Pastor's Letter

Dear church family,

When I graduated from high school, my parents threw a party for me in our backyard.  Friends and family members came to reminisce with us about 12 years of education and to celebrate this new chapter in life.  I’ll never forget what one of the guests, the husband of one of my favorite science teachers, Mrs. Groves, told me.  He pulled me aside and said, “Just show up.”  I thought he was joking, but he assured me he was not, that 80% of success in life comes from just showing up.  (Apparently, Woody Allen was the one to popularize this saying, but I certainly didn’t know that at the time.) 

And do you know something?  It’s true.  This isn’t to say that hard work, intellect, creativity, or anything else isn’t important.  But it is to say that that isn’t much use if you don’t first show up – whether at work, school, home, or in the community.  Simply being present and attentive is way more than half the battle in life.

One of the things I love about this time of year is that it’s a season of showing up.  School has started back.  Sports are ramping up.  And we, as a church family, are settling into a routine after summer vacation.  We’re meeting new college students on Sunday mornings and seeing friends and church members we haven’t seen in months (or longer).  It seems I’m not the only one who appreciates the in-person rhythms that September brings.

The challenge, though, is to continue showing up.  It’s no secret that the pandemic has thrown a wrench in our lives over the past few years, and churches have certainly felt the pinch.  Fear of sickness, the complexity of safety protocols, tension between friends and family members, and tightened budgets are all part of today’s “new normal.”  We feel more disoriented and disengaged than ever.

And yet, if I may be so bold, let me say to you what Mr. Groves once said to me: “just show up.”  Show up for worship, even if you’re sleepy or don’t like what the pastor’s preaching on or it’s easier to worship online from home.  Show up for Sunday School and other small group opportunities, even if you’re not sure who will be there or how it’s going to go.  Show up for suppers and prayer meetings and choir rehearsals and service projects.  Show up, even if it’s hard, because you matter to our life together, to this beautiful, messy, Spirit-filled outpost of Christ’s Kingdom that we call the church.

See you Sunday,
Blake

Dr. John Swinton

First Presbyterian Church of Sylva is pleased to host Dr. John Swinton, Professor of Practical Theology & Pastoral Care at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. John will be with us on Saturday, Oct. 15 from 10am-2pm (and again on Sunday morning). He will give a presentation called “Finding Jesus in the Storm,” focusing on the intersection of mental health and Christian discipleship. All are welcome to attend from the church and larger community. A light lunch will be provided, and childcare will be available upon request. Please email the church office with any questions or to request childcare: office@sylvapres.org. The event is free of charge, although donations will be gratefully accepted.

About John Swinton

John Swinton is Professor and Chair in Divinity and Religious Studies at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland. He focuses on theology, disability, mental health, and pastoral care. On the Aberdeen website, he writes,

The foundation for much of my research and teaching has emerged from my background in nursing, ministry and healthcare chaplaincy. I worked as a nurse for sixteen years initially within the field of mental health and latterly within the area of learning disabilities. I also worked for a number of years as a hospital chaplain, latterly as a community mental health chaplain. It was whilst working in these fields that I began to gain a passion for developing modes of care that are genuinely person centred and which take seriously the significance of theology, spirituality and religion within the processes of healing, healing and community building.

I am an ordained minister of the Church of Scotland with a strong commitment to supporting the work of the church. I am member of Aberdeen Presbytery and currently secretary of Christ's College, which is responsible for the welfare and education of candidates for the ministry of the Church of Scotland.

Books by John Swinton

Interviews with John Swinton

Pastor’s Letter

Dear church family,

I recently read something lovely in Annie Dillard’s book Pilgrim at Tinker Creek. She describes her house that’s nestled in the mountains of Virginia at the bank of a creek, like an anchor out at sea. She writes:

The creeks… are an active mystery, fresh every minute… Mountains are giant, restful, absorbent. You can heave your spirit into a mountain and the mountain will keep it, folded, and not throw it back as some creeks will. The creeks are the world with all its stimulus and beauty; I live there. But the mountains are home.

Dillard is describing two important aspects of our lives. On the one hand, life is ever-changing, transient, and dynamic – like a creek. On the other hand, life is rooted, connected, and constant – like a mountain. Both are true, and both bear witness to the life of our God, who is, as St. Augustine said, beauty ever ancient and ever new.

I share Dillard’s words because they seem to describe my busy summer thus far. Between traveling to South Carolina and Georgia to visit family, hiking Mount LeConte, and soon spending a week out west, we’ve had a lot on our plate. And all of it has made me feel like a creek – going with the flow, moving this way and that, prone to rush or meander depending on the circumstance and season. Maybe you can relate.

How grateful I am, then, to know there are mountains beneath it all to keep us steady, like anchors at sea. These mountains are spiritual practices, like prayer and Scripture-reading and worship. They’re also our trusted brothers and sisters in Christ, whom we can trust and depened upon. Most of all, they’re the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, whose love is steadfast and sure. We may feel like we live in the creek, but the mountains are home. Thanks be to God.

See you Sunday,

Blake

Pastor's Letter

Dear church family and friends,

There’s no such thing as a perfect church.  There, I said it! 

No matter how much a group of Christians love God, one another, and their neighbors as themselves, they will still fall short.  We will still fall short.  Yet the sooner we can recognize this fact, the sooner we can throw ourselves upon the grace and goodness of God.  I think this is what our Pastor Emeritus, Bill Serjak, meant when he would begin worship services with words that went something like this: “We welcome you to a community of sinners.  If you look around you, you will find fault with everyone, especially the pastor, since he is most visible.  But our job is not to point you to ourselves, but to Jesus Christ, with whom man has yet to find fault.” 

(And all God’s people said “amen.”)

We will soon see this truth in Scripture on Sunday mornings as we turn from studying Acts 2 to the New Testament book of First Corinthians.  If Acts 2 gives us a picture of the church on fire in the best possible way – as God’s people, filled with the Spirit, lead thousands to faith in Jesus Christ – then First Corinthians gives us a picture of the church on fire in the worst possible way – as God’s people, ignoring the Spirit, fight and divide among themselves.  In response to this, the apostle Paul writes to set those Christians in Corinth straight not by pointing to himself, nor to others in their midst – but by pointing to Jesus, whose mercy meets them in abundance.

I want to invite you to read First Corinthians along with me and our church family for the next few months.  Read it and find empathy in the foibles and frustrations of these early Christians.  See what Paul says about the Holy Spirit, who is at work in the midst of (or, often, in spite of) the community called “church.”  And together, let’s keep walking the dusty road of discipleship, confident that the one who is the Way still leads the way in Sylva, Jackson County, the United States, and even to the ends of the earth.

See you Sunday,
Blake

---

Join us for worship on Sundays as we give praise to God, study Scripture and learn about its relevance for our lives, and go deeper in life together. In-person services take place in the sanctuary at 11:00am. We are live-streaming for those who prefer to worship from home via our YouTube page.

Sunday Scriptures for July:

• 7/03 – Acts 2:42-47

• 7/10 – 1 Corinthians 1:1-17

• 7/17 – 1 Corinthians 1:18-31

• 7/24 – 1 Corinthians 2:1-16

• 7/31 – 1 Corinthians 3:1-11

Pastor's Letter

Dear church family,

June is here, and summer is nearly upon us. For some of you, this means school is out and you’ll have more time with your kids or grandkids. Others will enjoy trips to the beach or lake. Still others will find themselves complaining about how muggy and buggy it’s become! Regardless of what this season means to you, I’m sure you agree with me that summer brings with it a certain kind of spirit.

Spirit. It’s an interesting word, isn’t it? We often use it in various ways, whether to describe the energy level at a baseball game or the mood of a particular person or moment. It’s like a thermometer or barometer this way, measuring particular human output or emotion in a given situation. But Scripture has a different idea. In a biblical sense, the word is almost always used as a proper noun – as Spirit, with a capital “S” – to refer not to humanity, but to God. Indeed, the Holy Spirit is the very presence of God and the third person of the Trinity, who is intimately connected to our human experience while also remaining distinct from it.

Think of Genesis 1: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth… and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” Or Matthew 3: “As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water… and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him.” Or Galatians 4: “God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, ‘Abba, Father.’ So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.” In all these references, the Spirit is not a product of human experience, but a gift of God – indeed, the gift of God himself.

You might know where I am going with this. The first Sunday in June is Pentecost Sunday, during which the church celebrates the Spirit’s descent upon the apostles and other disciples gathered together in Jerusalem (see Acts 2). It’s a story of great power, healing, unity, and direction, setting the stage for God’s work through the church for centuries to come. To reflect on this we will be studying Acts 2 on Sunday mornings through the month of June, moving from the Spirit, to Peter’s sermon, to the earliest Spirit-filled community of Christians.

I believe we need a reminder of the Holy Spirit’s presence with us especially now, given all that’s transpired in recent months. Our country has yet again been reeling from mass shootings in Buffalo, California, and Texas. Stories of sexual abuse have erupted in the Southern Baptist Convention. The war in Ukraine rages on. And we are moving through a mid-term election season, revealing more and more division in our country. What hope do we have as we live through these struggles, to say nothing of the struggles in our own families and hearts? The answer is the Spirit, who unites us to Christ so that we are never alone.

As Jesus himself said at the end of John 16: “Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you… In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Happy Summer,
Blake

Holy Week & Easter

King of my life, I crown Thee now / Thine shall the glory be
Lest I forget Thy thorn-crowned brow / Lead me to Calvary
Lest I forget Gethsemane / Lest I forget Thine agony
Lest I forget Thy love for me / Lead me to Calvary

We sang these words at the close of our worship service on April 10, as a reminder that the joy of Palm Sunday gives way to the sorrow of Holy Week. The same Jesus who is greeted with palms and fanfare goes on to die, "for us and for our salvation," as the Nicene Creed puts it.

For the first time in three years, we will gather together for a Maundy Thursday meal. Join us on April 14 at 6pm in the FPC Fellowship Hall, and bring a main dish, side, salad, or dessert to share (drinks will be provided). After we eat, we will remember Jesus' Last Supper by sharing in communion together. Then we will gather in the sanctuary for a worship service centered around the cross (beginning around 7:30pm). We will leave the service in darkness as a reminder of Jesus' entombment and descent to the dead. Then we will wait. Because the good news is, Sunday's coming.

Yours in Christ,
Blake

Join us for Easter Worship on April 17:
Sunrise Worship
7:00am at Bridge Park
Traditional Worship
11:00am in the FPC Sanctuary

Pastor's Letter

March was a month of patience for my family.

First of all, this is because we’ve had a house full of literal patients. First, it was me and my sons. All of us tested positive for COVID in early March and were quarantined for a whole week (thankfully, with mild symptoms). Then, it was my wife and my sons. They tested positive for the flu in late March and were quarantined for another whole week (unfortunately, with fairly serious symptoms). As I write this we are all on the mend, thanks be to God. But it was a difficult month of being patients and learning patience.

In the midst of this, we have also tried to practice Sabbath during the season of Lent. Sabbath, you likely know, is a day of rest that honors the Lord. While we have dipped our toes in the waters of Sabbath over the years, my family and I have never made a formal Sabbath commitment. But we felt God leading us to do so this year for the 40 days of Lent. So, starting March 4, we have been “shutting down” on Friday nights for a solid 24 hours. We cycle laundry, go to the dump, pre-cook meals, clean the house, and remove notifications from our phones and other devices by 5pm on Friday so we can simply enjoy family time until 5pm on Saturday. We try not to be legalistic about it – after all, Jesus tells us that “the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” – so if we have to throw a load in the wash or run an errand, we do so. But by and large, we try and spend that time in rest, play, and worship together. Which, yes, also requires patience.

The root of the word “patience” is “suffering.” And the root of the word “suffer” is “endure” or “bear.” To have patience, then, is to endure or to bear hardship as it comes, in whatever form. Such hardship could be as denying yourself email or TV for a day. It could be something larger, like the sickness of children. Or it could be something even more dire than that – things we shudder to name and that impact entire communities, as we have experienced recently in Sylva. We learn patience when we move through such times with the twofold recognition that we can’t do it on our own, and thus that we are wholly dependent on God’s grace. Indeed, patience is a fruit of the Spirit for this very reason.

The good news of Lent is that our patience leads us somewhere – to Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and the cross, and, beyond that, to the beauty of the empty tomb and the victory of Easter. Our suffering and endurance opens us up to the good news of Jesus. This is why the early Christians talked about Sabbath as the “eighth day,” a day signaling that God’s new creation has now begun in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And it’s why one of those early Christians, Paul the Apostle, was able to pen those triumphant words: “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

I hope you will join us in worship and life together this April as we continue to make our way down the dusty road of discipleship. In these difficult days, let’s pray for the Spirit to grow patience in us, let’s look out for each other, and let’s remain confident that the risen Lord Christ leads the way.

See you Sunday,
Blake

Lent 2022

---

Next Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of the season of Lent. If you didn’t grow up with Lent (and I know many of you didn’t, myself included), here’s a bit of background…

The word “Lent” comes from the Old English word for “springtime.” It refers to the length of time before Easter, traditionally forty days, when the Church prepares to commemorate Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. Just as Advent helps us prepare spiritually for Christmas, Lent helps us prepare spiritually for Holy Week and Easter.

You may be asking, Do I have to observe Lent?  The first answer is, Of course not! But the second answer is, Why wouldn’t you?  This season is a gift to us in which we may pause and reflect on our lives in light of Jesus Christ. So, I encourage you to observe it this year. Typically folks use this time as a chance to give something up: certain foods, certain media, certain habits. In recent years it’s become popular to take something on: daily prayer, for instance, or journaling and letter-writing. Regardless, the goal isn’t self-promotion (pride) but self-effacement (humility). What will help you humble yourself over the next forty days, so that you can see Jesus more clearly? Whatever the answer is… do it.

For a special focus during this Lenten season, we at First Presbyterian Church are studying Following Jesus by Henri Nouwen. Want to read along? You can order a copy by clicking here. We will be meeting on Wednesdays at the church from 6:30-7:30pm for discussion and prayer. We welcome you to join us as we walk the way of Christ together.

• To learn more about Ash Wednesday, click here.

Lent Study: "Following Jesus"

The season of Lent has begun, and we at First Presbyterian Church will be studying the book Following Jesus by Henri Nouwen, starting March 9 at 6:30pm. Questions? Contact the church office!

Here is the study outline:

• March 2 - Ash Wednesday Worship (please read the Introduction and Chapter 1 before next week!)

• March 9 - Chapter 1: The Invitation

• March 16 - Chapter 2: The Call

• March 23 - Chapter 3: The Challenge

• March 30 - Chapter 4: The Cost

• April 6 - Chapter 5: The Reward

• April 13 - Chapter 6: The Promise

Pastor's Letter

“Who do you say I am?”

This is Jesus’ question to his disciples in the gospels, and it is his question to us as well.  He doesn’t ask us who scholars or skeptics or saints say he is; he asks us who we say he is, guided by Scripture. 

We might say that Jesus wants to make things personal.  Not private, but personal.  He wants to spark conviction in our hearts, by the Holy Spirit, so we can turn from our sin, call him our Lord, and follow him on the dusty road of discipleship for the renewal and restoration of the world. 

I once heard the Scottish professor and writer, Andrew Purves, put it this way: “The great theological question,” he said, “is essentially a who question: not ‘how did you do that?’ or ‘what did you do?’ or ‘can I do what you did?’ The essential question is, ‘Who are you, Lord?’”

I don’t know about you, but this “who question” has become more important to me during the past two years, both in terms of Jesus and in terms of his body, the church. 

Living through a pandemic has made me depend on Jesus more than ever – as all my idols have been interrogated and so many of my comforts have been stripped away.  Who is the one who loves us without fail, who will never let us down, and who promises to give us hope and a future?  It’s Jesus, Emmanuel, our Savior. 

At the same time, living through a pandemic has made me realize the importance of community – as Zoom meetings, quarantine, and endless TV and Internet commentary have revealed the primordial truth that “it is not good for man to be alone.”  Who are the people that Jesus has given me to share the journey?  It’s you.  The people of First Presbyterian Church, living as the body of Christ and an outpost of God’s Kingdom. 

I know I sound like an owl or maybe like Dr. Seuss, but the “whos” make all the difference – the “who” of Jesus, and the “who” of you.  Because when they come together, we get the cruciform (cross-shaped) witness of the church, a witness that this wounded and weary world so desperately needs. 

Take a deep breath and consider how you can enter into February with Jesus and with others, too.  Can you spend some time reading Matthew this month?  Could you come to Sunday School and worship on Sunday mornings?  Why not give me a call or send me an email so we can get together and catch up?  The Christian life is always personal, but never private.  Let’s keep walking the path together, trusting the Lord to lead the way.

Yours in Christ,
Blake

Image: Owls in Flight by Victoria Lakes

"Who do you say I am?"

"Who do you say I am?"

This is a question Jesus asked his disciples in the gospels. You can find it, for example, in Matthew 16:13-15:

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

This is a question Jesus asks us today, too. So take a moment to think about it. What do you know about Jesus? What do you believe about Jesus? Who do you say he is? How we answer this question makes all the difference in the world.

To attend to this question, we are beginning a new sermon series on Matthew starting this Sunday, January 9 at First Presbyterian Church. Matthew is one of four biblical books that tell the story of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection (this is why they're called "gospels," because they describe the "good story" of God). It was penned by Matthew the tax collector, who became a disciple of Jesus, and has much in common with the gospels of Mark and Luke.

I invite you to study Matthew along with us in this new year, so that we might come to know Jesus better — not just as a preacher, miracle worker, or prophet, but as the Messiah, the Son of the living God.

See you Sunday,
Blake

Worship at FPC

In-person services take place in the sanctuary at 11:00am. Masks are currently required for worship and other gatherings. We encourage you to socially-distance. We are live-streaming for those who prefer to worship from home via our YouTube page.

Resources for study and reflection:

• The Chosen - TV series available via online, streaming, or DVD

• The Bible Project - video overview of Matthew 1-13

• The Bible Project - video overview of Matthew 14-28

• Who Is This Man - book by John Ortberg

• The Jesus I Never Knew - book by Philip Yancey

• Matthew: Being Discipled by Jesus - study guide by Stephen & Jacalyn Eyre

• Matthew: The Christbook & The Churchbook - commentary by Frederick Dale Bruner

Pastor’s letter

Dear church family and friends,

As I write this, we are still in the Christmas season, celebrating Jesus’ birth for twelve days. On January 6 we will move into the season of Epiphany, remembering Jesus’ appearance to the Magi and the Gentiles (non-Jews). And what is the proper response to both these seasons? Joy.

I like the way Henri Nouwen talks about joy in his book Following Jesus:

“Joy is that ongoing movement out of the places of death, out of the places where things remain the same and are not moving. Everything in life changes… It is very important for us to realize that joy is precisely that leaping toward life and move away from the places that are the same. Joy is always about an experience of life as new.”

I don’t know about you, but I need to hear this word right now as we turn our calendars to 2022. Because, if I’m honest, my knee-jerk reaction to another year is not very optimistic. Covid is still with us. Cultural and political turmoil persists. It’s easy for me to shrug my shoulders and say, “here we go again.” Yet Henri Nouwen invites me into something different: the way of Jesus. This way leads not to fear or resignation, but to surprising joy. This is the joy of the Messiah, the Lord, who has come to turn things around, to usher in his Kingdom, and to give us hope and a future.

How do we experience this joy? We take time to celebrate each and every day. Not flippantly, but graciously, being mindful of the grace and giftedness at the heart of life. Again, Nouwen says this:

“Celebrating life is not a party, but an ongoing awareness that every moment is special and asks to be lifted up and recognized as a blessing from on high. Jesus rewards us with joy. Not only later, but now. Not only in happy moments but also in our sorrow. Joy is hidden in our suffering and revealed in our communal life.”

He’s exactly right. We need to celebrate, even amidst continued uncertainty, because that’s what followers of Jesus do, in season and out of season. And that’s how we see the Spirit at work in us to cultivate joy, one day at a time.

So, led by that same Spirit, I want to celebrate some things with you:

• Our staff, who have served our church in such faithful and creative ways. As I wrote last year, there is no playbook for leading ministry in a pandemic, and I have been proud of the ways they have handled the many curveballs thrown their way.

• Our elders and deacons, who have made hard decisions and cared for our congregation (and so many others) during trying times.

• The members and friends of First Presbyterian Church, 80 years running. You have joined in study, worship, and fellowship while staying flexible. You have given financially to our operating budget and Cornerstone Campaign. You have pulled together in happy moments and in sorrow. Keep persevering, friends; it’s worth it (see Romans 5:3-5).

• God – the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – for his unending love and amazing grace. Indeed, “you have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”

Yours in Christmas, New Year’s, and Epiphany joy,
Blake

Christmas Eve 2021

---

Join us for an Outdoor Candlelight Service on Christmas Eve!

We will gather on Dec. 24 at 5:00pm in the backyard of the Phillips home across from the church. Please bundle up and bring a folding chair if you'd like to sit (the service won’t be too long, so you are welcome to stand). Masks are optional, and candles and light refreshments will be provided. Kids, family members, and friends are welcome as we celebrate the miracle of the Incarnation and the good news of Christmas!

We will also be gathering for regular Sunday Worship on Dec. 26 at 11:00am. The service can also be live-streamed via our YouTube page.

Merry Christmas!

Advent 2021

You’re invited!

This Sunday marks the beginning of the season of Advent, a time of watching and waiting for the coming of Jesus. We invite you to “prepare the way of the Lord” as we move through this season together.

In-person worship services take place in the sanctuary at 11:00am on Sundays. Masks are required for worship and other gatherings, and we encourage you to socially-distance. We will continue live-streaming for those who prefer to worship from home via our YouTube page.

Please see the information below about upcoming events, and join us if you can!

Need a guide through the season of Advent? We recommend God is in the Manger by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. It is a powerful daily devotional based on Bonhoeffer's writings. We will have copies available at the church (suggested donation: $10) or you can order your own through City Lights Bookstore or elswhere!

Join us for a Service of Worship on the Longest Night on Dec. 15 at 6:30pm in the Sanctuary. The holidays are not always "merry and bright.” Let's walk through the darkness together and renew our hope in Jesus Christ, the light of the world.

We will also be having an Outdoor Candlelight Service on Christmas Eve. We will gather on Dec. 24 at 5:00pm at the Phillips home across the church parking lot. Please bundle up and bring a folding chair if you'd like to sit (the service won’t be too long, so you are welcome to stand). Masks are optional, and candles and light refreshments will be provided. In the event of inclement weather, we will move the service into the Sanctuary. We will notify the congregation of any changes by noon on Christmas Eve.

Finally, we invite you to give to one or more of the following needs for Advent and Christmas as you are able:

• First Presbyterian Church - attn: Cornerstone Campaign

• First Presbyterian Church - attn: General Fund

• Black Mountain Home for Children, Youth, & Families

Thank you!

Pastor's Letter

“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”

Dear church family,

I’m sure you’ve heard this prayer before.  It might be hanging on your wall, refrigerator, or keychain.  You might repeat it as a breath prayer to stay focused and grounded.  It’s known as the Serenity Prayer.  It was written by the theologian Reinhold Niebuhr in the 1930s and has since been popularized by Alcoholics Anonymous and other recovery groups, for very good reason.  It’s a pithy and powerful reminder of both our human limitations and our human responsibility.  And the hinge on which those characteristics turn is what we call wisdom.

Wisdom.  Like so many words, this is one we toss around without much consideration.  What does it really mean?  One of my seminary professors, Ellen Davis, defines wisdom as “living in the world in such a way that God, and God’s intentions for the world, are acknowledged in all that we do.”  I like that.  It reminds us that wisdom is grounded in God and God’s good purposes for all that he has made.  In this light, Davis asks, “how many people do you know whom you would describe as wise?”  If we’re honest, the answer might be less than we think.

Yet wisdom is not unattainable.  Nor is it only reserved for the super-spiritual.  Rather, it is something God calls all of us to cultivate as we follow him and grow in grace.  “If any of you lacks wisdom,” the book of James says, “you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”  The prime example of this is the book of Proverbs.  In contrast to other books of the Bible, Proverbs is not a narrative or a letter but a list of sayings that reorient the reader (or hearer) to God and his way of wisdom.  It’s a book to be read slowly and deliberately, the way a cow chews its cud. 

For these reasons, I will be starting a new sermon series on Proverbs on October 10.  We won’t cover it all, but we will hit the high notes.  As we do, I will be praying that God would grant us wisdom – wisdom that helps us understand what we can change and what we can’t; wisdom that helps us make decisions, even when we’re all feeling decision fatigue; wisdom that helps us discern the truth amid so many mistruths and half-truths; wisdom that leads us to love the Lord and to love our neighbors, in Jesus’ name.  This wisdom is needed today as much as ever, friends.  I hope you’ll join us in this fall season as we seek the way of wisdom together.

See you Sunday,
Blake

Pastor's Letter

“And so, it is those we live with and should know who elude us.  But we can still love them.  We can love completely without complete understanding.”
– Rev. Maclean, A River Runs Through It

Dear church family,

One of my favorite books is Norman Maclean’s A River Runs Through It.  I am the father of sons and a Presbyterian pastor living in the mountains, so this shouldn’t surprise you, as Maclean’s story takes place in a very similar relational and geographical setting.  Towards the end of the book (and the film based on it), Norman’s father, the Rev. Maclean, delivers a sermon in which he reflects on a struggle within his family.  In it he shares those potent words in the quotation above.

Let those sentences wash over you, especially the last one: “We can love completely without complete understanding.”  The Rev. Maclean said this in regards to his son, Paul, who struggled with gambling and alcoholism and died too young.  As a father, what could he have done?  What’s within his control?  The Pastor is racked with confusion.  Yet in the face of uncertainty, he learned to love.

This is my hope for myself, you, and our church family today: that we would learn to love, and love completely — even without complete understanding. 

It’s no secret that these are difficult days and we’re all stretched thin.  Other people, even those we live with and know, will elude us.  They will rub us the wrong way.  They will do things we do not agree with or that we do not understand.  Heck, I, as your pastor, will do things you do not agree with or understand.  What can we do?  What are we in control of?  We can love completely, even without complete understanding. 

Notice, this doesn’t mean we should turn off our brains.  This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t engage in healthy arguments when the time is right.  This certainly doesn’t mean we should say yes to blatant evil or sin.  I am not saying any of these things.  But I am saying we can grow in love – love that flows from the heart of God revealed in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  And we can let this love be the guide, the rule, the plumb line that keeps everything else in check.

Consider what the Apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the Colossians: “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”

This is the spirit behind our upcoming book study.  Starting September 8, we will be reading A Gentle Answer: Our “Secret Weapon” In an Age of Us Against Them by Scott Sauls on Wednesday nights.  Join us.  Even if you can’t make it, I encourage you to get the book and read along from afar.  Sauls does a wonderful job of naming the challenges of our present age with humor and hope.  You may not agree with everything he says.  You may not understand everything he says.  But I hope you will see how he points us to Jesus, the only one who truly loves completely – and in whom we can learn to love as well.

See you Sunday,
Blake

Fall Book Study

Join friends at First Presbyterian Church for a study of the book A Gentle Answer: Our “Secret Weapon” in An Age of Us Against Them by Scott Sauls.

Meetings will take place from 6:30-7:30pm in the Pavilion.  Please notify the Church Office or Pastor Blake if you need childcare and/or if you have other questions.  Copies of the book are available for purchase at City Lights bookstore, or you can purchase one on your own.  Bring a friend and we hope to see you there!

Schedule:

• Sept. 8 - Chapter 1 – He Befriends the Sinner in Us

• Sept. 15 - Chapter 2 – He Reforms the Pharisee in Us

• Sept. 22 - Chapter 3 – He Disarms the Cynic in Us

• Sept. 29 - Chapter 4 – We Grow Thicker Skin

• Oct. 6 - Chapter 5 – We Do Anger Well

• Oct. 13 - Chapter 6 – We Receive Criticism Graciously

• Oct. 20 - No Meeting

• Oct. 27 - Chapter 7 – We Forgive All the Way

• Nov. 3 - Chapter 8 – We Bless Our Own Betrayers

New Music Director

At the recommendation of the Personnel Committee, the Session unanimously approved the hire of Courtney Umphlett as our new Music Director on Aug. 9! Courtney has been serving as our Children's Ministry Director for the past four and a half years, and she will move into this new role as soon as we can hire a replacement for her current position.

Please join me in thanking our Music Director Search Committee (Steve Baxley, Kathy Grace, Amanda Murajda, and Peg Shafer) for their diligent work in this job search, as well as Margaret Hale for her faithful service as our Organist/Pianist during this transition. Please also be in prayer for our Personnel Committee as they begin searching for a new Children's Ministry Director and continue searching for a new Administrative Assistant and Child Care Attendant.

FPC Safety Update

In an effort to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus, to care for the most vulnerable members of our population, and to love our neighbors as ourselves, the elders unanimously voted on Aug. 9 to make the following changes to our safety protocols:

• Masks will once again be required for worship and all indoor gatherings as long as Jackson County is in the "red" (high) or "orange" (substantial) community transmission categories, regardless of vaccination status. When Jackson County moves to the "yellow" (moderate) or "blue" (low) categories, masks will then be optional. (You can click here to read more about these categories.) Should we change categories between Session meetings, then whatever was decided at the previous Session meeting will hold until the next meeting.

• We continue to encourage social distancing and the use of our outdoor spaces as much as possible.

• External groups may use our church facilities provided that they abide by these safety requirements.

• Our online worship offering will continue to be available for those who prefer to join us in worship from home.

• Our 80th Anniversary Celebration, originally scheduled for Sept. 26, has been postponed.

If you have any questions about these updates, do not hesitate to contact our Pastor or one of the elders. As always, we are so grateful for your grace, patience, and flexibility as we adapt to these ever-changing times. May the Lord bless us in our mission to make disciples who love Jesus Christ, love the church, and love their neighbors as themselves.

Worship from Home

A Service for the Lord’s Day
August 1, 2021
Tenth Sunday after Pentecost & Communion Sunday

---

Welcome & Announcements

Call to Worship: from Psalm 103

Leader: Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
People: Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits.
Leader: The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.
People: He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel.
Leader: The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.
People: Praise the Lord!

Opening Song

Prayer of Confession

Assurance of Pardon & Passing of the Peace

Leader: May the peace of Christ be with you.
People: And also with you.

Children’s Message

Scripture Reading: Exodus 16:1-15

Leader: This is the Word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.

Sermon — Cloudy With a Chance of Manna — Rev. Blake Daniel

A live-stream of the service is available at the link above. Simply click the link or visit our YouTube page at 11:00am to tune in! The service will also be saved as a video for you to view later if you wish.

Hymn of Response

Tithes and Offerings

With gratitude for the gospel, we share our time, talents, and resources with the Lord. You may give financially in the offering box in the entry hallway or by visiting our church webpage, dropping off a check at the church office, or mailing in a donation. 
Thank you!

Doxology

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
Praise Him all creatures here below!
Praise Him above, ye heavenly hosts!
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Amen.

Affirmation of Faith: The Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.

And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.

The Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper

The Lord's Supper will be served by intinction and also with prepared communion kits.
The kits are available in the entry hallway. We encourage you to do what you are comfortable with.

Invitation to the Lord’s Table

Leader: The Lord be with you!
People: And also with you.
Leader: Lift up your hearts.
People: We lift them up to the Lord.
Leader: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People: It is right to give our thanks and praise.

The Lord's Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

Words of Institution, Communion of the People, and Prayer after Communion

Benediction