Month: February 2019

If you were to walk into the sanctuary of Orfordville Lutheran Church (OLC) and look up towards the balcony, you would see a model ship suspended from the ceiling. The Norwegian name for the ship is “Haabet” which means “The Hope.” And across the back of the ship in tall, white letters, it simply says “HOPE.”

The Hope was originally built in 1879 by Peter Kaatrud. He refurbished it in 1892, and it was displayed in the sanctuary from 1892-1912. In 1957, after a 45 year absence, Martin Nelson restored The Hope to its original appearance, and it was again placed in our worship space.

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I’ve always been a fan of Mr. Rogers, and I highly recommend the new documentary “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” about his life.

The documentary includes a clip from Fred Rogers’s commencement address to Middlebury College in 2001. During the speech, Mr. Rogers invited the graduates to think of those people who had believed in them and helped them reach this moment. He reminded the graduates: “From the time you were very little, you’ve had people who have smiled you into smiling, people who have talked you into talking, sung you into singing, loved you into loving.” Then, he allowed a minute of silence for them to think of those special people.

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I remember learning not to call people names on the playground as a child. A nickname may be okay if your friend likes it or chooses it, but you must stop if they don’t like it. I remember my parents and teachers emphasizing a respect for people’s names.

Did you learn this lesson too? Name-calling has always been a problem, but it seems to be growing – even among adults who should know better.

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