Greetings

I really like sod. It is so clean, so green; there is vibrance in the power of its purity. The strength born of consistency makes a statement.

This summer Maywood did improvements to the curbs and streets. As a result much of the grass on the parkway was torn up. The final touch was leveling the parkways and laying sod. Wow, what an impression it makes. The corners are clean, and there is an extremely noticeable line of demarcation: sod on one side- on the other worn grass, weeds and bare spots. The line drawn between new life and old is so evident.

I treasure this line every time I walk by. I know what is going to happen. The line is going to become blurred; the two sides are going to become one. And…you can assume you know what this parkway will look like in a year.

Why is it that the sod never wins?

Why is it that the purity of our new life in Christ never beats out the sinful patterns and stresses that define my life? The promise of Christ is that we will be a new creation. The weeds will be removed, our roots will be strong and the majesty of our color will be a witness for others to see His power.

But…as the great philosopher once said “it’s not easy being green.” The world creeps across our line. Our new life must withstand weeds, heat, dogs and kids with shovels. We get floods of water and periods of drought: time takes it toll.

It is a good thing that the promise of our Lord is that each day we have the offer of new life. Despite the forces aligned against us, we meet our God face to face in a shining white robe, spotless: a clear contrast not only to a hostile world but also completely transformed from the weak and weathered bodies we inhabit here.  

I am very happy where I am planted. I want my life to be a witness to a line that shows a new life in Christ, and I look forward to the day when the sod covers the weeds.

School News

Our new Walther association board is in place. More than 50 years ago the relevance of Walther Lutheran High School was clear. Congregations filled the school with their students and assumed a major share of the costs of operating the school.

In the future the relevance of Walther will go beyond the bounds of a 9th through 12th grade curriculum. We are committed to helping individuals grow spiritually and building Christian communities.

When you hear of new ventures that are being sponsored by Walther, we invite you to join us as we seek to expand and extend His Kingdom. If you want to know more about our direction, please contact either of our school offices. Walther’s high school office is at 708.344.0404 and the Academy is at 708.366.2764.

Parent/Teacher conferences will be held on Tuesday, October 30. Parents should make plans to attend during the hours of 3 to 5 p.m. or 6 to 8 p.m.

This is IHSA State tournament time for our teams. Walther’s volleyball team enters Regional competition on Thursday (October 25) at Timothy Christian in Elmhurst. The football team plays in the first round of the Class 4A tourney this Saturday at Mendota. Our cross country team, fresh off their victory at Regionals, will be on the course for the Sectional run at Niles West. For more information on all of our athletics, visit Walther.com.

While freshmen, sophomore or junior varsity teams don’t have a post-season, their seasons are often worth remark. Such is the case of Walther football’s “Fantastic Freshmen.” This year was an exciting one for the freshmen football team. We had a record number of freshmen (37!) come out for the team this year, which was very encouraging since it lays a strong foundation for the future of Bronco football. In addition to the regular frosh/soph football schedule of nine games, we try to schedule an additional five or so games exclusively for freshmen to get some playing experience. Our overall record this past season for the freshmen was 3-2, with wins over Wheaton Warrenville South, Lemont and Barrington. Each freshman had a chance to play and make an impact for the Broncos. CLICK HERE for a brief recap of the freshmen season.

We would like to take a moment to acknowledge the strong witness provided by a student in Miss Costello's 10th period English class. Akila Wallace has consistently provided a shining light to her classmates by cheerfully volunteering to lead the closing prayer. This sophomore from the southeast side of Chicago provides a powerful example of compassion and worship to her classmates in this way. Akila also presents an example of cheerful service to the Lord every day as an office aide. She is truly one of the unsung heroes here at Walther and it's time we corrected that. Thanks, Akila! 

Alumni News

For the first time ever Walther celebrated ten class reunions during this Homecoming 2007 weekend. I was only able to attend six of the events. I did not know that the Class of 1977 would have the stamina to keep at it until well after midnight. The Class of 1957 was the first to reach their 50 year reunion. They had one third of their graduating class in attendance. The Class of 1997 reunion attendees were the wildest by far. A number of the classes have already committed to serious class gifts and goals.

The weekend got off to a great start with a larger than average attendance at the All Alumni reception on Friday.This is a great place for friends from all the graduating classes to share time, memories and get up to date on what everybody’s doing now. It is also a perfect place for families that span the years and have many “in-law/cousin connections,” like the Schlictings, to assemble.

Saturday featured a “Back to School” schedule for reunion classes. This event has not really caught on yet for a variety of reasons, but those who have attended have given this program high marks.

Sunday concluded the weekend with grads attending worship at St. Paul Lutheran of Melrose Park and returning to school for brunch.

The Classes of ‘58, ‘63, ‘68, ‘73, ‘78, ‘83, ‘88, ‘93, ‘98 and ‘03 are invited to attend a 9 a.m. planning meeting for Homecoming 2008 next month on Saturday, November 10, at Walther. If you would like more information on reunions, please contact Events Coordinator Anita Ward at Anita_Ward@Walther.com or 708.344.0404.   

Here's a couple of the notes we received after the Homecoming weekend:

CLICK HERE to see a small portion of the pictures that were taken during the Homecoming week and CLICK HERE to see a weekend video presentation.

We received the news of a Class of 1973 member’s passing last week:

And for the second time in a month, Walther is the proud alma mater of Concordia University Chicago’s Athlete of the Week! Kari Zielke ’05 is the new all-time goal scoring leader in the seven-year history of Cougar women’s soccer.
CLICK HERE to read about it. While Kari was pleased, her dad (aka Walther Principal Stephen Zielke) said she really just wanted to play longer and finish out the game!

God’s blessings

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