A young Christian immerses himself in the Word, actually copying the Bible by hand.

Sometimes blessings come in unexpected packages.

My wife’s and my five children are incredible blessings from an awesome God. They were good kids—easy to raise, well-behaved with few issues that caused us concern. With our kids being baptized and then raised in WELS elementary schools (well, we, their parents, were WELS teachers too), it was always our hope they would stay faithful to Jesus and serve him faithfully with whatever gifts the good Lord chose to give them. If a few became pastors or teachers, that would be an extra blessing.

Well, how’s that all been working out? Four have graduated from Luther Preparatory School, Watertown, Wis., and Martin Luther College, New Ulm, Minn.—the boys in the pastor track and the girls in the teacher track. Our oldest is a pastor, while our youngest son is a vicar. Our girls taught for several years and are now active lay members in their congregations.

But what about our middle son? He went to public high school and didn’t attend college at all. Hmm . . . Here’s a brief timeline of our middle child’s life: Seth James Loersch was born in May 1995. Mother and child were doing well, yet the medical professionals noticed a few things and thought we should get Seth genetically tested. A few days later, it was confirmed: He’s special—he has an extra chromosome!

Thus began a journey where we got to meet—and witness to—many physical therapists, occupational therapists, parents of other children with Down syndrome, and doctors who befriended and guided us in helping Seth achieve all he could. At 11 months, Seth had a VSD (ventricular septal defect or a hole in his heart) fixed at Children’s Hospital.

At age 5, he was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia. Seth began in a WELS elementary school only a year late. He stayed through all eight grades, was confirmed, and enjoyed four fine years at the local public high school. He graduated at age 19 and was one of three class speakers. (Try not to cry when thousands give your son a standing ovation at his graduation.) He got a job at Kwik Trip, three hours per day, Monday through Friday, and bags groceries at Piggly Wiggly. He plays simplified hymns on piano; watches James Bond movies; does Special Olympics bowling; golfs in the backyard; lifts weights and runs on the treadmill at the YMCA; and plays cribbage, solitaire, Uno, and Up and Down the River. And he wouldn’t think of missing a week every June at Camp BASIC!

But I missed mentioning something we never, ever imagined one of our children doing. It began quietly at the kitchen table and took on a life of its own. When Seth was 16 and beginning his sophomore year of high school, he started spending a few hours a day copying the Bible by hand, in pencil, with quite beautiful handwriting. He started with the book of 1 John and then jumped to Psalm 145, Psalm 23, and Psalm 150. He continued with the book of John, then 1 Timothy, then Philippians, then Song of Songs chapter 1. After that he got on more of a plan and finished entire books: Acts, then Ephesians. It eventually became something he did almost daily—sometimes even taking his notebook and Bible along on a vacation.

A few years ago, he finished the New Testament. But why not return to the Old Testament and keep going a while longer? (That New Testament has some nice short books, but, boy, Genesis has 50 chapters. Isaiah is quite lengthy too!) When Seth is copying, his mom’s laptop is usually open in front of him, and he watches several worship services or Bible classes. Seth’s Sunday morning routine includes watching his oldest brother lead his congregation in worship from South Carolina while bumping off a few more chapters.

A few years ago, Seth and I did a father-son trip to Israel as a reward and a culminating experience because we saw the finish line. Jeremiah (the longest book by words in the Bible) was quite a beast this past winter and spring; then it was down to Ezekiel, with Daniel as the last book remaining.

In October 2024, at age 29, Seth completed the “Big Bible Project.” The Holy Bible, NIV 1984, is now fully copied in about ten spiral notebooks of various sizes.

We never imagined we’d have four children highly trained in God’s Word, while the one who is the least trained is immersed in the Word more than the others (and more than his parents). And he remembers what he’s writing! Already in elementary school, he could raise his hand and say where a passage was in the Bible, even before others in his class could. Do you pray before meals when you’re alone? Seth does. He reads Meditations daily, and he almost always wears a shirt and tie to church.

Yes, we are very humbly proud of our five children. Sure, they all bug us sometimes, including Seth. He isn’t clear when he’s telling us something, leaving us confused and frustrated. He talks to people he hardly knows far too long, gives hugs incessantly, and watches Power Rangers too much. But there are lessons we’ve learned: God works in mysterious ways. Blessings come in unexpected packages. God blesses us more than we could ever imagine. God’s Word is powerful. All things work out for good for those who love God.

So, what’s next for Seth? Surely, continued blessings from a gracious God and continued opportunities to witness his faith to everyone. Seth is not concerned about his future, because he deeply trusts his confirmation passage: “I know the plans I have for you” (Jeremiah 29:11).

And all a proud dad can say is, “Watch out, Luther’s Small Catechism or Christian Worship: Hymnal, or perhaps even the Evangelical Heritage Version of the Bible—you’re about to be copied.”

Author: Kevin Loersch
Volume 112, Number 01
Issue: January 2025