Vol. 2, # 19, Dec. 19, 2003

The Paraclete

Teacher Bob will try to teach us about the Paraclete this Sunday. What in the world is the paraclete? PH went to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary on line and found the following:

Etymology: Middle English Paraclyte, from Late Latin Paracletus, Paraclitus, from Greek ParaklEtos, literally, advocate, intercessor, from parakalein to invoke, from para- + kalein to call Date: 15th century
: HOLY SPIRIT

Thus it would seem that Teacher Bob will discuss the Holy Spirit or even more spooky, the Holy Ghost (KJB). Bob promises to start around verse 16 of the fourteenth chapter of John.

Shepsons Party In Grand Style

Another successful Christmas Social was held last Saturday night at the spacious and well-decorated home of Carolyn and George Thomas. Despite the threat of snow and ice weather Shepsons of all ages were in abundance, including some folks from the far west sections of Lakewood Manor. Everyone contributed an ample supply of food and drink. The Thomas' ramp worked beautifully for the third year in succession and this act of extraordinary help made it possible for PH to enjoy all aspects of this fine party. The evening was concluded with familiar Christmas carols with Shepson Anne James at the keyboard.

Another Social Will Bring In the New Year

On Wednesday evening, December 31st, the annual New Year's Eve Watch will begin at 9 PM and conclude some time after midnight on January 1st. This will be the fifth annual social at Brenda and PH's home at 301 Westham Pkwy, only a half mile from church in the northerly direction. Turn off River Road going north on Westham Pkwy and go one-half mile to the corner of Lakewood and Westham Pkwy on the right. You be there. Eighteen have already signed up for this learning experience. There will be some food and drink, games, and the annual trivia quiz.

The Duffel Bag Campaign Begins in 2004

SSBSC Missionaries Charlotte and Bill have already started accumulating duffel bags for our class' January mission project. After the Christmas holidays are behind us we will turn our attention to one of our many worthy causes.

Shepson Bill Has A Classified Ad Below

NOW HIRING.

1. Person(s) to co-ordinate the class participation in the Easter Basket campaign, March 7-April 4, 2004.

2. Person(s) to co-ordinate the class participation in the Hull Street shelter dinner on May 7, 2004.

HEAVENLY BENEFITS AND SALARIES.

PH Comment: PH wonders by what authority can Shepson Bill offer the benefits of HEAVEN? PH hopes these benefits include Unmanaged Heaven Health Insurance and liability insurance against Satan.

Kay Culpepper Is Back at Lakewood Manor

Kay Culpepper has been discharged from the hospital and is in the Healthcare section of Lakewood Manor. This whole process continues to be a difficult time for Kay and Bob.

Prayer Rounds:

Remember in your prayers Kay and Bob Culpepper, the family of Stuart Oliver, Julia Tyler's parents, Donald Deer, Dot and Cecil Sherman, Chester's parents, the Church staff, the Pastor's Search Committee, the Denominational Affairs Committee, the least among us (especially those fellow citizens in CARITAS) and those only known to you.

Board of Missions Update

Teacher Bob provided PH with the latest BOM update from David Gulick

OFFICERS. Last Sunday we elected Board of Missions officers for 2004:

Chair: Diane Shoemake
Vice-Chair: Cindy Harris
Secretary: Teacher Bob
Treasurer: Norma Hays

MISSION ACTIVITIES FOLLOW UP. For the follow up this Sunday
with our Sunday School Classes on mission activities for next year, there will
be copies of the Missions Update and the material we used in
November as a refresher. These will be located on the table at the main
entrance from the back parking lot on Sunday morning. Please make
note of any ideas or interests that the class has and pass them along
to me. A couple of the classes may have already passed on their
ideas. I will compile and bring to our January meeting. Below is a
list of the class responsibilities from November. If you cannot be
there, please give me a call (327-7530), or arrange to do it on the
next Sunday, Dec. 21.

Friendship: Nancy Anderson
Journey: Norma Hays
Shepherd/Simpson: Bob Shepherd
Seekers: David Gulick
Rueben Allen: Warren Johnson
Discussion: Bill Rusher
Life: Rob Taylor
Explorers: Letty Wood
Lydia: Judy Morris
Fellowship: Mary Pankey
Robert Smart: Lee Bradley
20 Somethings: Carolyn Seward
Choir: David Gulick

PH Comment: Who determined that twenty-nine year old Judy Morris would be responsible for the Lydia Class? It must have been the Holy Ghost or Judy simply volunteered. Just last week at the Christmas Social Judy was serving PH bread and Virginia wine.

We Do CARITAS Tonight

Tonight a number of Shepsons will provide a meal and social interaction for some of the least among us. Over the years PH has had a number of patients who have benefited from CARITAS. Except for a few often unexplained differences, any of these folks could be any of us or vice versa. One of my former patients once told me that RRCB had a nice facility and good food and was one of the best churches among the "white" churches. If you are not actively involved with CARITAS, come by and visit these people tonight.

Last Year's PHA Before Christmas Reported the Following:

Two Birthdays and an Anniversary at Christmas Time

Ellie Cox will turn 29 years old on Christmas Eve and Betty Damon will reach the same age on December 26. Would you believe that a mathematician and a schoolteacher would marry on the day after Christmas? Was this planned? Is there an objective witness? The date was December 26, 1959. On that date Judy and Dick Morris married. Any witnesses to this event may report to PH by E-mail, postal mail, telephone, and in person. Well, this year (2003) Ellie is still twenty-nine and so is Betty.

And in the Next PHA Was the Eyewitness Answer:

Eyewitness to the Judy/Dick Marriage of December 26, 1959 Reports:

Judy and Dick Morris were married in Park View Baptist Church (overlooking the lake at Byrd Park) on the day after Christmas in 1959. The rehearsal dinner was on Christmas Day. Allegedly this was the only available time to marry as Dick had to return to Alabama to graduate school and took his new bride with him. The eyewitness who reported to PH is this same bride who seemed to have the glitter of youthful joy in her eyes as she told PH about this Christmas Story of forty-three (now forty-four) years ago.

What Do You Think of Mary?

The Christmas Season includes a range of feelings from mysticism, wonder, hope, joy, and expectation. How much of the story told in Matthew and Luke is true and how much is legend? Perhaps more than any other story, Mary's story, as told in Luke, captivates more of the human potential than any other story. It is a story of contrasts and ironies. Some Christians today consider a young woman with no status as the Mother of God. A man who happens to be descended genetically to King David is Jesus' father, but we have no DNA evidence to substantiate this probability. The iconoclastic Jesus seminar voted 96% to 4% that Jesus was conceived by human sexual intercourse and half of them believe that Joseph was Jesus' father. Some think that Jesus was illegitimate. Do any of these unanswered questions really distract or reduce what Jesus preached, taught and did? PH thinks not. The birth of Jesus contains all of the vulnerabilities of any birth in history, including births today. The visitors to this new born king include the lowly shepherds and the wealthier wise men. Some scholars believe that Matthew and Luke originally began in chapter 3 of both gospels and the birth narratives came later sometime in the early second century. Does that really matter?

Some feel that the story told in Luke came originally from Mary. Who else would have the memory or the emotion to tell such a story? One thing seems for sure and that is Luke is a great story teller and either a perceptive listener and/or a great physician of the human condition. The Jesus Seminar writes the following about the Elizabeth/Mary story.

"Luke's portrayal of Jesus and John as relatives is his way of christianizing John and the Baptist movement. Another way of linking the two persons and movements is to have Mary visit Elizabeth. Rather than simply narrating the two births sequentially, Luke has entwined the two stories as a symbolic entwining of the two lives. The result is a symmetrical structure in which the two stories lead up to and then devolve away from Mary's visit to Elizabeth. Viewed as a whole, Luke's infancy story has this finely balanced structure:

1 John's genealogy
2 Annunciation of John's birth
3 Annunciation of Jesus' birth
4 Visit of Mary to Elizabeth: the fulcrum of the two stories
5 John's miraculous birth
6 Jesus' miraculous birth
7 Jesus' genealogy

The two annunciations are "diptychs" - two panels linked by a common theme - and the two miraculous birth stories are similar diptychs, while the genealogies serve as the non-narrative frame enclosing the whole. Mary's visit to Elizabeth is the fulcrum of the two finely balanced parts. These features indicate that Luke was a consummate storyteller."

Often Luke can understand the feelings of the sinner, minorities and those of little value. Luke's story of the birth of Jesus is a woman's story and PH feels that woman was likely Mary.

"But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart." (Luke 2:19 - KJB)

"And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them; but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart." (Luke 2:51 - KJB)

An artist depiction of Mary kissing Jesus is attached.

If nothing else in this PHA, you learned about "paraclete" and "diptychs."

Have a joyful holiday and PH hopes to see you Wednesday night for a Christ Mass.

PH

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