Newsletter: June 10-16

First United Methodist Church

Bristol, Tennessee

Your Weekly e-Newsletter and Events Schedule

June 10-16, 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.

2rd Sunday After Pentecost

June 13, 2021

Mark 4:26-34

"Smallest of All"

Rev. Brandon Berg

From the Pastor's Pen

A couple weeks before I received the phone call announcing my projected move to First Bristol, Noah and I came here to run our first half marathon. He was three months shy of eleven years old.

This weekend, Rebekah will be running her first half in Burke’s Garden, Virginia. She’ll be two days older than eleven.

I’ve run lots of races with these kids. Sometimes I’ve paced them. More frequently, I trust them to run on their own, to follow the person in front of them. I trust the running community surrounding them to keep them safe.

This morning, Rebekah ran the length of Holston Drive entirely on her own. She knows now how to watch for traffic, which side of the road to run on, and how to pace herself. She can do this safely in this neighborhood, and I trust her to do so.

Of course, my heart still beats a bit harder while she’s on the road by herself.

It’s important to Karoline and to me to let the kids grow, to give them the independence they’re ready for. That’s probably the lion’s share of parenting. It’s also the lion’s share of pastoring, of supervising staff, and of a whole lot of professions we practice. We grow people. We feel their pride and their nervousness when they exercise a bit of independence. We celebrate with them, and we coach them through the improvement they’re striving toward.

We learn that from parents, from pastors, from supervisors, and from the One who trusts us to step out in faith and make our own mistakes.

Nurturing is a holy practice.

Enjoy it. Embrace it. Celebrate it. It’s only here for a moment.

It’s the growing of a holy community, one person at a time

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

2nd Sunday

After Pentecost

Words of Greeting and

Announcements

by Sue Dietz

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Scripture Reading

led by Joyce Moore

Philippians 4:4-20

Common English Bible

Be glad in the Lord always! Again I say, be glad! Let your gentleness show in your treatment of all people. The Lord is near. Don’t be anxious about anything; rather, bring up all of your requests to God in your prayers and petitions, along with giving thanks. Then the peace of God that exceeds all understanding will keep your hearts and minds safe in Christ Jesus.

From now on, brothers and sisters, if anything is excellent and if anything is admirable, focus your thoughts on these things: all that is true, all that is holy, all that is just, all that is pure, all that is lovely, and all that is worthy of praise. Practice these things: whatever you learned, received, heard, or saw in us. The God of peace will be with you.

I was very glad in the Lord because now at last you have shown concern for me again. (Of course you were always concerned but had no way to show it.) I’m not saying this because I need anything, for I have learned how to be content in any circumstance. I know the experience of being in need and of having more than enough; I have learned the secret to being content in any and every circumstance, whether full or hungry or whether having plenty or being poor. I can endure all these things through the power of the one who gives me strength. Still, you have done well to share my distress.

You Philippians know from the time of my first mission work in Macedonia how no church shared in supporting my ministry except you. You sent contributions repeatedly to take care of my needs even while I was in Thessalonica. I’m not hoping for a gift, but I am hoping for a profit that accumulates in your account. I now have plenty and it is more than enough. I am full to overflowing because I received the gifts that you sent from Epaphroditus. Those gifts give off a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice that pleases God. My God will meet your every need out of his riches in the glory that is found in Christ Jesus. Let glory be given to God our Father forever and always. Amen

"Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee"

UMH 89

sung by Phil Haga

The Lord's Prayer

led by Alan Gorrell

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

"Joy"

Joyce Moore

Lay Leader

John Wesley UMC

"Joy to the World"

Phil Haga

Betty Curtis

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

Friday, June 18th

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

For Service Attendance

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

New Health and Safety Procedures

A Note From Our

Lay Leader

Lessons from our berm…

A berm is an artificial ridge or embankment built for defense. How appropriate to have a berm around our building. During hard times a holy defense is just what we need to feel as we worship and work together.

Have you ever really taken time to look at our berms? There are lessons to be learned.

Our berm is made of rock, all different sizes and types, colors, and shapes. We certainly are different in our views, abilities, and interests.

Look at how the stones go together and are interesting to look at. If they were all the same would they be as interesting? I do not believe they would.

Weeds and empty spots disturb the berm outside our

church. We are aware of what disturbs inside our

church. As we come together, let us come in love and

patients. Things may be different, but then that is

change in our world.

Come fill your space in our church family!

Sue Dietz