March 2017 color

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March 2017

Volume LX No. 3

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By: Dr. Paul Baxley, Senior Minister The ďŹ rst day of March is also the ďŹ rst day of the Season of Lent. As we do each year, we will begin our observance of Lent with our Ash Wednesday service at 6:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary. In that service, we will hear a reading of Psalm 51, which has been prayed, sung and spoken in Ash Wednesday services as long as Chris,ans have marked this season. Psalm 51 begins with a plea for God’s mercy and a prayer of confession. But then comes a prayer for both internal and external transforma,on. Listen to these powerful words: Create in me a clean heart O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salva!on, and sustain in me a willing spirit. Psalm 51 is indeed a prayer for complete transforma,on. During these weeks of Lent, we are called to be commi/ed to the prac,ces of worship, to prayer, to study, to reec,on and to service in the hope that God will work through all these to transform us, to make us whole again, and to give us even greater joy. So as we begin this Season of Lent, I encourage you to pray honestly and steadfastly that the Spirit of God will be at work cleansing, renewing and restoring you. Be explicit in praying about the places in your life where you most believe you need to experience that cleansing and renewing.

(Pastor’s Reflections, continued on page 2)

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Op on 1: Led by Paul Baxley The Gospel of John Paul Baxley will con,nue this study on Tuesdays at noon and Wednesday evenings at 6:00 p.m. The focus is on the ďŹ rst 11 chapters of John. Op on 2: Led by Frank Granger Worship in Light of the Cross: Medita!ons for Lent This collec,on of daily readings for Lent by John Indermark provides reec,ons for the season. We will gather weekly to discuss the material and insights experienced. Contact Frank Granger to reserve a copy of the book (frank@ďŹ rstbap,stathens.org).

Pastor’s Reflections, continued from page 1

M Paul Baxley Senior Minister

Frank Granger Minister of Christian Community

Randy Bri5ain Minister of Music

Brandon Pendry

Some might say that it is odd ,ming that right in the midst of this season of Lent, the renova,on of our church facility will begin. Over the next several months, it will go through a drama,c reconstruc,on and transforma,on. When it is all said and done, it will be an even greater asset to our ministry than it is today. But along the way there will be profound change. It seems to me that this is actually a perfect visible image of what we hope and pray happens in each of our lives, and in the life of our congrega,on, during the Season of Lent. Not just a superďŹ cial change, or a slight faceli9 of our lives, but a complete transforma,on, even a regenera,on!

Minister of Youth and Mission

Janet Cleland Minister of Children, Families and Outreach

Amanda Lewis Minister of College Students

Anne Bri5ain Organist/Music Associate

Alan McArthur

Our hope and prayer as we begin Lent, and as we begin the renova,on of our campus, is remarkably similar. We pray that the renova,on of our buildings will be but a symbol of a deeper transforma,on in our lives and our faith. That’s why we pray: Create in us a clean heart O God and put a new and right spirit within us.

Pianist Church oďŹƒce: 706.548.1359 www.firstbaptistathens.org

Submit items for inclusion in the April 2017 edition of FBC news by noon on March 23.

R > C F B M Over the next several weeks, we will begin the renova,on of our church facili,es as approved by the congrega,on on January 29. Construc,on will last at least un,l the end of the calendar year, and the replacement of the mechanical systems (and the work that must be done in order to remove and replace those systems) is the most important determining factor in the way the project is being approached by our contractor and the architects. Here are some highlights of what to expect over the next several months. •

Work will begin in March on the third oor of the educa,on building and the Fellowship Hall building. There will be substan,al internal demoli,on on the third oor that is necessary to begin the removal of mechanical systems. Also, beginning in March the limited outside work will begin, which will include the removal of the current arrival hood at the Branyon Foyer and the construc,on of the new arrival hood. Other outside projects include work along the exterior of the Sanctuary building (including protec,ve covers for the shaved marble windows and work along the founda,ons to prevent water damage on the ďŹ rst oor.)

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In order to prepare for the ďŹ rst stage of the work, we will work with all children, youth and adult Sunday School classes currently held in the third oor of the educa,onal building and the Fellowship Hall building to vacate those rooms before work begins. We will also communicate with classes about temporary mee,ng spaces during the spring of the year.

In future publica,ons we will provide detailed informa,on about the schedule for renova,on of the Sanctuary itself, other spaces in the Sanctuary building, as well as the remaining work elsewhere on the campus. We will also communicate through announcements in worship, email to the congrega,on and updates on Wednesday nights. 2

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Prayer. Prayer is one of those things that is every bit as concrete as it is abstract. It is every bit as a/ainable as it is elusive. There are days when prayer and how to pray is as natural as breathing. There are other days when the struggle to pray is as desperate as the struggle of gasping for breath. Prayer is very much part of every fabric of our lives and being. This statement by Be/y Shannon Cloyd gives some perspec,ve for why prayer is so integral to our experience with God: It has been said that we are not human beings trying to have a spiritual experience, but spiritual beings having a human experience. Prayer is the avenue by which we are enabled to remain in ongoing rela!onship with the One who has created us as spiritual beings. The disciples asked of Jesus, “teach us to pray,â€? and centuries later we are s,ll focused on this ques,on: How do we pray? James C. Howell, a United Methodist Pastor and author oers his response to the ques,on: There is no one way to pray. You must develop your own rituals, and these can even shi, during a life!me. Don’t try to make it hard. Pray as you can, not as you can’t. One of the books I reach for on my shelf from ,me to ,me is ,tled, 50 Ways to Pray. That would make for more than one dierent way for each day of Lent. As the ,tle suggests, there are mul,ple ways of praying. While recognizing that there is more than one way to pray, it is equally important to note that no one way of praying is to be sought over any of the others. There are ways to pray using words and using silence. Prayer can be exercised by being s,ll. The psalmist

advocates, “Be s,ll and know that I am God.â€? Such s,llness is a process of iden,fying and remaining in the presence of the holy. At other ,mes movement can be an eec,ve and meaningful way to experience the holiness and closeness of God. One of the prayer prac,ces that uses movement is an experience of walking of a labyrinth. Remembering that prayer is a prac,ce helps to inspire one to pray, and diuses the tendency to be reluctant to pray for fear of not doing it right, or “good enough.â€? Here are three perspec,ves which can provide addi,onal insight and encouragement. One is from Teresa A. Blythe, the author of the book 50 Ways to Pray. She says, “Do not pray out of fear, obliga,on, or compe,,on. Pray out of gra,tude and desire, remembering that God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:7).â€? A second is a quota,on of Dom John Chapman that Henri Nouwen was known to share: The only way to pray is to pray; and the way to pray well is to pray much. This third perspec,ve is from James C. Howell: The principle of prayer is like pictures children color — there are no bad pictures, and you are encouraged to color outside the lines. I encourage you in this season of Lent to pray. Pray in ways that are familiar to you. Engaging in a familiar, regular pa/ern in prayer is important for deepening one’s prayer life. However, consider experimen,ng with something borrowed or something new. Because, trying something new can be an excellent way to receive a word from God, and to experience God’s guiding presence. Yet whether prac,cing the familiar, or the new, be aware . . . for even when we think we have it pinned down and iden,ďŹ ed, prayer surprises us.

P P O22345678589: 53 ;9<47 <7= 9>294897?9 @<A: 3B P4<A87C March 12: Praying with Scripture 4:30 – 6:00 p.m. — Led by Frank Granger • March 26: Exploring and Experiencing Prayer and Spiritualty 4:30 – 7:00 p.m.— Led by Loyd Allen Dr. Allen is the professor of Church History and Spiritual Forma,on at McAfee School of Theology • April 2: Prayer3: Three R’s of Prayer: Rhythm, Reec on, Rela onships 4:30 – 6:00 p.m. — Led by Frank Granger • April 9 – April 15: Walking the Labyrinth A Labyrinth will be available at FBC during Holy Week. Opportuni,es will be given to learn about the Labyrinth and to experience walking the Labyrinth *We will meet in the Fellowship Hall •

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, M C , F A O Our Sunday morning “Great Adventureâ€? in the month of February took us to the story of the Good Samaritan. Our point for the unit was “love one another.â€? So we thought, “How can our children show love to those who are hur,ng, injured or sick?â€? To give our children prac,cal experience with showing love to others they engaged in two workshops designed to give them opportunity to give of themselves. When they went to the cooking workshop in our Temple Time room they learned the story of the Good Samaritan and their prac,cal applica,on was to make bean soup in a mason jar and a bag of trail mix to send to a person who is in the hospital. In their art workshop in the Carpenter’s Shop room, they used fabric markers to decorate cloth bags with “God Loves Youâ€? and get well wishes. The soup and trail mix went in the bags to take to the hospital. I had the special privilege of delivering those bags to two of our members who were recently hospitalized. These dear people were very grateful for the children’s eorts and really felt cared for and loved. Perhaps the biggest joy came when I got to go back to the children and let them know how thankful the people in the hospital were for their thoughNulness. These children were able to experience a li/le bit of what it means to be a good Samaritan. I love discovering God with our children! In the month of March, we will con,nue our Sunday morning “Great Adventureâ€? as we experience the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000. This story will provide an opportunity for our children to experience Ma/hew 25: 35, “For I was hungry and you fed me.â€? They will be learning about this story in their workshops and also be given an opportunity to “feed the hungryâ€? by providing items for the food bank. Experiencing the truths of Scripture and the teaching of Jesus is truly a “Great Adventureâ€? in discovering God.

Special Adventure Family Fun at Pump it Up On Saturday, February 11, we had a lot of fun playing with our children at Pump it Up. This was an opportunity for families to come together and invite their friends to simply enjoy fun and fellowship. The children bounced and played for an hour and a half and the parents had a chance to visit and share in the fellowship. We ended the morning with a snack in the party room. Pictures of the day are to the right. Our next Special Adventure will be our annual Easter Egg Hunt on April 9.

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On March 7-12, Anne and I will a/end the biennial na,onal conference of the American Choral Directors Associa,on. This conference will bring together ďŹ ve thousand choral music leaders in church, school, and community from all over the United States and literally around the world. The theme this year is “A Life of Song.â€? The ďŹ ve day conference is divided into many dierent components. We will hear concerts by some of the top choirs in the na,on. We will a/end interest sessions on diverse topics such as GeDng America Singing Again: Bringing Song into Community, Ac!ve Aging and the Choral Rehearsal, and Defying Demen!a through Singing. We will par,cipate in reading sessions of new music for church choirs, and roundtable discussions on music ministry in the 21st century. We will get to hear outstanding interna,onal choruses like the Inner Mongolian Children’s Choir and the Orphei Drängar, a Swedish male choir founded in 1853. We will also have the treat at the Welcome Concert to be led in a sing-a-long by Garrison Keillor and the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra of Minnesota, the Minnesota Choral Ar,sts, and the VocalEssence Chorus of Minneapolis. I have been a/ending these biennial conferences since the 1983 conference in Knoxville, Tennessee while I was concluding my undergraduate studies at Mars Hill College. The American Choral Directors Associa,on has been an invaluable source of educa,on and inspira,on throughout my church music ministry. As always Anne and I are grateful for the con,nuing educa,on funds provided by First Bap,st Church that allow us to a/end these world class conferences. We promise to return with renewed energy and inspira,on for our music and worship life together.

W A T S

? The Seekers is the new name for our senior adult group formerly known as 50+. The 50+ Team (now the Seekers Team), which plans and promotes ac,vi,es for their group, discussed and researched a name change and then voted for the one we most favored. Our aim was to select a name as one of several ways to help us characterize the goals and personality of our fellowship. To extend our group’s outreach, we wanted a name that would be invi,ng to all who were interested, yet with primary emphasis on re,red senior adults and on events occurring during the work week. An added bonus is that a new name, in some way, could be scriptural. Many bible verses refer to the essen,al nature of Chris,ans as seekers. For instance, in Jeremiah 29: 11 and 13, it is wri/en that the Lord says: “For I know the plans I have for you...plans to give you a hope and a future. You will seek me and ďŹ nd me, when you seek me with all you heart.â€? The Seekers of First Bap,st Church Athens will con,nue to seek the Lord and his plans for us through our fellowship and the nurturing and support of each other.

On February 13, FBC Deacons sponsored the 44th Annual Valen!ne Banquet and treated members to a wonderful meal. Pictured above are just a few of the great photos of the evening taken by Don Nelson. Addi!onal pictures can be found on our Facebook page. 5

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It wasn’t un,l the second half of college (when regular church a/endance became a part of my life again) that I have any remembrance of the weird words, prac,ces, and days that surround the holiest ,me of year for Chris,ans — Easter. I don’t know if my childhood church didn’t par,cipate in the liturgical calendar or if I was so oblivious that I didn’t par,cipate in it. As a 20 year old already being challenged at UNC Chapel Hill and learning to ask ques,ons, these weird tradi,ons leading up to Easter intrigued me and forced me to delve into the mystery of these faith prac,ces. Now I look forward to the weirdness as one of the most challenging, introspec,ve, spirit-ďŹ lled ,mes of year anchored in ancient tradi,ons that bring new life every ,me we par,cipate in them. Not only do I believe church folks should embrace the weirdness of our prac,ces around this ,me of year (and throughout the year), but I believe it’s this very weirdness that the world is looking for from the church. This month I’ll address days and prac,ces rela,ve to the beginning of Lent and ďŹ nish in April with prac,ces for Holy Week. ‘Lent’—similar to how Christmas is not a day but a season (12 days to be exact), 40 days not coun,ng Sundays prior to Easter we shi9 from Jesus’ ministry to a long, slow expectant wai,ng on his death and resurrec,on. And we’ve named it a9er the stu you pick out of your belly bu/on in the morning. Well not really, but it’s what I always think of (see lint). What it really means is ‘spring season’ and it signiďŹ es a ,me of prepara,on for the coming death and resurrec,on of Christ on Easter. Many Chris,ans celebrate it dierently and for dierent ,me periods, but most adhere to some forms of prac,ce including self-denial, prayer, and reec,on on the life of Jesus Christ. Lint is in fact le9over material, fabric, skin cells, etc., that we discard. And most of the American evangelical church has discarded this period of expecta,on as too Catholic or too weird, not par,cipa,ng in it at all. But spending these 40 days focused on Jesus life and pending death and resurrec,on allows us to discard our own needs, in a weird parallel of how our Savior discarded his own needs for those of the world. In the age of immediate gra,ďŹ ca,on, spending 40 days wai,ng intently on something you know is going to happen either way is weird. And beau,ful. And Important. And a witness to the unique nature of the kingdom of God. ‘Ash Wednesday’—it all kicks o with a worship service that seems rather cult-like, with Chris,ans rubbing le9over palm branch ashes (look-up Palm Sunday for reference) on our foreheads in the shape of a cross. Every year in Seminary I rode the bus from Durham to Chapel Hill on Wednesdays and always had to ride back emblazoned with ashes, surrounded by other students and residents looking like I was indeed one of those weirdo Chris,ans. As I learned more about Ash Wednesday, I proudly wore and s,ll wear my ashes as a testament to the world, words we hear on that day, that we are from the dust and to the dust we will return. Imagine watching this ritual as an outsider, how strange and morbid it must seem. Or perhaps how freeing and beau,fully weird it is to be reminded that no ma/er our striving or anxiety, our needs for perfec,on and acceptance, we are but small pieces in God’s crea,on and one day will return to our beginning state. What a way to kick-o a season that re-centers us on the weird truth of Lent, that for new life to spring forth, the old must die.

Frank Granger prepares the ashes each year by carefully burning leftover Palms from the previous year’s Palm Sunday service.

As you celebrate the Lenten season, I encourage you to par,cipate in ‘being a weird-o’ with us—pick a faith prac,ce to begin or become more familiar with during Lent AND come rub some ashes on your head on Ash Wednesday, March 1. Being weird is not something to be ashamed about, but something to embrace because it’s part of what makes Chris,ans so dis,nct, the salt and the light, and oers the world a glimpse into an alterna,ve kingdom not built on status or popularity but during Lent, built on humility and wai,ng on our Savior Jesus. 6

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Co-Deacons for the Weeks of:

Ash Wednesday — March 1, 2017 6:00 p.m. The Imposi,on of Ashes Medita,on: “Dust and Graceâ€? Texts: Joel 2:1-2, 12-17, Psalm 51, II Corinthians 5:20b-6:10, Ma/hew 6:1-6, 16-21 Sunday, March 5, 2017 — The First Sunday in Lent Sermon: “Facing Tempta,onâ€? Texts: Genesis 2:15-17, 3:17, Ma/hew 4:1-11 Sunday, March 12, 2017 — The Second Sunday in Lent Sermon: “Jus,ďŹ ed by Faithâ€? Texts: Genesis 12:1-4, Romans 4:1-5, 13-17 Sunday, March 19, 2017 — The Third Sunday in Lent Sermon: “Beyond Hardness of Heartâ€? Texts: Exodus 17:1-7, Psalm 95, John 4:5-42 Sunday, March 26, 2017 — The Fourth Sunday in Lent Sermon: “A Prayer Facing the Darkest Valleyâ€? Texts: I Samuel 16:1-13, Psalm 23, Ma/hew 20:17-19

Debbie Hargrave, David Graves Doug and Evelyn Mar,n Julie Jenkins, Gigi Las,nger Andy Hogan, Wayne Hogan Jane Hubert, Cindy Haygood Fellowship Team for March Ray Noblet, Robin O’Rear, Lori Ragsdale, Carol Reddish Usher Team for March Brad Las,nger, Malcolm Skinner, Ches Smith, Kevin Price, Bill Horton, Larry Toole Feb. 26– Mar. 4: March 5-11: March 12-18: March 19-25: Mar 16-Apr. 1:

Welcome Center Team March 5 Branyon Foyer: Fanning Foyer: March 12 Branyon Foyer: Fanning Foyer: March 19 Branyon Foyer: Fanning Foyer: March 26 Branyon Foyer: Fanning Foyer:

Teresa Granger, Chris,ne Lo Wanda Grogan, Al Henderson Becky Adams, Amy Young Jane Hubert, Pam GriďŹƒn Wanda Grogan, Al Henderson Teresa Granger, Chris,ne Lo Jane Hubert, Pam GriďŹƒn Becky Adams, Amy Young

Coun ng Commi5ee: March 5 March 12 March 19 March 26

Buddy Snow, Dallas Cannady Brad Las,nger, Kelli Smith Dallas Cannady , Heather Stover Mike Lacy, Steve Barton

Children’s Worship: March 5 March 12 March 19 March 26

Ashley Gable Jennifer and Craig Ellis Kathryn Fountain Claire McGowen

Acolytes: March 5 March 12 March 19 March 26

Zachary Rawls, Elinor Ellis Emma Hooper, Maria Baxley Lily Gordon, Jon Millians Daniel Williamson, Skylar Randa

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Please bring dona,ons of SpagheZ Sauce, Canned Pasta, and Canned Seafood (Tuna and Salmon) to the Mission Room at FBC to be delivered to the Emergency Food Bank.

F C ? February 5 February 12 February 19

$22,365.00 $22,887.32 $18,288.65

WEDNESDAY MENUS Adults $7.00; Children $3.50

March 1 Hot Meal: Children: Salad Bar: March 8 Hot Meal: Children: Salad Bar: March 15 Hot Meal:

Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, Green Peas, Pear Salad, Biscuit, Dessert Hot Dog and Tater Tots Baked Irish or Sweet Potato Turkey & Dressing with Gravy, Broccoli, Fruit Salad, Rolls, Dessert Hot Dog and Tater Tots Baked Irish or Sweet Potato Oven Fried Chicken, Squash Casserole, Green Beans, Fruit Salad, Biscuit, Dessert Pizza Baked Irish or Sweet Potato

Children: Salad Bar: March 22 Hot Meal: Oven Fried Pork Chops, Cabbage, Stewed Tomatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Cornbread, Dessert Children: Pizza Salad Bar: Baked Irish or Sweet Potato March 29 Hot Meal: Chicken & Rice Casserole, Broccoli, Fruit Salad, Rolls, Dessert Children: Hot Dogs and Tater Tots Salad Bar: Baked Irish or Sweet Potato Make reserva.ons and view supper menus on the church website. You may also call the church oďŹƒce to make or change exis.ng reserva.ons. All reserva.ons or changes should be made no later than noon on the Monday prior.

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First Baptist Church (USPS 193-040) 355 Pulaski Street Athens, Ga 30601

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FIRST BAPTIST NEWS (USPS 193-040) IS PUBLISHED MONTHLY AT NO CHARGE BY FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, 355 PULASKI STREET, ATHENS, GA 30601-2860. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT ATHENS, GA. POSTMASTER: SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO FIRST BAPTIST NEWS, 355 PULASKI ST., ATHENS, GA 30601-2680

L A H W

2017 During Holy Week 2017, we will oer many opportuni,es for worship and reec,on. Please mark your calendars now and plan to join us.

April 13 – Maundy Thursday Worship — 6:00 p.m. Celebra!on of Communion Sermon: “Pilate: Could He Do Nothing?� Text: Ma/hew 27:11-26

April 9 – Palm Sunday Worship – 11:00 a.m. Music by Children’s Choir and Adult Choirs Sermon: “Turmoil and Tes,mony� Text: Ma/hew 21:1-17

April 9 – Choral Vespers — 5:00 p.m. April 14 – Good Friday Service — 12:00 noon Sermon: “S,ll There� Join us at Milledge Avenue Bap,st as our combined Text: Ma/hew 27:45-61 choirs present Dan Forrest’s Requiem for the Living with strings, winds, harp, percussion, and organ. April 16 – Easter Sunday April 12 – Holy Wednesday Worship — 6:00 p.m. 6:45 a.m. – Sermon: 11:00 a.m. – Worship in the Sanctuary Texts: Ma/hew 26:14-16, 47-50, 27:3-10 Sermon: “More than an Empty Tomb� Text: Ma/hew 28:1-10

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