# 37, April 11, 2003

Encountering Evil

PHA is late in reaching your computer because of an act of God. Last night PH went to the Modern Theological Discussion Group at church. The topic of discussion was Encountering Evil, a book edited by Stephen T. Davis. During the midst of this meeting, thunder and lightening occurred and a part of the church lost power. The organ would not work and choir practice was shortened. Former Shepson George Davis gallantly checked out the elevator for PH. In this process he was briefly trapped on the elevator. Those of us in the vicinity heard him banging on the elevator door. George was able to open the door and free himself without the need for intercessory prayer. When PH and Brenda arrived at home, there was no power in our house and PH's computer was not operating. Thus, a form of natural evil (thunder and lightening or God's shock and awe) has delayed PHA # 37.

Chapter Seven Is Here

In PHA # 28 of February 6, PH wrote the following words:

"It is difficult to believe but Teacher Bob is scheduled to begin the sixth chapter of John this Sunday. This is a long chapter with 71 verses. How many Sundays will it take to get from the feeding of the five thousand to calling Judas a devil? PH would never hazard a guess."

Now PH knows as we finished chapter six last Sunday, April 6. Of course it is not unusual for Teacher Bob to occasionally review, but it is fairly safe to write that Teacher Bob will begin John, chapter seven on this Palm Sunday. If this is true, then it took us two months to do chapter six; admittedly three Sundays were devoted to other causes. Thus we covered chapter six in six Sundays. That is an average of about twelve verses per Sunday. Not too bad for the SSBSC.

The rumor cycle indicates that the class will sing "Nearer My God to Thee" on page 351 on this Sunday morning.

In Memory of Mel

Former Shepson the Reverend Melvin Eugene Torstrick's memorial service will be held at 11 AM tomorrow morning in the sanctuary of RRCB. Pastor Emeritus Dr. James Slatton will conduct the service. Following the service, a luncheon will be held in the Fellowship Hall. Members of the SSBSC are requested to bring generous portions of pasta salad for this occasion. PH has printed below the obituary for Mel that appeared in the Richmond Times Dispatch.

Rev. Melvin Eugene Torstrick, 75, of Davidson, N.C., and formerly of Richmond, Va, died April 6, 2003 at Lake Norman Regional Medical Center. Rev. Torstrick was born on May 6, 1927, in Louisville, Ky. He graduated from Georgetown College, and held degrees from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, as well as a master's degree in gerontology from Virginia Commonwealth University. After service as a chaplain with the U.S. Navy (attached to the Marine Corps) in Korea, and a pastorate in Kentucky, Mel spent over 40 years with the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, including 11 years of missionary service in Chile. Following retirement, he served as interim minister for several churches in the Richmond area, and as volunteer coordinator for the Interfaith Housing Corporation. Mel is survived by his loving wife of 54 years, Shirley Lee Torstrick of Davidson; his sister, Shirley Earle of Louisville, Kentucky; his three children and their equally beloved spouses, Brian Torstrick and his wife Kim of Newburgh, Ind., Terri Carnes and her husband John of Corvallis, Ore. and Brent Torstrick and his wife Leah of Charlotte N.C.; and by six granddaughters Kara Mackey and her husband Jay, Erin Torstrick, Kristin Carnes, Brittany Carnes, Reese Torstrick and Maggie Torstrick. The family will receive visitors on Thursday, April 10, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Pines at Davidson, and a memorial service will be held on Saturday, April 12 at 11 a.m. at River Road Church, Baptist, in Richmond, Va. Memorial gifts may be made to The Pines at Davidson, 400 Avinger Lane, Davidson, North Carolina 28036, or to the building fund at River Road Church, Baptist, 8000 River Road, Richmond, Va. 23229. Published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch on 4/9/2003.

Because of Mel and Shirley's regular attendance at Julia's Tuesday Night Club, PH has fond memories of Mel recalling his experiences in Korea as a military chaplain during the Korean War. Mel's photo at his last Julia's Tuesday Night Club dinner is attached. Words cannot honor Mel enough. He was a faithful follower of Christ.

Missionary Bill Simpson Confesses

As we are nearing the end of Lent, Missionary Bill confesses to gluttony. He wrote PH the following:

"Bill Simpson had dessert four times Tuesday and acknowledges that he has sinned against his stomach and his pants size. Just kidding." Bill

Prayer Rounds

Donna Brown has asked that the name of her college roommate, Kim Dodson, of Fairfax, Virginia, be added to the class prayer list. Kim has uterine cancer and a surgical procedure Monday confirmed that the malignancy has spread dangerously.

Charlotte Ladd feels that her back problems have become a chronic condition instead of an emergency condition. She thanks the class for its prayers and asks that her name be removed from the class prayer list.

Last Saturday PH received an E-mail from Linda Mears. The letter speaks for itself.

"Dear Henry, I just got Rick home from the hospital today. His surgery went pretty well, but his left side of his face is now paralyzed. They do not know if the nerves will repair themselves or if this will be forever. It is also affecting the left side of his throat, so for the next two weeks, he can't eat anything he can't suck through a straw. At that point we go back for another swallowing evaluation from the ENT doctor. They had to take a vein from his leg and do a bypass in his neck around the area where the aneurysm was. He also had to remove a piece of the skull bone behind his ear to get to it, so he is cut
from behind his ear down to his collar bone. We both want to thank you and the class for your prayers, past, present and future. Please also continue to pray for our son, Richard in the army. May God richly bless you," Linda

Remember in your prayers the Torstrick family, Donna's friend Kim Dodson, Charlotte Ladd, Dot and Cecil Sherman, the Mears Family, Terry Marsh's parents, the Manor Bible Study Class, the Church Staff, the Pastor's Search Committee, those in peril and pain in Iraq, and those known only to you.

ISH Easter Basket Campaign

All Shepsons have two days to get those Easter baskets to class. The absolute deadline for the ISH Easter Baskets is noon on this Sunday.

Margaret Phelps Is Twenty-nine Today.
PH Hopes that Chester Remembers.

Are You Ready for Holy Week?

The pilgrimage from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday is filled with drama. It begins with triumph leading to a New Covenant, betrayal, despair, unjust accusations and an unfair trial and fear and denial. Jesus did not defend himself nor did others. The darkness of Maundy Thursday and the cruel physical death of Friday afternoon are transformed when the women find the empty tomb on Sunday morning. For Christians there is no greater event in history.

We will be starting John, chapter seven, on this Palm Sunday. Ironically there are words by Jesus in this chapter that allude to Holy Week. The chapter opens with a family disagreement. Jesus' brothers (at least half brothers) want him to become more public and go to Judea, perform some signs and become well known. They want him to attend the Jewish Festival of the Shelters. Jesus responds, "The right time for me has not yet come. Any time is right for you. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me, because I keep telling it that its ways are bad. You go on to the festival. I am not going to this festival, because the right time has not come for me."

Poor Henry's Archives

April 4 , 2003
March 28, 2003
March 21, 2003
March 13, 2003
March 6, 2003
February 27, 2003
February 20, 2003
February 13, 2003
February 6, 2003
January 30, 2003
January 23, 2003
January 16, 2003
January 9, 2003
January 2, 2003
December 26, 2002
December 19, 2002
December 12, 2002
December 5, 2002