RevRWL.com
by Rev. Robert W. Lutjens

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Main Page

Music
  - The Albums
  - Album Story
  - Album Order forms

Resources
   - Counseling and Therapy
   - Family Life Education
   - PDA Software

Confirmation
  - Handouts and schedule

Sermons
  - Current (coming eventually)
  - Archive (coming eventually)

Editorials
   - Living Faith in Daily Life

Full Site Map

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did we make these albums?
These albums were made as a fund-raiser to help pay costs during our last year of seminary. At the time we produced these albums I was enrolled as a student at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri. [update: as of May 21, 2004, I have completed my program of study and have received my Master's Degree in Divinity. I currently serve as sole Pastor at Lutheran Church of Prayer in Bakersfield, CA]

Concordia Seminary is a school of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. This is a 4 (often 5) year program that ends with a Master's Degree in Divinity. Typically, there are two years of academic instruction, followed by a year long internship known as vicarage. Following that there is a final year of academic instruction back on the St. Louis Campus.

I had the privilege of serving as Vicar at St. John's Lutheran Church in Moore, Oklahoma. During that wonderful year, we realized that we would have trouble finding steady jobs when we moved back to St. Louis. We would have this trouble because we would only be there for about 9 months as I finished my school year. Then we would move out again to the church at which I would start working as Pastor sometime in August. Very few companies of any type are willing to hire people for less than a year. Even fewer do so who pay wages upon which one can live.

Kristen loves to sing - and has been doing so for more than 11 years now. In 1998 before we were married she made and produced a short run of the album "In Christ I Sing" to raise funds for a trip she took to China, where she taught English. We decided it was time to create a new album to reflect her growing and maturing vocal talents, as well as re-releasing her older album. The new album is titled, "Zoe " (Zo-ay) which is a Greek word that means, "life."
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You may ask yourself, "Why should I buy these albums?" It's a good question. My answer is first and foremost these albums should be purchased because you enjoy them. Some music samples are available on the main page. Please feel free to listen to them and decide for yourself if this is the kind of music that you (or someone you would buy the albums for) would enjoy. The first half of each album tends toward 'traditional' or 'classic' hymns, with the second half containing more 'praise and worship' pieces. We are very proud of the work we have put into these pieces. Each album is professionally reproduced - not burned from home. These CDs will last as long as any album purchased in a store and are not affected by heat or sun if you keep them in your car.

We have received many compliments as to the ministry benefits of the albums. Often they have been given as gifts to home-bound members of congregations to give them some quality Christian music to enjoy. We have found them both soothing and uplifting, as well as just fun to listen to. We hope that these albums continue to be a ministry of comfort as they have to friends and family.
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Helping the Mission of the Church
By purchasing these albums you help the mission of the Church in a very concrete way. When people purchased these albums while I was still in seminary it put food on our table, paid the rent, heating costs, health insurance, and enabled me to go to school to become a Pastor. We would not have been able to make it this far without the prayers, support, gifts, and kindness of so many people. Currently sales go towards the expenses Kristen has as she finishes her Master Degree in Family Ministry through Concordia Seward, NE.
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How are the albums actually helping at this time?
Unfortunately, at this time they are not. There were numerous delays in finishing the second album, "Zoe." Our pianist (Margo) hurt her hands and we had to cancel a studio recording. A replacement was found at the last possible moment after many frantic phone calls. A very talented college student (Stephen King) stepped up and offered his services. We ended up needing to find a new studio because of scheduling conflicts. We recorded "Zoe" the same day as we moved out of Oklahoma - Kristen was in the studio, I was getting the moving truck. Kristen became sick just before the first recording. A few weeks later we traveled back to Oklahoma from St. Louis and re-recorded several songs. We finalized the studio mixing by e-mail. Our replication company that actually manufactured the CDs for us had various technical difficulties printing our order. The boxes needed to ship the CDs to us from California went on backorder and that added another delay. A project that we hoped to have in our hands by June, 2003 was finally in our hands in late November.

Our approximate cost for this project has been a little over $6,000. Currently we have $1,000 left to pay back before this actively helps us. We hoped to have this paid in full by the time I graduate in May 2004: obviously this hasn't happened. We hope to use any future funds as a suppliment to our own income, and to be able to give to others in need as part of our ministry to them.

I hope you find this interesting. Its certainly a micro-glimpse into our busy lives. Thank you for your interest, and we hope you enjoy our albums.
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