A new day is upon us. Gateway is entering a brand new phase of her life. The same is true of our adult Sunday school class. For the last year we’ve been working through Dr. Paul Tripp’s book on Psalm 51, “Whiter Than Snow”. This class has been a joy for me. Of the 50 lesson’s I’ve been through, I probably hated 15 of them. There were 15 or 20 I had no opinion on and 15 I really liked. This is probably not much different than any other book I would have read during that time. However I do have a few thoughts on the class and for Julia and I, a surprise ending!
One of the things I’ve enjoyed about the class is the open exchange of ideas and personal experiences. The class has followed in the tradition established by Peggy Jo and Frieda. A tradition of honesty and openness. Tom’s leadership of this class has been honest and open and with Tom’s own brand of teaching skill’s displayed weekly. I want to thank him for his faithfulness over the last year in leading our class.
There have been moments of great levity in class. Many of those moments seem to be traced back to Leland for some reason. Leland brings to the class the critical eye of a communications professional along with a marvelous sense of humor. I smile as I write this thinking of some of his comments. Thanks Leland for your help in spicing up the class!
Evelyn brings to class the wisdom of years of following Christ. Her insights and prayers were so refreshing. Thanks Evelyn.
Each week I would look forward to Gene and Marion’s contributions. Again, wisdom and experience personified. Their lightness and sharp commentary have given me pause for deep thought on more than one occasion.
As our elder statesman, Roque keeps us on our toes. One of the things I like about Roque is he simply throws it out there and lets us deal with his comments and ideas. He brings perfect blend of wisdom, humor and a life long perspective that have added to the class a wealth of knowledge. Thanks Roque!
One of the more memorable classes was the time Hope and Missy shared about their efforts to save their good friend David from the electric chair. I can close my eyes and see again as I sat there transfixed on Hope as she bared her soul to us with pain and anguish over her mistakes in life and her and Missy’s efforts to fight for David’s life. Then the joy of victory as 2 hours before his execution, he was spared. Thank you Lord Jesus and thank you Hope and Missy!
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Beverly’s contributions to the class. Her insights are special to me. Her ability in hearing God in dreams and her writing skills have added to the class innumerable times. I get tickled as I sit here thinking about the times Leland has spoken on a given subject and I watch as Beverly watches him with a sparkle in her eye and a big grin on her face as she waits until he’s done and then laughs out loud or adds to the mix some witty insight or some deep truth. Her voice will be missed in our class as she and Jerry move on to the next phase of their life in Christ! Thanks a million Bev!
Lest I forget any one person, I thank everyone in class for their faithful attendance and the contributions each has made. Cynthia reading her letter to God was special. Claire’s comments and freshness of heart have been greatly appreciated. I guess I just say, thanks to everyone in class!
One last note I wanted to share that truly caught Julia and I off guard yesterday. We are on vacation in Hilton Head and for the last 20 years, we’ve been coming to one particular church on the island, Central Church lead by Pastor Michael Carr. Michael knows who we are even though we only come to his Church once a year in June. Yet we have come to think of Central Church as a place we belong. Michael Carr is a great speaker and teacher and in Julia’s and my life, he is one of the three best speaker and teacher’s we’ve had. We’ve been so blessed to have had Richard Exley, Jerry Varnado and Michael Carr as men we can call Pastor’s and friends. As Julia and I were coming down to the island, just before I was pulled over by a Rockland police officer for speeding, I was contemplating the changes upcoming in our life at church. I was thinking to the Lord that I would love to have Michael Carr pray for Jerry and Bev and for Gateway. I know how the services go, and they don’t have a time in prayer at the front of the church as we do at Gateway, but I was just thinking how good it would be if Michael could pray for us. Now in the last 20 years, I’ve never run into Michael at any time any place other than the church. Saturday night Julia and I were walking on the beach and she stops and say’s “There is Pastor Carr”. Sure enough Michael was there and he took time to hear our request. He shared his insights with us and promised he would pray with us Sunday morning. He did exactly as he promised and as he prayed for us, there was a tremendous sense of God’s presence and power.
But the most interesting part of the service was Michael’s sermon. He is doing a series on Living on the Edge and he spoke on the Marriage of Michal and David in 1st Samuel 18. He gave us a perspective on David I had not heard before. He spoke of the problems David encountered with Bathsheeba were a direct result of the breakdown in communications in his marriage with Michal. Julia and I were both impressed with the sermon, and with the passion it was delivered and the truth it held. I will make sure the link to this sermon is available to everyone as soon as it is posted. It will give you a perspective on Psalm 51 that I had not seen until yesterday. In my opinion, this is the perfect ending to a wonderful Bible study!
And now, in the words of the great American Hero, Buzz Lightyear, “To infinity and beyond!!!!”
