There will be a CALLED Church-in-conference on September 11, in the Sanctuary immediately following the worship service. The purpose of the meeting will be to hear and vote upon the Worship and Music Ministry Team's recommendation for a new hymnal.

School Daze

       I never liked the beginning of school. In fact, just to remember it gives me a queasy feeling.

       The annual whitewashing of the football field fence signaled the bad news that summer was ending. Little League Baseball soon would be over, the swimming pool would close, and the Back-To-School ads in the paper would read like an obit.

       Nevertheless, ready or not, about this time of year the school bell rang and we showed-up. School buses always looked yellower on the first day of school.

       God bless you if you loved grade school; but it seemed to me that we were always taking a test every thirty minutes. I never took a test without feeling sick...or worse. I always liked my teachers; but without exception, every one of them gave tests which I considered to be a strike against them.

       Two smells accompanied the first week of school. First, the aroma of dye used in blue jeans. It hung in the humid air. There was no air-conditioning back then (when the Earth was young); and this was Louisiana. All of the guys wore blue jeans with turned-up cuffs. The light blue inside was a nice contrast to the dark blue outside. That was as close as we came to a fashion statement.

       Second, I can never forget the smell of a freshly sharpened pencil. It just begged you to "get out a sheet of paper, put your name at the top right hand corner, and number from one to ten." Darn those pencils with their True or False pop-tests!

       That was pretty much it: new jeans, sharp pencils, and maybe a new pair of Keds Tennis Shoes so we could "run faster and jump higher." All-in-all, grade school wasn't such a bad experience...except for the tests.

       In retrospect, maybe the tests weren't so bad. They prepared me for the ministry. When a seminarian said to a preacher-friend, "I will be preaching a trial sermon this Sunday," my friend said, "Every sermon is a trial sermon!"

       This past Sunday, we explored the succinct, but sizeable world of Proverbs.

       So here's one to ponder as school starts back: "Many folk grow old; but not all grow wise." Aging is one thing; wisdom is another. Wisdom's first cousin is maturity; and maturity is being responsible for one's own emotional and spiritual health. That is a full-time job and nobody gets it right more than 70% of the time (to quote a mentor).

       "Reverence for God is the beginning of wisdom," says the Good Book; and if reverence is the beginning, I suppose I will be a beginner all of my life. Henri Nouwen says, "When it comes to prayer, we are all beginners."

       So let the school bell ring! Let's find our seats in the classroom of life; and let us learn from what life brings us...even in times of testing.

Claire Blackwell has been a member of Northside Drive Baptist Church since 1980.

Claire's Deacon Families are:

Jon & Janet Bell

Dot Clark

Jordan & Patti Clark

Linda Clark

Gordon & Billie Davis

Jane Fitzgerald

Jeanne Goodwill

Jo Hunter

Dene Maltbie

Susan Pearson

Jon Paul Bell

Len Shelton & Nancy Hall

Betsy Walker

Mike Egan, Jr.

Preston & Dorsett Davis

Cali Almeida & Geneva Hall-Shelton

Kristofer Schleicher & Karen Perry

Brian Martin & Katie Pearson

Joshua & Graham Mudd

Jack & Joey Guynn

Sunday, September 11, 2011

in the Fellowship Hall at 9:30 AM

You will get a chance to learn about all the 2011-2012 Church School classes and their curriculum as well as congratulate all of the children on their promotions to their next grades. Bring your favorite breakfast food to share. Please bring food already warmed. Milk, juice and coffee will be provided. 

       Day 1 hears frequently from chaplains and enlisted personnel as they tell of the benefit of the weekly broadcasts. Lt. Col. Liz Harris-Lamkin Chaplain, Georgia National Guard, writes: 

       "What started as 'The Protestant Hour,' has morphed into many hours of inspiration with a variety of expressions of Christian spirituality. Via the Internet, Day 1 now goes throughout the world...any hour and every day. As such, it is a great resource for military chaplains and all those who serve in America's armed forces. With troops deployed all over the globe, it provides an immediate opportunity for spiritual encouragement, enlightenment, and study. In addition, through podcasts, the information is transportable-an important aspect of ministry in military settings.

       "Through Day 1 broadcasts I hear the sermons of colleagues, as well as how preachers personally express how their faith informs their everyday life and the doing of everyday faith. I especially like the interviews. The 'boots on the ground' perspectives are winsome and helpful."

(statements are personal and do not represent

an official position of the National Guard of Georgia)

All concerts are at 3 PM, in the Northside Drive Chapel.

Fall, 2011

September 11- Texas Guitar Quartet

October 23 - Ravel & Brahms Violin Sonatas

November 13 - Haydn & Borodin Quartets

November 20 - Beethoven & Mozart Trios

Winter-Spring, 2012

January 15- Beethoven, Turina, & Schumann Trios

January 22- Shostakovich & Schnittke Cello Sonatas

February 5 - Dohnanyi String Trio

March 4 - To Be Announced

March 25 - Brahms & Dvorak Trios

TRIPLE E will meet on the second Tuesday of each month, September through May, from 11 am to 1 pm in the Fellowship Hall of Northside Drive Baptist Church, for lunch and to hear dynamic speakers on topics of general interest. It is designed to ENGAGE and inform participants in areas of history, art and architecture, travel and missions, to ENRICH the understanding and awareness of folks who come to learn together, and to encourage men and women of all ages to develop and ENJOY friendships across generations, both new and old. TRIPLE E is a great opportunity to invite friends from the community as well as within the congregation. We have a wonderful meeting place for diverse ideas, broad interests, and friendly, warm hospitality. We would love to share it with you!

Bring a friend and $5 for a light lunch.

Begins September 11, 2011.

Come join our book reviews the second Wednesday of each month (September thru June) at 1 PM in the Fellowship Hall. Bring your lunch; dessert and beverage will be provided. Everyone is welcome. Questions? Call Nancy Davis at 404-252-9154.

Book Review Schedule

¨ Book Study: Amazing Grace by K. Norris

             led by Mary Lester

¨ Pastoral Bible Study: Jeremiah

             led by James Lamkin

¨ Northside Yoga

             led by Amanda Gregg

¨ Workshop: This I Believe

     led by Cathy Wooten

¨ Workshop: Where Do "I" Fit in Community

    led by Mike Gregg & Zach Bay

       The Callaway Cup golf tournament is scheduled for September 18! The after-church outing is for MEMBERS (and Regular Visitors), MEN and WOMEN, YOUNG and OLD. This is early notice to SAVE THE DATE (9-18-11). The highly coveted Callaway Cup was named in honor of Raymund Callaway, a long-time member of NDBC. 

       To sign up call Hal Meeks: c. 404-293-4042; h. 404-352-2438, o. 404-880-7180 or email hmeeks@plmllp.com.

2011 Interfaith Habitat for Humanity Build

       Volunteers from our congregation will be needed for the 2011 Interfaith Partnership Habitat for Humanity build. Partnership congregations include Ahavath Achim Synagogue, All Saints CCU, Congregation B'nai Torah, Greater Springfield Baptist Church, St. Anne's Episcopal and Trinity Presbyterian. 

       Northside Drive will provide workers for four Saturdays beginning September 24. Our specific workdays have not been scheduled. The dedication will be held the first weekend of November. 

       More information about the build will be available in the coming weeks. Sign-up will begin on Sunday, August 28, following the worship service. Please consider participating in this very important mission work.

       For more information, please contact Beth Laxton at 404-351-2324 (work), 770-438-7963 (home) or laxton2125@charter.net.  

(This study also will be offered

on most fall Wednesday evenings.)

The NDBC Chapel

11:00 AM

June 26-September 4, 2011

       "There shall be seasons refreshing...." This is a line from There Shall Be Showers of Blessing, a Gospel song based on Ezekiel 34:26 and found in the chapel's Baptist Hymnal. Worship this summer will be as the hymn alludes: a season which is refreshing. And the season's refreshment will come through the intimacy of the chapel's sacred space, through the vitality of sacred music and congregational singing, and through stories of how God is at work renewing our lives. 

       The summer's sermon series will be: "The Neg-Lectionary." Like most mainline churches, we use the Revised Common Lectionary as the engine that drives weekly worship. For each Sunday and holy season there is a Gospel, Epistle, Psalms, and OldTestament text appropriately selected. However, even with all those Bible verses, there are still many scriptures which are neglected. Thus, "The Neg-Lectionary." The summer's scripture sampler includes: a sermon-sleeper who fell out of a window and died, a man who was lectured by his talking donkey, and a preacher who lost his voice (to the delight of many, I'm sure). 'Twill be an angular and refreshing approach to some overlooked scriptures.