Winter 2002-2003

Volume XVII, Number 2

In This Issue

• Ernest Hemingway: The Character of Wrestling by Runar Eldebo

  I have been reading Ernest Hemingway since I was 13, and I have all his books in my study. I read him a couple times a year, mostly The Sun Also Rises and A Moveable Feast, sometimes one of his short stories or his masterpiece, The Old Man and the Sea.

• Up on the Mountain by Bob Bach

  Nestled in the beautiful Santa Cruz mountains, a few miles from shimmering Monterey Bay and the sands of the Pacific Ocean, lies Mission Springs Conference Center. Surrounded by coastal redwoods and towering oaks, Mission Springs has served as a summer camp for family and youth, and a year-round retreat center for churches and other groups since 1926. Originally it was a 25-acre ranch, but the conference grounds now cover more than 300 acres, and sprinkled throughout the property are a good number of summer cabins and permanent residences.

• Karl Olsson Refresher by Karl A. Olsson

  Many consider Dr. Karl Olsson (1913-1996) the finest Covenant writer ever. Covenant Chris Craft University and Pietisten will present selections from KO's writings in coming issues. The passages below are from Seven Sins and Seven Virtues published in 1959.

• Waldenstrom's Commentary Luke 13:6-9 and Waldenström's Commentary by Paul Peter Waldenström and translated by Tommy Carlson
• On "How Great Thou Art" by Wally Bratt

  In his recent Pietisten column, Glen Wiberg discusses the transformation of Carl Boberg's 1885 poem, "O Store Gud," into the hymn we know today as "How Great Thou Art." He describes translation adventures from the original Swedish and decisions about which part of the poem to include in a particular version of the hymn and concludes by saying,

• A Holiday Adventure by Wesley Nelson

  Some time ago, while I was on a trip out of town, I met a couple whom I shall call John and Mary. We became quite well acquainted, and we corresponded by e-mail for some time following. Then, one day, I received a letter from a lady whom I shall call "Emily," which read, "Mary tells me that you are looking for a fun-loving companion, and I also happen to be looking for a fun-loving companion.

• Marigold Nursing Home Ministry by Jeremy Johnson

  The Marigold Nursing Home Ministry is a service provided by the Licensed Lay Readers of the Grace Episcopal Church of Galesburg, Illinois. The Lay Reader reads Morning Prayer at 10:00 a.m. every Sunday. The service is a combination of Morning Prayer with the Form of Three of the Prayers of the People reproduced in large print so the residents of the home who are still able to read can respond with their part of the service. The Lay Reader also reads the Scripture Lessons for the Sunday and a homily from "Celebration, and Ecumenical Worship Response," a Roman Catholic publication.

• Relationships that Work by Muriel Lindahl

  "Just coffee this morning!" I overheard a woman say to the waitress. "No breakfast?" questioned the waitress. "No, I just had to flee my house!" was her reply.

• The Making of a Reader The Making of a Reader Part IX by David Hawkinson

  In the last article of this series, I began to explore the critical dimension of repetition in the making of the biblical text. The presence of deliberate or patterned repetition can be seen everywhere. Martin Buber has been the most helpful in lifting up this literary element, restoring it in his translation of the Hebrew Bible into German. For this reason, I eagerly await each new English translation that emerges from the hand of Everett Fox, who works with both the Buber/Rosenzweig German Bible and the Hebrew text. Fox takes these literary structures to heart as he renders one language into another. The result is often startling and strange to our ears, which are acclimated to a different rhythm and a more lyrical English line. If we watch for these repeated words and phrases, however, there are treasures just beneath the surface.

• Tributes Morris G. Anderson (July 27, 1912 to January 6, 2003) by Philip J. Anderson

  On Monday, January 6, 2003, not long after daybreak, our father was quickly summoned home to be with God. This day was the Feast of Epiphany in the church year, when the light of Bethlehem's star guided the three Magi to the Christ-child in Bethlehem, a manifestation of his saving presence to all creation. As we have entered now this season of light, life, and hope in his redeeming love, Dad has been embraced eternally by this light in all its fullness and glory. When called, his lamp was found burning.

Regular Features

• Cooking with Gunny Frozen Orange Salad From Gunny by Gunny
• Green with Reene Fall and Winter Garden Cleanup by Irene Ecklund
• Sightings in Christian Music by Glen Wiberg

  This past May, Royce Eckhardt, Minister of Music at the Winnetka, Illinois Presbyterian Church, and I conducted a 50s Plus Conference at Pilgrim Pines on ethnic music in the Covenant Hymnal: A Worshipbook. The theme we chose was "Thinking Globally and Singing Locally." Thinking globally has been, and still is, central to our Christian proclamation and mission. However, with the entry into our vocabulary of the concept of globalization, it has new relevance, particularly as the term "global village" seems suddenly real and near—right at our doorstep.

• Owl Watch by Arthur W. Anderson

  Going on an owl watch Saturday night, with a sermon coming up next morning, was not my idea of relaxation. But Bernice's disappointed look made me cheer up enough to say, "Let's go!" I couldn't think of any good sermon illustrations from owls, only a few puns that church people are too polite to groan at.

• On the Aisle A Brief Essay on The Birds by Max Carlson

  The Birds is one of Alfred Hitchcock's finest works. It's a diabolically wonderful contribution to the world of film. While it may not meet today's ridiculous horror standards, I consider The Birds utterly terrifying.

• News and Notes

  Pastor Hawkinson Installed; Anja Eikenbary-Barber Arrives; Frances Eloise Nelson Magnuson

• Practical, Therapeutic, Theological Thought A Happy Coincidence by Penrod

  Few things are better than a happy coincidence. A happy coincidence can be just about anything. It can be big; it can be small. It can be a chance meeting of a friend; it can be a surprise inheritance or relief from a burden or a reprieve of an illness. We usually think of a happy coincidence as a surprise, but it can also be planned.

• Out and About by Phil Johnson

  A Winnetka Summer Wedding; The Waters of Baptism

• Post: Readers Respond
• Sport Prophecy The 2002 Waldenström Award by Eric