by Mike Gregg

Night Lights and Foot Washing  

     My four-year-old needs a nightlight to sleep. The long shadows and unknown corners in her room are often scary. Light, no matter how small, brings comfort, clarity, and peace. Yet, worshipers entice the darkness on Maundy Thursday by extinguishing candles until only the Christ candle's light remains. The Lenten shadows increase from a small cruciform smudge on Ash Wednesday to the pitch-black tomb of darkened death on Good Friday. The lights are going out. However, as the candles are snuffed on Maundy Thursday, the light of Christ gets brighter.

     We are nearing the darkest part of Lent and the shadow of the cross obscures our lives. This obscurity reminds me of classical paintings of Jesus washing the disciples' feet. One person is always lost in the shadows of the last meal, skulking behind the scenes, hiding in the dark. Judas. In the Gospel of John, Jesus does not include the institution of the Lord's Supper at this meal. He takes a towel, a bowl of water, and washes the well-worn and tired-trodden feet of the disciples. After Jesus had washed their feet, he put back on his robe, returned to the table, and asked his followers to wash one another's feet.

     The flow of this story indicates that Jesus must have washed every disciple's feet, including Judas's feet. I wonder how Judas felt when Jesus gently poured water on his feet to wash away the dirt, knowing that the stain on his heart was too deep to remove. Judas would betray Jesus. But Jesus said, "You should do for others as I have done for you." We must wash the feet of our enemies, of those who are different than us, of those who have hurt us, of those who have hurt others. We must wash feet. We must baptize the shadows in our own lives in order to cleanse and love the shadowy figures that haunt us.

     I understand why foot washing is not a sacrament. If we celebrated foot washing every week or month, I am not sure many people would come to church. I do not want anyone going near my feet. But we can use foot washing as a sacramental symbol during Lent. What am I holding in the shadows that need to see the light of day? What well-trodden paths need to be paved? What weary appendage of my heart needs to truly learn to love? If we could get down on our knees and wash the grit and grime from the soles and the souls of our enemies, then maybe, just maybe, we would not need the night-light anymore. Maybe those shadows would glisten in the light of Christ as the rays of hope peek through an empty tomb on Easter morning.

     God of lengthening Lenten shadows, as the candles of Maundy Thursday are snuffed, may we tend to the souls and soles of our enemies so that your lone but lasting light would burn brightly to Easter morning. Amen.

Passover Seder Service: April 16, 2014

     Every spring, our Jewish brothers and sisters celebrate the Passover feast. It is an eight-day celebration, begun with the Seder, the Passover Meal. Passover is one of the high holidays-the most holy of days-in the Jewish year. It marks the single most important event in Jewish history, the Exodus from Egypt. And Passover is a joyous celebration. In that event, God delivered a people from oppressive slavery, and called them to be the people that would make this God known to the rest of the world.

     Celebrate the Passover Seder Service at Northside Drive on Wednesday night, April 16, at 6:45 PM in the Parlor. Remember, this is a symbolic ceremony, not the actual meal. Please make reservations through Renee Gamache at renee@northsidedrive.org or 404-237-8621.

Maundy Thursday: April 17, 2014

     The 6:45 PM service of Maundy Thursday in the sanctuary remembers Jesus' last supper with his disciples. To them he gave the commandment to "love one another." Thus, Maundy Thursday is from the Latin, Dies Mandati, or Day of the Mandate. In this quiet evening service we observe a solemn communion service at the rail and own the darkness within ourselves and our need for grace.

     It is a Northside Drive tradition to end the Maundy Thursday service with The Office of Tenebrae (Shadows). There are eight scripture readings. The candles in the Passion Cross and on the Chancel will be snuffed. The service will end in darkness.

Good Friday, Noon Until Three: April 18, 2014

     This is the most somber of all services. One Gospel writer comments that as Jesus died on the cross, "there was darkness from noon until three." Thus, the sanctuary will be open during this time for any who want to spend the afternoon in worship and reflection.

     The Noon Until Three service contains seven rhythms focused on the seven last words of Christ (a composite from the four Gospels). Each rhythm lasts about twenty minutes and includes a tolling bell, a scripture reading, instrumental music, a brief homily, a prayer, and silence. It is "come and go" or feel free to "come and stay".

Easter Sunday: April 20, 2014

     What a day of rejoicing it will be! On this day we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. The choir offers joyous and celebrative music; and before we go, as always, there will be a congregational singing of The Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's Messiah.

Easter Egg Hunt: April 20, 2014, @ 12:15 PM  

Good Friday Service

April 18, 2014 

"Noon Until Three"

The seven last words of Christ.

Homilies presented by NDBC members.

Jada Getsay

12:05 PM, "Father forgive them..."

Becky Shoaf

12:30 PM, "Today, thou shalt be with me..."

Steve Sheeley

12:55 PM, "Woman, behold thy son!"

Clay Manley

1:20 PM, "My God, my God why...?"

Tom Vander Ven

1:45 PM, "...I am thirsty."

Cyndi Vander Ven

2:10 PM, "It is finished."

Kenneth Dean

2:35 PM, "Into thy hands..."

Donate Easter Eggs for the Easter Egg Hunt

Easter Sunday, April 20

     The children of the church and in the community eagerly anticipate the Easter Egg Hunt each year. Please donate 1-2 dozen stuffed plastic eggs for the event (no peanut products please). You may drop off the eggs at the church office during the week or in the Children's Sunday School room every Sunday until Easter.

Nursery Help for Easter Sunday

     Easter is one of the best opportunities to welcome guests and their children. In order to keep our nursery safe with an increased number of children during Easter Sunday Worship, the Children's Ministry Team needs you to volunteer to be in a preschool room or the nursery. Please contact Rachel Sherron for availability and more information.

Children's Easter Egg Hunt

Easter Sunday, April 20, @ 12:15 PM

Front Lawn of Sanctuary

     Invite the children of your friends and relatives to come to Northside Drive's annual Easter Egg Hunt right after morning worship. Also, please donate 1-2 dozen stuffed plastic eggs to be used for the event. You may drop off the eggs at the church office or in the Children's Sunday School room on Sunday.

     All college students, young adults, and anyone else who cannot go home for Easter are invited to Hartwell and Susan Dew's home for a potluck lunch following NDBC's Easter Worship Service and Easter Egg Hunt on April 20. The Dews will have a honey-baked ham and cornbread. Bring a side item or dessert to share. Please RSVP to Mike Gregg at mike@northsidedrive.org. We look forward to spending Easter together.

Youth Sunday

May 4, 2014

     The youth will be leading our worship service on Sunday, May 4. We will also be celebrating our graduating senior, Will Egan. You won't want to miss this worship experience! A luncheon will be served after the service! On the menu: "Willy's" traditional Mexican food for $7.00 per person. To make a reservation for the luncheon you may use the Welcome cards in your order of service, call the church office at 404-237-8621, visit our website, or email your reservation to info@northsidedrive.org---no later than Thursday noon, May 1.

     Do you know a church or family member who will be graduating from High School or College this year? If so, we would like to announce his or her accomplishments in the next issue of the Pinnacle and as an insert in the Order of Worship for Youth Sunday. Please submit a head shot along with the graduation date, school name, type of diploma, and their next step (education or work) by Wednesday, April 23. You may submit electronically to info@northsidedrive.org; mail to the church at the attention of Renee Gamache; or stop by the church during business hours. (Submissions after April 23, will only appear in post-Youth Sunday issues of the Pinnacle.) 

     The next Church Council meeting will be Tuesday, April 22 (the date was changed from April 14 & 21, to April 22), at 7 PM in the Fellowship Hall.

     *The Church Council consists of the Moderator, Senior Pastor, Treasurer, and Church Clerk, the chairs of the Diaconate, the Finance, Personnel, and Nominating Committees, the Adult Education, Children's, Communications/Technology, Facilities Management, Grounds, Landscaping, Hospitality, Marketing, Membership Development, Memorial Gifts, Missions, Preschool Liaison, Worship/Music, and Youth Ministry Teams, and the Auxiliary Triple E.

April 25-27, 2014

Blue Boar Inn

Robbinsville, North Carolina

SPACE IS LIMITED

For more information: Joyce Wilson (770)773-3333

joyceowilson@starband.net

Family Lunches after Church

   Join with other NDBC families for after-church lunches. Everyone is invited for a time of fun and fellowship together! We hope to see you there.

April 27 - Uncle Maddio's
June 15 - Zoe's
July 20 - Moe's
August 17 - Shane's
September 21 - Uncle Maddio's
October 19 - Zoe's
November 16 - Moe's
December 21 - Shane's  

For more information contact Amanda Gregg at amanda_agd@yahoo.com.  

     Dr. Mahaffey, retired senior research scientist at Georgia Tech, will introduce his latest book, containing explanations of everything that has gone wrong so far in nuclear engineering and science, but offering hope for the future of humankind. He will entertain questions on any related subject from the hazards of steam under pressure to the degree of danger in eating fish from the Pacific Ocean. The discussion is Tuesday night, April 29, at 7 PM, in the Northside Drive Baptist Church Fellowship Hall.

     Northside Drive Baptist is "divesting" ourselves of several old pianos which are not being used and which we cannot foresee ever being needed. We are making these available free to any church member or anyone they know who would like one. The only caveat is that whomever "adopts" one of these pianos must pay to have it moved to another location. An educated guess for a professional move would be about $250 depending on distance.

     These are all old, upright instruments (high backed) and are in semi-working order. "Working order" does not necessarily include being able to tune them. Additionally it would not be cost-effective to repair them---even if they were repairable.

     If you would like to have one, please make arrangements to claim it no later than Tuesday, April 22. Any instruments remaining unclaimed on that day will be donated to PianosforEducation.org. If you are interested please contact Paul Fletcher (paul@northsidedrive.org) to make arrangements. 

EASTER SUNDAY, April 20

  9:30 AM - Church School

10:25 AM - Children's Choir Practice

11:00 AM - Morning Worship

12:00 PM - Easter Egg Hunt

  1:00 PM - Easter Lunch @ Dew's

  5:00 PM - Northside Drive Ringers

EASTER MONDAY, April 21

Church office CLOSED & Preschool office OPEN

  7:00 PM - Church Council

TUESDAY, April 22

10:00 AM - Staff Meeting

WEDNESDAY, April 23

10:30 AM - Pastor's Bible Study

  5:30 PM - Northside Yoga

  7:00 PM - Sanctuary Choir Rehearsal

FRI-SUN, April 25-27

28th Annual Women's Retreat

  6:30 PM - Youth Movie Night