Excerpts from The New Outlook
Mid September 2006
Beatitudes Class To Study Enneagram Three Sundays a Month
The second Sunday of each month, Rev. Dixon will highlight one of
the Beatitudes. The following Sunday, a class led by Jay Jensen will meet
in the music office, next to the pastor’s office, to discuss specific ways
that we can apply that Beatitude to our lives. This coming Sunday,
September 17, the class will discuss “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for
theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.”
At its first meeting on Launch Sunday, participants in the
class decided that they would like to meet together every week instead of just
monthly. Several short-term series will be offered by participants.
The first series will be on the Enneagram, led by Mary
Shepardson, in consultation with Fred Adams. Fred has taught this subject to
many pastors over the years, and both he and Mary have found it very helpful in
their spiritual and personal lives as well as in their relationships with other
people.
Believed to have originated in the Christian church in the
fourth century and refined and adapted over the years, the Enneagram examines
nine personality types. What makes it different from other personality type
schemes is that it shows how each of has a “lens” through which we see the world
as well as a particular way of responding to it. We tend to create our own
version of reality and then wonder why others don’t see things the way they
obviously are! If “reality is God’s home address” (Frederica Matthews-Greene),
then becoming aware of how we evade it can help clear away obstacles to an
honest, open relationship with God. As Christ said, it is the truth which can
set us free.
We will begin our study of the Enneagram on Sunday,
September 24, and continue it each Sunday except the third Sunday of the month,
when we will discuss the Beatitude Mike preached on the week before.
Other adult classes include:
The Reflections Class, which meets behind the
baptistry. (Walk to the front of the sanctuary down the left aisle and keep
going.) They will continue the video series on World Religions, by Huston Smith
with Bill Moyers as host. They are in the process of deciding what to do after
that.
The Bible Study Class
- This exciting, in-depth and lively trip into one of the books of the Bible
will be led once again by Bill Gurley. The class, using a variety of
commentaries and translations of the Bible, will fully explore all aspects of
the selected book. Meets in the Community Room
Come on in and Pull up a Chair (formerly known as the Support Group)
Members
of this group support and encourage each other as they try to live out their
faith in the challenges of everyday life. Jo Koehler will facilitate. Meets in
the Pastor’s office.
The nursery and children’s church school classes meet in
the education wing. Youth meet behind the baptistry. There’s a class for
everyone!
Choir Will Meet on Wednesday Nights
To those in the congregation who would love to join in singing with the
choir, please note there has been a change to the weekly schedule. Adult choir
rehearsal will now be on WEDNESDAY evenings at 7:00 pm, rather than Thursdays at
7:30 pm. We would enjoy having each and every one of you to raise your voice in
song with us!
It’s Time to Dance!
Dust off your dancing shoes and bring your friends and family to Fellowship Hall
for dance lessons beginning Friday, October 6, at 7:30 p.m. Larry and I will be
your dance instructors. We will meet each Friday evening in October from 7:30 –
9:00 p.m. (October 6, 13, 20, 27). After four weeks of lessons, we’ll be ready
for a dancing celebration at Casa Loma Ballroom on Friday, November 3.
Linda Marks
More Than You Ever Wanted to Know About
Challah Bread
On September 3rd, Mike illustrated his sermon using a story
about challah bread. Here are some interesting facts about challah bread from
this month’s Sauce magazine: It is a traditional Sabbath Jewish egg
bread, typically braided into a long loaf. However, during Rosh Hashana (the
Jewish New Year that begins this year on September 22nd), the Jews
eat a round challah, sometimes sweetened with raisins instead of the traditional
braided loaf. There are several reasons for the sweet round loaf, one being
symbolic of a “sweet new year and a reminder of the circle of life.” Another
reason for the round loaf during Rosh Hashana is that the shape of the loaf is
like the curve of the ram’s horn, used to make the shofar (musical instrument
that sounds somewhat like a trumpet) that is blown at the end of Rosh Hashana.
So if you are in the market to try a new food, go to a
Jewish delicatessen or bakery and pick up a loaf of challah bread. Remember the
story in Mike’s sermon about God using this bread for a miracle. . was it about
giving or receiving. . (the answer is yes to both!)
Sandy Dixon
Special Events for Kids and Middle Schoolers
Young Youth Cluster, a consortium of churches offering joint programs for
kids and middle schoolers, has two events coming up in September. Grades 3 – 5
will meet at Samuel United Church of Christ on September 15 from 6 – 8 p.m.
Middle schoolers (Grades 6 – 8) will meet here at Second Baptist on September 22
from 6 – 8 p.m.
New
Picture Directory
We are planning a new church directory that includes color pictures of
everyone. Be prepared on Sundays September 24 and October 1 for Jim Shepardson
to take your picture. If you won’t be available, you can e-mail or send a
picture to the church office.
Around the
Community
Ladue Chapel’s Lee Institute presents Bruce Feiler speaking on the topic
“Can’t We All Get Along?: Building Bridges for the 21st Century” on
September 28 at 7:30 p.m. Feiler, who studied history at Yale and international
studies at Cambridge, traveled 10,000 miles to trace the desert journeys of
Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, and their many storytellers.
Abraham, written in 2002, a discussion of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam,
and Where God Was Born: A Journey by Land to the Roots of Religion,
written in 2005, have continued his exploration of the three Abrahamic faiths
and what they can teach us now about brotherhood.
September 19 is Christian
Family Night at the St. Louis Science Center. Tickets are $8. For more
information, go to
www.christianfamilynight.com.
The Museum of
Contemporary Religious Art (MOCRA) invites everyone to come to the 40th
anniversary celebration of the exhibit “Silver Clouds,” by Andy Warhol. A
description from MOCRA’s brochure: “Mercurial and buoyant, pillow-shaped mylar
balloons roam the air of MOCRA’s spacious nave gallery and respond to the touch
of the viewer.” MOCRA is located at 3700 West Pine Mall on the campus of St.
Louis University. Hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. For more
information see
http://mocra.slu. A donation of $5 for adults and $1 for children is
suggested.
From the Pastor
5-4-3-2-1-Lift off! On Saturday, it was the space shuttle Atlantis
lifting into orbit. On Sunday, it was Second Baptist Church, launching a new
season of learning, worship, and service. We didn’t ignite our rocket engines,
but we did launch our children’s and adults’ classes with new curriculum, new
energy, and new enthusiasm. We didn’t get into orbit, but we did move upstairs
from worshiping in the fellowship hall to worshiping in the sanctuary. We didn’t
have the mighty roar of rocket engines, but we did have the beautiful music of
the choir and organ. We didn’t have telemetry from Houston, but we did have
Muriel Johnson from the area office visit us and present a special certificate
to Dr. Fred Adams, recognizing his forty-five years in ministry. We didn’t have
a trained crew flying into space, but we did have a great team of staff and
volunteers helping us in learning, worship, and fellowship. We didn’t have a
view of the earth from space, but we did get new insights into the first
Beatitude, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven.”
It was a very good day, and a
very good beginning. We hope that you all can come along for the ride as we grow
in faith, knowledge, fellowship, and mission.
Grace and peace,
Mike
WEEKLY ACTIVITIES
Mon 7:00 p.m. Obsessive-Compulsive Group in
Community Room
Tue 6:30 p.m. Adult Children of
Alcoholics Group in Community Room
Wed 7:00 p.m.
Choir practice
SPECIAL ACTIVITIES
Sept 15
Grades 3 - 5 meet at Samuel United Church of Christ, 6-8pm
Sept 16
Men's breakfast meets at Second, 7:30 a.m.
Sept 20
Council meeting, 6:15 p.m.
Sept 22
Grades 6 - 8 meet at Second, 6-8 p.m.
Sept 25 Prostate Cancer
Support Group , 7:00 p.m.
Oct 6-8
Great Rivers Region Conference, Doubletree Hotel, Chesterfield
Oct 6,13,20,27 Dancing lessons at church (to be
followed by a trip to Casa Loma Ballroom)
