Tailgate Sunday this Sunday!

Join us for our first official "Tailgate Sunday"! Wear your favorite team gear to church as the Titans prepare to face off against the Pittsburgh Steelers at home.
Sanctuary Service reservations no longer required

Reservations are no longer required for our 10:30 AM sanctuary service.

Social distancing, temperature checks, and masks are still required.

As we continue our reopening process and expand our capacity for indoor worship, stay tuned to your inbox for the latest information!
Intro to Woodmont Reception this Thursday, Oct. 1, 5:30 PM
Campbell West
Have you been considering becoming a member of Woodmont Christian Church? Would you like a chance to ask questions and learn more about our church community?

Join us Thursday, Oct. 1, from 5:30-6:30 pm. We’ll have a socially distanced, outdoor gathering on the backyard deck of the Campbell West house, 2103 Valley Brook Road (just behind the church building).

Meet our ministers, enjoy some appetizers, and learn about our ministries and mission. You’ll also have an opportunity to become an official church member, if you’d like to do so.

We hope to see you there!
Turning Anger and Pain Into Hope
by Clay Stauffer
I recently sat with a heartbroken family who tragically lost their husband/father to suicide. It came out of the blue – no hints, no warnings, no signs whatsoever. I was there because I lived through the same thing years ago with my own mother. The only difference was, we knew she was sick and had done everything in our power to help. This family didn’t have that chance. 

There is comfort, I believe, in talking to others who have been through similar tragedies in their own life. We don’t suffer alone. We pull each other through. 

2020 has been a perfect storm of pain and suffering – a global pandemic, shutdowns, unemployment, racial tension, violence, rioting, looting, a heated election, and now a vacant seat on the U.S. Supreme Court. This year can’t end soon enough. 

There is clearly a lot of anger present but it’s pointing in all directions and is being channeled in many different ways. Some are angry at the President for mismanaging Covid-19 by playing it down. Some are angry at the Mayor for not lifting restrictions and imposing a 34 percent property tax increase. Some are angry that their kids haven’t been allowed back in school for almost seven months now. Others are angry because they lost their job and did nothing to deserve it. Some are angry that they couldn’t go worship at their church. Others are angry that churches are reopening again. Some are angry because of racial injustice and police brutality. Others think it’s only a political tactic. Anger and blame abounds in 2020. 

Atlanta pastor Andy Stanley wrote a book called “Enemies of the Heart” and he talks about anger. He defines anger very simply as “the result of not getting something we want.” He says, “the root of anger is the perception that something has been taken. Something is owed to us.” 

But the problem with a lot of our anger is that it is deeply rooted and goes way back. Whatever it is that sets us off is usually not the real reason why we are angry in the first place. Stanley raises a profound question: “How long are you going to allow people you don’t even like, maybe even people who aren’t even alive anymore, to control your life?” 

Anger is a powerful emotion, a condition of the heart, and it can lead us to a very dangerous place. It damages marriages and families. 

In his timely book “Love Your Enemies,” Harvard professor Arthur Brooks argues that we now live in an age of contempt. Contempt is what happens when we don’t deal with our anger. Contempt is what happens when we vilify, demonize, and resent one another. He quotes marriage expert John Gottman who says this about American culture “There’s been a denigration of respect in the dialogue in this country. It’s always us versus them. We see Republicans thinking they are better than Democrats, Democrats thinking they are better than Republicans, people from the coast thinking they are better than people inland. It goes on and on, and I think it’s very harmful.” 

Generally speaking, many people are not doing well right now mentally or emotionally. Therefore, we all must do everything in our power to spread hope, to show mercy, to love deeply, and to listen intently. 

Ian Maclaren once said, “Be kind, because everybody you meet is fighting a battle.” This serves as a challenge for us to live and love better, be patient, kind, show compassion, and cut others some slack. The truth is – we could all use more hope, healing, and encouragement right now.
The Bridge 10th Anniversary
Saturday, Sept. 26, Campbell West
Child Dedication
Warren "Ren" Chancellor Hooper, son of Chip & Sara Kate Hooper
Big Hope
by Farrell Mason
Dear Woodmont,

I don't think I am alone in confessing the pandemic pulled the carpet out from under me! This Spring, I went into survival mode. I felt like I was that nine-year old kid in pigtails playing Red Light Green Light with my cousins on Palmetto Street. One moment, I would be handling the “new normal” well, even gracefully. Next, I was stopped dead in my tracks by fear, anxiousness, exhaustion. 

Today it is the pandemic, tomorrow will have its own unique storm. Life will never be perfect. There will always be something challenging our soul’s footing. We have to find ways to ground our spirits, connect with God, experience peace, feel joy regardless of life's circumstances.

I hope you received the Prayer booklet and Hope Rope in the mail. It is my way of encouraging your spiritual life.

Christianity has a rich history of praying with beads to invite a sense of calm and encourage a deeper communion with God. If you are like me, sometimes praying feels awkward, or finds itself at the end of the to do list. We need a little nudge to take care of our soul. In this spirit, I created a hope rope made from authentic olive wood beads. I wrote seven prayers to go along with the seven larger beads on your hope rope. You are invited to move your finger across each prayer and intone silently or aloud each prayer. You can also assign each bead to a person or circumstance that could use God's presence and consolation.

In the coming weeks, I will film a "6 at 6" showing you all the ways you can use the olive wood prayer rope. I entrust to you the words of Archbishop Desmond Tutu: "To choose hope is to step firmly forward into the howling wind, baring one's chest to the elements, knowing that in time, the storm will past."

Let this be the year we learned how to lean in closer to God and trust hope!
The Gathering
Sunday, Sept. 27
New class on 1 & 2 Peter led by Dr. Rubel Shelly begins tomorrow
Beginning Sept. 30, Dr. Rubel Shelly will lead a new class, "Lessons from Peter."

Author of over 30 books, Shelly is a professor at Lipscomb University and the former president of Rochester College. His work has been largely influential in calling unity to the body of Christ and is widely cited by ministers & scholars across the country. 

Dr. Rubel's class will run four weeks on Zoom:

  1. Sept. 30: "When I Disappoint Jesus: A Life Lesson from Peter"
  2. Oct. 7: "Suffering in Exile: A Persecution Narrative (1 Peter)"
  3. Oct. 14: "Grace, Mercy, and Love: An Encouragement Narrative (1 Peter)"
  4. Oct. 21: "The Apostle's Final Words: Stay with The Message! (2 Peter)
"Five Thoughts on Marriage & Relationships" workshop series for couples

This is a church-wide event. Couples of all ages and stages of their relationship are encouraged to join our panel of relationship counselor experts for this 3-week series focused on enriching your relationship. Each week a different expert will share their top five thoughts on marriage and relationships. 

Each session will be from 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM on Zoom and the link will be sent out via email.

Registration is free and includes all 3 weeks of programming, regardless of how many sessions you can attend.

The DEADLINE to register is Friday, October 9.

Schedule:
Wednesday, October 14 - Janet Hicks, Ph. D., L.P.C, C.S.C - Program Director for Belmont University Mental Health Counseling Masters Program
Wednesday, October 21 - Adam Horn, LMFT
Wednesday, October 28 - Jim Schleicher, M. Div., and WCC member

Some of the areas covered will include:
  • Personality Differences
  • Communication Differences 
  • Differences in Conflict Responses
  • Defining Love Differently
  • The Key to Happiness
Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow
by Justin Gung
Rejoice, ye people of God! As of today, September 29, postseason baseball is here! There is nothing quite like baseball in the fall, when every pitch is infused with drama. Especially because fans were unsure that a single inning would be played this year, these words come as music to the ears: “Play ball!”

This year, the L.A. Dodgers were the first to qualify for the postseason. No surprise there, as they’ve won their division eight years in a row. Ultimate success has eluded them, however, as they haven’t won the World Series in that time. But maybe this year will be different. With Dave Roberts as skipper, Mookie Betts at bat, and Clayton Kershaw throwing fire, anything is possible.

The last time the Dodgers won the World Series was over thirty years ago. In the World Series of 1988, the colorful Tommy Lasorda managed the team. Kirk Gibson hit the most famous homerun of his Hall of Fame career. On the mound, Orel Hershiser was basically unhittable. That year, Hershiser became a legend by pitching fifty-nine (yes, fifty-nine!) consecutive scoreless innings. It’s a record that still stands.

On The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, Hershiser was asked, “How do you remain so calm and focused with 50,000 people screaming in the stands and millions more watching on television?” His answer surprised. “I sing a hymn,” he said. “I’m a Presbyterian, so I sing something to myself that we sing every Sunday in church.” Intrigued, Carson asked, “Would you sing it for us?” With pleasure, the Cy Young Award winner opened his lips and sang:

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
Praise him all creatures here below!
Praise him above, ye heavenly host!
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!

I must admit that I haven’t been quick to praise God lately. So much is wrong with the world: sickness and death, corruption and injustice, economic uncertainty, and partisan rancor. It’s enough to make one stay beneath the covers.

But that’s when I return to the Bible’s insistence that the Lord is worthy of worship—at all times. If we worship God only when the sun is out, the stock market is high, and the news is cheerful, then when would we ever worship God? If we praise the Lord only after he has “done something for us”, then what does that say about our relationship with him? If we predicate worship on our circumstances, then we risk becoming poor and praise-less creatures.

However, if we base our worship on the character of God, which is perfect and unchanging, then praise will flow like the River Congo. If we praise God for who he is in his eternal nature, then we will wake each day singing like the birds. When we worship God for who he is in and of himself—just, faithful, and loving—then our reasons for worshiping God become strong, stable, and permanent.

In 1923, the news of the world was bleak. A volcano in Italy and an earthquake in Japan left almost two hundred thousand dead or destitute. Seeds of fascism were sown in Germany. In Florida, mobs of white folks razed the entire town of Rosewood, killing an untold number of black citizens; the legal system never delivered justice. A world war and global pandemic were still recent memories in the collective imagination. To top it all off, with prohibition in place, one couldn’t even get a drink.

But a man named Thomas Obadiah Chisholm still found reasons to praise—not in temporary fortunes or the things of this world, but in God and his perfect character. Chisholm worshiped God for God’s perpetual mercy and unchanging grace, rather than, say, a new car or promotion at work. In 1923, he picked up a pen and wrote these words:

Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father,
There is no shadow of turning with thee,
Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not,
As thou hast been, thou forever wilt be.
Great is thy faithfulness!
Praising God like this—for who God is in and of himself, rather than for any blessing that God has given—is a sign of spiritual maturity. Indeed, it draws us closer to God and paves the way to magnanimity. Truth be told, my friend, praising God like this may not make you a World Series champion; it’ll just make you feel like one.
Building For Our Future
Monday, Sept. 28
"Common Ground" sermon series continues this Sunday, Oct. 4, with "Retaliation & the Dangers of Social Media," Clay Stauffer, Matthew 5:38-48

YouTube Service 7:00 AM
Drive-in Service at 9:00 AM
Sanctuary Service at 10:30 AM
Watch 10:30 AM Sanctuary Service live

Livestream link: https://youtu.be/tt2Qb3j0RCE 
Upcoming Activities
"Triumph Over Tragedy" with Laura Hutfless Tuesday, Oct. 6, 7:30 PM on Zoom

Zoom link to attend:
Our YP & Couples group invites the entire congregation to join them for "Triumph Over Tragedy" Tuesday, Oct. 6 with Laura Hutfless at 7:30 PM on Zoom.

Laura Hutfless is a Co-Founder of FlyteVu, a Nashville-based full-service entertainment marketing agency. Laura has been named a Power Player by Billboard Magazine and her impressive client list includes Bumble, Converse, and Spotify. She has created campaigns with Serena Williams, Rita Ora, Kacey Musgraves, Tiffany Haddish, and Common to name a few. 

But, a project you might not see hit mainstream pop culture is Laura’s effort to help survivors of mass shootings to find hope and healing. When her boyfriend, a survivor of the Columbine shootings, succumbed to substance abuse as a result of trauma, Laura teamed up with The Onsite Foundation to create a first-of-its-kind trauma-informed therapeutic program called “Triumph Over Tragedy” for survivors of mass shootings.

On Tuesday, October 6th, Laura will speak with us about how she witnessed God through her journey of grief, understanding, forgiveness and healing. Join us on Zoom to hear her powerful story of hope!
Want to help?

Our Heavenly Helpers group in Realm has for a long time been our way to communicate upcoming opportunities to serve others. If you are interested in finding out about ways to get involved, join the group to start receiving messages when opportunities arise. If you do not know how to join, contact Steve LaForge ( steve@woodmontcc.org ) and you will receive an email telling you how to join and to manage your membership in the group. Blessings!
October CWF to feature Sunny Care Services

Molly Lacher, founder of Sunny Care Services, will be speaking to CWF on Tuesday, Oct. 6.

Sunny Care Services is focused on providing practical resources for families navigating aging and loss. Some of the services provided are Senior Living Transition, Estate Document Organization, After Loss Support, Executor Services, and more.

Molly, a native Tennessean, has an undergraduate degree from the University of Tennessee and a graduate degree from Vanderbilt University. She was most recently project manager at Bridgestone.

Molly founded Sunny Care after the unexpected loss of her brother-in-law. She saw a need and made this her mission.
October Book Club

The Woodmont Book Club will meet on Tuesday, October 20, in the Bay Area at 10:30 AM. Jeanie Taylor will be our discussion leader for Stella Suberman's book, The Jew Store. Please join us with your mask on and be ready to practice social distancing.
Wednesday night classes Sept. 30
Dr. Rubel Shelly "Lessons from Peter" 6:30 PM

Zoom link to attend:

Passcode: 478316
Deeper Bible Study 6:00 PM

Zoom link to attend:

Passcode: Disciples
DivorceCare "Grief & Depression" 6:30 PM

Zoom link to attend:

Passcode: 682835
Latest sermon "Marriage, Adultery, & Divorce"
Prayers for our church family

CONGRATULATIONS TO:
  • Sydney Raticoff and Hunter Owen, who were married on Sept. 12. Hunter is the son of Mary Welsh and Park Owen.

SYMPATHY TO:
  • Thurston Cromwell and children Anna, Caroline, and Isaac on the death of wife and mother Tanya Cromwell on Sept. 25. Services scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 1, at 3:00 PM at Woodmont.

CONTINUING CONCERNS:
  • Betty Brent - now back at Belmont Village
  • Ellen Dillon - at home with Emmie and Jim Thomas with guidance from Alive Hospice.
  • Martha Duff - surgery re-scheduled for October 16
  • Laura Hobson 
  • Lyle Lankford
  • Billy Pirtle 
  • Angela Powers - NHC at the Trace 
  • Tallu Quinn - https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/talluquinn
  • John Ramsey - at home
  • Virginia Rippee - at home
  • Wilbur Sensing - at home

FAMILY/FRIENDS OF MEMBERS - CONCERNS:
  • Christy Brown's mother, Patricia Brown - Vanderbilt ICU, broken pelvis and complications
  • Peggy Burrahm's brother, Eugene Burrahm - ICU Murfreesboro, multiple myeloma
  • Kimmy Bennett's mother-in-law, Arline Bennett - Malta, Ohio
  • LuAnn Brent's brother-in-law, Earl Milroy in Pine Bluff, AR 
  • Mark Clymer's mother, Marilyn Randall, (broken arm and fractured hip) in Cedar Rapids, IA
  • Bill Heyne's mother, Edie Holmstrom (90 yrs) in Ohio - chemo
  • Katherine and Finley Kivett (kidney donation to child)
Our elders invite you to join them in prayer

  1. Pray for our ministers that they feel our love and appreciation for all they do for Woodmont and all the souls they touch in so many ways.  
  2. Pray for the physicians and researchers as they work to find a vaccine for COVID-19.
  3. Pray for those who have lost their employment, that they may find a new opportunity.  
Giving

September 6: $81,468
September 13: $27,445
September 20: $81,422
September 27: $12,642
Woodmont Christian Church
3601 Hillsboro Pike | Nashville, TN | 37215 | www.woodmontchristian.org 
Growing disciples of Christ by seeking God, sharing love, and serving others.