www.firstpresathens.org

February 22, 2016

Third Sunday in Lent — Sunday, February 28Hungry? We all know what it’s like to sit down at the supper table hungry and rise an hour later, having enjoyed a delicious, healthy meal amid delightful company. We also know what it’s like to appease our hunger with some junk food scarfed down on the run or while sitting alone in front of the TV. There’s a world of difference between the two experiences. One leaves us satisfied and the other, while enjoyable for the moment, is ultimately not so hot. The prophet Isaiah in today’s text, Isaiah 55:1-9, asks us why we bother with the junk food. And he isn’t talking about Twinkies and Cheetos.

During Lent we are invited to reflect upon our discipleship. How are we feeding our souls, as well as our bodies? To whom are we listening? Where are we seeking satisfaction?

See you Sunday. Bring your appetite!

Carol Strickland, Associate Pastor

Fourth Sunday in Lent — Sunday, March 6Lent is quickly moving along. How is your Lenten journey going so far? Have you been successful in giving something up this Lent? Or, have you been successful in doing something ex-tra? Think about using these last three weeks before Holy Week in a way that may bring you closer to God and his son, Jesus.

The scripture for this Sunday is Luke 15:1-3, 11b-24. It is the very familiar story of the Prodigal Son. You remember how the younger of two sons asked his father for his inheritance so that he could go off and find his way in the world. His father agreed to give him his money and off he went. He journeyed to a far country where he promptly lost all of his inheritance.

Is this story starting to sound familiar to you? Whether it is the Bible story that is familiar or a story from your own life experience, it really doesn’t matter does it? We all know prodigal daughters and sons who have felt the need to strike out on their own only to discover that the world can be a cruel place.

What lessons about life and faith do you think we can learn from this story? How does the story turn out when we are the prodigal child?

See you in church this Sunday!

Glenn Doak, Senior Pastor

Hats Off to YouMany thanks to those who donated hats to help keep homeless students a bit warmer in the Clarke County School District! Katie Wheeler, the CCSD liaison to homeless students, spoke to the Inquirers Sunday school class on February 14. We collected nearly 60 hats for kids in need, 20 of which were handknitted by the Knitting Purls.

Knitting CornerThe Knitting Purls knitted and delivered 16 shawls and lap robes to the Georgia Cancer Special-ists office in Athens. For those looking to join a generous, crafty small group, the Knitting Purls meet at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesdays in the Bride’s Room and the Knit for Kids and More group meets on Wednesdays at 3:30 p.m. in Room 304.

IHN NewsOur next Interfaith HospitalityNetwork host week will be March 6-13. We need supportive volunteers to make this ministry possible. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact TerryNestor, terrynestor@hotmail.com, or sign up in the atrium.

Children’s Ministry Update: Family Easter Egg Hunt

Make sure to mark your calendars for our upcoming Family Easter Egg Hunt, Saturday, March 19th, begin-ning at 10:30 a.m. Church member Lee Epting has graciously offered his beautiful family home, The Hill, for this year’s Easter Egg Hunt. Thank you Mr. Epting! The Hill is the perfect setting for this special event!

We will begin the morning with egg hunting (there will even be special Golden Eggs) and then enjoy family time together as we picnic on the lawn for an early lunch. Please bring your Easter baskets for egg hunting and your lunch basket and picnic blanket for your family. The church will provide drinks for everyone.

We have collected plenty of eggs, but we need your help with non-edible treats to fill the eggs. A few examples of non-edible treats are stickers, small toy cars, decorative shoelaces, finger puppets, erasers, small action figures, small note pads, small plastic animals, rubber stamps, playdough, mini bottle of bubbles, etc. Please bring Easter egg non-edible treat donations to the Children’s Ministry by Sunday, March 13th. Thank you for your donations and for helping us make the Easter Egg Hunt a memorable event for all of our First Presbyterian children!

Natalie Bishop, Director of Children’s Ministries

Youth Ministry UpdateFebruary was certainly a month filled with love for our youth. On Superbowl Sunday, we collected $760 in our special “Souperbowl” Offering. The generosity of our congregation continues to astound me! This money will be donated to Our Daily Bread Community Kitchen, which serves breakfast and lunch Monday-Friday and a sack meal on the weekends. Annually, they provide more than 60,000 nutritious meals with gracious hos-pitality to men, women and children in need in Athens. The following Sunday, we participated in a Spread the Love service project. Youth decorated Valentine’s cards which we delivered along with flowers and cookies to many of our homebound members.

Kim Ness, Director of Youth Ministries

Spaces Still Available for the Women’s RetreatFirst of all, I want to thank Heather Roberts for her vision that we could have a first annual women’s retreat last year and for her leadership to bring this to fruition. It was good for women of all ages in our church to share some quality time with each other. I’m so glad I went!

Secondly, I encourage the women of First Presbyterian to come to the second annual retreat, planned by Patti Reed, Kathy Bangle, and Emma Holman, to be held again at Camp Fellowship on Lake Greenwood in SC from April 15-17. The setting is beauti-ful and the accommodations are excellent. There’ll be time for fellowship, eating, discussion and personal time. The deadline to register for the retreat is March 1st and I do hope you will be able to join us.

Bert Prestegard

American Red CrossBlood Drive

Sunday, February 28th8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

In Fellowship Hall

Our annual blood drive has become an integral part of First Presbyte-rian’s Outreach Program. This year, our goal is to donate 32 usable units of blood. The Red Cross office in Athens tells us they are experiencing great demand for blood and its sup-plies are at a very low level.

Snacks and refreshments will be available to donors. You can re-serve an appointment time online at redcrossblood.org, by signing up in the Atrium on Sunday, by calling the church office, or by emailing Caitlin White at caitlin@firstpre-sathens.org. Please join us for this important event!

Car Decals AvailableMembers are encouraged to “sport their colors” by affixing a First Pres-byterian Church decal to the back of their car — but only if you are a polite driver! If you need a decal for your car, please contact Lucy in the church office for one.

Save the Date for “Exodus”

Thursday, April 28th at 6:30 p.m.

A one-man show by Atlanta actor Brad Sherill performed at First Presbyterian Church. More details coming soon!

Our Church FamilyHome from the Hospital:John Duffett

Congratulations:To Harvé and Sally Celia on the

birth of their son, James Vincent Celia, on January 29, 2016. James is the grandson of Jim and Robyn McDonald.

Sympathy:To Carol Ashmore on the death

of her mother and to Patricia Yeatts, Stephanie Yeatts Streer, and Joseph Yeatts on the death of their grandmother, Mary Ann Seavey, on February 16, 2016.

March 1 Jim Calhoun, David Lilliston, Kim Ness

March 2 Everett Jones, Jr., Ann Jones, Reggie Vipperman

March 3 Dick Ferguson, Jr., Anna PalmerMarch 4 Charles Clement, David Huff, Sr.March 5 Jennifer Abbott, Debbie Price,

Amy Stafford, Patricia YeattsMarch 6 Rabun Dekle, Gerald Smith,

Andy WhiteheadMarch 7 Jimmy BishopMarch 8 Chelsea Bradford, Nancy

Brown, Kitty Kellogg, Pat Tritt, Emily Wesson

March 9 Carlton Bain, Carol Herzog, Josephine Paine, Charlie Phillips, Garland Ryder

March 10 Rosevelyn Garrison, Catherine Swanson, Wesley Walters, Cameron Walters, Hannah Walters

March 11 Joe Hermanowicz, Cheyenne Perry, Smith Wilson IV

March 12 Elizabeth Brock, John Carey, Jr., Diane Hartzell, Abby Hughes, Barbara Nair, Eunice Tritt

March 13 Alison Haire, Mac McCartney, Kate Ness, Elizabeth Wilson

March 14 Nonie Hale, Bob Klein, Jr.March 15 Brett Colbert, Martha

Elmore, Mark Harrison

Mar. 1 Mark 6:1-13Mar. 2 Genesis 45:16-28Mar. 3 1 Corinthians 9:1-15Mar. 4 Mark 6:47-56Mar. 5 Genesis 47:27-48:7Mar. 6 Romans 8:11-25Mar. 7 Mark 7:24-37Mar. 8 Genesis 49:29-50:14Mar. 9 1 Corinthians 12:1-11Mar. 10 Mark 8:27-9:1Mar. 11 Exodus 2:1-22Mar. 12 1 Corinthians 13:1-13Mar. 13 John 8:46-59Mar. 14 Exodus 4:10-31Mar. 15 1 Corinthians 14:20-40

Bible Readings

Music Notes by John CobleWhen I hear the same message repeatedly, coming from different sources in a short period of time, I get the feeling God is trying to teach me something. Lately, I’ve been hearing and reading about the issue of practicing. A parent of one of my piano students asked me to help her daughter with practicing at home. It seems the student was just going through the motions, as quickly as possible, considering the practicing done. At the same time, my own child has started music lessons, and we’ve struggled at home with practicing what the teacher assigned. I also read an article on practicing that brought my attention to something I really already knew: the teacher’s job is not to teach the student how to play the instrument, but to teach the student how to practice. It’s up to the student to practice well, in order to learn to play the instrument, to improve, and to discover new things.

There’s a good musical lesson learned there, and also a good life lesson. I don’t be-lieve we can simply offer our life struggles to God, and then sit back to watch God do all the work. Through scripture, God has taught us how to live. Through the life of Jesus, we have been given an example of how to live. It’s up to us to practice.

Flower Dedications The following dates are available to dedicate flowers for Sunday worship: March 6 and 13. The cost for two arrangements is $100. Please contact Lucy Bell at lbell@firstpresathens.org to schedule a date.

Ecological and Economic Justice on Palm SundayFor the past several years, First Presbyterian Church has proudly participated in the PC(USA) Eco-Palm program by purchasing palm fronds for Palm Sunday that are ethically sourced and responsibly harvested. Many of the 300 million palm fronds consumed annually in the United States are purchased from companies that disenfranchize workers and damage the environment in the Central and South American countries from which they come.

Fortuntately, in 2007, the PC(USA) teamed up with Lutheran World Relief, Catholic Relief Services, and the University of Minnesota to find a better way. Now we can be confident that the purchase of our eco-palms help improve the standards of living for workers and protect forests and communities in Mexico and Guatemala.

185 East Hancock Avenue • Athens, GA 30601706-543-4338

Non Profit Org.US Postage

PAIDAthens, GAPermit 262

Sunday, February 28Hungry?

Rev. Dr. Carol Strickland

Sunday, March 6GettinG Close to Jesus this lent:

When We Are the Prodigal Child

Rev. Dr. Glenn Doak

Worship Services:8:45 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.

Sunday School at 9:45 a.m.

Children’s Church Children, ages 4 through Grade 2, may leave the 11:00 a.m. service for

activities in the Children’s Ministry Suite.

Sundays at First Presbyterian

Return Service RequestedSunday, February 28 1:15 p.m. AYS Rehearsal, Fellowship Hall 4:00 p.m. Cherub Choir, Room 203 St. Andrews Choir, Room 202 5:00 p.m. Celebration Singers, Room 202 Mission and Outreach Commission Meeting, Moses Waddel Room 5:45 p.m. Youth Fellowship and Dinner, The PIT

Monday, February 29 1:30 p.m. Staff Meeting, Staff Conference Room 5:30 p.m. Handbell Choir Rehearsal, Room 205 7:15 p.m. Men’s Basketball vs. Crossroads, Tuckston UMC, 4175 Lexington Road

Tuesday, March 1 1:30 p.m. Knitting Purls, Bride’s Room 2:00 p.m. Circles 3 and 4, Home of Judy Scanlon, 155 Deerhollow Road 7:00 p.m. Circle 6, Home of Ann Dunn, 425 Southview Drive

Wednesday, March 2 - Wednesday@First Programs10:00 a.m. Tai Chi Group, Room 31012:00 p.m. Our Daily Bread, First Baptist Church 3:00 p.m. Wednesday@First Programs 5:45 p.m. Wednesday Night Dinner, Fellowship Hall 6:30 p.m. Chancel Choir Rehearsal, Room 202

Thursday, March 310:00 a.m. Thursday Morning Bible Study, Home of Josephine Paine, 640 Riverview Road 5:15 p.m. Education and Discipleship Commission Meeting, Staff Conference Room 5:30 p.m. Weekday School Committee, Children’s Ministry Suite

Monday, March 710:00 a.m. Circle 2, Presbyterian Student Center 1:30 p.m. Staff Meeting, Staff Conference Room 5:30 p.m. Handbell Choir Rehearsal, Room 205 6:30 p.m. Men’s Basketball vs. First UMC, Tuckston UMC, 4175 Lexington Road

Tuesday, March 8 1:30 p.m. Knitting Purls, Bride’s Room

Wednesday, March 9 - Wednesday@First Programs 9:30 a.m. Circle 7, Bride’s Room10:00 a.m. Tai Chi Group, Room 310 3:00 p.m. Wednesday@First Programs 5:45 p.m. Wednesday Night Dinner, Fellowship Hall 6:30 p.m. Chancel Choir Rehearsal, Room 202