“Who Won?”
* It was 1979. I had just arrived in Minnesota from Brazil a few months earlier trying to get used to the cold and to life in these United States of America. Life was tough; I did not know anybody; the promised scholarships did not come true. It was 90F when I left Brazil; it was 15F when I arrived in front of the Student Union of Concordia College on a Sunday afternoon in March. I spoke and understood as much English as… well, let’s just say that when other students would laugh in class because the professor said something funny, I did laugh as well… not that I knew why…
* One day, the following Autumn, my avocado-green phone ran. It was a wonderful lady… She was the mother of Minnesota Gopher’s hockey coach Brad Buetow (after Herb Brooks left the position to be the head coach of team USA who won the Olympics in 1980). She (I believe Ruth was her name) invited me to her home for dinner. There I met Brad. He invited me to go to a hockey game… I asked him, “What is hockey?” (Don’t ever ask that question in Minnesota!) After a somewhat curt explanation, he told me he would pick me up the following Saturday to watch the Golden Gophers play Colorado. I had the privilege to sit right there behind the players, behind Brad and behind Herb Brooks, being introduced to them. As a friend of mine used to say, “there was a long fight and then a hockey game broke out!” I did not understand all the rules of the game, but I concluded that it was not much different from indoor soccer, except… for those “dangerous sticks” flying in every direction when tempers flared.
* To make the story short, I wasn’t too impressed with the game… and was never again invited… Brad is now retired in Colorado after a wonderful career in playing and coaching hockey, but I have not seen him since then… Now you may be asking why I brought up this event from 1979… Let me explain: Brad Buetow’s grandfather was Rev. John Bush. Pastor Bush was a missionary of the LCMS to the southern part of Brazil between 1910-1920. He was the pastor to my grandparents and led my dad (Rev. Eduardo Carlos Sonntag) to the LCMS seminary in Brazil.
* Rev. Bush returned to Minnesota in the early 1920s spending most of his life in the Duluth area of MN. My dad and Rev. Bush continued to write to each other from 1920 to 1975. Pastor Bush had an interesting nickname for my dad… he called him “Edel” (precious in German). His letter always started with “Mein lieber Edel.” (My dear precious) In 1975 my dad had the opportunity to go to Duluth, Minnesota and visit pastor Bush. In the following year (1976) both, pastor Bush and my dad, left this life to be with Jesus.
* When you saw the title of this blog you probably thought you would read about the Blues winning the Stanley Cup this week… or about the FIFA women’s soccer world cup… Congratulations to the Blues for winning! Regarding the women’s soccer games, it is great to watch the games! But the question of the blog was… “Who won?”
* In sports, there is winning, there is tying, and there is losing. But in my story today the Kingdom of God won! One pastor sharing the Gospel in Brazil and taking my dad to the seminary… both faithful “proclaimers” of the message of salvation in Jesus for years and years. So who won? Those who heard the message and received Jesus in their hearts!
* On the lighter side of it all… practicing sports and exercising is healthy! Lately Golf is what I play, but did you know that Golf is Flog spelled backward? The Webster definition of Flog, in case you were wondering, is "To beat or strike hard and repeatedly with a cane." Here is another one for those that think that only if you play football or hockey you are truly “tough.” The late Paul Hunsicker of the University of Michigan attempted to discover the answer to the question "What's the toughest sport?" by taking 41 physical activities and gauging their demands in each of the following areas: coordination, endurance, flexibility, agility, balance, intelligence and creativity. His answer? Ballet! So dance… dance beautifully for the Lord! Have a blessed weekend!
Rev. Don Sonntag
* It was 1979. I had just arrived in Minnesota from Brazil a few months earlier trying to get used to the cold and to life in these United States of America. Life was tough; I did not know anybody; the promised scholarships did not come true. It was 90F when I left Brazil; it was 15F when I arrived in front of the Student Union of Concordia College on a Sunday afternoon in March. I spoke and understood as much English as… well, let’s just say that when other students would laugh in class because the professor said something funny, I did laugh as well… not that I knew why…
* One day, the following Autumn, my avocado-green phone ran. It was a wonderful lady… She was the mother of Minnesota Gopher’s hockey coach Brad Buetow (after Herb Brooks left the position to be the head coach of team USA who won the Olympics in 1980). She (I believe Ruth was her name) invited me to her home for dinner. There I met Brad. He invited me to go to a hockey game… I asked him, “What is hockey?” (Don’t ever ask that question in Minnesota!) After a somewhat curt explanation, he told me he would pick me up the following Saturday to watch the Golden Gophers play Colorado. I had the privilege to sit right there behind the players, behind Brad and behind Herb Brooks, being introduced to them. As a friend of mine used to say, “there was a long fight and then a hockey game broke out!” I did not understand all the rules of the game, but I concluded that it was not much different from indoor soccer, except… for those “dangerous sticks” flying in every direction when tempers flared.
* To make the story short, I wasn’t too impressed with the game… and was never again invited… Brad is now retired in Colorado after a wonderful career in playing and coaching hockey, but I have not seen him since then… Now you may be asking why I brought up this event from 1979… Let me explain: Brad Buetow’s grandfather was Rev. John Bush. Pastor Bush was a missionary of the LCMS to the southern part of Brazil between 1910-1920. He was the pastor to my grandparents and led my dad (Rev. Eduardo Carlos Sonntag) to the LCMS seminary in Brazil.
* Rev. Bush returned to Minnesota in the early 1920s spending most of his life in the Duluth area of MN. My dad and Rev. Bush continued to write to each other from 1920 to 1975. Pastor Bush had an interesting nickname for my dad… he called him “Edel” (precious in German). His letter always started with “Mein lieber Edel.” (My dear precious) In 1975 my dad had the opportunity to go to Duluth, Minnesota and visit pastor Bush. In the following year (1976) both, pastor Bush and my dad, left this life to be with Jesus.
* When you saw the title of this blog you probably thought you would read about the Blues winning the Stanley Cup this week… or about the FIFA women’s soccer world cup… Congratulations to the Blues for winning! Regarding the women’s soccer games, it is great to watch the games! But the question of the blog was… “Who won?”
* In sports, there is winning, there is tying, and there is losing. But in my story today the Kingdom of God won! One pastor sharing the Gospel in Brazil and taking my dad to the seminary… both faithful “proclaimers” of the message of salvation in Jesus for years and years. So who won? Those who heard the message and received Jesus in their hearts!
* On the lighter side of it all… practicing sports and exercising is healthy! Lately Golf is what I play, but did you know that Golf is Flog spelled backward? The Webster definition of Flog, in case you were wondering, is "To beat or strike hard and repeatedly with a cane." Here is another one for those that think that only if you play football or hockey you are truly “tough.” The late Paul Hunsicker of the University of Michigan attempted to discover the answer to the question "What's the toughest sport?" by taking 41 physical activities and gauging their demands in each of the following areas: coordination, endurance, flexibility, agility, balance, intelligence and creativity. His answer? Ballet! So dance… dance beautifully for the Lord! Have a blessed weekend!
Rev. Don Sonntag