4:00 PM This will my final entry on the Pastor Ray page of the Calvary website. I want to begin by thanking Randy Birkey, our webmaster, and the excellent team at Birkey.com for building our Internet presence from the very beginning. I’m trying to remember when we got started. I’m not sure but I think it was 1996 when we la…
On my first day at Calvary 16 years ago, I was given a very special privilege. George Ahlenius entrusted me with a master key that would open every door in the church. If I recall correctly, Paul Lavenau had to talk him into it because George didn’t like to part with master keys. He was right to be careful about it because …
Sermon Series: Ponder This - 20056:55 AM I am writing this note from my computer in my office at church on the last Sunday of my ministry at Calvary. Right now everything is quiet. Bob Boerman is in early this morning. I saw him in his office as I came in. Somewhere Armando is unlocking doors, turning on lights, and putting out the traffic cones for the dr…
8:51 AM The wedding takes place this afternoon at the historic Mt. Horeb Presbyterian Church (third church down in the lefthand column). The historical marker in front of the church reads as follows:This church was organized April 21, 1827, at nearby “Cabell’s Dale,” home of Mary Cabell Breckinridge, widow of John Breck…
3:44 PM I almost forgot to mention that two Calvary retreats begin today: The Allied Force High School Fall Retreat takes place at Phantom Ranch. The Men’s Retreat starts tonight at Lake Lawn Lodge. Brian Bill is the speaker. 12:56 PM Here’s an exceprt from an email regarding the use of Anchor for the Soul by Word of Life B…
7:22 AM We are on the road again. In a few minutes Marlene and I leave for Lexington, Kentucky for a family wedding on Saturday afternoon. Over twenty years ago I promised my nephew Tim (who was then around 10-11 years old) that I would perform his wedding ceremony. Tim is in his early 30s now, and I’m happy to help officat…
10:20 PM I just realized that the Wednesday Journal mentioned my leaving in three different places in today’s issue: God Speed (Scroll down to the third section of the editorial column) “Restless” Pritchard to Leave Calvary Church Lamenting the Loss of Two Conservatives. In my sixteen years in Oak Park, I have had an ex…
1:07 PM Alas, another mountain of email arrived over the weekend and I am even farther behind. If you sent me a note, I will respond but it’s going to take a few more days. 1:06 PM Let’s go, White Sox! Time to beat those Indians. 1:06 PM Yes, I’m teaching the Pastor’s Bible Class tomorrow night in the Dining Room at 7 PM. 1…
We all know what it’s like, don’t we? All of us have unfinished things cluttering up the highway of life: the half-mowed lawn the half-read book the letter started but never sent the abandoned diet the degree we never finished the phone calls never returned But it can be much more serious than that: the abandoned …
Sermon Series: Ponder This - 20055:19 PM Today’s entry in the Crosswalk weblog is called Traveling Light. 5:03 PM Vern Henriksen tells me that we have collected $18,000 for Hurricane Katrina relief. I also got a call from Harvest House Publishers telling me that they have moved up the publication date of “Why Is This Happening to Me?” (the retitled ver…