The Desserts with the Pastor continue this Tuesday from 7-8 pm at the
home of Mary and Bob Hughes and conclude on Wednesday from 2-3 pm at
the home of Hilda and Ed Garza. Attendance has been great (90 people
to date) and the enthusiasm and ideas generated bode well for our
future together.
The Pastor's Bible Class begins on the first Sunday in June at 9 am in
the church library. If we were meeting this Sunday, we would be
talking about how Dr. Craig Venter has used natural bacterium cells
from which all the DNA had been removed to create "the first creature
since the beginning of creatures that has no ancestor." What form of
life the cells develop into depends on how the scientists have
constructed the DNA.
While some critics maintain that Venter's group is playing God, others
reason that the scientists aren't quite creating in the sense that God
does. Still other religious groups see the research as simply the
progression of knowledge and of making good use of the intelligence
God has given us.
Does this development of life in a lab represent a boundary we should
not cross? Why or why not? Are there reasons for the church to resist
the continuation of such experiments? If so, what are they?
In Genesis 1:1 we read: "In the beginning when God created the heavens
and the earth ..." The Hebrew verb that is translated in this verse as
"created" is bara', which, in the Old Testament, is used only in
connection with God. In the Hebrew of the Old Testament, God can both
create and make, but humans can only make. In what ways is God's
creation of life different from what Venter's group has "created" in
the lab? What are the similarities?
During the month of April 2010 Braes Interfaith Ministries served 984
clients (409 children and 575 adults), 21 of whom were homeless. Pray
for our BIM volunteers of which we have many.
Stacy Vanderworth is graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in
Computer Science from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). She will
be attending UT Austin in the Fall to pursue her Master's degree in
Computer Science.
BJ Ragan graduated Johnston Middle School and will attend High School
for the Performing Arts.
Christianna Johnson graduated Johnston Middle and will attend Carnegie
Vanguard High School.
Colete Johnson graduated Lovett Elementary and will attend Pershing
Middle School.
Kaelan McGuire graduated Kolter Elementary and will attend Johnson
Middle School.
Jackson Burnham graduated Kolter Elementary and will attend Pin Oak
Middle School.
Congratulations to our graduates!! We are reporting our graduates as
you tell us about them so let the church office know if you have a
child, grandchild, or great-grandchild you would like mentioned here.
I hope you have a happy Memorial Day Weekend. The church office will
be closed this Monday in celebration of Memorial Day.
Peace of Christ be with you,
Pastor Jon
--
St. John's Presbyterian Church
5020 West Bellfort / Houston, TX 77035
T. 713.723.6262 / F. 713.723-4015 / Email: office.sjpc@gmail.com
Worship Service: Sunday, 10:30 am / Sunday School: 9:00 am
