09/7/04 Dear Ones - Tuesday, September 7, 2004 – Labor Day Weekend is past, and here we are the day after the unofficial end of the summer. I know many of you were in town this past Sunday, and it was great to see so many out for worship – especially when a number of you told me that you would be gone over the weekend. For those who were gone, I hope your last “get away” long weekend was restful and enjoyable. Welcome back home! Here on the home front we had a wonderful worship service last Sunday. Shannon Meacham, our returning seminary student, preached a solid, and I feel excellent sermon – using the text from Jeremiah, how we are the clay in God’s hands – sometimes stubborn and hard to work with – but no matter what, God still works on us, molding us into the people God wants us to be. Even when the process is painful, even when evil is involved, God our Potter does not give up or loose patience, but works and works us into our own shape and size, as God sees fit. Toward the end of the celebration of the Lord’s Supper I was called out of the service for an emergency. Our own Pam Scott, ever faithful nursery care worker, was struggling to get her breath. Some thought she was having a heart attack. Susan Ryan was called in and performed CPR and mouth to mouth on Pam, as we waited for the paramedics to arrive. Pam was taken to Baptist East, and is now in the Cardiac Care Unit CCU. She is on a respirator, and as of this morning, the doctors are telling Joe and the family that her brain activity is very low, which means that, despite great efforts by Susan and the EMTs and the hospital staff, she suffered from a lack of oxygen to her brain during this episode. I will be going there again as soon as I finish this news (around 4:00 on Tuesday). Please keep Pam in your prayers – she is not responsive; she is not in pain. Pray for Joe, and their children David and John, daughters-in-law, Mimmi and Lynn, sister Karen Johnson, niece Melissa Spalding, close friend and “adopted” niece Lori Nicholson, John and Katie Spalding, Taylor Moore – and the rest of the family and friends in this difficult time. Pray that they may know the promises of God, the presence of the Holy Spirit, and that through it all, both they and Pam are “held underneath by the everlasting arms” – Dt.33:27 – RSV Here in your church community there are a whole lot of ministry and mission opportunities gearing up – something just for you: Wednesday Night Program begins
this Wednesday, September 8 – and that’s tomorrow. The after school
LinX “Living In Christ” program continues for middle and high school
youth, right after school is out. Supper begins at 5:30 (reservations are needed,
so please email right away – terry@beulahprebyterian.com Children’s
Choir for 3rd to 5th grades begins at 6:00, Kid’s Club (K to 2nd grade) also
at 6:00; Open Gym and Homework time for youth, and at 6:45 a Middle and High School
Bible Study. I will be leading a class on “Being a Christian in a Diverse
World” – a look at our diverse religious landscape in our country and
around the world, also beginning at 6:00. Chancel Choir beings at 7:00. I hope
many of you will take advantage of this opportunity to grow in your faith, to
sing, to encourage children in their faith development – and be a part of
our expanding Wednesday Night Program – each Wednesday night, September 8
to November 17th. Hoping to see many of your Wednesday – and many as well on Saturday, and even more on Sunday, I remain, Yours in Christ, Ken H. |