If you’re looking for harbingers of a possible better summer this year, in terms of the lockdown, here’s one – I’m booked for my first lecture of 2021.

The location is Madison, Wisconsin – a bit of a drive, but if I sell books like I did the last time I spoke to these people, the Tre Lag Stevne, it will be worth it in book sales. The Tre Lag Stevne is a gathering of organizations of descendants of immigrants from particular regions of Norway.

They told me they wanted me to do a presentation on the Old Stone Church (pictured above), which I’ve written about here before. It’s the original building of my home congregation, Hauge Lutheran in Kenyon, Minnesota; it’s on the National Register of Historic Places.

My natural grandiosity took over, of course, the moment I accepted the invitation. I rapidly prepared a comprehensive presentation on the whole Haugean movement – about which I’ve also written here before. The Haugeans were a pietistic Lutheran lay movement that began in Norway in the early 1800s. I prepared a brilliant PowerPoint (tastefully illustrated), about not only the Old Stone Church, but the entire history of the Haugean movement in Norway and America. Not neglecting the sociological and political antecedents and consequences. I have many insightful things to say on this subject.

Then I asked, and learned that they already have an expert (some guy with a Ph.D, as if that impressed anybody) coming to talk about all that stuff. What they want from me is the story of my own church.

I’m not sure I’m as well qualified to do that.

But I’ve got till August. I’ll come up with something.