# 36, April 4, 2003

Get Yourself to Church on Time!

At 2 AM early Sunday morning, move your minute hand forward one hour or reset all of your digital clocks one hour (spring) forward. Of course, you also have the choice of resetting your timepieces before 2 AM. The hymn, the prayer, and the completion of John chapter 6 will occur between 9:45 AM EDT and 10:30 AM EDT. Since PH will attempt to teach this lesson, please do not show up at 9:45 AM EST. PH will definitely feel paranoid.

Pop Quiz Likely

PH is warning you that a fun pop quiz might be a part of the lesson plan on this first Sunday in April. If there is a quiz, it will be an open Bible Quiz and any translation will suffice. The results of this quiz will not be included in any Shepson's Final Judgment.

Shepson Dick Morris wrote PH a few words of encouragement for Sunday's lesson. Dick wrote PH:

"I'm looking forward to the rest of Chapter 6 next Sunday. Bob left you with a good starting place when he said Jesus didn't really say these things."

PH wonders if Shepson Dick has been reading too much blank ink in the Jesus Seminar's The Five Gospels?

Speaking of a fine job of teaching, PH forgot to mention last week that Youth Sunday Teachers Anne McIlwain, Lawrence Heisler and Sam Hays were a bright and stimulating trio in our class on Youth Sunday. There is a photo of the three of them in our class included here.

Easter Basket Scorecard from SSBSC Missionaries Charlotte and Bill

EASTER BUCKET SCORECARD AS OF THIS VERY MINUTE:
Easter buckets begged, borrowed, or otherwise snitched - 45
Easter buckets already taken to be filled - 30
Easter buckets still looking for a home - 15
Deadline: Sunday, April 13th, at noon.

Those of you who attended the most recent Wednesday night dinner and program had the privilege of hearing Ms. Terry Willie-Surratt, the new Director of Interfaith Services of Henrico County (ISH). She seemed very grateful for the mission work that the SSBSC and RRCB does for ISH. She was pleased to hear that more Easter baskets are coming to ISH.

Shepson Kathy Wade and The Commission Win Again

PH has been informed by Kathy Wade that the International Mission Board's Commission Magazine won a third place award for Best Use of Photography. This recognition comes from the National Press Photographers Association's The Best of Photojournalism 2003 competition. The Commission was second only to Sports Illustrated and Time Magazine. Kathy is the literary editor of the Commission and deserves a word of congratulations. The website below is evidence of the official results.

http://www.viscom.ohiou.edu/bopedit/eu3_3.html

Kathy writes:

A note to all of you about The Commission magazine—the publication I work on. God gets the credit for this. All the miraculous things and the phenomenally, talented photographers and design editor we have pool together to result in this incredible communications tool. Only our good God can bring about the fantastic divine results of showing people how He works through others.

Love you all,

Kathy

Jessica Price-Vaughan to Preach

Jessica Price-Vaughan will preach this Sunday at 11 AM, but not at RRCB. She is doing an internship through BTSR at the Seventh Street Christian Church (which is on Malvern Avenue next to the Greek Church). This will be her third sermon at Seven Street Christian Church. Jessica has also been having some problems with a chronic pulmonary infection and she is scheduled to see a specialist. Also John and Jessica have purchased a house in Southside Virginia and will be moving. PH has explained Southside Virginia in previous PHA's and will add no additional comment at this time.

Dr. Donna Will Witness

Many of you know that Doctors Donna and Rob Brown have been doing voluntary medical missionary work for the people of St. Vincent's Island in the Caribbean area. Dr. Donna will present a program to the WMU Circle on Tuesday, April 8 at 7:30 PM. The meeting will be held at Wyatt Heisler's home. Visitors are welcome. If you would like to attend this worthy program, contact Wyatt Heisler at 741-9320.

Prayer Rounds

Charlotte Ladd is receiving physical therapy for a tear in the rotator cuff of her shoulder and is also receiving medication for her back discomfort. Charlotte thanks every one for our prayers and hopes to be back at church soon.

Shepson/Phoenix teacher/Fellowship teacher/Pastor Search Committee member Doris Curtis is also coping with a lingering infection. Her doctor plans some tests and additional antibiotic medication to treat this condition.

Dot Sherman, Cecil Sherman's wife, remains in MCV Hospital with a chronic condition. She is expected to be transferred to Westminster-Canterbury's special unit in the near future.

Rick Mears was scheduled to have surgery on this past Monday. PH has not received any recent news about Rick's condition.

Remember in your prayers Jessica Price-Vaughan, Charlotte Ladd, Doris Curtis, Dot and Cecil Sherman, the Mears Family, Terry Marsh's parents, the Manor Bible Study Class, the Pastor's Search Committee, those in peril in Iraq, and those known only to you.

Two Shepson Young Ladies Have Birthdays Next Week

Carolyn Thomas will be twenty-nine on Monday, April 7 and Margaret Phelps will reach the same age on Friday, April 11. Their age is certainly not showing as PH feels that they don't look a day over twenty-five.

Can Tillich Reconcile Liberals and Conservatives?

If you think the above is possible, then you should consider purchasing and reading Shepson Rob James' book, Tillich and World Religions. Does this mean that studying Tillich via Rob's book will lead to agreement between the Rev. Jerry Falwell and Bishop John Spong? Well, you will have to read for yourself. PH has been reading a little of Rob's book and found the following words in the Introduction chapter. Rob writes in the first person:

"I have said that I aim for this book to be of practical use. There is one way it could be useful that I have only implicitly commented upon thus far. I believe the book suggests a way to resolve at least some of the conflicts and confusions among liberals, moderates, and conservatives over interreligious issues. When I say that, I have in mind the Christian community. Other religious traditions may not be affected by these conflicts and confusions, at least not with the same severity.

But certainly among a great many Christians there is a recurrent "syndrome" regarding interreligious issues. Conservatives veer toward a doctrinaire exclusivism that seems to know as much as God knows about who could possibly be recipients of divine grace; liberals tend to settle into a pluralism that can drain away passion and commitment; mellow moderates grope toward an inclusivism of some kind, sometimes unsure how to make their positions clear, much less how to make them convincing; and a lot of these people get mad at each other, at least off and on.

Here again Tillich can help. As I try to explain in the rest of the book, his thought points a way through these conflicts and confusions. It shows how there is a lot to be said for each of the three positions in the debate. And his thought shows how there is a lot more to be said for holding those three positions together - for holding them together in a grand perspective that reconceives and reconciles them all, and that just might be able to reconcile a lot of the people who get caught up in the syndrome I have tried to describe."

PH Addendum

The reader may wonder, "What is a syndrome?" A syndrome is usually related to medical terminology. A definition of a syndrome would be:

A syndrome is a group of symptoms that collectively indicate or characterize a disease, psychological disorder or other abnormal condition.

Is the "recurrent syndrome" that Rob mentions a disease, psychological disorder or just an abnormal condition? PH does sort of like the term "Mellow Moderates." Maybe a larger question might be, Is Jerry Falwell likely to read Tillich or Rob's book? I don't think that PH will be reading any of Jerry's books.

Addendum, 4/06/03

To All:

We all learned this morning that our long time friend Mel Torstrick has completed his earthly life. Mel was a long time member of RRCB. When PH first began doing consulting work at the Foreign Mission Board (now the International Mission Board) in 1974, Mel was among the first at the FMB to befriend PH. We all feel the emotional pain of Mel's loss and extend our thoughts and prayers to Shirley and their children. For those who might wish to send personal thoughts Shirley's address is:

400 Avinger Lane
Apt. 358
Davidson, NC
28036

A memorial service for Mel is scheduled on Saturday, April 12th at 11 AM in the RRCB Sanctuary. Following the service a luncheon is planned in the Fellowship Hall. Members of the SSBSC are advised to bring generous portions of pasta salad for the luncheon.

In the months just prior to moving to Davidson Mel and Shirley were in regular attendance at Julia's Tuesday Night Club dinners at Shoney's. On their last night in attendance in September 2002, PH took the photo attached.

Poor Henry's Archives

March 28, 2003
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March 13, 2003
March 6, 2003
February 27, 2003
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February 13, 2003
February 6, 2003
January 30, 2003
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January 16, 2003
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December 26, 2002
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