Vol. III, # 44, June 10, 2005

The Catacombs Schedule Is Set

With wonderful work by Sheila Marsh the Catacombs Lectures for the Summer of 2005 are scheduled and will include the following:

Chris Lindbloom will begin the lectures this year on July 10. Chris is a section leader in our Chancel Choir and an organist. He spoke to us last year and this year will continue with three lectures. His topics are as follows:

July 10th: Hymnology 101 - Everything on the page.
July 17th: Why We Do What We Do - Part II - The historical / theological / liturgical roots of worship at RRCB.
July 24th: The Counter-Cultural Church, Since that is what some think we are now

Rob James will give two lectures this year beginning on July 31 and continuing on August 7. His topic is:

Where Jesus Sounds Like the Book of Revelation: The Synoptic
Apocalypse, Mark 13=Matt 24=Luke 21

Brenda and PH will have one presentation on August 14. The topic will be the HBO film "Warm Springs" or:

Warm Springs - What's Fact and What's Fiction

We will have a new lecturer on August 21. Retired University of Richmond professor Lynn Dickerson will speak to us on the topic:

Religion in American Literature.

BTSR President Tom Graves will complete the Catacombs this year with two lectures

August 28 - "The End Is Near: The Christian and End Of Life Issues"

September 4 - "The End Is Near: The Christian and a Philosophy of History"

This seems like an outstanding group of lectures. We have a very qualified musician, a retired religion professor, a retired English professor, a leading seminary president and a village shrink with his lady for all seasons. Spread the word and may we fill all the seats in the Elizabeth B. Wilson Multipurpose Municipal Auditorium.

The Fall Social Will Be An Old Fashioned Hymn Sing

Shepsons Charlotte and Bill reported to PH the following:

Please save the date of September 24th on your calendar.

On that date, Doug and Janet Moyers have agreed to host our most wonderful hymn sing/gospel sing fall 2005 class social.

Charlotte has urged me to assure Janet that class members will bring ALL of the food and utensils. Hosting this very special occasion is contribution enough without Janet and Doug having to worry about the food, too.

May I say Ya-hoo and then Ya-hoo again!

Charlotte and Bill (PH - I cannot imagine Charlotte saying "Yahoo and Yahoo again.")

Prayer Rounds

Board of Missions Chair Diane Shoemake has requested that we remember the family of Wyatt Heisler.

"Wyatt Heisler's mother passed away over the weekend. She had been in very poor health, and Wyatt had moved her to a facility here in Richmond. The service and burial were today (Wednesday) at the small home place in the Staunton area.

Please remember this family in your prayers."

Diane

Also, many will remember Willie and Kathy Reams. Willie died a few years ago and Kathy died this past Tuesday after being in hospice care. Kathy was a former head nurse at St. Mary's Hospital.

Chester Phelps' Mother, Louise Phelps, died on June 3 after a long illness. We will remember Chester and his family at this time.

Remember in your prayers: Wyatt Heisler and her family, Chester Phelps and his family, the family of Kathy Reams, Norm and Jane Vaughn and the family of Edna Vaughn, Sandra Sizemore's Great Aunt Myrtle Kurz and the family of Myrtle Kurz, John Curtis, the family of Deborah Marsh, Philip and Shanna Davis, Kathy Wade's Missionary friend John Seale, Arlene and Cecil Perry, Audrey Thomson's sister Sharon Ruben and Sharon's family, Jared Oliver, Charlotte Ladd, Kirk Dadisman, B. J. Seymour, the VCU BSU, Cecil and Dot Sherman, Julia Tyler and her parents, Kay and Bob Culpeper, the Church clergy and the church staff. Prayers should also be offered for our military and civilians in harm's way and for those only known to you.

Ed Pruden Remembers Some Witty Words From His Father

Dear Henry,

"Your reference to the folks with June birthdays being born in the bicentennial year of 1976 reminded me of something funny my dad said that year. He had a particularly miserable and long-lasting head cold. After a couple of weeks, he said it was his Bicentennial Cold because he had had it for 200 years!" Ed

Heading to the Riva on Next Saturday.

Remember that our Riva Summer Social is next Saturday, June 18, at Shepson Beth and her brother's Rappahannock River home. You should know the details of this event. If you need directions, here they are:

Take I-64 east. At Exit 220 take Route 33 to West Point (in Virginia, not Norm Vaughn's alma mater).
Continue on Route 33 to Saluda.
Continue on Route 33 seven more miles, passing Christ Church School, and turn left onto Route 3. Beware of low flying planes.
Cross the Rappahannock River Bridge. This is a two mile bridge. Drivers, watch the road and not the water.
After crossing the bridge turn right at the first paved road (Shady Lane). You will see a service station.
Go about a half-mile to end of the road.
Turn right onto Beach Road and go about a half-mile. You will see a large white house on the right with a sign that reads "Cool Spring, The Gathering Place."
When you get out of your car or van, you will be at the Riva.

Teacher Bob Will Finish First Samuel This Sunday

Teacher Bob has essentially promised that we will finish First Samuel this Sunday. First Samuel was like a nine month pregnancy. The PHA of last September described the conception of First Samuel as reported on September 10, 2004. In that PHA, the following words appeared:

"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 "

PH: At this rate we should finish Second Samuel by next Spring. Now, how many of you remember the dating of First Samuel, where it may have been written and the probable author or authors?

Three Shepson Birthdays and Anniversaries Next Week

Send birthday greetings and congratulations to these Shepsons;

Monday - June 13 - Don Bunn - twenty-nine years old
Thursday - June 16 - Margaret Oliver - twenty-nine years old
Friday - June 17 - Sherrill Judd - twenty-nine years old

Monday, June 13, 1959 - forty-six years - Anne and Rob James
Tuesday, June 14, 1969 – thirty-six years - George and Kitty Davis
Friday, June 17, 1967 - thirty-eight years - Margaret and Chester Phelps

Holy Mysteries

God keeps His holy mysteries
Just on the outside of man's dream;
In diapason slow, we think
To hear their pinions rise and sink,
While they float pure beneath His eyes,
Like swans along a stream.

Abstractions, are they, from the forms
Of His great beauty: - exaltations
From His great glory? - strong previsions
Of what we shall be? - intuitions
Of what we are - in calms and storms
Beyond our peace and passions?

Things nameless! which, in passing so,
Do stroke us with a subtle grace;
We say, "Who passes?" - they are dumb;
We cannot see them go or come,
Their touches fall soft, cold, as snow
Upon a blind man's face.

Yet, touching so they draw above
Our common thoughts to Heaven's unknown;
Our daily joy and pain advance
To a divine significance,
Our human love - O mortal love,
That light is not its own.!

Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806 - 1861)

PH

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