Minister to portray Martin Luther at St. John's festival

It's not every pastor who can put Martin Luther in the pulpit to help his congregation celebrate Reformation Sunday, but the Rev. Hannibal Frederich certainly can -- in a manner of speaking, that is.

Frederich has been portraying the beloved theologian for 29 years now in churches and auditoriums all over the country.

He'll don his Luther garb -- a brown academic gown consistent with 16th century Germany -- again this weekend at his own church, St. John's Lutheran in Elgin, for the congregation's annual Lutherfest.

"When I was in junior college I had started performing as Mark Twain," Frederich said, "and that's where I got the nickname 'Hannibal.'"

Later, as a Lutheran seminary student, he felt somewhat obligated to try impersonating the father of the Protestant Reformation, "but I still had a very primitive view of Luther," he said.

"When I started to explore the table talks, the sermons and all that, I found out that he was far more engaging than I expected at first."

Frederich successfully convinces audiences of the same thing.

In 1983, the 500th anniversary of Luther's birth, he resurrected the reformer about 100 times, including a special performance at a national convention of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.

That was one of the few shows where he used a microphone.

"I do him full projection," Frederich said.

Sound technicians sometimes balk at the prospect of Luther going on without a mic, but they apologize afterward because they end up hearing every word.

The pastor said he doesn't write a script but merely edits Luther's known writings.

"Every time I do it I get refreshed in this appreciation that he was a man with many of the same problems, same issues (as we)," he said.

"He certainly had his foibles, he had his sins, but ultimately he's a man of faith through the common experiences that we all have."

In the beginning, Frederich rented a costume from New York for his shows, "but one time they sent me a Henry VIII instead of Luther," Frederich said.

So he invested $1,500 in purchasing his own.

"I've gotten my money's worth out of it," he said.

The Lutherfest craft bazaar and flea market run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, with a bratwurst lunch at 11 a.m.

Sunday services, with Luther in the pulpit, will be at 8 and 10:30 a.m., and a pork dinner is served from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The congregation also will get away for "Lutherbowl" at one of the local bowling alleys.

"Luther was very fond of bowling," Frederich said, "and he was instrumental in codifying some of the rules."

St. John's is located at 101 N. Spring St.

For more information, call (847) 741-0814.

See it: Have you seen "Joshua," the 2002 Hollywood movie that was filmed in your community?

Here's an excellent opportunity -- you can watch it Friday for free at one of the filming sites, St. James Episcopal Church in West Dundee.

"Joshua" is a delightful movie, refreshingly family-friendly, about a mysterious stranger who arrives in town and makes a difference.

A modern parable of what it might look like if Jesus lived on earth here and now, "Joshua" was filmed not only in East and West Dundee and Carpentersville, but also in Los Angeles and Rome.

Popcorn and light refreshments will be served at the 7 p.m. showing.

St. James is at the corner of Washington and Sixth streets.

Providing access: First Congregational United Church of Christ, 30 N. Washington St., Carpentersville, "found" some extra money in its budget this year and decided to spend it on a most worthy cause.

They'll be reaching out to disabled individuals, making it easier for them to worship.

The church was losing money on a certain investment, said Pastor Jim Benzing, so they closed the account and applied it to a handicapped-accessible upgrade they'd been considering.

"The church said we need to do it," Benzing said.

"We need to take this money that we've got and make this project happen."

The work includes a small elevator lift that brings wheelchairs up to the sanctuary level and wheelchair-accessible restrooms.

Everything should be ready to go within a few weeks, Benzing said.

"If somebody had disabilities, they weren't able to worship with us," he said.

"We felt we needed to do this to live out the 'open and affirming' name which we call ourselves."

German fest: St. Paul's United Church of Christ in Elgin will celebrate its German heritage this Sunday after services, and you can get in on the lunch.

Enjoy festive German music provided by Elmer Lange and get your brats and sauerkraut, German potato salad, hot dogs and draft root beer from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the church, located at 220 Division St.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children 6 to 10; tickets must be purchased in advance by calling (847) 742-2854.