Friends we are grateful for

At Thanksgiving time, it seems appropriate that we turn to chapter 16 in Romans. Here, Paul concludes his letter to the Romans with a joyous round of applause for all the workers in the field.

He starts in verses 1-2 with Phoebe, and asks that she be welcomed and assisted. Then there's Prisca and Aquila (New Revised Standard Version) "who risked their necks for my life" (Rom 16: 3-5). He continues with "my beloved Epaenetus, ..the first convert in Asia for Christ" (16:5), hard-working Mary (16:6), plus Andronicus and Junia (16:6) who Paul explains were in prison with him and were followers of Christ before Paul himself. 

More loving greetings are conveyed to Ampliatus, Urbanus, Stachys, Apelles, the Aristobulus family, Paul's relative, Herodion, and the Narcissus family. 

In verse 12 he mentions Tryphaena and Tryphosa. (Note from me: Some years ago, while sailing in the Kimberly region of Western Australia, we met a couple who had named their little yacht Tryphaena, so whenever I come to this part of Romans, I think of them.) And then the hard-working Persis.

We can tell that some of these folk have become like family to the wayfaring apostle. He mentions Rufus, and Rufus' mother, who has "become a mother to me also" (verse 13).

Finally he lists Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and other brothers and sisters, Philogus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas and all the saints (verses 14-15).

Although there are no citations from Romans in this year's Thanksgiving Lesson (in the Christian Science Quarterly Bible Lessons), we do hear from Paul in I and II Corinthians.  Here are the passages from the NRSV

B4 - II Cor 4: 15 Yes, everything is for your sake, so that grace, as it extends to more and more people, may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.

B13 - II Cor 1: 4-6 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind--just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you

B14 - II Cor 2: 14 But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads in every place the fragrance that comes from knowing him.

Paul was such an encourager. While never shirking his responsibility to warn as appropriate, he nevertheless was a master at giving a pat on the back when it was earned.

Thanksgiving greetings to all. You are welcome to join us this Wednesday at 1pm for our Annual Thanksgiving service.

Julie Swannell

Trauma?

I think most of us would agree that Romans is a difficult read. But it is also a very rewarding study - and study it we must. 

Tonight I've opened up The Living Bible and read Roman 12: 12: Be glad for all God is planning for you.

To me, this says that we are to look forward, not backward. To look to God, not to men. To expect to be a witness to good, by being grateful and glad for every evidence of good we encounter. 

This may require some work. Perhaps it's easier to blame others or God for what has not seemed to work out for the best. The requirement is to keep on loving, no matter what. Jesus showed us the way. Jesus was the epitome of Christly love that keeps loving and forgiving, of looking to God and knowing that God, Love, was supporting and guiding his very being.

Perhaps this is an antidote for the heavy burden of trauma.

Hymn 312 (words by Charles Wesley, slightly adapted for the Christian Science hymnal) verse 2 offers courage and assurance:

From strength to strength go on;

O wrestle, fight, and pray;

Tread all the powers of darkness down,

And win the well-fought day.

That, having all things done,

And all your conflicts past,

Ye may o'ercome through Christ alone,

And stand complete at last.

Bosede Bakarey's article in the Christian Science Sentinel of Feb 4, 2013 ("Prayer that heals trauma") offers an example of a life was turned from trauma and tragedy to freedom. She writes "It was when I 'came to the Christ' and realized that the conditions I was facing could never disrupt my real spiritual selfhood that I became completely free from illness and my family's situation turned around."

Having met Bosede at the Church Alive summit in Brisbane some years ago, I recall that part of the solution for her as a widow with several small children (the solution is always IDEAS, not things) was the idea to make THE BEST wedding cakes she could possibly make. Her business enabled her to put her children through tertiary education. 

Let's then be glad for all God is planning for us all.

Julie Swannell

Homelessness and hopefulness

My Christian Science church had the challenge of praying about homelessness.  We worked well on it.  The idea then came that maybe we could next time work on hopefulness.

When I see these two terms – homelessness and hopefulness - in type, I find there is an amazing balance. 

On checking the Bible concordance for the word hope, I was surprised at where it is prevalent -- Job (13) and Romans (12).  One thinks of Job as being a worrier, and it makes me glad to see that hope is with him.  Well, actually, some of them are negatives. And Romans has not been an easy study for me.  It gives me hope to see eleven entries.  Here are some of them --

Romans

+ (Abraham) who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations... (4:18)

+ For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.  (15:4)

+ For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?  But if we hope for that se see not, then do we with patience wait for it.  (9:24, 25)

Job

Eliphaz the Temanite endeavoured to cheer Job.  Gave him a cheer job! 

Job, chapter 4 begins with recalling his good work --

+ If we assay to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieved?  but who can withhold himself from speaking?  Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands.  thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees.  But now it is come upon thee, and thou faintest; it toucheth thee, and thou art troubled.  Is not this thy fear, thy confidence, thy hope, and the uprightness of thy ways?  Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent?  or where were the righteous cut off?  (Job 4:1-7)

Of course, Psalms is rich with hope -- 2 under "noun" and 16 under "verb."  These are all positives --

* Why art thou cast down, O my soul?  and why art thou disquieted within  me?  hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance, and my God  (42:11)

*  Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God.  (146: 5)

What a lot of cheer one can find in the Scriptures!  As students of Christian Science we are comforted that with the promise of Science and Health by Mary Baker Eddy: "The Scriptures are very sacred.  Our aim must be to have them understood spiritually, for only by this understanding can truth be gained."  (547:23-25)  And that precious book is the Key to those Scriptures.  We are rightly equipped.

Joyce Voysey