In English We "Search Again", in Norwegian They "Search Under"

While it may be hard to believe, my time in Norway hasn't been all fun and games and travelling. The largest portion of my time is taken up by my Norwegian class, and with exams this coming week, it will probably take up even more. In addition to my summer school class, I am working on collecting material for a research project to be completed this upcoming year at St. Olaf. My project is a study of the development of the liturgy of the Church of Norway, and so I've been sifting through hymnals and all of the books on the subject I can get my hands on.

I've spent a lot of time in this brick building

Before I left for Norway, I was advised by Professor Todd Nichol to contact Professor Harald Hegstad of Det Teologiske Menighetsfakultet regarding my project. Professor Hegstad agreed to meet me the first week of school and show me around the library at Menighetsfakultet, and from that time I've made the fifteen minute walk three times a week to do my research (A short discourse on Det Teologiske Menighetsfakultet, which translates to The Theological Congregational Faculty. The Congregational Faculty started in protest against the liberalism and rationalism of the theology department at the University of Oslo in 1907, and received the right to confer degrees in 1913).

Almost everything you'd ever need to know about
Norwegian liturgies in one convenient place.

In addition to meeting with me and showing me the library, Professor Hegstad also gave me some suggestions on other people I could contact to talk about my research with. This past week I finally got around to emailing all of them, and as a consequence, I was invited down to Kirkenshus (the main office of the Church of Norway) by Hans Arne Akerø, a member of the National Church Council and the leader of the ongoing liturgical reform in Norway. Herr Akerø was a very pleasant fellow and was kind enough to spend two hours explaining the process behind the new Norwegian altar book (2011) to me (not to brag, but I am proud to say that our entire two hour meeting took place in Norwegian. However, an hour in I must have been looking a little haggard, because he made a comment about how overwhelming other countries can be and served me a cup of coffee, in Royal Copenhagen China no less). Herr Akerø had seemingly an endless store of knowledge concerning the new liturgy (including at one point rapping the Apostles' Creed for me. If you've never heard the Apostles' Creed rapped in Norwegian, you're missing out), but at 3 o'clock he had to go to his grandson's 6th birthday, so I thanked him profusely and headed out. On my way back, I had a hot dog and the gospel explained to me in Norwegian by the native equivalent of a Jehovah's witness, and then finally took a nap. I tell you, liturgical studies is tiring work.

The beginning of my translation of the Altarbook 1889