Sunday, October 3, 2004

October 3, 2004


10:35 PM Several days ago I wrote a Crosswalk weblog entry called Should We Allow Sinners to Come to Church?. Today I received a note from a man in Ireland with the title, “Well said, Sir!!” He reproduced my column, then added one comment: “AMEN TO THAT, BROTHER! Sincerely,” It was the signature that caught my attention: “David Spurgeon (CHS great grandson)” The CHS stands for Charles Haddon Spurgeon of London (1836-1892), perhaps the greatest preacher in the English language. You’ve heard me quote him many times. Nearly every evangelical pastor studies his sermons. What a treat to hear from his great grandson who is 62 years old, living in Dublin, Ireland, and an evangelical believer. Receiving that note put a smile on my face at the end of a very good Sunday. 8:35 PM And on a sad note, today was Minnie Fahler’s last Sunday at Calvary. She is moving to Pennsylvania to be near her family. When I asked her if we would see her again, she said, “Probably not.” I’m not sure exactly how old Minnie is, but I know she’s over 85. At least I think I know that. I can hear her saying, “Oh Pastor, it doesn’t matter,” even as I write this note. She’s been coming to Calvary for decades, and she and Shirley Banta used to come to my Wednesday night Bible study back when we held it in the old chapel. That goes back to the beginning of my ministry. Minnie is a dear friend, and a loyal prayer partner. Plus I loved to tease her and she would tease me right back. Blessings to you always, Minnie. It is hard for me to see old and dear friends move away, especially knowing I may not see them again this side of heaven. Minnie and Shirley may not live in Oak Park any more, but they will always be part of our church. Distance makes no difference. They are part of Calvary forever. 8:33 PM After the second service this morning, I met a lady and her young son who were visiting Calvary for the first time. They have just moved to Oak Park and the lady said she found our church on the Internet. After checking our website, she decided to pay a visit. It worked out fine because they live at 100 Forest Place, next door to the church. 8:32 PM The Cubs and the White Sox both won today. For the Cubs, it was about five games too late to do any good. For the White Sox, it was a good way to end a hard year. Wait ’til next year, which is what Chicago has been doing for a long time.

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