Finally. We’re one week closer to the end of the football season. (Yes, I know there’s that Pro-Bowl game, but that’s more like a glorified game of touch football.) As I listen to the interminable babble leading to next Sunday’s football lovefest, I hear familiar kinds of themes that echo our church year. Although its only two weeks long (praise the Lord), it sounds like our four weeks of Advent which lead us to Christmas.

Think about it. The whole football fortnight is spent on basically two topics. First, we look ahead to what is to come. So, too, in Advent. We look ahead to the return of Jesus and the establishment of the eternal kingdom. We look ahead to the second coming.

Second, the 14 days before the Narcissistic Football League’s (NFL) diamond (did you know the first Super Bowl game was not a sellout?) showcase is filled with recollections from the past. We never tire of hearing about Joe Montana, Roger Staubach, John Elway, and Brett What’s-his-name. Again, we do this in Advent when we retell the story of God coming to us in the infant Jesus. In fact that story is so good, we end with "Glory to God in the highest"!. We never get tired of telling about it.

So, welcome to the middle of the American Advent. Actually, I like our Christian one better. It leads, eventually, to Easter where there is only one true victory. The victory of love over death. Hey, it’s a sure winner. Now that calls for an "Alleluia!"

Pastor B.

PS The American Advent also means we’re that much closer to baseball’s spring training. I’m lovin’ it.

Just returned from the clinic and the once-every-three-months CT scan for our daughter, Krista. These quarterly excursions have enough angst to fuel the car for the drive there and back. I know there are many folks who go through the same routine as a follow-up to a cancer diagnosis.

As the day of the scan approaches, the anxiety starts to build geometrically - each day multiplies upon itself. The last three days become laden with the weight of concern that grips every moment, and the ride to the clinic is either one of nervous silence (my way of handling it) or nervous talking (Krista’s method). We pray once we’re inside, and then the time waiting waffles between measured pessimism (I just know it’s back, but don’t be so bleak about it) and measured optimism (everything will be fine, but don’t get your hopes up).

Then you find yourself looking for signs while watching CNN in the waiting room. But you know that watching the news can bring nothing but bad signs. So you look out the window and see the sun break through. A good sign, but you know the clouds will return.

In Krista’s case, we move from the medical imaging room to the clinic waiting room to the examination room. Each is a step higher on the angst scale. Finally the door opens, the physician walks in, and (this guy knows the level of worry floating in the room) he says (before he’s even fully in the room), "Everything looks good."

Faster than my bathtub can drain, the anxiety meter drops. All the other conversation is important but generally perfunctory. Now we are free for another three months.

We do thank God for all things. There is thankfulness in difficulty as well as in ease. Still, the thank you comes a little easier when you can breath again.

Wiener Schnitzel! Our exchange student, Miriam, from Germany made Wiener Schnitzel for us on Sunday night. It was delicious. Afterward Susan more or less dared me to devote this week’s blog to Wiener Schnitzel.

That brought us to the issue of spelling. Like most words in German (according to Susan), it is spelled just as it sounds. The problem is capitalization. German’s apparently capitalize everything that moves - or is eaten in this case. So, I suggested that since I write this blog in English, I should be able to scrawl wiener schnitzel without the capitals. This met with icy coldness from both the females at the table (i.e. Susan and Miriam). I must, they said, be true to the language and stick with Wiener Schnitzel.

Now this brings us to the issues of wieners in general. It would seem that it is okay to use the lower case for hot dog or tube steak. However, we’d be exhibiting vast intellectual correctness if we would remember to write Wieners or Frankfurters. Better yet, just stick to the spoken word and forget the capitalization stuff. My gosh, I don’t even want to think about hamburger (or is it Hamburger).

While we’re on the subject of capitalization, did you notice how many times the word LORD came up in the psalm on Sunday? (Psalm 29, for the two or three of you who weren’t there). I counted 18, but I may have missed one or two. It stuck out because of the capitalization - LORD instead of Lord (or lord). So why the all-in-caps spelling? Are we supposed to shout it out or something? (Wouldn’t that be an interesting Sunday morning feel for the psalmody? Shouting!)

Maybe you’ve noticed in your Old Testament Bible reading that you often come across LORD. You find it in small capitals (is that an oxymoron or what? "Small capitals"!?!)

Now for the $64 question (does anyone still remember that radio/tv quiz show ($64,000 on tv)?) Wait, the question inside the parentheses is not this question. This is the question: Why? Why does the Old Testament use that designation of LORD? (Hint: Exodus)

First person to email me with the correct answer can decide once and for all the Wiener Schnitzel/wiener schnitzel conundrum. Send your answer to pastorb@oslc-elca.org

Note to Miriam’s family in case they read this: Miri is doing great. She’s a very good cook, and she’s not too bad on the piano either. Our best to Steffi and Tine.

The year of our Lord, 2007!

As a youngster I knew that BC meant "Before Christ." I thought that AD stood for "After Death." So, I was always left wondering about the three decades or so between Jesus birth and death.

Over the years I discovered, of course, that AD is short for Anno Domini (year of the Lord). That took care of the between times problem.

Along the way I also figured out that Jesus was not born two thousand seven years ago. The calendar we now use was not in existence when Jesus was born. How could it have been? No one knew then how the world would change because of Jesus Christ.

And then I was awakened to the fact that Jesus was not likely actually born on December 25 and that no one really knows the date. And even if we use our modern calendar, because of some wrong calculations, Jesus was likely born 4 years on the Before Christ side.

All was part of my ongoing education about time. Generations of nations have marked time by years, most often dictated by the moon cycle. Although we live in an age enthralled with the exactitude of nanoseconds based on an atomic clock, most generations didn’t need to get a whole lot closer than a sundial.

Time is, in fact, a gift from God (see Gen 1:14). But, like wealth or power or intelligence, time is a relative term. Grandson Branden feels a need to tell folks that he is six and a half. In a few years the "half" will be much less important. And in a few more years, even counting the years will become less important.

So, have a happy new year. And remember, we’ll do it all over again next year, and the year after, and the year after, and on and on. So just enjoy it.

A new year prayer:

Lord of time and space. I give you thanks for all the things of 2006. Good and bad and in between, you have carried me through. Now, dear Lord, stay with me again in this year 2007. Whatever may come my way, with you next to me, I can meet every crisis with an optomistic hope and joy-filled heart. Amen.