The Epistle
Sept 9, 2008
Dear church members and friends of St. John's,
I hope this epistle finds you well. You are in my prayers today. Please keep me in your prayers. If you would like to talk about any of the contents of this letter or anything else that is on your mind, do not hesitate to contact me via email or phone. My church phone is 713 723 6262 and my cell phone is 281 838 5391. I like hearing your feedback. I would enjoy engaging you in a "live" conversation on these matters. If you have the time and interest, please let me hear from you.
We all have a story to tell. Through our Storytelling Ministry, we are collecting and sharing stories of St. John's members from all stages of life. Our series began with the remarkable story of Marjorie Knight. We have now added Wilbert Harris. Other life stories will follow, including Felicity Bisase, Rose Muanza, and Léonie Tchoconté. Speak to me or the church office if you would like to share your life story and we will pass the word along to the Outreach Ministry Team who are in charge of this project.
Frances Thomas has four malignant brain tumors. Remember her and Clayton in prayer. They have moved into another apartment at Bayou Manor. Ava Parker has a broken vertebrae and will have surgery on her back. This is not her first time to have back surgery. Keep her and Dale in prayer. Evelyn McLean has been moved to Brighton Gardens. Keep her in prayer.
*September 28 is the worship service during which several new members will join the church.
*September 28 after worship we will celebrate with a Visioning Presentation Brunch that will be well worth your time and participation. We are developing a vision for 2009 and we need your help!
While waiting, they begin to wonder: Could they possibly get married in Heaven? When St. Peter shows up, they asked him. St. Peter says, "I don't know. This is the first time anyone has asked. Let me go find out," and he leaves.
The couple sat and waited for an answer . . . for a couple of months. While they waited, they discussed that IF they were allowed to get married in Heaven, SHOULD they get married, what with the eternal aspect of it all. "What if it doesn't work?" they wondered, "Are we stuck together FOREVER?"
After yet another month, St. Peter finally returns, looking somewhat bedraggled. "Yes," he informs the couple, "you CAN get married in Heaven."
"Great!" said the couple, "But we were just wondering, what if things don't work out? Could we also get a divorce in Heaven?"
St. Peter, red-faced with anger, slams his clipboard onto the ground.
"What's wrong?" asked the frightened couple.
"OH, COME ON!!" St. Peter shouts, "It took me three months to find a pastor up here! Do you have ANY idea how long it'll take me to find a lawyer!
Another powerful movie on this subject is Eyes Wide Shut starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. This disturbing movie was Stanley Kubrick's last film and is a frightening portrayal of life among the upper crust of the high, high occult elite. This is not a movie for anyone under 21 years and is not for anyone who is feint hearted. The portrayal of the Satanic ritual in this movie is highly accurate since Kubrick was all too familiar with such activities from his own personal life. This movie provides a glimpse behind the curtain into the world of the small but powerful elite who run this world in which we live. They have a different religion than us "common folks" but according to Jesus they are not to be feared.
I wonder if many of the so-called "serial killers" we read about in the press are in reality fall guys for active Satanic cults. Plenty of evidence to make this case is provided in the book Programmed to Kill: The Politics of Serial Murder by David McGowan. We need to wake up to the reality of evil in the world if we intend to be mature Christians.
Last Sunday's sermon, "Disappearing Act," was a discussion of the reality of Satan and Satanism. Someone remarked to me on the way out the door after the service, "I don't know anyone who doesn't believe in Satan." To which I responded, "I don't many pastors who DO believe in Satan." I sometimes wonder if we mainline pastors have been so trapped in the web of political correctness that we have been marginalized to the point of insignificance. As C.S. Lewis demonstrates in The Screwtape Letters, Satan's best line of defense is to remain undetected. To quote from the review of that book by Patricia Klein on amazon.com:
"The most brilliant feature of The Screwtape Letters may be likening hell to a bureaucracy in which 'everyone is perpetually concerned about his own dignity and advancement, where everyone has a grievance, and where everyone lives the deadly serious passions of envy, self-importance, and resentment.' We all understand bureaucracies, be it the Department of Motor Vehicles, the IRS, or one of our own making. So we each understand the temptations that slowly lure us into hell. If you've never read Lewis, The Screwtape Letters is a great place to start. And if you know Lewis, but haven't read this, you've missed one of his core writings."
Here is the text from last Sunday's sermon:
Let us pray:
Loving God, we join in prayer with your Son, Jesus Christ,
and pray that You will deliver us from evil.
We bind Satan from working in our city, community, church and our personal lives.
We thank you that in Jesus' name we are free to love and serve God
in this good world that you have created and which your love maintains. Amen.
remain with you both now and always,
Pastor Jon Burnham
