Excerpts from The New Outlook

Early August 2007

July at Second Baptist
We had some special events at Second this month:
Vacation Bible School was great, as children and adults learned practices to help us experience God more fully.

We got to meet the newborn Gilliard twins when Pastor Mike dedicated them.

We enjoyed a barbeque at Bill and Becky Rook's home in Illinois. Bill was pastor of Second Baptist until August 2006, and Becky was our music director.

The Second Best Players made their debut with "After the Whale," a play about what happened to Jonah after he was spit out by the whale. It began with the stage manager (Cindy Collins) putting up the sun (which played a significant part in the story). Jonah (Mike Dixon) appeared sitting under a tree, hot and tired, sulking because the Ninevites had repented, so God was not going to destroy them after all. Things got even worse when the hot sun dried up the tree he was sitting under. A Ninevite (Mary Winter) showed up in sackcloth and ashes, telling Jonah that the Ninevites had repented and wondering why he still wanted them to be destroyed. God spoke, rebuking Jonah for his bad attitude.

The kids made great props for the play. And it was a fun way to be reminded of God's forgiveness and love toward all people.

Seeing Ourselves
During our worship service on August 5, we plan to present a pictorial presentation called “Ways We Minister.” It will be an overview of our life together as a church. We hope that you will enjoy this opportunity to see ourselves as we serve, worship, work and play together. Thanks to Pastor Mike for assembling the presentation, Jim Shepardson for much of the photography, and Larry Marks for use of projector and screen.

Can You Help?
We are searching for assistance unloading a small moving truck when Stephen and Jan Jones arrive in St. Louis on Sunday, August 5^th at about 2 p.m. They plan to stop by the church that afternoon to unload Steve’s office desk and other office furniture and contents. Then we will proceed to their interim residence at McKnight Crossing (a condominium development about three miles south of church on McKnight Road just south of Litzsinger), where we will unload the remaining contents of the truck (a 24-foot, single-axle van). Good news…I understand there are no stairs in the condo!  There will be some heavy lifting, so please come prepared for that type of activity. We’d also welcome assistance with any smaller objects and moral support from the sidelines, too!

Dr. Stephen Jones will become Second Baptist's pastor on August 15. See the Early July issue of the newsletter for more information about him. Click on the link below for a message from Dr. Jones.

Sprucing Up
Since Bob Johnson, our custodian, had to leave us because of health problems, the church needs a bit of sprucing up. Please come at 9 a.m. on Saturday, August 11, to help with general cleaning so the church looks its best when Stephen and Jan Jones arrive. According to Randy Sumner, Property Management Chair, ending time for the work day is whenever the church is spotless! He expects that to be about noon. Randy assures us that there will be doughnuts.

Arise and Shine!!
Joan Jensen was Second’s delegate to the American Baptist Church-USA biennial convention and celebration of its 100^th anniversary, held in Washington, D.C. from June 29 - July 2, 2007. In this article she tells us about her experience there.

"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn."   (Isaiah 60:1-3)

This was the challenge of the Biennial this year - and the 100th anniversary of our founding as American Baptists. Actually, we called ourselves “Northern Baptists” from 1907 to about 1950 when we changed to “American Baptist Convention”, with another change in the 1970’s to “American Baptist Churches in the USA.”

Besides celebrating our heritage, there was a first-ever event when a combined worship service was conducted by ABCUSA and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, an organization that broke off from the Southern Baptist Convention in the early 1990s. The meetings of the two groups overlapped in Washington, and Lott Carey and the Progressive National Baptists were also invited to participate.

Saturday, June 30, was Centennial Day and featured a morning gathering led by four of the denomination’s younger “emerging voices,” followed by a centennial luncheon, a panoramic photo of the nearly 2,500 delegates and visitors, and three evening musical programs. A 100th birthday party featured ice cream, cake, and music in a convention center lobby.

Bible Studies (one with Tony Campolo - I have the CD if you are interested in a very moving, very funny hour with him), singers, dancers, youth speakers (if anyone is worried about the future, you need NOT be - watching and listening to these young people!), and there was Lauran Bethall’s sermon on the last evening there. (She is our Global Consultant on Women and Children.) She had her own take on the “Arise and Shine!” theme, translating it to “Wake Up and Show Up!” That speech is the one which struck a chord with me, and brought a new light into the verses above from Isaiah. She gave a powerful message from that text. being dramatic as she proclaimed, “Arise! Shine!!...” adding, “I   H A T E  arising and shining.” She then proceeded to paint a picture of her mother trying to get her up every morning when a child. The dog finally was the one able to pull her out of bed!  Further into her talk, Lauran added a phrase to Isaiah’s “Arise and shine” ..,.”Arise, “ENTER THE DARKNESS”, shine. Enter the darkness - and then shine with Christ’s love...powerful.   
Joan Jensen

A Retreat in Daily Life
Delmar Baptist has invited us to participate in “A Week of Guided Prayer—A Retreat in Everyday Life” again this year. It begins Sunday, September 23, at noon with a 90-minute luncheon meeting at Delmar. Each retreatant will be assigned an experienced prayer guide, who will listen with a welcoming, non-judgmental presence and help participants become more attentive to God’s activity in their lives.

Participants will carry on their daily lives as usual during the retreat, but will commit to praying privately for 30 minutes each day and meeting privately with their prayer guide each day for 30 minutes at a mutually convenient time. The retreat ends Saturday morning at 9:00 with a 90-minute gathering at Delmar.

You can participate in the retreat even if you are not able to attend the gatherings on Sunday and/or Saturday. The registration deadline is September 14. Suggested donation is $50 per person. Flyers will be available on the table in the narthex in the next week or so. 

Jim and Mary Shepardson attended this last year and found it very helpful. On August 26 during the worship service they will briefly describe their experience, and Clarence Heller, director of the program, will be available during Coffee Fellowship to answer questions.

Book Group Resumes September 10
The Second Baptist Book Group will resume its monthly meetings on Monday, September 10, at 2 p.m. in the Community Room. The first book for the 2007-08 year will be A Thousand Splendid Suns, by  Khaled Hosseini, author of the popular novel  The Kite Runner.

The Book Group meets regularly September through June on the second Monday of the month at 2 p.m.  We welcome anyone interested in reading and discussing the book chosen  for each month. Usually the books are available from public libraries or in paperback editions at local book stores.  A list for the year will be discussed at the September meeting.

Do You Know?
What outreach agency that Second Baptist Church supports is located quite near the old water tower on North Grand in the city?  And who from Second Baptist Church is on the Board of Directors?

Answer:  Northside Team Ministry; Larry Marks from Second Baptist is on their Board of Directors. 

Northside Team Ministry is an ecumenical social ministry supported by several denominations, churches, and agencies, such as The Giddings Lovejoy Presbytery, and Second Baptist Church among others.  The agency also receives assistance from a Lutheran Foundation and a Foundation from Commerce Bank. 

Northside Team Ministry offers assistance for people in the form of low income housing, utility assistance, a neighborhood crime prevention program, clothing bank, seasonal needs (heaters in the winter, fans in the summer, holiday toys and food), a referral service, neighborhood community building, and religious activities in the area.

One of the very specific ministries of this organization that Second Baptist participates in is the food bank. The collection basket is in the narthex. A call to Charles Tyler, the Executive Director of Northside Team Ministry answered the question: “What food item(s) is/are always needed?” The answer is canned meat products such as tuna, canned spaghetti and meatballs, canned ravioli, etc.  Look especially for those high in protein to give better nutrition for children

Mildred Shelton from Second Baptist Church is the person who handles the food donations for Northside Team Ministry.
Sandy Dixon

Note: Next week there will be a special issue featuring the Dixons as we prepare to say goodbye to them. If you would like to write something about what their time here has meant to you, please send it to mary@shepardson.us or give it to Mary Shepardson.

From Mike Dixon, Interim Pastor
Dear Friends,
One of my favorite things about Second Baptist Church is your emphasis on the Beatitudes—the beautiful Sanctuary of the Beatitudes is a constant reminder of what is important, what is blessed, about living as a Christian. Recently I discovered a new book on the Beatitudes, What Jesus Meant by Erik Kolbell, a pastor and psychotherapist. (Westminster John Knox Press, 2003) It’s beautifully written, and now available in our church library. Here are some very brief excerpts.

Blessed are the Poor in Spirit. “Grace…is God’s promise that we are eternally worthy not because of the contours of our identity but despite them, that we are loved human beings not because of who we are but whose we are.”

Blessed are those who mourn. “The gold of hope is spun from the dross of mourning by people whose greatness is measured not by who they are but by what they’ve made out of their suffering.”

Blessed are the Meek. “Simply stated, Biblical meekness is quiet perseverance in the face of brute rage; it is our staunch refusal either to lie down in submission or to rise up in violence before those forces that oppress us.”

Blessed are Those who Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness. “Righteousness is not first or foremost about rectitude. It’s about relationship, about being right with God, about trusting more in God’s time, God’s way, God’s inscrutable wisdom than in our own.”

Blessed are the Merciful. “By teaching us that the merciful will receive mercy, Jesus is saying that mercy is at heart not just a gesture of goodwill—but a reciprocal action, a relationship of give and take, generosity and gratitude, each rooted in the other.:

Blessed are the Pure in Heart. “To be truly faithful is to come to God asking that our beliefs and actions be informed rather than simply endorsed.”

Blessed are the Peacemakers. “If we learn anything from the peace that is in us it is that it represents the highest good to which not only persons but whole people can be called, and we cannot be content with our own serenity and at the same time indifferent to the swirls of anger that threaten to rend the fabric of society all around us.”

Blessed are the Persecuted. “In this one gesture of accepting persecution lies all the promise and peril of life in extreme obedience to the will of God.”

Go thou and be blessed.
Mike

WEEKLY ACTIVITIES
Sun    9:30 a.m.    Special music rehearsal
        10:30 a.m.    Worship in Fellowship Hall
Mon   7:00 p.m.    Obsessive-Compulsive Group in Community Room
Tue    6:30 p.m.    Adult Children of Alcoholics in Community Room
 
SPECIAL ACTIVITIES                                                          
Aug 5       Seeing Ourselves pictorial presentation during worship service
Aug 5       Helping the Joneses move, 2 p.m.
Aug 12     Farewell coffee for Mike and Sandy Dixon
Aug 15     Dr. Stephen Jones becomes pastor
Aug 18     Council retreat at the church, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Aug 18     Bridal shower for Becky Hoyt, 2:30 pm
Aug 19     Welcome coffee for Stephen and Jan Jones

Worship services will be held downstairs in Fellowship Hall until August 15. Please join us for barbeque each Sunday after worship. Bring meat to grill and a dish to share!

9030 Clayton Road (at McKnight Road, 3/10 mile west of the Galleria)    St. Louis, MO 63117     (314) 991-3424