A Mighty Fortress is Our God

October, Sunday 30, 2005

(7:28am) Reformation Sunday – a day in which Collette always loved to wear all black to church and to the Reformation Service – black pants, black boots, black sweater, and long black lace shawl around her neck… Why, she was never quite sure. But this Reformation Sunday, she was obliged to wear a long deep turquoise sweater in place of the black, which she thought, rather ruined the effect, whatever that might have been.

The service began with the triumphant charge of silver trumpets and the white satin robes of the choir, singing their praises heavenward in “A Mighty Fortess is Our God” – the best, perhaps, they had ever sung. This, accompanied by the four “Solas” of the Reformation, minus one, Solus Christus, suspiciously missing for some reason or other. And “Ancient Words” (introduced to them by Judah) was ended with a sweet fiddle tune from OLeif, which Collette found especially beautiful that morning.

Roast and potatoes followed for lunch as Carrie sleepily prepared herself for work. And as the kids went off to youth with OLeif, Mom worked with Frances and Linnea on carving out their pumpkins on the front porch. The air was cool and gray and the windows were open to the early evening breezes. Later, Mom and Collette drove over to the Schnucks on K and picked up two Halloween movies, one of Mickey Rooney and a haunted house. And there was chocolate and popcorn for the kids as Abbott and Costello met Frankenstein and the living room glowed with jack ‘o lanterns (including Billy Bob, Jr.,) and candles, as lightening lit up the sky and the rain came in. An enchanting day…