October 2022 Cover and Highlights

The cover photo and photo on page three are from my recent visit, on what happened to be my twenty-third wedding anniversary, to Fredsville Lutheran Church in Iowa where one set of my great-grandparents were married almost 144 years ago.

Speaking of remembering people from past generations, All Saints’ Day will soon be upon us. Many are adjusting to life without loved ones more recently lost. Lyrics of “Leaves of Autumn,” a song by Jennifer Cutting, give encouragement to accept change. (Physical CD available on Jennifer Cutting's Ocean Orchestra website.)

Continuing with an All Saints theme, “West Denmark Cemetery: A Reprise and Rectification” by Paul Petersen elaborates on his article from earlier this year, giving attention to a few more people buried there, one who is not yet six feet under, and one whose information needed correcting
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Picking up on the WWII veterans pictured with his article, I honed in on Ruben Strandskov, who was a conscientious objector before he became a noncombatant medic. “Considerations of Conscious” gives some general information about the Civilian Public Service during World War II and some information about the camp in which Ruben served.

In “Common Ground,” Karen Pedersen Travis not only pays tribute to her father, Dr. Paul Pedersen, but also his life’s work of bringing people together across cultures and beyond partisan divisions.

Ed Clausen speaks of his family’s bridging its Grundtvigian Lutheranism to another denomination in “Propinquity.” 

With most Protestant denominations observing Reformation Sunday at the end of October, it is timely to have Clint Schnekloth present a contemporary version in “Theological Theses (42).”

Ched Myers and Elaine Enns offer “Hersistence,” reflections on the recent gospel reading for the Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost in the Revised Common Lectionary that focuses on the agency of women. They see this story of persistence pertaining both to our prayers and our politics.

In ”Celebrating Grundtvig, 1872-2022,” we hear from the Grundtvig Newsletter, edited by Edward Broadbridge, about programs in Denmark this past September that commemorated the 150th anniversary of Grundtvig’s death. 

And, as always, those who have renewed their subscriptions or donated to keep this publication going are recognized and thanked. Throughout the year, many people give in memory of persons who enriched their lives. Such gifts are always welcome but would be especially apropos for All Saints’ Day.

Correction
The lyrics written by Henrik Strandskov to commemorate last year’s the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Danebod Folk Meeting opened the July.August 2022 issue. The title of his song, “Endless Prairie, Endless Sky,” derives from the lyrics in the bridge, the part of a song that stands out:
No more endless prairie,
But endless prairie sky;
Let our dreams for tomorrow
Soar on high, soar on high.
These lyrics were unfortunately omitted in the publication. Our website has been updated with the amended lyrics, which are in the August 2022 archive along with a guitar instrumental from YouTube to serve as accompaniment if you want to sing this poignant song.

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