Out and About

by Phil Johnson

The Great Circle Tour Completed

The events described by Howard R. Garis at the conclusion of “Uncle Wiggly and Puss in Boots,” quoted at the conclusion of Out and About last issue, did not occur; so, I am free to tell you more about the people we met in Scandinavia.

Norske Continued: When we arrived in Bergen, we made contact with Oddvars Jensen, and he graciously invited us to their home on Askøy for the evening. Askøy is an island, across a narrow straight from the mainland, close to Bergen. Just this year, a bridge was completed, joining the island to the mainland and making ferry crossings optional. After crossing that bridge and before proceeding to the Jensen home, Oddvars guided us on a tour around and through the island. Askøy is a good sized island with a popuation of 19,000 people living in its scattered communities. We learned that, prior to 1960, there were no roads on the island that connected the various communities to each other. Oddvars remembered the Sunday in 1960 when his father took the family for a ride around the island on the brand new road. For the first time, they were able to drive to other communities that previously were best reached by boat. He took us to Herdla, a small island connected to Askøy by a short bridge, where the Nazis had an air base during World War II.

Because of the orientation to the sea, parishes on the island were determined by water travel. There were three parishes on the island of Askøy, each oriented to neighborhoods across the water. Oddvars directed our attention to a small white church that looks a lot like small churches in rural America. These “prayer houses” were built by Norwegian Christians for prayer and worship that was independent of the State Lutheran Church. The builders were, and the present users are, numbered among the pietists. Oddvars affirmed that Carl Olaf Rosenius, the editor of Pietisten from its second through its 25th year, provided significant guidance to those Christians in Norway. Unlike other pietist preachers and theologians, Rosenius did not stress a plan of salvation that included a set of necessary steps. Rather, he emphasized the Grace and friendship of God. Oddvars showed me a number of books on Rosenius in his library. The attentions of these Norwegian scholars and theologians indicate the extent of Rosenius’s influence in Norway.

At the end of our Askøy tour, we arrived at the Jensen home where we met Eli and the children. We sat comfortably around the low table in the living room of the lovely, modern house built by Oddvars. Eli served us Norwegian waffles and other wonderful foods. Our conversation was spiced by the contributions of the children: Signe, a runner who is bound for university in Oslo and hopes to become a Veterinarian; Per Ivar who loves soccer; four-year-old Kristine; and two-year-old Benedichte, the newest member who had joined the Jensen family only a few weeks earlier. Late that wonderful night, the Jensens sent us off with their blessings and with some suggestions for our travel eastward the next day.

Sverige: After more stunning Norwegian scenery and a night near Oslo, we entered Sweden. North of Karlstadt in the town of Hällefors, we found the home of Anne Marie and Lennart Samuelson. We were welcomed and fed abundantly. Vera, Anne Marie’s mother; Leif, the Samuelsons’ son; his wife Carina, and their two children, Fredrik and Emil, were there to welcome us. Our hosts graciously spoke English, making communication possible. Though we could not communicate directly with the children, it was easy and fun to play with them.

The next day was to be our only full day with the Samuelsons and a full day it was, indeed! We visited the beautiful wooden church in Grythyttan where Sandy’s grandfather was baptized, the old family homestead in Bovik, where Leif, Carina, and the boys now live; and the family summer cottage in the woods, high up a big hill overlooking Lake Bovik. In this lovely spot, we enjoyed the odor and taste of surströmmen (potent fish that can burst the can that contains it) and earned our claim to Swedish blood.

The Samuelsons are hunters, and during our meal of tasty moose meat and mushrooms from the forest that evening, six-year-old Fredrik started a hearty round of laughter when he observed [translated for us] that we were eating a very cheap meal: “The cost was only one bullet.”

The next morning, with many tears, we parted reluctantly. We had not known how deep and friendly this experience would be, nor that we would feel strong attachments to one another so quickly.

With directions from Lennart, who formerly was a lorry driver, we headed off to the Eldebos. Runar Eldebo told me to drive to Stockholm, head across the bridge to the island of Lidingö, and keep going straight to the seminary (Teologiska Seminariet — the seminary of the Covenant Church of Sweden). We drove on, confident in the impression that the road would somehow lead us to the front gate of the seminary without any trouble.

We did arrive at the front gate of the seminary, though considerably later than we had anticipated, and by a route that I doubt we could retrace. Once in Stockholm, we had to get directions in relays. Our first source told us how to get to a street where perhaps another person could instruct us how to continue. When we got to that street, the first person we asked for directions to Lidingö said that he didn’t own a car and that if he wanted to get there he would take a taxi.

Meanwhile, Runar’s secretary commented to him that we would likely not make it — at least not for a long time. Americans just could not find things without straight roads and explicit directions. After two more relays of directions and some probing about, we spotted both the seminary and Runar waiting at the bus stop in front of it. Like the devil did with Jesus, Runar took us up to a high place, Kaknäs Tower and showed us all the glories of Stockholm. However, he did not offer any terms by which we could have it for our own. But for us, it was enough to be there and to have the hospitality of the Eldebos. We departed from the tower rather quickly because Runar had scheduled a Pietisten meeting for us at their home.

We arrived at the Eldebo residence at the same time as Jim Erickson and Per Sjönneby. Jim is from North Park Seminary and is intern pastor at Immanuel Church in Stockholm. Per is a student from Teologiska Seminariet who had spent a year studying at North Park in Chicago. Soon we were engaged together in a lively discussion of issues of Covenant life, Swedish and American. The two young men are deeply interested and involved in Christian life and the Covenant heritage. They spoke with passion about the need to draw from the preaching of the older masters among the generation that is passing. They were urgently concerned that Covenanters — young, new, and old — listen carefully and draw from the spirit of these Christians while they are yet active and alive. We wondered who would arise to keep this spirit alive. These two seminary students were a lift to our souls and gave us hope for the future.

After the meeting adjourned, we entered into the life of the Eldebo household. Carina, Johan, Anna, and Charlie made us feel welcome. Our time with the Eldebos was all that we could have wished for and more.

Runar had arranged a meeting at the Seminary for those interested in learning about Pietisten and in talking with us. Students who came were joined by Dean Lars Lindberg. We had lunch with the students, went to Runar’s class on Spirituality for pastors, and afternoon coffee. We had plenty of opportunity to converse with the students, and we were able to do so because they spoke English. The classes, of course, are in Swedish, so Per Sjönneby sat with Sandy and me to translate for us. We did not get it all, but what we did get was thought provoking. Runar is a creative and challenging teacher.

Though much more could be told, I will mention only a few more things. Anna began school while we were there; Johan played a soccer game; Charlie reads avidly, writes in both Swedish and English, and has great admiration for Malcolm X; and Carina was hired for a Christian education job that she was eager to begin. We visited the graves of P. P. Waldenström and J.A. Hultman, the “Sunshine Singer.” Jim Erickson showed us around Immanuel Kyrkan, the large Covenant Church in Stockholm and then he sent us in the direction of the old city of Stockholm, through which we wandered with delight until sunset.

We were sad to leave our friends. When the time came, Carina and Anna helped us load the Grüne Golf and warmly saw us off. Though we were eager to see the Swedish landscape between Stockholm and Helsingborg, and the Danish islands beyond, the heart of our trip was now behind us. However, the rest of the journey did not disappoint us. Denmark delighted us once more, and, with a friendly German police escort, we managed to find the Sport Hotel in Quickborn. This was our base for getting to the airport to catch the morning flight to Amsterdam, where we would connect with our flight to Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.

The experiences and flavor of this trip are longlasting. We met many fine, friendly people in Europe, in addition to our gracious hosts. I hope we will see many of them again.

Lessons and Carols

In festive dress, guests began to gather at the Susan and David Hawkinson residence about 4:30 pm on the Sunday before Christmas. Soon, the Hawkinson home was filled with people, young and old.

The purpose of the gathering was to join together under the expert and gentle direction of Roderick Ketterwell, Music Director of Wayzata Community Church, in the singing and reading of the Nine Lessons and Carols. The idea was conceived in that wellspring of ideas, the Hawkinson brain. This is the second time that David and Susan have enlisted the services of Roderick and filled their home with friends for this purpose.

First we practiced for about an hour, then we ate abundantly for about an hour, then we sang the carols and listened as the lessons were read. I, the least of singers, was drawn into the occasion and joined my colleagues in joyful singing. We were further rewarded, after completion of our liturgy, with a choice of many delicious deserts. Conviviality reigned and the spirit of Christmas flourished in this conventicle gathering hosted by Susan and David and their sons Karl and Eric, and it was most ably directed by Roderick.