SUNDAY MORNING

from the pastor

February 23, 2003

Two cardinals have appeared this morning outside my study window. It seems as though birds have been in short supply this winter in my backyard. Gary and Audrey have noted the same thing next door. And we were wondering if maybe there were more cats wandering around the neighborhood.

My cat doesn't go outdoors--at least to my knowledge. So I don't think she is the culprit. She does sit by the glass sliding doors for hours scowling at the wildlife in the backyard--revving up her rear end to pounce--as soon as she figures out how to crash through the glass. But I don't think that would scare the birds away.

When Alison was home last weekend, she noticed that the cat was getting fatter. I don't understand why she is wanting to gain weight, but it can't be good. Maybe she is bulking up so she can launch herself through the window--or knock out a door to get to the backyard. Another thing I can't figure out is what she's eating. I feed her the same as I always did.

There IS a palm tree in my study that is disappearing. She hops up on my desk and chews on the end of the leaves. Maybe she is a vegetarian. Trouble is, she's eaten enough of the leaves so that she has to lean out really far now to get to them--and she keeps falling off the desk. Falling on her head on the floor seems to effect her ability to think clearly. That may explain why she crawled up on my desk the other day and took a bite out of my dictionary. (That made me mad as it is my $100 dictionary.) She bit the front corner out of it. Before long I fear all the "A" words will begin disappearing. By summer the cat will have devoured "apples", "animal crackers", "aardvarks," and "acids" among other disgusting things. She should be really bulked up.

If you notice me using lots of "A" words in sermons and letters in the next few days, it is because I fear they may be extinct by summer--I must use as many of them now as possible.

Well, it's about time to get ready to go to church. I expect our pancake breakfast from yesterday morning to still linger in the air. I look forward to our singing together, sharing stories of faith, praying together, and seeing each other's faces once again.

There will be sadness today as we remember the life of Ray Dipple at 2 p.m. in a memorial service in our sanctuary. He was a gentle friend and a delight in our church. It will be most appropriate for us to give God thanks for his life.

We also remember Blair Hammond and Derys Harper who are awaiting surgeries this week for heart problems, Jane Ferguson who is awaiting more testing, and June Sostheim who is continuing to recover at Carle Arbors. --Mike

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