GOOD NEWS AND WORSHIP UPDATE |
Sunday, January 2, 2022 @ 11 am
MORNING WORSHIP
SECOND SUNDAY OF CHRISTMAS
Scripture: Jeremiah 31:7-14; John 1:10-18
Sermon: "Jeremiah's Version of the Christmas Story"
Interim Pastor: Rev. Sharon Amstutz
LIVE STREAMING SERVICE VIA FACEBOOK AND YOUTUBE
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GIVE US A SHOUT-OUT ON FACEBOOK |
We urge everyone who joins us for worship on Facebook to take a moment to say hello and let us know you are there by typing your greeting in the comments. Facebook only indicates the number of people viewing and we would enjoy knowing who our supporters are. So "JUST SAY HELLO!" |
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Worship, COVID, Masks,
and loving your neighbor by wearing those danged masks
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As I write this, I am still waiting to find out for certain if I was exposed to COVID over the holiday.
Don’t get me wrong. Even if I was, I’m not especially worried about it since I have been vaccinated and boosted, and have no reason to think that I, or anyone in my family, is at significant risk of getting a severe case. None of us have underlying health problems that raise our risk factors.
But some of you do. And after my years working in the hospital as a chaplain, I know the toll that caring for the critically ill and dying takes on a soul – and ultimately the health care system itself.
For these reasons, the leaders of the church and I are asking you to please wear your masks while you are in the building through January, or until this Omicron surge ends. We have also agreed to suspend the Sacrament of Communion for January to minimize exposure. We will continue to worship in-person with these precautions observed, as well has streaming the service live.
I’m pretty sure I hate wearing a mask as much as you do. But let’s do this together.
Be Well,
Sharon
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HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE MONTH (noted when online)
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Saturday, January 1, 2022 - New Year's Day
Sunday, January 2 - Second Sunday of Christmas
11 am Morning Worship, Interim Pastor, Rev. Sharon Amstutz (via Facebook Live / YouTube)
Wednesday, January 5
4 pm Meditation Circle (via Zoom)
6 pm Chancel Choir rehearsal
Thursday, January 6 - Epiphany of the Lord
Sunday, January 9 - Baptism of the Lord
11 am Morning Worship, Interim Pastor, Rev. Sharon Amstutz (via Facebook Live / YouTube)
12:15 pm PNC Meeting following worship
Tuesday, January 11
7 pm Session meeting (TBD)
Wednesday, January 12
4 pm Meditation Circle (via Zoom)
6 pm Chancel Choir rehearsal
Sunday, January 16 - Second Sunday after Epiphany
11 am Morning Worship, Interim Pastor, Rev. Sharon Amstutz (via Facebook Live / YouTube)
Monday, January 17 - King University Institute for Faith & Culture
Natasha Sistrunk Robinson, President, T3 Leadership Solutions, Inc
7 pm Lee Street Baptist Church, Bristol VA
Tuesday, January 18 - King University Institute for Faith & Culture
Natasha Sistrunk Robinson, President, T3 Leadership Solutions, Inc
10 am King University Memorial Chapel
Wednesday, January 19
4 pm Meditation Circle (via Zoom)
6 pm Chancel Choir rehearsal
Thursday, January 20
ALL ANNUAL REPORTS ARE DUE TO THE CHURCH OFFICE
Sunday, January 23 - Third Sunday after Epiphany
11 am Morning Worship, Interim Pastor, Rev. Sharon Amstutz (via Facebook Live / YouTube)
Wednesday, January 26
4 pm Meditation Circle (via Zoom)
6 pm Chancel Choir rehearsal
Sunday, January 30 - Fourth Sunday after Epiphany
11 am Morning Worship, Interim Pastor, Rev. Sharon Amstutz (via Facebook Live / YouTube)
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ANNUAL REPORTS ARE DUE SOON |
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Yes, it is that time of the year again. Please submit your reports to the church office no later than Thursday, January 20th so printed copies will be available for our Annual Congregational meeting at the end of January..
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The Mission Team thanks everyone who participated in giving donations and bringing food, as well as mittens, scarves and other winter items for our annual assistance to Good Samaritan. The gifts and food was delivered to our families and our winter items were dropped off at Good Sam. There was 14 hats, 18 pair of mittens / gloves, 5 scarves, and 21 pair of socks. We know that these will be greatly appreciated by their recipients. Thanks again for your gracious support. |
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KING UNIVERSITY - INSTITUTE FOR FAITH & CULTURE |
UPCOMING LECTURES INCLUDE:
please note: There are options to attending these events. Dr. Dotterweich messaged to say that morning events are almost always streamed at (https://webcast.king.edu ), and almost everything will be available afterward on YouTube – if they will like our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/kingfaithandculture), they can get the videos there, too.
Monday, January 17, and Tuesday, January 18
The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr Lecture
Natasha Sistrunk Robinson, President, T3 Leadership Solutions, Inc.
Monday @ 7 pm - Lee Street Baptist Church, Bristol, VA
"A Sojourner's Truth: Choosing Freedom and Courage in a Divided World"
Tuesday @ 10 am - King Memorial Chapel
"Beauty from Ashes: A Purpose and a Call"
Monday, January 24 - CANCELLED
Isaiah McKinnon, Police Chief (retired) and former Deputy Mayor of Detroit, Michigan
Monday, February 28
In Concert: the Becky Buller Band
9:15 am @ King Memorial Chapel
7 pm @ Birthplace of Country Music Museum, Bristol, Virginia
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TUSCULUM UNIVERSITY - THEOLOGIAN-IN-RESIDENCE 2022 |
Details on this year's Theologian-in-Residence series is forthcoming. This year it will be on Zoom, as well as in-person and will be on Friday's in February beginning at 10 am. As more information is known, it will be reported here. These lectures have been both educational and through-provoking over the years. So stay tuned. |
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NOTEWORTHY GREEN SPACE NEWS |
While we are worshipping online via Zoom, our services are more abbreviated. Rather than to forgo the crucial information about our environment we will be posting them here. An item of recent note is:
When it comes to pollinators, we prize bees for performing crucial ecosystem services. However, there is an undervalued and often maligned bee relative that also deserves praise: the wasp. Some 33,000 wasp species pollinate at least 960 different kinds of plants, 164 of which are completely dependent on them. In a new study published in Biological Reviews, the authors compiled evidence from more than 500 academic papers to show the contribution wasps make to ecosystems and how they benefit the economy, human health, and society. The economic value of their pollination services to agriculture alone is valued at greater than $250 billion per year worldwide. Wasps are also top predators of crop-damaging insects like aphids, and their value as crop protectors is worth at least $416 billion annually worldwide.
Despite the fact that many people are deathly allergic to wasp stings, it is important to know that wasp venom and saliva have antibiotic properties, and yellow jacket venom has shown promise in treating cancer. Unfortunately, as with other insects, climate change and habitat loss are causing many wasp species to decline, making the need for habitat protection and understanding all the more urgent.
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VIRTUAL CREATION ACTIVITY OF THE WEEK |
Relax with TV Backgrounds
(Nov 2020 | 1:00:12 )
Virtually travel with drone winter footage from snowy forests, snowy mountains, the spectacular sights in Iceland and more winter scenery including: Switzerland, the French Alps, the Cascade Mountains (Pacific NW),the Emerald River in British Columbia, Rocky Mountains in Colorado, the Carpathian mountains in Ukraine, the Italian Alps, Lapland (Finland), Wyoming, Austria, the Dolomites in Italy, and the Pirin National Park in Bulgaria. Enjoy the beautiful scenery and beautiful piano music.
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Who are these people and what is this about ?? |
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January 2 - Second Sunday of Christmas
Jeremiah 31:7-14 and Psalm 147:12-20; Ephesians 1:3-14; and John 1:(1-9) 10-18
January 6 - Epiphany of the Lord
Isaiah 60:1-6 and Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14; Ephesians 3:1-12; and Matthew 2:1-12
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January 9- Baptism of the Lord
Isaiah 43:1-7 and Psalm 29; Acts 8:14-17; and Luke 3:15-17, 21-22
January 16 - Second Sunday after Epiphany
Isaiah 62:1-5 and Psalm 36:5-10; I Corinthians 12:1-11; and John 2:1-11
January 23 - Third Sunday after Epiphany
Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10, and Psalm 19; I Corinthians 12:12-31a; and Luke 4:14-21
January 30 - Fourth Sunday after Epiphany
Jeremiah 1:4-10 and Psalm 71:1-6; I Corinthians 13:1-13; and Luke 4:21-30
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Arise, shine; for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
Isaiah 60:1
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January Elder of the Month - Sherry Bailey
Next Session meeting - Tuesday, January 11 @ 7 pm (TBD)
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2021 Annual Budget - $131,500
GENERAL FUND: YEAR TO DATE:
Budget through December 21, Week #51 ($128,971)
Receipts $ 136,328.16
Disbursements - $ 116,801.46
Balance $ 19,526.70
Please note: Week #52 information will be reported soon.
Please note our generous cushion is holding steady.
Just a reminder that your pledges and contributions are still needed to keep our church operational. Bills for utilities, supplies and services keep arriving in the mail each week that must be paid. You are encouraged to mail your pledge to us or to drop it by the church office during regular business hours. Thanks.
If you still wish to contribute to the CHRISTMAS JOY Offering please mail your contributions soon or drop them off at the church office.
We are still receiving the 5 Cents per Meal 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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Holston Presbytery meetings 2022
Meetings in March, June and December begin at 9 am; meeting in September begins at 2 pm.
Saturday, March 5, 2022 @ open
Saturday, June 4, 2022 @ Strawberry Plains
Tuesday, September 6, 2022 @ open
Tuesday, December 6, 2022 @ Hopewell
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LOOKING FOR SOMETHING DIFFERENT,
CHECK OUT THE POTEAT LIBRARY
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NOTE: 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. The white book cart inside the library has new titles. There is also an orange book cart in the Heritage Room that has books free for the taking. Come and browse.
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My Own Words
By Ruth Bader Ginsburg
(B/GIN)
My Own Words “showcases Ruth Ginsburg’s astonishing intellectual range” (The New Republic). In this collection Justice Ginsburg discusses gender equality, the workings of the Supreme Court, being Jewish, law and lawyers in opera, and the value of looking beyond US shores when interpreting the US Constitution.
Throughout her life Justice Ginsburg has been (and continues to be) a prolific writer and public speaker. This book’s sampling is selected by Justice Ginsburg and her authorized biographers Mary Hartnett and Wendy W. Williams, who introduce each chapter and provide biographical context and quotes gleaned from hundreds of interviews they have conducted.
Witty, engaging, serious, and playful, My Own Words is a fascinating glimpse into the life of one of America’s most influential women and “a tonic to the current national discourse” (The Washington Post).
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THERE WERE NO CHANCEL FLOWERS LAST WEEK BECAUSE WE WERE ON ZOOM
JANUARY BIRTHDAYS
January 1 - Cathy Danks
January 4 - Rev. Wes Jamison
January 8 - Emma Turner
January 10 - Gaines Snodderly
January 17 - Bob Caponero
January 21 - Helen Saunders
January 25 - Hugh Broome
JANUARY ANNIVERSARIES
January 22 - Bob & Sue Caponero
THE NEW 2022 FLOWER LIST IS AVAILABLE ON THE BULLETIN BOARD IN THE SIDE ENTRY
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THOUGHTS & PRAYERS
For Members / Regular Attendees
David Robert Hughes (stationed on Korean DMZ); Pat Mooney; Don Loughry; Camilla & Hunter Lyle; Jack Hansel
For Friends
Terry Beckman and the Stoots family in the loss of her mother, Ruth Stoots; Linda Solly; Sue Sheffield's nephew, Jeremiah Collins; Karen Martin's friend, Margaret Chester; Sally Gerhardt's friend, Rosemarie Shields; Sue Shank's friend, Judy Klein in New York diagnosed with lung and breast cancer; Sharon Amstutz's brother, Paul Hagood; Karen Frederick; Theresa Lura's cousin, Randy Carter; Sarah Suptin; church neighbor, Casey Harvey; Chris Stansell's parents, Rev. Donald & Velma Stansell.
Special Prayers for Clinical and Medical Health Care Workers
The continued COVID pandemic concerns with cases still on the rise with the delta and lambda variant strains, along with the new mu virus with the highest number of overall cases in the United States, India and Brazil with cases on the rise throughout Europe in France, Finland, Spain and Poland among others; and especially seniors who are once again in "lock down" in long-term health care facilities; new disaster of scorpion bites in Egypt due to excessive flooding that caused scorpions to leave their burrows and escape into the streets and homes biting people.
Prayers for Others
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 emerging disasters of excessive flooding in the Philippines with super typhoon Odette / Rai; the victims and aftermath of the tornado outbreak across the South and Midwest U.S.; the continuing humanitarian / refugee crisis in Venezuela. And especially prayers for our nation and for strength, endurance, faith and courage for all.
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Congregational Concerns / Prayer Requests - Please contact the church office or Sherry Bailey.
Flower List - Sign up to sponsor flowers for our weekly worship services in honor or in memory of loved ones. Arrangements are $30 each.
Liturgists - On Hiatus - 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 (wapc@churchwapc.net or 926-7942) for the January 2022 issue of the e-AVENUE no later than December 17th. This includes team and committee reports, 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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