Good Morning - How is that Daylight Savings Time working our for you?
Social Stuff:
Jane and I went to a bicycling event downtown at MotoMuseum located near Lindell and Olive. We had never heard of it before and didn't know it even existed, but its a museum for motorcycles from many manufactures and time periods. It contained quite a few interested motorcycles and its worth you time if you enjoy motorcycles. We were there because Trailnet was having their annual spring Chili diner. Trailnet is a influential and growing force in the St. Louis area dedicated to improving the conditions for bicycling. Most of the bike trails you see in the St. Louis area are the result, to varying degrees, of the efforts put forth by Trailnet. Trailnet also sponsors various bicycle rides through out the year and they do a good job with the organization and routes of the rides. I believe Trailnet is a positive factor in the St. Louis community and I have been a member for several years now and if you are interested I'd recommend you check them out at Trailnet.org.
Koinonia Sunday School Class:
Attendees: Alan and Teresa Schlobohm, Bill Nichols, Betty Caswell, Cindie Jones, Suzanne Lyons, Bob Hardcastle, Jane and Terry Pursley
Prayers were requested for:
1. The Vogt family who is traveling in Canada.
2. Amanda Vogt and her health issues.
3. Bill's nephew Doug who continues to deal with Leukemia issues.
Material Studied: Chapter 28 of the Book of Acts.
Chapter 28 is the final chapter in Acts, and it describes the final travels of Paul and his initial activities in Rome. In Chapter 27 we had seen where Paul and the ships crew transporting Paul had struggled with a terrible storm at sea and had finally grounded their ship on the island of Malta. Paul and his fellow passengers were treated well by the local people and has usual Paul spent time preaching the Good News to them. While on Malta the scriptures describe an event where Paul is bitten by a snake that evidently would have caused the death of a person. the people surrounding Paul waited for him to swell and die but nothing of the sort happen. Paul felt no ill effects of the snake's bite and went about his daily routine. The on-lookers were amazed and the scriptures indicated they began to believe Paul was a "God". This view of Paul became even stronger when Paul began healing seriously ill people on the island and once again Paul struggled with convincing the people that he was not a God but that God was working through him.
Eventually, another ship stopped at Malta and was able to transport Paul and the other passengers to an Italian seaport whose roads led Paul and his group to Rome. While in Rome Paul is allowed to stay in private quarters with a Roman guard but Paul has much freedom to move around and meet various people. As a result Paul is able to preach and teach the Good News to Jews and Gentiles alike. The scripture indicates many of the Jews did not believe Paul's story which disturbed Paul who in turn preached the Good News to the local Gentiles. Paul has been preaching, teaching and healing in Rome for two years when the Chapter and the Book of Acts comes to and end.
In conclusion: The Book of Acts has provided a vivid narrative of the events of the early Christian Church immediately after the Crucifixion of Jesus. It illustrates the leadership to the Church provided by Peter at first and then transitions to the leadership and missionary skills of Paul. We learned Paul is led and protected by God as Paul performs his work and that God's plan was to protect Paul until Paul could arrive in Rome to preach the Gospel to the Roman social life. We indicated this God provided provided protection and guidance allowed the Good News to reach the greatest empire at that time (Rome) which in turn allowed the message to be spread throughout Europe, England, the United States and ultimately to us at Salem Church. This connection between Paul and Salem was noted and is something we should never forget.
Next: In four weeks the Koinonia Class will begin to study the Book of Romans which is the letter Paul writes to the people in Rome to explain the Christian faith, which is the understanding that will eventually migrate to us. Between now and then the Koinonia Class will undertake a unique experience.
The Koinonia Class will draft a letter to the people of "Ballwin" in much the same way as Paul wrote a letter to the Romans. In our case, this letter to "Ballwin" will be considerably shorter than the Book of Romans. The initial concept of the letter is for it to have four (4) basic parts.
First - An introduction explaining who Salem in Ballwin is,
Second - Explaining our Faith.
Third - Explaining what this Faith means to the people of Ballwin, and
Fourth - Inviting people to attend a special service on Memorial Day Sunday the 30th of May.
The publishing of the letter as well as the invitation and service will be done in accordance with the leadership of our pastor - Suzanne Lyons, but in general I am thinking the Memorial Sunday service would remember A) those who have given their lives for our Country, B) The parents of those who have given their lives for our country, and C) the sacrifice of Jesus giving his life for us with a special communion serviced offered in recognition of this sacrifice.
I sprung all of this on the class this morning and they are still trying to grasp the whole idea but the initial response was positive and for sure the class will be working on the letter that may be submitted to the Suburban Journal for publication. We'll see, but in the mean time we should have a good learning experience.
Jane and I will be not be in class the next two weeks but we will return on April 4, 2010 and so until then -
Have a Great Day and Enjoy Life!
Terry Pursley
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Monday, March 8, 2010
March 8, 2010
Good morning to all of you. I hope your week went well or you could at least see beyond the ruts!
Social Stuff:
Jane and I saw the movie Shutter Island and it was very good! The advertisements make the movie seem like it is going to be creepy but while there is some of that the overwhelming affect is a very good suspense story which will keep you engaged up until, and after, the last scene. We also went bike riding Saturday on the Katy Trail, starting at St. Charles, with my brother Jeff and his family. It was a good weather day and we enjoyed the day very much. The Trail was a little soft in spots and we had to ride around those places but all in all it was good. I was able to get my bike speed up to 16 mph and sustain it for a couple of miles and that was real good for me on my first outdoor ride of the year. I sang with the Chorus group at a Home called Rosewood just off Shuetz road and Lindbergh and we did well. I enjoy this sort of stuff! I went and visited my mother at Delmar Gardens yesterday and it had been a tough day for her. She is just having trouble seeing positive things in life right now and its difficult trying to help her.
Koinonia Sunday School Class:
Attendees: Alan and Teresa Schlobohm, Bill Nichols, Ginny Maas, Betty Caswell, Cyndie Jones, Suzanne Lyons, Jane and Terry Pursley.
Prayers were requested for:
1. Ginny's joy of having her daughter Karen safely returned from Australia where she evidently had a great time.
2. Salem Church in general for its on-going planning efforts.
3. Bill's nephew Doug who now has an infection along with his battle with Leukemia.
4. Bill's relative Drew Geison who also continues to deal with cancer issues.
5. Amanda Vogt's continued struggles with fatigue.
6. Cindies' mom Esther's continued health issues.
7. A joy as Cindie's son Andrew is now confirmed that he will become an Eagle Scout.
Lesson: Book of Acts - Chapter 27
As we near the end of the Book of Acts (Chapter 27 being the next to last Chapter) we find Paul on a ship headed for Rome. The ship seems to be a fairly large vessel since it carries about 276 people (crew and passengers) as well as a fairly large amount of cargo. Remember Paul is more or less a prisoner on this voyage being taken to Rome for a trial in front of Caesar. The voyage started out fairly well, but continued to experience stronger and stronger headwinds to a point where Paul recommended the ship be secured in the harbor until the storm passed. The Roman Guard and the Ship's captain did not listen to Paul however and decided to sail on. As they sailed the winds crew stronger and the seas rougher to the point that all on board began to fear for their life. Paul remained relatively calm because he had received assurance from God that they would be safe and with this assurance Paul attempted to keep the crew calm. However as the storm continued to mount the ship was forced out to sea and basically the Captain of the ship was forced to let the ship "run with the wind" which placed them way off course. Fear on board continued to mount in spite of Paul's efforts to the point that some of the sailors were beginning to make plans to abandon the ship. Paul upon seeing this advised the Roman guards that if the sailors were allowed to abandon the ship, all would perish. This time the Roman guards listen to Paul and kept the sailors from leaving. The next morning the ship spotting a coastline they did not recognize but the crew was desperate enough to go ahead and ground the ship on the land's coast which they did. Some of the Roman guards wanted to kill the prisoners because they were afraid the prisoners would escape, but the Roman Captain wanted to spare Paul and so the Captain let everyone escape to shore.
This is a very good adventure story and it is important to note Paul is NOT a sailor nor does he have much experience with sailing. What he did have was faith in God and this faith allowed Paul to conduct himself in a calm manner from which the ships crew could draw strength, even in this very difficult situation. The Lesson for us I would say is to "Trust God". I believe this "Trust in God" theme is consistent throughout the Bible. It is a message that we as Christians should continue to hold on to as we "sail" through our everyday lives with the troubles and challenges we all face. We should trust in God and act in ways that bring positive results to those around us. We should not add to the turmoil but rather bring a calm and peace that others can cling to. We are children of God and this passage encourages us to act like it!
That is it for this week. Next week we will close the Book of Acts and prepare to begin a study of Romans. We are going into Romans because as we close with Acts, it is to Rome that Paul is headed and it is from Rome that Paul will eventually write his classic theological summary.
In the meantime -
Have a Great Day and Enjoy Life!
Terry
Social Stuff:
Jane and I saw the movie Shutter Island and it was very good! The advertisements make the movie seem like it is going to be creepy but while there is some of that the overwhelming affect is a very good suspense story which will keep you engaged up until, and after, the last scene. We also went bike riding Saturday on the Katy Trail, starting at St. Charles, with my brother Jeff and his family. It was a good weather day and we enjoyed the day very much. The Trail was a little soft in spots and we had to ride around those places but all in all it was good. I was able to get my bike speed up to 16 mph and sustain it for a couple of miles and that was real good for me on my first outdoor ride of the year. I sang with the Chorus group at a Home called Rosewood just off Shuetz road and Lindbergh and we did well. I enjoy this sort of stuff! I went and visited my mother at Delmar Gardens yesterday and it had been a tough day for her. She is just having trouble seeing positive things in life right now and its difficult trying to help her.
Koinonia Sunday School Class:
Attendees: Alan and Teresa Schlobohm, Bill Nichols, Ginny Maas, Betty Caswell, Cyndie Jones, Suzanne Lyons, Jane and Terry Pursley.
Prayers were requested for:
1. Ginny's joy of having her daughter Karen safely returned from Australia where she evidently had a great time.
2. Salem Church in general for its on-going planning efforts.
3. Bill's nephew Doug who now has an infection along with his battle with Leukemia.
4. Bill's relative Drew Geison who also continues to deal with cancer issues.
5. Amanda Vogt's continued struggles with fatigue.
6. Cindies' mom Esther's continued health issues.
7. A joy as Cindie's son Andrew is now confirmed that he will become an Eagle Scout.
Lesson: Book of Acts - Chapter 27
As we near the end of the Book of Acts (Chapter 27 being the next to last Chapter) we find Paul on a ship headed for Rome. The ship seems to be a fairly large vessel since it carries about 276 people (crew and passengers) as well as a fairly large amount of cargo. Remember Paul is more or less a prisoner on this voyage being taken to Rome for a trial in front of Caesar. The voyage started out fairly well, but continued to experience stronger and stronger headwinds to a point where Paul recommended the ship be secured in the harbor until the storm passed. The Roman Guard and the Ship's captain did not listen to Paul however and decided to sail on. As they sailed the winds crew stronger and the seas rougher to the point that all on board began to fear for their life. Paul remained relatively calm because he had received assurance from God that they would be safe and with this assurance Paul attempted to keep the crew calm. However as the storm continued to mount the ship was forced out to sea and basically the Captain of the ship was forced to let the ship "run with the wind" which placed them way off course. Fear on board continued to mount in spite of Paul's efforts to the point that some of the sailors were beginning to make plans to abandon the ship. Paul upon seeing this advised the Roman guards that if the sailors were allowed to abandon the ship, all would perish. This time the Roman guards listen to Paul and kept the sailors from leaving. The next morning the ship spotting a coastline they did not recognize but the crew was desperate enough to go ahead and ground the ship on the land's coast which they did. Some of the Roman guards wanted to kill the prisoners because they were afraid the prisoners would escape, but the Roman Captain wanted to spare Paul and so the Captain let everyone escape to shore.
This is a very good adventure story and it is important to note Paul is NOT a sailor nor does he have much experience with sailing. What he did have was faith in God and this faith allowed Paul to conduct himself in a calm manner from which the ships crew could draw strength, even in this very difficult situation. The Lesson for us I would say is to "Trust God". I believe this "Trust in God" theme is consistent throughout the Bible. It is a message that we as Christians should continue to hold on to as we "sail" through our everyday lives with the troubles and challenges we all face. We should trust in God and act in ways that bring positive results to those around us. We should not add to the turmoil but rather bring a calm and peace that others can cling to. We are children of God and this passage encourages us to act like it!
That is it for this week. Next week we will close the Book of Acts and prepare to begin a study of Romans. We are going into Romans because as we close with Acts, it is to Rome that Paul is headed and it is from Rome that Paul will eventually write his classic theological summary.
In the meantime -
Have a Great Day and Enjoy Life!
Terry
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