Mission Planter Training

This week, every member of the Cook family has gone a separate way. Ben is at the grandparents, Elizabeth is at her parents, and I am at church planter training. While I am sure that we are all enjoying our separate adventures, it will be nice to have everyone back home. The older I get, the more I become inseperable from the other two, but for now, the cat has the run of the house.

Tony’s Turning 40

I can’t believe that I am turning 40. It’s fortunate that I’ve already had a number of “mid-life” crises, so I’ll be fine. In some ways being 40 is no different from being 39, but the mental impact is the clincher. A friend of mine told me that his father called it the “40-year flop.” While I am not anticipating “flopping” any time soon, it does provide a moment of introspection and evaluation of future plans. I will let you know if I decide to buy a red sports car or get a hair transplant. I am not sure if I wanted to post this to reflect on my birthday or simply to say that I updated my blog. I hope to start posting some of my research and writing, so get ready for more random thoughts from an urban theologian.

Back to School

Another semester has begun at St. Louis U and even though teaching and taking courses at the same time can prove daunting, the balance between professor and graduate student is surprisingly symbiotic. I am always amazed at how applicable my SLU courses are to my work at sem. This semester, I am taking a course in college teaching. The course provides insights into teaching skills and theory for the collegiate level and offers an opportunity to earn certification from the Center for Teaching Excellence. I am looking forward to developing my skills as an instructor and I’m sure my students won’t mind either. If I learn anything of interest, I will pass it along. Well, time to sell some blood for book money…

Cooking With Marge

Last night, Elizabeth and I went to Minion’s Cafe in Maplewood to see a dinner theatre performance of Cooking With Marge. Actress Linda Spall plays Marjoram Fennel , an entertaining mixture of Julia Childs and Hyacinth Bucket from Keeping Up Appearances. Not only was it a memorable way to celebrate our anniversary, but the food was delicious as well. One of the best parts of the evening was sharing a table with a couple from St. Louis who shared stories of living in downtown St. Louis, attending local theatre, and parenting.

Our 19th Year

On January 14th, Elizabeth and I will celebrate our 19th year of marriage. The blessings that we have received are more than I can count. The love that we share, our wonderful son, and the riches of God’s grace have filled our married life with joy. We give thanks to God for the relationship he has given us with each other, our ever-supportive family, and our Lord and Savior Jesus.

Professor Cook?

Believe it of not, I received and accepted a call to be an Assistant Professor of Practical Theology at Concordia Seminary. I am scheduled to teach one course per quarter with my focus in the area of education. I will continue to serve as the Director of Educational Technology. It should be an exciting year! Stay tuned for more info…

Maybe There is Rest for the Wicked…

The Cook family is finally going on vacation! With a brief window of opportunity available, we have decided to take a trip to Florida and stay at Disney’s Fort Wilderness. It is actually an air-conditioned cabin, but we will pretend that we are rouging it. Once we return on June 10th, it will be back to work and school until late Fall. I hope to post some post-vacation pictures, so stay-tuned.

Concordia Seminary Featured on iTunes

On May 30, Concordia Seminary became one of 16 higer education institutions featured in the iTunes Store, the world’s largest catalog of songs, television shows, movies and now educational content. Concordia Seminary’s iTunes site is accessed through iTunes U, the new educational section of the iTunes Store. Additionally, the Seminary’s Elementary Greek course is one of 12 highlighted resources on iTunes U and can be accessed through an icon link in the center section of the site.

The addition of iTunes U to the iTunes Store enables Concordia Seminary to deliver theological and educational resources to an unprecedented number of people around the world. Previously, the Seminary’s iTunes U site, which could only be accessed directly at itunes.csl.edu, received approximately three to four thousand visits per week. Its inclusion in the iTunes Store gives the Seminary the potential to reach millions.

“We are thrilled to be one of the educational institutions included in the iTunes Store,” commented Rev. Anthony Cook, the Seminary’s director of educational technology. “It is our hope that Concordia Seminary can leverage this new technology to deliver free Gospel-based educational content directly to students, congregation members and those who seek a better understanding of Jesus and His Church.”

Online resources available from “Concordia Seminary on iTunes U” include symposia, convocations, lectures, interviews, chapel sermons, course material and more. The Seminary envisions offering more resources this fall. Examples of the new resources will be highlighted at the Seminary’s booth at The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod Convention, to be held July 14-19 in Houston, Texas. DVDs of sample offerings also will be available.

To access “Concordia Seminary on iTunes U” directly, go to http://itunes.csl.edu. To access iTunes U from within the iTunes Store, click on the iTunes U link in the top, left-hand box or in the center section of the iTunes Store. Both Macintosh and Microsoft Windows-based computers are able to utilize this technology.

Passing Greek Students Take A Dip

Groundbreaking iTunes U Technology Partnership - Official Launch

Concordia Seminary is pleased to announce the launch of “Concordia Seminary on iTunes U.” The Seminary, in partnership with Apple Computer, Inc., joins a growing number of colleges and universities pioneering the educational use of on-demand digital media.

iTunes U is a free service hosted by Apple that allows colleges and universities to easily create and distribute audio and video content via the internet. Students, faculty and staff can use iTunes U to download educational content onto their computers or transfer content onto their iPods at any time, in any location.

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