Out with a Bang

The last Sunday in May (pandemic day 439) was marked by celebration after celebration - in the Church, in the Dominican, in my local church, and at Concordia the Reformer Seminary:

• Trinity Sunday (yes, we said the Credo Atanasio in Spanish);
• Día de las Madres (Mother's Day); 
• 2 Baptisms;  
• 5 confirmations at Iglesia Luterana Cordero de Dios; and
• 8 graduations. 

Chris & Jenn Gann are on staff at Santiago Christian School and have three kids: Calder, Ainsley, and Malachi. Calder and Malachi were received into the Lord's family yesterday!

Later in the same service, Chris, Jen, Calder, Ainsley, and Nellie Fernández, an English teacher with the DRLM's in-house language institute, confirmed their faith in the Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions. The tradition at Cordero de Dios is to have a current member choose and read a verse for each confirmand. Pastor Fritzler asked me to do so for Calder; I almost said no since I barely know him, but a dear friend pointed out that encouraging one another with the words of Scripture is what we do in the body of Christ. I chose 2 Samuel 22:31:

This God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.

What better occasion for our first post-pandemic potluck?!

The seminary's 5:00 pm closing worship service doubled as a graduation recognition for the 2020 graduates (there aren't any 2021 graduates), whom COVID robbed of an in-person ceremony a year ago. After the benediction, Rev. Ted Krey read letters of congratulations from two sister church body presidents. Then, everybody shifted from the sanctuary to the conference room for a video presentation dedicated to eight men who are now at varying stages of the trajectory toward ordination. 

I ended the day with a simple dinner with friends and Gilmore Girls (my current Netflix binge). Until next time, blessings, and Happy Memorial Day to those of you in the US of A!