SWAN SONG

  This last Sunday of May was the swan song for our organist and music director, Michael Denton.  It was done up in style, with Handel's Largo as the prelude, with Michael playing the organ and Larry Skaggs on cello.  More on Larry later. 

Michael completed his tour on the organ bench of SPPC with a rousing postlude, all stops open and a warning in the bulletin that he would be LOUD. 

  Following the service, we adjourned to the hall for a box lunch social.  A couple of clowns conducted the auction.  Many people bought back the lunch they'd packed, others lost out to a higher bidder and had to take their chances with an unknown item. 

The preacher's family, under the name of the Von Cunningham's got into the act with a farewell song, that sounded a lot like the one from "Sound of Music."

Finally, when all the boxes were sold, all the goodies eaten and all the coffee drunk, it was time to bid farewell to Michael.  

So long, it's been good to know you, Michael, and we understand it is so long and not good bye.  We look forward to having you and Jeannie continue in our fellowship at SPPC.  With best wishes for your health and happiness.

Modern Miracle

by Beulah Garrison

Many years ago, while serving as a missionary in a foreign country averse to the Gospel, an incident occurred that underlined God's promise, "Lo, I will be with you always," Matt.28:20  
The religious authorities in the country where we worked, became hostile over our group preaching salvation in Jesus Christ.  They persuaded the local authorities to issue an edict to kill us.  The orders were to be carried out at midnight, that day.
The president of the country was friendly toward us and had previously issued our visas of residence.  Unfortunately, he was on holiday and out of the country that day.  We missionaries had no recourse other than prayer to the Lord that our lives would be spared and we could continue to proclaim the Gospel.  The eight of us gathered together from our separate stations and spent the day in prayer.
Unexpectedly, the president of the country returned home that day, heard about the plot and issued a decree of religious liberty for the whole country.  At midnight, the eight of us heard the angry mob outside, but they did not come near us.  With grateful hearts, we praised the Lord for His deliverance.

Ed. Note:  I heard this story during one of our Bible Study sessions on Wednesday morning. The question we were asked to discuss was "Give one or two specific examples of how you have experienced the world's hatred as a Christian?"  While many of us have suffered insult or indifference when we declare our faith, this true life-and-death story left us humbled and grateful.  Jesus' promises were not only for a group of men long ago; they are for us today.  

BOOK REVIEW

by J. Browning



"Roger Elwood's triumphant saga of one family's thrilling passage through the turbulent antebellum years on their South Carolina plantation, where gentility and violence live together and bigotry and ignorance walk together hand-in- hand. Only those with the strongest character and firmest beliefs can hold fast to what is right."  -- back blurb 


 This Civil War story is told through the eyes of Charity Littlepage, a woman of strong character and firm belief.   In the debate over slavery, she and her family, hold fast to their Christian beliefs, and suffer for it.  Their Christian convictions are tested almost to the breaking point, first by their neighbours and then by their enemies.
  If you're interested in the American Civil War, this is a great book to read, as it will give you an historical view of the war and perhaps an insight on the issue of slavery and power.

In the aftermath of the war, a group of grieving Southern ladies form the Plantation Letters Society, with the purpose of collecting letters written during the war, some from home, some from the battlefield.  It is through this group that Charity comes to tell her story.  Ashes of Paradise, is the first in a trilogy called the Plantation Letters and is available in our church library.

BOOK REVIEW

Love in a Broken Vessel
 by Mesu Andrews



As a lover of Historical Fiction I found this to be an excellent read! The book is described by the publisher to be an epic journey of intimacy, rejection , betrayal …and hope. Hosea is commanded by God to marry a prostitute in order to show God’s people the nature and depth of His love for Israel. This would be a difficult command to follow.
This is a fictional account of Old Testament times but the story of Hosea and Gomer is true. What I found so interesting was that as the reader I was learning about the world these characters inhabit. As we read the Bible, many of us do not understand the customs, living conditions and traditions of the peoples of Israel and Judah. Andrews tells the reader the politics of the time in a way that helps the story to come alive. At the time of Hosea’s marriage to Gomer the kingdom of Israel was split into two nations. Israel comprised the northern nation of the ten rebelling tribes, while the tribe of Judah formed a new nation with its capital in Jerusalem. The people of Israel had been drawn into worshiping pagan gods, stoking Yahweh’s wrath and breaking His heart.

It is in this setting that the story of Hosea and Gomer unfolds. The history of Hosea’s marriage to Gomer mirrors the marriage between God and mankind. Gomer is unfaithful, can not stop her worship of idols, yet Hosea continues to forgive her, love her and take her back. We are unfaithful but God is faithful and He keeps taking us back time after ttime. Gomer rejects Hosea’s love and runs from him whenever she has the opportunity. This leads to a life of misery and rejection, but the love of Hosea and his God are a constant in Gomer’s journey. Finally, Gomer can no longer ignore the love of God and is able to recognize we are all broken vessels, Redemption comes when we submit to Yahweh’s hands and are mended by His mercy.

There is much detail in this account of Hosea’s life that is fiction; however the Biblical account is historically accurate. What a treat, read a great love story and increase your knowledge about Old Testament times.

Other books by Ms Andrews in this series “Love Amid the Ashes”- Job’s story and “Love’s Sacred Song”-a book about Solomon.


Review by Linda Cliff