August 5, 2015 • Volume 30, No. 15

Wise people learn to payattention to in life, and inlanguage, the verbs that theyencounter. Remember when youfirst learned about what a verb is?Actually, the word “verb” comesfrom the Latin verbum, whichmeans “word.” Verbs, we learned aschildren, are “action words.” Theyare the part of speech that“conveys action, or an occurrence,

or a state of being.” As such, verbs do much of the “heavylifting” when we are trying to communicate. So it should notcome as a surprise to discover that in the Biblical narrative, verbscan tell us a great deal about God, the principle subject matter ofthe Scriptures.

A great example of this is Psalm 103. It is a Psalm ofthanksgiving, perhaps offered for recovery from an illness orsome personal crisis. It is ebullient and uplifting, as it directsthanks and praise to Yahweh, the Lord God of Israel. “Bless theLord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless his holy name!Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits…” Asthe Psalmist thinks about all the blessings and benefits bestowedby the Lord, he is drawn to use verbs, and these verbs convey aworld of hope and meaning to those who might wonder aboutwho God is and what God does “for us, and for our salvation.”Listen to the power of the verbs that the Psalmist uses inpraising God!

1. “who FORGIVES all your iniquities” — Yahweh,the God of Israel, forgives your sins. Indeed, later in Psalm 103will come a formulaic phrase that finds itself in the OldTestament no less than ten different places! “The Lord ismerciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfastlove.” God is, above all else, a merciful God who wants to forgiveus our sins and grant us a clean slate, a fresh start. Desmond Tutu,the Nobel Peace Prize recipient, once wrote a book called,No Future Without Forgiveness. He was speaking of his own SouthAfrican nation but he might as well have been speaking of amarriage, a friendship, a parent-child relationship or a church.

There is no possible future for relationships between humanbeings without learning the high and costly art of forgiveness.

2. “who HEALS all diseases” — Yahweh is also thesource of all healing in life. Jesus went about teaching, preachingand healing, and the Church ever since has been involved in thehealing ministry of Christ. It is why hospitals in our nation bearnames like St. Luke’s or St. Thomas, or Baptist, Presbyterian,Lutheran or Methodist. The Biblical story contains countlessstories of healings, and God is always the ultimate source of thathealing. Healing takes all kinds of forms, but all of us stand inneed of healing, and the Holy Spirit, “the Lord and giver of life”is at work in the world, and in our lives, to heal us and to bindup our wounds. We are all of us wounded by life, and some of usgrow stronger in those broken places when God has broughthealing to our hurts.

3. “who REDEEMS your life from the Pit” — To behuman is to find yourself at some point in the Pit. Life has itsups and downs, but oh, how the depths have the power tochange everything! Being cast down into the Pit by somesudden loss or some devastating crisis, some experience ofdisappointment or betrayal leaves us in “the valley of theshadow,” and it is only from this place that we learn of our needfor a Redeemer. One of my dearest friends found himselfcaught in a terribly public failure, one that radically altered thecourse of his whole life. In the midst of this crisis, he said to me,“Todd, if I ever get to preach again, I will preach a whole lotmore about redemption. Redemption is the heart of the Gospel,and Jesus Christ is the Redeemer God, and all of us need tohear that God can and does redeem our lives.” I have preachedway more often about redemption and forgiveness and healingever since hearing those words spoken from “out of the depths.”

4. “who CROWNS you with steadfast love andmercy” — To be “crowned” is to be treated royally by God. Itis to be blessed, or to be dubbed, the recipient of “steadfast love”and “mercy,” gifts that the God of Israel gives abundantly to allwho ask. Paul spoke of this “crowning” in one of his last letters,when he wrote to Timothy, “I have fought the good fight, I havefinished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth is laid up forme the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous

My Dear Friends,

Todd JonesPastor

Continued on next page

The Mission of First Presbyterian Church, NashvilleTo know Christ, to make Him known and to exhibit His love

through worship, education and service.

SympathyThe First Presbyterian Church family extends

prayers and sympathy to the following during theirtime of loss.

George & Norene Yowell on the death of George’sbrother, William “Bill” Carey Yowell, Jr., who diedon July 15. Sympathy to Ginger & Chan Sheppard,Mary Lucy Yowell and Georgia & Benjamin Ferrell.

Deborah & Walter Choate on the death of Deborah’smother, Margaret Ann Sims, who died on July 17.Sympathy to Stephen & Kathryn Choate and Caroline &Teddy Hillard.

Sympathy to the friends & family ofAllen Douglas Berry, Jr., who died on July 19.

Allison Francy on the death of her grandfather,Chester Patton, who died on July 21. Sympathy toJacob Francy.

Marjorie Miller on the death of her brother,Otis O’Neal, Jr., who died on July 22.

Erika & Jeremy Shapiro on the death of Erika’sgrandmother, Lois L. Emerick, who died on July 22.Sympathy to Isaac, Ada & Gabriel Shapiro.

Dollye Clayton on the death of her brother-in-law,Harold Gordon Clayton, who died on July 22.Sympathy to Beth Scott Clayton Amos & Timothy Amos.

If any member of the church desires the Christian support of aStephen Minister, contact Sandra Randleman (615-298-9502).

CongratulationsThe First Presbyterian Church family

congratulates the following people during theirnew birth.

Amy & Matt Pearson welcome a daughter,Bailey Elizabeth Pearson, who was born on July 2.Congratulations to grandparents Becky & Stuart Campbell.

Alphonsine Hakizimana & Deo Nsengiyumva welcome adaughter, Rosine Igiraneza Nsengiyumva, who wasborn on July 7. Congratulations to grandparents,Kenedi Kabavamwo and Yuriana Mukandoli.

Sarah & Kevin Blasek welcome a daughter,Eva Catherine Blasek, who was born on July 10.Congratulations to grandparents Todd & Connie Jones.

SUNDAYAUGUST 16, 2015

Scripture ReadingsI Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14

Ephesians 5:15-20John 6:51-58

Adam DeVriesAssociate Pastor

SUNDAYAUGUST 9, 2015

Sermon“Gospel Wisdom”

Scripture Readings2 Samuel 18:5-9,

15, 31-33Ephesians 4:25-5:2

Todd JonesPastor

judge, will award to be on that Day, and not only to me but also toall who have loved his appearing.” God crowns us with love, so thatwe are all part of “a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’sown people.”

5. “who SATISFIES you with good as long as youlive” — I love the use of the verb “satisfy” in this verse. I love itbecause there is so much dissatisfaction in this consumer-drivenculture. Madison Avenue trades on our dissatisfaction, playing onour yearnings, our longings and our appetites for newer, better andbigger. Of course, the things that we buy with money hold nolasting satisfaction, just as the jobs we desire, or the homes webuild, or the food we eat never offer abiding satisfaction orfulfillment. Rabelais said that “the appetite grows by eating.” Themore we have, the more we want and the more dissatisfied webecome. Note what the Psalmist promises: God “satisfies you withgoodness.” This is because only the goodness of the Lord offerslasting satisfaction. As children, some of my friends used to be paidby their parents for getting good grades. My father steadfastlyrefused, saying, “Learning is its own reward.” It was another waythat he was trying to commend goodness for its own sake. Ofcourse, in an ultimate sense, only God is good, and St. Augustinewas wise to say, “Thou has made us for Thyself, O God, and ourhearts are restless, until they find their rest in Thee.”

May we all attend to the verbs in life that hold the power to tellus so much. Let us give thanks for the “Word (VERBUM) thatbecame flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth.” That, Isuppose, is the most important verb of all!

With Love and Prayers,

Family Choir SundayYou and your family are warmly invited to participate in a

new musical venture at First Presbyterian Church: FamilyChoir Sunday. The purpose of the Family Choir is toencourage families to make music together and to participatemore fully in worship. The group, which includes a numberof Sanctuary Choir members, will sing an anthem withpiano from thechancel stepsduring the 11:00A.M. service onSunday, August23. We willrehearse this pieceand enjoyfellowshiptogether at 10:00A.M. in the choirroom that day. Noother preparationis necessary; also,the choir does notprocess or wearrobes. If you areinterested in participating, RSVP to Daphne Garey(615-298-9517 or dgarey@fpcnashville.org).

Logos Class this Summer:Unpacking our Mission Statement

This summer, Associate Pastor Stuart Gordon will helpparticipants to unpack our congregation’s mission statement.The statement, “To know Christ, to make Him known andto exhibit His love through worship, education and service,”continues to resonate, especially as national surveys indicatea rise in the number of people who claim no religiousaffiliation.

In July, Stuart spent three weeks on the subject of worshipas mission to an increasingly secular nation: Sunday worship,weddings and funerals. Through August 16, the class willcover three weeks on education as mission: elementary andsecondary, higher and church education. Then, from August23 through September 6, the subject will be service asmission: daily work, general notions of “service” andparticipation in culture.

Each Sunday will be self-contained, so you can come andgo as your summer travel allows. The class meets in StanfordChapel from 10:00 to 10:40 A.M., each Sunday.

Manna Freezer Can Help During “Crunch”Times; Items Need ReplenishingGiving Food Items

• Has one of your church friends had surgery?• Has another had a death in the family?• Do you know of someone with more days than

money at the end of the month?• Are you scheduled to visit one of our home-

bound members?

If so, stop by the Manna Freezer in the back stairwell offCourtenay Hall to pick up a package or two of the frozenfoods that are available for the taking and giving. Bags forcarrying and printed notes to include with the food are keptin the cabinet to the left of the freezer.

The freezer is stocked in varying degrees with thefollowing items: soups/chilis, meats, meat casseroles,vegetables, breads, desserts/cookies and low-salt foods.

Preparing Food Items

Some foods arepackaged up byvolunteers afterWednesday night dinners.Others are cooked byindividuals and specialgroups in thecongregation. Mostrecently, our younger VBSchildren made “stonesoup,” which theycontributed to the freezer,and a portion of their offerings during the week has beendesignated to help fund packaging supplies for the ministry.

Specific items that are needed right now are soups andmeat casseroles (not spaghetti or ziti with tomato sauce rightnow). Gardeners among us with an overabundance ofsummer vegetables, when freezing their bounty, mightconsider setting aside several packages to take to the freezer.

1. Donations should be packaged in servings for two. 2. Be sure to mark each package with its contents and

the date prepared. 3. List the same details on the simple chart on the

freezer door.

Be alert to those around us who could benefit from thegift of food from the Manna Freezer. Questions? ContactBekah Caruso (615-832-6406 or bcaruso@bellsouth.net).

Children’s Sunday School – A Place Where Everyone Knows Your NameAs summer 2015 transitions into the return to school for families, it is time for the FPC Family to re-gather from the

travel, camps, vacations and hopefully relaxing, lazy days of summer. August 23 is the day when children transition from thesummer-format Sunday School and meet with new Sunday School leaders, new classrooms and a new focus for the year ahead— GRATITUDE. While children “meet their teachers” this day, parents are invited to a breakfast in Courtenay Hall. Food,fellowship and family ministry are the agenda for the morning!

Looking Ahead Toward Fall■ Saturday, August 15: Children’s Leadership Summit (8:00 A.M. – Noon) for all leaders of children

from Nursery ages through 6th grade. ■ Sunday, August 16:Young Children & Worship Celebration (during both the 8:30 and 11:00 services) recognizing

those children who are now entering 1st grade and will no longer participate in YC&W. ■ Sunday, August 16: Multi-generational Sunday School from 9:45-10:45 A.M. Children ages 3 and younger have

Sunday School in their nursery classrooms. ■ Sunday, August 23: Children’s Sunday School kicks off with Meet-Your-Teacher Day in classrooms and breakfast/program for parents in Courtenay Hall.■ Sunday, August 30: Children’s Sunday School begins a new year of Bible Study.■ Wednesday, September 9: The Way on Wednesdays begins.

Growing in

Grace and GratitudeShapes a New Year!

Ministry with Childrenand Their Families

Milestones – Partnering with ParentsJust as the ancient roadways used stones to mark the miles traveled, our community of faith partners with parents to nurture

children on their spiritual journey by marking spiritual milestones between birth and age 12 and celebrating the spiritualgrowth that happens along the way. Milestone celebrations provide built-in time to stop, reflect and thank God, acknowledginga step deeper in faith and trust in Christ.

■ Newly Baptized Babies: Faith Journey Celebration and Welcome (March 6, 2016)■ 3-year-olds: Learning Together (October 4, 2015)■ 4-year-olds: Worshiping Together (August 30, 2015)■ 5- & 6-year-olds: Reaching Out Together (April 10, 2016)■ 1st grade: Exploring the Sacrament of Baptism (January 10, 2016)■ 2nd grade: Exploring the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper (March 13, 2016)■ 3rd grade: Exploring the Word of God (September 20, 2015)■ 4th grade: “Connecting Our Faith through Confirmation (February 6, 2016)■ 5th grade: Deepening Our Faith through Confirmation (January 23, 2016)■ 6th grade: Professing Our Faith through Confirmation (May 15, 2016)

The Way on Wednesdays – For FamiliesWednesday evenings offer FPC families a relaxing and welcoming forum for a mid-week pick-me-up for all ages.

The evening begins with the option of dinner. Then from 6:00-7:15 P.M., there are options available for family members:children ages 3 and younger are welcomed into our loving Nursery. Children ages 4 through 6th grade are invited into abeautiful setting for both spiritual formation and music instruction, providing your child with a time to become moredeeply aware of the presence of God in his or her life and participate in genuine, joyous worship.

■ Ages 4 and 5: Cherubs■ Kindergarten & 1st grade: Hosanna■ 2nd grade – 6th grade: DoxologyHighlight: Cherubs, Hosanna and Doxology singers will offer their musical leadership at varioustimes throughout the year.

NONPROFIT ORGU S POSTAGE

P A I DNASHVILLE, TNPERMIT NO. 27

Dated church materialPlease deliver by August 8, 2015

First Presbyterian Church4815 Franklin PikeNashville, Tennessee 37220www.fpcnashville.orgfacebook.com/fpcnashville

PastorsTodd JonesPastor

Sam CooperExecutive Pastor

Adam DeVriesAssociate Pastor to Youth& Their Families

Mark DeVriesAssociate Pastor forNew Ministries

Stuart GordonAssociate Pastor for Discipleship

Keith GunterAssociate Pastor for NewChurch Development

Sandra RandlemanAssociate Pastor forCongregational Care & Missions

Program StaffRaphael BundageDirector of Music

Brenda GeiseOlder Adult MinistryCoordinator

Letitia GreenDirector of Recreation

Patricia HeimMissions Coordinator

Ashley HigginsDirector of Young Adult &High School Ministries

Susan KirbyWorship Coordinator

Michelle MangumDirector of Communications

Deb O’BrienDirector of Children’s Ministry

Joshua RodriguezOutreach Director of Young Adult& Youth Ministries

AdministrationGinny BarberAdministrative Assistant

Cindy BozmanFinance Manager

Greg DiroffFacility Manager, FPC & OHS

Lynn ElliottExecutive Assistant

Karen FittsNursery Coordinator

Kim RogersFood Service

SchoolsJennifer HinoteHead of School, Oak Hill School

Brenda LutzDirector, FPC Early Preschool

Sunday School, August 9 & 16: Grades 7-12meet in The Gathering Place at 9:40 A.M., thenmeet for Sunday School as grade level groups.

Ninth Grade Pool Party on Sunday,August 16, from 3:00-5:00 P.M. at the Standard’shome (100 W. Hampton Place). Check withAnna for more details.

Tenth Graders meet fordinner on Wednesday, August26, at 6:30 P.M. at SatCo.Check with Anna for details.

All Youth Leaders areinvited to attend our LeadershipLaunch on Tuesday, August 25,from 5:30-7:30 P.M. in TheGathering Place for dinner, aswell as to meet as grade levelleader teams and in teams byjob description. Please RSVPto youth@fpcnashville.org.

And the invitation goes to… Youth andtheir parents for the Red Carpet Kick Off onSunday, August 30, during the SS hour in theEnrichment Center. Preview Breakfast begins at9:00 A.M.

Questions or changes to your contact information,contact Ginger, Erika or Miller at 615-298-9570 oryouth@fpcnashville.org.

Youth Happenings

sunday evening worship at fpcThe Gathering Place @ 5:3O p.m.