Newsletter: June 3-9

First United Methodist Church

Bristol, Tennessee

Your Weekly e-Newsletter and Events Schedule

June 3-9, 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.

2nd Sunday After Pentecost

June 6th, 2021

Philippians 4:4-20

Joyce Moore

Lay Speaker, John Wesley UMC

From the Pastor's Pen

When Noah was tiny, our church community was a suburban church outside of Atlanta with the usual pair of services: a traditional, hymn-based service and a contemporary service. The church invested in an electronic drum set to better balance the mix of voices and instruments in the sanctuary. Noah thought that was the coolest thing, and the regular drummer positively delighted in plopping our toddler on his lap and letting him bang away.

Since then, Noah has transitioned from piano to recorder to clarinet to oboe and, finally, back to percussion. I’m thrilled that he is into music, but these transitions have been a whirlwind. They have reminded me how impermanent so many things are that we do.

Our sense of permanence is really only as long as our memory. It may seem like we’ve been singing certain hymns forever, but let your eyes fall to the bottom of the page and check the date of authorship. It may seem like certain ministries have been around for ages, but most of us are probably older than most of them. It may even seem like our theological ideas are permanent fixtures, but beyond some very basic tenets, most of our refined dogma is pretty recently developed.

Things come and go, even in the Church.

And that’s okay. The transience can remind us of our limited perspective compared to God’s transcendence.

Let the change happen. Let it change you. Give it the love-God-love-neighbor test and give yourself the fruit-of-the-spirit test, and see if the change is good. It’s probably a lot better than you think.

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

Trinity Sunday

Words of Greeting and

Announcements

by Sue Dietz

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Responsive Reading

led by Rev. Berg

Psalm 29

adapted from the Common English Bible

You, divine beings! Give to the Lord—

give to the Lord glory and power!

Give to the Lord the glory due his name!

Bow down to the Lord in holy splendor!

The Lord’s voice is over the waters;

the glorious God thunders;

the Lord is over the mighty waters.

The Lord’s voice is strong;

the Lord’s voice is majestic.

The Lord’s voice breaks cedar trees—

yes, the Lord shatters the cedars of Lebanon.

The Lord makes Lebanon jump around like a young bull,

makes Sirion jump around like a young wild ox.

The Lord’s voice unleashes fiery flames;

the Lord’s voice shakes the wilderness—

yes, the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.

The Lord’s voice convulses the oaks,

strips the forests bare,

but in God’s temple everyone shouts, “Glory!”

The Lord sits enthroned over the floodwaters;

the Lord sits enthroned—king forever!

Let the Lord give strength to the people of God!

Let the Lord bless the people of God with peace!

"Holy, Holy, Holy"

UMH 64

sung by Phil Haga

Gospel Reading

led by Rev. Berg

Gospel

John 3:1-7

New Revised Standard Version

Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.’ Jesus answered him, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.’ Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?’ Jesus answered, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, “You must be born from above.” The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.’ Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can these things be?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?

‘Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

‘Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

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Last Week's Sermon

"God in Community"

Rev. Brandon Berg

Special Music

In the Morning I Will Sing (Psalm 63)

Phil Haga

Betty Curtis

Communion is once again observed safely

Wonderful news from Haiti!

One of the girls in our Haiti Mission graduated and passed exams to allow her to go to nursing school. Your prayers, gifts and love have helped her and all

the others served by the mission.

The mission, as so many projects, needs money.

Tuitions will be up in cost when they are due this fall.

Tailgate Gathering

This Friday at 6:00pm

If you can't bring your own chair there are some available.

Bring your own food and join in the fellowship!

Sunday School Resumes!

MASKLESS, if you feel comfortable
vaccinated people may attend
9:30am-Shaw Anchor Classroom
study materials available on main hallway literature table

New Health and Safety Procedures

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

New Health and Safety Procedures

A Note From Our

Lay Leader

I’m locked out!

Would you believe the electronic world is against me! My son helped me for an hour to set up my computer, and now the passwords do not work. Yesterday we used the copier. It took three of us to figure out how to enlarge. At home we have splurged to subscribe to some extra channels. I have finally figured out circuitous routes to get to them. I want to give up, but that just will not do. Somehow, I will at least learn how to get back into my computer. Until then I will write emails and pretend I’m in Word.

Opening church can feel a little like trying to get into your electronics without the proper passwords. We will not give up. We are open, but it’s not the same as it was and will continue to change as more of you return. We need you to return and to financially support your church if you can. Your gifts are not dues to belong they are gifts to enable the work of the church.

If you are vaccinated, it is time to return to life. First UMC is offering some options.

Sunday School will begin this Sunday.

There will be a Tailgate this Friday.

Worship continues at 11 in person and on Facebook.

Sue Dietz