Newsletter: July 15-21

First United Methodist Church

Bristol, Tennessee

Your Weekly e-Newsletter and Events Schedule

July 15-21, 2021

Welcome to In-Person Worship Again….

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.

8th Sunday After Pentecost

July 18, 2021

Mark 6:30-34, 53-56

"A Traveling God"

Rev. Brandon Berg

From the Pastor's Pen

In a former life, I coordinated and led aquatics activities at Buffalo Mountain Camp. I’ve maintained close friendships with several of the folks I used to work with, and this week, one of them called on me to be a safety boater for Kayak camp at Camp Bays Mountain.

It takes a pretty serious conflict for me to turn down time on whitewater.

It’s interesting to watch the folks I used to work and hang out with shift into and through parenthood, through careers, through relationships, through interests and priorities. It’s interesting to watch a new crop of counselors and camp staff learn how to prioritize the physical, emotional, and spiritual welfare of children in their care. It’s interesting to watch a new group of campers try out a new sport, or get better at the one they’ve grown to love. It’s interesting to see what all these folks love about whitewater sport that is both like and unlike what I love about it.

I’ve just been letting all this soak in the past couple days. Sure, I’ve been teaching a little, guiding a good bit, rescuing a bit more than you might like to imagine, but behind all the immediate activity, I’m watching. I’m absorbing. Most of all, I’m enjoying all these beautiful folks.

I hope I spend a lot of my time just enjoying folks. People are beautiful. These folks I’m sharing the river with are beautiful. You. You are beautiful. Thank you for sharing a little space and time with me.

This week, I hope you take the time to just enjoy the folks you’re with. Each one is the image of God, beautiful in a unique and miraculous way. Revel in them. They are the face of God with you right now.

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

7th Sunday After Pentecost

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Greeting and

Announcements

Sue Dietz

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Last Sunday's Sermon

"Breaking The Rules of Decency"

Rev. Brandon Berg

Hymn

"Praise to the Lord"

UMH 139

sung by Phil Haga

Gospel Reading

led by Rev. Berg

Mark 6:13-29

Common English Bible

Herod the king heard about these things, because the name of Jesus had become well-known. Some were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and this is why miraculous powers are at work through him.” Others were saying, “He is Elijah.” Still others were saying, “He is a prophet like one of the ancient prophets.” But when Herod heard these rumors, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised to life.”

He said this because Herod himself had arranged to have John arrested and put in prison because of Herodias, the wife of Herod’s brother Philip. Herod had married her, but John told Herod, “It’s against the law for you to marry your brother’s wife!” So Herodias had it in for John. She wanted to kill him, but she couldn’t. This was because Herod respected John. He regarded him as a righteous and holy person, so he protected him. John’s words greatly confused Herod, yet he enjoyed listening to him.

Finally, the time was right. It was on one of Herod’s birthdays, when he had prepared a feast for his high-ranking officials and military officers and Galilee’s leading residents. Herod’s daughter Herodias came in and danced, thrilling Herod and his dinner guests. The king said to the young woman, “Ask me whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.” Then he swore to her, “Whatever you ask I will give to you, even as much as half of my kingdom.”

She left the banquet hall and said to her mother, “What should I ask for?”

“John the Baptist’s head,” Herodias replied.

Hurrying back to the ruler, she made her request: “I want you to give me John the Baptist’s head on a plate, right this minute.” Although the king was upset, because of his solemn pledge and his guests, he didn’t want to refuse her. So he ordered a guard to bring John’s head. The guard went to the prison, cut off John’s head, brought his head on a plate, and gave it to the young woman, and she gave it to her mother. When John’s disciples heard what had happened, they came and took his dead body and laid it in a tomb.