Adoption

On May 8^th, 1945 a woman named Gladys Kayser was admitted to the Home for Unwed Mothers in Fargo, North Dakota. There she gave birth to a girl - my mother - and named her Donelle Priscilla Kayser. She was immediately put up for adoption. Before long, Donelle was adopted by Ralph and Selma Vogel - a couple looking for a daughter. They took her home and gave her a new name – Victoria Elaine Vogel. Just like that, she had a new name and a new family. She had a whole new set of relatives and a new culture.

Growing up in her adopted family Vicki never felt like she belonged. She knew that her real family was out there somewhere, and she wondered what they were like, but for most of her life they remained a mystery. So, after giving birth to three kids of her own, she set out to find her birth family. After a long search she was reunited with her birth mom, Gladys. It took another 15 years to find the family of her birth father, the late Donald Campbell. While she learned that Donald had died in 1963, the surviving members of his family wanted to meet my Mom, so a date was set for a big family reunion.

For my Mom and family this reunion was an amazing experience. After all, the size of our extended family had literally doubled overnight! All of a sudden my mom had five new sisters, and us kids dozens of new aunts, uncles, and cousins! At first the thought of meeting them all was a little scary, and we wondered how we’d fit in with this new branch of the family tree. We wondered what all of these changes meant. Thankfully our fears quickly dissolved when we all got together. They welcomed and embraced us like we were just another part of the family. Gathered around the table, we shared stories and caught up on our family history. We felt at home with them, and they with us. Just like that, we had a whole new family.

In the Old Testament there is not a single mention of the word “adoption.” The way in which we understand adoption just didn’t exist in those days. If a child lost its parents or was abandoned it became the responsibility of the extended family. Likewise, in the four gospels of the New Testament, the word “adoption” is never spoken by Jesus – the concept just wasn’t a part of Jewish society and culture. It’s not until later in the New Testament in the letters of the Apostle Paul that we first hear the word for adoption.

Today, in our second lesson from Galatians, Paul writes to the leaders of the new churches in Galatia. These churches were made up of both Jews and Gentiles living in the Roman Empire under the rule of Caesar. Both Paul and the Galatians were Roman citizens, so he knew that the word “adoption” carried meaning for them. But the Roman custom of adoption meant something different to them than it does for us today. In Roman culture only males were adopted, and adoption only took place if a family needed a male heir for the family inheritance. In the Roman Empire of Paul’s day adoption was a way to pass on one’s legacy and family wealth.

Paul appeals to this Roman understanding of adoption when he writes to the Galatians. He tells them that they have forgotten their adoption – the adoption that had taken place in their baptisms. The Galatians had come to believe in their own self-made righteousness – that they could become “better Christians” if they only did the right things. They thought if they followed all the prescribed rules and laws that they would somehow become more spiritual, righteous, and holy. They believed that their religious rituals and ceremonies would win them God’s favor and approval. They had put their faith in the law instead of in Christ – in doing so, they had fallen out of a right relationship with God.

Paul reminds them of their adoption, and tells them that their divine inheritance will not come through their obedience to the law. In short, he tells them that they cannot have it both ways. Either you are a free child of God living by faith “under Christ,” or you are a slave because you are living “under the law.” By choosing to live under the law they became like slaves in God’s own house, denying themselves of their promised inheritance.

Like the Galatians, you and I have also fallen out of a right relationship with God. We too forget that we have been adopted and claimed as God’s people through our baptism. We do this whenever we fool ourselves into thinking we can make it on our own – without God. It’s easy to see how this can happen. After all, we live in a culture that values self-reliance – a society where independence is the ultimate goal. We are taught that those who rely too much on others are weak. Now, I’m not saying that self-reliance is a bad thing – there are times when we need to be able to fend for ourselves. But when we buy too much into this kind of thinking, we can forget that all of us are, in fact, completely and utterly dependent on God. The idea that we can survive for even a minute without God is foolish. It is God and God alone who gives us house and home, food, water, and shelter, and the very air we breathe. It is God who gives us night and day, rain and sunshine, and health and strength.

Our dependence on God, of course, is not limited to our earthly lives - we are dependent on God for our eternal salvation. We may think that if we live “under the law” that we can save ourselves. But what does it mean to live under the law? We live under the law whenever we think something WE do will bring us salvation. For example, we know that regular church attendance and serving others are good things, but they do not save us. Saying our creeds and giving our offerings to the church are good things, but they do not bring us closer to God. And while we may say that we’ve invited Jesus into our hearts, it is really God and not us who is doing the inviting - inviting us to a life of faith. We may think that we’ve made a decision to give our hearts to Jesus and come to God. But the only reason we’re saved is that God made a decision – the decision to choose us and to come to us.

For the Galatians, God made this decision when the time was right – “when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children.” God sent the Spirit of his son, Jesus into their hearts – a spirit that cried out “Abba, Father” – a baptismal experience for the unity of all who believed. Freed from the constricting chains of the law, the people went forth with the baptismal cross on their foreheads - as the rightful heirs of God’s promised inheritance.

This morning we will all take part in the Sacrament of Holy Baptism. For all of us it is a privilege and a joy, for together with God we get to welcome a new child into the family of faith. As baptismal witnesses we are given a visible sign of God’s grace - a sign which God gave each of us in our own baptism. The word and water are poured over our heads, and we are baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Just like that, our adoption goes through. It is immediate and permanent, and it lasts throughout the fullness of time.

Thankfully for us, unlike my Mom, we do not have to wonder about our real family. We don’t have to search for a sense of belonging. For while our baptism may seem like a mystery, we know that God’s love is real and true. We see it in our lives and we feel it in our hearts. Through baptism our Heavenly Father re-unites us with our Christian brothers and sisters in every time and place. We are given a new family who loves and supports us, and a new name – Child of God. Through baptism, we are claimed and adopted by a God who knows no limits. As God’s adopted children we are freed from our bondage to sin. We are freed from the impossible requirements of the law. As children of God we receive the spirit of Jesus into our hearts, the spirit that unites us as God’s people. Together, we are reunited around the table – brought together as the adopted children and heirs of God’s inheritance – the promise of God’s salvation – a divine blessing for the fullness of time. Amen.

The Start of Fall...

A lot has happened in the last two months. Since many of you have inquired about how my medical and life stuff are going, I thought I'd take a moment to post a little summary:

My surgery on July 22nd removed my thyroid gland, a cancerous tumor, and 32 lymph nodes, and lasted about 8 hours. I am now the proud owner of a good 12 inch scar running from behind my right ear to the other side of my neck. Pretty bad ass, let me tell you. I went home the next day with three drainage tubes and a bottle of oxycodone, which I made very good use of. The next two weeks were spent hanging out at AnnaLisa and Murray's house. Surprisingly little pain in my neck, but a severe amount in my shoulder from having it overstretched for the duration of the surgery. All this made for an unexpected summer CPE experience, to say the least.

I am SO grateful for the support during this time from my family. Mom, Dad, and Matt all flew out for the surgery, and Anna & Murray bent over backwards to host everyone and keep me comfortable. More than anyone, however, my now-wife Taryn was there for me the entire time. She's the one that stayed at the hospital with me all night and put up with my anger and paranoid delusions. She's the one who drove me back and forth to appointments and tended to my every need. I am incredibly blessed to have her in my life!

And now, she really IS the ONE! A little over two weeks after the surgery the two of us flew to Minneapolis, then headed to Sugar Creek Bible Camp in Wisconsin to get married! We had an amazing weekend with friends and family, great food, music, and great weather! If you'd like to check out some of the 300+ photos, go to http://tiasphotos.smugmug.com/ Thanks Tia for the awesome pics! And, THANK YOU to all our friends and family who made the trip! It was really special to have so many of you folks there!

From Wisconsin, my new bride and I headed back east in my Dad's 1996 Plymouth Voyager, which was filled to the gills with all our wedding stuff! After quick stops in D.C. and Philly to unload everything, we then headed north for a 12 day honeymoon! We spent two nights in Cape Cod, where we camped, biked, and ate lobster. From there we headed to Prince Edward Island, where we saw the Anne of Green Gables house and went deep-sea fishing. Other highlights included kayaking in Nova Scotia and seeing several moose up-close in Cape Breton! We then caught a ferry back to Maine for a quick visit to Acadia National Park and the Atlantic Brewing Company, followed by some sightseeing in Boston with our friends Ethan and Arielle. Pretty sweet, slow-paced and relaxing - a well needed break.

We're now settled into our new rental home outside of Philadelphia, in the Telford/Souderton area, in a really spacious yet comfy mill house built in the 1850's. There's a nice porch overlooking a wooded creek, and horses across the street and next to us. We're really enjoying ourselves, and learning lots about what it takes to make a home together! We're located about 20 minutes away from my pastoral internship and about 40 minutes from the seminary, where Taryn drives for classes.

I began my internship at St. Paul's Lutheran in Red Hill, PA on September 2nd. I've been getting oriented through lots of home visits, confirmation classes, youth events, and worship leadership. The church itself was founded in 1739, and is nestled on 60+ acres. In addition to their regular church ministries, they also have a day-care and after-school program that I'll be working with. It's going really well so far, and I'm excited for the experience - it's a good fit!

From October 1-10 I'll be down in D.C. for my radioactive iodine treatment at Georgetown University Hospital. In preparation for this treatment I've had to go off of my thyroid medication for the past three weeks. This has been hard. I'm tired most of the time, cold, sluggish, dizzy, lightheaded, and can't seem to concentrate on much. I'm also on a low-iodine diet. My upcoming treatment is designed to kill off any remaining thyroid cells in my body; by stopping my medication and iodine consumption, these cells will be "hungry" for iodine and take up the radiation. The hope is that after several days of radioactivity I should be cancer-free! The crappy part is that I'll be quarantined inside a special lead-lined hospital room with no visitors allowed. I'll then have a post-scan to see how well the radiation treatment worked. If all goes well, I should be back at my internship by mid-October.

A lot has happened in the last two months. Taryn and I thank you for your ongoing prayers and support.

surgery update

Dear family and friends,

I wanted to send an update on Christoph's behalf regarding his surgery this past Tuesday. The surgery went well, and the doctors were successful in removing his thyroid, the tumor, as well as the lymph nodes on the right side of his neck. Because of his previous surgery in December, the doctors had a harder time navigating through the scar tissue, which caused this surgery to last over 8 hours. He stayed overnight in the hospital for observation, and was discharged the next day. He has significant shoulder pain from the operating table, as well as some swelling around the neck, but is resting well at home (his sister's house in DC). We have been blessed with a lot of support and love these past weeks - including having his mom, dad, and brother Matt all fly in from Fargo and Wisconsin, as well as his sister AnnaLisa and her husband Murray, our gracious hosts throughout it all.

Thank you for all of your emails, cards, phone calls, and visits. While it has been a difficult road to travel at times, we are grateful for the outpouring of love that we have received from each of you. Please continue to pray for Christoph's safe recovery, and for his heightened energy level in the coming weeks. Next step is radioactive iodine treatment, which we look to start in late August.

And so now it's onward into recovery, and preparing for our upcoming wedding.

In love,
Taryn (& Christoph)

Thyroid News

Hello friends,

While I've regrettably been out of contact with some of you for a long time,
I'm writing to let you in on some tough news I've been dealing with
recently.  As some of you know, I had surgery this past December to remove
a benign cyst from my neck. In April the growth came back.  At first my
doctors thought it was just another benign cyst.  Now, however, they've
concluded that I have thyroid cancer, and will need surgery and
radioactive iodine treatment. They will remove my thyroid, the tumor, and
my lymph nodes, then I'll take synthetic thyroid meds for the rest of my
life.

The surgery will take 6 hours, and is scheduled for July 22nd at
Georgetown University Hospital in D.C., where I'm doing my Clinical
Pastoral Education.  I'm definitely getting more hands-on experience than
I bargained for.  The good news is that thyroid cancer has a very good
rate of survival, and my doctors are all top-notch.  I've also heard
LOTS of success stories regarding this type of surgery, so I'm feeling
very optimistic about my chances.  My fiance Taryn and my family will
all be present, which will be a real blessing and source of comfort.

I ask for your prayers during this difficult time.  Please pray for
healing, for guidance for the medical team, and for strength for Taryn and
for my family.  I also ask for sensitivity and understanding in your
support.  While I wish I could call and respond to each of you personally
with updates/etc, I simply cannot, and I trust that you understand.
Please know that this impersonal email is only written out of necessity,
and that I'll try to update you more when I get a chance.

Fortunately I have a lot of blessings in my life, including an upcoming
wedding, which the doctors assure me I'll be able to make and be present
for.  After that, things are a little up in the air.  Thanks for all your
prayers and support.

In faith,

Christoph


Psalm 121
I lift up my eyes to the hills—
from where will my help come?
2My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.

3He will not let your foot be moved;
he who keeps you will not slumber.
4He who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

5The Lord is your keeper;
the Lord is your shade at your right hand.
6The sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night.

7The Lord will keep you from all evil;
he will keep your life.
8The Lord will keep
your going out and your coming in
from this time on and for evermore.

Christoph Schmidt
Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia
www.ltsp.edu

Turkey

Hello everyone! Hope your summers are going well. Hard to believe it's already August! I'm currently in Ephesus, Turkey, after a week of travel in Greece. Together with my Dad, we visited the Pauline sites of Philipi (above pic), Thessaloniki, Athens & Mars Hill, and Corinth. I'll get some good Greece pics up soon, now that I have a fast connection, but for now I've posted some more pictures and reflections from Africa. Dates reflect the time of travel. Thanks for all your comments and e-mails - it's always great to hear from you!

-Christoph

Kenya

Tracy, my new Kenyan girlfriend - daughter of a professor at St. Philips Theological College, Maseno, Kenya.

Mr. Jacktone (Jack) Ambuka, friend and fellow student at LTSP. Jack and his wife Tracy are spending there summer working with the Maseno orphan program of the Anglican Church of Kenya, a program that teaches and feeds over 7000 orphans each and every Saturday. Despite being a Kenyan, Jack is not a very fast runner.

The Equator, which runs right through Maseno. (pictured: Jack, Tracy, me, Alison, Sue, and Emily - program volunteers)

Some of the children in the orphan program.

Walking through Maseno.

Kilimanjaro!

Summit of Kilimanjaro.

(This post currently under construction. Yes, that's right. Yep.)