|
GOOD NEWS AND WORSHIP UPDATE
MORNING WORSHIP
Sunday, July 16, 2023 @ 11 am
Sermon - "Sower, Seed, Soil"
Scripture reading - Matthew 13:1-23
Rev. Brandon Davis, Pastor
| |
|
both in-person and on Facebook or YouTube (click here)
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.
ELDER OF THE MONTH - Nancy Fennell
| |
SPECIAL NEWS AND INFORMATION | |
PARABLES
Parables. When Jesus wanted to convey the entire complexity of the Kingdom of Heaven to the people that came to hear him teach, he would use parables. The word parable comes from two Greek words: Para and Ballo. Together these words literally mean to throw alongside. Imagine that you are in a room full of people, and there are beach balls being thrown all around the room. Some of the times those balls will miss one another, but then the moment happens. In mid air, as they are flying around the room, two collide into one. This is what the parable stories that Jesus tells do. The colliding of the Kingdom and our present reality to display a new truth. So this week, we come to one of these stories that Jesus tells about the Kingdom using Soil, Seeds, and a Sower. And while parables might be hard to understand at first, there comes a moment where everything collides.
Yours in Christ
Brandon
| |
ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS
The Adult Sunday School class has selected Philip Yancey's book, "Vanishing Grace: what ever happened to the Good News?" as their next title, which they began reading and discussing this past April.
The class meets in the Poteat Library at 10 am. If you wish to join the class there is always room for one more. You are welcome to secure your personal copy and join them in class. Good used copies can be found on Amazon, as well as BetterWorldBooks.com.
| |
|
GOOD SAMARITAN SUMMER BACK TO SCHOOL DRIVE
LAST OPPORTUNITY TO BRING ITEMS FOR GOOD SAM
Food Box Distribution 2 & Backpacks - July 21-22, 2023
If you want to bring items for the Good Sam drive, we must have your food or backpack items by Sunday.
For backpacks - Good Samaritan Ministries needs the following unused / new items for our Back to School Program: 1″ hard cover binders; Loose leaf paper (college and wide rule); Black/blue ball point pens; Red ball point pens; 24-count crayon packs; 12-ct colored pencils; #2 pencils; Highlighters; Glue sticks; 12″ rulers. The ministry strongly recommends choosing one or two items to focus your collection drive.
If you wish to contribute monetarily, please make your check out to WAPC and be sure to include Good Sam backpacks in the note line.
| |
MUSIC ON THE SQUARE
Our own Ed Snodderly will be featured at Jonesborough's Music on the Square on Friday evening, July 14th at 7 pm (weather permitting). Hope to see some of you there!!!.
| |
NEW WALK SCHEDULED
Our next walk is scheduled for Wednesday, July 26th at 10 am along the downtown portion of the Persimmon Ridge Trail in downtown Jonesborough. Those interested should meet at the Chuckey Depot Museum / railcar parking lot on South 2nd Avenue in Jonesborough. Lunch to follow.
| |
EVERYONE INVITED TO BABY SHOWER
The Fellowship Team cordially invites everyone to a baby shower for Caitlin Bailey Smith on Sunday, July 30th following Morning Worship. This will be the first child for Daniel and Caitlin and the first grandchild of Sherry and Wayne Bailey. The baby boy is due in August. Caitlin is registered through MyRegistry.com and at Target. Light refreshments will be served. Come and join the fun and celebrate this happy event.
| |
MEET THE MOUNTAINS FESTIVAL IN AUGUST
The Meet The Mountains Festival will be held in Johnson City at Winged Deer Park on August 18-19. This festival serves as a showcase of Northeast Tennessee’s outdoor recreation assets. And this year, we are having our own Watauga Avenue Presbyterian Church booth at this festival. We want people in the community to become aware of our mission and values towards sustainability, creation care, and love for God’s earth. During this festival, we will be distributing native wildflower seed packets with information about our church and our Green Team. We look forward to a lot of fun!
| |
FOOD, FOOD AND MORE FOOD
The Lunch Bunch / Meal Schedule for JULY
July 16 @ Red Meze (109 Buffalo Street, dwtn JC)
July 23 @ Southern Craft BBQ (601 Spring Street, dwtn JC)
July 30 @ Tommy Thai (1736 W. State of Franklin, JC)
THERE IS A SUMMER SCHEDULE OF ALL LUNCH BUNCH LOCATIONS POSTED ON THE BULLETIN BOARD.
IF ANYONE HAS SUGGESTIONS FOR OTHER DINING VENUES, PLEASE CONTACT THE OFFICE TO ADD THEM TO OUR LUNCH ROTATION. THANKS.
| |
HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE COMING WEEK | |
|
Friday, July 14, 2023
7 pm Music on the Square in Jonesborough featuring Ed Snodderly
Sunday, July 16, 2023
10 am Adult Sunday School - reading "Vanishing Grace" by Philip Yancey
11 am Morning Worship, Rev. Brandon Davis, Pastor (in-person YouTube / Facebook)
12:30 pm Lunch Bunch @ Red Meze (109 Buffalo Street, dwtn JC)
Monday, July 17, 2023
6 pm Summer Bible Study (in Conference Room)
Tuesday, July 18, 2023
2 pm Green Team (via Zoom)
Wednesday, July 19, 2023
4 pm Meditation Circle (via Zoom)
6 pm Chancel Choir rehearsal
Sunday, July 23, 2023
10 am Adult Sunday School - reading "Vanishing Grace" by Philip Yancey
11 am Morning Worship, Rev. Brandon Davis, Pastor (in-person YouTube / Facebook)
12:30 pm Lunch Bunch @ Southern Craft BBQ (601 Spring Street, dwtn JC)
Monday, July 24, 2023
6 pm Summer Bible Study (in Conference Room)
Wednesday, July 26, 2023
4 pm Meditation Circle (via Zoom)
6 pm Chancel Choir rehearsal
Sunday, July 30, 2023
10 am Adult Sunday School - reading "Vanishing Grace" by Philip Yancey
11 am Morning Worship, Rev. Brandon Davis, Pastor (in-person YouTube / Facebook)
12:30 pm Baby Shower for Caitlin Bailey Smith (everyone invited)
12:30 pm Lunch Bunch @ Tommy Thai (1736 W. State of Franklin)
| |
GENERAL FUND: YEAR TO DATE: | |
|
[2023 Annual Budget - $ 177,600
Budget through July 14, Week #28 ($ 95,631)
Receipts $ 101,728.49
Disbursements -$ 87,536.78
Balance $ 14,191.71
Please remember the 5 Cents per Meal Offering this week
and every first Sunday of the Month. The next special PC(USA) offering will
be in September for the Peace & Global Witness offering.
| | |
|
|
JULY BIRTHDAYS
July 16 - Anne Causey
July 17 - Susan Summers Turner
July 29 - Tom Shanks
July 31 - Tommy Causey
JULY / AUGUST ANNIVERSARIES
August 6 - David & Jennifer Wood - 40th
ALSO NOTE: THE 2023 FLOWER LIST IS AVAILABLE ON THE BULLETIN BOARD IN THE SIDE ENTRY FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE IN REQUESTING CHANCEL FLOWERS.
| |
|
For Friends and Family
Chris Stansell and family in the loss of his father, Rev. Donald Stansell; Marty Shanks' sister, Judy Hall; Jonathan Sharp; Michelle Browning's brother, Patrick; Don Loughry; George, Jo & Nikki Rolling; Rev. Maggie Lauterer; Sue Shanks' friend Judy Klein; Sarah Suptin; Kelly Hodges.; Heather Hughes; Edna Campbell.
Prayers for others
Continue to pray for the people in Ukraine as they continue their fight against the Russian Invasion. For the people Sudan as they are caught between an armed conflict between rival factions of the military government of Sudan and continues to be an ongoing humanitarian crisis, as well as the crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Prayers of the victims of flooding in New York, Pakistan, Mongolia and China, as well as Storm Poly in the Netherlands and from Typhoon Mawar in Guam. Prayers are needed for the refugee crisis and European migration issues in Greece. Prayers for U.S. troops and migrants seeking refuge along the southern U.S. border. And especially prayers for our nation and for strength, endurance, faith and courage for all.
CENTER FOR DISASTER PHILANTHROPY - https://disasterphilanthropy.org/
UN OFFICE FOR THE COORDINATION OF HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS (OCHA) - https://reliefweb.int/
INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE - https://rescue.org
US FEMA - DECLARED DISASTERS - https://www.fema.gov/disaster/declarations
GLOBAL DISASTER ALERT & COORDINATION SYSTEM (GDACS) - https://gdacs.org
| |
Who is this lovely couple and when did we last see them? | |
|
According to the National Centers for Environmental Information, the United States experienced 18 climate-related disasters in 2022 with losses exceeding $1 billion each. These climate-driven weather disasters, including hurricanes, droughts, tornadoes, wildfires, and floods, resulted in 474 deaths and a cumulative cost of $170 billion—costs borne by individuals, insurance companies, and federal and state governments. Meanwhile, as the Russian invasion of Ukraine and other factors constrained supplies of oil and gas, major fossil fuel companies saw record-breaking profits in 2022, profits that were eerily commensurate with the damages they helped cause. ExxonMobil led the pack with reported profits of $55.7 billion; the cumulative total among some of the biggest oil and gas companies exceeded $177 billion.
None of the companies were held accountable for their substantial and ongoing contribution to these climate driven disasters. What's more, the fossil fuel industry and its powerful trade associations continued to lobby the U. S. government to block climate action. According to OpenSecrets.org, oil and gas industry lobbying totaled $124.4 million in 2022. (GSN #156)
| |
VIRTUAL CREATION ACTIVITY OF THE WEEK | |
|
AWAJI, HYOGO, JAPAN
WIDE (March 2023 | 25:13 min.)
In Osaka Bay, a giant Buddha keeps watch over the small island of Awaji. This is the setting for a garden like no other, called Awaji Yumebutai. In Japanese, it means ‘dream stage’: A garden formed of geometric shapes is nestled between sky and sea on 28 hectares of land.
Designed by architect Tadao Ando, this dream landscape also represents hope and resolve to rebuild the community that was devastated by the Great Hanshin earthquake in 1995. Today, it serves as the monument to honour the victims of the natural disaster.
This documentary film highlights all of the features of this botanical garden complex.
Documentary: Astonishing Gardens - Awaji Yumebutai, Japan
Directed by: Pat Marcel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCOSYAK7TMs&list=RDCMUCTrwpTSNhisr32rXpPUACkw&start_radio=1&rv=KCOSYAK7TMs&t=77
| |
|
IN THE POTEAT LIBRARY
Please remember the library is open by appointment and 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.
| |
70 Hebrew Words Every Christian Should Know
By Matthew Richard Schlimm
(221.4/SCH)
The basic message of the Bible can be understood in any language. At the same time, many biblical texts are hard to understand because they don’t quite make sense when translated into English. Something is missing. Quite frequently, what readers miss has been lost in translation. Maybe there is a pun or wordplay in the original. Sometimes names like Adam, Eve, Cain, Abel, and Eden just seem like names to us but have meanings that are essential to the story. Many Hebrew words have multiple meanings, but the English translators have to just pick one (for example, the same Hebrew word can mean both hear and obey).
Even more common are Hebrew words that have much wider meanings than their English translations. A few examples are the Hebrew words rendered as remember, covenant, walk, gates, love, cleanliness, holiness, glory, wisdom, and fear. The original language allows various parts to click together like well-constructed puzzle pieces. With Hebrew in mind, interpreters see new details they didn’t realize were missing before. They make new connections. They immerse themselves in scripture more fully.
That’s where this book comes in. Learning a language is like learning a worldview. Those who learn biblical Hebrew can better understand not only what biblical authors wrote, but also how they thought. Unfortunately, those insights come only after years of study. This book is about getting right to the important, exciting insights. It’s an opportunity to be transformed by the renewing of our minds as we better understand how biblical authors used their language to express their experience of God and the world.
If you are just beginning to study Hebrew and want the insights and motivation to continue or if you have no intention of learning biblical Hebrew but want to better understand the Bible, this book is for you!
| |
|
Congregational Concerns / Prayer Requests - Please contact the church office or Sherry Bailey with information.
Flower List - The 2023 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 August issue of the e-AVENUE, no later than Friday, July 21st. This includes team and committee meetings, news, planned events and other newsworthy items.
Facebook - Please remember to friend and follow our Watauga Avenue Presbyterian Church Facebook page [https://www.facebook.com/Watauga-Avenue-Presbyterian-Church-94712920937/ ]. All news and events will be reported there.
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.
| |
WATAUGA AVENUE PC IS ON .. click and see for yourself. | | |
|
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.) | | | | |
