Thursday, March 11, 2004

10:15 PM If you live in the Chicago area, don’t forget that Open House Sunday is only three days away. We’ll be dedicating our renovations in all four services and we’re inviting the entire congregation to walk through the new portico, the new nursery, the renovated gym, plus the two stories of classrooms and offices where the gym stage and missionary apartment used to be. We’ll have refreshments to keep your energy up and the gym will be set up in the format we plan to use on March 21 when the Upper Room Service begins during the 10 AM worship hour. 10:02 PM This is my 13th or 14th year to speak at Word of Life and it has turned out to be one of the best weeks ever. All week long people have commented on an unusual sense of God’s blessing in all the services. Several folks mentioned it to me today. This sort of thing can’t be planned because God gives his blessing according to his own will. But it is wonderful when it happens and we have experienced God’s Spirit at work in the meetings all week long. 9:52 PM A few notes … Yesterday former Calvary members Dick and Ann Baer and Paul and Phyllis Lavenau paid a visit to Word of Life Florida. We had supper today, traded many stories and spent a lot of time laughing together. It sure was good to see them. They stayed for the evening service and then went back home to Leesburg… . Surprised and pleased last night when Calvary missionaries Bob and Shirley Friedl attended the service. Their ministry to children takes them all over America. When we were at Living Waters Bible Camp in Maine last July, they were in the area. For the last few weeks, they have been holding services in Florida… . I’ve ridden 33 miles so far this week on my bike… . Tomorrow I speak to the staff, then once more at the conference center, making a total of 9 times this week, plus Marlene spoke to the women on Monday AM… . Then we leave the 70-degree weather to return to Oak Park where this afternoon the temp was 23… . Kevin, I did see your note on your blog and I’ll take up the pressing theological question of serving communion to animals as soon as I can read the article you mentioned … Meanwhile on the BBQ front, Dave Claus speaks up for Decatur, AL, and Virgil Reeve says Kansas City has some of the best… . I have an update from Caleb Lucien in Haiti that I will post when I get back… . This morning the “Austrian Singers” from the brand-new Word of Life ministry in Austria presented a concert. Made me think again (as I’ve been thinking all week long) about how important it is for the local church to keep the flame burning for the nations of the world. I’ve been thinking about how we can highlight the people from other nations who attend Calvary every Sunday. Because we are in Chicago, not only do we go to the world, but the world has now come to us. I’ve got one idea in mind that I’m going to pursue when we get back to Oak Park.