Sunday July 25, 2010 - Tempe, Arizona

We worshiped this morning at Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Tempe. This is the church my family attended after moving to Arizona from Indiana in the late 70's. I was confirmed there and attended through high school, after which I left to join the campus student ministry that played such a major role in my theological development. In one of those odd, who woulda thunk it sort of things that life gives you every now and then, this is the church my in-laws have begun attending after my father-in-law retired from the aforementioned campus ministry.

Of course, pretty much nothing looks like it did 20 years ago. The church has built numerous buildings and given the place at least one major renovation/makeover. The contemporary worship service we attended was in the multipurpose building, which didn't exist when I left the congregation. There isn't much of a sense of deja vu, in other words. The pastor is different, and I don't really recognize anyone. Part of me wonders if there are people my age there that I knew during my high school days, but considering how poorly I got on with most of them, it's not a mystery I'm necessarily worried about solving.

We got home and began preparations for a mid-day dinner that Gena's sister & her family were coming over for. We did a Mexican-style dinner. It was great, the kids had a blast playing in the pool and running around the house. It was a great way to exhaust the kids!