GOOD NEWS AND WORSHIP UPDATE
Sunday, May 22, 2022 @ 11 am
SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
Scripture: John 5:1-9 and Revelation 21 (selected verses)
Sermon: "Jesus' Pool Party"
Rev. Sharon Amstutz, Interim Pastor
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Comments: We have set our YouTube channel to accept comments. If you are viewing, we ask that you say hello or to let us know you are there so we can count you as part of our attendance.
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SPECIAL NEWS AND INFORMATION |
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Upcoming Loaves and Fishes on Saturday, May 21st |
The Mission Team will be assisting with Loaves and Fishes at West Main Street Christian Church on Saturday, May 21st. Please let Hugh Broome or the office know if you are able to assist with packing the meals. Thanks. |
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We would like to encourage members to gather for lunch following morning worship for outdoor dining at one of our many local restaurants. If you have a favorite, please contact the office so a list of restaurants can be posted on the bulletin board for your convenience. Suggestions, so far, are: White Duck Taco; Label; Bonefish Grille; Holy Taco; Red Meze; Carrabba’s; Cheddar’s; Main Street Pizza; Cootie Brown’s; and Aubrey’s.
It has been suggested that we begin this coming week at White Duck Taco, 126 Buffalo Street. We hope that you will make plans to join us.
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Let’s Do Something Different May 29th!
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The stories we hear after Easter are stories about people who encounter the Risen Jesus, and their lives, and even identities, are forever changed.
We all have stories, too. Maybe not as dramatic as Saul/Paul’s story, or as mystical as the two disciples’ who are on their way to Emmaus, but each one of us has encountered God in some form or fashion in the course of our daily lives, and that moment has left a profound impact on us.
Most of us are shy about sharing our ‘testimony.’ It doesn’t feel very Presbyterian, somehow. But remember, our own faith is built on the stories and testimonies of others who have crossed paths with God for thousands of years. Hearing and telling our stories encourages us and sustains us when our own faith has developed a limp, or life is weighing heavily on us, and we need to be reminded that the Eternal is very much a part of the picture.
So what’s your story? Did you wrestle with God? Have an inexplicable flash of awareness? Feel the peace and protection of God just as surely as if it was a fleecy blanket? Meet a person whose demeanor and presence open your eyes to God’s true nature after years of believing in an uptight God who just can’t wait for Judgment Day? Or ‘just’ read a few words on a page that changed everything for you?
Will you share your story with us? On the last Sunday in May we will have a special service with extra music, maybe a couple of creative readings of scripture, and a time for telling our stories of faith. If you know now that you would like to tell yours, let me know. If you get brave at the last moment and want to share it, we’ll have time for that, too.
I can’t wait to hear how God has shown up in your lives!
Blessings,
Sharon
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HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE COMING WEEK |
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Saturday, May 21
Loaves & Fishes @ West Main Street Christian Church
Sunday, May 22 - Sixth Sunday of Easter
11 am Morning Worship, Rev. Sharon Amstutz, Interim Pastor (in-person/ YouTube / Facebook)
12:30 pm Lunch Bunch @ White Duck Taco, 126 Buffalo Street
Wednesday, May 25
4 pm Meditation Circle (via Zoom)
6 pm Chancel Choir rehearsal
Sunday, May 29 - Sixth Sunday of Easter
11 am Morning Worship, Rev. Sharon Amstutz, Interim Pastor (in-person/ YouTube / Facebook)
Tuesday, May 31
10 am PW 5th Tuesday Work Day
Wednesday, June 1
4 pm Meditation Circle (via Zoom)
6 pm Chancel Choir rehearsal
Thursday, June 3
10 am Presbyterian Women meeting
Saturday, June 4
9 am Holston Presbytery Meeting - Strawberry Plains
Sunday, June 5 - Pentecost
11 am Morning Worship, Rev. Sharon Amstutz, Interim Pastor (in-person/ YouTube / Facebook)
Wednesday, June 8
4 pm Meditation Circle (via Zoom)
6 pm Chancel Choir rehearsal
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GENERAL FUND: YEAR TO DATE:
2022 Annual Budget - $ 135,000
Budget through May 17th, 2022, Week #20 ($ 51,923)
Receipts $ 57,047.50
Disbursements - $ 48,872.77
Balance $ 8,174.73
Thanks to everyone for your continued support the church with your tithes and offerings during this extraordinary time. You are encouraged to mail your pledge to us or to drop it by the church office during regular business hours. Thanks.
We are still receiving the 5 Cents per Meal offering that is usually taken on Communion Sundays. If you would like to make a contribution to this offering please do so and designate it on your checks.
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MAY / JUNE BIRTHDAYS
May 21 - Terry Beckman
May 26 - Marcia Songer & May Votaw
June 1 - Susanne Caponero
June 9 - Bea Ellis
MAY / JUNE ANNIVERSARIES
May 21 - Matthew & Karen Clark
June 9 - Tom & Marty Shanks
June 11 - David & Debi Hughes
June 11 - Rev. Ron & Barbara Bowie
The Chancel flowers were given
in honor of
Emma Michelle Turner
upon graduation from
Elizabethton High School
on May 21, 2022.
PLEASE NOTE: THE NEW 2022 FLOWER LIST IS AVAILABLE ON THE BULLETIN BOARD IN THE SIDE ENTRY
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For Members / Regular Attendees
Wilsie Bishop; Dick Lura; Don Loughry; Camilla & Hunter Lyle; Jack Hansel.
For Friends
Nathan Songer; Rev. Maggie Lauterer, The family of Olga Pastushenko from Odessa, Ukraine refugees in Romania; Joel Carillet, local photojournalist in Ukraine; Linda Solly; Sue Sheffield's nephew, Jeremiah Collins; Sue Shank's friend, Judy Klein; Sharon Amstutz's brother, Paul Hagood; Theresa Lura's cousin, Randy Carter; Sarah Suptin; church neighbor, Dorothy Harvey.
Special Prayers for all high school and college graduates
Emma Turner (Elizabethton High School), Laurie Ponder (Meredith College, Raleigh NC) and others.
Also remember those others who are also seeking employment.
Special Prayers for Clinical and Medical Health Care Workers
The continued COVID pandemic concerns with cases still on the rise with the delta, lambda and mu variant strains, along with the new omicron virus with the highest number of overall cases in the United States, India and Brazil; a new strain BA2 subtype COVID cases are now on the rise in numerous European countries.
Prayers for Others
Special prayers for the people of the Ukraine in light of the military invasion by Russia and the ongoing humanitarian crisis there; for our military members who serve our country here and abroad, as well continued prayers for our fragile planet during this time of extreme weather conditions, and for those who have suffered loss from recent ongoing disasters including a wildfire in San Miguel, Mexico; an ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; cholera outbreak in Zambia; flooding and landslides in Thailand and Indonesia; among numerous other ongoing crises and disasters. And especially prayers for our nation and for strength, endurance, faith and courage for all.
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Who are these lovely ladies and what are they doing? |
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Solar is the "biggest tool in the toolbox" for cutting carbon, says Greg Wilson of the United States National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The International Energy Agency says wind power will also play a big role and could increase up to tenfold by 2050. At their peak potential, solar and wind could help us avoid some 12 gigatons of yearly carbon emissions, almost a third of the world's current total. New wind and solar technologies abound. Places short on land, like Kato City in Japan, are using local waters for wind turbines and solar panels on lakes and ponds.
Fortunately, clean power just keeps winning in the marketplace. According to the federal Energy Information Administration, wind and solar power made up 62% of new electric generating capacity to come online in 2019 and 76% in 2020. The reason is clear: across most of the country, wind and solar are simply less expensive than dirty fossil fuels and costs for wind, solar, and battery technologies continue to fall. And here is more good news: the Energy Department found that the disturbed lands that are suitable for solar use—that is, lands denuded or contaminated by prior use or impacted by invasive species—are about eight times what is needed to decarbonize the whole economy. If we are smart, we can integrate solar while minimizing the impacts on wildlife and our communities. (GSN 100)
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VIRTUAL CREATION ACTIVITY OF THE WEEK |
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AERIAL VIEW OF YUANYANG TERRACE
CHINESE BRIDGE (May 2016 | 5:19 min.)
Yuanyang terrace , world largest terrace area, have more than 3000 level terrace from river to top of the mountain,high about 1500m. Built by local farmers for more than one thousand years. Located in Yuanyang county,Yunnan,China.
“The wealth of the Honghe water rice terraces is worth the recognition as World Heritage site for the amazing beauty of the handmade transformed landscape, but also for the indigenous multicultures which have demonstrated over the centuries a real potential for rice diversity production and natural resources management. The Honghe rice-growing terraced fields are a wonderful example of eco-cultural practices, biodiversity conservation and invaluable living heritage for our World in search of sustainable development. Reflection of human genius, we could name the Honghe rice-growing terraces as the “Thousand Sky’s Mirrors of Rice Civilizations”.
See article: “From World Heritage to an International Living Networks Alliance”
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IN THE POTEAT LIBRARY
NOTE: The library is open by appointment. Please remember that you are welcome to drop by the church library if you are looking for something new to read. We ask that you to sign out any books on the register sheet found on the file cabinet in the corner with the call #, book title, your name and date checked out.
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Always with Us? What Jesus Really Said About the Poor
By Liz Theoharis
(261/THE)
Jesus's words "the poor you will always have with you" (Matthew 26:11) are regularly used to suggest that ending poverty is impossible, that poverty is a result of moral failures, and that the poor themselves have no role in changing their situation.
In this book Liz Theoharis examines both the biblical text and the lived reality of the poor to show how that passage is taken out of context, distorted, and politicized to justify theories about the inevitability of inequality.
Theoharis reinterprets "the poor you will always have with you" to show that it is actually one of the strongest biblical mandates to end poverty. She documents stories of poor people themselves organizing to improve their lot and illuminates the implications for the church. Poverty is not inevitable, Theoharis argues. It is a systemic sin, and all Christians have a responsibility to partner with the poor to end poverty once and for all.
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Congregational Concerns / Prayer Requests - Please contact the church office or Sherry Bailey with information.
Flower List - The 2022 Flower List has been posted on the bulletin board in the side entry. Please sign up to sponsor flowers for our weekly worship services in honor or in memory of loved ones.
Arrangements are $65 each.
Liturgists - We are always looking for new people to be liturgists. Please contact the church office, if you would like to volunteer.
e-Avenue deadline - Please submit information to church office (office@wataugapc.org or 926-7942) at any time and for the June issue of the e-AVENUE, no later than Friday, May 20th. This includes team and committee meetings, news, planned events and other newsworthy items.
Photos needed - We welcome contributions to our Facebook page via your comments and photos of church events and activities. Please also submit your photos to the church office for archiving. It will be wonderful to have a visual record of all of the positive things that Watauga Avenue Presbyterian Church does for our community.
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Established 27 September 1892, Watauga Avenue Presbyterian Church is a congregation of the Church of Jesus Christ. Reformed in theology and Presbyterian by way of organization, it is related to Holston Presbytery, the Synod of Living Waters, and to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) |
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