WHEW!

A whirl-wind wonderful weekend.  Cindi and I left Friday for the Higher Things Retreat:  With Angels and Archangels up in Sheboygan.  Had a beautiful day for driving - arrived without incident and we joined over 200 young folks from as far away as New York and Las Vegas.  I was privileged to be plenary speaker for the retreat.  I learned that while it works to cover the second half of Hebrews 12 in an hour presentation, covering the whole of Revelation in the same amount of time is a little bit impossible...but nothing ventured, nothing gained.  As usual for a Higher Things event - the worship was simply outstanding (Vespers, Evening Prayer, Matins, Corporate Confession and Absolution, Compline and Divine Service III this morning) made even more joyous by the wonderful acoustics of Trinity Lutheran Church - not to mention the feast for the eyes that that lovely building presents you.  I heard only two of the sectionals, but wow.  Prs. Ramirez and Borghardt knocked both out of the ball park.  Really, really good stuff.  This morning I preached both Sunday services today, but cut out right after the second sermon.  It had already started snowing - they were expecting MAJOR snow storm.  We travelled two hours through the snow until we reached the further side of Milwaukee, then it turned to rain and we travelled another three hours in that.  In all, it took 8.5 hours for us to get home (as opposed to shy of 7 hours to get there).  As we travelled through the snow we saw too many folks in the ditch to even keep track of.  At one point a person spun out and was facing the wrong way on our side, we all slowed to a stop, and he or she righted the vehicle and kept on.  Aside from the tension-filled ride home, it was truly a fabulous weekend.  Thanks to Prs. Mech and Berg for their hospitality and to the good folk of Trinity who were superb hosts!