The second Tour de Sem of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, took place on May 20. A total of 15 participants, including faculty, students, spouses and friends from the Seminary community, cycled 88 miles from Columbia, Ill., to the original site of Concordia Seminary at Trinity Lutheran Church, Altenburg, Mo.
Prof. Jeffrey Kloha, assistant professor of exegetical theology and an avid cyclist, led the ride. “Everyone did a great job cooperating and working together to get each other to the finish—those in the ‘fast group’ as well as those who stuck together for six and a half hours,” Kloha commented. “Several new riders were able to complete a long ride for the first time, and this ride finishes with 20 miles of challenging hills.”
Rev. Steven Theiss provided cyclists with a devotion on the wonders of God’s creation before the ride, which began at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Columbia, Ill. The ride ended with dinner and tours of the original Seminary site and other historical sites of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, provided by the Perry County Lutheran Historical Society.
“The ride was an incredible experience,” commented Matthew Peeples, a first-year student at the Seminary. “It was an incredible opportunity for Christian fellowship and a nice way to end the year.”
Many voluntary fitness groups are active on the Seminary campus, including runners who organize 5k and 10k runs each year, regular evenings of pick-up soccer, ultimate Frisbee and softball games, and a strong intramural sports program.
Another Tour de Sem will be organized for the spring of 2007. All are welcome to participate. For more information, visit the “Student Life” section of the Seminary Web site (www.csl.edu [1]).