presbyterian proclaimer...2020/03/03 · abraham and jacob, the wandering arameans, are our...

What’s Inside

2 Note from SamSpring Forward

3 Lent CalendarPW Bible StudyPW Book ClubBlind Date with a Book

4 March BirthdaysSnow PolicyItems Needed

First PresbyterianChurch

600 W Main StreetMorristown, TN(423) 586-4281

fpcmorristown.com

Presbyterian ProclaimerMarch 2020

Congregational Meeting

The Session has called a Congregational meeting forSunday, March 1 at 11:30am in the sanctuary followingthe worship service. There will be only one service at10:30am. This meeting will be the annual meeting of thecorporation, the election of officers of the corporation,the annual meeting of the congregation to hear reportsfrom committees, and to elect an elder to fill an unexpired term in theClass of 2021.

Combined Sunday SchoolDuring our combined Sunday School class in theFellowship Hall at 9:30am on Sunday, March 1st, thePresbyterian Women will highlight 10 ordinary objectsthat we encounter in our daily living—things like coins,shoes, and stones. These common objects can remind usthat God loves us and is present with us every single

moment. To have such reminders that God leads, transforms, heals,guides, and intervenes in ways that offer abundant life can help us actaccording to God's desires. Come join us as we study this insightfulinformation from Lent in Plain Sight by Jill J. Duffield. The expandedAmazin' Grazin' table will be available in the Fellowship Hall during theclass.

Second Sunday LunchOn Sunday, March 8th, the Christian EducationCommittee invites everyone to the Second SundayLuncheon in the Fellowship Hall following the10:30am worship service. Please plan to attend and make your reservationson the friendship pad or call Janie in the church office. Donations will be acceptedbut not necessary (a basket will be in the Fellowship Hall).

One of my favorite scripture passages is Deuteronomy 26.4-10 (I encourage youto pause here and go read this passage.) This scripture is, perhaps, one of the earliestforms of liturgy that we have. The ancient Israelites are taught that when they give theirofferings to God they are to use this script as part of their worship and offering.

It starts this way, “A wandering Aramean was my father…” Whether thatwandering Aramean is Abraham or Jacob (Israel) is unclear, but what is clear is that when the Israelites aregiving back to God they recall their history with God. The rest of the passage recalls their plight in Egypt, theirflight from slavery under the Egyptian government, the power of their God who rescued them from theEgyptians, and then looks forward to the promise of the promised land, which God will give them in the nextfew chapters of Deuteronomy.

What strikes me is that every time they give their offerings to God they recite this common story. As acommunity – and as God’s chosen people – they have lived this experience together. And, as followers ofChrist, we too have a stake in that common story. Abraham and Jacob, the wandering Arameans, are ourfathers, too. We are part of the community, and in our communal history we have the shared experience ofthose who were slaves in Egypt – as odd as that sounds to those of us who live freely here in the United States.In that sense, we are all connected and we are already part of the same community, as we are with all Christiansaround the globe.

But, what exactly is a community? “A community is a group of people who have come to share acommon past, who understand particular events in the past to be of decisive importance for interpreting thepresent, who anticipate the future by means of a shared hope, and who express their identity by means of acommon narrative” (George Stroup, The Promise of Narrative Theology, p. 132.)

In that sense Jessica and I are only somewhat a part of this community. We do share a common pastwith this congregation – that is, in the stories of the Bible – and we look forward to having more sharedexperiences with you. We look forward to the future by means of a shared hope with you. And we lookforward for our identity to become intertwined with each of you in the common narrative of First PresbyterianChurch.

Jessica and I are so grateful to be here and start this part of our lives with you, we are so grateful that thesame God that called Abraham to follow him has also called us to follow him here, and we are excited to liveour lives as an offering to Christ alongside you.

Thank you for welcoming us with such a warm embrace. We look forward to wandering with youwherever God leads us.

Peace in Christ,Rev. Schaus

SPRING FORWARD

Don't be late for worship!Remember to set your clocks upone hour on Sunday, March 8.

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Sun, Mar 1 9:30am Combined Sunday 1st Sunday of Lent School, FH

10:30am Worship, Sanctuary11:30am Congregational

Meeting(One service only)

Sun, Mar 8 8:30am Worship, Chapel 2nd Sunday of Lent 10:30am Worship, Sanctuary

Sun, Mar 15 8:30am Worship, Chapel 3rd Sunday of Lent 10:30am Worship, Sanctuary

Sun, Mar 22 8:30am Worship, Chapel 4th Sunday of Lent 10:30am Worship, Sanctuary

Wed, Mar 25 5:30pm Supper, FH6:30pm Program, FH

Sun, Mar 29 8:30am Worship, Chapel 5th Sunday of Lent 10:30am Worship, Sanctuary

Sun, Apr 5 8:30am Worship, Chapel Palm Sunday 10:30am Worship, Sanctuary

Thurs, Apr 9 6:30pm Maundy ThursdayService

Fri, Apr 10 Noon Good Friday Service,Chapel

Sun, Apr 12 8:30am Worship, Chapel Easter Sunday 10:30am Worship, Sanctuary

March Presbyterian Women Bible Study

PW Bible Study will meet Thursday, March 5, at 10:30am. Carol Collins will lead us in Lesson 7: GodWith Us as Emmanuel. Scripture references are Isaiah 7:10-16 and Matthew 1:18-25. A Dutch treat lunchwill follow.

Presbyterian Women Book Club

The PW Book Club will meet on Thursday, March 19 at 5:30pm in the Youth Center downstairs atchurch. The book for March is Pachinko by Min Jin Lee. Please remember to bring a dish to share. Ifyou would like to be a hostess, please contact Dotty Smith.

Blind Date with a Book

Try something new! Choose a book from our church library just by reading a fewdescriptive words about it. Don't select a book by its cover. Check out the display duringthe Combined Sunday School class on Sunday, March 1st at 9:30am.

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Bill Vest 1Henry Massa 2Natasha Morrison 2Bo Morrison 3Joseph Massa 2Virgil Leonard 6Cindy Thompson 11Chelsea Fielder Deaderick 12Tim Sing 18Michael Hurt 21Jake Fielder 25Julie Mick 27Brenda Coarsey 28Karl Kammann 30

ANNIVERSARIESDennis & Jacqui Inman 13

NEED AD AILY DEVOTIONAL?The CongregationalCare Committeeprovides regular and

large print copies of The Upper Roomdaily devotions. Pick one up todayfrom the magazine rack outsidethe Minister's office.

CHURCH SNOW POLICY

In the event of heavysnow fall or inclementweather on Sundays,closing announcementswill be sent out in theeNews, by text alerts, andon WATE channel 6.

Shower Items NeededThe FPC ShowerMinistry is need of newor gently used towelsand razors. You may

bring your donations to thechurch office. Thanks to everyonewho has provided towels to thisministry in the past.

PW Collecting Soup LabelsA collection container (alarge Campbell’s Soupcan) is located in the oldkitchen (room 201a) forthe congregation to placetheir soup labels. A list of otherproducts whose labels can also beused to trade for variousequipment can be found by thecollection container. ALPS is therecipient of the labels.

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Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1 One Service

9:30am Combined Sunday

School, FH

10:30am Worship, Sanct

11:30am Congregational

Meeting, Sanctuary

1:30pm COPE, FH

2

8:30am HTA

9am PW Exercise

3

10am Staff Meeting

11:30am Lectionary, 201c

6pm Scouts Round Table

4

9am PW Exercise

6pm Worship Ensemble

7pm Sanctuary Choir

5

Regular Schedule

10:30am PW Meeting, 205

68:30am HTA

7

8

8:30am Worship, Chapel

9:30am Sunday School


11:30am Lunch, FH

1:30pm COPE, FH

9

8:30am HTA

9am PW Exercise

10

8:30am HTA

10am Staff Meeting

10:30am Congr Care, FH


7pm Scouts’ District, 301

11

9am PW Exercise


7pm Sanctuary Choir

12

Regular Schedule

6:30pm Stephen Ministry,

205

138:30am HTA

14

15




1:30pm COPE, gym

16

8:30am HTA

9am PW Exercise

Noon Session Packet Info

Due

17

8:30am HTA

10am Staff Meeting


4:15pm Mission, 205

18

9am PW Exercise


7pm Sanctuary Choir

19

Regular Schedule

5:30pm PW Book Club,

Youth Center

208:30am HTA

21

22




11:45am Session

1:30pm COPE, gym

23

8:30am HTA

9am PW Exercise

24

8:30am HTA

10am Staff Meeting


25

9am PW Exercise

5:30pm Supper, FH


6:30pm Program, FH

7pm Sanctuary Choir

26

Regular Schedule

10:30am PW Council, 300

6:30pm Stephen Ministry,

205

278:30am HTA

28

29 Five Cents-A-Meal




1:30pm COPE, gym

30

8:30am HTA

9am PW Exercise

31

8:30am HTA

10am Staff Meeting


Regular Thursday Schedule

8:30am HTA

Noon Al-Anon, 201c

4:30pm Girl Scouts, 301

6pm Cub Scouts, 301

7pm Boy Scouts, 301

presbyterian proclaimer...2020/03/03 · abraham and jacob, the wandering arameans, are our...

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