Reformation

 This morning we celebrated Reformation Day at our Church, Trinity Lutheran in Mason City (Iowa). Every fifth Sunday of a month, we also have a Service of Healing.  Everyone came forward. Much need for caring, for courage, for healing. 

 At the beginning of the season the odds were 125 to 1 that Arizona would not make it to the World Series.  However, last night, in the second game of the World Series, the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Texas Rangers 9-1. Series tied. Now on to Arizona for the next games.  Be careful about believing odds and ratings!

A thousand Voices

Almost 500 junior and senior high school students gathered at the North Iowa Area Community College last night for the "Honor Choir Festival" concert. Five choirs sang. Son Joel, who now teaches and directs choirs at NIACC directed the Festival Honor Choir, accompanied by his wife Rachel. It was wonderful.

All the choirs and the 1000 people in the audience sang the grand finale together. Music surrounded us all. 

Prayers for Restraint

 Mason City (Iowa) citizens will gather in Central Park this Saturday, Oct. 28, at noon for "Prayers of Restraint" in the Middle East war.  One Jew, one Muslim and one Christian will each offer a brief prayer. In between will be moments of silence for reflection. 

VOTE this November

 Today's vote today in Congress is one more reason why we need to vote in Nov. 7 elections.  Here in our city, it's school board and city government issues.  Extremely important!  We can vote now at our precinct right across the street.  VOTE

The Music Man

 Our Grandson, Jackson Everist, did a wonderful job playing Professor Harold Hill in "The Music Man" at Stebens theater here the past two weeks.  I had him sign my childhood autograph book and then showed him that his autograph was right next to that of Meredith Willson.  Willson was a childhood friend of my father's.  Willson signed my book in 1950 at our home in Des Moines.  I gave Jackson my autograph book.  It seemed appropriate.

Indigenous Peoples Day

 The "discovery" of a land where 550 tribes already lived means invasion. Were indigenous people "invisible"? Thought of as non-people? The "discovers" viewed them ambiguously, as "innocent," just part of the landscape of the "new land," or as "horrid savage: to be conquered. The latter view prevailed which meant they had to be "exterminated" It is fitting therefore that "Columbus Day" in some states and cities is now "Indigenous Peoples Day."  

Ancestors

 All of my grandparents died before I was born. However I do know some history about them.

My mother is German. The Kloock family emmigrated to the United States in the 1890's.  Here is a picture from about 1910 of them on the board sidewalk in front of the house my grandfather built in Garner, Iowa. My mother was about 10. Here is a picture of the house today, still standing.  My father's Cook family came on the Good Ship "Fortune" from Britain in 1621, landing on Cape Cod.

Dianne Feinstein

 We will miss her persistent voice!  Senator Dianne Feinstein died in her sleep Friday night, just a few hours after casting her vote on the Senate floor to prevent a government shutdown. She was a woman of great intelligence and integrity. She was a "first" in so many ways. She worked, always collaboratively, across part lines to ban assault weapons, was the first woman to chair the Senate Intelligence Committee and served on the Judicial Committee. What a fierce leader. What a kind colleague.  We will miss you, Dianne!

A Dangerous Man

 The former president on Jan 6, 2021, supported the chants from the insurrection crowd: "Hang Mike Pence" saying his vice president deserved it.  Over the last weekend the former president continued his death comments by insinuating that outgoing head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mark Milley, should be executed. This is politics of violence

Anyone who opposes this dangerous man is living in fear if they speak out. Trump refuses to participate in the debate of Republican candidates for the presidency. The candidates are told they need to say they will vote for Trump if he is the 2024 candidate. Calls for security guards are way up. It is time for us to work to reverse this violent environment in order to save our democracy.

Ministry in Daily Life

 Ministry in Daily Life!  Burton and I had our hair cut last week. The woman who cut our hair remembered how she had cut it last time. Not only did she know our hair, but she knew us.  She knew our names and asked about our families. That would be "standard" hair-cutting conversation.  But she also remembered that our granddaughter had serious health problems and asked how the treatment had gone  this summer. She knew our occupations, but she also inquired about how our vocations were going. She knew details, was genuinely interested and had even looked up some information on the internet to understand us more deeply. This woman was skilled in her job, but was also truly a minister in her daily life. 

President Biden in Hanoi

 What an astounding image of our U.S. President Biden holding a news conference in Hanoi, 
Vietnam.  That was a long war which ended 50 years ago. President Biden spoke as he ended his important 5-day trip to the G-20 and other countries.  He is so knowledgable and knows how to engage other world leaders. In Hanoi he spoke of stabilization, healthy communication among nations, and working together on the Climate Crisis. 

Today is the 22nd anniversary of 9/11. What image does that bring to mind?  How do we remember and learn from these images?