David C. Paul March 26 2006   Serving as a pastor kept me intensely involved in the church and its doctrines. One of my main efforts was to interpret those teachings and present my thoughts about them to the congregation. One way I did that was to write a piece each week in the church paper. I saved those writings and gleaned the better ones. I put these gleanings in a file for keeps. Now I enjoy reading what I wrote.   One thing impresses itself upon me. The intense involvement I had while I was pastor was a blessing to me.  Now that I am not so involved, I miss it.   I wrote this piece 25 years ago.   DCP   Forgiveness and Punishment         In preparing the lesson for my adult class for Sunday, March 29, 1981, I came across this statement.  "Forgiveness is impossible except as it is linked with punishment?"       I ask myself, and I ask you, "Is this true?"  And, "If it is true, do people in our time believe it is true?"       I got into this question (this time) by studying the life and career of King David.  David was a man of enormous dimensions.  He was a great king, but he made some serious blunders.  He was a man after God's own heart, and yet he sinned on a grand scale.       As a result of David's sins and because of his moral weaknesses, David's favorite son Absalom staged a coup d'etat and drove David from the throne and into exile across the Jordan River.       This pampered son reduced David to shame and dishonor and made his life miserable. The rebellion of Absalom was the lowest point in David's life and career.  This part of David's life reminds me of King Lear.  He was dethroned and impoverished by his heartless daughters, Goneril and Regan.       Frightened and distressed, he and a part of his court left Jerusalem in a hurry.  "David went up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went, barefooted and with his head covered."       As he neared a small village named Bahurim on the road to Jericho and not far outside Jerusalem, he was met by a hostile crowd led by an old enemy, Shemei,  He threw rocks at David and his officials.  Shemei shouted curses, insults and accusations.  One of David's military officers suggested to David that he take off Shemei's head.  But David would not permit it.  He said that maybe God was punishing him, and that "it may be that the Lord will look upon my affliction, and the Lord will repay me good for this cursing of me today."       Surely there was an atoning effect in this suffering and shame.  David's contrition, his patient and humble enduring of all those insults and this misery put him in the sharpest contrast with an unrepentant person.  Undoubtedly David paid at least part of the debt he owed. As we enter Lent and approach Easter, we are reminded of Jesus' suffering and death on the cross. Our religion teaches us that his death atoned for the sins of the whole world. I think it is not amiss to believe that if David did not adequately atone for his own sins, our Lord's death made up for the lack. How Jesus' death on the cross could atone for our sins is a mystery. And yet we think it is true. Whether or not we can explain how it works, let us give this teaching renewed consideration. It has enriched the life of many Christians through the ages, and it stands ready to bless us all, even now, insofar as we let it instruct us. -- April 3, 1981   David C. Paul

Letter in 2006 Here is copy of a letter that let's you know a little more of my life.   May 25, 2006   Greetings to all:   I will not be present for the Class Reunion, Class of 1951, in October 2006.  It would be good to see everyone. However, the effort is out of my range.   Remembering our years at YDS is pleasant indeed.  We were fortunate, indeed blessed, for having been students at that time.  YDS was "world class", and Protestantism was still enjoying prominence.  Theology was creative, imaginative, and challenging.   My career has been good.  I served in a variety of situations.  My first appointment was as a third staff member in a larger city church.  Then I started a brand new church in a large city.  Then I was pastor of a small town church.  Next, I served on the staff of the Wesley Foundation at a large university where I taught credit courses in Bible for five years.  During the remaining years until my retirement in 1985, I served wherever I was appointed in the Southwest Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church.   Again, what a pleasure it would be to attend the class reunion, greet old acquaintances, and remember our days as students at YDS, Class of 1951!   Cordially,       P.S. I look forward to reading letters from members of the Class of 1951.  Meantime, if you would like correspond please do so by US Mail or by Internet.  My address is dcpaul@prodigy.net.           David C. Paul

Sermonette June 4, 2006 Acts 2:1-12 Chandler Estate John 14:15-17 & 25-27 June 4, 2006 United By Faith, Hope, and Love       I have a globe. I look at it often. Especially do I look at it after I have watched the news on TV. There are troublesome divisions all over the globe. Ireland and Africa in several places. Israel, Palestine, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, India, China, Taiwan.       And it is not just by looking at a globe that we get the picture of the awful divisions and discord in so many parts of the world.. Also we see it in every city, town and community.       People are killing each other because of their differences. It makes you wonder. Is there any way, any grounds, for people to settle there differences, and in that way stop all the destruction and the killing?       Is division and violence all there is?       The prophet Malachi asked that question in another time and place, and he observed that there is a basis for unity. "Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously with one another?"       The one basis for peace is the realization that God made us all.          The earliest Christians had a problem of divisions. The answer to it was given many times, in many passages in the New Testament. One in particular is this one from Ephesians. "There is one God and Father of us all, who is above all and through all, and in all."       Oh!The horror of war! I think so often of the horror of the Civil War. How wrong it was to make slaves out of people! How wrong it was for the people of the North to insist on ending it soon at any cost!       I think it is good to recognize and celebrate unity whenever and wherever we see it. Did you ever sing this song at Mt.Wesley when you were a youth? We are one in the Spirit We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord,  And we pray that all unity may one day be restored.he    We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand,  And together we'll spread the news that God is in our land.Refrain    We will work with each other we will work side by side,  And we'll guard each one's dignity and save each one's pride.Refrain    All praise to the Father from whom all things come,  And all praise to Christ Jesus His only son,  And all praise to the Spirit, the three-in-one. Page 3       There are spots or islands of unity all round us. We need to notice them, and celebrate them. A certain hymn comes to me mind very often. I like to just recite it silently in my mind, and thank God for it.        In Christ there is no east or west, In him no north or south; But one great fellowship of love Throughout the while wide earth.       In our religion, we have faith, hope, and love. These are the special Christian virtues, and wherever they are in place, there is no violence.        St. Paul put it liked this, "Because there is one loaf, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the same loaf."       That insight jumped out at me when I first read the lesson from Acts in preparation for this service. Listen to this: ". . . they were bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in his own language."       The language of faith, hope, and love is understood by every nation. It is a language of peace! Thanks be to God!

The author playing his baritone horn.

David Clark Paul plays this euphonium or baritone horn in June 2006 at the Meadows just as well as he played in the school band growing up...exactly six miles to town from his home.

He is about to speak: Create in me a clean heart, Oh God!

Would you believe?

Sermon by David C. Paul Delivered Sunday, November 12, 2006 The Priority of God Unless the Lord build the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; . . . . . Ps 127:1-2. That is to say that God is first, last and always in every endeavor, and indeed in life itself. Try it any other way, and you will fail. Here it is as given in the close of the Sermon on the Mount: Every one then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock; and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And every one who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand; and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the wind blew and beat against that house, and it fell; and great was the fall of it. --- Mat. 7:24-27 We should never tire of emphasizing that God is first, last and always in our lives and in our activities. God is prior to all things. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. One traditional way of saying that is that God is Alpha and Omega. Let's notice the priority of God in the story of Elijah, part of which June read for us just a moment ago. That is a great story. The principal characters in this story are God, Elijah, and King Ahab. And Jezebel is in the background. Let's imagine the scene. Ahab is on his throne, he is clothed in his royal robes, and all his underlings are in their places, bowing in awe of his royal power and dignity. And in walks this character from the desert, where his food consisted mainly of grasshoppers and wild honey. He is clothed in camel's hair and animal skins; he has long shaggy hair; and he carries a long wooden staff. He brushes the guards aside and walks straight up to King Ahab. He jabs the floor with his staff, and this is what he said: "As the Lord the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain, except by my word." Thus began a three year drought, and it did not rain until God was ready for it to rain. This drought was a judgment of God upon the person of Ahab and Jezebel, upon the way they were governing the nation of Israel, and upon their worship of the false gods of Baal. God has veto powers over any and everything humans can do. If you read the rest of this story of Elijah, you will see the priority of God manifested again and again. Well, that's the judgment of God, and there are at least two way to take it. One way is to resist it. Draw up a tight fist and fight it. That is what we sometimes do.  There is an episode in the story of St. Paul that says this so well for me. Paul thought he knew all about God and things of God, and he had it in mind to set things straight. He would go over to Damascus and arrest those people who were profaning Paul's religion. At that time in his life nothing was going right for him. Things were turning out wrong, and finally God struck him down with a bright light. Picture if you will, Paul testifying before the king. Here is the way that passage goes. Acts. 26 Verses 12 to 14  [12] "Thus I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. [13] At midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining round me and those who journeyed with me. [14] And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, `Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It hurts you to kick against the goads.´" That figure of "kicking against the goads" has always claimed my attention. It seems so vivid and applicable. Here is the way one scholar explains it. When a young ox was first yoked it resented it and tried to kick his way out of the yoke. If it was yoked to a one handed plough the ploughman held in is hand a long staff with a sharpened end which he held close to the ox's heels so that every time it kicked it was jagged with the spike." Going against the will of God is like that ox kicking against the goads and hurting himself by doing so. The young ox had to learn submission to the yoke the hard way and so did Paul. And so do we. Well, that's the judgment of God, but there is also the grace of God. Don't fight it! Just give yourself over to God and his ways, and then all that tension will go away.  There is a gospel song that says it. "I surrender all." One verse goes like this: "All to Jesus I surrender, Lord I give myself to Thee; Fill me with thy love and power, Let thy blessing fall on me. I surrender, I surrender, All to Thee, my blessed savior, I surrender all." That doesn't sound right. Don't we have to take care of ourselves? If we don't work, we don't eat. And yet at a deeper level it is the only way to go. Indeed, it is the way we have to go. The conditions for life are given by God. We can't change the basics about life. Remember that passage June read for us from the Gospel of Matthew. "Therefore, I tell you do not be anxious about your life. . . . . Which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his span of life? . . Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness." As I see it, one of the very greatest spiritual achievements is to acknowledge that God is in charge, and be glad of that. Here it is in a beautiful old song. My times are in Thy hands  My God, I wish them there.  My life, my friends, my soul I leave  entirely to Thy care.    My times are in Thy hands  Whatever they may be.  Pleasing, painful, dark or bright,  As best as seems to Thee.   My times are in Thy hands  Why should I doubt or fear?  My father's hand will never cause  His child a needless tear.    My times are in Thy hands  I'll always trust in Thee.  And, after death, in Thy right hand  my time shall ever be! In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Amen!