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Word from the Pastor:
God Is Powerful
So I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
—2 Corinthians 12:9b
Today I want to share an excerpt from Henri Nouwen’s little pamphlet The Path of Power (pp. 34–39):
“God is powerful. Jesus doesn’t hesitate to speak about God’s power. He says: ‘In truth I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power’ (Matt. 9:2). Wherever Jesus went there was the experience of divine powers. Luke writes: ‘Everyone in the crowd was trying to touch him because power came out of him that cured them all’ (Luke 6:19) … Jesus was filled with God’s power. Jesus claims for himself the power to heal, the power to call to life, yes, all power…
“Power is claimed, and power is given. In and through the powerless Jesus, God wants to empower us, give us the power that Jesus had, and send us out—to cast out demons, to heal the sick, to call the dead to life, to reconcile the estranged, to create community and build the Kingdom of God.
“A theology of weakness is a theology of divine empowering. It is not a theology for weaklings but a theology for men and women who claim for themselves the power of love that frees them from fear and enables them to put their light on the lampstands and do the work of the Kingdom.
“Yes, we are poor, gentle, mourning, hungry and thirsty for justice, merciful, pure of heart, peacemakers, and always persecuted by a hostile world. But no weaklings, no doormats. The Kingdom of heaven is ours, the earth our inheritance. We are comforted, have our fill, experience mercy, are recognized as God’s children and … see God. That’s power, real power, power that comes from above.
“The movement from power to power through powerlessness is what we are called to. As fearful, anxious, insecure, and wounded people we are tempted constantly to grab the little bit of power that the world around us offers, left and right, here and there, now and then. These bits of power make us little puppets jerked up and down on strings until we are dead. But insofar as we dare to be baptized in powerlessness, always moving toward the poor who have no such power, we will be plunged right into the heart of God’s endless mercy. We will be free to reenter our world with the same divine power with which Jesus came and be able to walk the valley of darkness and tears, unceasingly in communion with God, with our heads erect, confidently standing under the cross of our life.”
In Christ,
Pastor Sam
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In April We Focus
on A Place to Be
For our April mission we are collecting food rather than monetary donations. This month we are asking for packaged, nonperishable snack items (any size) to feed the 40 people a day who visit Family Promise of Bristol’s day center for homeless people, A Place to Be. These snacks are the only food some folks get all day, so please bring snacks for them to church and put them in one of the collection boxes you’ll see outside the fellowship hall and in the narthex. (See the image above for snack suggestions.)
Anyone can go to the center to have a snack, eat lunch, take a shower, or do laundry. Two full-time case managers help guests obtain IDs and access services from other agencies in town. Partners such as Ballad Community Health, Sullivan County Health Department, Frontier Health, Bristol Public Library, and Healing Hands come to the center once a week to serve clients. An AmeriCorps intern is there daily to help people create resumes and fill out online job applications. A Place to Be is located in the Salvation Army building and open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.
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Worship
April 16
2nd Sunday of Easter
Scripture
Psalm 16
Acts 2:22–32
Sermon
“DNA”
Justin Miller
Attendance
Maundy Thursday: In person: 110;
Livestream: 6; Playback: 47
Good Friday: In person: 134;
Livestream: 10; Playback:79
Easter: 9:00: In person: 273;
Livestream: 19; Playback: 75
11:00: In person: 242;
Livestream: 15; Playback: 77
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Calendar
Sunday, April 16
9:00 a.m.
Contemporary Worship
Fellowship Hall
10:20 a.m.
Sunday School
Montana Missions Meeting
Chapel
11:00 a.m.
Traditional Worship
Sanctuary
3:00 p.m.
Youth Musical Rehearsal
Fellowship Hall
4:00 p.m.
Mission & Outreach Committee
Room 123
6:00 p.m.
Student Fellowship
Fellowship Hall
Monday, April 17
10:00 a.m.
Staff
Room 123
7:00 p.m.
Buildings & Grounds Committee
Room 117
Christian Education Committee
Room 123 & Zoom
Tuesday, April 18
7:00 p.m.
Boy Scout Troop 3
Scout Hall
Wednesday, April 19
5:30 p.m.
Fellowship Supper
Fellowship Hall
6:15 p.m.
Adult Enrichment
Student Small Groups
Wednesday Night Kids
Handbell Choir
Room 212
7:15 p.m.
Sanctuary Choir
Room 202
Praise Band
Fellowship Hall
Thursday, April 20
7:00 a.m.
Men’s Bible Study
Parlor
1:00 p.m.
Women’s Bible Study
Room 123
Saturday, April 22
9:00 a.m.
Church Officers Retreat
Chapel
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Sharing Abundance at Sharing Christ
FPC volunteers fed more than 60 people Saturday night at Sharing Christ downtown mission—and gave them a special Easter treat (thank you, Judy!). The abundance FPC folks provided allowed us to leave extra food with Sharing Christ founder Barbara Knowles for the Wednesday night dinner served before midweek worship. This ministry has continued for more than 30 years. We are blessed to serve our downtown neighbors, and thankful for all our faithful FPC volunteers! /Beth Flannagan
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We’re Recruiting a Courtyard Crew
Can you find the spot pictured above? Our courtyard is a lovely, quiet area for reflection and thought in the center of the main church building. Come have a seat on the bench and enjoy the quiet time. There are two doors into this secret garden. You can enter it from the parlor or from the hall that connects the front hall to the fellowship hallway. Interested folk maintain the courtyard’s beauty with an occasional mow and trim. You're invited to join this group of volunteers! For more information, call or text Beth Flannagan at 423-956-3837.
Men’s Breakfast Saturday
Thanks to our talented volunteers, our first Bristol Area Men’s Fellowship Breakfast of the year was a great success. This Saturday, April 15, we’ll meet again. All males from sixth grade up are welcome to join us every third Saturday at 7:30 a.m. in the fellowship hall. For more information or a ride, call the church office at 423-764-7176. Be sure to come, and invite a friend!
Find Montana Missions Info Here
You can find the details of our summer mission opportunities with Montana Indian Ministries in this downloadable document. The first mission will be a work trip June 10–17, and the second will be to help with the Mission Canyon Powwow on the Belknap Reservation August 7–16. A meeting about final plans is scheduled for next Sunday, April 16, at 10:20 a.m. in the chapel.
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You Can Still Sign Up for Serve Orlando
Rising seventh grade to college students, families with rising first graders and up, and adults of all ages are invited to join us on our summer Serve Orlando mission trip. We will leave from the church on Saturday, June 17, and return Saturday, June 24.
The cost of $400 per person includes all necessities but travel meals; a day at Universal Studios Florida Theme Park is an additional $115 per person. Pay the deposit of $100 per person when you register. The balance is due by June 17. Scholarships and family pricing are available.
Register here and pay the deposit. You can pay online here; choose “2023 Serve Orlando Mission Trip” in the Fund drop-down menu. Contact Katie Arnold for more information.
Go, Go Jonah!
The Children’s Ministry will present the musical Go, Go Jonah Sunday, April 23, at 5:30 p.m. in the fellowship hall. Everyone is invited to come out and support these kids! We will serve cookies after the show.
Next Wednesday Night Fellowship
Please join us April 20 for our Wednesday Night Fellowship supper in the fellowship hall, followed by educational activities for all ages.
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Happy Crowd Enjoyed Easter Egg Hunt and Barbecue | |
Over 60 children participated in the Easter Egg hunt last Saturday. “Benjamin” (Branch Sword) told the children about a special box he had and invited the kids to join him as he walked through Jesus’ last week. Children decorated their own treasure boxes and received eggs with reminders of Jesus’ last week. After this special time, the kids hunted eggs! Thanks to the many folks who helped: those who put candy in 1,267 eggs, those who hid eggs, and those who helped with the special boxes and special eggs. We had a wonderful time! /Lilly Osborne | |
A gigantic chocolate Easter egg–sized thank you to everyone who helped make the churchwide barbecue such a success! We fed a crowd that overflowed the fellowship hall and expanded into the chapel. Estimates varied from 225 to 240 people, but there was no way to quantify the amount of happy energy in the building. Special cheers go to Chase Arndt, Bruce Gannaway, Sam Meredith, and Charlie Taylor, who stayed overnight to supervise the smoker as it puffed for nearly 24 hours. And huge thank yous go to the many people who provided potluck desserts, set up, served, and cleaned up. In particular we thank Oliver and Hal Arndt, whose small hands rolled all the silverware and made a big difference in the day. /Sarah Gannaway | |
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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:
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Joyce Samuel: to the Minister’s Discretionary Fund from Ann Abel, from Karen Pennington
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For this second Sunday of Easter we will hear music by two contemporary American composers. Our opening voluntary is a setting of “My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less” (SOLID ROCK) by Raymond H. Haan (b. 1938). Haan’s setting is in four short sections, each of which he marks as follows: “I. Fluidly,” “II. Assertively,” “III. Meditatively,” and “IV. Joyfully.” A native of Michigan, Haan is a graduate of Calvin College and the University of Michigan. In addition to an extended career as a teacher of middle and high school English, Haan was Director of Music at Cutlerville East Christian Reformed Church for more than 50 years. As a composer, he has published extensively, and his body of more than 500 works includes music for organ, choir, handbells, and other solo instruments.
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Our closing voluntary, “This Joyful Eastertide,” is set by Keith Kolander (b. 1955). Kolander’s setting is based on the same Dutch tune (vruechten, “fruits”) that the choir will sing for their anthem. It is a joyful, upbeat, carefree setting. Kolander is the organist at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Manchester, Missouri.
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In Our Prayers
We have several unnamed or private requests. Please pray for the members of our community who wish to remain anonymous.
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Ricky Adams
Wayne Ausmus
Olivia Bowen
Bud & Marg Branscomb
Bristol Tennessee City Schools
Rachel & Ben Cherry & Dean Millard
Bill Coleman
Jacob Daston
Russell Fogelman, Kelli Krajeck & Kendall
Martha & Bill Gesling
John Graham Sr.
Lou Hebb
Mike Hodge
Pat Leonard
Nancy Lilly
Mardi Long
Dot & Diana Mattison
Gabe Maxfield
Carl McGrady
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Montana Indian Ministries
National & international leadership
Lee North
Alex Plummer & brother
Pastor Bruce Plummer
Delaney Porter
Bill Prince
Cora Lee Raccioppo
Bob “Homer” Reynolds
Lynn Richards
Greg Roberts
Brenda Rogers
Harold Rutherford
Tom & Delma Slagle
Denny Smith
Teachers & school administrators
Those suffering with addiction
Scott VanNostrand
Bill & Patsy Ward
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The session continues to encourage masks for those at higher risk of complications from COVID-19 or not fully vaccinated. The session encourages everyone to consult their medical professional about vaccinations and boosters. | |
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Monday is the deadline for contributions to Windows. Subscribe to our free e-newsletter by sending your name and preferred email address to the editor.
Livestream our worship services and other activities at FPC Bristol on YouTube. Click on the link and hit Subscribe to receive notifications of new videos. Find us on Facebook at FPC Bristol. Several accounts will show up. “Like” the page or ask to join a group.
We encourage you to use text, mail, or our website to safely continue your faithful support of our ministries. Give online here; choose a fund from the drop-down menu. Or send your pledge, offering, or special gift by texting fpcbristol to 73256 or mailing your check to the church.
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701 Florida Avenue | Bristol, TN 37620 | 423-764-7176 | fpcbristol.org | | | | |
