This week's e-note covers the following subjects: Holy Week Habitat Update Sounds of Joy A Funny Story Holy Week: I hope you will fully participate in our Holy Week services, including Maundy Thursday at 7 PM, Good Friday at 7 PM, and Easter services on Saturday night at 6 PM in the sanctuary, or Sunday morning at 8:00, 9:30 or 11:00, with services both in the sanctuary AND the chapel. Please note the time changes for Easter Sunday services, and that we will not have Sunday school. If you can attend on Saturday evening that would help with our parking challenges, allowing more of our guests to find a parking space on Sunday. If you attend on Sunday, please make sure to use our shuttle services at the Synergy parking lot. I also hope you will participate in our "Stations of the Cross" event in Haney Hall sometime this week. I deeply appreciate our two Bishops participating in this year's Holy Week services. Bishop Spain will preach on Maundy Thursday and Bishop Pennel on Good Friday. You will receive an email about our Holy Week services this week that you can forward to your friends, inviting them to BUMC during this sacred time. For more information about Holy Week activities, including a full schedule of services, please click here.
Habitat Update: So far we have received over $64,000 for this year's Habitat build. Thanks to all of you who have given so generously! With just a little more effort, we can easily reach our goal of $70,000. If you have not yet given your "second mile gift" (over and above your regular giving), or signed up to work on the site, please do so this week. Unfortunately, our annual Easter offering, which supports many of our missions and outreach ministries, hit at the same time as Habitat. Please be faithful to these two special offerings as you are financially able, but remember that your regular giving to our overall ministry budget is the first priority. Sounds of Joy: Our new gospel choir, "Sounds of Joy," is off to a powerful start. Those who were at Awakening on March 25 heard them sing for the first time and it was quite exciting. If you are interested in learning more about this high energy praise choir, please contact Shannon Garrett at sgarrett@bumc.net. This choir does not rehearse weekly, and will lead in our Awakening worship service every 6 to 8 weeks. A Funny Story: Once again, Wynn Batson, a volunteer clergy on our staff, shares a funny story from his experience at BUMC. With his permission, I share the story with you: "Yesterday afternoon, the Pastor-On-Call line started ringing in rapid succession with the caller not taking the time to go to voice-mail and leave a message. This usually indicates a true emergency so I returned the call even though no message was received. The caller was female, and noticeably angry. "I'm calling to complain about your pastor" she said. "Are you the church on Franklin Road directly across the street from another church?" I said "No ma'am, we are the large Methodist Church across the street from the Kroger shopping center." I asked her to describe the church and she was clearly talking about a different, much smaller church. She said "I don't know what you all are doing just helping people from Brentwood. Why don't you help anyone needing help?" I said "Ma'am, you have the wrong church, and we don't have a rule that says we only help people from Brentwood." I expected her
next response to be, "I need some money." She surprised me by continuing "You should fire your pastor for being so rude." I said "Ma'am you have the wrong church, we are across from Kroger, and it's a giant church." She said "No, this is a small church, with windows, and you should be helping anyone who comes to your door." I said "You have the wrong church. We DO try to help everyone who comes." I asked her, "So what did this pastor look like?" She said "He is short and fat with dark hair." I said "You have the wrong church. That doesn't match the description of any pastor at this church." She said "You should fire him for being so rude. I can't believe any pastor would talk to someone like that." I said "You have the wrong church." She said "Your church is just so rude. I can't believe you treat people like that." I said "What time can you be here to receive some help?" She said "I just want to know that you are going to do something about that pastor." I said "I'm going to have a talk with that pastor and straighten him out. And if he does that again he will be terminated." She said "That's all I wanted" and hung up. You just never know who it's going to be when the phone rings. My lips were moving, but she wasn't listening. And if you are a short fat pastor with dark hair, be nicer. (Story by Rev. Wynn Batson) Finally, it was good to receive the following ten new members: Mike, Leigh Ann, Sydney, Gracie and Elliott Marks, Timothy, Jennifer, Benjamin and Katherine Getsay, and Richard "Penn" Doughty. Welcome to our church family. I hope to see you on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Easter.
In Christ's Love and Service, Martin