Blogging Ottinger (tim)Going Home, Kinda, to Avon Church of the Nazarene
This weekend we went to Avon, IN to celebrate a birthday. The trip on friday was a mess, with all the snow and near-whiteout conditions. We only got as far as Merrilville, IN and had to get a hotel. We finally drove in on Saturday. It was weird to go from snow and ice and cold to a relatively warm, sunny day only a little distance south.
It was so good of Avon Community Church to allow us the use of the fellowship hall for our party. There were a lot of kids from the Hendricks County Theater group and from the church. It was an incredible swirl of kids. I had a great time talking with parents and visiting with kids.
Sunday was a little bit of a tougher call. We wanted to go to Avon because there are changes afoot and because they helped with our party (boosting the attendence by 4 is a very, very small repayment). I was homesick for Danville, but thought that maybe it would be a good step toward complete healing to be there and see our Avon friends. We had such a warm welcome and enjoyed the company and companionship of such good people. Oh, to be sure, there were some who were happier to keep their distance and some who demonstrated “intentional and pointed non-interaction”, but we expected this and we understand.
It was a strange feeling, being half-comfortable in such a familiar place.
The church was having a special event, assessing on a new pastor candidate. I think that this can be a good thing for them. It will be good to have continuity restored following a time of instability and difficulty. I was once offered a bit of sound advice, that when I’m under stress I should brush my teeth or iron a shirt or do dishes — that doing normal things can make you feel normal for a little while. I think that there is a lot of comfort in continuity (even though familiarity breeds contempt), and any candidate that has the recommendation of Dr. Ken Jewell has got to be a good man.
