Whew!

Today I finished recording through Dec. 19. Am now on break until Dec. 2. I’m looking forward to the days of not writing and catching up with some chores around the house. Cindi’s aunt and cousin will join us for the Thanksgiving feast, so that will be 20 of us sitting down to dinner this year. I think they arrive Sunday or Monday of next week. Best of all: I come back for three weeks, and then it’s a two week break. It’s been hectic this fall, what with speaking engagements and trying to get Opa moved and settled into new digs, and empty out his old house. 

A Holy Conversation

It was truly great to be with the saints up north (Fairgrove Michigan) for “A Holy Conversation” and to celebrate with Grace Lutheran Church and Pastor Haller their 75th anniversary. Here are some pics, though somehow I didn’t get one with Pr. Haller. He’ll have to send me the one the photographer did after the service:

One thing I definitely decided though: I’m finishing my commitments through next year and then I really and truly am DONE with the public speaking gigs. So, since I’m driving to three of the next ones, I have will only have to take an airplane for this one more time: out to Wyoming in August. If it’s local, I still may consider doing it (planning on something for Sem wives in early 2026), but aside from that, no go. I appreciate the opportunities I’ve had to go around the country and teach (well, also down to Dominican Republic!); I treasure the folks I’ve gotten to know, but for my own sanity, that stage of my life draws to an end next August. This year I’ve travelled to Colorado, Minneapolis, Chicago, Little Rock, Cullman AL and this last trip to Fairgrove. Meanwhile, the writing and recording of podcasts doesn’t stop, nor does the filling in for various services at St. Paul’s. Thus, the answer for future speaking invitations is “no” if it’s not in the immediate vicinity (as in, no overnights). 

And 40 Years Later…

…so back in early 80’s attended the St Dunstan Liturgical Conference in Queens. Put on by this man. Today he was at conference I was doing in Michigan. Good to see you Pr. Weldon!!!

My mom was after me for years…

…to get this sort of thing and wear it. Well, mom, I did it. It took a little while, but I finally got it done. 

So, I was preparing for today’s Issues Show on All Saints…

…and hunting in this blog for a particular sermon. I noticed it had a comment and I clicked on it and read it. It about brought tears to my eyes:

“Wonderful, Christ-centered Gospel Sermon! Thanks for sharing it. Then He will wipe away every tear. Now this message brought tears, as I thought of those who are already there, and as I remember that I (and all believers) are there in Jesus, and will be there. All Saints... Thanks - + Herb.” 

That would be our beloved Herb Mueller, former SID President and former First Vice President of Synod. He went home to Jesus some years ago now. He is still very much missed. 

Well, I told Cindi on the way home…

…I’m definitely getting too old for this. We had a WONDERFUL time with the saints of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Cullman, Alabama. And we are totally jealous of their outstanding school facility. I got to do a presentation on how the hymnic deposit passes on the faith, and then we celebrated a beautiful Divine Service (Choir under Pr. Clark’s expert direction! Brass! Tympani! Organ! Strings!), at which I was blessed to preach. We enjoyed a wonderful meal at the elder Bussman’s (Mark and Vicki) with Pr. John, Emily and the boys on Saturday evening. We stayed at a fabulous little “cabin” near to the church owned by congregational members. It was all awesome and all such a blessing. BUT…the DRIVE. Seven hours there on Saturday. Seven hours home right after service today (which had me doing some driving in the dark - something I find myself increasingly incapable of doing. What gives with that?). Anywho, I’m not agreeing to anything like it in the future. My excuse: I’m just too old. 

A Blessed Day of St. James of Jerusalem!

I was blessed to serve the Mass (the Divine Service) today with my grandson Henry. His first time serving at the Lord’s altar:

Wait, is Weedon on Twitter (aka X)?

Yes, that’s me. X assigned me the strange name, but if you see my picture there and note the Carnivore trend, then you’ll readily see that it is me. This in response to inquiries I have received on the blog. I was on it some years ago (in Twitter days) but had given up Social Media. I return to X because it’s one of the last free places where you can get info sans censorship.

A Crazy Week…

…on Friday we headed off to Grace, Little Rock. A seminar on Saturday on the Church’s song (got to meet so many great folks, including Pr. Schoop, and caught up with old friend Dana and Harold and Eileen’s niece and two great bros from around Texarkana), followed by Kantor Magnuson’s awesome hymn festival on hymns of Luther in honor of the Achtliederbuch, featuring not only her masterful organ work but also her choir! But I found out yet once again, I’m simply not able to teach for hours on end and then sing. Ugh. The voice was dead by day’s end and I couldn’t sing with energy all those great hymns at the festival. Sadness. 

Fortunately, the voice mostly recovered by this morning and I was able to lead Bible class and celebrate and preach at the Divine Service. And again, Kantor played an awesome liturgy! So blessed to be with these saints, and hear that they’re preparing to call my buddy Pr. Michael Kumm as a interim!!! They will be so blessed by him. 

We pulled into Hamel before sunset. Tomorrow will be busy with lots of writing AND prepping for Dave’s move on Tuesday. Whew. And preaching and leading Bible Class at St. Paul’s this weekend, besides also doing the St. Luke’s service on Friday and St. James next week. 

The voice thing, though. It’s happened like three or four times in a row. I think I get the message. I have got to limit the time I speak in a day. Three hours a day is about the limit.

It Seems Strange

To think that today I enter my 64th year in this world. It didn’t look like I’d make it when I was born. They realized something was quite wrong when I kept throwing up any food they gave me, and apparently the crying was nonstop. I was slowly starving to death. After getting me over to Children’s Hospital in D.C., the doctors did surgery. They found the insides quite a jumble, and finally (almost miraculously back in 1960), located where a malformed intestine was folded over on itself, blocking any nutrition from being absorbed. My mom said they illustrated it with a folded washcloth that was at an angle rather than being straight. I wish I knew the name of the surgeon who found it, but whoever he was, he left a gaping slash down my belly but a functioning digestive system. I lived. 

My mom never forgot that miracle and never wanted me to forget it. She sent me around the neighborhood each year to collect for Children’s Hospital. She reminded me: “You wouldn’t be here today without them.” I confess, introvert that I am, I DETESTED the task. Knocking on the doors of neighbors to ask for a donation was not at all a comfortable task. But mom taught me that comfort has nothing to do with it when it is the right thing to do. So off I went. She even told me that if anyone tried the old “I gave at the office” I was to politely correct them and tell them that Children’s wasn’t part of any other charity network (I assume that has long since changed). 

So here I am, alive at 64. That’s five years older than my poor dad got to be. And it’s only 13 years shy of my mom’s age at death. Anyway you slice it, I’m looking down the last bit of my earthly pilgrimage. Which truly seems so weird. I still feel great most every day. It’s only when I look in the mirror at the wrinkles and the graying hair that I realize I’m not a kid anymore. I never stopped feeling like one! 

Oh, there’s some arthritis in the hands, and opening things is not as easy as it used to be by a long shot. But I still walk almost every day upwards of five miles. I can do pullups and pushups. Physically, I’m still in pretty decent shape. 

And there is no question that I have been blessed way, way beyond my deserving and even my imagining. A wife who has been the very image to me of God’s grace and mercy, and of whom I am not worthy. Three absolutely stellar children whom I am so proud of, and they each married the perfect spouse and I’m equally as proud of them. Best of all, they gave me my grandchildren: 13 of whom I’ve gotten to know and hold, and 2 of whom are in utero at the moment. At their birth I’ll have matched the number of my parent’s grandchildren! They, however, did that across 25 years and my children gave me these wondrous gifts in a mere 12.5 years. 

What’s ahead? I still have three years (God willing) of writing and teaching for Lutheran Public Radio and doing a handful of conferences a year. But when I turn 67 I intend to turn that responsibility over to others. I’ll happily continue to serve as an assistant at St. Paul’s, and once I no longer have to write and record 6 podcasts and 1 Issues show a week, I could probably help out there more. If God spares me and I live to 67, I hope to take a solid three months off from any work and just work on things that I’ve wanted to do and not had the time to. My grandkids will range from 16 to 2.5 by then! They should keep me more than busy. 

Thank you, God, for the doctors at Children’s in D.C. Thank you for my wonderful mom and dad and brothers and sisters. Thank you for my wife and all her family. Thank you for our children and grandchildren. Thank you for the opportunities you have granted this most unworthy servant. Thank you for the laughter, the cards, the feasts, the singing, and the lazy afternoons floating in the pool. Thank you for dear friends to travel and relax with. Thank you for all Your gifts! “Glory to You, O Lord, for all things!”