Baust is back

Tom Baust will be at church this Sunday, July 13. We welcome him back. Since he graduated from Moody Bible Institute he has worked as a full-time musician in piano, voice, and arranging.

You can check his web site at www.tombaust.com

Since he's more comfortable with the piano I've asked him to focus his leadership on the piano.

I will be at the beach this Sunday for R&R with Dorcas and the children.

10 men can sing

Yesterday 10 men sang two men's chorus pieces in the worship service--"Great is thy faithfulness" and "Wayfarin' stranger."

Wow! Ask someone if you didn't hear it. I was so pleased with their musicianship and dedication to God.

Thanks to Nancy, too, at the piano. And thanks to the people who said thanks after the service.

turning 64

How often do you play a Bach prelude, accompany Barb on the recorder, bang out a rousing spiritual on the piano ("Welcome Table"), and lead two hymns totally acappella ("I love to tell the story" and "For Christ and the church") and then have your 64th birthday party at a fancy schmancy eatery in Skippack?

Well, once, if you're lucky.

And I am. Most of all I had my family with me. Here's son Joel. Around the table, too, was his wife Stephanie and daughter Sarah and her husband Ryan and of course Dorcas.

how hymns get chosen

Tuesday evening the worship planning committee met in the library. Nate joined us.
Also around the table were Nancy, Joyce, Jennifer, Kevin and myself. Hunter was pursuing D. Min. work in California. Edie was engaged in Mennonite Church USA board work.

So, six of us paged through blue and green hymnals, referencing the scriptures and themes of the services planned for July. I said, let's suggest what comes to mind and edit ourselves as we go around this at the end.

That's how the hymns were chosen for July.

just a weekend

I'll be somewhere close to Katie's shakes and banana splits in Grantsville, Maryland, on Sunday. There's Dorcas far left. Then my son, Joel, and his wife, Stephanie. Then my daughter Sarah and her husband Ryan. That's me in the green shirt.

Grantsville is where Dorcas hails from. It's a town in western Maryland, in lovely, pastoral, rolling mountains.

Her extended family, the Millers, plans a weekend of reunion activities.

I spent the regular Tuesday and Wednesday at Zion. Since Hunter is away in California, my work was more intense with Beth and Scott as we finalized the details of the worship service bulletin. I also had a chance to meet intern Nate and show him the conference center, and, most important, Bakers on Broad, where I treated him to a croissant.

While I'm gone for one Sunday, I'll be back on Tuesday. This is not a vacation; just a weekend.