May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has [made you worthy] to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Colossians 1:11-14 NRSV [change mine]

I'm a list maker; it's the only way I stay sane. Every Monday when I come in to the office, I make a master list of the things I need to get done that week. I have a calendar on my phone to make sure I'm where I need to be when I'm supposed to be there. I even have a list on my phone.

Strangely, though, my lists keep me sane, but they also make me anxious. Did I get everything done? Where have I fallen short? Doh! I forgot that thing on my calendar, and now I feel like a fool. My lists are the illusion of control and productivity, and they are a necessary evil. Everyone needs reminders. They are also a way of telling myself the story that I'm getting things done, and getting things done means I am good; I'm worthy.

Then comes Christmas; crazy times in crazy town! So many things to get done, so many places to be. Expectations are high. You've got to make that appearance! Did you get juuuuust the right gift? Can I fit that into my busy schedule? Can I skip this event, thing, or expectation?

Beyond the social and commercial expectations of Christmas, there are religious convictions to consider. Have I remembered the reason for the season? Is Christ coming first in all my planning and my giving? Am I a bad Christian or a good one? Am I thankful enough, or am I just a spiritual philistine, in love with all the gifts and ignorant of the gift giver? Am I worthy of Christ?

Such thinking carries with it the assumption that there is a level of sufficiency we can bring ourselves to, so that we conform rightly within our own self-image, our families, our community, and ultimately to God. If anything, Christmas is the affirmation of the exact opposite. There is nothing we did, will do, or could have done to deserve such a gift. It is gratis, free. God with us, Emmanuel, is the good news that with the coming of God's only Son, the conditions are set for us sinners to receive redemption (Romans 5:8).

Did you catch Paul in Colossians 1:12? The Father, alone, has made us worthy to receive this gift. He has rescued us. He is the list maker. He is the doer. His is the only standard of sufficiency, and He alone fulfills the standard through the Son in the power of the Spirit.

The best we can do, as Calvin reminds us when considering our worthiness in the context of partaking of the Lord's table, is to remember that "the best and only worthiness which we can bring to God, is to offer him our own vileness, and, if I may so speak, unworthiness, that his mercy may make us worthy; to despond in ourselves, that we may be consoled in him; to humble ourselves, that we may be elevated by him; to accuse ourselves, that we may be justified by him" ( Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book IV, Ch. 17, s.42).

Maybe such confidence might inspire all of us to put our lists down, even if for a little while, this December.

In Christ,

Pastor Sam

Throughout the year, many people express interest in supporting the church through special gifts for special needs beyond their tithe or pledge. With the end of the year upon us, it is a good time to consider such gifts.

For folks who have an IRA and are of a certain age, a Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) is required. The IRA, like most retirement plans, is subject to income tax upon distribution, a result of the tax deferral received for donations to the IRA over the years.

Here's the good news! IRA owners who are age 70 ¹/ ₂ or older can use their RMDs, up to $100,000 per year, to make tax-advantaged gifts to qualified charities like First Presbyterian Church. Doing so excludes the RMD from gross income that otherwise would be subject to taxes, and FPC benefits immediately from your gift. (Keep in mind that you will not be able to "double dip" and also take a charitable deduction on the IRA gift!)

If you are interested in considering such a gift, be sure to talk to your tax advisor first for more details. Then simply direct your plan administrator to make the gift directly from your IRA to FPC. You can then talk to Pastor Sam about short- and long-term needs to ensure your gift is directed in a way that blesses the ministries of FPC and brings God the greatest glory. / John Vann & Jerry Poteat

In partnership with King University and the family of our beloved brother in Christ, Chuck Thompson, we are pleased to announce the establishment of the Chuck Thompson Memorial Scholarship at King University. This endowed scholarship will provide, in perpetuity, annual support for a student at King who demonstrates financial need and a vibrant Christian witness. We are excited about this opportunity as we celebrate the life and witness of a faithful member of our church family.

Awarding of the Chuck Thompson Memorial Scholarship will begin in 2020, and this week w e are opening opportunities to give to the scholarship fund. You can contribute by check to FPC Bristol by designating a donation for the "Chuck Thompson Memorial Scholarship" on the memo line. If you prefer, you can give online by going to our homepage at fpcbristol.org and clicking on GIVE. On the linked page, enter the amount of your gift, click on the arrow for the Fund field, and choose Chuck Thompson Memorial Scholarship at King Univ. On the memo line, you can enter other information, such as the full name of the donor or donors or the name of anyone you wish to honor through your donation, then complete the rest of the page. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the church office.

About Chuck

Chuck Thompson's deep and intimate relationship with God allowed him to be a generous vessel for the grace and love of Jesus Christ. He was not a man easily summed up, for what he sowed in his lifetime is still bearing fruit. The Chuck Thompson scholarship is only one example.

In addition to being a loving husband and nurturing father, Chuck was also a counselor, author, and professor. He received his master's degree in clinical psychology from Wheaton College in 1989 and moved to Bristol with his family the following year. He became the director of the King College Counseling Center and an associate professor of psychology. He retired from King in May after a 29-year career.

As a devoted disciple and sinner-saint, Chuck understood the importance of the journey, especially the journey to becoming who we were created to be. His desire for those he worked with was that we each become who we were created to be. Chuck wanted us to embrace the adventure along the way, especially as we find ourselves stretched and pulled. He taught that we should measure and value every experience in life, every skill gained, every trial and triumph for its contribution in transforming us and preparing us for our ultimate calling. The destination is to find ourselves embraced by the helping hand of our heavenly Father.

We will collect our annual Joy Gift offering at both services Sunday, December 15. The Joy Gift goes to providing assistance to current and retired church workers in time of need, and to Presbyterian-related schools and colleges developing future leaders for communities of color. Please be generous.

'Tis the season for Student Fellowship Christmas parties! We will have progressive dinners for each age group. Each will meet at the church, then go on to a different home for each course of the meal. Students should bring a $10 gift for the gift exchange and six stocking stuffers for volunteers' stockings. Grab your friends, pull on your tacky sweater, and let's party! For more information, contact Katie Arnold at [email protected].

Middle and high school students are invited to the Fellowship Hall at 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, December 15, for FPC's annual Student Gingerbread House Competition. Get your design ideas together, grab your friends, and come for fun, prizes, and sweet fellowship! For more information, contact Katie Arnold at [email protected].

Detail of our Max Ingrand rose window.

Here we present another look at the tangible history of our church, courtesy of Beth Flannagan and Bill Wade.

"Oh Lord, I love the beauty of thy house,
The place where thy glory dwells." (Psalm 26:8)

"I was glad when they said to me, let us go
to the house of the Lord." (Psalm 122:1)

"O God, we reenact the story of thy true love
within thy temple." (Psalm 48:9)

These texts express the love and joy our members feel for the "house" that is our church home. Our sanctuary is a place of beauty where God's people assemble to worship Him, and from which we depart to serve Him.

"The story of thy true love," exclaimed the Psalmist, "we reenact." Each worship service, in Word and Sacrament, is a reenactment of the history of God with His people. The stained glass windows are a visual and artistic reenactment of that same story of God's true love with its fulfillment in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

When our present church was built in 1963, the windows on the sides of the sanctuary were of plain glass, and the intention was that they would be replaced in time by stained glass. The rose and chancel windows were ordered from Max Ingrand, the French Art Deco and stained glass master. Ingrand integrated his love of medieval art with a decidedly modern style, implementing radiant color to create an iconography that spoke equally to the universal and the contemporary. He was appointed an Officer of the Legion of Honour, having designed stained glass windows for a number of French cathedrals after World War II. He also designed windows for the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., and a cathedral and several churches in Quebec.

The first worship service in our Florida Avenue building took place on May 3, 1964. Following an additional capital campaign for payment of the balance of unpaid construction costs, the church was dedicated on September 26, 1965. The long-term construction debt was paid off in 1973, following a campaign whose slogan was "Debt Free in '73." A mortgage-burning celebration was held on November 18, 1973. In 1980, the plain glass windows in the sanctuary were replaced with stained glass; they were dedicated on April 20, 1980.

The light that shines through these windows, illuminating the story retold by the scenes and symbols, is a witness to Him who said, "I am the light of the world" (John 8:12) and of the "cloud of witnesses" (Hebrews 12:1) who surround us, urging us on in our pilgrimage of faith.

	Charles Wood

Sunday's music: Our anthem this week is "O Thou, the Central Orb" by Irish composer Charles Wood (1866 -1926). Wood studied music at the Royal College of Music with C.V. Stanford and C.H.H. Parry, continuing his studies at Selwyn College, Cambridge, where he began teaching harmony and counterpoint. By 1894 Wood had become the Director of Music and organist at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, and was instrumental in the rebirth of their music program. After the death of Stanford in 1924, Wood assumed the role of Professor of Music in the University of Cambridge. Wood is known chiefly for his contributions to Anglican choral music. His Communion Service in Phrygian Mode and settings of the Magnificat and Nunc dimittis are popular, as are his anthems with organ. The text of this anthem was written by Rev. Henry Ramsden Bramley (1833 -1917) and speaks of Christ's coming, using the metaphor of light purifying darkness and sin.

Organist's footnotes: All of Sunday's organ music is based upon the hymns for the day. All the settings are by contemporary American composers. "Psalm 42," one of the most popular Genevan Psalter tunes, is attributed to Claude Goudimel (1514 -1572). Alfred V. Fedak (b. 1953) has created four contrasting miniatures, each charming and inventive. We have time to hear all four of them as our prelude. Fedak is a well-known organist, composer, and Minister of Music and Arts at Westminster Presbyterian Church on Capitol Hill in Albany, New York.

	Emma Lou Diemer

Emma Lou Diemer (b. 1927) is Professor Emeritus at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Her setting of "Psalm 42" (offertory) is quiet and restrained. It alternates between solo flute and string registrations, and changes meter literally every measure, from 5/4 to 4/4 then 3/4 and finally 6/4 time.

Everyone loves a parade, and Aaron David Miller's (b. 1972) "March" setting of "Winchester New" (postlude), with its use of Festival Trumpet and Full with Reeds registration, should get your heart beating faster. Miller is the Director of Music and organist at House of Hope Presbyterian Church in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Seasonal bells: Come join the Sanctuary Handbell Choir and make music ring out in Advent! We practice from 6:15 to 7:15 on Wednesday evenings in room 212 upstairs, and play for the late worship service about once a month. Contact Bob Greene at [email protected] or 276-696-9091 to join us.

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