First Call

Saying for the Day: Ordination doesn't change a man or woman God does.

We reach into the archive box and pull out a picture of a church that looks a bit like a teepee.
This is one of the three churches that made up my first call.
For a Lutheran to be ordained it is required that he or she have a call to serve some congregation or institution of the church.
The student had very little control over his first call .
If the synod President ( we were lucky enough not to have Bishops then) offered to submit your name to a particular parish and you said no it might be a very long time before he made another offer.
In every Synod there were parishes that were considered first call parishes.
These were churches where the newly ordained could show that he was ready for better things.
They were small and often had more than one congregation.
The pay was on the very bottom of the scale.

My Synod President offered to submit my name to the Trout Creek parish.
This consisted of three churches with 15 miles between the two end congregations and the other in the middle.
I agreed to let him and then the ritual began.

I had to go to the parish and preach in each congregation.
They then could ask questions about almost anything.
After that I was excused and they voted.
The vote was positive and they issued a call and I had thirty days to say yes or no.
I was only too happy to say yes because now with call in hand and the examining committee behind me I was ready to be ordained.

I would become a pastor.
I would serve God.
I would get to make promises that I would work very hard to keep.
God had both called and blessed me.

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News from Pigeon Falls– the little town in my backyard where the trains still run– Eino asked a number of people if they had seen the red line on the dragon that Tommy saw. None of them did but none of them could remember where Tommy was standing.
The White Rabbit showed up Monday afternoon down by the train station. That seems to be one of his favorite places. The tourists who were leaving after a fun week saw him wave and wink . They were very happy and had a story to tell when they got home. “Pigeon falls is better than Disneyland” one of them said.
Well Donna Bergall got to give her story last night and here it is:
“ I know that some of you have seen my Aunt Dorothy. She was with me during much of last week. I know you wanted to ask about her extra long nose and her very big upper lip but were to kind to do so. Well she has gone home so I can tell you how it came to be. When she was a little girl her mother had one of those washers with a wringer on the top. You know, where the clothes are pulled between two rollers to squeeze out the water before you hang them up to dry. There was no spin dry then. Her mother went upstairs to answer the phone and little Dorothy being nosey went to take a close look at the washer. She pushed a lever and the rollers started to move and just at that moment she slid on the wet floor and her nose got pulled into the rollers. She tried to scream but her upper lip was grabbed and pulled over nose. The pain was horrible but there was nothing she could do. Her nose and lip were being pulled and stretched. She finally kicked got a hold of the electric cord and disconnected the washer. It stopped but the swelling prevented her from pulling her nose or lip back. Just then her mother came back and almost fainted. She tried to pull her out and failed. So she went and called the fire department. She figured if they can get kid’s heads out of buckets they can get a nose out of the washer. The only problem was that the local fire department was all volunteer and the young man that came was not the sharpest tack in the box. He suggested pouring on three in one oil but her mother was afraid she might swallow. So then he tried Vaseline to slide it out but that didn’t work either. He then suggested they get a blow torch and cut her loose. It was at that time that her father came home. He took one look at the situation and pulled the lever on the end of the ringers that caused them to spring apart. The ringers opened and her nose popped free. It was too late . The damage was done. They took her to the doctor and even to a specialist but there was no way to return her to her former beautiful self. O! I suppose that a plastic surgeon could have helped but they didn’t have much money. So she has had to go through life with a ringer of a nose. Her story tells us clearly that one shouldn’t stick there nose where it doesn’t belong. Now as to this being a true story if you ever met my Aunt you already know the answer.”
Donna got a 9.9 and became the Liar’s Club champion. Her name goes on the cup just below Jon’s from last year. She gets the Liar’s Club Champion of the year sweatshirt.
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Today's Link- 13th Zeal - Remember to put the words Dr. John in the comment to get those cuddly JCPOINTS. Check your total HERE.
Yesterday we drew W.J. St. Christopher . If we draw here again today she gets what's in the PRIZE BOX.
We will hold the drawing when Betty gets up.

Betty is up. I cut the slips from yesterday and added them to the prize basket. Then I spilled the basket. After I got all the slips back in . I shook the basket up .

Then , finally, Betty drew..........




MIMI..sorry W.J. (Sorry Bree) if Mimi is drawn again tomorrow she gets what's in the prize box.Good luck Mimi
Spent the morning on the net. I went and voted for Javanagogh's son's music group again. He has moved up a little but its still like trying to empty the bathtub with a spoon. It can be done but you need a lot of spoons. If you have a free moment go to her blog and the information is in the August 14th entry.
This afternoon I got out of the fortress. We had to go to Iron River to get a prescription filled at Snyder's. Then I went to my favorite store to look for pricless prizes for the Monday contest. I was out and worried about next Monday. I resolved to spend whatever was necessary to get the best. I bought enough prizes to carry us through until October. I spent like money was going out of style. These are unbelivable, pricless prizes ( though they had a price). I bought two of each so I can continue having two winners. It was grand fun. Betty did remind me we are on a house buying budget or I'd have bought more. In fact I almost bought ten of one item but she wanted to know what I'd do with the other eight. I just liked them.
My sister who hates computers called . She got my printed blogs from July ( I send her copies including the comments) and she had "corrections". It seems my Uncle Donald was never aprisoner of War in World War Two but was just missing for awhile (the family couldn't find out where he was). She had a different version of my mother's broken arm story and it had three broken arms not all my mothers. I'm glad she is reading them. well I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA