Necessary Roughness

When United first re-booked me for Monday morning, I thought I would go to one of the local churches here this morning. Pr. Lehmann recommended Hope Lutheran Church in Aurora, which is a northeast Denver suburb. This morning I called to see how the flight situation was. I was re-booked through Kansas City this afternoon, but I couldn’t go home any earlier than that. I left the hotel seeking Hope.

I met up with Pr. Bryan Wolfmueller before church, and he was kind enough to introduce me to some of the congregation. I noticed they had both TLH and LSB in the hymnal racks, and they informed me that they like to switch between the two in order to get used to the new hymnal. I was asked which one I liked better, and I said that the LSB was more readable and offers new opportunities to enhance liturgical worship, but the TLH at times comes through with prettier though more challenging music. It was probably good for them to keep both.

This morning was p. 5 out of the TLH. I don’t recall noticing before how the season of Lent really puts a dent in that service: the only long musical setting that doesn’t get skipped for Lent is the Offertory.

After worship, Pr. Bryan Wolfmueller taught a packed Bible study class, first taking questions on the liturgy and the Bible readings, then going into Matthew 21-22. The Old Testament lesson was Genesis 18:1-9, and from that lesson he detailed how Abraham was actually talking to the pre-incarnate Jesus in the passage. Supporting evidence for this “Christophany” includes the Gospel lesson, John 8:46-59, especially verse 56, and also includes John 1:18.

Pr. Wolfmueller preached a cool sermon on the Epistle lesson, Hebrews 9:11-15. He published his notes in a worship folder insert.

Another member of the congregation, Mike Brown, has his own blog called Hot Fudge Sunday. Small world. if Brown or the pastor update their blogs, I’ll list them in the side bar.

Thank you, Pr. Lehmann, for the recommendation, and thank you to the Wolfmuellers for their hospitality. There is a small chance that I’ll be coming back to the Rockies for retraining. If that happens, I will probably return — unless Pr. Lehmann bribes me with another chanting opportunity.

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