New Life News – August 2009

(A monthly publication of the New Life Emmaus Community)

 

FOOD FOR THOUGHT : Please forward items that you feel might be appropriate for this section to Rakbuck@flash.net .  This month’s Food for Thought was sent in by Neil Bys and is titled “The Whipping”

 

There was a school with a class of students that no teacher had been able to handle. Two or three teachers had been run off from this school in one year by the unruly students.
 
A young man, just out of college, heard about the class and applied to the school.
 
The principal asked the young man, 'Do you know what you are asking for? No one else has been able to handle these students. You are just asking for a terrible beating'. After a few moments of silent prayer, the young man
looked at the principal and said, 'Sir, with your consent I accept the challenge. Just give me a trial basis.'
 
The next morning the young man stood before the class. He said to the class, 'Young people, I came here today to conduct school. But I realize I can't do it by myself. I must have your help.'
 
One big boy they called Big Tom, in the back of the room whispered to his Buddies, 'I won't need any help. I can lick that little bird all by myself.'
 
The young teacher told the class that if they were to have school, there would have to be some rules to go by. But he also added that he would allow the students to make up the rules and that he would list them on the
blackboard. This was certainly different, the students thought!
 
One young man suggested 'NO STEALING.' Another one shouted 'BE ON TIME FOR CLASS.' Pretty soon they had 10 rules listed on the board.
 
The Teacher then asked the class what the punishment should be for breaking these rules. 'Rules are no good unless they are enforced', he said. Someone in the class suggested that if the rules were broken, they should receive 10 licks with a rod across their back with their coat off. The teacher thought that this was pretty harsh, so he asked the class if they would stand by this punishment. The class agreed.
 
Everything went along pretty good for two or three days. Then Big Tom came in one day very upset. He declared that someone had stolen his lunch. After talking with the students, they came to the conclusion that little Timmy had stolen Big Tom's lunch. Someone had seen little Timmy with Big Tom's lunch! The teacher called little Timmy up to the front of the room. Little Timmy admitted he had taken Big Tom's lunch.
 
So the teacher asked him, 'Do you know the punishment?
 
Little Timmy nodded that he did. 'You must remove your coat,' the teacher instructed.
 
The little fellow had come with a great big coat on. Little Timmy said to the teacher, 'I am guilty and I am willing to take my punishment, but please don't make me take off my coat.'
 
The teacher reminded little Timmy of the rules and punishments and again told him he must remove his coat and take his punishment like a man. The little fellow started to unbutton that old coat. As he did so, the teacher
saw he did not have a shirt on under the coat. And even worse, he saw a frail and bony frame hidden beneath that coat. The teacher asked little Timmy why he had come to school without a shirt on. Little Timmy replied, 'My daddy's dead and my mother is very poor. I don't have but one shirt, and my mother is washing it today. I wore my big brother's coat so that I could keep warm.'
 
The young teacher stood and looked at the frail back with the spine protruding against the skin, and his ribs sticking out. He wondered how he could lay a rod on that little back and without even a shirt on. Still, he
knew he must enforce the punishment or the children would not obey the rules. So he drew back to strike little Timmy. Just then Big Tom stood up and came down the aisle. He asked, 'Is there anything that says that I can't take little Timmy's whipping for him?'
 
The teacher thought about it and agreed. With that Big Tom ripped his coat off and stooped and stood over little Timmy at the desk.
 
Hesitatingly the teacher began to lay the rod on that big back. But for some strange reason after only five licks that old rod just broke in half. The young teacher buried his face in his hands and began to sob.
 
He heard a commotion and looked up to find not even one dry eye in the room. Little Timmy had turned and grabbed Big Tom around the neck apologizing to him for stealing his lunch. Little Timmy begged Big Tom to forgive him. He told Big Tom that he would love him till the day he died for taking his whipping for him.
 
Aren't you glad that Jesus took our whipping for us? That He shed His precious blood on Calvary so that you and I can have eternal life in Glory with Him? We are unworthy of the price He paid for us, but aren't you glad He loves us that much?

 

 

NEXT GATHERING : The August Gathering will take place at 7:00 pm this coming Tuesday, August 18th at Schertz UMC. Directions: Take I-35 north and get off at FM3009.  Go right on FM 3009 (south).  The church will be about two miles down on your left.

 

 

2009 GATHERING SCHEDULE :

 

August 18                   Schertz UMC 3460 Roy Richard Dr (3009), Schertz, TX 78154  

September 15              New Hope UMC, 10155 Old Cimarron Tr, Converse, TX 78109 210-658-1220

October 20                  Bethany UMC, 4102 Eisenhauer, SA, TX 78218 210-655-5473

November 17              St Andrew's UMC, 7222 Robinhood, S.A., TX 78209 210-824-2465

December                    (no gathering scheduled) 

January 19, 2010         Rolling Oaks Christian DOC, 7150 Stahl Rd, SA, TX 78247 210-654-1744 

 

If your church/community is interested in joining the New Life Emmaus community for Northeast San Antonio, please contact the Lay Leaders to be added to the 2009 listing. 

 

 

LOCAL CHURCH GATHERINGS :

 

We are posting the day & date of local church gatherings in the newsletter to invite others to come.  Please update this information by replying to this newsletter if your church changes/cancels your meeting. 

Local Gatherings scheduled:


Alamo UMC: 2nd Sunday of every month, 12:15 pm, pot luck.
First UMC New Braunfels: 4th Tuesday of every month, 7 pm. 
Northern Hills UMC: Last Monday of every month, 7 pm. 
Schertz UMC: 1st Tuesday of every month, 6:45 pm. 
St Andrew's UMC: Fridays, quarterly.

Universal City UMC: 1st Sunday, every even month (except Dec) 7 pm – Next Gathering will be in October. 

 

2009 WALK SCHEDULE :

 

Walk#              Dates                           Lay Director                Site 

 

1524                October 8 – 11                        Joe Amend                  Mt Wesley

 

 

WALK UPDATES :

 

Walk # 1524 – Update

 

Preparations for Walk #1524 are in full swing:  the first Team Meeting was Held August 8th.  The Team is diligently preparing for ‘the best Walk ever’.  Currently, we have 6 Pilgrims signed up – we need everyone’s help to identify and sign up more Pilgrims.  At the next two Gatherings the Walk Agape list will be available to help out with the Agape (and materials) needed for the Walk.  Please sign up as you can – and are lead   As a reminder, Walk #1524 will be held at Mount Wesley October 8-11.  Hope to see you at Candlelight and Closing.  Remember, we need Pilgrims.  De Colores!

 

Joe Amend <><

Lay Director, Walk #1524

 

 

NEW LIFE WEB MASTER NEEDED:

 

Our current Webmaster Richard Weers has decided to relinquish his Webmaster credentials after several years on the job.  Thanks Richard for your faithful service.  If you have experience handling website management or would like to learn please respond to this email and we’ll fill you in on what the job entails.



FROM THE SPIRITUAL DIRECTOR :

 

Spiritual Windows

 

"Your eyes are like a window for your body.  When they are good, you have all the light you need.  But when your eyes are bad, everything is dark.  If the light inside you is dark, you surely are in the dark.  You cannot be the slave of two masters!  You will like one more than the other or be more loyal to one than the other.  You cannot serve both God and money."

                                        - Jesus, in Matthew 6: 22-24 (Contemporary English Version)

  

"Your eyes are windows into your body.  If you open your eyes in wonder and belief, your body fills up with light.  If you live squinty-eyed in greed and distrust, your body is in a dank cellar.  If you pull the blinds on your windows, what a dark life you will have!  You can't worship two gods at once.  Loving one god, you'll end up hating the other.  Adoration of one feeds contempt of the other.  You can't worship God and Money both.

                                        - Jesus, in Matthew 6: 22-24 (The Message Version)

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

"Can I bring my friend on the mission trip?"  The deep voice from the back of the group startled me.  Mark had been coming to youth gatherings for a while, but I didn't remember ever hearing him speak before.  He just sort of appeared about 5 minutes after we'd begun and disappeared about 5 minutes before the gathering was over.  I didn't even (in my wildest dreams) think he'd ever commit to anything as big as a mission trip.  "Well, of course", I heard myself say, all the time thinking - who could it be?  Was he serious?  A grin lit his face - the sort of 'we'll see how serious you are' sort that made me even more curious.....

When I looked for Mark at the end of our gathering time, he was gone (as usual).  Maybe he was just pulling my leg.  But maybe....

 

So I called Mark.  He said that his friend Sam had never been on a mission trip.  Sam used to go to church, but quit a few years back.  He said he'd bring Sam to our gathering the next week.

 

Well, the next Sunday evening we were all hanging out eating pizza when I looked up and there they were - Mark and his friend Sam, just blended into the group sitting at a table, munching on pizza.  We began talking about our upcoming trip to one of the poorest parts of the inner city.  We'd be spending a week there, helping run a vacation Bible school, doing household repairs, painting, and cleaning, helping clean up a local playground, and serving in the food bank.  I talked about the Scripture quoted above.  I talked about what we were used to seeing and doing and how different our vision would be on our trip.  I really talked a lot about our eyes as windows of ourselves, about how we prioritize what we see (or even choose to notice).

 

I thought I was doing really well.  The kids seemed to be really connecting, asking questions, sharing stories.  Then I noticed Mark smiling - that 'I know something you don't, and boy are you gonna be surprised' kind of look.  Then I saw Sam bend down...... and give his dog a pat on the head.  I looked more closely.  A guide dog.  Oh boy.  A blind teenager on a week long mission trip to the poorest part of the city where gangs hung out.  And I'd said yes.  I should have asked more questions.....What WAS I thinking?

 

Mark nudged Sam and whispered something in his ear.  Sam raised his hand.  "I'll be OK.  I have all the vision I need."  Well, soon after that we broke up our discussion and moved to our social time.  I went over to Mark and Sam, who were talking to a couple of the girls.  "Hey, Pastor Al", Mark said as I walked over.  Sam spoke up. "Hi Pastor, this is Boomer.  He's my practical eyes."  Now that description just begged a question, so I asked it.  "Practical eyes?"

 

"Yea, you know, like you were saying.  My real eyes are just fine, they see 100% - they don't care if I'm blind or not."  I know I looked confused.  And somehow Sam knew.  "You know why I quit going to church?  They kept assuming I was in the dark.  Didn't know anything.  Couldn't see anything.  I don't worship what I see with my physical eyes.  I worship and serve what I see with the eyes of my heart - what I feel in my bones.  It's just like you said - it's about using our spiritual eyes.  They're the real ones.  My God-windows.  And mine are just fine!"

 

Now Mark was really smiling.  I could tell he was just waiting to see what I'd say to that.  I explained about the trip.  Where we'd be going.  Where we'd be sleeping.  The gangs.  The dangers.

 

"But I won't be alone, right?", Sam asked.  "No, you won't.", I answered.  "What do you think you'd like to help with on the trip?"  Sam smiled. "Oh, I don't know.  I'm sure I'll see something."

 

And Sam did see.  He saw things the rest of us missed.  The loneliness in an old man's voice.  The desperation behind a young girl's bravado.  The joy of the reggae beat on a downtown street corner.  The wonder of playing with kids in the open fire hydrant on a hot summer afternoon.  His entire being was a window - a window to God's grace.

 

And then...then there was the young lady who came to the food pantry one morning, feeling her way along the counter.  He heard her tapping her way along the wall, heard the hesitation in her steps, heard the tears in her voice.  He invited her to sit with him and introduced her to Boomer.  Heather's story poured out to Sam.  The pantry workers had never heard her speak much.  They were amazed.  As I walked by several times, I noticed that Sam repeated something a lot.  "It's not about what you can't see.  What CAN you see?  It's not just about the eyes in your head.  What does your heart see?"

 

Sam opened his spiritual windows, and used his God-vision.  He saw beyond Heather's physical blindness, her homelessness, her helplessness, her hopelessness.  Sam was a window through which Heather saw and felt God's grace.  She got her God-vision back that day.  Two phone calls later she had a place to stay.  Heather lived with Sam's grandmother for a year while she waited for Window, her new guide dog.  A year after that, Sam and Heather were married.  It was then that Sam told me - he almost didn't notice Heather.  He almost chose not to see her, almost chose not to use his God-vision that day.  Almost forgot Who he served.  Not a world of limits, but a God of hope and possibility.

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------

 

So, how about it?  How clear are our God-windows?  What do we really worship?  Who (or what) do we truly serve?  Everything we say and do demonstrates the clarity of our true vision.  We demonstrate Who (or what) we worship and serve.

 

First we notice.  Then we pay attention.  We prioritize what we truly see.  It's not just (or even) about the eyes in our heads.  It's about the eyes of our hearts.  It's about seeing with our whole selves.  We cannot worship and serve what we cannot (or choose not to) see.  And we can't worship the world (and its ways) and God at the same time.  When we try, we can feel the fog, the dust, the film on the windows of our hearts, our spiritual windows.  It builds and builds.  Our God-vision dims, growing fainter and farther away.

 

And then a Sam comes into our lives.  God sends Sams into our lives all the time, you know.  Over and over they come.  Reminders.  Remember the big One God sent?  His name is Jesus.  Jesus, the Christ.  He came, blasting open the spirit windows, getting out the super-Windex, giving His all to clean our windows for eternity.  With God's help, thanks to the gift of Jesus, we can clean our spiritual windows!  There's a clear sparkle of hope and grace under that dust and fog.  Will we notice it?  See through it?  Make it our #1 priority?  What will we do about it - today?  I hope you'll choose to fill your soul to the brim with God's light.  I pray you'll find - and use - your God-vision!

 

De Colores!

 

Rev Al Adams, New Life Co-Spiritual Director

 

 

PUN OF THE MONTHJJJ :   Courtesy of Neil Bys 

 

 
Two fish swim into a concrete wall.  The one turns to the other and says "Dam!". 
 

 

PRAYER REQUESTS : In order to provide timely response in this area, we request that you forward any prayer requests that you have by “reply” to this letter.  Those requests will be sent out VIA immediate distribution to all members of the New Life e-mail chain. Please be in prayer for the Gittens family of Schertz UMC.  Their son Ricky has passed away after an accident on the east coast.  Please keep Ricky’s wife, daughter and the entire family in your prayers…… Additionally we ask you to pray for the family of Rich Buck (younger brother of Bob Buck, UCUMC) you died unexpectedly of a probable heart attack in California on Friday.  Please pray for his wife Chris and young sons Spencer and Harrison…… Desiree Bernhardt of Northern Hills UMC suffered a heart attack Thursday and has had one of two stints inserted last night. They will insert the other Saturday or Monday.  Praise God though that she has no heart damage and should recover fully.

 

 

PRAYER VIGILS : If you are a Prayer Vigil coordinator for your local church, don’t hesitate to reply to this email if you are having trouble filling your requests.  We’ll put out an e-mail alert and get them filled ASAP.  If you have questions contact Joanne Lawrence at Granny9001@hotmail.com .

 

 

NEW LIFE WEB SITE : Check it out at http://www.gbgm-umc.org/newlife-sanantonio . 

 

 

CLOSING THOUGHTS :  Sent in by Lynda Martinez

 

Once upon a time there was this guy who had four Girlfriends.  He loved the 4th Girlfriend the most and adorned her with rich robes and treated her to the finest of delicacies. He gave her nothing but the very best.

 

He also loved the 3rd girlfriend very much and was always showing her off to neighboring kingdoms. However, he feared that one day she would leave him for another.

 

He also loved his 2nd girlfriend. She was his confidant and was always kind, considerate and patient with him Whenever this guy faced a problem, he could confide in her, and she would help him get through the difficult times.

 

The guy's 1st girlfriend was a very loyal partner and had made great contributions in maintaining his wealth and kingdom. However, he did not love the first girlfriend. Although she loved him deeply, he hardly took notice of her!

 

One day, the guy fell ill and he knew his time was short. He thought of his luxurious life and wondered, I now have four girlfriends with me, but when I die, I'll be all alone."  Thus, he asked the 4th girlfriend, "I loved you the most, endowed you with the finest clothing and showered great care over you. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?"

 

"No way!", replied the 4th girlfriend, and she walked away without another word.  Her answer cut like a sharp knife right into his heart.

 

The sad guy then asked the 3rd girlfriend, "I loved you all my life.  Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?" "No!", replied the 3rd girlfriend. "Life is too good! When you die, I'm going to marry someone else!"

 

His heart sank and turned cold.  He then asked the 2nd girlfriend, "I have always turned to you for help and you've always been there for me. When I die, will you follow me and keep me company?" "I'm sorry, I can't help you out this time!", replied the 2nd girlfriend. "At the very most, I can only walk with you to your grave."

Her answer struck him like a bolt of lightning, and the guy was devastated.

 

Then a voice called out: "I'll go with you. I'll follow you no matter where you go."  The guy looked up, and there was his first girlfriend. She was very skinny as she suffered from malnutrition and neglect.  Greatly grieved, the guy said, "I should have taken much better care of you when I had the chance!"

 

In truth, you have 4 girlfriends in your lives:

 

Your 4th girlfriend is your body. No matter how much time and effort you            lavish in making it look good, it will leave you when you die.

 

Your 3rd girlfriend is your possessions, status and wealth. When you die, it will all go to others.

 

Your 2nd girlfriend is your family and friends. No matter how much they have been there for you, the furthest they can stay by you is up to the grave.

 

And your 1st girlfriend is your Soul. Often neglected in pursuit of wealth, power and pleasures of the world.

However, your Soul is the only thing that will follow you wherever you go. Cultivate, strengthen and cherish it now, for it is the only part of you that will follow you to the throne of God and continue with you throughout Eternity.