful potential of each piece.

We brushed up on our Hebrew and explored reasons for placing the Psalms in the order we find them. There is a Psalm for every emotion, scenario and prayer. These courses blindly(?) worked together to teach me how to bring this scripture, song and prayer into my own daily life and my future ministry.

I'm glad I wasn't paying attention when I registered. This double duty gave me a chance to focus more deeply on something particular and personal this semester.

CCM is a lifesaver to which I owe my life and Nashville is the Bethlehem that births Luther students’ greatest comfort

A few years ago the ELCA joined with the Episcopal Church in an agreement outlined by the document commonly referred to as CCM, or Call to Common Mission. This document and everything it stands for royally pisses me off! They have stolen the identity of that brightest jewel in the crown of North American Christendom, that which originally and rightfully bears the title CCM, Christian Contemporary Music. I’ve yet to bring myself to even read the document, figuring that in doing so I will have fully acknowledged its existence and therefore struck a dagger into the heart of my Constant Christian Mate.

We all have hard times and difficult epochs to endure. Where would we be without family friendly music to get us through? I think back to the time I was a young boy enraptured with the love for a sweet smelling Cabbage Patch Kid named Sam. How hollow would my experience have been without the sound of Amy Grant’s “Baby Baby” ringing in my ears? I would whisper in Sam’s ear, “I’m taken with the notion/To love you with the sweetest of devotion,” as we walked to Rainbow Grocery and Meat Market on Rainbow Drive and Garden Ave in spite of the blaring sound of a passing, teen-filled car playing “Pour Some Sugar on Me” by Def Leopard. Were it not for Christ Centered Melodies such as those produced in the mid 80s by Mrs. Vince Gill, I would be left with only such rhymes as “I’m hot/sticky sweet/from my head down to my feet/yeah.” Tell me, what comfort would that have been to Sam?

Many of you may be considering the call to come to Luther to study for an MA or an MDiv, or perhaps begin PhD or DMin work. Take heart that CCM (the first and only one!) is alive and well on campus. The library carries an ever-expanding, full catalog of records from labels as diverse as Frontline and Word. There is even a thriving alternative section filled with avant-garde albums from Tooth and Nail records. Each librarian is also ready to help you discern a band or artist in the CCM world that could replace the sound of a secular band you (used to) enjoy. The reference chart used to do this is also readily accessible on the Luther Seminary library website.

Don’t be discouraged, thinking that the new, usurping CCM is the only one talked about on campus. Not a day goes by that I don’t encounter a peer ipodding-out to Steven Curtis Chapman’s “The Great Adventure,” Audio Adrenaline’s “Some Kind of Zombie,” or Switchfoot’s (pre-pagan-crossover) “The Legend of Chin.”

Long live CCM!

At Play in the Woods of Burntvedt-Sandgren

Looking for a place to make out with your special someone out of view from the Seminary community’s diligent eye? The Burntvedt-Sandgren woods contain many out of the way nooks for romantic engagements.

Looking for a place where your kids can build forts, practice guerrilla warfare tactics, and re-enact their favorite scenes from page and screen such as “Chronicles of Narnia” (the magical world containing the ‘wood between the worlds’), “Bridge to Terabithia” (the magical land where children don’t die at the end of the book), “Friday the 13^th” (the magical land where a dead child comes back to kill teenagers), or “The Blair Witch Project” (a magical land where stick figures make loud animal noises in the dark)? The Burntvedt-Sandgren woods have been the site of such play for many years and look to continue being such a place for years to come.

Looking for a place where your teen children can experiment with cigarettes? The Burntvedt-Sandgren woods provide ample cover for adolescent rebellion. Please encourage such offspring to thoroughly extinguish nicotine delivery devices and pack out any refuse.

Looking for a place where your dog can poop in peace and, with a quick look over your shoulder, you can avoid the nasty trouble of picking up after them? The Burntvedt-Sandgren woods are chock-a-block with land ready-made for your emotional slave’s relief. While they are at it, there are ample squirrels and rabbits for chasing.

Looking for a shortcut from family housing to the Maintenance Building, Stub Hall, or Northwestern Hall? The Burntvedt-Sandgren woods have many criss-crossing paths from multiple locales that enable you to trail the crow no matter where you’re headed.

The Burntvedt-Sandgren woods…stay for a day or a lifetime.

Spring is here, nearly. The forecast for this week in St. Paul projects every day to reach the 30s. The Thirties! Every morning there are streaks of water crossing the parking lot as I walk to class. At night they turn into viciously dangerous ice slicks, but it’s all worth it to get rid of the determined piles of snow-ice that line every parking lot on campus. It probably doesn’t hurt that I know this is my last month of battling winter water until late 2009/2010 since my family and I will be on internship in Corpus Christi, TX next year. I’ll miss the mild fall up here but come January and February I’m confident many emails will be sent from the Texas coast to fellow interns left behind in the Cities.

Until then we Luther students only have to hold on for another four weeks max. The corner has been turned, the boxcar is resting at the top of the hill and about to pick up speed, the leaf has turned over, the monkey has been put back in his evening holding cage, the clutch has finally given out and mama’s about to get a new Saturn.

These metaphors have surely helped encourage my state of good cheer and hopeful expectation. None have been more helpful, however, than that given to me by an undergraduate friend who would often employ the metaphor as he took an important test or finished a term paper: I am the bigger prison inmate! If I wanted to I could trade [winter] for cigarettes. Since late October I have felt like fresh fish but today the tables turned.

And God said, "Let there be Assignment"

So often we throw around church lingo like region and synod without explaining what that means for our lives and ministry. On February 20, members of the senior class received envelopes with a number inside: 1-9. The number stood for the region of the United States that individual would be called to. Each region (shown as divided by the bold lines on this map) includes portions of multiple states. We remember which region is where by looking from left to right and north to south, as though you're reading a book (in English):

Region One - the great Northwest, which stretches from Alaska to Montana.
Region Two - the coveted Southwest, which includes everything from Hawaii to Wyoming!
Region Three - most Luther students were placed here, the Dakotas and Minnesota.
Region Four - Nebraska straight south to the Gulf Coast of Louisiana and Texas.
Region Five - includes everything from urban Chicago through IA and WI to the UP of Michigan.
Region Six - Michigan to Kentucky!
Region Seven - Maine Lobster, The Patriots and New York
Region Eight - Western Pennsylvania and from Washington DC to West Virginia
Region Nine - Virginia to the Caribbean!

Whew. I hope I got that right.

In December, each senior going through the assignment process listed three regions he or she would prefer to be assigned to. And then they waited. :)

As you can see, February 20th's news about regions was a welcome snack for the students involved, but it left plenty of questions unanswered! Since then, each bishop has represented his/her 'synod'/sub-regional district at regional meetings to discern further placement. These areas out outlined lightly on the map, dividing the country's nine regions into 65 synods. Each has their own bishop and staff who will help connect graduates with congregations for interviews and calls.

Some synods are geographically small because they are dense with ELCA congregations. The Minneapolis Area Synod and St. Paul Area Synod are largely urban and suburban while the Rocky Mountain Synod spans entire states!

Seniors started receiving phone calls yesterday from Bishops welcoming them to a particular synod within their assigned region. Many are planning trips to visit their synod during Easter break and will be scheduling interviews with congregations soon!

I found this great map (above) at the ELCA website.

For more information about the first call process, regions and synods, visit the Synodical Relations link.

The day I thought would never come

As a friend once pointed out to me in middle school, March 4th is the only day of the year that is also a command.

It was today of all days that we learned that Brett Favre has finally decided to stop his march forth. My greatest sports hero, who began as quarterback for the Green Bay Packers when I was 11 years old, is retiring.

Oddly enough, I had a dream last night that Favre was still playing but got hurt, ending his amazing 275-game streak as the starter and sending the Packers into a losing tailspin. That was a bad dream.

This, however, is something of a nightmare. I was about to begin rehearsing next Sunday's liturgy at my Teaching Parish when Tracy called me to break the news (her boss, a Vikings fan, was laughing maniacally in the background). I was just short of stunned. Packers fans (and the Wisconsin media, with which I had to prepare for this day every offseason since 2002) have repeatedly played this game of waiting to learn whether Favre would retire, but, even when it seemed like he would, he wouldn't.

Now, after such a great 2007 season and with so much incentive to come back, he finally retired. I'm not entirely sure why—there are conflicting stories floating around, but my dad and I have suspected for several years that the Packers' current leadership really didn't want him to come back (his agent indicated as much in this account) so that any success could be attributed to the new regime instead of to good old Favre. That, if true, is really sad.

For anyone whose blood doesn't run green and gold, this seems like a dumb thing, but those of us who for 16 years have cheered on this charismatic, time-tested legend who grew up before our eyes, it's actually kind of traumatic. It's the end of an era. And I, for one, actually hate to think of following the Packers without him.

The nice thing is that I've got company to lean on here at Luther Seminary. As I pulled into the Gullixson Hall parking lot this morning, Chris, my seminary buddy and fellow Wisconsin native, called me to commiserate. Appreciating that and knowing that there are enough other Packer-backers around here, I quickly replaced the sign on the door of the Concord office, where I'm studying this morning, with a new sign temporarily marking it as the Brett Favre Retirement Crisis Center. A couple people have stopped to offer their condolences, including a Vikings fan who was no less saddened. He also offered his prayers.

In times of crisis, big or small, Luther Seminary is a great place to be. And if any other Favre fans are out there and in need of support, the Brett Favre Retirement Crisis Center will be open today until 1 p.m. and from 4 to 7 p.m. on the first floor of Gullixson Hall. Let us march forth together.

Spring: Patience, My Dear

I’m done with winter.

We’re getting to that point in late February and early March when the sun comes out and the temperatures will soar into the mid-30s, taunting us with spring. On these days I wear shoes without socks or refuse mittens because Spring feels too close to bundle up any longer. The snow melts into giant puddles we must navigate during the day but freeze again, forming dangerous sheets of ice when the sun sets. What a tease.

This weekend was one of those wonderful “in between” weekends with little on the calendar. I knew I would stray from homework into movie theaters and the Gophers’ baseball game in the Metrodome. I worked out, went on walks and age good food with friends. I slept late and wore sweatpants while watching the kind of cable TV that lulls you into a blur. It was wonderful!

But when temperatures dipped again last night, I decided to embrace the weekend denial with a trip to the tanning salon. That’s right. I’m coming clean! I thought a little color – just a touch – would usher in Spring with optimistic enthusiasm.

The “salon” was a rude awakening. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d done this. I know it’s not healthy. Paying money for this bizarre ritual and the cancer risk is ridiculous! But I pulled out my wallet anyway. (Tsk, Tsk.) Just five minutes, I told myself. I was sure that five minutes could give me a sunny glow with which to welcome green grass and Easter.

Winter has crippled my pigment with such authority that I am now…well…red. Five minutes is, apparently, five minutes too long for this little lady. And since there’s no hiding my little mishap, I thought I’d confess my unfortunate and ineffective cure-all for winter. I wouldn’t want you to try the same defeat at home. Although they say tanning promotes self-esteem and helps those with Seasonal Affective Disorder, burning, in fact, leads to awkwardness. A dangerous sport if you ask me.

So I did not get windburn from skiing and I haven’t been holding my breath. I am trying to create awareness in the fight against Awkwardness and Winter. Go ahead. Laugh now, but in a few days I just might have the look of spring.

Learned My Lesson,
The Scarlet Letter