First Presbyterian Church  |  701 Florida Avenue  |  Bristol, TN 37620  |  423-764-7176  |  fpcbristol.org

In This Issue
Worship
Deadline & Subscriptions
Word from the Pastor: Highside!
Sermon Series: Loving God Means
Let's Welcome New Member Martha North
Food on Our Mind
Church Picnic after One Worship July 28
Stocking the Pantry
It's Our Turn at Sharing Christ July 27
We Hunger for a Food Services Coordinator
They're Having a Birthday!
Register Here for VBS
Back-to-School Bash July 31
Predictably Unpredictable Summer
Respond about Advent Devotional by Aug. 1
Music Notes
Gifts to the Church
Pray for One Another
Church Calendar
Our Church Officers
Worship
July 14
5th Sunday after Pentecost
Lessons
Isaiah 58:5-7
1 John 4:19-21
Sermon
Loving Our Neighbors
Sam Weddington
Anthem
Come, Thou Traveler Unknown

July 21
6th Sunday after Pentecost
Lessons
2 Kings 6:15-23
Matthew 5:43-48
Sermon
Loving Our Enemies
Sam Weddington
Anthem
Lord, for Thy Tender Mercy's Sake
Attendance
June 30: 9:00: 115; 11:00: 105
July 7: 9:00: 150; 11:00: 90
Deadline & Subscriptions
Deadline for contributions is the Monday of the week of publication. To subscribe to our free e-newsletter, send an email with your name and preferred email address to kacuff@fpcbristol.org

Windows

on First Presbyterian Church

July 11 & 18, 2019
Word from the Pastor: Highside!

Bear one another's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
Galatians 6:2 NRSV
The summer season is in full swing, and I hope that all of you have or will have a wonderful time on your excursions. I have already talked with some of you who have had the opportunity to go to the beach, soak up the rays, and enjoy time with your families. That you are safe and refreshed, I give thanks to God.
Our family took a week's vacation at the beginning of July, and when we had the opportunity, we did something I really love: whitewater rafting. I don't want to bore you with my more than 21-year love affair with whitewater, but I had the opportunity to travel to the US National Whitewater Center outside Charlotte, and I was not disappointed. It's complete with Class II-IV rapids, and the kids got a good refresher on their skills in a controlled environment, all while having a blast.
It was at the center that I was reminded of one of the most important maneuvers you need to know when shooting rapids with other people on a large, flexible boat. Sometimes the boat can get pinned or pushed up on some rocks, and when that happens, of course, the water doesn't stop. Instead of helping you along the river, the rushing water begins to fill one side of the boat, pushing the pinned side further and further up.
In order to keep the boat from capsizing, everyone must perform a "highside," or a mad scramble to the rising side of the boat to keep it down in the water. If the team doesn't highside, the water inevitably wins, and the team will be swept downstream without a boat. It doesn't matter if your partner across from you was a lazy paddler who helped land you on the rocks, nor does it matter whether the guide did his or her best to keep you off the rocks. The water is coming, and you either highside or you don't.
As we went over that refresher at the US National Whitewater Center, I was reminded of our church. We have been through a lot. This August will mark my first anniversary as pastor, and we just recently brought new directors of traditional worship and contemporary worship onboard. We have been rebuilding, and things are new. In some cases, those new things are really challenging. More challenges are coming, please be assured. That said, here we are on our particular expression of the boat of the church of Jesus Christ, and as the rapids come, we will have lots of opportunities to pull together and make our way through.
Inevitably, however, we will make mistakes. If I haven't already, trust me, the day is coming when I will disappoint you. The same is true of our new folks, as well as you, our family of brothers and sisters in Christ. Who knows, the day may come or a particular issue may arise that will require all of us to highside, or pull together and just push on through so we can get off the rocks and continue in the direction Christ would have us go. This is what it means to be the body of Christ, a spiritual family, part of the household of God.
And so, when that day comes, we would do well to heed Peter's advice in verse 2: "Bear one another's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." As members of this family, we aren't in the business of assigning blame, nor are we about the work of holding up standards of efficiency, effectiveness, or relative holiness for others. Instead, we care for one another. We help one another. When the time comes, and regardless of the root cause of a problem, we bear one another's burdens because we know that only together will we make our way through to the place God is going to show us.
Grab an oar!
In Christ,
Pastor Sam
Sermon Series: Loving God Means ...

For the next seven weeks, Pastor Sam will preach a series of sermons on some of the practical implications of what it means to say that we love God. We will cover loving our neighbors, ourselves, creation, our families, our enemies, One greater than ourselves, and what God loves. If you can't be in church on a particular Sunday, be sure to catch the video online via our website or YouTube channel.
Let's Welcome New Member Martha North
Please join us in welcoming our newest member, Martha North, who is already well known to many of us. Martha is Lee North's mother and Robin's mother-in-law. She comes to FPC by way of transfer of her membership from Clairmont Presbyterian Church in Decatur, GA. We are blessed by the gifts she brings to our worship and fellowship.
Food on Our Mind

We're thinking a lot about food these days, and not just about summer cookouts. We are working all month to fill the shelves of the ministry that aids the food insecure in our community; give a good meal to hungry folks downtown; and find a coordinator for the multistep group process that feeds our church family on Wednesday nights in the program year. We've even planned a church picnic for the last Sunday of the month. Read the following four related stories for details.
Church Picnic after One Worship July 28
Please join us July 28 for a fun-filled afternoon after One Worship. The service will begin at 9:00 out on the lawn, and Sunday School will follow. Our picnic will start after classes out on the lawn, under the oak trees. The church will provide hotdogs, and our own Troop 3 Boy Scouts will cook them. We encourage our church families to bring:
  • Folding chairs and blankets for use during outdoors worship service and lunch. We will provide a limited number of folding chairs and tables for those who need them.
  • A side dish, if the first initial of your last name begins with the letters A-L, or a dessert (initials of last name M-Z). Please note that we don't have a lot of refrigerator and oven space for potluck food, so please bring and use your own cooler, if you can.
After lunch, our fellowship celebration will continue with our boxing up the canned goods collected during our month-long mission emphasis on the Bristol Emergency Food Pantry and then serving together to restock the Food Pantry shelves. For more information, please contact Dave Welch at dwelch@fpcbristol.org.
Stocking the Pantry
In July our mission scope is focused on the Bristol Emergency Food Pantry, the hub for integrated food and poverty assistance on both sides of Bristol. Last year, under the direction of our own Jim White, the Food Pantry provided hunger relief to 14,000 residents.
We are asking you to bring in specific items for the Food Pantry for each Sunday in July (see this week's list below). Please bring your donated food to the front of the Fellowship Hall when you come to the early service, or to the chancel if you attend the late service. We also welcome monetary donations.
On Sunday, July 28, we will celebrate One Worship at 9:00, head to Sunday School, then enjoy a picnic on the grounds around 11:00. When we've eaten, we will box up the food we've collected throughout the month and take it to the Food Pantry, where we will volunteer for stock the shelves.
Here are the items we are collecting through the end of the month:
 
For Sunday, July 21
For Sunday, July 28
Mac 'n' Cheese
Dry Cereal
Hamburger Helper
Quick Oats
Stovetop Stuffing
Canned Fruit/Vegetables
Canned Pasta in Sauce
Condiments
It's Our Turn at Sharing Christ July 27
FPC's next turn to serve at the Sharing Christ downtown mission is Saturday, July 27. Our youth group has volunteered to cook the casseroles at the church and take everything downtown to serve the meal. Since they're doing the work, we will provide the food! Please volunteer to bring food to the church by 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 25. (The church office is closed on Fridays.) Contact our coordinator, Dottie Havlik, at dhavlik@charter.net or 423-956-6747 for up-to-date information about what food items we need. Blessings and peace to all who help feed our hungry neighbors!
We Hunger for a Food Services Coordinator
FPC's Food Services Coordinator position is open! Our Human Resources Committee invites interested folks to apply. Responsibilities include purchasing food and supplies, preparing meals, and coordinating volunteers for the church's Wednesday night program that runs August through April. Some of the hours are set, but others can be flexible. If you are interested, please contact Betsy Galliher, Church Business Administrator by calling 423-764-7176 or emailing bgalliher@fpcbristol.org.
Before becoming our Financial Assistant, Scottie Bales served the church as Food Services Coordinator. She will step out of that role this fall, but she will definitely be here to help the new person get started. We give thanks to Scottie for her years of service in the kitchen, and we are grateful that she will continue her work here as Financial Assistant.
They're Having a Birthday!
Troop 3 is 95 years old! Join FPC's Boy Scouts Saturday, July 27, for a campfire celebration in our outdoor chapel area. We will gather at 7:30 p.m. Bring a chair or a blanket to sit on. And bring the makings for s'mores if you plan to linger!
Register Here for VBS
Vacation Bible School begins this Sunday, July 14, at 5:30 p.m. You can still sign your children up for Roar!, an African safari on our church campus. Students will learn that God loves them forever, while they sing, play, conduct fun science experiments, and more. The adventure will wind down Wednesday, when we will celebrate together. Sign up at https://vbspro.events/p/58104d .
Back-to-School Bash July 31

The Children's Ministry will hold an end of summer bash at Middlebrook pool at 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, July 31. Hot dogs and water will be provided. For more information, contact Lilly Osborne at losborne@fpcbristol.org .
Predictably Unpredictable Summer

Summer sun, summer heat, summer storms, summer fun, summer chores: we're sure our valiant mowing team has it all in hand. While we are soaking up the rays or fending off the rain, Larry Connolly (July 10 -13), Roger Sikorski (July 17 -20), and Pat Flannagan (July 24 -27) will make sure that the church lawn is at its Sunday best through the rest of the month. Thank you, gentlemen! Now, who has the sunscreen?
Respond about Advent Devotional by Aug. 1
The Worship Committee invites the congregation to participate in our 2019 Advent Devotional by submitting devotions of no more than 300 words. Your contributions will enhance our time of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.
If you would like to share a devotion, complete the form available at the church and place it in the offering plate or leave it in the church office. The committee needs to hear from you by August 1 to determine whether we will have the number of devotions needed for a booklet. If we do, they will need to be submitted by October 1; Han Ong will collect them. You may email your devotion to him at hanchuanong@king.edu or leave it in the church office. If you have questions, please contact Candy Phelps at cphelps3@yahoo.com or 423-538-8801. / Candy Phelps
Music Notes
Charles Wesley
Music for July 14: "Come, Thou Traveler Unknown" was adapted as a religious text by Charles Wesley (1707 -1788) and originally set to the traditional Scottish tune "Ye Banks and Braes" by John Bacchus Dykes (1823 -1876). It follows the ancient tradition of adapting a secular tune for use with a religious text and is featured in many hymnals throughout Christendom. The text portrays the weary traveler in an unknown land, alone with God and embraced by His love. The music is a rolling 6/8, a compound meter that has for centuries been associated with pastoral imagery. Mary Ellis Rice sings this setting, which was arranged by K. Lee Scott in 1992. Scott (b. 1950) is an American choral conductor, composer, and clinician who is known for his hymn and anthem composing. Holding degrees in choral music from the University of Alabama, he has spent decades traveling throughout the US, Canada, and Africa as a guest conductor and clinician.
Organist's footnotes: The three pieces played today are from a collection called Three Celebration Pieces, published by Art Masters Studios. Each has a separate dedication "in celebration of" various individuals.
Mark Sedio currently serves as Cantor at Central Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, where his responsibilities are varied: organist, choirmaster, resident composer, worship planner, and educator. He is also on the music staff of Luther Seminary in St. Paul. Born in Minneapolis in 1954, he received his BA in Music Education with choral and organ music concentrations in 1976. In 1979 he received an MA in choral conducting and literature from the University of Iowa. He also studied at Luther Northwestern Theological Seminary.

Music for July 21: Lord, for Thy Tender Mercy's Sake is one of the most prominent anthems from the English Renaissance sacred choral tradition. It is sung by a quartet composed of Ann Holler, Laura Ong, Chris Bingham, and Han Ong. It is an anthem of repentance that asks God to show mercy by sparing judgment of our sins. The first section of the composition is homophonic (all voices utilize the same rhythm). During this time, there was great debate regarding the purpose of religious music, and many composers were using polyphony (voices utilizing different rhythms to exclaim the same text, thus obscuring the ability of the listener to decipher the words). The next section sets the words "that we may walk in an upright heart before Thee now and evermore." It begins polyphonically, which highlights the truth that we are all different and unique individuals, but ends homophonically to portray that we are one in the Lord. This section is repeated, ensuring that the listener hears and understands the words. The final section contains only the word "Amen," which is purely polyphonic and contains use of the minor V chord, a hallmark of the English Renaissance. Its composer, Richard Farrant (c. 1525 -1580), considered the first composer of verse-anthems, was a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal, a successful composer, and the founder of the Blackfriars Theatre. Much of his life's history has been obscured by time.
Bach at 35
Organist's footnotes: Bach lovers, rejoice! I am playing three of the Six Schübler Chorales (named for the publisher) by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 -1750). These pieces are among the very few of Bach's works published in his lifetime. They are organ transcriptions taken from arias in his many cantatas. "Ach bleib bei uns, Herr Jesu Christ" ("Lord Jesus Christ, with us abide") is the third number of Cantata No. 6, "Bleib bei uns, den es will Abend warden." "Meine Seele erhebt den Herren" ("My Soul Exalts the Lord") is an arrangement of the duet for alto and tenor from Cantata No. 10. "Wo sol lich fliehen hin" ("O Whither Shall I Flee") is (presumably) from one of the lost cantatas of J. S. Bach. Rather than flee yourselves, why not stay and listen?
Gifts to the Church
Memorials and honoraria are published in the newsletter only after the family has been personally notified by our business office. Today we gratefully acknowledge the following gifts in memory of:
Patsy Frizzell: to the Technology Fund from an anonymous donor
Barbara Thomas: to the Memorial Fund from Denny & JoAnn Campbell; from Louise Carver; from Linda Cross; from Diane Harrison; from King University Business Office; from Mark, Beth & Drew Layton; from Marvin & Marcia; from Carl & Elliott Moore; from Carol Propst; from Jean Thomason; from Ann & John Tickle; to the Minister's Discretionary Fund from Linda Darnell
Pray for One Another

In Our Prayers
Please also include in your prayers members of our community who wish to remain anonymous.
Ann Aichinger
Gene Blankenship
Joonho & Heeah Chang
Christians in Nigeria/ECWA
Ethiopian brothers & sisters
DeeDee & Sarah Galliher
Diane Glymph
Ron Grubbs
Hunter
Kristi Johnson
Marty Keys & family
Nancy King
Dot Mattison
Stellie May (Southeast Asia mission)
Carl McGrady
Ginny Osborne
Pendley family
Don Preston
Bob Rhea
Larry Roberts (Greg's brother)
Virginia Rutherford
Stigers family
Ashley Thomasson
Chuck Thompson
Bill Wade
 
To the Church Triumphant
Bill Goforth
July 5, 2019
Marynan D. Smith
June 29, 2019
 
Birthday Prayer Fellowship
July 15         George Huber, Linda Pridemore
July 16         Lisa Bailey
July 17         Carol Tudor
July 20         Bryan Boyd, Allyson Dowdell
July 21         Brad Arnold, Lilly Hankins, Ginny Osborne
July 22         Rebecca Beck, Don Preston
July 23         Mark Comer, Liz Graham, Porter Hillery, Denny Samuel
July 24         Nancy DeFriece, Leigh King
July 25         Gracie Brooks
July 26         William Bane
July 27         Barbara Daniel, Cyndi Madison
Church Calendar
Sunday, July 14
9:00 a.m.       Worship, Fellowship Hall
10:10 a.m.     Sunday School
11:00 a.m.     Worship, Sanctuary
5:30 p.m.       Vacation Bible School
Monday, July 15
5:30 p.m.       Vacation Bible School
7:00 p.m.       Middle School FISH, Off Campus
Tuesday, July 16
10:00 a.m.     Staff Meeting, Room 117
10:00 a.m.     Morning Prayer Group, Conf. Room
5:30 p.m.       Vacation Bible School
7:00 p.m.       Boy Scout Troop 3, Scout Wing
Wednesday, July 17
5:30 p.m.       Vacation Bible School Closing Celebration
6:00 p.m.       Worship Team, Fellowship Hall
7:00 p.m.       High School Dinner & Devo, Off Campus
7:00 p.m.       Scout Roundtable Comm., Room 165
Thursday, July 18
7:00 a.m.       Men's Bible Study, Parlor
12:00 p.m.     Noon Bible Study, Room 117
4:30 p.m.       Human Resources Comm., Room 117
Friday, July 19
4:00 p.m.       Sequoyah Council Training, Scout Hall & Room 123
8:00 p.m.       High School DivaDown, Youth Wing
Sunday, July 21
9:00 a.m.       Worship, Fellowship Hall
10:10 a.m.     Sunday School
11:00 a.m.     Worship, Sanctuary
4:00 p.m.       Evangelism & Outreach Comm., Room 117
Monday, July 22
7:00 p.m.       Middle School FISH, Off Campus
7:00 p.m.       Session of Elders, Room 123
Tuesday, July 23
10:00 a.m.     Staff Meeting, Room 117
10:00 a.m.     Morning Prayer Group, Conf. Room
7:00 p.m.       Boy Scout Troop 3, Scout Wing
Wednesday, July 24
6:00 p.m.       Worship Team, Fellowship Hall
7:00 p.m.       High School Dinner & Devo, Off Campus
Thursday, July 25
7:00 a.m.       Men's Bible Study, Parlor
12:00 p.m.     Noon Bible Study, Room 117
Saturday, July 27
4:30 p.m.       Sharing Christ, Downtown Bristol
7:30 p.m.       Troop 3 Campfire, Outdoor Chapel
Our Church Officers
Church Officers
Class of 2019
Class of 2020
Class of 2021
ELDERS
Anna Booher
Nancy Allerton
Ann Abel
Lee Galliher
Rebecca Beck
Randy Cook
Pete Holler
David Hyde
John Graham
Han Ong
Jordan Pennington
Katie McInnis
Pete Stigers
Jerry Poteat
John Vann
DEACONS
Sujean Bradley
Blake Bassett
Fred Harkleroad
George Linke
Rhonda Comer
Matt Kingsley
Greg Roberts
Ron Fox
Lisa McClain
Nate Sproles
Brenda Lawson
Drew Rice
Bill Whisnant
Barbara Thompson
Joyce Samuel
TRUSTEES
Nancy Cook
Peggy Hill
Jack Butterworth