Saturday, June 28, 2008

Vacation Bible School Post 2




OK, so some of you know by now. I couldn't stay away from VBS completely. I dropped in to sing and talk to the kids several times and came to the picnic at the end of the week. Our leaders Kelly Bloomer and Lynn McCandless did a fantastic job of coordinating the million tasks of a successful VBS. All the teachers, leaders, teens and parents who helped made it work well. I thank each of you.

We invite any of you who don't now have a church home to Sunday morning worship at 8:30 or 11:00.

Here are three photos that were sent to me from the last day. Vicar Barb and I are wearing our usual Sunday morning attire. She had a lot of fun smashing the pie in my face. Also pictured is my long time friend Suzanne who is here visiting for the weekend.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Vacation Bible School 2008


Larry is enjoying Vacation Bible School as always. He built this tree for the Rain Forest Adventure. The children can walk through it and so can any adult willing to bend over.

As the end of the sabbatical draws very close, I am looking forward to one more visit. My childhood friend who lives outside of Chicago is coming to spend the weekend. On Tuesday morning I will be back in the office, ready to resume ministry with all of you.

This sabbatical has been all that I had hoped it would be. Now the time has come to go back to work and I am ready.

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Father's Day June 2008

The East Coast Hilbert males on Father's Day - Larry, Luther, Lewis, and Munson.

Great news - Laura and Marc are expecting a baby in early December and all of us are excited about being grandparents and uncles.

We have four granddogs - three in Denver and one in Chapel Hill and now we will have a grandbaby. Thanks be to God.

Two more weeks of this wonderful sabbatical - Tomorrow I go to Florida to visit my sister and next week to Georgia to visit a seminary classmate, and finally for the last four days of my sabbatical - a childhood friend is coming to visit.

After that, I will come back to work and be glad to see my St. James family.

Pastor Louise

Saturday, June 7, 2008

Pastor Marsha Anderson's Ordination



I took a brief sabbatical from my sabbatical on Friday night, June 6, to present our own Marsha Anderson to Bishop Bolick and the North Carolina Assembly in Hickory and said,

"I present for ordination to the holy ministry of Word and Sacrament Marsha Kate Anderson, who has been prepared, examined, and approved for this ministry and who has been called by the Church to the office of pastor."

The assembly responded with a loud, "Thanks be to God." And we in Marsha's home congregation respond as well, "Thanks be to God" for Marsha's hearing and responding to the call of God to serve God's people. Pastor Marsha will be doing a two year residency at Trinity Lutheran Church in Morehead, MN.

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Vicar for 2008-2009, Meg Gross

Yesterday I went to Columbia to meet our vicar for next year at St. James. Meg Gross is from Pennsylvania and is a member of St. John's Lutheran Church, where one of my seminary classmates is the pastor. She is married to Steve who was at work so I didn't get to meet him. They have a black lab as well in the family. Meg and Steve will be in Fayetteville to visit on a Sunday in July to see where they will be living and doing ministry next year.

Monday, June 2, 2008

Working on my boat



Many of you have asked to see my boat. I made it in October 2006 with some other Lutheran and Methodist pastors in the mountains of North Carolina. As I have talked to some of them since that week, we have all agreed we haven't had time to finish them. Now I am in the process of sanding, scraping, painting, and fiberglassing (not in that order)so that I can put my boat in the water.

Our trip across the country was wonderful and we are glad to be home again.
More photos to come as we get back in the groove.

Pastor Louise & Larry

Sunday, May 25, 2008

Double Decker Decks in Denver



Larry and Marc have spent the week working on a deck for downstairs and then decided to go ahead and build one for an upstairs bedroom. The flooring is down, but the railings come tomorrow. They have worked long days doing this. Laura and I have been cooks, cleaners, organizers, scrap and garbage collectors, and generally do-ers of whatever needed doing.

Tonight we take the night off and have a birthday party for her. Today is also Marc and Laura's 5th wedding anniversary, so we are having a potluck Denver style. Lots of Mexican food, some Southern fare and who knows what else.

I visited a church today where no one spoke to me before the service and only two people did after it. Interesting how a stranger is received. I picked this church by their webpage welcome, but didn't find it to be so welcoming. I don't think anyone could get in the door at St. James without speaking to a handful of people. I certainly hope not.

We will be back in town at the end of the week, ready to see our own house and stuff. This has been an incredible trip and I have much to tell you about it.

Pastor Louise & Larry