The latest news for you

First United Methodist Church

Bristol, Tennessee

Your Weekly e-Newsletter and Events Schedule

September 13 -19, 2018

Visit our website

September 16, 2018

Seventeenth Sunday After Pentecost

Mark 8:27-38

Wisdom in the Street

Rev. Brandon Berg

From the Pastor’s Pen . . .

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,

Courage to change the things I can,

And wisdom to know the difference.

-Reinhold Niebuhr

I was not remotely athletic in school, so when our kids started showing interest in running, soccer, basketball, swimming, and gymnastics (not necessarily in that order), I had to learn the lingo and practices of an entirely new community. I didn’t know what was expected of parents and family, so I relied on observing other parents for cues and clues.

I probably didn’t give enough credit to the high turnover rate of parent involvement in kids’ sports. I don’t think many of the rest of the parents knew what was going on, either. We were just all faking it together.

Now that we’re a few years and a few different sports and a few different communities into this parenting thing, we’ve begun to learn some best (or at least better) practices. We’ve started to see how important communication is and how important it is to provide encouragement and support for young athletes.

When it’s evident to us that things need to be improved for athletes’ sake, we try to make adjustments. For the most part, coaches and organizers are pretty receptive to suggestions, particularly when they are couched in offers to help.

There are things we can change.

There are also things we can’t.

Holston Middle School’s cross country team is now two meets into their season, and the boys are maintaining a middle-of-the-pack position in their meets so far. I’m not going to take the time here to explain how scoring works, so if you’re curious, you can ask me or ask Karoline later. It would appear that some of the parents on the team also weren’t quite clear how scoring and training worked following the second meet, either. “All the kids have been working hard and really could use a win before the county meet,” one parent observed.

He isn’t wrong, but his observation isn’t really helpful, either. In some sports, a team can make a quick turnaround, maybe by suddenly starting to function as a cohesive group, and their performance will improve dramatically.

That’s a lot trickier to do in distance running. Improvement is gradual, and pushing too hard is a sure-fire way to break and put yourself out of commission for a couple months. Training a cross country team is a long-term commitment. It takes more than one season to build a program.

There are some things we can change. There are some things we can’t.

Personally, I pray that God grants me not just the serenity, but the grace and strength and courage and tact to change what I can. A trip to the voting booth, a letter to a member of congress, a conversation with a neighbor, an offer of a meal or a ride; the opportunities we have to enact change in our community are bounded only by our imagination and our willingness.

And sometimes, we can’t change things. That’s not necessarily because they’re too big. It might just be because we’re not gifted in a way that empowers us to be change agents.

But Wisdom knows the difference.

May we spend a little more time listening to her voice. Wisdom might be someone we could all get to know a little better.

Peace,

Brandon

Feed the Hungry Offering

Our “Feed the Hungry” offering this week is for Local Missions.

This mission helps members of our church family and other immediate

local mission needs.

Last Sunday We Celebrated Women’s Sunday

James 2: 1-17

A Song You Can’t Sing

Rev. Catherine Rollins

Jesu, Jesu, fill us with your love,

show us how to serve the neighbors we have from you.

Kneels at the feet of his friends, silently washes their feet,

Master who acts as a slave to them.

Neighbors are rich and poor, neighbors are black and white,

neighbors are near and far away.

Jesu, Jesu, fill us with your love,

show us how to serve the neighbors we have from you.

~Tom Colvin

What good is it if we say we trust God in every moment,

but live guided by our fears?

We will speak and act as those who trust God to come

and live in our fearful hearts.

~Thom M. Shuman

Words that go together: Faith and Works

Our God is an awesome God, he reigns from heaven above

with wisdom, power, and love, Our God is and awesome God.

Rich Mullins

There’s more that dances on the prairie than the wind,

and more that pulses in the ocean than the tide;

There’s a love that is fiercer than the love between friends,

more gentle than a mother when her baby’s at her side.

And there’s a loyalty that’s deeper than mere sentiments,

A music higher than the songs than I can sing;

The things of earth compete for the allegiance

I owe only to the Giver of all good things.

So if I stand, let me stand on the promise that You will pull me through;

but, if I can’t, let me fall on the grace that first brought me to You.

And if I sing, let me sing for the joy that has born in me these songs,

And if I weep, let it be as one who is longing for her home.

~Rich Mullins

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,” and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead. James 2: 14-17

It’s about as useless as

A screen door on a submarine

Faith without works baby

It just ain’t happenin’

One is your left hand

One is your right

It’ll take two strong arms

To hold on tight

Some folks cut off their nose

Just to spite their face

I think you need some works to show

For your alleged faith

Well there’s a difference you know

Between having faith

And playing make believe

One will make you grow

The other one just make you sleep

Talk about it (yeah)

And I really think you oughta

Take a leap off of the ship

Before you claim to walk on water

Faith without works

Is like a song you can’t sing

It’s about as useless as

A screen door on a submarine.

~Rich Mullins

God send us forth to love all people, no strings attached.

We will share grace and hope with everyone.

~Thom M. Schuman

To the Youth Who Prepared and

Served Our Sunday Dinner!!

Thank You!!

The Spaghetti and Service were Superb!

Our Compliments to the Chefs!

The Youth Spaghetti Dinner

Trustees Meeting – Sunday, September 16, 4:00 p.m., Church Library
Finance Committee Meeting, Sunday, September 16, 5:00 p.m., Church Library
Administrative Council, Sunday, September 16, 6:00 p.m., Tankersley Hall
Organizational Meeting for Adult Sunday School, Wed., Sep. 19, 5:30 p.m., tba

Blood pressure checks will be provided

2nd and 4th Sundays

Erica Rakes has graciously offered to provide blood pressure checks on

Second and Fourth Sundays at the close of the traditional worship service.

You will find her in the church library. Thank you, Erica!!

Five-Week Book Study in Progress

Alzheimer’s/Dementia: Ministry with the Forgotten by Bishop Kenneth Carder

is being offered in two sessions:

one on Wednesday mornings at 11:00 a.m. and

the other on Sunday evenings at 7:00 p.m. in the Library.

Bible Study for 5th and 6th Graders

Begins Wednesday, September 19

6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Come and Bring Your Friends!

Missing Sunday School? How about “Sunday School” on some other day?

Come to an organizational meeting of a group, enjoy fellowship and plan how we might find a time and way to learn about God’s word for our life.

Book study?

Bible review?

Videos and movies?

Want to eat?

What would you like?

We’ll decide together.

Organizational meeting next Wednesday, September 19 at 5:30 at the church.

Previous Fellowship Class…..you might like this!

Those looking for a small group…..this could be it!

New to the church and want to connect and study…..try this out!

Everybody…..this could be a new way to find God in the midst of new and old friends. . .

An Invitation from the Choir

Join with the choir on September 23, Unity Sunday, for the 9:30 a.m. Contemplative Service followed by brunch.

September 23 is also Rhythm and Roots Festival

Sunday in Downtown Bristol.

Come to First United Methodist Church’s early worship at

9:30 a.m. and bring a brunch dish

(the choir will provide juice and drinks).

After worshiping together, we will enjoy a time of

food and fellowship and be

ready for the final day of music downtown.

This will be FUMC’s only worship service on September 23.

Martha Circle

Next meeting at Sue Bryngelson’s House

September 25 at 5:30. NOTE NEW TIME!

We’ll have pizza so don’t worry about supper.

Come and bring a friend.

All women of the church and your friends are welcome.

The Date of Charge Conference for 1st UMC, Bristol Has Been Set:

Sunday, October 14, 2018, 5:30 p.m.

Weaver United Methodist Church

132 Peoples Road

Bristol, TN 37620

Please include this important meeting in your schedule.

This is our opportunity to voice our vote for leadership

within the local church.

2018 Holston Evangelism Conference

State Street UMC

Sunday November 4

2:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Cost $10.00 at the door.

Books available for purchase on site.

Childcare provided.

Sponsored by the Holston Conference Witness Team and Discipleship Teams.

Youth Conference

REZ 2019

Pigeon Forge TN

January 25-26-27

Registrations paid by

Aug. 31 are $50

Price through September is $75,

as long as space is available.

Our cabin sleeps twelve.

See John Mack to sign up.

Fall house cleaning? Don’t throw anything away. Save it for our Church Yard Sale coming in May 2019! If you want to get it out of your house, we can find a place to store anything! See any UMW member for more information.

Our Haitian Family – Then and Now

Djennie Besson

11th Grade

Djennie wants to be a pediatrician.

Bethchina Bilice

9th Grade

Bethchina wants to be a singer.

Jeffreyna D. Saintil

9th Grade

Jeffreyna wants to be a lawyer.

Michelove Bilice

9th Grade

Michelove wants to be a nurse

Wesley Francois

9th Grade

Wesley wants to be a doctor.

‌

Loveson Saintil

8th Grade

Loveson wants to be a preacher.

Dorvelie Dorvil

6th Grade

Dorvelie wants to be a nurse.

Marvens Carliste

5th Grade

Marvens wants to be a doctor.

Christine Fleurant

3rd Grade

Christine wants to be a teacher.

Nine years of growing! Imagine where our children will be in another nine years!

Thank you for your generous giving and prayer support.

Because of you, these children have hope for their future.

Worship in Children’s Church Last Week

Ms. Penny and Mr. Mike taught the lesson. Ms. Penny brought her flannel graph and told us about Samuel and Eli from 1 Samuel 3. God spoke to Samuel as he was resting. Three times Samuel thought Eli called to him when he had not. Eli knew it was God, and he told Samuel to listen to God. Samuel did listen. He grew up and became a prophet. God talks to us, although maybe not in the same way He talked to Samuel. He talks to us in prayer and though His Word. Like Samuel, we must listen.

Mr. Mike brought in his electric skillet and we helped him make corn pudding! Ms. Kathy helped us pour in the salt, pepper, sugar, flour in so we wouldn’t get burned. Mr. Mike helped us put in butter and milk. We then put on our paint aprons and painted!