It’s another late update, and another couple of busy weeks. So, this entry is another two-week entry. The problem is trying to remember what happened in week 43, but I’ll give it my best shot. Week 44 shouldn’t be as difficult.

Sunday – This is the last green Sunday before a change. Next week will be Reformation, All Saints’ after that. We go back to green, but the focus changes to end times a little. Still, the focus of the Divine Service is the same every week: Christ’s body and blood give and received for the forgiveness of sins—and so it was again this day.

Monday – Today was a day off like any other, and that was appreciated.

Tuesday – Back in the office today to begin preparation for Reformation. Then, it was time to go to the library. On Friday last week, I finished and returned a book that I had borrowed via an inter-library loan and requested the next in the series; I discovered today that I can check on the progress of such a request: the book was found, it’s just a matter of waiting for it to be delivered to my library.

Wednesday – Wednesdays always seem to be a long day. First, there’s office time, then a short stay back at home, then Lutheran Confessions Study. The morning is usually spent in preparation for the evening as well as any other study I have time for. It makes for a strained brain at night, but worth it. That’s what today was.

Thursday – Thursdays begin with Bible Study in Parker. As I have been reporting, The Egg & I removed my usual order from the menu. I had the Cambridge Skillet again today; it may become my new normal. I ordered it today because I had a taste for the ham and bacon in it. Once I got to the office, some time was spent in sermon prep, some in preparing my report for the voters’ meeting. Then it was back home to decompress. Though we were able to get some free ice cream this evening.

Friday – So, it was time to pull the sermon together. I kept focusing on the idea of slavery and freedom, of being in prison and having the door flung open. I’ve preached on like this before, and as the ideas I had weren’t gelling like I had hoped, I was able to reuse that sermon and update it a bit. This evening was Bible Study, but since we won’t be meeting next week (and we didn’t meet last week), we turned it into a game night. The host chose poker; I had the second best hand several times, and ended up losing all of my chips. To close out the night, they wanted to do an all-in hand, so they lent me a penny chip to ante, and that hand I ended up winning.

Saturday – Now is the day to review the week, and make sure I’ve got everything lined up for Sunday. A little more today than other Saturdays with the meeting tomorrow.

Sunday – Divine Service celebrating the Reformation this morning, followed by a potluck and voters’ meeting. There’s still this anxious little feeling in my stomach before these meetings, but there hasn’t been one here yet that warranted such anxiety.

Monday – Hey, look, another day off to decompress.

Tuesday – Back in the office to being preparations for All Saints’. But, there is other preparation to attend to this week, as well. Saturday is our Circuit Forum, and I have a propose resolution to share. After the Forum is the Circuit Convocation, and I’m giving a presentation there on a Lost Teaching of Jesus. So, I have an extra- busy week in the office. I spent a little time on all three “projects” today, resulting in a jumble of ideas on my head.

Wednesday – Then there’s also class tonight to prepare for. So, I look at my Convocation Presentation idea, and get a very good start on that before turning my attention to tonight. It seems like my sermon preparation is suffering today. Home for a bit, then back to church for Confessions Study.

Thursday – So, for breakfast this morning I had biscuits and gravy. Truth be told, IHOP does it better. The gravy is tasty, but the biscuits were kind of hard. I’m thinking I’ll be making my own omelet next week, but we’ll see. From breakfast, I made my way to Staples to get some paper for the church. Then, I was going to go to Castle Rock to drop off a job application; that’s when I received a phone call. I had to go home to pick up a particularly misbehaving child. They needed to spend time out of the house and in an extra controlled environment. The application never got dropped off. What little time I had in the office was spent finishing the proposed resolution and keeping an eye on my child...by-laws running through my head. Arriving at home, the child and I bagged the pile of leaves on the front lawn. It was an exhausting day for all of us, to say the least.

Friday – I had to get to the sermon today, but with everything else running through my mind, it was hard to focus on a text. As time ticked by, I was running out of good time to write anything, so I looked to a brother-in-office and a manuscript he wrote several years back for inspiration. A few changes here and there, and a sermon was prepared. This evening, we were going to go to a friends’ house for trick-or-treating and dinner, but they had to jet off to Texas early yesterday to attend to birth of their grandson. So, plan B: $3 burritos at Chipotle (if you dressed in costume). A friend from Denver dropped by to join us; we got the burritos in Castle Rock, then made our way to Kiowa for the Fire Departments Halloween party. There, Tirzah won the costume contest for her age group: a bucket full of candy! Then, it was off to another friends’ house for one last trick-or-treat before a late night back home. Another exhausting day.

Saturday – Out early to make my way to Aurora for circuit stuff. The proposed resolution was received well, but there were many suggestions made and alterations requested. So, it was sent back with me for revision and for the congregation to submit. Lunch was provided by a couple from that congregation, then time for the Convocation: The Lost Teachings of Jesus. These are teachings that aren’t emphasized enough or often glossed over. There were four of us: Reconciliation, Activity of Angels and Demons, The Person of Christ and the Communication of Attributes (mine), and Degrees of Glory and Degrees of Torment. Once again, my presentation was well received and garnered many questions as I sought to teach that which is unteachable—the two natures of Christ has been called the second greatest mystery of the faith next to the Holy Trinity. I was home in time for supper; man it was a long day.