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Ask the Pastor

† Theological musings and answers to selected questions by a confessional Lutheran pastor.






16 January 2007

1,577,836,800 Seconds

(Give or Take a Few)

If you like smaller numbers, how about “L”? Or, to wax poetic, one half of a century.

50th Birthday CakeHowever, you slice it, that’s approximately how long I’ve been drawing breath here on God’s green earth. My grandparents’ births all preceded Kitty Hawk and three of the four lived to at least see man land on the moon. Both grandmothers stuck around to usher in the beginnings of the home computer age and one even endured long enough to see her eldest grandson graduate from seminary and enter the pastoral ministry. Actually, if I’d gone straight through school without interruptions, detours, and delays, both Grandma Grossmann and Grandma Snyder would have witnessed that joyous event.

Until I fell on the ice on Monday evening, most of me didn’t really feel like I was on the verge of my fiftieth birthday. Now, my left shoulder and back join my knees in assuming that I was born not only before the Space Age but perhaps even before the Indoor Plumbing Age.

50 DollarsI say this not to cage birthday gifts (although heartfelt letters written on the backs of commemorative fifty dollar bills might be considered most appropriate). Instead, I want this to be my opportunity to thank family, friends, members of the congregations which I have been privileged to serve, and everyone who’s read or submitted questions to Ask the Pastor for gifts of family, friendship, prayers, and every kindness, great and small.

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5 Comments:

Blogger Dan at Necessary Roughness said...

Happy Birthday, Pastor! Keep up the good work, and I hope your bones feel better soon.

16 January, 2007 06:19  
Blogger Scott said...

Happy Birthday!

16 January, 2007 07:24  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I figure we have know each other for about 10 of those 50 years through the internet. A very happy birthday, Walt (who)!!

Grady Lacy

16 January, 2007 16:50  
Blogger Frank Gillespie said...

The very best of birthdays to ya Pastor.

17 January, 2007 15:17  
Blogger Scot K said...

Fifty and published (again). What a nice year. Happy birthday old-timer.

17 January, 2007 19:49  

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