MIDWEEK MESSAGE #63
Hello and welcome to Midweek Message #63. I hope you are doing well this week. After the weekend of rain and “digging out” I can imagine some of you are pretty beat.
As you now know, the Serving Owen County Together event had to be cancelled and rescheduled. I know it was a tough call for Aaron LaGrange to make but it was made easier by his 10 minute drive taking him one hour due to the downed trees and flooded roads. I saw the wrestling he did while making that decision. Sadly, the folks from Servant’s Heart Ministry and their partners were able to make the trip here but then had to turn around and head back to Indy. I agree with those who said that those who needed the event and all it offered would have been the very folks who could not have made it here safely. Aaron is working on finding another date for them to come. When that happens I will let you know. It did my heart good to see so many folks who signed up to volunteer from OVCF. I do hope you are available to serve when Aaron does find that elusive day.
Late breaking news! It looks like July 10th is the day the Serving Owen County Together event will take place. Listen this Sunday for more information!!
My heart goes out to so many of you who took the brunt of the storm with flooded basements, downed trees, loss of electricity, and changed plans. I was able to ride on Sunday afternoon and was astounded at the devastation. Fortunately, some workers and random folks were able to cut up the trees which were blocking the roads. As I drove to a couple of appointments on Monday, I was reminded again of the power of a storm. As I was visiting with some folks on Monday, we talked about the storm and they talked about how slivers of trees were driven deep into their yard and how some trees were corkscrewed. Yeah, that sounds a bit more than straight line winds to me. But I am not a weatherman. 🙂 Thankfully, there were no casualties around here that I know of.
I gotta tell you some totally fantastic and yes, awesome news. Backstory first: We have been praying for Robert Herrington for the past month or so. A month to the day on Sunday, Robert was lifting weights and sat up on the bench and hit his head. Not much. Didn’t hurt. He came home for the summer that same day and began preparing for summer boot camp (he is in a college ROTC program). He slept that next day and two days later began to stutter. Badly. Test after test showed no brain injury, except a concussion. But the stuttering continued. He lost strength (he was a weight-lifter). He lost cognitive ability and memory. And he wanted to sleep. A lot. The specialists told him it could be anywhere from 6 months to a year before he stopped stuttering and got relief for the other symptoms. His outlook has been to trust God because He knows what He is doing. I admire a 20 year old with that kind of trust. Anyway, he came to church this past Sunday still stuttering. I mentioned him during our prayer time and prayed for God to intervene and astound the doctors. Sunday afternoon he, and his sister, Abigail, were driving somewhere and he talked to her with a stutter. The next sentence out of his mouth had no stutter and he has not done so since then! IS THAT NOT AWESOME? Those of you who know me know I don’t use that word except to describe God or something He has done. When I visited with Robert and his family on Monday they could not stop talking about God’s intervention and goodness. But according to Abigail there was a downside to it all. Robert never stopped talking for 45 minutes after that! Doesn’t that sound just like a sister? I love the banter. But more, I love that they are giving all the glory to God. He still has a way to go on some of the other symptoms from the concussion, but Robert told the doctor that the others will eventually go away but “at least I can talk.”
I want to pass something along to you about your elders (but don’t tell them I said anything). Monday night we had an elder’s meeting (postponed from two weeks previously). We were asked to help several organizations with some financial needs. Because of your generosity, we were able to pass along to the OV Patriot Choir program, Hilltop Camp, and New Beginnings Pregnancy Resource Center some much needed help. And while I say a good word about their willingness to reach beyond OVCF, I can’t say enough that it was all possible because of your generosity and giving to the church. God has blessed us tremendously and you have been phenomenal in remembering the church, even during the pandemic. So thank you Wayne, David, and Jeff and thank you for being you.
This coming Sunday Ryan and Hope head back to camp for the Jr. High Wilderness Week. Along with them pray for the other leaders: Linda St. John, Cassie Lehmann, and Westin Linville. We also have some students who will be at Wilderness Week: Anna and Caleb East, LJ Jenkins, Libby Zurcher (friend of Anna’s) and Alli Anderson. On the camp side will be Kathryn Anderson and her friend, Isabella Rector. How about making it a point of your day to pray for all the above folks?
This is the summer time (as you know). I have read blog after blog, and article after article, about burnout for pastors and their staff because of the pandemic. Since all three of us worked solid during the pandemic except when we were in “jail,” (and even then we tried), I have been keeping an eye on the three of us. So I will be right up front with you and say that summer will be a time for us to gather our wits around us so we can be ready for the Fall. That means the three of us will be in and out of the office for various reasons. To visit family. To take care of sick family. To just have a day of “Aaaah.” If you need us one of us (especially Pastor Ryan or I) we will be there. If you come to the church building you might be wise to call ahead to make sure someone is here. Diana works from 8-1:00 Monday through Friday. Pastor Ryan has Tuesday off and I take Friday off. Thanks for understanding.
I know I have gone on way too long. Every week I wonder if I will have something to say. I know some of you are laughing up a storm with that remark, but it is true. And each week I find myself saying, “My space is up.” Thanks for giving me the chance to come into your inbox and most of all for being your pastor. You are loved.
Pastor Bill
