The Reverend Elizabeth Patrick is an active member of our congregation, an ordained pastor of the Presbyterian Church (USA), and a graduate of Erskine College, Duke Law School, and Princeton Seminary. Elizabeth served as solo pastor of Mt. Zion Presbyterian Church in Sandy Springs, South Carolina, before moving to Bristol in 2008 to marry Dr. Bill Linderman, Professor of Mathematics at King University. Since then, she has served as pulpit supply at a number of churches in the Tri-Cities and beyond. Currently, Elizabeth spends most of her time building Lego creations and otherwise caring for sons Henry and Ben.

In the stated Session meeting of November 27, Aaron Brooks reminded us through his devotion that Advent, while a time of waiting, does not mean we are idle. Instead, we wait, anticipating Christ's return; we do the work, the tasks God has invited us to complete. The Session focused on two such tasks Monday night.

The first is a renewed desire for safety and security plans that will enhance FPC's worship, service, and learning and not detract from purposeful hospitality and openness. As you can guess, this is much easier said than done and will take focused attention to plans, personnel, and priorities to accomplish. A renewed Safety and Security Committee is being charged with attending to and then proposing means to address members' concerns in light of recent shootings at other churches. If you have questions about the safety and security of our church, please contact an Elder or Dave Welch.

The second task being undertaken in this season of Advent is determining the ministry and mission budget for next year. While there are still members who have not expressed their personal commitments through a pledge, it appears there will be a shortfall in the vision for mission and ministry and the funding of them. The Session will be gathering in retreat Saturday, December 16, specifically to respond to God's leading and determining what the vision and ministry of FPC will be. Please be in prayer for them and this task!

Like many of you, I find the Thanksgiving holiday rich for several reasons. First, it is an unencumbered time that invites relaxing conversations with friends and loved ones, usually if not always around food. There is something very meaningful and purposeful in the followers of Christ eating together. Second, unlike many of the Christmas traditions, Thanksgiving is still unencumbered by commercialism or societal expectations. Finally, giving thanks invites me, like the Prophet Isaiah, to recognize the source of the gifts for which I am thankful. Isaiah writes in the 25th chapter,

O Lord, you are my God;

I will exalt you, I will praise your name;

for you have done wonderful things,

plans formed of old, faithful and sure.

Isaiah recognizes that God is the only One to be thanked, the only One to be praised because of all the wonderful things God has done. Upon a closer look though, Isaiah's thankfulness and praise stems from seeing God's purposes worked out in history. Isaiah is thankful, as I have shared before, because he looks back and recognizes God's hand in everything. Later in the chapter, Isaiah's thankfulness changes; he no longer looks back but forward in anticipation of what is coming. Because God has been purposeful, intentional, and focused, Isaiah is thankful for what will be: a celebration he envisions of feasting, celebrating, peace, and restoration; merrymaking beyond Isaiah's or my wildest dreams. What Isaiah foresees is the long-awaited feast that we remember and reenact every Sunday but purposefully, around the communion table.

It will be said on that day,

Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, so that he might save us.

This is the Lord for whom we have waited;

let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.

Isaiah calls me to be thankful, looking backwards and looking forwards, remembering and anticipating, just as the season of Advent will continue to do for us in December. In my own thankfulness, I look forward to gathering in worship with you all, thanking and praising the One who is unfolding plans for us and inviting our thanksgiving to join with everyone else's in all of creation.

The church collected $580 for the Thanksgiving offering to benefit Bristol Faith in Action. If you missed the opportunity to contribute earlier, it isn't too late to send in a check to be counted with that offering. You can mail or bring it to the church office. Please note on the memo line that your gift is for the Thanksgiving offering.

"But let who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy.

Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name

may rejoice in you" (Psalm 5:11).

FPC women of all ages and their friends are invited to a new Advent gathering called "Blankets & Blessings." We are collecting new and gently used blankets to be given out by the Salvation Army. We are also collecting peanut butter crackers, cheese crackers, and candies for small goody bags. Boxes will be placed in the hall to collect these items, or you may bring yours to the event. We will meet in the Fellowship Hall on Wednesday, December 6, at 5:00 p.m. to organize these gifts and assemble the goody bags, enjoy appetizers and fellowship, and pray over the blankets that they will be a blessing on cold nights! Please join us!

Mark your calendars! Our ever-popular Annual Women's Retreat in Blowing Rock is set for February 23-25. We'll share details as we confirm them. Stay tuned!

Bring your children to the Education Wing next Friday, December 8, for Parents' Night Out. We will have fun from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m., and we'll even feed the kids! This event is for newborns through sixth graders. Please let Lilly Osborne know the number and ages of the children you will bring, then start making your plans for a carefree evening! You can reach Lilly through the church office (423-764-7176) or at [email protected].

Middle School Dinner: 6:00 p.m., Friday, December 8

High School Dinner: 4:00 p.m., Sunday, December 10

Bring friends and get ready for fun night! Our progressive dinners will begin at the church. From there, we will travel to different homes for appetizers, a main course, and dessert. We'll play games at each stop and hold a wild gift exchange at the end. We'll return to the church for pickup.

What to bring:

Adults, please note: We need a few more hosts. For more information or to sign up, contact Katie Arnold, Director of Student Ministries, at 770-296-1671 or [email protected].

Our own Claire Hankins and Riley Miller are starring in Theatre Bristol's production of Junie B. in Jingle Bells, Batman Smells, a hilarious production full of Christmas family fun. Claire portrays the spunky Junie B. Jones and Riley is her prissy friend Lucille in the production based on the series of children's books. FPC's Robert Havlik has a cameo as Grampa Miller, and Dottie Havlik directs.

Claire and Riley will be onstage in this double-cast play on the Fridays of December 1 and 15 at 7:30 p.m.; the Saturdays of December 2 and 9 at 5:30 p.m.; Sunday, December 10, at 2:30 p.m.; and Saturday, December 16, at 10:30 a.m. Catch their performances in the ARTspace at 506 State Street in downtown Bristol.  Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for seniors and students, and you can buy them here.

Sunday's early service songs: You can hear the songs we'll sing in the 8:30 service here.

Sunday's late service music: Our anthem, "O Come, O Come Emmanuel," is an arrangement of the familiar hymn (#88) by Walter Pelz (b.1926). Pelz was educated at

	Walter Pelz

Concordia Teachers College (BS, 1948), and Northwestern University ( MMus, 1951). After teaching music in the public schools and at Christ Lutheran Church, Minneapolis, for 14 years, he became that church's Minister of Music and received his PhD from the University of Minnesota (1970). He was a member of the music faculty of Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas, from 1969 to 1989.

Organist's footnotes: On this first Sunday of Advent, the first Sunday in the Christian liturgical year, we will hear two organ pieces rooted in traditional Jewish music.

TIF IN VELDELE (our prelude) is the name of the tune on which Hymn 85 in Glory to God is based. The name means "deep in the forest" and comes from the opening of a Yiddish love song. Composer Wayne L. Wold (b. 1954) used this tune in 1984 for his hymn "Light One Candle to Watch for Messiah." Since we will be singing successive stanzas of this hymn on each of the four Sundays in Advent, I thought it might be fun to hear the organ prelude that Wold composed, based on his own hymn, in 1996. Written below the title in the organ score is "Homage to César Franck" (1822-1890). Mr. Wold, in his inimitable tongue-in-cheek way, has cleverly paralleled Franck's "Prelude, Fugue, and Variation in B minor," a well-known standard of the organ repertoire. Wold's piece uses Franck's composition as a stylistic template. Like Franck's, it begins with a "Prelude" section with its plaintive melody played on the oboe stop, accompanied by soft flutes on the other manual and pedals. Like Franck's, the middle "Fugue" section builds in volume and intensity, although it culminates with a few 20th century harmonies Franck probably would not have written. Like Franck's, the concluding "Variation" section returns to the oboe melody of the prelude, this time varied by the addition of a flowing solo flute line. Wayne L. Wold is Professor and Chair of the Music Department, Concert Manager, and College Organist at Hood College in Frederick, Maryland. He is also Director of Music Ministry at First Lutheran Church of Ellicott City, Maryland.

"Incantations" (our postlude) is based on chants from the Jewish synagogue. The composer, Alfred V. Fedak (b. 1953), has dedicated this piece to Kenrick S. Mervine, a colleague of his who, among his many other accomplishments, is organist at the Congregation Emanuel, in Denver, Colorado. Al Fedak is a well-known organist, composer, and Minister of Music and Arts at Westminster Presbyterian Church on Capitol Hill in Albany, New York.

Sunday, December 3

8:30 a.m.       Worship, Fellowship Hall

9:45 a.m.       Sunday School

11:00 a.m.     Worship, Sanctuary

3:30 p.m.       Christmas Pageant Rehearsal, Sanctuary

5:00 p.m.       Middle School Student Fellowship

6:30 p.m.       High School Student Fellowship

Monday, December 4

5:30 p.m.       Adult Handbells

7:00 p.m.       Board of Deacons, Room 123

Tuesday, December 5

9:30 a.m.       Staff Meeting, Room 117

10:00 a.m.     Morning Prayer Group, Conference Room

7:00 p.m.       Boy Scout Troop 3, Scout Wing

Wednesday, December 6

9:30 a.m.       Women's DVD Bible Study, 

                        Coffee Klatch Room

5:00 p.m.       Blankets & Blessings, Fellowship Hall

6:00 p.m.       Pastor Nominating Committee, Room 117

6:00 p.m.       Middle School Gathering

7:00 p.m.       High School Small Groups

7:15 p.m.       Sanctuary Choir

7:30 p.m.       8:30 Worship Team, Fellowship Hall

Thursday, December 7

7:00 a.m.       Men's Bible Study, Parlor

12:00 p.m.     Noon Bible Study, Room 117

4:00 p.m.       Children's Ministries Team, Room 117

5:00 p.m.       Human Resources Committee, Room 117

Friday, December 8

6:00 p.m.       Parents' Night Out, Education Wing

6:00 p.m.       Middle School Dinner, FPC