Newsletter April 8-14, 2021

First United Methodist Church

Bristol, Tennessee

Your Weekly e-Newsletter and Events Schedule

April 8-14, 2021

Welcome to In-Person Worship Again….

We rejoice in once again gathering together for in-person worship!

If you are uncomfortable with worshiping in person or unable to join us for whatever reason, please tune in as we live-stream the service on Facebook.

As a reminder, we are in the midst of a global pandemic. Even though people are being vaccinated and infection rates are declining, we will be maintaining recommended best public health practices for the foreseeable future. When you come worship with us, some specific things will happen:

Enter the narthex doors beside the sanctuary.
Wear a cloth mask that covers your mouth and nose.
Temperature checks will be done.
You will be asked a handful of questions about your current health and recent interaction with other people who may be at risk for COVID-19.
Maintain at least six feet of space between yourself and anyone outside of your immediate household.
Minimize your use of the lavatory and sanitize the spaces you use, and
Exit the Sanctuary through the side doors closest to the parking lot.

This is a first step back toward normalcy, and we are looking forward making more progress very soon, but we will all have to cooperate to ensure that can happen.

Visit our website

Schedule Adjustment:

In-person worship at 11:00a.m. Sundays in the sanctuary

can also be viewed on the church Facebook page.

If you have not connected to FUMC via Facebook,

please go do that. You can also connect to Rev. Berg

on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Instagram.

He will try to share uplifting and empowering things

on those media.

2nd Sunday of Easter

April 11th, 2021

John 20:19-31

"Thomas and the Power of Doubt"

Rev. Brandon Berg

From the Pastor's Pen

When God began to create the heavens and the earth—the earth was without shape or form, it was dark over the deep sea, and God’s wind swept over the waters—God said, “Let there be light.” And so light appeared. God saw how good the light was. God separated the light from the darkness. God named the light Day and the darkness Night.

There was evening and there was morning: the first day.

You likely know how this story goes.

Day 2: separation of water and sky.

Day 3: Earth, Seas, vegetation.

Day 4: heavenly bodies.

Day 5: birds and fish.

Day 6: creatures on land, including humans (all of them; not just two).

Day 7: rest.

From one perspective, this is a lot of creative ground to cover. There’s a lot going on each day.

From another perspective, though, I notice that God is handling one thing at a time. Just one. God is organized and methodical and is not getting carried away.

One thing at a time.

I’m a terrible multitasker. I’m so bad at it that I can’t even imagine how anyone could be a multitasker. When I have more than one project going on at once, I usually end up setting things aside and either not finishing them or not putting them away when they’re done (I guess that’s actually an important part of finishing them, though). My desk, consequently, looks like I have a lot more in process than I actually do.

I really should do something about that.

But for now, I’m going to put some words together. One thing at a time. Right now, this is that one thing.

If that’s good enough for God, it ought to be good enough for me.

Peace,

Brandon

While we are practicing social distancing in response to the COVID-19 outbreak,

FUMC will not be keeping regular office hours.

If you need to reach Rev. Berg, he will still be responding by email at

pastor@fumcbristol.org

and by text or call (276) 237-6498

Last Sunday

Easter Sunday

Words of Greeting and

Announcements

by Sue Dietz

‌

Responsive Reading

led by Rev. Berg

Responsive Reading

Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24

adapted from the

Common English Bible

Give thanks to the Lord who is good,

because the faithful love of God lasts forever.

Let Israel say it:

“God’s faithful love lasts forever!”

The Lord was my strength and protection

and my saving help!

The sounds of joyful songs and deliverance

are heard in the tents of the righteous:

“The Lord’s strong hand is victorious!

The Lord’s strong hand is ready to strike!

The Lord’s strong hand is victorious!”

I won’t die—no, I will live

and declare what the Lord has done.

Yes, the Lord definitely disciplined me,

but God did not hand me over to death.

Open the gates of righteousness for me

so I can come in and give thanks to the Lord!

This is the Lord’s gate;

those who are righteous enter through it.

I thank you because you answered me,

because you were my saving help.

The stone rejected by the builders

is now the main foundation stone!

This has happened because of the Lord;

it is astounding in our sight!

This is the day the Lord acted;

we will rejoice and celebrate in it!

Opening Hymn

"Christ The Lord is Risen Today"

UMH 302

sung by Phil Haga

‌

Gospel Reading

led by Rev. Berg

‌

Last Week's Sermon

"Christ Is Risen!"

Rev. Berg

Closing Hymn

"Thine Be the Glory"

UMH 308

Sung by Phil Haga

‌

Easter Sunday we joyfully welcomed

Melissa Wright as a new member of FUMC-Bristol

Memories of Holy Week Services…

Memorium

The church gratefully accepts a gift to the

Memorial Fund

in memory of John Coppedge

Gene & Peggy Naifeh

A Note From Our

Lay Leader

Computers and God…

I am in!!! This morning I have been trying to get into a computer program and the computer itself. Now that should not be hard. I forgot a password. Anyone who has gone through this knows the pain of getting a new one set up. First, I had to call support, then go to the “client portal” to reset the password. Then turn off

the computer because something had decided I had tried too many times to enter the program. I would have appreciated credit for my perseverance instead! Finally, I was able to send out a month-end report. Then I ended up having to call my son to help me get into Microsoft. They wanted me to prove who I was. And then, I had to call him back because I could not get into a new page to write this to you.

What struck me at the end of this experience was how glad I am God doesn’t put us through all that to be with Him. As Brandon said on Easter, we are God’s beloved. We sure did not earn that. It was free. No secret pin numbers. No passwords. Jesus died for us. That is it. Easter is with us all year.

Sue Dietz

Rev. Berg streams morning prayer live on Facebook

on weekday mornings in the 8:00am hour.

Share your prayer requests with him

or join him online.

The Holston Conference offers a daily devotional authored by laity and clergy

from all around the conference.

If you would like a word of encouragement birthed from the Bible and understood through the eyes of East Tennessean and Southwest Virginian United Methodists

click on the link below.

Holston Conference Daily Devotional