Pray for the kids
St Peters 18 Aug 96 put names in collection plate
I picked up two very different things last week, The J’ville Journal Courier and Cara Meyer.
Last Sunday: got paper.. opened to pix of girl passed out in back of pickup truck in J’ville. Article about a night of smoking grass and drinking.
Next morning, picked up Cara Meyer to make a commercial for Elliott Bank. Any time spent with Cara is a good time. Talked about college. About Kirk. About Myron Strubbe. And always with Cara, you talk About JOY. When she pulled away from my house, I thanked God for the Triopia community.
I came here 25 years ago. Been successful. At first I thought it was James Brim...then Don Kemp... easy to get kids discipline when they’d been used to working under Kemp. Easy to get community support.
The school has changed but some things remain.. the pride, the accomplishment... and most of all: the quality of kids.
I could take the rest of the hour telling stories about the reaction of other people to Triopia kids.... hotel managers on Sr Trip..European tour guides..(Richard) substitute teachers who cancel other teaching jobs to sub a day at Triopia.
I’m slow, but it’s gradually dawned on me what makes Triopia such an unusual and special community. People pray.
I know they pray in nearly every small community in America... but in what other community do -kids gather in a classroom before school twice a week for prayer ... lead by a group of sophomore boys...the groups sometimes get so large they completely circle the room? In What other community do....... --kids get off the bus after a day of school and go running to a church... ____ kids in Gods’ Kids --- would a Chapin boy named Bryce announce to his Burrus supervisor one morning, “You know, I think it’d be a good idea to just pray before we start.” And they did... taking hands in a circle in the cornfield as the area supervisor sat there with tears in his eyes. ---300 kids of all demonimations come to play, and sing and worship together in the summertime at an interdenominational campground? ---do the students lead their own baccelaureate services.. most schools have abandoned the service altogether? ---does the Methodist prayer phone chain intersect with the Lutheran phone chain? ---would, when school board president, Wes Hendricker stand before crowds and publicly attest to his faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior? ---would a head football coach sit in my living room as he did last week and talk about how he should pray for his team? ---does a Presbyterian attending a Methodist church stand and speak in a Lutheran pulpit?
I remember Christine Coffman’s illness... a spot in the country was chosen.. hundreds of people who’ve never sat in church with each other... standing in a circle of prayer.
I remember a dream of Bob Brassells... to have the entire community come together on Easter morning... we got rained indoors but it was still wonderful.
I have stood in the office of this church and prayed with members of your congregation. I have received countless letters from members of all congregations in this community, vowing their prayer support for our plays.
Once had a small discussion with Tom Christell about play rehearsals during Lent. We didn’t agree but he said that wouldn’t stop him praying for what we were doing.
(My testimony...... all because I had a grandmother praying for me.)
We are what we are because of the prayers others have prayed in our behalf. Our children will be what they will be because of the prayers we now pray.
Two ladies: Billy Graham crusade.
Many of you are sitting here today because of the prayers of your grandmothers and grandfathers..... and your parents.
Many a teacher or coach play director at Triopia has stood and accepted the applause of fans when their real strength was the prayers of the community.
I want to leave you with only one thing today... Keep it up. Keep praying for each other, and most particularly, the children of our community. The scripture doesn’t say that “The prayers of a mother are powerful.. “ or “The prayers of a father of grandfather are powerful...” It says “The prayers of a righteous man (person) are power..” That could be all of us.. Righteous: having been made right with God through the acceptance of Jesus Christ as Savior and accepting the free forgiveness for our sins.
The adults...In the collection plate .. slips of paper. Take one only if you wish. Put it on your refridgerator. ... on the sunvisor of your car, on your desk. Frank Johnson... Ford 8N... most wonderful tractool box on fender filled with poems and prayer lists.
And if you don’t get a slip... Just pray for all of them. Begin your prayer with “Lord, who needs prayer today?” and He’ll tell you.
Kids about to enter their senior year with all the confusion that brings... Stephanie, Laura your kids entering college: Cara, Kelly, Amy.. kids like JoEllyn and Aaron who’ll have to have me as a teacher for David Surratt who has the courage to walk up to my door and announce, “Mr Bradbury, Two by Two made a new tape about Jesus and just thought you might like to buy it.”
In his letter to the Philippians, Paul wrote: Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Twenty years from now another Triopia teacher may stand in this pulpit. He or she will undoubtedly be able to read that morning about the terrible troubles of the world’s youth. But if you continue to pray for our children, that teacher will also be able to praise God for the Caras, the _______________________ in our community. Keep praying.