Sunday, Sunday

Today was the first Sunday for our new service schedule. Dave Lautzenheiser had asked me to be

worship host in the 8:30 a.m. chapel service, and it was a blessing to be there. The choir sang two beautiful anthems, and Kim Rodarmel stunned with her clear, high soprano rendition of "Great Is Thy Faithfulness."

Trevor began a new sermon series, "Greater Than," and today's topic was "Greater Than My Anger." Five points I jotted down on my outline:

1. Allow God to search your heart for hidden anger (Psalm 4:4).

2. Do not harbor anger (Ephesians 4:26, 27). "In you anger do not sin."

3. Find your security in God (Psalm 4:8). Anger is almost always a byproduct of fear.

4. Repent from destructive speech and actions (Ephesians 4:29-31). Anger is usually expressed in destructive ways. Anger must always be expressed in love.

5. Forgiveness is the antidote for anger (Ephesians 4:32).

Frankly, I was concerned about attendance at this new, earlier time, but the room was comfortably full. (A few who used to attend the Blended service chose this service today.)

Evelyn attended the 9:00 service, and I snuck into the balcony to try out my new camera and listen to the end of the sermon. Then we hung out in the lobby and visited with friends before departing by 10:30.

The earlier start to the morning meant we were to breakfast and back home earlier than ever before, which made for a nice, long afternoon. I wrote a draft of my column for this week. We took our walk. I grabbed a shower and then went to Kroger's. We were able to get our lunches packed before supper, and then we enjoyed Costco's tomato basil soup and watched "Sixty Minutes," followed by a rerun of "Duck Dynasty" we had never seen. (We've become fans only recently, so there are a LOT of those episodes we've never seen!)

Dave rehearsed with the choir at 8:01 a.m. 

Friends at a Wedding

Tom Wellage married Liz Pavone at our church yesterday.
Jan Cummins was just one of many friends with us there.

 Writing in the Wall Street Journal yesterday (Feb 18), Alain de Benton suggests alternatives for religion to help contemporary nonbelievers experience a sense of community. I can only wish he did not have to research and write a whole book to propose what I and my wife and so many people I know experience weekly, simply because we have not given up our religion. (His Religion for Atheists: A Non-Believers Guide to the Uses of Religion will be published March 6. I doubt many who read this will rush out to buy it!)

I'm posting this entry toward the end of a weekend that illustrates how Evelyn and I have enjoyed the community we find in the company of other Christians. I can't imagine what our life would be like without them. I feel sad for so many around us, like de Benton, who do not know the support--and fun!--that comes with keeping Christian friendships.

I already posted that we went to the Cincinnati Pops concert Friday with friends Bill and Verna Weber, who were Evelyn's colleagues at Cincinnati Christian University until they both lost their jobs in a significant cutback there last month. It was good to enjoy a "normal" experience with them, even as we  discussed their options in a world that for them has turned upside down.


Yesterday we attended the wedding of Liz Pavone to Tom Wellage at Christ's Church at Mason. It was a happy time, made happier because we have such a high regard for the faith and witness of the bride and groom--and underlined by the friendly banter with longtime friends who attended the wedding with us.

Jan Cummins went to business school with Evelyn long before I knew her. They were roommates after that, and a few years later, Jan was in our wedding. She knew Tom at the church they both used to attend, and she was one of several friends bustling around the fellowship hall and making sure the reception went smoothly.

Four more friends were Dave and Mary Lautzenheiser and Dan and Cindi Cooper, and the fellowship started at the afternoon wedding continued at the Coopers' place where Cindi fed us a wonderful supper followed by more laughing and sharing.

This afternoon Evelyn and I are catching up on housework, grocery shopping, and grading (Evelyn) and editing (Mark). Without our friends we would probably be done with all of that by now, having succumbed to what de Benton labels the "ruthless anonymity" of our time. But we wouldn't be happier for all of our accomplishment. I'm so grateful that God provided the church to create  bonds of community that so many outside of the church continue to long for.

Love and Laughter

We've established a tradition! This is the third Valentine's Day in a row we've had dinner with our friends Dave and Mary Lautzenheiser. We arrived before Mimi's was full and stayed and talked after most of the crowd had left. I hope we can do this again next Valentine's Day!