My everyone hear God's Word proclaimed. Romans 16:25-27

-
Now to him who is able to establish you in accordance with my gospel, the message I proclaim about Jesus Christ, in keeping with the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all the Gentiles might come to the obedience that comes from faith — to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen. 

I wonder what I would be doing today if, 29 years ago, I hadn't spiraled out of control with my education at Southern Illinois University. Would I have become a United States Marine or a journalist? Would I have met my wife, Valerie, adopted her first son and raised three more children with her? Don't get me wrong: I am thankful for the paths I took. Especially now.

I completed my Associate in Arts and Science in liberal arts at Illinois Central College today. Just about two years ago, I looked at my future at the newspaper, as the industry was shedding jobs by the tens of thousands, and started reflecting on the future. What if I lose my job, which is almost a certainty now? Who would possibly consider hiring a middle-aged man with no degree?

So two years ago, about the time my oldest daughter, Rachael, was graduating from high school, I wondered, how much work do I need to do to earn an associate degree? As it turned out, it was only eight classes. OK, that's manageable, I thought, no reason I can't do that. Then I discovered that I qualified for an Illinois Veterans Grant that I didn't know existed. The IVG pays up to 120 hours of tuition for any Illinois veteran attending any Illinois public college or university. I merely had to prove I was a resident when I enlisted. Well, wouldn't you know it, but I had saved my final report card from SIU in 1984 that showed I lived in Illinois one month before I enlisted, and the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs immediately approved me.

Associate degree? BA? I still wasn't sure what I was going to do with all this education. The only career I have known since January 1985 is as a journalist. I have been a reporter and editor in sports, news and features; I have been a photographer; I have worked in print, magazine, online and television. It's been a great career, and I feel really blessed that the Marine Corps prepared me for it. But this isn't what I want to do with the rest of my life.

If you have been reading this blog, I suspect you know what that is. For as long as I can remember I have longed to proclaim the gospel. I am not sure how well I am doing that here, but God willing, next year I will begin attending Concordia Seminary in St. Louis on a three-year alternate route program that ends with pastoral ministry in the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. Sometime in the next month, I begin my application.

I have been feeling this urge since I was a boy hearing the Rev. Newman preach in 1977. And there certainly has been no shortage of pastors who have inspired me since then: the Rev. Jerry Freudenburg, the Rev. Wayne Martin, the Rev. Jim Bettermann, the Rev. Ron Miller, the Rev. Steve Hartman, the Rev. Joe Meyer and the Rev. Ted Benson, among many others. Thanks for being bold witnesses for Christ, gentlemen.

My everyone hear God's Word proclaimed. To the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.

Popular posts from this blog

Upon this rock ...

-
I don't need to comment on this post. I just need to share it. Upon this rock... which one? Matthew 16:18 is a problem for Lutherans and Roman Catholics.  Rome points to Peter and the Petrine office of the papacy.  Jesus is pointing to a man, rather a succession of men, whose primacy is, in their view, undisputed.  Lutherans insist that Peter may have been the voice but it is the confession that is the rock.  This faith is the rock upon which the Church is built -- not a man but the confession that Jesus Christ is Lord.  Lutherans insist that this is affirmed in Jesus' own admonition that Peter did not confess this on his own but as the Father revealed it to Him.  Now surely this is a rather simplistic way of putting it and there are nuances on both sides that I have overlooked to put this into a brief paragraph. But allow me this for the moment.
Read more

It's not man's word: 1 Thessalonians 2:13

-
And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe. I have Christian friends who don't believe the Word of God. Do you believe? Think about that for a minute. Do you believe in God? Do you really believe the Word is from God? Do you believe the Word was God? Do you believe the Word was with God? (John 1:1-5). And that the Word became flesh? (John 1:14) Some people who call themselves Christians, don't believe. If they don't receive the word of God, if they say it is from men, that it is a human word, not the Word of God, then how can they call themselves Christian? It seems to me that is one of the points Paul is driving home in 1 Thessalonians 2:13. It is important because, what do we have without the Word of God? What we have are heresies taught by false prophets and greedy teachers. "We ar...
Read more

Voices

-
My wife doesn't write often enough. But years ago, she wrote this, which I found while looking through one of my old websites. I hope you enjoy it. Voices I never really listened to what I had to say If I had taken my own advice my life might've gone another way. I took on all the problems of those who couldn't cope I gave them all the answers I returned to them their hope. Though never did I realize that the words were meant for me I thought my problems were too big for all the world to see. But then one night I had a dream His face is what I saw He said to me “This is the way here's how to have it all.” “Listen to yourself” He said “The answers are within Within your soul I'll talk to you Truth shall you hear and happiness shall you win.” The moral of this poem is as simple as it is true The only one who has the answers is God listening, experiencing, acting they are all up to you. So listen to the Voice inisde when it says “Child, I love you” It's God ...
Read more