Happy Reformation Day

To celebrate Reformation Day, the staff of University Presbyterian Church is attending a concert at the Blanton Museum of Art. Today's special presentation is Bach's "Ein feste Burg ist unsrer Gott" or "A Mighty Fortress is Our God".

From wikipedia:

Reformation Day is a religious holiday celebrated in remembrance of the Reformation, particularly by Lutheran and Reformed church communities. It takes place on October 31 and is an official holiday in many countries. It coincides with Halloween, the eve before All Saints' Day. Many families in the Reformed tradition do not allow their children to observe Halloween because of various perceived Satanic associations (see Halloween#Religious viewpoints).

On this day in 1517, Martin Luther posted a proposal at the doors of a church in Wittenberg, Germany to debate the doctrine and practice of indulgences. This proposal is popularly known as the 95 Theses, which he nailed to the Castle Church doors. This was not an act of defiance or provocation as is sometimes thought. Since the Castle Church faced Wittenberg's main thoroughfare, the church door functioned as a public bulletin board and was therefore the logical place for posting important notices. Nonetheless, the event created a controversy between Luther and those allied with the Pope over a variety of doctrines and practices. When Luther and his supporters were excommunicated in 1520, the Lutheran, Reformed and Anabaptist traditions were born.

Within the Lutheran church, Reformation Day is considered a minor festival, and is officially referred to as The Festival of the Reformation. Until the 20th Century, most Lutheran churches celebrated Reformation Day on October 31st, regardless of which day of the week it occurred. Today, most Lutheran churches transfer the festival, so that it falls on the Sunday (called Reformation Sunday) on or before October 31st and transfer All Saints' Day to the Sunday on or after November 1st.

The liturgical color of the day is red, which represents the Holy Spirit and the Martyrs of the Christian Church. Luther's hymn, A Mighty Fortress is our God is traditionally sung on this day. Lutherans customarily stand during the hymn, in memory of its use in the religious wars of the Sixteenth Century.

Chicken Soup

I have been fighting a sinus infection for days. Although I am on antibiotics and codeine laced cough syrup, I hardly feel any better. I had to walk out of a Sunday school lecture this morning because I was coughing uncontrollably. Soup or warm tea seem to have greatest affect.

What is it in chicken soup that makes us feel better? (A question for the ages!)

Only slightly related: I feel another kind of sick. It may be difficult to describe, understand, or respond to... but I have had this sinking feeling for the past semester or so. This feeling is attached to my relationship with my cohorts (students at the seminary) and especially within my entering class. Over the past year, as we have taken more electives and less of the core curriculum classes--we have seen less of each other. We seem to be a less cohesive group. We are following our individual calls more (as it should be) and preparing to leave the seminary for parts unknown. There is anxiety entering into this secluded seminary environment... who will find a call, who won't, who will keep in touch, who will abandon the ministry, who will burn out, who will bloom, who will be spirit led and spirit fed?

I don't know. I hope that the coming chapters of our lives will be as interesting as these recent ones. I hope to retain those bonds we have formed over the past two years, nurture them, and help them to continue to grow. But, what about this growing anxiety about the uncertainty of the future? My plan: I know that I can't do much, but I can be more intentional in my prayer life. And so, my plan is to start praying for my classmates on a more regular basis. By name. Everyday. I hope that this new structure to my daily life will help to put some things back into their proper perspective. This is a practice I picked up as a chaplain this summer. (Once you have a good practice, you really shouldn't give it up.)

Help

I know some of you geniuses know how to post a pdf on a blog. Can you walk me through it?

Beta better be brilliant

So, I took the leap.

The glass three-quarters full

I got PC(USA) ordination exam results back yesterday. I will be retaking one exam in January. This is the day the Lord hath made... let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Ps. Four days of study (between CPE and the ords) is apparently not enough.

What differentiates us?

Just a quick question for you... as I have been brushing up on some of my marketing skills, the question emerged... What makes us different?

My answer will be: education. Therefore, education is what we should push. Any thoughts?