Hey all, today I bring you pictures from my visit to Wartburg Seminary in Dubuque , IA. I really enjoyed my day there and will attending there in the fall. Starting with Greek in July. As you can tell, it was an absolutly beautiful day there.















View from the back parking lot













Through a break for a view of the clocktower

















Inscription on the wall
"Gottes Wort und Luthers Lehr' Vergehet nun und nimmermehr"
"God's word and Luther's teaching will never pass away."

















Statue of Luther in middle courtyard













View from down hill near living area's

Gospel of Judas

hey all,

Well some might already know but National Geographic revealed the other week the Gospel of Judas, a Coptic Gospel, about the relationship between Jesus and Judas regarding the betrayal, it is sort of interesting, but hard to know what to think about it. There are many such books, and most are held to not be important or at least suspect in terms of their content.

Here is a link about the release from National Geographic


The release and gospel itself has gotten enough press that the Onion did a piece about it in their " In your Opinion" section. http://www.theonion.com/content/node/47451
Laters,

New Book I'm starting

Starting a new book tonight, Got it as an early Easter present from my parents
It is a signed copy of the book "Three Cups of Tea" by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin It deals with Mortenson, who was a mountain climber, decision to start building schools all around the Himalaya region particularly the northern section of Pakistan.
Should be very interesting, he is the grandson of a member at my parents church and was there for a adult bible school session and signed some copies.

I will try to post updates to what I think about the book.


laters

Great blog entry by Andrew Sullivan

Just read a great blog entry by Andrew Sullivan of "The Daily Dish".

He talks about coining a new term for people who use Christ's teachings as political tools. He is defending his use of these words in he entry here.

http://time.blogs.com/daily_dish/2006/04/christianism_a_.html

look him up, very insightful,


laters

Lenten Disciplines

I don't know if you follow an Lenten discipline, but I have always found it hard. We were talking about Lenten disciplines at Sunday supper yesterday, and I mentioned that I could never think of a good discipline, one that would have meaning and not just be like I'm giving up smoking. or going to mars ... etc. then I decided that I would try and give up TV. (except when others are watching with me, that way I don't have to exclude myself from hanging out) and it's incredibly hard. I am going through withdrawals I think. (ok not really) But it does make me look at how much TV I watch or at least have on. I tend to use it as background noise and side entertainment while doing something else. I find that I am reading more than I was before and that when ever I get to the point where I need to something else for a bit, I think, well normally I would watch TV, but I am not doing that now, that gets me to thinking, Why am I doing this again?

I think it is a good discipline, but I am thinking that many times people give something up for Lent as a Lenten challenge and not a Lenten Discipline, there is a difference to me at least. A challenge is a individual thing while a discipline is personal but not individual, you can learn from it and change how you live. If I just don't watch TV and instead spend all that time just playing video games or reading comic books, it becomes a challenge, can I make it one more day? but if I take some of that time and think about what it means to be giving something up it becomes a discipline, you can share what you are experiencing with others and they can share with you, more than just wow I didn't watch TV today, I rule!!!.

My pastor, Fritz, mentioned in one of his sermons the other week that our relationship with God and Jesus should be a personal one, but not individual and private, that God is indeed important to and with you, but not to the exclusion of others, that God is with all of us at the same time.

Well, there are some thoughts to ponder,

laters