March 2007 Newsletter
A WORD FORM OUR PASTOR
Dear members and friends of Zion,
Lent has arrived … with lots of laughter, and some serious commitments to reflect on what it means to Walk With Jesus. By the former I am referring to our first Sunday Evening Lenten Dinner, or, more precisely, the Evening Service, which featured the Men of Zion having some fun with the Bible Bowl. Our Bible Bowl Team had just returned from the annual competition at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, with another fine performance under their belts, along with a delicious dinner (created by our Singing Chef with the merry Men of Zion), when they were invited to take a look at themselves from the lighter side. The Men of Zion had a great comedy crew, with Mark Votaw, Dean Fox, Steve Ross, Jim Fidler, Randy Cizek, Chuck Danner, and Pastor Sherwindt; but who will forget Brian Walters' answer to how Jesus fed the multitude:
“How many times has this happened to you? You have only two fish and five loaves of bread and a multitude shows up at your door. What do you do? Use the new Bass-O-Matic Multitude Mixer from Godco and everyone will be happy. Are you tired of scaling, gutting and cooking your fish? The new Bass-O-Matic Multitude Mixer eliminates all of that. Simply drop the whole fish into the mixer add about 2 1/2 loaves of bread, set the dial to the size of crowd you are serving and Presto! It is as simple as that. One fish can feed up to 2,500 people! Pour it out. Take a drink. Mmmmmm! Tastes great! So get the new Bass-O-Matic Multitude Mixer, and never worry about feeding a multitude again.”
The First Sunday of Lent was a wonderful start for the season. The Stewardship Team had their Walk With Jesus posters set up all over the church. Charlie Danner presented a temple talk at worship, which helped make the connection between our walking with Jesus together at Zion and growing in our awareness of Christ's presence through the ministries we share. We also introduced our 2007 Lenten Devotional Guide with readings from Laura Thompson (whose reflection appears on Monday, February 25) and Brian Kay (whose reflection on the talents appears on March 30). This daily devotional book includes reflections by forty of our members and friends, who have taken the first steps in leading all of us to think more about why we give, why we serve, why we offer our time, our talents, and our treasure in service to the Lord. Those of us who had the privilege of editing and assembling this Lenten Devotional Guide encourage you to enjoy the gift this homespun publication represents. Use it. Read it. You'll be amazed.
We have a busy road ahead, with Sunday Evening Lenten Dinners, and the services that follow, with four weekends to think about what it means to Walk With Jesus, with our preparing to host our partners from St. Paul's Catholic Church on the weekend of St. Patrick's Day, with a Task Force busy thinking about renovating the Sanctuary, and another Task Force pondering the possibilities when it comes to praying for our boiler, with the Senior Choir, the Praise Team, and the Children's Choir helping to prepare us for Holy Week and Easter, which occurs the very first week of April. March is a long and busy month for our church family at Zion. Make it a point to join us for worship. That's the first step in a long journey, which promises to engage your mind, inspire your dedication, and provide a laugh or two along the way. We grow stronger by supporting one another in our desire to grow in love and service by grace.
In His service, and yours,
Pastor Sherwindt
LENT AND HOLY WEEK SCHEDULE
Lent begins with Ash Wednesday
| Date |
Time |
Special Features |
| Feburary 24, Saturday |
5:00 p.m. |
Lent 1, Walk With Jesus, Week #1 |
| February 25, Sunday |
8:00 a.m. & 10:30 a.m |
Lent 1, Chuck Danner, Temple Talk |
| February 25, Sunday |
5:30 p.m. |
Dinner hosted by the Men of Zion |
| February 25, Sunday |
6:15 p.m. |
Celebrating Zion's Bible Bowlers |
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| March 3, Saturday |
5:00 p.m. |
Lent 2, Walk With Jesus, Week #2 |
| March 4, Sunday |
8:00 a.m. & 10:30 a.m. |
Lent 2, Temple Talk by Jim Fidler |
| March 4, Sunday |
5:30 p.m. |
Dinner hosted by the Chancel Guil |
| March 4, Sunday |
6:15 p.m. |
Worship features Jim Fidler as Pilate |
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| March 10, Saturday |
5:00 p.m. |
Lent 3, Walk With Jesus, Week #3 |
| March 11, Sunday |
8:00 a.m. & 10:30 a.m. |
Lent 3, Temple Talk by John Long |
| March 11, Sunday |
5:30 p.m. |
Dinner hosted by the Senior Choir |
| March 11, Sunday |
6:15 p.m. |
Worship features Dale Jacobs as Judas |
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| March 17, Saturday |
5:00 p.m. |
Lent 4, Walk With Jesus, Week #4 |
| March 18, Sunday |
8:00 a.m. & 10:30 a.m. |
Lent 4, Stewardship Team Summarizes |
| March 18, Sunday |
5:30 p.m. |
Dinner hosted by the Church Council |
| March 18, Sunday |
6:15 p.m. |
We host our partners from St. Paul's |
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| March 24, Saturday |
5:00 p.m. |
Lent 5, The Turn to Jerusalem awaits |
| March 25, Sunday |
8:00 a.m. & 10:30 a.m. |
Lent 5, Holy Week will soon arrive |
| March 25, Sunday |
5:30 p.m. |
Dinner hosted by the Youth of Zion |
| March 25, Sunday |
6:15 p.m. |
The Passion Narrative from St. Luke |
Holy Week and Easter
| Date |
Time |
Special Features |
| March 31, Saturday |
5:00 p.m |
Saturday Evening Worship Service |
| April 1, Palm Sunday |
8:00 a.m. |
Our Palm Sunday Parade |
| April 1, Palm Sunday |
10:30 a.m. |
The Children's Easter Program |
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| April 5, Thursday |
12:00 p.m. |
Maundy Thursday Quiet Communion |
| April 5, Thursday |
7:00 p.m. |
Our Traditional Seder (with full meal) |
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| Friday, April 6 |
12:00 p.m. |
Community Service, Hoover Park |
| Friday, April 6 |
7:30 p.m. |
Our Good Friday TENEBRAE at Zion |
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| April 7, Saturday |
5:00 p.m. |
Our Saturday Evening Easter Vigil The Baptism of Grace McNamara
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| April 8, Sunday |
8:00 a.m. |
Easter Sunday Festival Worship |
| April 8, Sunday |
10:30 a.m. |
Easter Sunday Festival Worship |
Church Council News
Zion's Council is making its way into the 21st century. In February, for example, with the blizzard of 2007 making driving to Zion difficult, we decided to use a conference line and have our meeting over the phone! Once again, attendance was exceptional: Laura Thompson, Carol Rossbach, Jayne Schrader, Dave Palumbo, Mary Humbert, Steve Ross, Sharon Stout, Bob Lancashire, Betty Tracy, Renee Schrader, and Pastor.
Our first order of business was to reassess agreements with our rental partners. Last year we asked that they share proportionally in the increase we were experiencing with our utility bills. The $4,000 increase we were expecting turned into $6,000 for the year. So, we revisited the portion we were asking Bixler Pre-School and Senior Independence to share, and recommended a proportional increase for this next year.
Steve Ross talked about the low-key Stewardship Awareness program Walk With Jesus. Cindy Ferry, Resource Ministry Elder is handling the posters. Pastor is over-seeing the Lenten Devotional Guide. Steve Ross is arranging for temple talks (Chuck Danner, Jim Fidler, and John Long). Diane Dunphy is ready to go with bulletin inserts. Mabel Kolarik and Chris Thomas have been very active with their support.
Steve Ross then donned his other hat as the Witness Team Elder, and laid out our plans for publicity and promotional efforts in 2007, which will include online community calendars, North Canton's Our Town, the Jackson Observer-Reporter, as well as the Canton Repository. We plan to use community calendars for the Chili Cook Off (February 24) and the Steel Drum Band (April 22), with advertising for Holy Week.
MORE COUNCIL NEWS
Sharon Stout had some really great news to share, which was our recommending Miriam Keating to serve in the position of Zion's new Nursery Supervisor. Miriam began attending Zion on Saturday evenings. She had been serving as the Nursery Supervisor at Trinity Lutheran Church (downtown on Tuscarawas). When Trinity revamped their worship schedule on Sundays, that made it impractical for Miriam to worship on Sunday mornings. So, she came to Zion, liked it, and before long, God revealed the wisdom of His ways. Our needs were timely, and Miriam's gifts were a perfect match. Council approved the recommendation that Miriam become our Nursery Supervisor, and her service in that position began on Ash Wednesday.
Dave Palumbo offered a condensed version of his Treasurer's Report for January. The long and the short of it is that our expenses were right in line with the 2007 budget; but our income fell short of what we needed. There were no extraordinary bills or unusually high expenses. It might have been nice to start the year with a five-Sunday month. But with Lent continuing through March, leading to Easter and the five-Sunday month of April, we should be able to get back on track and out of the red with January's deficit.
HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT SINGING WITH THE CHOIR?
Garrison Keeler has a very funny take on Singing with the Lutherans that all of us ought to hear. So, here it is, at least, in parts (pun intended).
“I have made fun of Lutherans for years - who wouldn't if you lived in Missesota? But I have also sung with Lutherans and that is one of the main joys in life, along with hot baths and fresh sweet corn. We make fun of Lutherans for their blandness, their excessive calm, their fear of giving offense, their lack of speed and also for their fondness for macaroni and cheese. But nobody sings like them. If you ask an audience in New York City, a relatively Lutheran-free place, to sing along on the chorus of Michael Row the Boat Ashore, they will look daggers at you as if you had asked them to strip to their underwear. But if you do this among Lutherans they'll smile and row that boat ashore, and up on the beach, and down the road a bit!
“Lutherans are bred from childhood to sing in four-part harmony. It's a talent that comes from sitting on the lap of someone singing alto or bass and hearing the harmonic intervals of putting your little head against that person's rib cage. It's natural for Lutherans to sing in harmony. We're too modest to be soloists, too worldly to sing in unison. That's why we love choirs. When you're singing in the key of C and you slide into the A7th and D7th chords, everyone together, it's an emotionally fulfilling moment.
“I once sang the bass line of Children of the Heavenly Father in a room with about three hundred Lutherans in it; and when we finished, we all had tears in our eyes, partly from the promise that God will not forsake us, and partly from the proximity of all those lovely voices. By joining in harmony, we somehow promise that we will not forsake each other. I do believe this: people, these Lutherans, who love to sing in four-part harmony are the sort of people you could call up when you're in deep distress. If you're dying, they'll comfort you. If you're lonely, they'll talk to you. And if you're hungry, they'll give you Jell-O salad!”
Singing in the choir is great fun at Zion. Rehearsals on Wednesdays are filled with laughter, and lots of hard work, too. The fellowship of working together on music that will contribute to the praise we offer at worship is rewarding and gratifying. Between the Senior Choir, the Praise Team, and the Children's Choir, we've got music for everyone to enjoy. Yes, without doubt, we have been blessed with some very talented vocalists, with very dedicated musicians, and with great, great leadership. But we need you to join us. More is merrier, and it means so much to the worship we offer on Sundays, and to the worshipers who join us.
If you've been thinking about saying Yes to God's call - and ours - to share your voice with our music ministry, please make Lent your time to return. Your presence will be deeply appreciated by those who will greet you with welcoming smiles, some friendly banter, and the good feelings that flow when Lutherans find themselves singing four-part harmony, together and in key - although the together and in key are often optional! In all seriousness, now is the time. Listen to God's voice, and decide to share your voice with us. You'll be glad you did, and so will we.
Great News from Zion's Sunday School
UPCOMING EVENTS - MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
Sunday, March 4: Practice for the Children's Easter Program during Sunday School
Tuesday, March 6: Youth Committee Meeting at 7:30 pm in the Resource Center
Friday, March 23: Youth & Family Event: A Night of Food, Games & Glow Bowling
Sunday, March 25: Youth-led Lenten Dinner and Service; Dinner starts at 5:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 31: Dress Rehearsal for Children's Easter Program (time to be announced)
Sunday, April 1: Palm Sunday - Children's Easter Program at 10:30 a.m. Service only
Sunday, April 8: Easter - Children's Easter Egg Hunt during Sunday School, 9:15 a.m.
Week of June 9-16: Our dates for the Mission Trip to New Orleans, Part 2
Week of July 16-20: Vacation Bible School at Zion, from 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Zion's Children's Choir continues
The Children's Choir practices each Sunday from 9:10 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. before Sunday School. Their schedule for singing through the program year is as follows:
Sunday, May 13, at the 10:30 a.m. Worship Service
Sunday, June 10, at the 10:30 a.m. Worship Service
Sunday School: Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 6
We will be practicing for the Children's Easter Program this month. This year's program is called The Littlest Donkey. We will see the Easter story unfold through the eyes of a group of stable-mates, including donkeys, dogs, cats, mice and a rooster. There are both speaking and non-speaking parts available for those interested in participating. There will be play practice each Sunday during Sunday School through March 25. Practice begins at 9:10 a.m. and will include rehearsal of parts and learning the music for the play. The children will perform the program on Palm Sunday, April 1, at the 10:30 a.m. service only. We will have dress rehearsal on Saturday, March 31, at a time to be announced. Dress rehearsal will be followed by a pizza party to celebrate all of the children's hard work.
MORE GOOD NEWS FOR THE YOUTH OF ZION
2007 Bible Bowl: The Gospel of Luke
Congratulations to Zion's 2007 Bible Bowl Team! They did a great job and worked very hard this year to learn about the book of Luke! Our team may not have won the competition, but they showed great heart, humor and perseverance after a very difficult written test and three tough oral rounds. We are very proud of our team for all of their hard work and dedication! Team Zion included Captain Todd Cizek, who was one of three people scoring the highest on the written test, Laura Kay, Corey Beaber, Kelly Walters and Brooke Roman,who stepped in at the last minute to help. The team's adult leaders were Wayne Slease, Mary Humbert, Linda & Steve Ross, and Debbie Fox. There were also many other youth of Zion who supported this team and helped them study each week. This list included Taylor Roman, Nikki Ross, Michele Cohen, Chase Weinman, Max Reffel, and Matt Ross. We are also grateful to the members of the congregation who came out to support our youth at the competition. Thank you to everyone involved in any way, especially the Men of Zion for their hilarious skit during the Sunday Evening Lenten Service. It is greatly appreciated!
Youth and Family Event at Zion: March 23
The youth and families of Zion are invited for an evening of food, fun and fellowship on Friday, March 23rd. We will start at Zion with dinner and games. We will then head to Park Center Lanes around 9:15 p.m. for an evening of glow bowling. Transportation will be provided for our youth, ages 12 and older, whose families cannot attend. We ask that any children under 12 be accompanied by a parent. We will have a sign up sheet in the Church Office for those interested in attending. Friends are welcome! Join us for a great evening. By the way, our long-awaited Snow Tubing event finally became reality when, on Saturday, February 3, our group braved the blizzard-like elements, and enjoyed a great evening of freezing fun. None were injured (too seriously), and the over-nighter was a blast for all who endured it!
Youth Sunday Evening Lenten Dinner: March 25
The Youth of Zion, together with their families and our youth leaders, will be hosting the Sunday Evening Lenten Dinner on March 25. Dinner begins at 5:30 p.m. During the service that follows at 6:15 p.m., our youth will offer their reading rendition of St. Luke's Passion Narrative. Watch for details as they develop.
Vacation Bible School at Zion: July 16-20, 2007
Mark your calendars! Vacation Bible School is scheduled for the week of July 16-20, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Join us as we Take the Plunge and Make a Splash with Jesus! We're going on a water park adventure, plunging into five splash points about Jesus' love: obedience, worship, courage, faith and service! It will be a great week of fun, fellowship and learning. As always, we need plenty of volunteers to make our VBS a success. If you are available and interested, please contact Debbie Fox at 330-966-2433. If you are not available during that week, there are still many other ways to help out.
THE WOMEN OF ZION
Our monthly Bible study continues with a focus on Hope in God in Times of Suffering. This month's session will focus on the Good News that God is Always with You. God is present and active in the world and in our lives, even in the tough times. How can we discern the presence of God and share it -directly or by example - with those who may be struggling or hurting? You are always welcome. We meet on the third Tuesday of the month, March 20, in Luther Hall, beginning at 9:30 a.m. Please join us.
Don't forget that Zion's Comfort Givers continue to meet on the second and fourth Thursdays of the month, March 8 and 22, beginning at 9:30 a.m. in Luther Hall. We enjoy coffee, conversation, and being filled with the feeling of knowing that we are helping others through the good that we do.
Zion's Chancel Guild will meet on the evening of Tuesday, March 13, at 6:30 p.m. in order to spend time polishing the brass and silver. We very much appreciate everyone's help. So please join us if you can.
Zion's Prayer Chain: On Saturday, March 3, Zion will be represented at the 7th Annual Prayer Ministry Seminar, gathering around the theme of The Presence Based Church, and listening as keynote speaker, the Rev. Dr. Terry Teykl, offers insights into Becoming a Church after God's Own Heart. Pastor Teykl is the author of several books on prayer, including The Presence Based Church. Ginny Rhodes and Ann Semple have expressed interest in joining Pastor Sherwindt at this Prayer Seminar. The day begins at 8:30 a.m. with registration, and closes with worship at 2:30 p.m. If you would like to come along, there's still room and you are welcome to join us. It looks to be a great day.
MORE COMMUNITY NEWS
Dear Friends of Zion,
The North Canton Ministerial Association has sponsored many activities and programs with the churches in our community - coed softball and volleyball, community services at Thanksgiving and on Good Friday, and our Annual High school Scholarship for a graduating senior who is a member of one of our member churches. That includes Zion Lutheran Church. We would like to invite your graduating seniors to apply for this scholarship. We ask that each applicant (1) write an essay covering your faith journey, church involvement, and goals for the future, (2) have the school send us a copy of your academic transcript, (3) provide a list community involvement, and (4) receive recommendations from your Pastor, a teacher, and another person (not a family member). It sounds like a lot, but it's worth it. Please talk to your Pastor about this scholarship. The deadline for applying is April 7, 2007. We would love for you to apply. Send all appropriate materials to the following address:
Thomas L. Douce, Secretary
North Canton Ministerial Association
6000 Frank Road NW
North Canton, OH 44720-7599
P.S. While this may seem just a bit ahead of schedule, our Community Good Friday service at Hoover Park is set for April 6 at Noon. Please plan to join us if you are able.
MARCH SENIOR BIRTHDAYS
| Happy Birthday to: |
MARCH ANNIVERSARIES
| Happy Anniversary to: |
| Al & Sue Whitmer |
March 20 |
| Dave & Shannon McNamara |
March 20 |
THE MEN OF ZION
The Lutheran Men in Mission 2nd Annual Chili Cook Off, hosted by the Men of Zion, was an unbelievable success from every perspective. The number of entrees provided great variety for our chili connoisseurs. The number of tasters cast a wide net and made the judging varied and fair. The proof of this excellence in judging was evident when our own Dale Jacobs was declared the winner! The support from Zion's members was fabulous. Thank you from all of us. Thank you from our partners at the Adullam Christian Fellowship in New Orleans, too. After Thrivent gets their matching funds included, we will have raised $1,200 for the slow work of rebuilding in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Following our great success on February 24, we then bounced back with a wonderful meal on the First Sunday Evening Lenten Dinner. Roast Pork basking in a delicious bed of chipotle seasoning, mashed potatoes, with some championship chili on the side, with salads, drinks and a sheet cake to honor our Bible Bowlers for dessert: what a delicious beginning to this great tradition. Following dinner, the Men of Zion did ourselves proud with skits designed to show the lighter side of the Bible Bowl. It was a great night, a great crowd, and a great weekend for Zion.
The Men of Zion will next meet on the first Wednesday of March, which is March 7. We will meet for dinner in Luther Hall right around 6:00 p.m. There's always a lot to talk about, and the fellowship we enjoy is one of the great highlights of our monthly meeting. You are invited and encouraged to attend. We will hope to see you there. While it's only March, it's never too early to start thinking about how we can outdo ourselves as we get ready for the Mother's Day Breakfast in May.
LUTHERAN MEN IN MISSION
To the Men of Zion Lutheran Church:
On behalf of the Lutheran Men in Mission of the Canton/Massillon Conference, I want to thank you for hosting the Second Annual LMM Chili Cook Off in Memorial Hall. Your men in attendance supported the event with enthusiasm. Visitors who attended were so impressed that they applauded the Men of Zion Lutheran Church for their service to its congregation and the community. You should be very proud.
$752.00 was collected Saturday, along with an additional $48.00 from an anonymous donor. The money raised will be forwarded to the Stark County Chapter of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans to receive an additional $1.00 for every $2.00 raised. The returning check for $1,200.00 will be made out to the Adullam Christian Fellowship in New Orleans and forwarded to your church.
Congratulations to Dale Jacobs for his vote of Best Chili. I look forward to presenting the trophy plague at one of your upcoming meetings for the Men of Zion.
Please watch for and support our future Lutheran Men in Mission events. Our mission as Lutheran Men in Mission is to build men's faith relationship and ministry through the events we sponsor, the resources we produce, and the leadership we develop. All of us at LMM are so happy with how your group is growing at Zion. Please call me anytime if I can be of assistance.
Sincerely,
Jamie Savarin
Telephone: 330-323-4212
Email: JSavarin@aol.com
In Loving Memory of ARMAND LENARZ, II
In Loving Memory of ARMAND LENARZ, II
October 17, 1967-February 2, 2007
[The Service of Christian Burial, February 7, 2007]
What a tragic loss it was to lose young Armand at thirty-nine. He was such a creative and intelligent young man, who worked so hard to take what came his way and make the most of it. He was a young man with very broad shoulders, and a heart as big as they come, with a mind that was sharp and a sense of humor that was quick and disarming. Armand was infectious for the warmth he inspired and the love he shared. Thirty-nine forever - now there's a Jack Benny quality that Armand could have had some fun with. He surely would have found a way to help lighten our load, and our hearts, in coming to terms with the hand that life had dealt him.
In some respects, that is what he did with his passing. I will never forget how Nancy described it on the phone, and how wonderfully gracious were the details of that Friday morning. I won't go into the details, but the love that came through her descriptions of the one-line conversations between Armand and Nancy going through their morning rituals downstairs, and young Armand going through his upstairs. By 10:00 a.m. it was clear that something was different. God called Armand home in one of the most peaceful ways known to man, and to God - in his bed, at home, with his family, comfortably positioned as if he enjoyed those final dream-like breaths that transported him into the arms of God.
You know, I'll be honest with you, there has never been an instance when I was willing to say that death came gently as a friend to take us home to be with God. It's not that I don't believe that death becomes a gate that leads to eternal life. It is that I've never wanted to describe death as our friend. I am certain that it is death that Jesus had in mind in John 10, when he was describing his work as the Good Shepherd. “All who come before me were thieves and robbers…. The thief comes only to kill and destroy. I come that you may have life… in all its abundance.” Death is clearly what Paul had in mind when he tells us in 1st Corinthians 15:26 that the last enemy to be destroyed is death, whose ill-will is exposed with the suffering Christ endures on the Cross, and whose claim to power is vanquished with the victory that's been proclaimed with the resurrection.
I've always been clear on calling death what it is, namely, God's enemy and ours, the thief and robber from whom the Good Shepherd shields, protects, and delivers us. But in young Armand's case, I think I've been forced to make an exception. It's not that death is any less the thief Jesus describes, stealing life from Armand and from us. It's not that death is any less the enemy of God's desire that we enjoy life to its fullest. But there can be no mistaking the hand of God in the circumstances of Armand's passing. It's just as if God had painted the scene and hand-crafted the moment to proclaim His presence there in the news we most naturally dread. None of us ever wants to hear the sad news that death has come - especially for those whom we love, even more so when it's our child, our boy, as one untimely taken. But in Armand's case, with his arm so comfortably positioned overhead, with a smile subtly present, and peace so overwhelmingly displayed in every facet of the morning's light, how could we not see God's hand lining our sadness with a touch of faith's joy?
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