More Pastoral Practice with Quill

Day 10
- (Concerning when he first was a prof) Everyone seemed preoccupied. I thought they [the students] were mad at me. Now I don't care.
- (of CoWo) Suddenly, you're singing to Jesus, but you thought it was a love song.
- I'm more worried about the boys listening to this stuff and what they want to do to my daughters.

Day 11
- Never throw a hymnal! What do you think this is, a paperback "God's Word to the Nations"?
- If you are only speaking the words then you have to DO it well.
- Isn't God's Name bigger than some dumb mormon?

(Honorary Scaer quote - "Celebrating Mass in the Chapel is like going on a date with your mother)

Day 12
- Most Pastoral Newsletters are the most boring things.
- We call it "Early Communion". The Greeks would laugh. . . "You do it 7 years too late!"
- Okay, I'll tell you pastoral practice - don't do it [infant communion].
- Don't make it [infant communion] your cause. It's a stupid cause. Baptism is pretty good.

Day 13
- (Concerning student sermons) I've been happy with the ones I've read. Maybe there are some lemons in there.
- As Good Lutherans we don't force you do to this [Private Confession], so we don't do it.
- ... and you're like a referee. Your shirt isn't black, it's black and white.
- You want to sing that [Everything is Thine Own]? Okay - open up your wallets.
- Just tell them to open up the hymnbook... the 55% that like it.
- I knew I couldn't go to the DP. . . I might want a call.
- My wife works in development, so sometimes she hears things she can't tell me, and she doesn't, but she tells me that she heard something she can't tell me.
- I was just blessed with one [a wife] who could keep her mouth shut.
- You don't have to go around calling it [Private Confession] a sacrament. Just call it what it is [forgiveness].

Day 14 - with special guest Rev. Matt Harrison (his quotes in italics)
- I think half his {Harrison's] books are in German. I would put them there just to impress people but he actually uses them.
- Some of you guys are going to just sit at your computer and do nothing... I see some of you are doing that already.
- (Speaking of some "missions) You're not building churches. You're building Pietistic groups sitting around the kitchen table waiting for Jesus to come back so you can feel good about it, but you're not building churches.
- What happens if you have leitourgia and not martyria? Anglicans.
- A recent survey said 60% of clergy in England believe in God. Wow, the numbers are up.
- Didn't you love Tetzel... he sounded just like Billy Graham.
- You gotta get out, and I don't care what Scaer says. You've got to visit your people. I visited Scaer, that's probably why he doesn't like home visits.

Day 16 (Day 15 is missing, who knows)
- Any former teachers in here? I don't like any of you.
- I love going to Confession and Absolution - I'm a saddist.
- I hate teaching this stuff, I hate teaching about sin.
- I don't really care if you are sorry, I want to know if you are going to be disobedient again.
- I bet kids feel guilty over snipey little things.
- (Warning students) There are women who are unhappy with their marriage and you are the perfect man.

Day 17
- You're going to see blood and crap and everything. Everything goes when you die.
- Somedays you will pray, "Oh Lord, I wish there was more canon law." Then you come to your senses.
- Who is he [Walther] quoting here? Luther? Himself?
- Of course, that was a Church Growth Church, so they were happy to get another warm body.

Day 18
- Sinners are still going to weasel out of doing things right.
- Why'd you have to go marry a guy? You had a wife, your kids, and a bunch of boys to go have fun with. (I can't remember who he's talking about, but it's a fun quote)

Day 19
- Meg Ryan. You could almost be in love with her she's so cute.
- That's [Wedding Coordinator] a good job for a deaconess, isn't it?
- The funeral director will kiss up to you because they know that you just cut them off like that.
- It's [unity candle] symbol, it's ritual. It's not like a football game where you have to explain everything.
- Let them be glad that these two people are in love - it won't last long.
- This is my one shot - I've got all these visitors, I'm going to make America a better place.

Day 21 (ask me not where 20 went)
- We've had a lot of good papers [about something practical in Church] and they aren't just about organizing a bus for your church.
- I always mosey into the room as though I have all the time in the world.
- "I was healthy and didn't appreciate [communion], why should I have it now?" Because you are dying, and God wants you to have it.
- That's [reading a prayer] is better than praying from your heart, because your heart is full of lust and adultery.
- It's almost worth having people get sick so you can do it [Compline at a visit]

Day 22
- And right after the prayer for suicides is the rite of ordination. I don't know if there is a connection or not.
- You don't want to commend someone to death if they are still fighting and you don't know if they are going to die.
- I don't know why you are here if you don't like to talk, but there are times you just need to be quiet.
- (having scored a point in an argument on theology) So I nailed him again. . . no, I made my point and shut up.
- (On calling one a saint) Normally we wait until they've been dead a while, then we have the Pope check them out.
- You can always find a rubric to back you up.
- I was all prepared to go after the Masons, but there weren't any.

Day 23
- You called it a service, it was a "civic event" >=o)
- (on dealing with the ELCA) I think its important to keep the door open, but on your terms.
- God hasn't put me here to clean up the ELCA or the Congregational Church that doesn't believe the creed.
- (At Drew where he did his Doctorate) Half the Graduate School is divorced women who are trying to find themselves.
- Shut up for the first year and lay low.
- "You know, we do things different out here, Quill, this isn't the midwest." Oh gee, I'm in a different culture. Do they speak English here?
- (on the delinquent member) I don't hate you and I don't hate God, I'd just rather drink on Saturday night and beat up my dog.
- You're going to make mistakes, but don't be casual about it. Lose sleep over it.
- At the first congregational meeting I told them that they are not Elders, that's me - and they were relieved because their kids are terrible.
- You tell them in a nice way, "If you want to sneak back here at dusk and have your service, fine, that when the pagans do their service."