Among the STARs

Your results:
You are Qui-Gon Jinn

Qui-Gon Jinn 76% Boba Fett 75% Darth Maul 74% Chewbacca 71% Jabba the Hutt 67% Darth Vader 66% R2-D2 65% Yoda 64% Count Dooku 64% Emperor Palpatine 62%

Overall, you're a pretty well balanced person. But maybe you focus a little too much on the here and now. Think about the future before its too late.

(This list displays the top 10 results out of a possible 21 characters)


Click here to take the "Which Star Wars character am I?" quiz...


Your results:
You are Worf

Worf 60% Uhura 55% Jean-Luc Picard 50% An Expendable Character (Redshirt) 50% Deanna Troi 45% Chekov 45% Data 39% Spock 39% Mr. Sulu 35% Will Riker 30% Geordi LaForge 30% Mr. Scott 30% Leonard McCoy (Bones) 30% James T. Kirk (Captain) 20% Beverly Crusher 15%

You are trained in the art of combat and are usually intimidating.

Click here to take the Star Trek Personality Quiz

9/11

I posted this last year but I think that it is good enough to be posted again.

http://erichmusick.com/911/

A flash presentation from 9/11/01

Sigh...

It is offical... My Chicago Cubs are the worst team in the national league. Such a sad day losing to the Pirates and falling under them by half a game today.

Finish above the Pirates Cubbies. You can do it!

A person special to me!

Im going to post something thats kind of different for me. I will be writing about a person. Hopefully in a way where you guys can apply it to yourselves.

A couple posts ago I talked about relationships. This post is about a relationship with a person which I hold very dear. Do you have that one person who is always there to talk to? Who will listen to you rant about things, or just be there to care about whats going on in your life? I have a person like that. It is someone who I talk to on a daily basis. She has helped me through many problems. I can go to her about anything. She is truly a gift from God. I can tell her things that I know she won't go around and tell everybody and his brother.

To most people she seems like a pretty happy person. For the most part she is, but like us all she has her struggles too. That is what makes our relationship even greater. It is not just one way. We are both there for each other. Recently she has been a little scared about starting college. She really has nothing to fear. She's a wonderful person: smart, friendly, good sence of humor and all around caring. I will truly miss seeing her everyday during school next year but, im sure she will be having much more fun then me. She is going into a field where she will be able to help even more people. What a gracious gift she will be for many.

I hope the rest of you have someone you talk to who is like she is. One of the most caring people I know.

Best of Luck in college and the rest of your life! God be with you in whatever you do and wherever you go!

Pax Christi

No One Told Me?

As of 8/11/06 Dunkler Geist is a year old. I didn't catch it and no one told me. I feel like such a bad blogger. Not even celebrating a year of semi-intellectual posts. This blog is awesome. It's actually more for me then it is for you readers. It gives me the opportunity to study topics and then write something about them. My spelling and grammer isn't very good, but it's readable. (At least I think so.) I hope you enjoy my posts. Though this one is pretty pointless. Give me topics to post about and hopefully I can get at least one more post up before school starts.


Happy Birthday Dunkler Geist!

Struggles and Relationships

We all go through struggles. Each and every one of us. Some greater struggles and some lesser struggles, but they take a toll on us in someway. Do we pity others for their struggles? Why should we when everyone has them. The person who should be pitied is the person who feels like they are alone.

The architecture at the Seminary in Fort Wayne focuses on two of our relationships. Relationships with others and relationship with God. The buildings are made out of diamond shape bricks -- Concordia Brick. In the dorms, classroom buildings, cafeteria, and commons the bricks are laid horizontally. Showing man's relationship with man. But in the chapel they are vertical, showing man's relationship with God.

--I never really liked the phrasing. What does it mean to have a relationship with God, many people probably don't think it means the same thing as I do. My relationship with God is all his doing, His Baptizing me into His Death and Resurrection. Him coming to me in the Divine service. His Spirit entering me to open my lips and declare His praise from my body . His putting Truth, Forgiveness of Sins, and Eternal life into my mouth. My praise isn't worthy. I can do nothing that is worthy. The only reason I am considered worthy is because God sees me through His perfect Son's Blood.---

Our relationships with other people do matter. These people we will be spending eternity with. We are here to help others, to love them, to forgive them. Christ focuses a lot on how we are to treat one another in his teachings. Love your neighbor as yourself. We can't do that perfectly. We will covet our neighbors possessions, tell lies about him, and even murder him be it with words or actions. If we do all that is our Salvation in jeopardy of course not. It's permissible but is it beneficial. Why do we keep parts of the Law? Our salvation isn't based on it. We do it because it benefits us and others. We feel good when we do something kind for someone else. At least I do. If we shut everyone out and are mean to everyone. Who will be there when need someone? Does that mean you can't dislike someone even to the point of hate? I don't like a lot of people. Those feelings don't mean anything. "I could hate you today and love you tomorrow. Those feelings don't mean anything they will die with me. If I love you in Christ, that is eternal. - Pr Dreyer

Now, to our Relationship with God. There are many songs even hymns that talk about how everything will be all right if we do this or that to God. Our struggles will be gone if we pray about them. When in actuality, when we do pray about our hardships or struggles how often is the answer no, not now, or I have a different plan for you? More often then we would like it to be. Do not be discouraged though. Throughout everything you do there will be struggle, but we are blessed with a far better comfort then any struggle we encounter. That comfort is Christ on the Cross. Christ's mangled, bloody, body is what give us forgiveness from the blackness covering us-- our sin. From that broken body of Christ also comes our white garments so that we are not naked. These white garments are the water that washed us clean at our baptism and the broken body itself with the blood that came out of its side with the water. The flesh that the Word became. The sacraments that come from that Word are the greatest comforts we have. To the world this seems foolish, but God chose what is foolish to shame the wise. He chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong. He chose what is low and despised in the world even things that are not, to bring nothing things that are. So that no human being might boast in the presence of God. (I Cor. 1:27-29) This worldly foolishness, our comfort, comes from God the source of our life in Christ. Whom God made our wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption (I Cor. 1:30)

What greater comfort is there than that? Not drugs or alcohol. They just drive you deeper into breaking the relationships you have with others and breaking the relationship God has instituted with you. Struggles will come and go but know that you are not alone. Share it with ones you trust. Your pastor is a great person to talk to. If you feel lonely surround yourself with others and build relationships with them. Also, do pray about them. Pray that the Lord will help you through them. When you pray focus on the cross, that great comfort of ours.

The Lord be with you all in your struggles and in times of peace.

Pax Christi

Mark (cont.)

In between the feeding of the 5,000 and 4,000 there is the story of the Syrophoenician women's faith. Jesus makes his way into the land of the gentiles. The woman came to him and told him she had a daughter who was possessed by an unclean spirit. The women was a gentile and she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. Jesus says to her "Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children's bread and give it to the dogs." She answers him with, "Yet even the dogs under the table eat the children's curmbs." Jesus first limits his body (bread) to the children of Israel. The woman had been blessed with great faith and for that, her child was cleansed from the demon (baptism). Thus, the sacrament was opened to the gentiles with the feeding of the 4,000.

With the feeding of the 5,000 the people did not really need anything to eat, it was more of a luxury. With the feeding of the 4,000 the food is necessary. They people gathered would not make it home without fainting because of hunger. The disciples still do not understand, they ask how one could feed the people with bread in a desolate place. They have 7 loaves this time. Seven is a gentile number, it is the number of deacons that the apostles appointed to watch over the Gentiles in acts . 7 is also the number of completion, Christ giving his body completely. This points to the Lord's supper basically in the same ways as the feeding of the 5,000 did. They picked up the pieces left over. They gathered the pieces in 7 bushel baskets, bigger then the ones used at the feeding of the 5,000. 7 baskets for the gentiles and they are complete meaning it will never run out.

Thanks be to God for the opening of this wonderful mean of grace to the entire world! The Sacrament of the Altar is a great gift. Where else can Truth be placed in your mouth? The body of Christ sustaining us for eternity and the bread sustaining us for our time here on earth. Through this we receive forgiveness of sins. Without having to do anything!

I may add more to this later, if something else comes to me to post. I'll basically be putting this post and the last one together, probably adding scripture where you would have had to look it up before, before I put it up on my HT Blog.

Pax Christi

Side thing

Well since Jared yelled at me I updated the side bar thing.

Over there ------>

Eventually ill get a good post up. Soon I promise

Pax

Let's Laugh at Jon

So, there's this awesome picture of me that one of the fellow CA attendees put up on his blog http://sethanizethis.blogspot.com Yes that is me headbanging, to the Kantorei. That last night was fun.

An Awesome Hymn

TLH 329

1. From depths of woe I cry to Thee,
Lord, hear me, I implore Thee.
Bend down Thy gracious ear to me,
My prayer let come before Thee.
If Thou rememberest each misdeed,
If each should have its rightful meed,
Who may abide Thy presence?

2. Thy love and grace alone avail
To blot out my transgression;
The best and holiest deeds must fail
To break sin's dread oppression.
Before Thee none can boasting stand,
But all must fear Thy strict demand
And live alone by mercy.

3. Therefore my hope is in the Lord
And not in mine own merit;
It rests upon His faithful Word
To them of contrite spirit
That He is merciful and just;
This is my comfort and my trust.
His help I wait with patience.

4. And though it tarry till the night
And till the morning waken,
My heart shall never doubt His might
Nor count itself forsaken.
Do thus, O ye of Israel's seed,
Ye of the Spirit born indeed;
Wait for your God's appearing.

5. Though great our sins and sore our woes,
His grace much more aboundeth;
His helping love no limit knows,
Our utmost need it soundeth.
Our shepherd good and true is He,
Who will at last His Israel free
From all their sin and sorrow.

Feeding of 5,000

Mark is quickly becoming my favorite Gospel. It Might be helpful to have a bible open to Mark as you read this.

I am beginning to see how sacramental Mark is. Redemption by water is a recurring theme throughout Mark. The feeding of the 5,000 and 4,000 pointing toward communion. The feeding of the 5,000 points a lot toward psalm 23. It describes the people there as sheep. These people who are there listening and learning from the Lord. He commanded them to sit down in groups on green grass. A better translation would be He commanded them to recline in symposia. They reclined, relaxing. Symposia is having fun eating, drinking, speaking theologically or philosophically. That directly falls in line with the psalm, "He makes me lie down in green pastures." The 5,000 followed him before this when he got on a boat - He led them beside still waters. The third verse of Psalm 23 could apply to what he was teaching them restoring their souls- leading them in paths or righteousness. Verse 4 goes back to the overriding shepherd theme. Verse 5 He prepares a table - Jesus gives them something to eat and they eat until they are satisfied, until they were full. It was a feast for most of them. Finally, verse 6 points directly to what comes from what The Feeding points to, the Lord's Supper.

You might be asking, "How does the feeding point to the Lord's Supper?" Well lets look at it then. We are sheep without a shepherd covered in our own sin. Rejection God. We all have gone astray like sheep. We are all dumb like sheep, but Christ has compassion on us. He teaches us many things.

The disciples said to him "This is a desolate place and the hour is now growing late." It was most likely a desert. The disciples tried to send them away. This world is a desolate place and Christianity is frowned upon in society. The disciples take the worldly view here and want to send them away to find food for themselves in this late hour. . How often do we want to not deal with unbelievers and let them fend for themselves in these end times? But Christ does not take the worldly view. He calls for the apostles to give them something to eat. Who are the apostles in the church today? Pastors! The apostles are called to feed the people who he teaches. Pastors today feed believes through the word and sacrament. The feeding seen most physically in Holy Communion. The apostles answer with a very worldly question. "Are we to spend money equal to that of the wages of 200 days of work? Jesus tells them to go and see how many loaves they had. They came back with 5. This is just something I think but I think that the 5 loaves could correspond with the 5 wounds of Christ. The 5 places where Christ's body was broken His head from the crown of thorns, each hand from the 2 nails, his side from the spear, and his feet from the nail.

He commanded them to sit down in groups. So they sat down in groups of fifties and hundreds. That would have been about the size of a church at the beginning of Christianity. The fifties and hundreds could also refer to how the Romans ran things in their army. Pointing to the church militant.

After they were seated, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing. He broke the five loaves(his five wounds) and gave it to the apostles to distribute to the people. Just as he gives his body to us all, and charges the apostles(pastors) with the task of distributing it.

They all ate and were satisfied. No one was left out! Everyone had their fill. The disciples picked up 12 baskets of extras. 12 baskets one for each tribe of Israel whom the apostles over saw. 5,000 men ate, I'm not sure how important that number is but I think it shows that there will always be a remnant of Israel. Jews who believe in the true God; Father, Son, and Spirit.



Ill continue with more from mark in the next couple posts.

Christ Academy

I just posted some basic things about my experience at Christ Academy on my Higher Things Blog. http://blog.higherthings.org/jkohlmeier/ Ill probably have some posts reflecting on things I learned or other things that come to mind soon. But tonight I am tired, and sleep seems like a good thing. Hope you didn't miss my posts too much!

Pax Domini

Serenity

Just recently I watched the movie Serentiy. I must say it is one of the best movies I've seen. At one of my friends houses we watched a few episodes of Firefly also. It is probably one of the best TV shows ever made. It's a shame it only lasted one season.

So enough about the movie and show, except I recommend that everyone watch it.

Serenity- How does one become serene? Just go somewhere, you never find someone who is in a state of serenity. People are always running around. They always have something to do, or somewhere to go. A person can see thousands of people in a day and be too busy to even smile at one, much less talk to them. There is always some type of stress people have, be it from school, from work, from a relationship with friends, relationship with family, or just how the media is influencing them. People have no time! So how does one become peacefuly. Some might say death, but why does death give us peace? How does death set us apart from all the stress and business from this world.

(by now you should be saying, "This is a Jon post, wheres the Theology?" Well here it comes"

God! I sign some of my posts and emails with Pax Domini. I got this idea from a person I met through Higher Things. Pax Domini is "God's Peace." Philipeans 4:7 says, "And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." So how does one become serene? Through Jesus Christ. The peace he acheived for us on the cross. The peace He gives to us in His Word and Sacraments. What greater comfort is there then the Cross of Christ for us as Christians? What is more soothing to our minds and ears then the Word of God? What food and drink gives us benifits that even come close to the Body and Blood of Christ? What greater comfort can we have then knowing that we were baptized into Christ's Death, buried with him, and rise again with him?

So I leave you once again saying Pax Domini, The peace of God will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus

The Theology of Lifehouse

Sick Cycle Carousel

if shame had a face I think it would kind of look like mine
if it had a home would it be my eyes
would you believe me if I said I'm tired of this
well here we go now one more time

I tried to climb your steps
I tried to chase you down
I tried to see how low I could get down to the ground
I tried to earn my way
I tried to change this mind
you better believe that I have tried to beat this

so when will this end it goes on and on
over and over and over again
keeps spinning around I know that it won't stop
till I step down from this for good

well I never thought I'd end up here never
thought I'd be standing where I am
I guess I kind of thought that it would be easier than this
I guess I was wrong now one more time

I tried to climb your steps
I tried to chase you down
I tried to see how low I could get down to the ground
I tried to earn my way
I tried to change this mind
you better believe that I have tried to beat this

so when will this end it goes on and on
over and over and over again
keeps spinning around I know that it won't stop
till I step down from this
sick cycle carousel
this is a sick cycle yeah
sick cycle carousel
this is a sick cycle yeah

so when will this end it goes on and on
over and over and over again
keeps spinning around I know that it won't stop
till I step down from this for good

so when will this end it goes on and on
over and over and over again
keeps spinning around I know that it won't stop
till I step down from this for good
sick cycle carousel
sick cycle carousel
sick cycle carousel
sick cycle carousel

Now thats a pretty awesome song, don't you think. Its kind of sad when secular rock music is better then CCM when it comes to theology. This sick cycle of sin just keeps going on and on, I keep sinning over and over again. It keeps spinning around I know that this wont stop, till I die. I love metaphors, I love music. I love summer. You may get an actually deep post sometime this summer, but for now the brain is resting.

Summer

Well, well, well.. my junior year is over. Now here is summer, which promises to be a lot better then last summer. 'Why?' you ask. This summer I actually have things to do. One of the things im looking forward too the most is my spending two weeks in Ft. Wayne for Christ Academy. I dont really have anything else planned, but the summer should be full of reading, watching movies (POTC II!!!), hanging out with friends, video games, Exaulted and maybe dragon Lance role playing. This should be the best summer yet. Which will hopefully lead into a great senior year! To those who are newly graduated, good luck in whatever you are doing. The Lord bless you in everything you do. Continue recieving Gods Word and his Body and Blood as often as you can.

Have a wonderful summer!

Pax Domini

P.S You graduates don't forget your old friends.


TLH 220
1. Jesus, my great High Priest,
Offered His blood and died;
My guilty conscience seeks
No sacrifice beside.
His powerful blood did once atone,
And now it pleads before the throne.

2. To this dear Surety's hand
Will I commit my cause;
He answers and fulfils
His Father's broken laws.
Behold my soul at freedom set;
My Surety paid the dreadful debt.

3. My Advocate appears
For my defense on high;
The Father bows His ears
And lays His thunder by.
Not all that hell or sin can say
Shall turn His heart, His love, away.

4. Should all the hosts of death
And powers of hell unknown
Put their most dreadful forms
Of rage and mischief on,
I shall be safe, for Christ displays
Superior power and guardian grace.

The DaVinci Code

When I grow up I want to be Pastor Borghardt. He has an awesome post on the Higher Things website about the DaVinci code. If you plan on or have read the book or seen the movie, you should read it.

http://higherthings.org/?article=1475


Pax

Corpus Depicted on Cross

This was in the HT Reflection for today, I just thought it was awesome:

"This is why there is always a corpus, a body, depicted on the cross. We all know that Jesus rose from the dead. We’re in the middle of the Easter season, after all. We keep saying it to each other and to the world: Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Yet we always depict the cross with a corpus, the lifeless body of Jesus.The world finds the crucifix bizarre, macabre, weird. What an ugly symbol! But viewed through baptismal eyes, this is the symbol of victory, the emblem of our salvation. This is the bronze serpent held high on a stick on which snakebitten Israel look and lived (St. John 3:14; Numbers 21:8-9). This is our death by which we die to sin. This is our life by which we live for righteousness. Those horrible wounds are the wounds of our healing. The resurrection of Jesus is the evidence that His death is the victory over Death.The cross of Jesus is the tree of life, planted in the Zion, the Church, from which the nations may come and eat of its fruits and live. Even its leaves are for the healing of the nations (Revelation 22:1-2) . The fruits of that saving treeare yours in the Holy Supper, where Jesus gives you the fruits of His sacrifice – His broken Body, His shed Blood, for you, for your forgiveness and life."

It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to you, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God. On the tree of the cross you gave salvation to mankind that, whence death arose,thence life also might rise again and that he who by a tree once overcame likewise by a tree might be overcome, through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Preface for the Passion of our Lord)


1. Lord Jesus Christ, with us abide,
For round us falls the eventide;
Nor let Thy Word, that heavenly light,
For us be ever veiled in night.

2. In these last days of sore distress
Grant us, dear Lord, true steadfastness
That pure we keep, till life is spent,
Thy holy Word and Sacrament.

3. Lord Jesus, help, Thy Church uphold,
For we are sluggish, thoughtless, cold.
Oh, prosper well Thy Word of grace
And spread its truth in every place!

4. Oh, keep us in Thy Word, we pray;
The guile and rage of Satan stay!
Oh, may Thy mercy never cease!
Give concord, patience, courage, peace.

5. O God, how sin's dread works abound!
Throughout the earth no rest is found,
And falsehood's spirit wide has spread,
And error boldly rears its head.

6. The haughty spirits, Lord, restrain
Who o'er Thy Church with might would reign
And always set forth something new,
Devised to change Thy doctrine true.

7. And since the cause and glory, Lord,
Are Thine, not ours, to us afford
Thy help and strength and constancy.
With all our heart we trust in Thee.

8. A trusty weapon is Thy Word,
Thy Church's buckler, shield and sword.
Oh, let us in its power confide
That we may seek no other guide!

9. Oh, grant that in Thy holy Word
We here may live and die, dear Lord;
And when our journey endeth here,
Receive us into glory there.

The Lutheran Hymnal
Hymn #292

The Gospel of Judas

Well, today I finally got around to watching The Gospel of Judas which I taped a while ago. Its interesting and instead of writing about it. I give you a link to Pastor Cwirla's post on his Blogosphere.

http://blog.higherthings.org/wcwirla/article/1372.html


edit: Here is another good resource for it: http://www.csl.edu/Resources_Audio_GospelofJudas.aspx

Christ is Risen!

Death?

TLH 198

Oh, where is thy sting, Death? We fear thee no more;
Christ rose, and now open is fair Eden's door.
For all our transgressions His blood does atone;
Redeemed and forgiven, we now are His own.


This past week one of the people in my handbell group lost her father. The choir sang the verse above during "He's Risen, He's Risen, Christ Jesus, the Lord. C. F. W. Walther wrote great words of comfort in this verse. There have been many deaths this past year. One that sticks out for me is the death of Nathan Charles. It hit many people I know. The second line "Christ rose, and now open is fair Eden's door." Through Christs ressurection heaven is open to us. All of us. Those who have died heaven is open to also.

The blood of Christ, which at the Lambs High Feast we drank of today, atones the world of sin. Christ died for us. Through baptism we are baptised into His death. He Lives! Therefore we to shall live through all eternity!

Christ is Risen!

A blessed Eastertide to you all!

Christ is Risen

At the Lamb’s High Feast We Sing
office hymn, 17^th cent.

At the Lamb’s high feast we sing
Praise to our victorious king,
Who has washed us in the tide
Flowing from his pierced side.
Alleluia!

Praise we him, whose love divine
Gives his sacred blood for wine,
Gives his body for the feast
Christ the victim, Christ the priest.
Alleluia!

Where the paschal blood is poured,
Death’s dread angel sheathes the sword;
Israel’s hosts triumphant go
Through the wave that drowns the foe.
Alleluia!

Praise we Christ, whose blood was shed,
Paschal victim, paschal bread;
With sincerity and love
Eat we manna from above.
Alleluia!

Mighty Victim from the sky,
Hell’s fierce powers beneath you lie;
You have conquered in the fight
You have brought us life and light.
Alleluia!

Now no more can death appall,
Now no more the grave enthrall;
You have opened paradise,
And your saints in you shall rise.
Alleluia!

Easter triumph, Easter joy!
This alone can sin destroy;
From sin’s power, Lord, set us free,
Newborn souls in you to be.
Alleluia!

Father, who the crown shall give,
Savior, by whose death we live,
Spirit, guide through all our days;
Three in One, Your name we praise.
Alleluia!