Last Friday I attended the last hours of the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg. At the stroke of midnight it became United Theological Seminary - (ULS:the merger of Gettysburg and Philadelphia seminaries). With the stories that were told at three of the buildings on campus noting its context with the history of the seminary, the encounters with former and present staff members, and a service of the Word in the chapel, and the tolling of the bell, I couldn't help but note that life has changed on the campus. I spent more than half of my years in ministry on that campus. That is a significant amount of time and memories. But change happens. My prayers for the faculty, students, and staff at ULS.
On Sunday, July 2, I received notice of the death of Earl Werdelin. He was my internship Pastor supervisor when I was a seminarian at Gettysburg. What memories! I am also godfather to David, his youngest son who is now a father of three. I am embarrassed to say just how long it has been since I had seen David but it was so good to be with him and his wife during the funeral. I hope we can build on the few hours we spent at the funeral and luncheon afterward at Emanuel Lutheran Church in Manchester, Connecticut.
I acquired a tremendous amount of pastor skills under Werdelin. My life in the theological academy certainly was nurtured and honed during that internship year. For Earl, the intern/vicar was an integral part of the ministry. When I returned to St. Croix as co-Pastor with him at Lord God of Sabbaoth Lutheran Church, I continued to hone those skills. Little did I know where those initial years would lead.
