Newsletter: May 27-June 2

First United Methodist Church

Bristol, Tennessee

Your Weekly e-Newsletter and Events Schedule

May 27-June 2, 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.

Enter the narthex doors beside the sanctuary.
Wear a cloth mask that covers your mouth and nose until you are seated if you are vaccinated; if you are not fully vaccinated wear your mask continuously.
wear your mask when participating in singings and readings.
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.

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.

Trinity Sunday

Peace With Justice Sunday

May 30th, 2021

John 3:1-17

"God in Community"

Rev. Brandon Berg

From the Pastor's Pen

Psst! Guess what?

It’s Communion Sunday.

Like, for real, in person, bread and juice Communion!

Man, it feels good to be emerging bit by bit out of pandemic hibernation. I mean, out attendance is still at something like 1/3 of what it was fourteen months ago, and giving is way down, and our missional activity is pretty pared back; but we’ll address that stuff. We’re entering back into full engagement in exactly the way I do not prefer to get into a pool: bit by bit, testing the waters.

I’m a cannonballer, myself, but that’s a pretty unwise way to move back into public life when over 60% of folks in our region either lack access to or refuse to get a COVID-19 vaccine. That’s a really scary statistic to contemplate when I go to Food City and I can count on one hand the number of people who are practicing any sort of public safety measures. 6 out of 10 people in there are unvaccinated.

So we’ll ease back into our public engagement. We’ll minimize our risk.

This Sunday, on Trinity Sunday (the Sunday after Pentecost), we’ll share Holy Communion with little prepackaged bread and juice. If you’re worshiping with us remotely, gather your elements in whatever way works best for you. Let’s celebrate one more step toward some sort of normalcy. Let’s celebrate the God who brings us together in community, even when we’re physically separated.

Really, community is what Trinity Sunday is all about. Three Persons, One God: the perfect model of community.

Let’s celebrate the feast together!

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

Pentecost

Words of Greeting and

Announcements

by Sue Dietz

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Responsive Reading

led by Sue Dietz

Psalm 104:24-35

adapted from the Common English Bible

Lord, you have done so many things!

You made them all so wisely!

The earth is full of your creations!

And then there’s the sea, wide and deep,

with its countless creatures—

living things both small and large.

There go the ships on it,

and Leviathan, which you made, plays in it!

All your creations wait for you

to give them their food on time.

When you give it to them, they gather it up;

when you open your hand, they are filled completely full!

but when you hide your face, they are terrified;

when you take away their breath,

they die and return to dust.

When you let loose your breath, they are created,

and you make the surface of the ground brand-new again.

Let the Lord’s glory last forever!

Let the Lord rejoice in all God has made!

The Lord has only to look at the earth, and it shakes.

God just touches the mountains, and they erupt in smoke.

I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;

I will sing praises to my God while I’m still alive.

Let my praise be pleasing to the Divine;

I’m rejoicing in the Lord!

Let sinners be wiped clean from the earth;

let the wicked be no more.

But let my whole being bless the Lord!

Praise the Lord!

"Spirit Song"

UMH 347

sung by Phil Haga

Gospel Reading

led by Rev. Berg

Gospel

John 15:26-27, 1-15

“When the Companion comes, whom I will send from the Father—the Spirit of Truth who proceeds from the Father—he will testify about me. You will testify too, because you have been with me from the beginning.

But I have said these things to you so that when their time comes, you will remember that I told you about them. “I didn’t say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. But now I go away to the one who sent me. None of you ask me, ‘Where are you going?’ Yet because I have said these things to you, you are filled with sorrow. I assure you that it is better for you that I go away. If I don’t go away, the Companion won’t come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will show the world it was wrong about sin, righteousness, and judgment. He will show the world it was wrong about sin because they don’t believe in me. He will show the world it was wrong about righteousness because I’m going to the Father and you won’t see me anymore. He will show the world it was wrong about judgment because this world’s ruler stands condemned.

“I have much more to say to you, but you can’t handle it now. However, when the Spirit of Truth comes, he will guide you in all truth. He won’t speak on his own, but will say whatever he hears and will proclaim to you what is to come. He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and proclaim it to you. Everything that the Father has is mine. That’s why I said that the Spirit takes what is mine and will proclaim it to you.

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Last Week's Sermon

"Upon all Flesh"

Rev. Brandon Berg

Special Music

In the Morning I Will Sing (Psalm 63)

Phil Haga

Betty Curtis

New Health and Safety Procedures

Click on the link below to read the changes now in effect.

New Health and Safety Procedures

Grief Support Group…

Recovery at Bristol is pleased to announce the formation of a new support group focusing on grief and loss. It will meet online via Zoom immediately following the Recovery Praise Service which begins each Thursday at 7 p.m. We plan for this group to transition to an In-Person group when COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.

The group will be led by Melissa Wright, LMSW. Melissa is a social worker and active member of First United Methodist Church in Bristol. She has a focus on grief counseling and brings a great deal of experience.

See the link below for information and a registration link.

Grief Support Group

The new Annual Conference Schedule is as follows:

June 8, 2021 | VIRTUAL Clergy Session: ZoomWebinar-2:00pm

June 12, 2021 | VIRTUAL Annual Conference: Zoom Webinar-1:00pm

August 27, 2021 | Memorial Service: First Broad Street UMC-3:00pm

August 27, 2021 | Ordination Service: First Broad Street UMC- 7:00pm

August 28, 2021 | In-Person Annual Conference:

MeadowView Conference Resort & Convention Center – 12:00 – 6:00 pm

A Note From Our

Lay Leader

Oh! Lions, and tigers and bears!

Tigers have been roaming in a town in Oklahoma. We have a neighborhood bear right now. Yikes! Garbage cans have been tossed and our steel post on our bird feeder was bent! Now when I go out it is with trepidation. You know, I have had that same feeling when I met folks who did not have masks on. I wonder how our Asian American, Jewish, and other minorities feel right now when they go out. The reports of attacks are awful. You cannot listen to news and not find something new to fear.

Oh! Lions, and tigers and bears! Oh my!

The Bible has words for us, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

It is easier to remember that when I hear God’s love preached on Sundays. It is easier to remember that when I have used my God-given brain to take the precautions I can. So, I will remember I have a loving God who will be with me no matter what and who gives me the ability to think. I will pray for those who are or may be attacked.

And I would like some bear bells to wear when I go out of the house!

Sue Dietz