Issue #399

The Weekly AVENUE

SEPTEMBER 14, 2023

GOOD NEWS AND WORSHIP UPDATE

MORNING WORSHIP

Sunday, September 17, 2023 @ 11 am

"The Ninevites Believed God"

Scripture reading: Jonah 3:1-10

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 FOR SEPTEMBER - Ed Snodderly

SPECIAL NEWS AND INFORMATION

NOTICE - EMAIL SCAM

It has come to our attention that a few emails were sent out using the names of people at the church. However, upon further inspection, although it had the right names, the email addresses were not correct. We want you all to be aware of this because you too could possibly receive an email. Yet, we want to assure you that we will not ask for your offerings through email, we will not ask for offerings to be done through gift cards, nor will we ask that you send money somewhere else. If you have doubts about the legitimacy of an email you have received, do not click any links, instead call the office or Brandon. We are actively working with our computer service provider to help prevent future phishing attempts, but cannot guarantee that it will never happen again.

SEASON OF CREATION BEGINS

The Season of Creation is from September 1^st – World Day of Prayer through October 4^th – The Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi. This year’s theme is “Let Justice and Peace Flow"

(Amos 5:24).

SERMON NOTES

We are entering into week 3 of the Season of Creation. This time that is set apart in the church calendar for the whole ecumenical body to answer the cry of creation. During the Season of Creation at Watauga Avenue, we have been telling the Jonah story to look at the elements of the earth. Week 1 we heard about the winds of change that lead Jonah into the sea and lead the sailors to conversion. Last week we read about the famous moment where salvation comes to Jonah in the depths of the sea and the great fish that swallowed him. So join us this week as we explore what happens next. There is going to be a total transformation for the city of Nineveh through the fire of the Spirit that comes to that place.

Yours in Christ

Brandon

ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS

The Adult Sunday School class is winding down its discussion and study of Philip Yancey's book, "Vanishing Grace: what ever happened to the Good News?" The class are in the process of deciding their next book. We will announce it soon so you will be able to purchase your own copy in advance.

The class meets in the Poteat Library at 10 am. If you wish to join the class there is always room for one more.

NEW WALKS ANNOUNCED

Our upcoming walk scheduled for Wednesday, September 27th at 10 am in Jonesborough on the Persimmon Ridge Trail. The group will meet in the parking lot nearest the baseball playing fields. Lunch afterwards.

The following walk will be on the Tweetsie Trail, Wednesday, October 11th at 10 am with lunch afterwards.

UPCOMING LECTURE AT THE LANGSTON CENTRE

There will be a lecture on Black People’s Spirituality and the Legacy of Howard Thurman given by Walter Earl Fluker on Sunday, September 17^th, at 3 pm at the Langston Centre. The lecture is being sponsored by Emmanuel Christian Seminary at Milligan. Dr. Fluker currently serves as Dean’s Professor of Spirituality, Ethics and Leadership at the Candler School of Theology at Emory University. He is also a featured consultant, speaker, lecturer, and worship leader at foundations, businesses, corporations, colleges, universities, governmental, and religious institutions, nationally and globally.

UPCOMING CONFERENCES @ MONTREAT IN OCTOBER

Earth & Soul: reawakening to the sacredness of the earth and every human being – October 18-20 at the Montreat Conference Center. This is immediately followed by Thresholds of Hope – a new, experimental weekend retreat focused on the House Gatherings model developed by John Philip Newell which will be from October 20-22.

Please check the Montreat website for more information and deadlines for registration.

MISSION OPPORTUNITY

The church office received a notice that First Presbyterian Church is hosting a Crafts and Goodies Fair on Saturday, October 21 from 10 am until 2 pm to help raise funds for The River Ministry for Women. They would like for people to share their talents by donating your homemade crafts or home baked goodies to their fair. Items at the fair will be sold from $5 to $500. If you would like to participate, please contact Stacy Larsen, Executive Director of the River (423-926-8111 or theriverminustryforwomen@yahoo.com).

Even if you do not contribute items, everyone is invited to support the cause and attend the Craft and Goodies Far on October 21.

NEW T-SHIRT ORDER - DEADLINE SOON

Our WAPC Meet the Mountains t-shirt that were created by local artist, Wes Keplinger, are so cool. For those who missed ordering the first time, let us know if you want one (@ $15 each). There is a new sign-up sheet on the bulletin board or you can message or call the office to have you name added. Deadline is Sunday, October 1st. We will be wearing them again for our Trunk or Treat event in October. So let us know how many you want (and the sizes too).

FOOD, FOOD AND MORE FOOD

The Lunch Bunch / Meal Schedule for

SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER

September 17 @ Tommy Thai (1736 W. State of Franklin)

September 24 @ Fellowship Anniversary Potluck Brunch

October 1 @ Mad Greek (2010 Franklin Terrace)

October 8 @ Red Meze (109 Buffalo Street, dwtn 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

Sunday, September 17, 2023 - Third Sunday of Season of Creation

10 am Adult Sunday School

11 am Morning Worship, Rev. Brandon Davis, Pastor (in-person YouTube / Facebook)

12:30 pm Lunch Bunch @ Tommy Thai (1736 W. State of Franklin)

3 pm Lecture on Black Spiritually @ Langston Center

Monday, September 18, 2023

6 pm Weekly Bible Study in Conference Room

Wednesday, September 20, 2023

4 pm Meditation Circle (via Zoom)

6 pm Chancel Choir rehearsal

Sunday, September 24, 2023 - Fourth Sunday of Season of Creation

10 am Adult Sunday School

11 am Morning Worship, Rev. Brandon Davis, Pastor (in-person YouTube / Facebook)

12:15 pm Fellowship Potluck Anniversary Brunch

Monday, September 25, 2023

6 pm Weekly Bible Study in Conference Room

Wednesday, September 27, 2023 - 131st Anniversary of WAPC

10 am Nature walk along Persimmon Ridge trail in Jonesborough (more details soon)

4 pm Meditation Circle (via Zoom)

6 pm Chancel Choir rehearsal

Sunday, October 1, 2023 - Fifth Sunday of Creation

10 am Adult Sunday School

11 am Morning Worship / Communion, Rev. Brandon Davis, Pastor (in-person YouTube / Facebook)

12:30 pm Lunch Bunch @ Mad Greek (2010 Franklin Terrace, North JC)

4 pm Blessing of the Animals @ Covenant Presbyterian Church

Monday, October 2, 2023

6 pm Weekly Bible Study in Conference Room

Wednesday, October 4, 2023 - Season of Creation Ends

Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi

4 pm Meditation Circle (via Zoom)

6 pm Chancel Choir rehearsal

FINANCIAL UPDATE

GENERAL FUND: YEAR TO DATE:

[2023 Annual Budget - $ 177,600

Budget through September 15, Week #37 ($ 126,369)

Receipts $ 126,737.89

Disbursements -$ 114,525.08

Balance $ 12,212.81

Please remember the 5 Cents per Meal Offering every first Sunday of the Month. The next special PC(USA) offering will

be on September 24 for the Peace & Global Witness offering

that equips God's people to be active peacemakers and enables the Church

to promote the peace of Christ by addressing systems of injustice in our own

communities and around the world. We hope that you will give generously.

SEPTEMBER BIRTHDAYS

September 16 - Jean Darling

September 21 - Alynda Worrell-Welch

September 23 - Rev. Ron Bowie

SEPTEMBER ANNIVERSARIES

September 15 - Jim & Sharon Amstruz (33rd)

The Chancel flowers in honor

of Lewis Songer’s birthday

(September 4^th),

given by his wife, Marcia.

ALSO NOTE: THE 2023 FLOWER LIST IS AVAILABLE ON THE BULLETIN BOARD IN THE SIDE ENTRY FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE IN REQUESTING CHANCEL FLOWERS.

Request Chancel flowers

THOUGHTS & PRAYERS

For Friends and Family

the family of Lynn Price, friend of Camilla Lyle; Marty Shanks; Sue Sheffield; Messina Lyle; George, Jo & Nikki Rolling; Theresa Lura; Camilla Lyle's brother, Jeff McFee; Marty Shanks' sister, Judy Hall; Jonathan Sharp; Don Loughry; Rev. Maggie Lauterer; 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 and families of the 6.8 magnitude earthquake in Morocco; cyclone in southern Brazil; torrential rains and flooding in Greece and Libya. 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

Prayer Requests

A BLAST FROM THE PAST

The installation of our own Brandon Davis as our pastor

on September 24, 2022.

GREEN SPACE NEWS

As the effects of climate change continue to worsen, our nation's shorelines are at risk from severe storms, flooding, erosion, and other threats. While hard structures such as bulkheads are prone to damage and can contribute to erosion by deflecting waves, living shorelines can be more effective at protecting coastlines while at the same time creating habitat, purifying water, and benefiting wildlife species.

The National Wildlife Federation has helped construct multiple living shorelines, including at Conquest Beach in Maryland. There the federation along with local partners transformed an unstable riverbank into a living shoreline with a "shingle beach" technique, a technique that uses small stones to protect the beach from severe erosion. Other living shoreline tactics include marsh grass planting, oyster reef creation, and dune building. (GSN #165)

VIRTUAL CREATION ACTIVITY OF THE WEEK

BEAUTIFUL WORLD - THE BEAUTY OF AFRICAN WILDLIFE

Arucanari / Short Films (March 2016 | 6:26 min.)

Short cinematic film. Enjoy the wildlife and the scenery.

Music by Marcus Warner.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNZnw3fEl5M&t=4s

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.

The Testament of Mary

By Colm Toibin

(F/TOI)

Shortlisted for the 2013 Man Booker Prize, Colm Tóibín's provocative, haunting, and indelible portrait of Mary presents her as a solitary older woman still seeking to understand the events that become the narrative of the New Testament and the foundation of Christianity.

In the ancient town of Ephesus, Mary lives alone, years after her son’s crucifixion. She has no interest in collaborating with the authors of the Gospel—her keepers, who provide her with food and shelter and visit her regularly. She does not agree that her son is the Son of God; nor that his death was “worth it;” nor that the “group of misfits he gathered around him, men who could not look a woman in the eye,” were holy disciples.

Mary judges herself ruthlessly (she did not stay at the foot of the Cross until her son died—she fled, to save herself), and is equally harsh on her judgement of others. This woman who we know from centuries of paintings and scripture as the docile, loving, silent, long-suffering, obedient, worshipful mother of Christ becomes a tragic heroine with the relentless eloquence of Electra or Medea or Antigone.

Tóibín’s tour de force of imagination and language is a portrait so vivid and convincing that our image of Mary will be forever transformed.

REMINDERS

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.

e-Avenue deadline - Please submit information to church office (office@wataugapc.org or 926-7942) at any time and for the October issue of the e-AVENUE, no later than Friday, September 15th. 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.

Visit our website

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.)