 |
|
First United Methodist Church
Bristol, Tennessee
|
|
Your Weekly E-Newsletter and Events Schedule
|
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise him, for he is thy health and salvation!
All ye who hear, now to his temple draw near;
join me in glad adoration!
|
|
February 4, 2018
Fifth Sunday After the Epiphany
Mark 1:29-39
Let’s Go the Other Way
|
|
From the Pastor’s Pen . . .
In the middle of Matthew’s great collection of Jesus’s most memorable quotes, the Sermon on the Mount, is a little gem of a prayer that we reiterate every week. With it we close either our time of corporate or pastoral prayer, or we close the Great Thanksgiving before we distribute and receive the broken body and spilled blood of Jesus. We open our mouths, remember the words, and adjust our tempo to our neighbors:
Our Father, who art in heaven…
There’s a lot of theology, a lot of talk about God packed into a handful of verses. I’d like to take a few minutes of your time and attention this week to dig into three of those:
…hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Herein lies one of the foundations of my theology, folks.
In our oldest manuscripts, the text is set out like this:
ΑΓΙΑΣΘΗΤΩΤΟΟΝΟΜΑΣΟΥ
ΕΛΘΕΤΩΗΒΑΣΙΛΕΙΑΣΟΥ
ΓΕΝΗΘΗΤΩΤΟΘΕΛΗΜΑΣΟΥ
ΩΣΕΝΟΥΡΑΝΩΚΑΙΕΠΙΓΗΣ
Easy peasy, right?
Actually, those line breaks wouldn’t be there either. No breaks, no punctuation; just a whole bunch of uppercase letters screaming at you like the last time someone tried to blast you with a trolling, irate Facebook message.
In a slightly more readable form (though it’s still Greek to me):
ἁγιασθήτω τὸ ὄνομά σου,
ἐλθέτω ἡ βασιλεία σου,
γενηθήτω τὸ θέλημά σου,
ὡς ἐν οὐραν καὶ ἐπὶ γς.
You don’t actually have to be able to read the Greek to see the rhyme. It forms a structure with the first three verses that is concluded with the last. It’s theologically intentional. If you can sound out the Greek, even slowly, you’ll even catch a triplet rhythm singing to you. It’s poetry, and in poetry, structure and form are important.
I pointed out at first that it’s three verses that are one of the foundations of my theology, but you might note that there are four lines in the Greek. The standard English translations do a miserable job catching this clever poetic move.
let your name be holy,
let your reign come forth,
let what you want begin,
the same in heaven and on earth.
So that last phrase is connected to all three before it.
let your name be holy,
as in heaven, so on earth.
let your reign come forth,
as in heaven, so on earth.
let what you want begin,
as in heaven, so on earth.
When we pray this prayer, we are asking God to make the reality that we live in the same as the glory of heaven. And because we inherit the rights of sisters and brothers of the Son of God, we are empowered to make that glory happen: to sanctify the name of God, to make the kin-dom of God present, and to live in the desire of God.
That’s what we pray today.
That’s what we do today.
That’s a pretty cool gift we’re given. Let’s make it happen!
Peace,
Brandon
|
|
This week’s Feed the Hungry offering is for Bristol Faith in Action.
BFIA is a cooperative outreach ministry of the churches of Bristol and the local community,formed to serve any persons whose circumstances leave them with
significant physical, social, emotional or spiritual needs..
|
|
|
|
RESURRECTION 2018.
IT WAS AN AWESOME WEEK.
A very special thank-you to everyone who supported our young people
with your love, prayers, time and finances.
|
|
The Rev. Rachel Billups, pastor from Ginghamsburg United Methodist Church in Ohio, preached to 10,000 youth and leaders during the weekend of Resurrection, January 19-21, in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Resurrection 2018 also inspired 238 youth to answer a call to ministry.
|
Worship music was led by I Am They, a five-piece pop-acoustic band formed in Carson City, Nevada. The band’s name was inspired by John 17 and Jesus’ prayer references to “they.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever heard the Resurrection crowd sing like they are singing this year,” said the Rev. Brandon Berg, pastor at First United Methodist Church in Bristol, Tennessee. “I Am They encouraged the crowd to sing. They taught the melody, they sang with passion and authenticity, and reminded the crowd that this was worship and not just a concert.”
“#rez18 has truly changed my life and I’m so excited to go out into the world and spread the good word of our Lord,” Mason Williams, a student from Marion, Virginia, tweeted after Resurrection’s final session.
~paraphrasing and quotes from “The Call”
|
|
The youth shared enthusiuasm for exciting experiences
such as
snagging a cool
new T-shirt
|
|
and
mastering a challenging
obstacle course
at Top Jump
. . .
|
|
|
|
and
finding great
seats in a crowd
of 10,000!
|
|
|
Videos of all sessions are posted. Link to Resurrection Videos
Resurrection 2019 is set for Jan. 25-27.
|
|
YOUTH SCHEDULE THIS WEEK
Biblical Exploration Sunday at 9:30 a.m.
Wednesday, February 7, 6:30 p.m.
Living with Disabilities Discussion… Then Board games!
|
|
Last Sunday
Mark 1: 21-28
A New Teaching with Authority!
|
|
|
| The Word of God for the People of God. Thanks be to God! |
|
|
|
| Our beloved Music Director/Organist, Phil Haga |
|
|
There’s within my heart a melody Jesus whispers sweet and low;
fear not, I am with thee, peace, be still, in all of life’s ebb and flow.
~Luther Bridgers, 1910
|
|
|
|
#knowing answer to pastor’s question
#patting pastor’s head
|
|
Lord, your Word is speaking to us today; today, we are all your prophets.
Today, as we face your greatness which we could never know or understand,
we forsake knowledge and instead we seek wisdom;
we forsake arrogance and instead we seek love.
Today, wracked by the demons of fear and distrust and indifference,
we need your authority to rewrite our convulsive and compulsive spirits.
Rewrite us, then, Word of Creation; speak your Wisdom in our innermost being;
and turn us into your Love in every moment and space of our lives;
in the name of the Father,and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
|
|
In Children’s Church Last Week . . .
|
Our lesson was about Jesus feeding five thousand people.
Several baskets of fish and bread were left over.
The children made their impression of the lesson with torn paper.
Ms. Suzanne taught a song.
Our snack was goldfish crackers and cinnamon bread.
Ms. Penny brought her flannel board.
|
Nehemiah, the Renewal Expert
He built walls! He gave the exiles homes! He brought the law back!
We are offering two sessions of this four-week study so that you may join
the study at the time most convenient for you.
We are ready to begin Session 3 in both groups.
Sunday evenings at 7:00
Wednesday mornings at 11:00
|
|
Family Promise
is scheduled for February 11th-17th.
It’s been a while since we’ve had the opportunity to serve our community in this way!
Support Teams are forming now.
Contact the coordinators for your chance to help:
Alan Gorrell: Overnight Host Coordinator 423-652-7377
Evening Host Job Description
Arrive at 5:30pm, meet the host family and enjoy
a free evening meal with them.
After dinner is fellowship time when you and the family may talk, watch videos, help the kids with homework, play board games, etc. At 8:30pm you are done and the Overnight Hosts take over.
Just 3 hours of your time can have a huge impact on a family in need!
|
|
Wait! Wait! Don’t tell me!
YOU’VE GOT JUNQUE !!
BIG CHURCH YARD SALE
MAY 18-19. SAVE YOUR STUFF. (PLEASE)
(contact Suzanne Rollins, Women’s Ministries, for more information)
|
|
Coming April 30 – May 2, 2018
MainStay Suites, Pigeon Forge, TN
A retreat for adults (50+) who
desire to explore and enhance their
relationship with Christ.
We have this hope as an
anchor for the Soul, firm and secure.
It enters the inter sanctuary
behind the curtain.
Hebrews 6:19 NIV
Sponsored by Holston Conference United Methodist Church Foundation.
|
|
|
|
FLOWER CALENDAR
Do you enjoy the fresh floral arrangements
that grace our altar each Lord’s Day?
The church maintains a weekly flower calendar where you may select a Sunday to provide beautiful flowers in honor of or in remembrance of someone special in your life. Arrangements are $50.00 each.
If you are interested in providing flowers at any time during the 2018 calendar year, please contact Kathy Wagner soon to reserve your special date.
|
|
|
Everyone is invited to participate
in the creation of your church’s newsletter.
For each publication, information
is needed by noon on Wednesday.
|
Like what you see in your church newsletter?
Why not
PASS IT ON?
to a friend, neighbor
or co-worker!
|
|
|
Week of February 1-7, 2018
Thurs, Feb 1: 9:00am-Help for Haiti Meeting-Library
6:00pm-Yoga with Jean-The Upper Room
8:00pm-AA
Fri, Feb 2: 5:30pm-Belly Dancing Class-Yoga Studio
6:30pm-Belly Dancing Class-Yoga Studio
7:00pm-NA
Sat, Feb 3: 9:00am-Simmer Down Catering (until 2 pm)-TH
Sun, Feb 4: 9:30am-Sunday School Hour
9:30am-The River Worship Service, TH
10:00am-Common Ground Service, Chapel
11:00am-Traditional Worship, Sanctuary
(childcare is provided from 9:30am to 12:00pm; children may be picked up at any time)
12:15pm-Choir Rehearsal
7:00pm-Nehemiah Study-Library
8:00pm-AA
Mon, Feb 5: 1:00pm-Food Pantry (until 4pm)-Bristol Emer. Food Pantry
6:00pm-Belly Dancing Class-Yoga Studio
7:00pm-Hispanic Congregation PVUMC
7:00pm-NA
Tues, Feb 6: 8:00am-Men’s Prayer Group-TH
8:00pm-AA
Wed, Feb 7: 11:00am-Nehemiah Study-Library
6:30pm-Youth Activity-Youth Room
To make changes or additions to the calendar
contact Alan Gorrell 423-652-7377
or Sandy Gorrell 423-652-1987.
|
|
|
|
First United Methodist Church
Rev. Brandon Berg, Pastor (276.237.6498)
322 Vance Dr., Bristol, TN 37620
www.fumcbristol.org
|
|
Our Vision-
Building A Community Where Anyone
Can Become
A Deeply Committed Christian
|
|
|
|
|
|
First United Methodist Church of Bristol 