In the home where I was raised, a very small yard was dominated by a very large tree. Every other year the tree produced apples. But we seldom, if ever, ate any. That’s because they were never any good. Some were bruised. Most were malformed. And virtually all of them housed worms. If you had patience (and a good paring knife), you could turn a bushel of them into a quart and a half of applesauce. But that, and a week’s worth of blossoms, were about all the tree was good for. Fruit farmers we were not. Had we wanted good fruit from the tree, we would have taken better care of the tree. But, as I remember it, we never thinned it, never trimmed it, and never sprayed it. And the effort we didn’t expend was reflected in the reward we didn’t receive.

From time to time, I am met by a visitor at the close of the service whose sole purpose in waiting for me is to get me to sign his bulletin.  Don't get the wrong idea.  He is not seeking my autograph.  What he is seeking is my verification that he has been present in our sanctuary.  At issue is his attendance record and his desire to keep it spotless.  Back home (in his own church) it is easy to have his presence noted and marked.  But on vacation, he apparently feels some need of proof.  So he takes home a bulletin signed by the pastor.

Last Sunday, Harold Melin ushered in the center aisle at 9:30. This Sunday, Harold is in Pontiac Osteopathic Hospital with heart problems. He needs a pacemaker. But, so far, they haven’t been able to install one. It seems that Harold has funny veins. They cross….where they aren’t supposed to.