Outer Rim Territories

Late Summer 2008

The last time I wrote, vicarage was half over. As expected, the final six months of vicarage was jam-packed with events and tasks. Unfortunately I neglected writing this newsletter until now. I apologize for not keeping your more abreast of everything Gillespie.

First, the biggest news – Naomi Alice Gillespie was born on May 3rd, 2008 at 6:07 a.m. She was a healthy 10 pounds, 21.5″ long, and 14″ diameter head. Officially labor started at 1 a.m. but thankfully Anne let me sleep until 5 a.m. We kept in touch with the midwife and she made it just in time. Labor was relatively easy for Anne and Naomi.

I worked ahead at church and my bishop graciously gave me more than a week off to tend the family and home. It was a wonderful gift to help Anne recover and keep our little destroyers from their worst. It wasn’t much of a vacation but that would come later, post-vicarage. Being home with the family, especially with my happy, smiling baby is always a joy, regardless of the chore of being “Mr. Mom”.

Naomi was baptized on May 17th, 2008 at Immanuel Ev. Lutheran Church in Frankentrost (Saginaw), Michigan. Pastor Mark A. Loest officiated and her sponsors are Seminarian (then vicar) Roy and Eliza Askins. We had the baptism on a Saturday so Roy could preach the next day and to accommodate both our schedules. Many family and friends from the congregation were in attendance. We had lunch and fellowship following making for a memorable day. You can watch a video of the baptism on the web (http://www.vimeo.com/1043837).

Second, Anne and I celebrated our tenth anniversary on June 27th. To celebrate, we took the family out to Genji Japanese Steakhouse in Saginaw. We went there at Christmas time with the school staff, enjoying it so much that we wanted to take the kids to be entertained by the habachi grill-meisters. Last summer, we took our trip to Germany to visit the Luther/Bach sites on the way back from Siberia which we considered our anniversary gift.

Where have ten years gone? The best marker of the time are the children. I wonder where the ten years went but then I look at Ethan and figure “there’s 7 1/2 yrs.” Then there are all the moves – Oak Park mini-apartment to big apartment to Lockport home to Fort Wayne to Michigan vicarage and now back in Fort Wayne. Then the life changes – student to father to retail sales to seminarian to vicar to fourth-year something-or-other. Life is quite the journey, no doubt.

As I write, the family is back in Fort Wayne and settling in. My last sunday at the vicarage was July 13th. Anne did almost all the packing over the last few weeks. Thinking back, I wonder how she did it, with toddlers running about and an infant in tow.?I was able to pack my work and home office, the garage, basement, and the entertainment stuff. In comparison, not all that much.

As the family grows, so does the stuff. We have many bins of clothing, dressers, beds, shelves, and more. We managed to get it all in a 26 foot moving truck, our van, my car, and my parent’s station wagon… barely. I’m not quite sure how we’ll move the next time. There was a small basement roomed packed to the brim that we left behind before vicarage. We’ll just deal with that bridge when we get to it.

When we arrived back, not only did we unpack but we did some maintenance to the home. Since we took all the carpet out on the main floor last year, we were able to repurpose the layout. The now-purple room became the dining room (as it was for the previous owners. But kids+carpet+food don’t mix!) The back room became the living room, with the TV, stereo, and Anne’s crafting supplies. The front green room became the office and school room. Last year we painted a number of rooms but we didn’t get to the back addition or upstairs. The back room got a fresh coat of a rich red color, quite the change from the boring white.

I’m sure there will be more maintenance to come. While on vicarage, Destructor #4 (Luke) did quite a number on the upstairs toilet. Apparently the porcelain was not able to withstand a jumping toddler, yielding to the pressure, and cracking both tank and bowl. Also, storm glass can’t handle incessant pounding from a blunt object at the hands of the same devastating force. We can only hope that the future repairs will be so minor.

I also tackled the task of refinishing our inherited wood table. The varnish was mostly worn, old vinyl tablecloth was baked on, and water stains covered the surface. I stripped the table, discovering it is solid walnut. After sanding, I put on many coats of polyurethane and a final coat of finishing wax. Its a remarkable change. For good measure, I made some home-brew leaves which don’t quite match but will work well in a pinch for larger meals or entertaining.

Speaking of mealtime, Ethan had a spurt of food creativity while in Michigan. He thought it fun to create new recipes. Not one to stifle creativity, we let him have at it. His first “Corn-Rice Dish” was a success, tasty and satisfying. We look forward to future culinary creations from the little chef.

Elsie likes doing her own crafts, joining with the rest in their various artistic play. So far, we’re able to keep the crayons, markers, pencils, and pens to paper and mostly away from walls, table, skin, and each other. Scissors can make for some fun paper dolls but also for cut hair. I think the scissors are put away for now.

Gabriel enjoys building with Lincoln Logs and drawing. Both Gabe’s and Luke’s vocabulary are expanding rapidly, although intelligibility sometimes is difficult. Luke also likes to color and draw but mostly would rather destroy Lincoln Log houses and throw anything with satisfactory projectile motion.

Naomi too has changed. She is now 16 1/2 lbs. She can roll from back to front. She loves her siblings and her parents, smiling her big toothless grin. She is also friendly with pretty much anyone who will hold her. Her favorite activity though is standing. She has stout little legs and loves to use them.

In the interim between vicarage and the start of classes (September 8th), we have also taken the opportunity to visit family and friends. We attended the ordination of my friend from undergraduate Pr. Mark Birkholz in Illinois. We visited Lockport. We stayed for a week with Christine and Steve Sikma (Anne’s sister) in NW Indiana. We travelled to my sister’s Olympic extravaganza. We’ve also had seminary friends over as they move back from their vicarages. We know what it is like to be without a stocked kitchen. A homemade dinner is a Godsend for these friends. The fun and fellowship of traveling and entertaining friends is wonderful.

As we get closer to fall, we’re planning to implement a more systematic approach to chores and schooling. With five children now, its more difficult to get things done and find the time to provide intensive schooling. I’ll be home even less than during vicarage, so a more regular schedule will benefit mom and children alike. In addition, to the regular school disciplines, Ethan will continue piano lessons and intends to join the homeschool choir at the Seminary.

Of course, my schooling will continue as I enter my fourth and final year of Masters of Divinity coursework. This past year of vicarage provided a terrific opportunity to put the first years of “book” knowledge and wisdom into practice. The foundation provided by those two years proved essential to properly practice the care of souls, the teaching of young and old, and the preaching of God’s Word. Also, I was able to witness the administration of a church and contemplate how best to handle conflict and dispute. Regular preaching and teaching gave me an healthy perspective on schedule, priority, and balance of church and family. Finally I learned what a rare gift it is to have a congregation and their pastor walk together in both doctrine and practice. I grew extremely thankful for our brief time in St. Paul’s Lockport and for the many others who teach, preach, and act in accord with our Lutheran Confessions.

This upcoming fourth year of seminary will bring new opportunities. I will be working for the Admissions department, assisting in their technology needs. They are making a number of “new media” efforts to encourage candidates for the seminary to attend. I will be auditioning for the Kantorei, the lead seminary chorus. If not the Kantorei, then perhaps one of the other seminary choral groups or perhaps a local chorus. I desire to improve my singing voice to better serve my future congregation.

Unlike the first two years when a field work congregation is assigned and the third year when a vicarage is assigned, the fourth year affords us the opportunity to choose where we will attend the Divine Service. A number of congregations are suitable in the area. We intend to attend Bethany Lutheran on the south part of town. They are consistent in their conduct of the liturgy, preaching of the Word, quality of Sunday school for the children, and we hear they have a great coffee hour after church! Most of all, friends have been fieldworkers there and attend.

Coursework for the coming year will be a great challenge. My fall term has the heaviest load I have taken since my first year, first semester. My always-sensible bishop suggested I weight the fall term heavier than the winter and spring. Winter has less daylight and Spring will have graduation on its mind. Fall term’s seventeen credits include: Luther’s Sermons seminar, Gospels III (St. John), Dogmatics III (generally the Third Article of the Creed), the Word of God (with Prof. David Scaer), and Major Prophets.

Thankfully, I read Luther’s sermon(s) for every text I preached over vicarage which should help in the seminary course. Gospels III and Major Prophets will be the biggest challenge as they are interpretive (exegetical) courses, consistently a weak point for me. Perhaps a year of exegetical work with the Gospel texts improved my ability in this regard. Dogmatics III will be a favorite, taught by Dr. Masaki, covering the Holy Spirit, the Church and the Sacraments. Finally, Dr. Scaer’s Word of God will be the pleasant surprise that all his courses have been.

I am grateful for my education so far and the year to come. I have grown significantly in my knowledge of the Scriptures and the Church’s Confessions. I look forward to putting this into practice as one of our Lord’s servants of the Word. Not intending to delay this result, I have resolved to apply for a second master’s program (Sacred Theology Masters or S.T.M.) If admitted, this program will allow me to gain a stronger footing in additional theological languages (German and Latin), pursue specific coursework within a focused discipline, and write a significant thesis on an agreed-upon thesis during the course of a year.

While I will be applying, this program is no sure thing. Unlike the M.Div program towards ordination, the S.T.M. program does not qualify for the seminary grant (60% off tuition). Also, it can be significantly more difficult to secure funding for what some consider a superfluous program. As history has proven, the steadfastness of the church’s ministers is directly correlated to their rooting in God’s Word, Church history, and wisdom gained through intensive study. Much of the education provided by the S.T.M. program is given to those who are “pre-seminary” students at one of our Concordia Universities. Since I missed the opportunity, this program will supplement an complete M.Div program.

I hope that all who have supported my education and the well-being of my family will consider continuing through the coming and potential additional year. I thank you for the tremendous support, both in prayer and finances which have made these years of training possible. Specifically, I thank my home congregation of St. Paul’s Lockport, the congregation of my youth St. James Lafayette, my adoptive congregation of Trinity Lowell, my vicarage congregation of Immanuel Frankentrost, Mrs. D. Lou Gast, and all numerous others.

Please keep my family in your prayers as we transition once again into student life. If you are receiving this letter via mail and can receive it via email, let us know to save postage.

 

Seminarian Christopher, Anne, Ethan, Elsie, Gabriel, Luke, and Naomi Gillespie

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Related posts:

1. Summer 2007 Newsletter
2. Summer 2006 Newsletter
3. Newsletter – March 2006 edition
4. Winter Newsletter 2006
5. October Newsletter