Our visit to the “Luther Lands” also got me wondering about where Luther would land if he could extricate himself from history and step into the present.   What would Martin Luther think of the Lutheran Church in our time and place?  Lutherans of generations past have speculated upon this question.  Soon after his death the so-called “gnesio” or “genuine” Lutherans pitted themselves against those who they felt had compromised Martin’s theology and practice.

What do you think?  What would Martin Luther make of contemporary Lutheranism?  Or, more broadly, what would Luther make of the state of the Christian church more than 4 1/2 centuries after his death?  What does it mean to be “genuinely” Lutheran?  What difference does it make?

In Faith in the Freshman I mention my first interaction with Martin Luther through my reading of Roland Bainton’s biography, Here I Stand.  That was the impetus not only for my future scholarly work but also for my more in-depth faith exploration.  In the end it leads me back to where this little reflection started — our Lord’s passion, the living, the dying and rising, of Jesus Christ.  Luther’s understanding of Christian faith has been formative for me.  To be genuinely Lutheran is not only to be Christ-centered, but to begin and end with Jesus Christ and his saving work.

Along with telling some stories and selling a few books, I have had the opportunity to help others get better acquainted with Concordia University.  I also have engaged audiences on the subject of Type 1 diabetes and have asked for their prayers and support in the quest for a cure.

Below is a brief note from a Rotarian whose club I addressed last week.  He is a Cornell alumnus and was excited to learn of Andrew’s plans. 

Hi Dr. Ferry and Andrew, – What a pleasure it was to have you both visit our Rotary of Milwaukee/North Shore meeting last Monday.  As President/Elect for the coming year 2010-2011, and on behalf of all our members, I want to thank you for visiting us and telling us such a marvelous story of faith, as it relates to basketball, family, and life.  It certainly could be theme for any fine sermon as there are many stories connected to this, evident in your book, which I’m reading with great interest.  We hope you had a useful and informative dinner with the new basketball coach at Cornell.  And for Andy, I have alerted my fraternity brothers (Sigma Phi) of Andy’s move to Cornell next year and know that your experience there will be a highlight of your life as you enjoy the people, the team, Ithaca, and in general, all that Cornell will be offering to you.  Thanks again, Dr. Ferry, for your inspiring talk at our meeting and continued success at Concordia as you lead your fine school into the future.  God Bless you and Andy – Owen Perry.

Also below is the list of presentations that have been a part of my recent routine.  Summer’s schedule is filling fast!

• April 7 – New Berlin Noon Rotary
• April 14 – Port Washington/Saukville Basketball Banquet
• April 15 – Barnes & Noble Book Signing at Bay Shore Town Square
• April 16 – Book table at the Women’s Leadership Institute National Conference
• April 17 – Rite -Hite YMCA
• April 21 – Alexian Village Book Club
• April 25 – Christian Athletic Scholarship Banquet
• April 27 – West Bend Sunrise Rotary
• May 11 – Thiensville – Mequon Noon Rotary
• May 19 – Mitchell Field Noon Rotary
• May 24 – Northshore Milwaukee Noon Rotary
• May 27 – Cedarburg/Grafton Noon Rotary
• June 18 -20 – St. John’s College Alumni Reunion
• July 26 – Waukesha Rotary
• October 18-20 – Mid-South District LCMS Professional Church Workers Conference

Faith in the Freshman Cover

I’d certainly love to see you at the Thursday, November 19th “Launch” of “Faith in the Freshman” at Concordia’s Todd Wehr Auditorium.  Join me from 7-9 p.m. for some storytelling, refreshments, and friendly conversation.  Here is a chance to get a little Christmas shopping done early!  Copies of this story of hopes and hoops will be on sale, and I will happily sign one for you or your gift recipient. We can even gift wrap one, if you like!  Join us!

Click here for a map to the event.

Dear Pat:

I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed reading your book, “FAITH in the FRESHMAN.”  As a proud member of the half century club as well as a father of two wonderful boys I could personally relate to your story. I laughed when you shared the fact that God blessed you with your five children over a seven-year span, with your wife unfortunately battling morning sickness throughout each pregnancy. My wife Terri was pregnant seven times over the first 9 years of our marriage, the joy of two boys and twin daughters and the incredible sadness of four miscarriages. She shared with Tammy the constant reminder of her physical state with 24/7 morning sickness from what seemed like conception through delivery.

With similar music tastes over the past 30 years, I appreciate your courage in admitting to your “disco years” something that my children often bring up when I criticize today’s music. Although my basketball career ended in high school, I did share the memories of special friendships with teammates which included the respect for their commitment to work on their skills until the ball went flat on those cold Wisconsin winter nights. Sitting in my Pacifica, reading your book as I waited for my daughter’s soccer game to start, I realized just how similar our lives have been except maybe career paths and the fact that I am still a Methodist. I would appreciate getting an update on Andrew, I have become a member of his “fan club”. I feel blessed for having the opportunity to get to know you as a person and also privileged to be part of your Concordia Team. I wish you and your entire family the very best that life has to offer.

Reed J. Schmitt
Treasurer

JOS. SCHMITT & SONS CONST. CO., INC.
Building Better Together Since 1899
2104 Union Ave., P.O. Box 1084
Sheboygan, WI  53082-1084

Patrick Ferry in the Ozaukee News Graphic – October 2009

Once a semester our Student Government Association sponsors a forum for me and other administrators on campus to interact with students.  Usually on a Monday night, SGA leaders were careful to avoid scheduling the forum on an evening when the Packers might be on TV.  They were obviously less concerned about avoiding a conflict with my beloved Denver Broncos who were en route to their sixth straight victory with a win over division rival San Diego.  That’s okay—I’d rather spend an evening with Concordia students any time!

We have been doing these forums for many years.  In fact, we probably started doing them in some form or another already my first year in office in 1997 and have done them ever since.  For the most part the issues that concern students do not vary too much.  Food service and meal plans, residence life concerns, parking—the sort of things you might expect given that these pertain to student’s basic needs regarding what they eat, where they live, and how they are going to get around.  Last night was no exception.  We had a great crowd who gathered to eat pizza and chew the fat with the administration!

I expected questions about parking.  Since enrollment has continued to increase the volume of cars on campus has also grown.  We have tried to encourage some ride sharing.  In the past we have resisted charging a parking fee.  A fee might discourage people from bringing cars to campus unless absolutely necessary, and we may need to revisit that idea in the future.  Recently the Mequon Planning Commission approved our plan to add some additional spaces.  That should alleviate our problem for the rest of this year, but I don’t imagine that spirited discussions about parking will end any time soon, not with winter looming.  Once the snow flies the situation becomes even more complicated as the need to plow and the uneasy pedestrian access from some of the more remote lots come into play.

Most of the questions about food service dealt with the kinds of concerns that you would likely find on most college campuses.  Students would like more variety in their menus and hours of availability that more conveniently fit their schedules.  I anticipated that we might have more concerns than in the past since this year we adopted a “tray-less” service approach in the dining hall as a part of our Christian environmental stewardship initiatives.  Simply put, people waste less food when they don’t have trays.  We also use lots less water in the dish room since we don’t have to wash all those trays.  Admittedly, it is more of a hassle to juggle plates, and cups, and silverware.  Sometimes a few trips are required to get everything to the table to begin a meal.  The new approach is not without glitches, but it does save food, water, and is the right thing to do.  Sodexo, our excellent food service provider, continues to look for ways to make the dining experience better for our students, and they are responsive to student input.

In sum, most of the items raised by Concordia’s students relate to their quality of life which, naturally, they are eager to see improved.  My hope is that they will continue to find the university’s administration equally eager to make their living—and learning—experience the best that it possibly can be.  Certainly, our growing student population is both a testament to the fact that Concordia is meeting the needs of an ever-increasing number of college students, and also a challenge to continue to build out the infrastructure of support in staff and facilities to ensure that everyone is enjoying an opportunity to learn and grow here.

The students who attended last night’s forum were gracious and respectful.  Each one who stood to raise a question thanked us for coming and spending time with them.  I thank them—for being here and for all that they do make Concordia such a special place.

[View with PicLens]

This story originally appeared in the Orange County Register.  See the online version here.

Jenna Klipfel, 21, a senior business major at Concordia University, takes part in the wiffle ball marathon to raise money for diabetes.

IRVINE – It’s the bottom of, let’s say, the 200th inning, and Concordia University freshman G.M. Ciallella cranks a pitch over the left field fence – also known as the school’s basketball gym – to tie the game 316-316.

Welcome to what’s billed as the world’s longest Wiffle Ball game, a 60-hour marathon that began on the college campus at midnight Friday, continued Saturday and was set to wrap up at noon today.

Partly a way to build campus spirit, the two-and-a-half-day ballgame was created as a fundraiser for diabetes. The dual motivations were on display as Ciallella took advantage of the opposing team’s inattention to dash home and score on a later play.

“Anything to win, anything to win,” hollered Ciallella, himself a diabetic. “I mean, it’s all about the cure. Sorry.”

A cure is close to the heart of senior Peter Ferry, one of the event’s founders, who helped launch the game in 2006 after his brother was diagnosed with diabetes.

While pondering ways to raise money for disease research, he learned that his father in the 1970s had held a 53-hour Wiffle Ball game to raise money for breast cancer care.

Impressed, the classmates got their hands on some plastic bats and balls, then settled on the nice, round number of 60 hours, and held their first game, raising more than $2,000. The next year they topped $3,000, and this year they’re shooting to collect $4,000 for the American Diabetes Association.

The roughly 100 players rotate in and out of the game over the course of the 60-hour showdown, playing three hours at a time for either the Heavy Hitters or the Super Sluggers. There was an attempt to count the innings this year, but everyone lost track after about seven hours, somewhere around the 43rd inning.

Just before noon on Saturday, after an infielder beaned a baserunner with a ball – a legal play that counts as an out – the score was still tied, 319-319.

With 24 hours left to play, Ferry pondered his options if the deadlock remained intact at noon on Sunday. Would extra innings be in order?

“Maybe extra minutes,” he said.

Contact the writer: 714-445-6683 or joverley@ocregister.com

Peter Ferry plays wiffle ball at Concordia University Irvine

Peter Ferry likes to play Wiffle ball, and he’ll be playing it at least once a year now while he’s studying at Irvine’s Concordia University.

His Wiffle Ball Game