e-Note from Martin - Sep 6 Issue

   

Dear Church Family, This week's e-note will cover the following topics: Remembering 9/11 Football and God Parking Hospitality Submission of Wives Article Remembering 9/11: This weekend, at all four services, we will have a special recognition of the tenth anniversary of 9/11. It will include a brief interview of someone in our church who lost a loved one on 9/11, along with a solo and prayer. This special time of worship and remembrance will occur at the very beginning of the services, so please make sure to arrive on time. After the 9/11 recognition, we will conclude our "Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations" series.

Football and God: Like most pastors, I have mixed feelings about the upcoming football season. For example, I'm a Titans fan, and enjoy watching a few games on television Sunday afternoons when time permits. But on the other hand, it troubles me that football season adversely impacts the worship of God. Please remember-there is no need to choose between God and the Titans (or UT or Vanderbilt or any other team). If you are a Titans fan, we have a 6 p.m. Saturday service and an 8:30 a.m. Sunday service that you can attend before the game.

And if you stay out late Saturday night cheering for UT or Vanderbilt, sleep in on Sunday morning, and come to our 11:00 o'clock service. With four weekend services to choose from, you can be an avid football fan, but still be faithful to God in weekly worship.

Parking Hospitality: Given our ongoing parking challenges, I asked Rev. Jeff Wilson, who oversees our hospitality services, to write the following paragraph: "Where do you park when you have a big party at your house? I dare say not right beside the front door or in the middle of the driveway. If the party is at our house we move the cars into the garage, park them around back or if we are expecting lots of guest, we move them off-site to a neighbor's place. Every Sunday God has asked us to host a big party on His behalf at BUMC. In order to be a gracious host (reflecting His grace), we need to park as far from the front door as we are able. The best option is to park at the Synergy lot across the street. Other options are to park behind the medical building just south of the Regions bank or in the back half of the Ruby Tuesday's lot. In the Synergy lot, we have two vans which will transport you right to the front door of the narthex. In the other two lots you will have a pleasantly short walk and a chance to graciously greet others (some of whom may be visitors) who are headed into church at the same time. Let's be the host to others that God is to us. Besides, it's just "good ol' Southern hospitality"! Thanks for helping." (Rev. Jeff Wilson) Submission of Wives Article: I'd like to respond to the major article in last week's Tennessean about wives submitting to their husbands. It's true that in Ephesians 5 Paul wrote, "Wives, submit to your husbands." But, in the very next chapter Paul also wrote, "Slaves, obey your earthly masters." We obviously don't promote slavery anymore, so why would anyone in the twenty-first century promote the submission of women? When Paul wrote these words about marriage, the world was totally

dominated by men. In Paul's day a woman was considered the property of her father or husband. And, when Paul wrote these words about slavery, slave ownership was totally accepted as a way of life. People were not yet questioning the ethics of slavery. Paul was a part of that culture, and that worldview is reflected in his writing. But even in that ancient culture Paul knew that God's great dream for humanity is equality. Paul wrote that vision down in one of his letters. In Galatians 3, Paul said, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." This passage pulsates with God's desire to see all people free and equal. God doesn't want people to be in the bondage of slavery. Nor does God want women to be submissive, second-class citizens. God intends for marriage to be a partnership, not a hierarchy.

I hope to see you this weekend as we remember 9/11 and conclude our "Five Practices" series.

Finally, it was good to receive Jason, Stephanie, Emily and Ashley Brown and Chris and Suzy Morrison as new members.

Welcome to our church family.

In Christ's Love and Service, Martin