NORTHSIDE NOTES - February 16, 2011 |
Pastoral Reflections 
By James Lamkin
"Happy Birthday, Bible!"
Four centuries! Four hundred years exactly! Not only is that the age I feel after a day of playing with my tireless grandson...but it also is the exact age of the King James Bible.
An article in the New York Times alerted me to this underplayed birthday. Otherwise I would have ambled through this year in the dark. Who knew?
In 1604, a bunch of translators started the project under the royal order of King James I. Since they had neither Mac's nor PC's it took awhile; but in 1611, the labor was over and the birth was done.
Certainly, the greatest understatement in history has to be: "It changed the world." Not only did it bridge the divide between Catholics and Protestants by providing a common text to fight-over, but for generations the lyrical language of the KJV has seasoned, infiltrated, and shaped our lives. To this day, to hear the Twenty-Third Psalm read in any translation other than the KJV nearly breaks your ears! Also, there's the line where the angels coach the shepherds about Jesus, "And you will find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." That is how the angels said it, word for word, I'm sure. But modern translations read with a graceless stumble: "you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth...." Bands of cloth? Give me a break. No angel would ever say that.
The KJV translators did the best with what they had. Most spring-boarded off a good running start by William Tyndale, the century before. And of course, to translate anything contrary to the controlling church was to enter into heresy.
Many of today's translations are based on additional textual information unavailable to the king's translators in 1611. These literary discoveries more readily document textual variations and shed new light.
With all the new translations and paraphrases, along with market targeting...a Men's Bible, a Women's Bible, Family Bible, Recovery Bible, The Duct Tape Bible (for real), no wonder there is little Bible memorization anymore. To memorize a verse in King James English was to sound "other worldly." No bands of cloth to waste words on. They were swaddling clothes, by God...precisely!
Ironically, there are more Bibles bought yearly in the USA than ever before. According to Timothy Beal, author of The Rise and Fall of the Bible, "the average Christian household owns nine Bibles and purchases at least one new Bible every year." However, Beal says that may not be a good thing. He says folk are not actually reading them, but "are seeking a certainty in their holy book that simply isn't there, and shouldn't be." He calls it biblical consumerism and says most of the filler material in the specialty Bibles is more like Fruit Roll-Ups than real fruit.
My King James Bible sits beside me even as I write this. Got it nearly fifty years ago. I still like it. And as the psalmist, the real psalmist, would say with certainty, "It comforteth me." Amen. |
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Praying the Psalms*
By Rev. James Lamkin
Psalm 44
*(The congregation is invited to read A-Psalm-A-Day during 2011. Here is this today's prayer by James Lamkin based on a Psalm from the past week.)
I've heard that Carlyle Marney used to say that "God has a lot to answer for!"
I appreciate his boldness...an honesty unique to most praying, and new to mine own. Often prayer can be rote, pretty, tame, and bland. It is neither honestly human, nor dreadfully or delightfully divine.
However, the psalmists prayed like their lives depended on it. They came out swinging. They writhed in their woes. They boiled with anger at injustice. They demanded that God explain God's actions and inactions.
Most importantly: they took God and their relationship to God, seriously. They grabbed life by the lapels, turned their faces toward heaven, and asked the word that is on every human's lips: WHY?
Many a time I've sat by a hospital bed and listened to stories of loss and pain. Some of life's aches are slow in the making and take years to be able to voice; others are as acute as a car wreck. To tell one's story is a holy thing...as is hearing one's story.
But we can't always talk our way into hope. Sometimes we come to the end of the path; and our stories dead-end. Often there is a pause, an unfillable silence, a deep breath and sigh. I know what is coming next.
What is next is a question. "I know we are not supposed to ask WHY...." Yet, is not a question punctuated with a question mark, but rather by an ellipsis. Not every story ends with the punchline of "and they lived happily ever after."
My response to the "I know I'm not supposed to ask WHY" statement usually is, "Well, if you ever choose to ask WHY, you will be in good company. It is in nearly every one of the Psalms."
It is in the 44th from last week. Here's Eugene Peterson's translation of verses 23-26:
Get up, God!
Are you going to sleep all day?
Wake up!
Don't you care what happens to us?
Why do you bury
Your face in the pillow?
Why pretend things are just fine with us?
And here we are-
flat on our faces in the dirt,
Held down with a boot on our necks.
Get up and come to our rescue.
If you love us so much, Help us!
So...
"God, there you have it. Today, I bootleg off the audacity of the psalmists who dished out their full-bore anger and angst and hope and hurt. God, hear mine. Hear ours. Hear us; and help us, right here! Amen."
A-Psalm-A-Day Upcoming Schedule:
February 17-Psalm 49
February 18-Psalm 50
February 19-Psalm 51
February 20-Psalm 52
February 21-Psalm 53
February 22-Psalm 54
February 23-Psalm 55 |
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Brahms and Faure Trios
February 20, 2011 @ 3 PM in the Chapel*
Olga Shpitko, violin
Peter Marshall, piano
Northside Drive Baptist celebrates the life of the human spirit, freedom of thought, and the power of imagination through the arts. With these concerts we welcome the wider community to experience the beauty and joy of chamber music. Our chapel offers a graceful and spiritual space where performers and listeners may join in celebration of the genius and inspiration of great composers.
*All concerts are offered without charge, but donations are appreciated. |
| Church-in-conference
February 23 at 6:45 PM, in the Fellowship Hall*
CHURCH-IN-CONFERENCE to be held Wednesday, February 23, 2011, at 6:45 PM in the Fellowship Hall. The Church-in-conference will feature short reports from some of the major committees, a presentation of the proposed 2011 budget, and a presentation of the proposed Bylaw revisions (see article below).
*Prior to the church-in-conference will be a soup supper at 6 PM for $5.00 per person. On the menu: Cheryl's Brunswick Stew, salad, cornbread and dessert. To make a reservation for the meal, you may use the welcome cards in the pew rack, call the church office at 404-237-8621, or email your reservation to info@northsidedrive.org no later than Monday, February 21, for your reservation. |
| Recommendations to Church-in-conference
The Bylaws Study Committee recommends to the Church-in-conference the following changes to the bylaws of Northside Drive Baptist Church as amended May 20, 2009. Copies of both the current and the proposed bylaws are available from the church office in either email or print form for any member who requests such. Questions may be addressed to LeAnna Anantaraman, Syd Janney, Larry McSwain, Kristofer Schleicher, or Turner Warmack.
SECTION I-Editorial changes only.
SECTION II-Editorial changes only.
SECTION III-Title eliminates "Directors."
1. The responsibilities of each officer are described in greater detail, incorporating other sections of the bylaws for clarity and focus.
2. Editorial changes clarify the importance of the Church-in-conference as the source of authority for the transaction of corporate business in III.A. 9, 10, 11, 12.
3. Authority to authorize non-budgeted expenses in III.A.13 is shifted from the officers to the Finance Committee and Church Council.
4. Terms of officers are described in a new section III.B.
5. Decisions for indemnification are moved from the role of offices to the Church Council upon recommendation of Personnel and Finance Committees.
SECTION IV is renamed "Church Organizations" with major changes in simplifying descriptions of organizations.
1. The roles and responsibilities of Deacons remain unchanged. Spouses may serve on the Diaconate concurrently.
2. The roles and responsibilities of the Personnel and Finance Committees are described more fully with language from throughout the current bylaws incorporated in one place.
3. All current committees for which members volunteer are renamed "Ministry Teams" to reflect their functions as groups doing the primary work of the church.
4. The process of nominating members to committees is clarified to encourage selection of persons with best skills for needed roles as a factor along with the most nominations by members.
5. The functions of auxiliary organizations are clarified.
SECTION V is incorporated into Section IV of the new ByLaws.
SECTION VI, "PERSONNEL" is consolidated into SECTION V, "EMPLOYMENT OF PERSONNEL."
1. Responsibilities of the Personnel Committee have been moved to SECTION IV.
2. Policies described now in the "Personnel Manual" and the "Committee Policies and Procedures Handbook" are eliminated from the ByLaws.
3. The title of Pastor has been changed to Senior Pastor and Pulpit Search Committee to Senior Pastor Search Committee.
4. A three-fourth majority vote of the Church-in-conference has been added to the requirement for the call of all ministerial staff.
5. One member has been added to the Senior Pastor Search Committee to provide representation of both the Finance and Personnel Committees.
SECTION VII-CHURCH MEETINGS is changed to SECTION VI with no substantive changes.
SECTION VIII-MEMBERSHIP IN DENOMINATIONS AND ASSOCIATIONS is changed to SECTION VII with no substantive changes.
SECTION IX-CHURCH FINANCES has been eliminated with the policies written there included in SECTION IV.B.4 under Finance Committee. |
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Community Group 10
WHAT: Community Group 10 gathering
WHEN: Sunday, February 27, 2011
WHERE: Nancy G's Cafe (4920 Roswell Rd)
WHO: Residences of zip codes 30319, 30324, 30326, & 30342 |
| Roger Williams Church School Class
The Roger Williams Church School class invites you to join us for a nine-week study of the history and causes of the Israel-Palestine Middle East conflict, and the reality on the ground there today. Jim Barksdale, who traveled to the West Bank last year, will lead the series. Class discussion will begin promptly at 9:45 AM in the Fellowship Hall.
Feb. 20 1947-1949: Formation of Israel & Consequences
Feb. 27 1949-Today: Israel's History & Wars
Mar. 6 Today: Refugees & Right of Return
Mar. 13 Today: Settlements, Walls, Checkpoints & Consequences
Mar. 20 Today: Non-violent vs. Violent Resistance in Palestine
Mar. 27 Today: Legal Rights |
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Envelopes for Giving
If you need envelopes for your tithes and offerings:
1. To receive a complete box of offering envelopes for calendar year 2011, simply call the church office at 404-237-8621 and request a box of envelopes with dates that you may pick up or be mailed to you.
2. Generic NDBC offering envelopes are located in the pew rack behind the Welcome Cards.
3. Extra envelopes are located on the Welcome Table in the Narthex. |
Mardi Gras Luncheon  Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler! Mardi Gras, also known as Carnival and Fat Tuesday, is celebrated all over the world as Ash Wednesday approaches. Our eighth Mardi Gras Feast will include Cajun food, beads and masks. Sunday, March 6, at 12:15 PM in the Fellowship Hall. Bring the kids! Lunch menu: seafood chowder, shrimp etouffee and rice, jambalaya, corn and oysters, salad, French bread, and Betty's famous bread pudding. Call the church office for reservations by Thursday, March 3, 2011 Cost: $10 adults, $7 child, with a $25 family cap. |
The Many Ways to Give
You can submit your pledge to the church in any one of the following four ways: (1) complete and sign a pledge card and mail it to the church, (2) call Cherie Akin, the church's interim business manager, at 404-237-8621 and give her your pledge over the phone, (3) send an email to Cherie containing the amount of your pledge and stating whether you will be fulfilling your pledge in weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annual payments, or (4) submit your pledge over the Internet by using the form on our website. |
NDBC Cherub Choir
For Preschool Age Children
The Northside Kids Children's Ministry is excited to announce the formation of a Cherub Choir for preschool age children. Nicole Harbin and Amanda Gregg are meeting with children in the Chapel from 10:25-10:45 on Sunday mornings. The Cherub Choir will incorporate school age children to assist for special songs. We hope that the children will come ready to sing and learn every Sunday immediately following Church School with Mr. JB. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Nicole Harbin at 770-844-5797. |
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Church Week
SUNDAY, February 20, 2011
9:30 AM - Church School
9:30 AM - Roger Williams Class: Israel-Palestine Middle East
10:25 AM - Cherub Children's Choir
11:00 AM - Morning Worship
12:30 PM - Marketing Committee
3:00 PM - Music on the Hill Concert
5:00 PM - Beginning Handbell Class
7:00 PM - @20.30 Dream.Think.Be.Do.
MONDAY, February 21, 2011
7:00 PM - Church Council
TUESDAY, February 22, 2011
10:00 AM - Staff Meeting
WEDNESDAY, February 23, 2011
10:00 AM - Preschool Chapel
6:00 PM - Northside Yoga
6:00 PM - Church Supper
6:45 PM - Special Church-in-conference
7:30 PM - Sanctuary Choir Rehearsal
THURSDAY, February 24, 2011
7:00 PM - TNT |
Accessing Member Information and the Calendar on the Church Website
Five easy steps to starting your member account if you have not already done so:
1. Go to www.northsidedrive.org
2. Click on: RESOURCES and MEMBER LOGIN in the left side bar.
3. A new "Access ACS" page will appear. All new users must register by clicking on "Get your user name and password."
4. Enter last name, first name, and email address (it is IMPORTANT that you enter the email address that is in Northside Drive's database . . . other email addresses will not be accepted).
5. Your user name and password will be promptly emailed to you. You are now ready to login to the "Access ACS" database. Once you've entered your user name and password, you will be prompted to create your own personalized password.
If you have questions or concerns, do not hesitate to contact the following church staff for help.
Questions regarding information in the church database or church calendar events? Contact Renee Gamache at 404-237-8621, ext. 101. |
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| CHURCH FAMILY CONCERNS
Mary Dutton
Don DaLee |
NORTHSIDE YOGA 
YOGA meets on Wednesdays at 6 PM in Room #202, with registered Yoga Teacher, Amanda Gregg. Bring a mat, water, and the $10 fee. To make a reservation for Wednesday's class, email Amanda Gregg or for more information, visit www.northsidedrive.org. |
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"TNT"
Thursday Nights Together
People of all ages from NDBC meet at 7 PM every Thursday night for dinner.
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| ROMEOS
(Retired Older Men
Eating Out) Every 3rd Tuesday of the month from 11:30 AM-1 PM. A time to visit with friends, tell stories and eat good food (bring your lunch money)!
Piccadilly Cafeteria |
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CHAT ON THE CHATT
WHO: Northside Drive Baptist Church YOUTH MINISTRY
WHEN: Second Tuesday of EACH Month from 6:30-8:30PM
WHAT: Chat on the Chatt - for a time of relaxation and fellowship.
WHERE: Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee (Walton Coffee House) @ 6640 Akers Mill Road SE Atlanta, GA 30339
DIRECTIONS: Contact Zach Bay at 404-237-8621, ex. 102 for more information.
(drinkcoffeedogood.com) |
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UNPLUGGED EVENTS
Young adult Unplugged evenings. These are casual dinners at our homes where Mike will bring the main course and everyone else brings a side item. They are on Friday nights once a month at 7 PM.
February 19
Genesis Center Service Day
If you are interested in attending an Unplugged event contact Zach Bay for more details. |
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YOUNG ADULTS: SMALL GROUP SUNDAYS
Dream.Think.Be.Do is our young adult small group that meets to discuss theology and faith through a multimedia curriculum. We meet once a month at 7 PM in the Undercroft & Recreation area of the church on Sunday nights.
"BE"
February 20, 2011
"Creativity"
March 20, 2011
"Mystery"
"DO"
April 17, 2011
"Incarnation"
May 15, 2011
"Compassion"
June 12, 2011
"Politics"
July 24, 2011
"Passion (Paul)"
August 21, 2011
"Resurrection"
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SYD'S SYNOPSIS
Do you receive the Sunday email update from Syd Janney? Want to receive a Sunday morning church email update on Sunday afternoons? Syd Janney's Synopsis is a beautiful description of the "special experience of Church School and Worship at NDBC." To receive it, notify the church office (404-237-8621). |
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THE PAPERLESS PINNACLE
The Pinnacle is emailed as an attachment to the congregation and is available on the church website at www.northsidedrive.org.
If you would prefer not to receive the Pinnacle by U.S. mail, please call 404-237-8621 or email us at info@northsidedrive.org to let us know. |
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NORTHSIDE NOTES
ARCHIVES
Did you miss an issue of our Northside Notes?
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The youth café, UNDERGROUNDS, will be open for a light breakfast at 9:30AM each Sunday. Youth Church School will meet in the newly renovated youth space and will begin at 9:45AM.
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FEBRUARY BIRTHDAYS
Janie Joyner - 1
William Adams - 2
Martha Looney - 2
Rhonda Harris - 4
Lindsay Cadaret - 4
Dalia Abreu - 5
Sarah McCrea - 6
Helen Adams - 8
Tommy Clyatt - 9
Tanner Stines - 9
Mary Dean - 10
JoAnna Miller - 11
Cindy Bell - 11
Mike Almeida - 13
Caty Denham - 14
Letty Denham - 14
Mary Ann Hickman - 14
Jeanne Hicks - 14
Jack Morton - 16
Harry Morgan - 20
Marshall Dewell - 20
Susan Dew - 21
Taylor Janney - 21
Gloria Smathers - 22
Dee Davis - 23
William Barksdale - 25
Brett Younger - 26
Stacy Denton - 28 |
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THE STAINED GLASS WINDOWS BOOK
A copy of the book is in the Narthex for previewing and the cost is only $30. To get your copy, call us at 404-237-8621 or email the church. |
Wi-Fi is now available in the Educational building as well as the Fellowship Hall and Youth Area.
The network is: ndbcwireless The password is: northsidedrive. |
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