Stephen M. Miller – Happy New Year, RezChat

Stephen M. Miller – Happy New Year, RezChat

Hope you had a safe and fun holiday season.

   Now back to work. Which isn't so bad, since you love what you do. Right?

   Quick update on Tim Edwards, who had to leave class last Sunday because of MS-related problems. Here's his note to me:

"I'm feeling a lot better. I experienced an old friend...facial and arm spasm. Thing is, when these occur my whole being seems exhausted afterward and i get really warm, it's the strangest thing. Terry Bahadur walked us up and out...Barb got me home and I slept for almost 2 hours. "

NEWSLETTER CONTENTS

Sunday's session: Steve Miller & Band

coffee & donut Second Sunday Social: Next Sunday

Donuts & Cafe: Open date

Sunday's session: The pride before the fall

ON SUNDAY we start a 3-week session on the story of Joseph.

   If the weather holds, Barbarba Borgelt will be on hand to give us some background about Joseph...and some insights from the flip side of the "pride" coin, suggesting that Joe may not have been as full of himself as he has been portrayed to be.

   This was a session that didn't get any takers for teaching, so I'll lead the discussion. Terry Bahadur will serve as my wing man. That leaves Barbara handling the intelligence.

   Here's the passage we'll talk about, from the New Century Version, Genesis 37:1-28

Joseph the Dreamer

37:1 Jacob lived in the land of Canaan, where his father had lived. 2 This is the family history of Jacob:

Joseph was a young man, seventeen years old. He and his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives, cared for the flocks. Joseph gave his father bad reports about his brothers. 3 Since Joseph was born when his father Israel[a] was old, Israel loved him more than his other sons. He made Joseph a special robe with long sleeves. 4 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father loved him more than he loved them, they hated their brother and could not speak to him politely.

5 One time Joseph had a dream, and when he told his brothers about it, they hated him even more. 6 Joseph said, “Listen to the dream I had. 7 We were in the field tying bundles of wheat together. My bundle stood up, and your bundles of wheat gathered around it and bowed down to it.”

8 His brothers said, “Do you really think you will be king over us? Do you truly think you will rule over us?” His brothers hated him even more because of his dreams and what he had said.

9 Then Joseph had another dream, and he told his brothers about it also. He said, “Listen, I had another dream. I saw the sun, moon, and eleven stars bowing down to me.”

10 Joseph also told his father about this dream, but his father scolded him, saying, “What kind of dream is this? Do you really believe that your mother, your brothers, and I will bow down to you?” 11 Joseph’s brothers were jealous of him, but his father thought about what all these things could mean.

12 One day Joseph’s brothers went to Shechem to graze their father’s flocks. 13 Israel said to Joseph, “Go to Shechem where your brothers are grazing the flocks.”

Joseph answered, “I will go.”

14 His father said, “Go and see if your brothers and the flocks are all right. Then come back and tell me.” So Joseph’s father sent him from the Valley of Hebron.

When Joseph came to Shechem, 15 a man found him wandering in the field and asked him, “What are you looking for?”

16 Joseph answered, “I am looking for my brothers. Can you tell me where they are grazing the flocks?”

17 The man said, “They have already gone. I heard them say they were going to Dothan.” So Joseph went to look for his brothers and found them in Dothan.

Joseph Sold into Slavery

18 Joseph’s brothers saw him coming from far away. Before he reached them, they made a plan to kill him. 19 They said to each other, “Here comes that dreamer. 20 Let’s kill him and throw his body into one of the wells. We can tell our father that a wild animal killed him. Then we will see what will become of his dreams.”

21 But Reuben heard their plan and saved Joseph, saying, “Let’s not kill him. 22 Don’t spill any blood. Throw him into this well here in the desert, but don’t hurt him!” Reuben planned to save Joseph later and send him back to his father. 23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they pulled off his robe with long sleeves 24 and threw him into the well. It was empty, and there was no water in it.

25 While Joseph was in the well, the brothers sat down to eat. When they looked up, they saw a group of Ishmaelites traveling from Gilead to Egypt. Their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh.

26 Then Judah said to his brothers, “What will we gain if we kill our brother and hide his death? 27 Let’s sell him to these Ishmaelites. Then we will not be guilty of killing our own brother. After all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood.” And the other brothers agreed. 28 So when the Midianite traders came by, the brothers took Joseph out of the well and sold him to the Ishmaelites for eight ounces of silver. And the Ishmaelites took him to Egypt.

Footnote [a]: 37:3 Israel Also called Jacob.

Second Sunday Social: 1.12.14

Linda Miller will have info for us on Sunday about our Second Sunday Social, which is coming up next Sunday.

That's all for now. I've got to go work on the lesson. Have a safe weekend.

Steve

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Our mailing address is:

Stephen M. Miller Inc

PO Box 2712

Olathe, KS 66063 United States

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