Category: News

“Come, O long-expected Jesus,  
Born to set your people free; 
From our fears and sins release us 
By your death on Calvary. 
Israel’s strength and consolation,  
Hope to all the earth impart, 
dear desire of ev’ry nation,  
Joy of ev’ry longing heart.” (LW 22)

To celebrate the Advent season and for your personal devotion, try these different Advent blogs:

What’s Advent?
Rev. Cwirla’s Blogosphere – Advent
Here I Stand – “God with Us in Advent”
Non Cogito Ergo non Sum – Parate, PREPARE. Advenite, Adventa, COME.

Advent Sermons
The Rev. Brent Kuhlman – First Sunday in Advent Sermon (C)
Bloghardt’s Reflector – First Sunday in Advent (Historic)
Little Loci – “The Magnificat”
Bloghardt’s Reflector – Second Sunday in Advent (Historic) and Audio
Little Loci – Second Sunday in Advent 2 (Historic)
Brent Kuhlman – Second Sunday in Advent (C)

Advent Hymns & Prayers
The Brain – “Reflections on an Unconventional Advent Hymn”
MouthHouse Mom’s – Gerhardt’s Advent Hymn
Psalming Padawan – An Advent Prayer

Advent Wreaths and Colors!
Lovable Lutheran’s Blog – “Advent and It’s Colors”
Madre’s Missives – “I’ll have a Blue Advent” (She wants a blog war, I’m gonna give her one)
Bloghardt’s Reflector – “What Goes Up” (Violet, baby!)

Advent – He comes!
Christus Victor – “The Triumphant Entry”
Operation Log on Agent Delta – Advent
Liberatum – “He comes in blessing”

Advent & the Media
Madre’s Missives – Nativity Story Review

Remember, the Higher Things website is all about interaction!  Items aren’t just posted by bloggers, they are posted for discussion.  What do you think?  How do you feel about this? Do you agree? Do you not? How does this deliver Jesus? That’s what we do best on this site! Discuss, rejoice, and most importantly receive Jesus!  That’s what blogging is about at HT! 

May the Lord use the thoughts and mediations of these writers to focus your preparation for Advent.  Jesus is coming soon!  Prepare the way!

Come Lord Jesus.  Amen.

Pastor Borghardt
Internet Services Executive
Higher Things, Inc.

There’s still time, but you better hurry if you want to attend the 2007 Higher Things conference in Minneapolis!  This location of the FOR YOU conference is officially more than half full!

Registration officially closes on February 15, 2007 or when a conference reaches capacity – whichever happens first.  Those who register for the Minneapolis conference after it has filled will have the option of either being placed on a waiting list for an opening at that conference or transferring their registration to the other FOR YOU conference held one week later from July 31-August 3, 2007 near Asheville, NC.  That conference has nearly double the capacity of the Minneapolis one.

Register your group today for the Summer 2007 Higher Things conferences FOR YOU.  Download Individual and Group forms to register by mail, or register online for immediate processing, at our Conference Registration Page. 

New information about the two locations will be available soon.  In the meantime, check out all the free-time possibilities for your group in both Minneapolis and Asheville.  For those who will be seniors in high school next year, we’ve also provided a list of area colleges and Christ on Campus Chapters in case you want to incorporate a campus visit into your trip.  There’s so much to do, plan to stay an extra day!

Have a blessed Advent, preparing for your Lord’s coming FOR YOU.

In Christ,

Mrs. Sandra Ostapowich
2007 Minneapolis FOR YOU Conference Coordinator

Rev. George Borghardt
2007 Asheville FOR YOU Conference Coordinator

The last 2006 issue of Higher Things magazine is on its way to you! In the winter 2006 issue, you will find articles about a wide variety of topics.

Pastor Pauls helps us sort through the gloom of ghosts and the paranormal. You’ll also find an article about myths about the Holy Spirit. Pastor Borghardt debunks the myths and helps us understand who God is. You’ll also read Susan Gehlbach’s article about Confession and Absolution and how you can be comforted with the forgiveness found in Christ. As if that weren’t enough, Kelly Klages also weighs in with her article, “Candles in the Dark” to help us understand the holiday of Hanukkah.

Kathy Luder shares some disturbing news she receives in an email. And Craig Parton, a lawyer, helps us sort through the ins and outs of defending our faith in the Christ on Campus column.

In the winter issue, we even get an article from the great Dr. Luther himself, as he suggests the five best movies never made. And as always, we hear from Pastor Petersen with the catechism column about how God reveals Himself to us by grace.

So, keep checking your mailboxes. The winter 2006 issue is on its way soon!

If you haven’t yet subscribed to Higher Things, you can do so easily by going here for single subscriptions, or here for group subscriptions. Or you can call (208) 343-4690 with subscription questions.

Higher Things is happy to announce the opening of our NEW online store! Just in time for the holiday season, Higher Things is re-introducing its line of Dare to be Lutheran apparel, including polos and T-shirts!

Higher Things is also once again selling its Ecclesiastical Art CD!  Throughout the season of Advent, get our CD full of high resolution artwork, ideal for bulletin covers and Sunday School lessons, for only $30 (regular $50).  Each disc contains black-and-white line art for every Sunday of the church year, covering both three-year and historic lectionaries, all major festivals, and more! 

Best of all… Higher Things has a produced limited supply of official Higher Things Hoodies, available at a special introductory price of $28.00 (shipping included – continental U.S. only)! Hurry and buy an HT Hoodie as a Christmas present for your Lutheran loved one while supplies last!

FREE SHIPPING for all continental U.S. orders during through the Christmas Season!!!!

For bulk or international orders contact Naomi, our Merchandise Manager.

The Nativity Story actually begins in the liturgical season of Christmas, with the Slaughter of the Innocents.  Roman soldiers descending upon a small town in the middle of the night, breaking down doors and yanking sleeping baby boys out of their screaming mothers’ arms to slaughter them in the streets makes for a great dramatic lead-in which can’t help but to draw the average viewer into the story.  

Just as the soldiers leave town with a trail of small, dead bodies behind them and the heartbreaking wails set in, the viewer is taken a year back in time, to watch the unfolding the story leading up to that event – to Jerusalem, to the Temple, where Zachariah is carrying out his priestly duties in the Holy of Holies and, there, is given the promise of his son’s birth.  John will be the Prophet who heralds the arrival of the Messiah.

As promised, the location, sets, and costuming are breathtaking in detail.  The score incorporates historic Advent and Christmas tunes, opening with a men’s choir singing Veni Emmanuel and closing with Mary saying the words of the Magnificat as she and Joseph escape to Egypt with Stille Nacht being sung in the background.  

The characters reveal depth and authenticity.  Mary is thoughtful and humble, Joseph is a quiet and honorable man, Elizabeth overflows with joyful faithfulness, Herod is cruel and paranoid, and the Magi are wealthy intellectuals who provide light comic relief.  Gabriel’s appearance wasn’t quite as masculine as one might expect, and it was disappointing not to see the heavenly host or hear their singing Gloria in Excelsis Deo at the announcement to the shepherds.  But if that’s all there is to really critique in this potentially controversial movie, that’s not a big deal at all.

When the media started saying that this movie would have a Christian message that unites rather than divides like The Passion of the Christ, many Christians began to worry that their faith would once again be perverted as in the recent DaVinci Code.  That sort of favorable commentary from reporters is usually a sign that the script has been stripped of any distinctly Christian message of the Gospel and instead substitutes pop-spirituality in the place of historic theology for mass-appeal.  The Nativity Story did none of that.  Fortunately, most of the theological commentary has been relegated to the supplementary materials that are available for groups and churches to deepen the audience’s experience.  

The movie stayed true to the Biblical accounts of Christ’s advent and birth.  There were even hints of the Gospel revealed in the movie – stating quite plainly that the Child would save His people from their sins, and that He is God made into flesh. 

That’s not the sort of message you hear at the movies today.  Go see The Nativity Story, it’s well worth the price of admission.

Mrs. Sandra Ostapowich, a.k.a. “Madre,” is the Secretary of Higher Things and the Conference Chair of the Minneapolis “FOR YOU” conference.  In this picture she’s holding “Fernando,” her youth group’s pet salamander.

Invite your friends to subscribe to the best magazine on earth–just in time for Christmas!

Go to this link for a bulletin insert for download. Print this out and ask your pastor to put this in your church bulletin (unless your entire congregation subscribes already, of course!). Feel free to download the form for use in congregations, and please go here for info on single subscriptions, or here for group subscriptions.

Be looking for more information about the Winter 2006 issue, which will be coming to you soon!

Great news!  Many people have taken advantage of the early registration discounts for the 2007 Higher Things FOR YOU conferences.  The conferences are already about 1/3 full!

Just as a reminder to everyone:  The deadline to receive $5 off per registration ends this Friday, December 1, 2006.  To take advantage of this discount, groups  need to either complete their registration online or have your mailed registration packet postmarked by December 1.  Only those people who have registered and paid their deposit by the deadline will receive the discount.  Registrations added to your group after that date will not receive a discount.

Conference registration will remain open until February 15, 2007 or until each conference fills, whichever happens first.  As a reminder, last year The Feast went from 50% capacity to full with a waiting list in only six weeks!

This year, with two Higher Things conferences to choose from, if your first choice for conferences has been filled by the time your registration is received, you have the option of being put on a waiting list for that conference or transferring your registration to the other conference, pending availability.

Download registration forms on our website or register your group online for immediate processing!

If you haven’t checked the official FOR YOU website in a while, there is new information about travel,  free time activities, and college campuses you might be interested in visiting in both Minneapolis and Asheville.

A blessed Last Sunday of the Church Year to you all!

In Christ,

Mrs. Sandra Ostapowich
2007 Minnesota FOR YOU Conference Coordinator

Rev. George F. Borghardt III
2007 North Carolina FOR YOU Conference Coordinator

Name:  The Reverend Marcus T.(as in “the”) Zill
Missing Since:  September 12, 2006
Last Physical Sighting:  Coordinator at The Feast

Have you seen this man?  He was last seen hard at work at the Feast.  Since then, we’ve been tracking his movements on his blog.  We lost track of him on September 12, 2006.

Pastor Zill is the Christ on Campus Executive for Higher Things.  As y’all also know, he is the Confessional Cowboy.  But, he suffers from a very common condition.  Our own Pastor Zill has blognesia.   Yes, he forgets that he has a blog.

We, at Internet Services, are putting out a missing blog-post alert for the Rev. Marcus T. Zill.  For his own safety and well-being, please make a comment on his blog here.  If you should see him roaming around on vacation this week in the St. Louis area, you are requested to remind him that he has a blog on Higher Things’ website.

There is a cure for blognesia.  We’ve found it.  You can help.  Remind Pastor Zill to post on his blog.  It’s been 70 days and counting…..

In Christ,

Pastor Borghardt