First Presbyterian Church First Edition published bi-weekly for the members and friends of the church

Transcription

1 First Presbyterian Church First Edition published bi-weekly for the members and friends of the church Todd Jones Pastor My Dear Friends, Perhaps the greatest challenge for the person of faith is the challenge to keep God first in our lives. This is surely why the very first of the Ten Commandments addresses this human dilemma. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Exodus 20 begins with this commandment before all the others, because it is so fundamental to the challenge to live faithful lives. It is so easy to lose our way and to get confused over our priorities, and in this world it is always easy to put someone or something or some desire before God. Martin Luther said, Whatever thy heart clings to, that properly is thy god. As such, we are always in danger of breaking the first and most important of all the other commandments by breaking the second: You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Idolatry is to turn anything that is less than God into your god. It is the worship and service of something or someone not worthy of your worship. John Calvin said, The human heart is a factory of idols. Every one of us is, from our mother s womb, expert in inventing idols. We are always in danger of placing before God something or someone in our lives that is simply not God. When we do, we find ourselves in grave danger of selling our souls for a mess of pottage. In his classic book, Wishful Thinking, Fred Buechner says, Idolatry is the practice of ascribing absolute value to things of relative worth. Under certain circumstances money, patriotism, sexual freedom, moral principles, family loyalty, physical health, social or intellectual preeminence and so on are fine things to have around, but to make them the standard by which all other values are measured, to make them your masters, to look to them to justify your life and save your soul is sheerest folly. They just aren t up to it. That is the problem with putting anything before God in our lives. We ask from January 22, 2014 Volume 29, No. 02 proximate things ultimate meaning and significance, and they simply are not able to deliver. We will always end up feeling empty, longing for more than this world can ever give to us. Saint Augustine knew this, and after he had found the Living God in his life, he could finally write of his early life, Thou hast made us for Thyself, O God, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Thee. Jesus doubtless had the first commandment in mind when he said, Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added to you as well. And in writing to the church at Ephesus, John said in the Revelation, But I have this against you, that you have abandoned your first love (Revelation 2:4). It is easy to forget God s preeminence in our lives and when we do, nothing else works as it should. Of course, the most dangerous and destructive idol is also the most seductive and that is our own egos out of control. Augustine defined sin as the self curved in upon itself. It is so easy to end up living what Earl Palmer calls the self-referential life. This is life when everything revolves around us, and things matter only inasmuch as they affect us. Palmer says, Finally, the self-referential person is a boring person. God alone frees us from self-centered living and sets us truly free to find ourselves by losing ourselves. Jesus said, For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. Only God can save a life, and only Jesus is the Savior. I talk to members of our church family all the time, and I sometimes ask the question, What is your favorite passage of Scripture? I am amazed and yet not surprised to find how often the answer is Proverbs 3:5-6. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths. All your ways means all of our opportunities and undertakings. The Living Bible paraphrases this verse: In everything you do, put God first, and he will direct you and crown your efforts with success. This is what it means to keep the first commandment! In everything you do, put God first. Of course, religious people are always in danger of breaking this first of all the commandments. We can easily Continued on next page

2 Sympathy The Mission of First Presbyterian Church, Nashville To know Christ, to make Him known and to exhibit His love through worship, education and service. The First Presbyterian Church family extends prayers and sympathy to the following during their time of loss. Sympathy to the friends & family of Odelle Elder Barbee, who died on October 28. Eric & Justin Near on the death of Eric s grandmother, Joanne Marie Baumgartner Near, who died on December 18. Sympathy to Lili & Rowan Near. Sympathy to the friends & family of George Hearn Rhea, who died on December 24. Doris O Neil on the death of her sister, Nancy Rutherford Gaster, who died on December 28. Barbara & John Fletcher on the death of Barbara s mother, Betty Christian Belle, who died on January 6. Sympathy to Jamie, Liz & Kathleen Fletcher. If any member of the church desires the Christian support of a Stephen Minister, call Sandra Randleman at Stephen Ministers are trained lay ministers of the church. Congratulations The First Presbyterian Church family congratulates the following people during their new births. Claudia & David Emfinger welcome a daughter, Claudia Clements Emfinger, who was born on December 9. Congratulations to grandparents, Jennie & Claude Clements. Austin & Steve Reeves welcome a daughter, Eleanor Sinclair Reeves, who was born on December 21. Congratulations to grandparents, Anne & Richard Jones. Heather & Drew Robers welcome a daughter, Chandler Day Robers, who was born on December 27. Congratulations to grandparents, Donna & Jim Robers. Courtney & Brad Robers welcome a daughter, Grace Oman Robers, who was born on December 27. Congratulations to grandparents, Donna & Jim Robers. Continued from front page turn our worship into something that is self-serving and selfcentered. Some fine people I know think of worship as a kind of therapy, something they do to feel better or to help themselves to live better. This is not evil, but it is also not really worship of Almighty God. It is a means to an end, with ourselves and our own well-being serving as our end. To put God first is to offer our praise and thanksgiving to God and to listen to a Word that is larger and deeper and more wonderful than we are. To worship God is be lost in wonder, love and praise and to see all of life in the light of this God. To put God first is to give ourselves to God in our worship and in our service. But irreligious people are also in danger of forgetting the first and most important of all the commandments. Again, listen to Frederick Buechner: It is among the irreligious that idolatry is a particular menace. Having ushered God out once and for all through the front door, the unbeliever is under constant temptation to replace God with something spirited in through the service entrance. From the moment the eighteenth-century French revolutionaries set up the Goddess of Reason on the high altar of Notre Dame, there wasn t a head in all Paris that was safe. And when the people of Nazi Germany began to salute Adolf Hitler as Der Furer, there soon was not a Jew in all of Europe who was safe. I tremble when I think what might happen in this world in which so many have forgotten God. Jesus said, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength (Mark 12:30). This is what it means to put God first. The rest has a way of following SUNDAY JANUARY 26, 2014 Mark DeVries Associate Pastor Smile! And Join the Pictorial Directory Team First Presbyterian is in the early stages of producing a new pictorial directory. We are searching for volunteers who have the skills and interest to create this portrait of the congregation. Volunteer opportunities range from project leadership to task-specific roles. Regardless of the position, past volunteers have had a chance to get to know members of our church family better and have taken pride in the finished directory. To volunteer or inquire about available opportunities, contact Dean Reeves ( ) or Shannon Parsons ( or sparsons@fpcnashville.org). With Love and Prayers, SUNDAY FEBRUARY 2, 2014 Sermon What Does the Lord Require of You? Scripture Readings Micah 6:1-8 Matthew 5:1-12 Todd Jones Pastor

3 Tackle Hunger Throughout the months of January and February More than 20 years ago, the Souper Bowl of Caring began with a simple prayer from a single youth group: Lord, even as we enjoy the Super Bowl football game, help us be mindful of those without a bowl of soup to eat. Since that day, more than $98 million has been raised for local charities across the country through Souper Bowl of Caring. It has become a powerful movement that is transforming the time around Super Bowl weekend into the nation s largest celebration of giving and serving. Through this mission, young people learn what it s like to make a positive difference in the world as they collect food, raise money and volunteer to work in charities that provide shelter to the homeless, food to the hungry and compassion to those in need. Be part of this movement that is sharing God s love with those in need. How can you help? Check out these options below and don t miss out on all the fun! Donate Food Items January 12 through February 2 We challenge all FPC members to bring a canned or boxed item(s) of food to the collection boxes in Courtenay Hall. Vote for your favored Super Bowl champ-to-be with your food donation by placing your item(s) on either the NFC or AFC side. The conference with the most food may not win the Super Bowl champion ring, but the hungry in Nashville will surely win when hunger loses. Make a Monetary Gift on Super Bowl Sunday, February 2 Look for our youth at the exits after all services and make a donation into their marked soup pots. Every dollar donated goes to Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee, our 2014 Souper Bowl of Caring charity of choice. If you donate by check, you may make your check payable to the church and list Second Harvest on the memo line. Help Deliver and Sort Food at Second Harvest on Thursday, February 6 Join our 3rd graders as they go to the Second Harvest warehouse on Thursday night, February 6, to pack backpacks filled with food that are sent home on Fridays with area school children likely who lack enough to eat over the weekend. Join our children as they also deliver and weigh in our NFC vs AFC Super Bowl Challenge food collections. Sign up for this adventure on the Serving Together page on the Children s Ministry section of our website (childrens.fpcnashville.org/servingtogether/). Look for the February 6 event under the Second Harvest section; space limited, but delivery drivers for food items welcome. Spread the Love with Peanut Butter Donations February 10 through 28 Even our Early Pre-School children get in on the act of stomping out hunger when they gather together as much peanut butter as their little hands can carry. Whether it s smooth and creamy, or chock full of nuts or maybe even contains just a hint of chocolate mixed in, peanut butter packs a protein punch that everybody just has to have once in a while. The recent cold freeze will mean Nashville families have higher utility bills to pay and that means less available to buy enough food to eat. Please give generously to this collection in whichever way you can, and you will make a SUPER difference in the lives of many.

4 STEPHEN MINISTRY: One-to-One Christian Caregiving Stephen Ministry is a complete system for training and organizing laypersons for caring ministry in and around the congregation. Stephen Ministers provide one-to-one Christian care to the bereaved, hospitalized, terminally ill, separated, divorced, unemployed, relocated and others facing a crisis or life challenge. Stephen Ministry helps pastors and congregations provide quality caring ministry for as long as people need it. If you desire the Christian support of a Stephen Minister, call Sandra Randleman ( ). Congregational Care Luncheon and Seminar Preparing for Life s Transitions Each Sunday of February 12:15-1:30 P.M. Soup and Salad Lunch $6/person Reservations requested February 2 Our Faith and Family Legacy Mark DeVries: Our financial legacy Lawson Allen: O ur legacy to the church Mridu Parikh: Our historical family legacy stories, journals, photography, videos and DVDs. February 9 Love Letters Andy Spickard: End of life transitions Warner McNeilly: Getting our documents in order and planning for our children s and grandchildren s educational expenses. February 16 Moving on new living arrangements to accommodate our changing lives. Carol Penterman: Finding the right living arrangement whether a smaller residence, townhome, assisted living or nursing care February 23 Dealing with our possessions when our cup runneth over. Debbie Keller: Our homes overflow with many treasures. How do we downsize our possessions to update our current home or to move to a smaller residence? 2014 A N N U A L Broadway Dinner Show Our Love is Here to Stay February 7 $ 35 Silent Auction & Appetizers 5:30 p.m. Dinner Served 6:45 p.m. First Presbyterian Church/Courtenay Hall with FPC Sanctuary Choir & Soloists Sam Levine & Amy Tate Williams

5 The Sacrament of Baptism In the presence of family, the congregation of First Presbyterian Church and God, the following people claimed God s covenant promise through the Sacrament of Baptism. Sarah & Kevin Blasek presented their daughter, Mary Griffith Blasek, for baptism on January 12. Assisting Elder was Lonnie Stout. Lisa & Kevin Kimbrough, presented their son, Charles Gray Kimbrough, for baptism on January 12. Assisting Elder was Marbut Gaston. Happy Birthday, First Presbyterian! 2014 marks the bicentennial of the chartering of First Presbyterian Church of Nashville. On Thursday evenings in February and March, Associate Pastor Stuart Gordon will lead a study of Damaris Steele s history of the congregation, volume two. That book covers the first half of the twentieth century, which included the years in which FPC was the largest church in the southern Presbyterian denomination, as well as splits in the 1940s and 1950s, and the move from downtown to Oak Hill. It is for sale in Bookmarks for $ You re invited to come and share your memories of those years, or to learn more about your church family history. The class will meet in Vance Hall from 7:00 to 8:00 P.M. each Thursday. An optional dinner is available at 6:30 P.M. for $5. Please contact Stuart (sgordon@fpcnashville.org or ) if you would like to attend. speaker for the June Ramsey Class for over twenty years. He will be returning for the month of February to continue the tradition. The class meets in the living room of the Cheek House, beginning at 9:45 A.M. each Sunday. Everyone is welcome First Friends Travel Opportunities Charleston, South Carolina: May This package includes motorcoach transportation, three nights lodging including, breakfasts and dinners, guided tour of Charleston, Patriots Point, Forts Sumter and Moultrie, Magnolia Plantation Home and Gardens, Harbor Cruise and City Market. Cost is $469 per person, double occupancy. A $25 deposit is due by Friday, February 7; final payment due Friday, March 21. Christmas at Biltmore: November This package includes motorcoach transportation, three nights lodging including breakfasts and dinners, full day visit to Biltmore Estate in all its Christmas finery and including the new Antler Village and Winery, guided tour of Asheville, North Carolina, guided drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway, visits to famous Folk Art Center and St. Lawrence Basilica. Cost is $339 per person, double occupancy. A $75 deposit is due Thursday, July 3; final payment due Wednesday, September 3. Flyers for both trips are available from Ginny Tindle or Brenda Geise. Make all reservations and deposits with Ginny Tindle ( or gtindle@fpcnashville.org). Get a Kick Out of Spring Soccer! We are looking forward to another great soccer season at First Presbyterian Church. The registration fee is $105, and the deadline is February 22. After that date, the price is $125. Online registration is available at rec.fpcnashville.org/sports/. The season will begin with practices starting the week of March 24, and the first game is set for April 5. Contact Andrew Kelso ( or akelso@fpcnashville.org). Professor Douglas Knight Returns to the June Ramsey Class Dr. Douglas Knight, Professor of Hebrew Bible and Jewish Studies at Vanderbilt Divinity School, has been a guest

6 Sing to God a New Song THE PURPLE PRESBYTERIAN HYMNAL IS COMING TO OUR PEWS In February, First Presbyterian Church pew hymnals will be purple, and you will want to judge this book by more than its new cover. Glory to God: The Presbyterian Hymnal is a new book of hymns, psalms and spiritual songs for the Presbyterian Church. I was pleasantly surprised by the new Presbyterian hymnal when it was introduced at a General Assembly training event in 2012, and knew then that it would enrich our worship life. It contains a good representation of the great hymns of the Church as well as a fine selection of the Psalms, which Presbyterians have always sung. In addition, it offers a wider selection of the best of newer music, including music from the global church and more contemporary praise songs. The fact that it contains over eight hundred hymns and songs means that it can cover a wider selection of music. In studying the impact of the last hymnal upon our congregation, I was surprised to find that we regularly sing about thirty hymns from it that were not in the older Presbyterian Hymnbook. Here I Am Lord and Lift High the Cross, as well as How Great Thou Art and To God be the Glory are a small sample of new songs that have enhanced our worship and become favorites of First Presbyterian Church, none of which were in the prior hymnal. It left me wondering what hymns from this new book will become beloved additions to our worship life in the coming years, said Todd Jones. FPC s Worship Committee chose the new hymnal for its many benefits, including: 853 musical selections and worship materials, far more than offered in the 1990 hymnal, hymns such as Standing on the Promises, Rock of Ages, It Is Well With My Soul, and In Remembrance of Me, beloved Gospel hymns absent from the 1990 book, the inclusion of previously omitted hymn verses. Many traditional hymns had some verses eliminated, even in cases where the original verses were necessary to embody the flow of thought the original hymnwriters had intended. They re back! brief program notes sharing something about every hymn or song s history, authorship, music or theology, more recent praise tunes from the blossoming of contemporary Christian music in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, hymns and songs from other countries, presented in English and in their native languages, all with native rhythm and accompaniment, and not to be overlooked, the inclusion of Todd Jones favorite hymn, Will You Follow Me? which had been omitted in the previous hymnal. The ordering of hymns in Glory to God follows the outline of salvation history, beginning with the triune God who has been for all eternity; moving through God s creation of the world and care for its inhabitants in calling and covenant; continuing into anticipations of a coming messiah and the climactic events of the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus; picking up again with the descent of the Spirit and formation of the church; and culminating in the looked-for return of Christ and the creation of a new heaven and a new earth. People accustomed to the liturgical-year structure of the 1990 Presbyterian hymnal will find this structure in Glory to God as well, but within the broader framework of God s gracious acts: Advent coincides with anticipations of the Messiah; Christmas, with Jesus birth; and so on. I am very pleased with this new hymnal and eager to share it s varied musical styles with our congregation. The oldest hymn in Glory to God dates from the 3rd century A.D. and the most contemporary hymn in this collection dates from very late in the 20th century. This hymnal a wonderful resource and I encourage everyone to become familiar with its contents find your favorite old hymns and explore the new ones. By the way, the oldest hymn in Glory to God is #672 O Gladsome Light. said Raphael Bundage, Director of Music. Robed in purple, Glory to God: The Presbyterian Hymnal is a treasure of biblical study, church history, poetry, music and theology, offering up riches to shape the faith and life of God s people for generations to come.

7 Hymnal Memorials and Honorary Bookplates In anticipation and celebration of Glory to God: The Presbyterian Hymnal, bookplates are now available for purchase. The bookplates, affixed prominently on the inside front cover of the new purple hymnals, will honor beloved family members and friends who have died and will honor the lives of those we cherish. The bookplates, $20 each, allow us to honor our loved ones, now and for the generations to come. Please contact Daphne Garey ( or with the name(s) of those honored and specify In memory of or In honor of. Please make checks payable to First Presbyterian Church, with Hymnal Bookplate in the subject line. You may also visit our website at fpcnashville.org/congregation/register-give/ to honor a loved one.

8 4815 Franklin Pike Nashville, TN Youth Happenings Sunday School, January 26 & February 2: Grades 7-12 will meet in The Gathering Place at 9:40 A.M. and remain there for the entire time! Spring Break Trip: Arizona (9th-12th graders) March 15-21: This trip is full! We are starting a wait list, so to be added, contact Millie! The Motley Krewe This Sunday School class meets at 10:00 A.M. in Room A- 110, next door to the 7th graders. This is a youth Bible study class led by Barbara Arrants. The class is studying Ephesians. Class Trips Sign-ups have started, so contact Millie (mgreiner@fpcnashville.org) to guarantee yourself a spot! NONPROFIT ORG U S POSTAGE P A I D NASHVILLE, TN PERMIT NO. 27 Dated church material Please deliver by January 25, th Grade Beach Trip: February th Grade Mountain Trip: February 7-9 Sunday Worship: 8:30 and 11:00 A.M. services in the sanctuary every Sunday morning, 10:55 service in the Enrichment Center and the 5:30 P.M. evening service in The Gathering Place. Please join us at one of these worship services each Sunday. Youth Newsletter: If your family isn t receiving the monthly newletter, contact Millie. For more information, contact Millie Greiner (mgreiner@fpcnashville.org or ). sunday evening worship at fpc The Gathering 5:3O p.m. First Presbyterian Church 4815 Franklin Pike Nashville, Tennessee facebook.com/fpcnashville Pastors Todd Jones Pastor Sam Cooper Executive Pastor Mark DeVries Associate Pastor to Youth & Their Families Catherine Foster Associate Pastor for Young Adult Ministry Stuart Gordon Associate Pastor for Discipleship Keith Gunter Associate Pastor for New Church Development Sandra Randleman Associate Pastor for Congregational Care & Missions Program Staff Nicholas Bergin Organist Raphael Bundage Director of Music Karen Fitts Nursery Coordinator Brenda Geise Older Adult Ministry Coordinator Letitia Green Director of Recreation Patricia Heim Missions Coordinator Susan Kirby Worship Coordinator Carol McClure Director of Children & Youth Choirs Deb O Brien Director of Children s Ministry Brandon Van Pernis Director of Youth Ministries Amelia Watson Coordinator of Parish Ministry Schools Jennifer Hinote Head of School, Oak Hill School Brenda Lutz Director, FPC Early Preschool Administration Cindy Bozman Finance Manager Lynn Elliott Pastor s Assistant Zonia Nunley Property Manager Shannon Parsons Communications Coordinator Kim Rogers Food Service