Belle Meade United Methodist Church May 27, 2015The Spire

I am a habitual “journaler.” It’s partially because I’m fascinated with stories, but I often love to look back to see where God has led. As I begin to close my chapter at Belle Meade UMC I have been thinking a lot about beginnings. I have been prayerful over how I was led to Belle Meade, and where I’ve been guided since.

A few months before applying for my position at Belle Meade, I was dancing in a modern ballet company in Hollywood, auditioning for commercial gigs and serving at Gordon Ramsay’s The Fat Cow in Los Angeles (Anyone who needs to may pause to giggle at the name of this “gourmet burger joint.”). It was a dream come true—not nearly as financially stable as some might envision their dreams, but it was a fulfillment of a journey I had been on for years. Al-though life as a starving artist is not quite as glamorous as I would have hoped at all times—I loved my life, my home and community—I was at peace. Back up a few years and I was not nearly as peaceful in spirit—serving in full time Youth Ministry, dancing in a local dance company, going to Seminary and traveling extensively to West Africa doing mission work—I was seeking my calling into ministry, but anxious every step of the way—perhaps chalk it up to your mid 20’s, but…

I was feeling unsteady and a tugging I needed to perform professionally in a greater capacity before venturing in to full-time vocational ministry. That unsteadiness led me to leap out to California and I will forever be grateful that I listened to that still soft voice saying, “Move!”

One night on my way to work in LA I got a phone call from a youth minister pal in Nashville asking if I would be willing to come back for the summer to help with a ministry helping youth and children learn about the unhoused community. He knew this was a passion of mine and truly felt I needed to serve with them. I said the polite nicety, “I’ll pray about it,” though I really meant, “Thanks, but no thanks” and I continued my power walk to work. Somewhere in between serving drinks, asking “Would you like to add truffle oil to your fries?” or “How’s your Waygu burger?” I paused and said aloud, “Am I wasting my gifts and talents?” True—quite the dramatic statement (surprising for an actor/dancer in LA) but the thought led me to say ‘yes’ to my friend and come to Nashville for the summer. The opposite of what one might envision beautiful LA to be, I flew back to Nashville to live one floor above a homeless shelter, with every intention of returning to LA in August.

God taught me a great many things that summer working alongside the unhoused—about humanity, validation, grace, justice, the need for solitude, the danger in solitude... more lessons in two months than two years in seminary (shh, don’t tell anyone). I quickly began to piece together that the time my anxious heart needed in LA was complete. Before my eyes, God was piecing together a life I could never have imagined. I decided to begin applying for jobs in ministry in LA and Nashville to see where God might lead. To my surprise, Belle Meade reached out almost immediately. The interview process was a prayerful and joyful one. I quickly knew this would be my new home. Within a month, I accepted the job and moved back from LA. Quite the exciting adventure to bring me to serving as your Children’s Pastor!

As I pause to reflect on my time here I shout praises to God for guidance and quick action. In the thick of it, the journey seems slow, but hindsight allows us to see how orchestration took place.

I was led here to fully accept my calling in to vocational ministry, to begin relationship with many dear families, to gain knowledge from coworkers and laity on how to serve community better, to learn about the beauty of intergenerational ministry (not just read about it in textbooks), and to begin my sweet new family. For these gifts and more I will forever be grateful to this community.

Micah 6:8 instructs us to seek justice, love kindness and walk humbly with our God. My prayer for us all as we continue this journey is that we all find our place in serving the Kingdom of God, that we give and receive love to the best of our ability, and that with each step we take on the journey we feel a steadiness of the foundation God provides in the soles of our feet.

I am grateful God led me to you. Love and Light to each of you, my friends in Christ, and until God leads us together once again….

May you feel covered and inspired by the grace and love of God.

Walk Humbly with Your God Regina Girten

Meet Our Summer Youth/Children InternHi, I’m Analena Boehms and I am so very excited to be interning at Belle Meade UMC for the summer! I grew up in Adams, TN and ventured about 30 minutes down the road to attend college in Clarksville at Austin Peay State University. I will be continuing at APSU into my junior year in the fall pursuing a degree social work, but really just following and listening closely to where the Lord is leading me to be. If you really knew me, you would know that I love the outdoors. Anything involving hiking, kayaking, rock climbing, or frisbees, I’m your girl. I feel most loved through spending quality time with people whether they are new, old, strangers, or friends. I cannot wait to move to Nashville and get to know many of you very soon! (Analena's email address is aboehms13@gmail.com).

Sign Up Now for Lake Junaluska Festival of Wisdom and GraceJoin us for a 4 day, 3 night festival, July 27 - 30, at Lake Junaluska designed specifically for older adults. This festival features a dynamic presenter, Dr. Derrick-Lewis Noble, and includes entertainment, workshops, fellowship, and time to rest at the scenic conference and re-treat center in North Carolina. Registration forms are available at the front desk. Early bird registration fee is $75 by June 1, and $90 after. Lodging cost, which includes meals, is $285 per person for double occupancy. Single, triple, and quad are also available. Transportation will be provided and determined as the group forms. To get the early bird discount, please turn in registration forms and payment to Kristin Clark-Banks in the church office. For more information on this exciting opportunity please contact Tom Smedley at 615.832.7685 or tom.smedley@att.net or Marion Parr at 615.673.1103 or marion18@bellsouth.net. Event information is available online at http://www.lakejunaluska.com/events/spiritual_enrichment/wisdom_and_grace/.

New Small GroupsJourney to Freedom from Disappointment and Grief led by Mark Acker:

• A new small group study and share group will meet each Sunday afternoon in June, beginning June 7 through June 28 from 3:30 pm-4:45 pm in room 121. Our primary focus in this group will be to look at disappointment and grief - less about dealing with a recent loss, but more about “chronic” disap-pointment, grief, and sadness. Sometimes these feelings are rooted in the loss of a dream, or dealing with a situation in our life, or never being able to fully get over an event in our life. There is amazing power in small groups; in “Journey to Freedom from Disappointment and Grief” we can share our stories honestly, learn some tools for dealing with our feelings, and experience love, un-derstanding and acceptance. For more information, or to sign up to be a part of this group, please contact Mark Acker (615.430.3606; mark@bellemeadeumc.org).

Book Study: To Love as God Loves by Roberta Bondi, led by Rev. Tom Gildemeister• Author Roberta Bondi is the emeritus professor of church history and theology at the Candler School of Theology at Emory Uni-versity. She is a profoundly spiritual person who deepened her relationship with God by exploring the wisdom of the Desert Mothers and Desert Fathers. Dr. Bondi’s To Love as God Loves will comfort, challenge, and confuse. We will learn more to ask the right question than to find the right answer. We will meet on Sundays beginning June 14 from 4:00 pm-5:15 pm. For more information or to sign up, please contact Rev. Tom Gildemeister (615.924.7146, tgildem@gmail.com).

The Beatitudes: Jesus’ Promise of Blessings, led by Rev. Kristin Clark-Banks• Jesus teaches in his Sermon on the Mount that the Christian life is a life of blessing. But how do we receive these blessings? Join Rev. Kristin Clark-Banks for an eight-week small group study of the Beatitudes. Together we will discover how to live into a life of bless-edness. We will use a workbook (cost: $7) which includes daily exercises to help us experience God through a brief reading and reflec-tion. Weekly meetings beginning June 14 present an opportunity to learn more about Jesus and the Bible, and to share insight and support for the Christian life. This group will meet on Sunday afternoons from 4:00 pm-5:00 pm in room 123. For more information or to sign up, contact kristin@bellemeadeumc.org.

Pastoral Care Information from Rev. TomRev. Kristin and I both will be out of town June 1-5. I Wil be away Mary 27 through June 6. Kristin Will be away May 30 through June 7. Her time away has been planned for many months. Three months ago, I was invited to join a delegation of Christian and Jewish leaders to Israel to participate in a con-versation about the conflict between the Israelis and the Pal-estinians. Rev. David Drumel (Pastor for Visitation), Rev. Bob Lewis (former Belle Meade pastor), and Rev. David Miller will be available for pastoral care. Kristin and I will both be without cell service and internet. You are welcome to leave messages,

but we cannot promise to return emails, text, or voice mail messages before we are back in Nashville. Please call the church office at 615.352.6210 or Rev. Drumel at 901.481.8884 for urgent pastoral care needs during this time.

Prayer Concerns

The church prayer list cannot be included on our website due to privacy issues.

You can find the list in the church bulletin

or in the e-mail newsletter.If you would like

to receive the newsletter by e-mail please contact the

Communications Administrator, Anna Margaret Miller, at

the church office at 352-6210 or sign up at

the church website, www.bellemeadeumc.org,

under the newsletter and events page.

High School SeniorsOur graduating high school seniors were honored during worship and at a luncheon on May 17. Pictured below are a few of the graduates: Jack Johnson, Alex Jolly, John Robinson, Jeorgia Lamb, and Kang Huh. Other seniors (not pictured) include: Reid Anderson, Cameron Eanes, JD Haas, and Matt Lale. Congratulations, graduates! Your church loves you and we pray for your next steps during this exciting time of your lives.

Sing in Choir This SummerSummer is a great time to sing in the choir. While regular members are away, additional singers are needed. We do “more accessable” music in the summer and only rehearse in June. High school age and up are invited to be a part of our Summer Choir. For more infor-mation, contact Mark Acker at mark@bellemeadeumc.org. You are needed, and choir is a great musical, spiritual and fellowship experience!

Youth Choir Mini Concert SundayFollowing worship on May 31, the Youth Choir will present a 20 minute mini-concert following the 10:30 worship service. Please join us for this very special time as our youth share music that they will be singing on their Mission Tour and Pilgrimage, which begins with two local concerts on May 31. This year’s tour will be to Chicago, and will include concerts, sightseeing, and worship, concluding at St. Meinrad Monastery in St. Meinrad, Indiana. Please keep our youth in your prayers during this wonderful week of June 1-5.

NONPROFIT ORGU.S. Postage PAIDNashville, TNPermit No. 1002

Place Mailing Label here

Belle Meade United Methodist Church121 Davidson Road, Nashville, TN 37205www.bellemeadeumc.org(615) 352 - 6210

This Sunday8:30 am Worship in the Chapel

A relaxed worship experience with traditional elements and Holy Communion.

8:45 am - Holy Communion in the SanctuaryA 15-minute time of communion with prayers and liturgy.

9:15 am - 10:15 am Sunday School for all ages

10:30 am Worship in the SanctuaryA traditional worship service with music by Belle Meade Choir and

Instrumentalists

Memorials and HonorariaYouth Choir Fund in honor of Iva Brown by Marshall and Yulanda Brown

Memorial Fund in memory of Bob Elliott by Lowell and MaryAnn Stonecipher in memory of Bob Elliott by Scott and Susan Hawkins in memory of Charles Findley by P.V. Jackson, III in memory of Charles Findley by Lea and Richard Marquardt in memory of Charles Findley by Marshall and Yulanda Brown