October 12

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lessons

Revelation 22:1-5

John 7:37-39

Sermon

From Whom All Blessings Flow

Gordon A. Turnbull

Hymns

You Servants of God, Your Master Proclaim

Shall We Gather at the River

My Life Flows On

Anthem

The Lord's My Shepherd, I'll Not Want

Sanctuary Choir

Attendance on October 5

Windows

Our study of Ephesians reminded us of the rich blessings God graciously confers upon the Church by the power of Christ's Spirit. Our new worship series, Flow: The Course of God's Blessings, explores the promise of these blessings: how we can expect them, receive them, and share them. How might each of us drink more deeply from the fount of these blessings? How might our lives be channels of this grace to others? Don't miss the first message in this series this Sunday: "From Whom All Blessings Flow," based on Revelation 22:1-5 and John 7:37-39.

Our Deacons' Fellowship Committee will host a congregational barbecue and hoedown on Sunday, October 26, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. They will provide the barbecue and drinks, and the rest of us will find ourselves in the list below and bring the appropriate extra:

Last Name A-H:  dessert

Last Name I-P:  side dish

Last Name Q-Z:  salad

Come prepared to have a fine time dancing, or just tapping and clapping!

To accommodate Fall Break in the Bristol schools, our regular Wednesday evening programs will not be presented October 15. There will be no fellowship dinner, adult learning session, Wednesday Night Kids, Student Ministries small groups, or children's or youth music rehearsals. Lorri Looney's Bible study will not meet Wednesday morning, but Elizabeth Patrick's will. The Sanctuary Choir and the Praise Team will rehearse at the usual times.

Presbyterian Women will meet on Tuesday, October 14, at 11:00 a.m. in room 123. Come and receive a blessing from Gordon's Bible lesson and stay for fellowship at lunch. Please make lunch reservations with the church office. Don't forget any canceled stamps you have saved and Teddy Grahams for the Fairmount children. We welcome all women of the church!

The men of the church and their friends are invited to gather for breakfast, Bible study, and good fellowship at 8:00 a.m., this Saturday, October 11, in the Fellowship Hall. We look forward to sharing this time with you!

The Marsh Blood Services Bloodmobile will be in our front parking lot Wednesday, October 29, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. Please plan to give a pint to save a life when you come to the final segment in our program series on missions. Thank you!

All FPC high school students are invited to a Fifth Quarter party after the Tennessee High School football game tomorrow, Friday, October 10.We will meet in the Vance Middle School gymnasium at 9:30 p.m. for a volleyball challenge. It will be free and go till midnight! 

All students in seventh through twelfth grades are invited to the Youth Wing and Fellowship Hall at 6:00 p.m. Sunday for dinner, games, worship, learning, and fellowship. This Sunday we will discuss part two of The Comparison Trap, "Looking Around."

Who is the one person you'd love to hear say, "You're awesome"? Is it your dad? A coach? A sibling? A teammate? We all have a tendency to look to other people when we want to know if we're okay. And if we're honest, most of us have a nagging suspicion that we fall short no matter how hard we try. It's human nature to look for approval, but what if we've been looking in the wrong place? God has something to say about whether we're okay, whether we measure up, and it may not be what you think. As we take a closer look, his opinion of us may provide something we haven't yet found in comparing ourselves with others.

We look forward to sharing with you Sunday night!

This Sunday, October 12, the 5th/6th-grade Fusion will warm to fall with a hotdog roasting, s'mores-making, glowstick-wearing get-together around the bonfire. It will be from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the home of Ray and Lilly Osborne at 149 Maxwell Drive. All fifth and sixth graders are invited!

Children's Ministries encourages children and their families to collect items for Operation Christmas Child. In November, our children will pack shoeboxes with gifts for other children who need a little Christmas. Gift items may be toys, school supplies, hygiene items (no liquids), T-shirts, socks, hats, sunglasses, jewelry, flashlights with extra batteries, and so forth. Further information and gift suggestions can be found here. 

We are collecting Teddy Grahams, either plain or cinnamon, for snacks for Fairmount Elementary School classes. If you would like to contribute, please bring a box or so to the little red schoolhouse by the breezeway doors in the Fellowship Hallway. This is the last call for Teddy Grahams!

The leaves are a-turning, the wind is a-churning, the rain is returning, and our mowers are yearning to put the Tiger Cat to bed till spring. Nevertheless, Roger Sikorski will seize his opportunity to cut the grass this week, and we will not be surprised to see Jim White do the same midmonth.

If you'd like to help with the seasonal chore of mowing the church grounds, Randy Cook will be happy to add you to our team as a regular or a substitute. You can reach him at 423-956-1541 or npolecook@aol.com. It's not too early to sign up for next year!

Sunday's music participants: Sanctuary Choir; Youth Handbell Choir (both services).

John Ferguson

Sunday's music: Scottish Presbyterians have been singing the metrical version of Psalm 23, "The Lord's My Shepherd, I'll Not Want," for more than 350 years. John Ferguson (b. 1941) has taken these words and set them to the American folk tune PISGAH. This melody first appeared in the collection Kentucky Harmony, published in 1817. The text's rugged nature reflects the character of the Scottish Presbyterians for whom it was crafted, and the melody, although 150 years newer, comes out of the musical heritage brought to the New World by some of these same folk. Ferguson's arrangement is faithful to the character of the text and music, and is built on simple harmonies that capture the confidence inspired by these words of comfort and assurance.

Program of Note: The program by Voices of the Mountains that was snowed out last January will take place Saturday, October 18, at 7:30 p.m. here in our sanctuary, not at the Paramount. Bach to the Future will feature a variety of music, from the sublime to the ridiculous! The singing of the "Gloria" from a rarely performed Mass by the most famous Bach, "Papa" Johann Sebastian, will likely be a Tennessee premiere. Son Johann Christoph composed a wonderful three-movement work based on the "Sleepers, Wake" hymn tune. Lastly we will hear from PDQ Bach (aka Peter Schickele) in a presentation of his Oedipus Tex. The chorus will be accompanied by a small chamber orchestra. Suggested donation is $15. All students will be admitted free of charge. Pat Flannagan will conduct.

In Our Prayers

Becky Busler

Jane Crewey

Barbara Daniel

Dorothy Dollar

Laura Francis

Fred Frazier

DeeDee Galliher

Dorothy Giesler

Bill Goforth

Juanita Goforth

Ron Grubbs

Will Hankins

Mary Nell Harris

Sharon Hatcher

Rebekah Heacock

Hawley Heglar

Carolyn King

Ruth Musser

Nancy Preston

Mary Rice

Brenda Rogers

Virginia Rutherford

Katy Sikorski

Faye VanNostrand

Ann Woods

An extensive list of prayer concerns, "Pray for One Another," is available for pickup at the church each week.

Condolences

Our love and sympathy are with Chet Sikorski and his family in the death of his father, Chester (Chet) Sikorski Jr., October 5 in Nickelsville, Virginia.

Birthday Prayer Fellowship

October 12      Mary Givens Crutchfield, Laura Ong, Bill Wade

October 13      Buddy Eller, Katie Sword

October 14      Ben Frizzell

October 15      Sue Faucette, Kristi Johnson

October 17      Ann Abel

October 18      Anna Connolly, Mariel Story

Sunday, October 12

8:30 a.m.      Worship, Fellowship Hall

9:00 a.m.      Cherub Choir, Room 209

9:45 a.m.      Sunday School, Education Wing

11:00 a.m.   Worship, Sanctuary

5:15 p.m.     Jubilate Youth Choir, Music Wing

6:00 p.m.     Student Fellowship, Youth Wing

6:30 p.m.     5th/6th Grade Fusion Bonfire, Osborne Home

Monday, October 13

5:30 p.m.     Sanctuary Handbells, Handbell Room

7:00 p.m.     Building & Grounds Committee, Room 117

7:00 p.m.     Worship Committee, Room 123

Tuesday, October 14

9:00 a.m.      Staff Meeting, Room 123

10:00 a.m.   Morning Prayer Group, Conference Room

11:00 a.m.   Presbyterian Women Meeting, Room 123

11:30 a.m.   Presbyterian Women Bible Study, Room 123

12:00 p.m.   Presbyterian Women Luncheon, Parlor

1:00 p.m.     HeartsBurn Bible Study, Burt Home

6:00 p.m.     Venture Crew 3, Cub Scout Room

7:00 p.m.     Boy Scout Troop 3, Scout Wing

Wednesday, October 15

10:00 a.m.   Elizabeth Patrick's Women's Bible Study, New Mothers' Room

7:15 p.m.     Sanctuary Choir, Room 202

7:30 p.m.     Praise Team Rehearsal, Fellowship Hall

Thursday, October 16

7:00 a.m.      Men's Bible Study, Parlor

12:00 p.m.   Noon Bible Study, Room 117