05/25/04

Dear Beulah Church Saints –

Grace and Peace to all of you on this beautiful Tuesday morning.

As many of you with children and youth who are still a part of your household, today is the last day of school for Jefferson County Public Schools. You may hear a collective sigh from our children, youth, and our many teachers and school staff (of which we have many as part of our Beulah family). Congratulations to all those children and youth who are moving on to the next grade, and to our teachers and district employees for their service to our young people this past academic year. May all of you have a blessed and restful summer.

Last Sunday in worship we recognized our graduates, and we praise and thank God for empowering these youth and adults for their achievements:

Kyle Vaughn / University of Louisville / Justice Administration
Laura Pierce / University of Louisville / Bachelor of Arts in English/Humanities Minor
Christina Puffer / Tulane University / Master of Architecture (Chris is the daughter of Marie Fledderman, sister to Megan Puffer)
Cindy Bunnell / Indiana University / Bachelor of Psychology
Elizabeth Jones / University of Louisville / Bachelor or Arts/Liberal Studies / (daughter of Cathey Jones, granddaughter of Jim & Mary Fox)

Ben Watson / Manual High School / off to Western Kentucky University
Keith Haag / Seneca High School
Andrew Flowers / St. X High School / off to Speed School at the University of Louisville
Suzanne Saint – Opportunities for Success/Floyd Central High School
Kris Gellhaus / North Bullitt High School (son of Keith and Ann Gellhaus)

For our prayer list this day and this week, please bring before God these persons and concerns:

Bob Denney is recovering from his pacemaker procedure, and I plan to see Bob later today or tomorrow. His voice sounds good and strong. Bob and Nancy often travel to Florida during the winter, but have been here for most of this year.
Cliff Stout is coming along with his toe healing.
Jimmy Fox should be coming home today from the VA (he was there for some respite care, a rest for his wife Mary)
Jill McLaughlin should be coming home from University Hospital. Jill is one of our preschool teachers who is recovering from major surgery. Jill had a set back last week with a blood clot, which was thankfully found in time.
Susan Ryan reports that her friends, Robin and Todd Corbett are back home with twin boys, whom they adopted from an adoption agency in the Ukraine. The birth mother for these twin boys was in her later 40’s, and this was her 11th pregnancy!
Greta Ford, Melanie Magruder’s sister, did have successful lung cancer surgery, and we are waiting now on pathology results of the surrounding tissue.
For the people of Iraq, our servicemen and women, our chaplains – all who live there and all who are now serving there to help bring about a free and democratic land – and our leaders who are working toward this goal – in the face of terrorism and violence.

Last Sunday in worship I preached on the last two chapters of Revelation, and in effect “took on” the underlying theological claims behind the “Left Behind” series of novels - over 62 million copies have been sold thus far. In the sermon I used the phrase “Why Left Behind should be left behind.” Revelation, though scary, contains a message of hope for us and for all the world. The God whom we know is Jesus Christ is not a God who “leaves people behind” – but a God who loves and saves and welcomes all who ask and who turn to God for help. The sermon is now on the web page (thanks to our web master Leanne Harris) so check it out if you missed it.

This Sunday is the Day of Pentecost, and we will celebrate the anointing of the Holy Spirit on the men and women of the early church. The first lesson is Genesis 11:1-9 – the story of the Tower of Babel, when humankind in our arrogance thought we could build a tower up to heaven and be ourselves like God – and then God came down “and confused their language.” The second text is the traditional one from Acts 2 – when the Spirit falls upon the gathered disciples, and how those from many different cultures and languages there in Jerusalem “each heard in their own language the mighty acts of God.” Pentecost reverses Babel – the Spirit of God changes confusion into understanding, and blesses diversity and inclusiveness, enabling all to hear of God’s acts in Jesus Christ.

Some of you may be doing some traveling for the upcoming Memorial Day weekend. If so, then safe journeys and traveling mercies be yours.

For the rest of us –remember that Sunday Worship is at 10:00 – yes, that’s 10:00 AM – and Sunday School precedes this at 9:00.

Sunday School at 9:00

Worship at 10:00

Grace and peace,

Ken Hockenberry

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