Worship at NTC

Here they are, hot off the presses! The latest images from NTC. This time, we're showing how we worship in the field.

Here's about half of my congregation. We had 7 this week, which is seven times more than we had last week. Oooo...that's spooky Biblical! People from many different faiths and traditions but we came together to worship our Savior, Jesus Christ. I still believe that I'm a better guitar player than my wife gives me credit for. However, I'll concede to her that I'm really not good enough to play solo in public yet. But, the other option is to sing accapella, which wouldn't have been a good idea today. I started to lose my voice while singing and had to croak my way through my sermon. Besides, the only way to get better is to practice, right?

Next we have me looking at my notes. I'd like to say that I had a last-minute inspiration, but it's better to say that I'm a procrastinator. Therefore, I didn't have my sermon as in-mind as I would have liked. But, one thing I learned on vicarage is that the best to have a good sermon is to believe that this current sermon is a good sermon. Confidence in what your saying sometimes is better than what you wrote.

Finally, we have communion in the field. The way we admister the sacrament is through intinction, which is just a fancy theology word for "dipping." In order to accomodate many different faith traditions, I have a chalice that I have half wine and half grape juice. I'm very clear about what I believe about communion and put it on the conscience of the individual believer as to whether they will come and receive the body and blood. Yes, yes, yes, I know that not LC--MS kosher, but it's one of the compromises I choose to make to be an Army Chaplain.

More from NTC

Got a few more minutes to post some more pictures from NTC


The first photo is where I hang my helmet. This is my corner in the Tactical Operations Center (TOC). As this is the only place with reliable power and NIPR (internet) access, it's a great place to set up also because it's right next to the coffee pot. I get lots of traffic by my workstation. As you can see, I don't go anywhere without my laptop, there's my bottle of Coke to keep me awake, plus the general mess that goes with my office no matter where I go.


Next we have my second home, what serves as a chapel here at NTC. I call it "Warrior Chapel" but the name hasn't quite stuck yet. It's a small tent, called a "GP Small," GP stands for "General Purpose" so that it can be used for a command post, sleeping tent, or even a chapel. We're located right by the other Company command posts and it's a dusty place to worship, but it's ours. It also gives people a place for some quiet time, prayer, or counseling.



Finally, here's what it lookis like inside. Just a small table, an understated cross, a make-shift linen which is really a chausible. Like the tent name says, GP SMALL! We can sit 32 in there, but it's not comfortable.

But, it's church. Some of you who have been to camps with me will remember that "the church is not a building where people go to pray, it's not made out of clay...the church it is the people, living out their lives, called, enlightened, sanctified for the work of Jesus Christ. WE are the church, the body of our Lord. We are all His people; we have been restored!" It doesn't matter what the space looks like, the thing that makes church church is the people there to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It's a place for tired Log Warriors to come and be renewed and restored.

That's all I have time for today, I'll have a little more tomorrow.

Photos from NTC

Hey everyone!

I know it's been a while since I posted any deep thoughts here and it's going to be a while longer...maybe.

I wanted to share some pics of me here at the National Training Center (NTC) and let you know that I'm doing swell. I've been here about 2 weeks now and just this morning caught my cold! Woo Hoo! Two whole weeks of 7 days a week, 12-16 hours a day and I just now get sick. See, Army training does make you tougher because I used to get sick after just 1 week of that when I was working in a church.

To the left here is a shot of me and the deadliest thing known to mankind--a powdered donut, wrapped in cellophane, from an Army chow point. Ahh, I can just hear myself telling the stories to my grandchildren: "So there I was, no joke, in the middle of the Mojave desert eating a powdered donut..." I can't wait!

Here to the right are some of the unsung heroes of the war working well past sundown. These are mostly "Eighty-eight Mikes," truckdrivers who haul the supplies that trigger-pullers need. An M1A1 Abrams tank is nothing more than a $45 million paperweight if it doesn't have fuel and these guys bring the fuel. Because they are a softer target, driving nothing but regular trucks and a few up-armored HMWWV's, these guys will more likely be targeted by IED's when we get to the Middle East. Also, you'll notice the beautiful sunset in the background as well. The dusk really plays beautifully off the mountains and the dust around here. It's been really inspirational.

When Jeff and I drove out for my vicarage in California, many was the time that we would just pull over, get out of the car, and admire God's creation in the Rockies and Sierra Nevadas. I find myself doing that here, too. Not morning goes by that I don't just marvel at the way light and shadow plays across some of the hills here at NTC. I've been running the words of Psalm 121 through my mind the whole time, most notably: "I lift my eyes up to the hills, where does my help come from? It comes from the Lord, Maker of heaven and earth." Some of you may not have hills but, when life gets you down, look up and know that the Maker of heaven and earth is there to help.

Unfortunately, my internet connection is really slow here, so I don't have time to post any more photos. But I have a lot more to share so stop back in the next day or so and I'll post more pictures and descriptions.

God bless!