After work I drove up to Loveland, CO, about 40 minutes from Brighton. Mount Olive Lutheran Church held the Service of Prayer and Preaching at 4:00, but I could only make the Service of Evening Prayer at 7:00.

The LSB Evening Prayer Service is a direct copy of the service from LW. The congregation was still unfamiliar with it, so my time learning it in Fort Smith proved useful.

For the scripture readings Pastor Carlton Hein used all of John 6, and then preached that story on top of it. The crowds wanted Jesus to provide food for them and defy the Roman Empire. Jesus instead offers us his body and blood for eternal life. Kind of poignant when one considers the deals we try to make with God.

After teaching her high school catechism class, Christian Education and Youth Director for Mount Olive Sandra Ostapowich brought her class into the service right as it was beginning. Mrs. Ostapowich is the secretary for Higher Things and writer of the blog Madre’s Missives. Despite *sniff* being sick *sniff* as a dog *sniff*, Madre kept pitch throughout the service and tried to sing out. She is sharp yet nice, with a very energetic son. :)

After the service I chatted a little with Madre and with the pastor, who has been bringing historical practices back to the congregation for the past three years. Through patient teaching the common cup has been restored to the congregation. During Lent the baptismal font was moved to the entrance of the sanctuary so that everyone could see it on their way in and remember their baptism.

It’s a small world: Pastor Hein attended Concordia College, Portland with Cantor Janet Muth from Memorial-Houston. Pity I had to teach today: Mount Olive had to speak the canticles in the Service of Prayer and Preaching. I could have at least taken that OT Canticle. :)


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