The New Routine

I’ve been working for Lutheran Public Radio officially since the start of October. I figured it would take a while to settle into a new routine. If you know me at all, you know I’m most content when I’m IN a routine and things are humming along as expected.

My goal is to write seven shows a week. I try to do two each on Tuesday and Thursday; one each on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Also on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday I head into the studio in the morning to record two shows each day. Thus, the most shows recorded in a given week is six, one more than the week needs. And with writing two more each week than a week needs, I’m actually comfortably ahead of the recording at the moment. I’ll finish up November 28th this afternoon and hopefully by week’s end will be writing shows for December 4th.

I was a little nervous about the amount of writing involved, but it’s been quite manageable thus far, thanks be to God! And what’s sweet? Well, of course, no daily commute. No sitting in traffic. The joy of writing in my own study. That’s all wonderful, to be sure. But it pales before the pure gold. You know what that is? Being able to focus so intensively and nearly exclusively on the Word. I’m reading, pondering and explaining God’s Word and checking out the great teachers of the Church on the texts for the day. And LPR is paying me to do this!

And it doesn’t stop with work for LPR. At St. Paul’s my duties as an assistant pastor are exclusively in the area of preaching and teaching the Word and celebrating the Eucharist.

The time I’ve recouped from commute, I’ve largely put into more intensive reading. I’m about 2/3 through *Two Natures in Christ* by Chemnitz (I’d spot read it before; but this is my first from the first page to the last). I’ve finished the first volume of Gerhard’s *Schola Pietatis* and am almost done with the second. The Chemnitz-Leyser-Gerhard Harmony of the Gospels has become a bit of a daily friend.

So, even though I’m still exploring and adjusting the best way to get everything done, it’s definitely beginning to gel and truthfully, I am having the time of my life! Here’s praying that the Lord will bless the sharing of the Word to the upbuilding of His Church in the faith and love and hope that are in Christ Jesus!