First stop on this week’s Lutheran roadtrip: Illinois.

If you are a pastor or a layman, a farm person or a city person, a Lutheran or, um, a Lutheran, you might consider trying out the annual Oktoberfest gathering at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Kewanee, Illinois.  Hosted by the periodical Gottesdienst, the conference features a professor or pastor presenting on something uniquely Lutheran, something profound, something that stretches your understanding of the faith.

You’ll learn things you didn’t know before, eat your fill of bratwurst, hear some authentic German music, sing some robust Lutheran hymns, listen to some fabulous sermons, and leave wondering how you made it this far through life without ever hearing this stuff before. This year, Dr. William C. Weinrich spoke on John’s Gospel.

I’m not even going to try to sum up what he discussed because he’s (1) brilliant, (2) engaging, and (3) brilliant and engaging.

He takes theological concepts that often seem like they are drops of mercury slipping through your fingers and makes them tangible, tactile.  When he’s finished, you feel like you can wrap your head around the topic in a way that you never have before.

Long story short: If you haven’t heard the man present, you need to. If you haven’t taken a class with him, you should.

You will never know utter fear until you’ve taken his Church History oral exam, until you’ve had to stand up, all by yourself, in front of a classroom, and tell him everything you know about a church father of his choosing.

I’m hyperventilating just remembering it.

Next stop: Fort Wayne to speak to the LWML ladies arriving on the Concordia Theological Seminary campus for Donation Day!