Vol. 3, # 5, Sept. 10, 2004

Pastor Mike to Climb the Seven Steps

This Sunday around 11:30 AM the Reverend Doctor Michael Clingenpeel will climb the seven steps to our pulpit for the first time as our pastor. In River Road Church's fifty-ninth year of existence, Pastor Mike will become our fifth pastor. As he symbolically stated in this week's Spire, he and Vivian have been repotted and hope to grow new life giving roots and shed the older unnecessary roots of their previous life style. Our congregation is fortunate to have a new pastor with pastoral, writing and administrative experience. We should all be nourished by and nourishing to our new pastor and his family.

Teacher Bob Will Start Samuel

Believe it or not in two years we have completed two series of Catacombs lectures and the Gospel of John and are ready to begin Samuel I and II. I Samuel has thirty-one chapters and II Samuel has twenty-four chapters for a total of fifty-five chapters. John had twenty-one chapters. You figure. Will it take us 5.238 years to complete I and II Samuel?

Teacher Bob sent PH the following explanation about our next study.

Henry, here is the information about Sunday for the PHA: The class will begin its new study of the Old Testament books of I and II Samuel this Sunday with teacher Bob Shepherd back in the teacher's chair at the head of the circular table. The focus this Sunday will be on an introduction to the books with a discussion of its dating, where they may have been written, who the probable author or authors may be, and the theological perspectives and themes in the books. Bob

Prayer Rounds

John Gordon is recovering from appendectomy surgery. John had never been in a hospital in his life. In fact he was not even born in a hospital. PH wonders if he was born in a stable.

Phil Hart had a heart attack, apparently had stents placed in some of his coronary arteries and is responding to treatment.

Anne and Rob James have a new granddaughter. PH received the following message from the grandparents:

"Note of Aug 29 from the dad, Andrew Butcher, husband of Sara James Butcher, whose parents are Anne and Rob James

Jacqueline Elizabeth Butcher arrived on August 28 at 4.14am. She weighed 5lbs 15 1/2oz and was perfect, if I may say so myself. Sophie was delighted to meet her new sister and immediately whipped off her top to see if she could match Mom/Mum in breast-feeding prowess.

Jacqueline has spent today (the 29th) getting a suntan under some bright lights after developing jaundice (apparently because she got my blood and it disagrees with Sara's Type O-positive). And she hasn't done much eating, instead preferring to sleep off the epidural and the 23-hour labor, so she won't be coming home on schedule."

Marian Nase, granddaughter of Charlotte and Bill Simpson, is home from the hospital and Sarah Newcomb, daughter of Judy and Dick Morris, is home.

Remember in your prayers John Gordon, Phil Hart, Jacqueline Elizabeth Butcher, Marian and Catherine Nase, Sarah Newsome, Donald and Barbara Deer, Carolyn and Ransone Hartz, Audrey Thomson, Sheila Komito, Sharon Ruben, Jared Oliver, Cecil and Dot Sherman, Rick and Linda Mears, Julia Tyler and her parents, Mary and Julian Pentecost, Kay and Bob Culpepper, John and Margaret Oliver, Mike and Vivian Clingenpeel, the Church staff, our military and civilians in harm's way, and those only known to you. We should also remember in our prayers family and friends who may be living in Florida.

Remember Our Next Mission Project

Warm winter coats for children ages infant to seventeen
Diapers for infants and adults
October 1 to October 31 (Boo)
Questions to: Charlotte and Bill Simpson (285-3185)

Also make plans to attend our fall social at the home of Carolyn and George Thomas on Saturday, October 16, 2004; Social hour from 6 PM to 7 PM and dinner at 7 PM.

PHA Gossip from a Classified Informant

"Pastor Emeritus. Jim Slatton confirmed that he was soon to become interim pastor at Farmville Baptist Church when we spoke at the reception after church Sunday. He should have ample opportunities to do good work in Farmville. Farmville is flooded with Presbyterians who need to discover a better way."

"Cecil Sherman preaches his first sermon as interim of Westhampton Baptist Church on Sunday, September 19th."

Should the Men of RRCB Create a Spiritual Watering Hole?

PH noticed in this week's Spire that the "women of RRCB" are invited to a relaxing garden party to cultivate spiritual gifts. Maybe the real men of RRCB should start a spiritual watering hole. A variety of spirits could be offered and we could possibly meet in the house recently purchased by the church just north of the north parking lot and then the house would have a purpose for spiritual fermenting. We could call it "Alice's Restaurant."

Jane and Susan Celebrate Birthdays

Jane Vaughn will be twenty-nine on this Sunday and Susan Gordon will be twenty-nine on next Saturday, September 18. Courtney and Don Bunn will celebrate sixteen years of marriage today.

Are Donald Deer and Pastor Crockett for Real?

PH learned last Tuesday at the Tuesday Night Club that Jane and Norm Vaughn are sometimes confused as to the real or fictional existence of Donald Deer and Pastor Crockett. The Vaughn's are relatively new members of the SSBSC. Apparently they were not sure if Donald Deer was a real person or a figment of PH's imagination. Those present offered ample testimony that Donald Deer is for real. Only PH can share personal witness encounters with Pastor Crockett.

Some Words of Wisdom from Donald Deer from December 1997

How Best to Use the Bible

I. First the "bad news," that is, a half dozen wrong ways of using the Bible

1. Making it into a fetish.
2. Using some particular verse from a single version of the Bible to prove some particular doctrine.
3. Using the Bible to proof-text our already formulated positions.
4. Pretending that the Bible has a direct answer to all our problems.
5. Pretending to agree with the Bible when we don't.
6. Attempting to defend the Bible.

II. After the "bad news," now the good news, that is, a half dozen right ways of using the Bible

1. Remembering wherein the authority of the Bible lies.
2. Reading the Bible in order to discover God's will for us.
3. Reading the Bible in a version that is both accurate and readable.
4. Remembering, however, that our Bible reading should not only be private. The Bible itself is the product of the church, and should be read in the context of community.
5. Remembering what the Bible is and is not: above all, we will do well to remember that the Bible is not an end in itself; it serves to bring us closer to God. The Bible is dynamic, not static.
6. Finally, being willing to appropriate what we read. Paul said to his readers in Corinth:
   "You yourselves are the letter we have, written on our hearts for everyone to know and read. It is clear that Christ himself wrote this letter and sent it by us. It is written, not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, and not on stone tablets but on human hearts." (2 Corinthians chapter 3, verses 2 - 3)

Attached to this PHA is a photo of Barbara and Donald Deer. The photo was taken on June 27, 2003, when Barbara and Donald visited Richmond.

PH

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