Coming Soon: The Table

Here is the promised video from this past Sunday morning's worship services starring Bob Hull as himself, Frank Davis as the voice-over, and John Marr as the cue card holder. This video (and each one that follow over the next three weeks) comes to us courtesy of Matt Buckner, the mind behind the camera.

Enjoy.

In No Particular Order ...

I'm well rested after my "blogiday". I haven't been too busy to blog, just too lazy. The past week was full of some nice blog-worthy events. Take today, for instance:

Our own Marshall Hardy signed with Milligan College today at Dobyns-Bennett High School in Kingsport. We're all very proud of him at Grandview, and the fact that he will be playing basketball five minutes from church will make it easy for us to be the Marshall Forces, cheering him on at home games.Here he is, signing away on his scholarship letters.

Coach Wallingford continues to convince the entire Hardy family that Milligan is THE place to play basketball for the next four years."Little" Sis was there too.

Speaking of Grandview's own doing wonderful things. Megan Gable had her senior recital just over a week ago. She sang beautiful. Here she poses with the Edwina and Bill Greer on each side. Megan is from Lebanon, Indiana and grew up at a church that I helped build while I was in college ... she was born back then, but just barely.

Last week Cindy and I went to supper with the Coleys for one last time before they left for home. We always enjoy visiting with them. Greg wasn't the strangest site we saw that night...

I'm always amazed when the Red Hat Ladies show up. I know it's time to pick "manlier" restaurants when that happens ... maybe something specializes in red meat instead of red hats.

I was pleased last week to attend the GED graduation celebration for Johnson City adult education. The valedictorian address was given by a young woman from Venezuela. Grandview volunteers were listed in the bulletin. And one of our tutors was even there to share in the moment.
Also, last Saturday night Cindy and I attended our first seder Passover meal, thanks to Leni Jackson. I've been told for years that I should do that. The symbolism in the meal really is remarkable. One last note, I'm hoping to post the Backbone announcement video from Sunday morning. When I get it the right format I'll put it up. I really liked it. Matt Buckner is a genius.

BRAT PAC Night

We had the BRAT PAC over on Sunday night (Building Relationships And Telling People About Christ). This is the 5th and 6th grade group of youth at Grandview. We had a good time, even though the occasion was to bid farewell to Maggie, children's ministry intern, who will be leaving for San Antonio in a few weeks.
Maggie and Isaac challenged each other on DDR. This time Maggie won.

I can't remember who won this round.
There were even daddy/daughter moments.

One more Two 4 Two slide shooooooowww!

I never posted the final Two 4 Two slide show. I don't know how many of you watch these things, but it's here for the watching if you're interested.

Tomorrow's Offering

Aaahhh .... it has been a nice week. I hope yours was good as well. Tomorrow's sermon is on the church at Antioch. Hope to see you there (if you're in the area!).

Here's the prayer:

Prayers of the Church for Grandview
20 April 2008

O God, I’m out of adjectives. They are all too limited anyway. What sound can we make with our lips that could carry a gratitude so deep that it begins and ends in you? What utterance sums our collective thanks for existing, for even being able to be grateful?

And so, with our limited vocabulary, with our limited abilities, with our limited understanding, we come before you, the limitless and eternal God, and we offer words, but more than words, we offer ourselves as living sacrifices, poured out before your throne.

All the while we are aware that you, too, found the limit of words in the mouths of prophets, priests, and kings, and so you made your Word into flesh and poured your nature onto the earth for all to see.

Thank you for those first eye witnesses and their willingness to suffer for the sake of that Word, for those first ones who risked and gave their lives so that the Word could pass from your lips, to theirs, to their spiritual and physical descendants, and to ours. Let us, with clarion, proclaim that Word this morning, in this service, to your Glory.

Forgive us for making pour petty fears and dislikes the boundary of our faith, for being afraid of losing our own agendas in the presence of your great news that you love all people. Forgive us for being more attracted and attached to our wants than to needs of people who do not know you. Forgive us for keeping your Word, your character, your essence, to ourselves—and by sabotaging you mission in the process.

Our prayers, as every week, are for the sick, the dying, the discouraged, and for those in harm’s way. Give them healing, peace, fresh strength, and safety.

Lord, please bless the work of our hands. May the service we offer you be exaggerated by the power of your Spirit. Amplify the efforts of the missionaries we are honored to support, the Coleys, Freelands, Headens, McDades, Nyadors, Veals, Orths and to the Jacksons and Colemans as they prepare to serve you in places where the people are so dear to you.

We pray with Christians every where the prayer that you have taught us to pray:

The Lord's Prayer

My sister, Amy, wanted me to post this ... I hope it works. It's a cute video. This little girl has obviously heard this song a lot of times. She really nails it (even the more subtle notes are present).
Enjoy!

No Joe, No Two 4 Two ...

One of the reasons I keep blogging is that it helps me chronicle the things that happen in my life. I almost never took pictures until I began blogging. Now I take pictures of like crazy. So thanks for checking in. I realize every post isn't exciting.

The end of Two 4 Two marks a break in my attempts to make slideshows and videos (although I'm getting ready to make four more for Sunday morning with my special guest star, Dr. Bob Hull. I need to ask Matt to help make the videos, but I'm a little reluctant to prey upon his goodwill...but prey I will.

On to the minutiae:

Isn't Spring great? Here's the backyard last week. Welcome back, Leaves! We missed you! I'm sorry that I gathered you into piles last Fall and crushed you into little pieces. Thanks for coming back even after I burned some of your ancestors.Sunday was Parent Dedication Day at Grandview. It was great to see so many children and young parents. There were three adopted children who participated in this dedication. That's a new record for us.
On Sunday night we had a talent show (of sorts). It was a lot of fun, even though we were crammed into the foyer. Hopefully the fellowship hall will be ready soon. We need that space very, very, badly.

The packed conditions cut down on the ability of people to take my dissertation survey, but we made progress. The research portion of my dissertation will soon draw to a close and I will have to start the heavy lifting involved with analyzing and completing the work.

This picture is from last week when we had the Coley family over for supper. The kids liked the truck trip we took. It reminded me of the many times I rode in the back of a truck when growing up--especially the way that loose dirt in the back of the truck would start swirling at certain speeds, making it impossible to open my eyes with getting debris in them. I love the way memories work. They just lie dormant for so long and then return with a comforting burst.

Tomorrow's Offering

This week we lost another one of our saints. Lucille was a fine lady of the church (and of Grandview). If you're keeping count that's three faithful ladies in the past month. Sometimes, when funerals come in quick succession, I find that I haven't really processed the deaths. Thelma, Cookie, and Lucille had been out of the public eye (mainly)for varying lengths of time. I was still visiting them with some regularity, though the Calling Circle was the faithful Grandview lifeline to all three.

They will be missed.

Tomorrow's sermon is the first in a short series. We'll look in on the first Church in Jerusalem this week. In the next two weeks we will travel on to Antioch and then to Athens to learn what we can from the ancient church in those cities.

Here's the prayer:

Prayers of the Church for Grandview
13 April 2008

God of Freedom, we come before you as one body this morning to praise you for the gift of the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. Thank you for giving us a glimpse of the gracious and steadfast love that burns in the heart of our God. Thank you for revealing the patient and persistent adoration of the Father for the Son, and for the Son’s friends. Recipients of eternity, of the river of life that overflows its boundaries, baptizing all who come near, we are passionate in our admiration of you.

May our praise burst forth like the buds and blossoms that this morning proclaim the coming of a season of growth! May our praise be like these hardy heralds of the coming bounty of the harvest!

Please be present as fully as our hearts will allow this morning as we dedicate ourselves to the apostles’ teaching in scripture, to the breaking of bread, to fellowship, and to prayer. Give power to our living of the gospel. Fill our friendships with joy. Make Grandview a blessing to this community, your church a blessing to the world.

Forgive us when we turn away from the instrument of your salvation. Forgive us when we become disgusted with the church and, based upon our own power, give up on your ordained way of joining together to be a light to a world shrouded in darkness. Forgive your church for being so much less than perfect. Forgive our individual sins too, as those sins become a distraction to mission of the body of the Christ.

Today, as we celebrate the gift of children, strengthen this community to be mothers and fathers of discipleship, committed to the rearing of children who understand faith and what is at stake in the kingdom of God, come to earth.

Bless those on our prayer list. We pray for our brothers and sisters who are suffering in sickness and disease, give them healing; for those who are grieving and sad, remember that you have promised to send your Spirit of comfort; for those who are finding life too hard and are ready to give up because of addictions or mental illness, send your Spirit of strength, hope, and renewal; for those who are staring at each other over gunpoint; send peace. Protect our sons and daughters who are overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan. And, Lord, as people who don’t merit your favor, we dare not fail to pray for our enemies (as hard as that can be). Bless them, Lord. Bless and do not curse. Guide all leaders into the paths of peace—the peace that only you can give; the peace that passes all tribes and nations.

We pray as you have taught us.

Dr. Joe Finale'

The final installment of Dr. Joe was shared with the Rendezvous crowd on Wednesday night. I'm gonna miss the Doc. This episode is a bit longer than the others.

At Least You Know

Today's post comes courtesy of my sister and her husband who, when traveling through southern Indiana, were alert enough to notice this church building/sign and kind enough to turn around and take a picture for their brother's blogging pleasure. Thanks, Joe and Margie!


Just in case you can't quite see that sign, it reads: The Country Gospel Music Church.

Wow. My first response is that a church should never name itself after the kind of music it embraces.My second response is that I admire their honesty. We tend to embrace music styles in exactly this way, we just don't bother to name the church after our preferences.

Coming soon: The Repetitious Chorus Reformed Evangelical Church and the Stiff Upper Lip High Liturgical Pipe Organ Memorial Church.

Wheels Keep on Spinning

My sister once told me that if she wrote a book about the easiest years to be a parent she would call the book Between Diapers and Car Keys. That title stuck with me. For years now I have appreciated the fact that Cindy and I weren't changing diapers or worrying about what might be happening on the road while one of our own pilots a vehicle.

Those days ended on Wednesday evening, about 3:30pm, when Meghan got her license. She aced the test, according to the test giver/driving instructor. She's a good driver and I'm confident that she's mature enough to handle the responsibility.

Life as a parent continues to surprise. Parenting starts off with accepting full responsibility for another human being. There have been times when I struggled under the load of that responsibility. But then they start to grow up and you find that, for the sake of their health and maturity, you have to give that responsibility over to them. Thanks, Meg, for being easy to trust.

Dreaming with Dr. Joe: Remodeling

Week 9 of Two4Two has come and gone. It was a good night and I think I got some pretty good pictures (for phone pictures, anyway). Here is Carter, looking pensive. Here is Jack, looking like an artist (it was "artist" theme night). He looks good in his Blueberry Beret.

A.J.'s Van Gogh costume was very well done.

Something tells me that Mary didn't really want me to take this picture!

Greg and Allison Coley are visiting from Thailand for a month. They will be our featured missionaries during missionary emphasis month. It was great to have them with us. I think Greg's new beard was a hit. I'm thinking I should be more like Greg.

I told them to look like Mt. Rushmore. I'm not sure which president Sam is trying to be!

Dr. Joe is drawing to a close and I can already tell that I will miss the series. Maybe we will have a reunion show someday!! Week nine's video special guest is Anna. Also, I couldn't resist an homage to the old Mentos commercials. I thought the kids wouldn't get it at all, but they laughed. Maybe the Mentos image is more pervasive than I realized.