Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest is still open, let us take care that none of you should seem to have failed to reach it. For indeed the good news came to us just as to them; but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened. So then, a Sabbath rest still remains for the people of God; for those who enter God's rest also cease from their labors as God did from his. Let us therefore make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one may fall through such disobedience as theirs... For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 4:1-2, 9-11, 15-16 NRSV

I cannot take credit for this "Word" this week as it was the product of our group Bible study on Monday at 11:00 a.m. Truly, the Spirit speaks when God's people come together to study scripture and to seek God's face in prayer.

I think that on a fundamental level of human experience, each and every one of us seeks rest. For some of us who are battling illness, what we want more than anything is rest from the hardship, tiredness, and pain of our condition. For others who grieve, we want rest from our heartache. For others still who struggle to hear God's voice in difficult times, what we want is the rest and comfort found in Christ's reassuring presence by the power of the Spirit.

Rest is good. It is so good, in fact, that after God created all things and saw that they were "very good" (Genesis 1:31), God himself rested from his labors on the Sabbath day. Rest is the comfort of knowing that things are as they should be. Rest is the knowledge that God's purposes of goodness, flourishing, and peace are alive and well in our lives. In a way, you might say that the trust required by that powerful word "faith" carries with it shades of rest, comfort, home, and confidence in God's provision for our lives. Taking that a step further, the deliverance, the salvation we all seek is the fully human experience for which were made of resting in God's caring arms. Jesus himself saw this when he encouraged us to consider the lilies of the field (Matthew 6:28).

The writer of Hebrews sees this and then points out that our story, the human story, the Israel of God story is our unfortunate insistence on running from that rest. That rest for which we long is open to us through Christ, the writer tells us, but we often fail to reach it and receive its benefit because we, in our weakness, are not "united by faith" (v.2). Like Israel in the wilderness, we fret and worry and plan, sure we have to make provision for ourselves for tomorrow.

Good thing God is faithful despite hardheadedness. You see, the rest for which we long has been provided, an avenue into the full Sabbath for which we were made has opened up through our great high priest, Jesus the Christ. And you know the wonderful thing about him? He knows our weakness. He knows what it is to be us, and he sympathizes with our far too frequent half-heartedness. He knows us, he suffered as we do, and while we have failed the test time and again, he has done for us what we could not do for ourselves. He, and he alone, has made a way.

Because he has done this for us, because he longs to be united with us and to give us this rest, he calls to us to "approach the throne of grace with boldness" (v. 16). He wants us to call upon his name in our time of weakness and, by his mercy and grace, to give us his presence so that we might endure our own time of trial. The wonderful news is that this way, his way, is open to us today! What we are called to do is to "make every effort to enter that rest" (v.11).

Your effort need not be grand in scale, or overwhelming in affect. The only effort that is needed is to call upon his name. Thanks be to God!

In Christ,

Pastor Sam

This Sunday, February 16, is the deadline to register for our annual women's retreat in Blowing Rock, NC. We are so excited to have Jessica Stollings and her wisdom in helping us learn about different generations! We hope this retreat will encourage us as we grow together and brainstorm ways to be more intentional in sharing life with all the women in our church and the Church at large! Ladies, we need your voices, stories, and wisdom. We hope you can join us at the retreat!

Student Ministries is going old school Sunday with a Late Nite of your favorite games, crafts, and trends from your childhood. We will have chicken fingers and deliciousness from Fatz. The fun takes place from 8:00 to 10:00. For more information, contact Katie Arnold at [email protected].

Rev. and Mrs. Hawkins

I think it is safe to say that everyone had a fabulous time at the chili cook-off and talent show! Winners of the chili cook-off were Jack Richardson, crowd favorite; the Ongs, with deliciously unique chili; and the Arndts, who succeeded in making Sam sweat! Every act earned an Oscar. It was a beautiful, intergenerational night of love and laughter with our church family and friends. A huge thank-you to everyone who helped make this happen! Until next year! / Lilly Osborne

We are happy to announce that we will host a men's breakfast in the Fellowship Hall on Saturday, February 29, at 8:00 a.m. The purpose of the breakfast is to gather men together for fellowship, great food, prayer, and conversation about what else we can do to grow in Christian fellowship. Please come, and bring a friend when you do. Breakfast is free. If you are interested in coming, let us know so that we can get a preliminary head count. Call the church office or email Elder Bruce Gannaway at [email protected].

Beginning Sunday, March 1, Pastor Sam will teach a "Christian basics" class at 10:10 a.m. in the chapel. Families with children currently in confirmation are encouraged to come. The class will help parents build an understanding of some of the things their kids are learning, and help them carry the lessons out of church and into their home.

Families with kids who aren't eligible for our typical confirmation course, and who want them to be baptized, are also encouraged to attend with their children. The class will give parents and kids a basic introduction to central articles of faith to prepare them for baptism.

Just in time for Lent! Dave Welch will lead a New Members' Class beginning Sunday, March 1. The class will meet in room 125 (off the Fellowship Hallway) at 10:10 for six weeks. We'll learn more about the Presbyterian Church in general and FPC in particular. We'll talk about church history, worship traditions, service and fellowship opportunities, what and why we believe, and where new members might fit in. For more information, contact Dave at [email protected].

Arts Alliance Mountain Empire invites the public to a riveting night of theater with The Talk, Tuesday, February 18, at 7:00 in Virginia Middle School Auditorium. Written and performed by Sonny Kelly, The Talk is about a father's profound love for his children and his commitment to equipping them with the faith, hope, and love they will need to thrive in a divided world.

A virtuoso communicator, performer, and facilitator, Kelly embodies more than 20 characters and thoughtfully ushers audiences into a safe space for the difficult conversations we must have if we are to pursue equity and inclusion. This eclectic experience weaves together interactive theater, a dynamic performance, and a multimedia production with the words of James Baldwin, Langston Hughes, W.E.B. DuBois, Frantz Fanon, Paul Gilroy, Ta-Nehisi Coates, and others. The performance is free. Virginia Middle School is located at 501 Piedmont Avenue in Bristol.

	Richard Shephard

Sunday's music: Our anthem this week is "The Secret of Christ" by Richard Shephard (b. 1949), an English composer, former educator, and Director of Development and Chamberlain of York Minster. He is acclaimed as one of the most significant composers of church music today. He studied with Herbert Sumsion and David Willcocks and began his career as a lay clerk in Salisbury Cathedral Choir. He has composed operas, operettas, musicals, and orchestral works but is known most for his sacred choral compositions.

"The Secret of Christ" was commissioned by the Bishop of Salisbury in 1980. The text for the work is referred to as "The Pilgrim Prayer" and was compiled by the Reverend Canon Derrick Walters. The poem is based on three sources from scripture: Isaiah 42:14-16, Revelation 22:1-3, and Colossians 4:2-4. The harmonic language of the piece is similar to that of standard Anglican composers such as R.V. Williams and C.V. Stanford. The soprano solo in the middle is sung by one of our choral scholars, Gracie Worley.

Organist's footnotes: The prelude, "Schmücke dich, o liebe Seele" ("Adorn yourself, dear soul"), is one of the Great Eighteen Chorale Preludes, a set for organ prepared by J.S. Bach (1685 -1750) in Leipzig in his final decade from earlier works composed in Weimar, where he was court organist. The soberly ornamented but melismatic chorale melody is heard in the soprano voice, alternating with the dancelike ritornellos of the two intertwining lower parts above a pedal bass. The unearthly counterpoint between the four different parts creates an air of great serenity.

	Emma Lou Diemer

The offertory is a setting by Emma Lou Diemer (b. 1927) of the hymn "I Love to Tell the Story," which was a setting by William G. Fischer (1835 -1912) of Annabelle Catherine Hankey's (1834 -1911) poem "The Old, Old Story." Hankey taught Bible classes for shop girls in London, visited the sick in local hospitals, and used the proceeds of her writings to support various mission causes. Fischer was a popular director of music at revival meetings and choral festivals in America. He composed some 200 tunes for Sunday School hymns and gospel songs. In her long career, Diemer has composed numerous works for virtually every classical genre, including orchestral, choral, organ, and electronic music. She is still composing and playing.

Craig Sellar Lang (1891-1971) was a New Zealand-born British organist, composer, and music teacher. His best-known work is the "Tuba Tune" (Opus 15), a favorite of recitalists. Lang's numerous other works for organ include a lengthy Sonata in D minor (Op. 47), the Introduction and Passacaglia in A minor (Op.51), the Fugue-Trilogy on E.G.B. (Op. 58), and many hymn preludes and sets of preludes and fugues. Lang's "Procession" (postlude) sounds like a throwback to the 19th century, at least to my 21st century ears!

Aw, c'mon, join the handbell choir! The Sanctuary Handbell Choir wants you! We practice from 6:15 to 7:15 on Wednesday evenings in room 212 upstairs and play for the late service about once a month. Please contact Bob Greene at [email protected] or 276-696-9091 to join us, or just come to a Wednesday practice!

Sunday, February 16

9:00 a.m.        Worship, Fellowship Hall

10:10 a.m.     Sunday School

10:15 p.m.     Sanctuary Choir, Room 202

11:00 a.m.     Worship, Sanctuary

4:00 p.m.       Evangelism & Outreach Comm., Room 117

8:00 p.m.       Student Late Nite, Fellowship Hall

Monday, February 17

11:00 a.m.     Lectio Divina Study, Room 123

Tuesday, February 18

10:00 a.m.     Staff Meeting, Room 117

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

Wednesday, February 19

9:30 a.m.        Women's Bible Study, Room 117

4:30 p.m.       Women's Retreat Comm., Room 117

5:00 p.m.       Baby & Toddler Care, Rooms 34 - 37

5:30 p.m.       Fellowship Dinner, Fellowship Hall

6:00 p.m.       Wednesday Night Kids

6:00 p.m.       Middle School Gathering

6:00 p.m.       High School Small Groups

6:15 p.m.       Adult Enrichment

6:15 p.m.       Handbell Choir, Room 212

7:15 p.m.       Sanctuary Choir, Room 202

Thursday, February 20

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

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

Friday, February 21

Women's Retreat, Blowing Rock

Church Officers
Class of 2020	Class of 2021	Class of 2022
ELDERS
Nancy Allerton	Ann Abel	Anna L. Booher
Rebecca Beck	Randy Cook	Bruce Gannaway
David Hyde	John Graham	Will Hankins
Jordan Pennington	Katie McInnis	Dottie Havlik
Jerry Poteat	John Vann	Laura Ong
DEACONS
Blake Bassett	Fred Harkleroad	Mike Cleland
Rhonda Comer	Matt Kingsley	Geneva King
Ron Fox	Lisa McClain	George Linke
Brenda Lawson	Drew Rice	Charlie Taylor
Barbara Thompson	Joyce Samuel
TRUSTEES
Peggy Hill	Jack Butterworth	Nancy Cook