"Christian Character & Leadership" series led by Rubel Shelly & Clay Stauffer begins June 9
For three weeks in June, Dr. Rubel Shelly will join Clay to lead a character & leadership series on Wednesday nights at 6:30 PM in Carpenter Chapel.
Livestream option will also be available!
This event is designed for everyone and all current and incoming leaders are encouraged to attend - June 9, 16, & 23.
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Summer Gospel Sing-Along & Potluck Supper returns June 2, now at 5:15 PM
We’re back! Wednesday Night Gospel Sing-Alongs are back in June and we want you there. The band will be there. Attendees will bring a contribution to share with others in Drowota Hall. We’ll begin singing at 5:15 PM and eat at 6:00 PM.
Due to the character & leadership series that begins June 9, we have moved this event up 15 minutes.
Make your plans for this favorite event starting Wednesday, June 2!
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Habitat make up day is June 12 and we need you!
Saturday, June 12 is our make up day for the Saturday we were rained out at our Habitat build a few weeks ago. We will be doing some kind of framing work that day.
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Habitat's Kevin Roberts presents Steve LaForge with a commemorative plaque to thank Woodmont for many years of partnership and financial support |
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Wrestling with Life's Deep Questions
by Clay Stauffer
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Socrates famously stated the “the unexamined life is not worth living.” If that is true, how often do we stop to ask, “What is the meaning and purpose of it all? What brings us fulfillment, joy, and happiness?
So many answers are given to these questions: to love and to be loved; to leave the world better than you found it, to serve others; to know God; to create peace; to be present; to live with gratitude; to help others with their pain; to serve and give back; to forgive and hope to be forgiven; to grow in both knowledge and wisdom; to form meaningful friendships; to love God and neighbor.
As we continue to climb out of a global pandemic, questions about meaning seem even more necessary. Grief is still real for many. Whitworth professor Jerry Sittser once said that, “All people suffer loss. Being alive means suffering loss. Living means changing, and change requires that we lose one thing before we gain something else.”
Very few things stay the same. Politics still angers and divides. Morality binds and blinds. Loneliness hurts. In ministry, I often become overwhelmed by the amount of pain and hurt that I see. Illness, cancer, addiction, depression, divorce, grief, resentment, racism, violence, unemployment – it’s all there. Here is a timeless truth – hurting people hurt others. When we don’t deal with our own pain, we then go and hurt others, making it a vicious cycle.
Victor Frankl wrote Man’s Search for Meaning where he says, “We can survive the HOW in life as long as we know the WHY.” Far too many people go through life without ever knowing their WHY.
A second claim is this: even if we lose everything in life, there is one thing that cannot be taken away from us, and that is our ability to choose our attitude in any given circumstance. Frankl understood the importance of attitude and mindset, as did the apostle Paul. Humans consistently turn to the wrong things seeking fulfilment and security. Idols abound. All great religions recognize this. Only life in God and for others can give us meaning. Only deeper connections built on trust will satisfy our longings.
St. Augustine famously said, “Lord you have made us for yourselves, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in you.” Restlessness and busyness is a problem. We become too busy for our own good. Prayer can make a difference.
Sittser also talks about how the soul can grow through difficult periods: “The soul is elastic, like a balloon. It can grow larger through suffering. Loss can enlarge its capacity for anger, depression, despair, and anguish, all natural and legitimate emotions when we experience loss. Once enlarged, the soul is also capable of experiencing greater joy, peace, strength, and love.”
Which will it be for each of us?
Of course, we will continue to argue over mask mandates and wonder why many chose to not be vaccinated. We will be disappointed when others fail to meet our expectations. Friends come and go and everything changes.
What does a successful, meaningful life entail? Ralph Waldo Emerson responded this way: “To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate the beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded!”
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Youth Summer Kickoff Carnival
Sunday, May 23
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Pentecost on Two Wheels
by Chris Cox
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My parents texted me a few weeks back and asked me what I wanted for my birthday. Birthday presents aren’t quite as exciting in your late 30s. I told them that I was trying to save up for a new bike and thus money to go towards that would be greatly appreciated.
“You don’t want your old bike?” Mom responded.
This isn’t the first time my mom has asked me if I wanted my old bike. I haven’t touched the thing in over 20 years. But I figured it wouldn’t hurt to give it a try. My dad took it for a short ride. The tires held up, the gears were a bit of a question mark, but it was in surprisingly decent shape. Mom and Dad put it on their bike rack and drove it up here from South Carolina when they came to visit us for our May birthdays.
It’s been awhile since bike riding was a regular part of my life. When we lived in Columbia, I would ride it all around my neighborhood; pretending that I was going fast enough to travel through time like Marty McFly. We later moved cities and onto a street where riding a bike felt like courting death. So I didn’t ride my bike too much after 3rd grade; not even when, as a teenager, I got the dark granite Murray that my dad set down in our Nashville driveway.
As my folks played soccer in the yard with our boys, I lifted the kickstand and pushed off into our neighborhood. And it was like decades melted away. There is something about riding your bike around on a warm spring evening that feels like the entire world is filled with possibility. When you get a bike as a kid, you get to explore brand new places. Streets that you’d never walk to were just a few pushes of the pedals away. The world becomes smaller and your neighborhood gets bigger. It was like everything was starting to unfold in front of you and who knew how far you’d go.
Riding through the streets, trying to find the right gear, and feeling the warm breeze in my face felt for a moment like a kid’s freedom. The stresses of work and adulthood receded into the recesses of my mind. There was a world to explore and suddenly it felt like there was time.
I did a small loop of our neighborhood and began to make my way back, sweat making my t-shirt stick to my back. When I got to an intersection at which crossing traffic didn’t stop, I did the thing I always did as a kid when I wanted to go fast. I threw all of my weight down on the pedal while simultaneously leaping off my seat. Push, leap. Push, leap. Push, leap. The bike swaying tightly like a metronome playing to the tune of renewal.
Maybe wind and fire felt like a warm breeze in the face. This past Sunday we celebrated Pentecost: the birth of the Church and the Holy Spirit rushing like wind to open the world up. There is something exciting about this day. There is the giddy kid energy of starting something new and seeing only possibilities. It was leap of faith after leap of faith and the followers of Jesus pushed into the world in love.
It was by no means perfect. As all people do, these early Jesus followers would sometimes crash and burn. Yet even in the burn there was a fire and that passion fused with a desire to love God and neighbor did great good in the world. The Church grew. Hungry people were fed. Outcasts found community. Barriers of gender, race, and social status broke down. Hope and possibility spread through towns. The world became smaller and the neighborhood got bigger. The Church was like a kid pedaling with all her heart down the street, yelling for friends to come out and play.
As we enter into summer, may we hear those childlike shouts of joy inviting us into faith and community. May we push and leap and move in time to a tune of renewal.
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Donovan McAbee preaching this Sunday in all three services
“I Really Really Really Want to Judge You”
John 7:53-8:11
Dr. Donovan McAbee
9:15 AM Sanctuary service
9:30 AM The Bridge service in the chapel with livestream
10:45 AM Sanctuary service with livestream
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Youth & children's ministry mask update
Youth ages 12-16 are still in the process of getting vaccinated and should wear masks indoors until fully vaccinated. Masks are no longer required for fully vaccinated adults per the CDC guidelines. Masks are welcome for those who are unvaccinated or those at greater risk of infection. Children ages 3-11 who still do not have access to the vaccination, should keep wearing masks inside.
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"Race & Culture" series concludes tomorrow, Wednesday, May 26, with Pastor Chris & Dorena Williamson
For the final speaker of the series, this Wednesday the Racial Reconciliation Task Force welcomes Pastor Chris and Dorena Williamson from Strong Tower Bible Church who will be sharing their experience and answering questions on how churches can confront racial reconciliation and participate in racial justice. Please note the meeting passcode.
This session will be virtual Wednesday, May 26 at 6 PM.
Zoom link:
Passcode: 286225
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They’re back! June 6, 9:15 AM service
After a 14-month pandemic hiatus, The Gospelaires will play Sunday, June 6, before and during the 9:15 AM service.
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Thank you, Mandy!
As part of an annual tradition, former CWF President Barbara Sullivan presents a gift to outgoing CWF President Mandy Lowe at the end of her tenure.
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Justin Blake "J.B." Carter Jr.,
son of Blake & Stefanie Carter
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Michael Webster Mooneyhan,
son of Justin & Elizabeth Mooneyhan
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That More Better
By Michael Graham
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Recently, I was privileged to assist in a food drive that was headquartered in Antioch but actually extended to several parts of the state. On Saturday mornings, 2-3 semis brought 3000 boxes of food and milk to a Hispanic church on Haywood Lane where it was distributed on the site and also taken by various churches. Several Woodmont members gathered weekly and took food to Pegram, TN, and distributed it at Bethany Hills. It ran for several months and was a great help to many people in need.
My favorite memory from the many weeks we worked was this. We had just finished helping small churches load their food and milk and our load was also ready to leave for Bethany Hills. I said goodbye to Steve and Deb LaForge and started walking to my truck. On the way, I saw a Hispanic man loading a pallet of food into the back of his truck, by himself. He had been placing a few boxes on the tailgate, climbing into the truckbed, moving the boxes to the front of the truck, jumping down, and repeating the process. I stopped and started handing him boxes from the pallet over the railing of his truck. After I handed him 4-5 boxes, he smiled at me and said, "That more better." I smiled back and thought to myself, "It is more better to stop and help someone than to pass by and pretend they do not exist."
Lord, open our eyes to the simple things we can do to show Your love to others. Amen.
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Final week to register for VBS!
This year's Vacation Bible School will be in-person June 22 to 25 from 9 AM to noon. If your child would like to attend, registration is required by May 31. To register, click the button below.
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Celebrate Lauren Beuerlein’s ministry Sunday, June 6 |
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Lauren is a new mom and she recently made the decision to step down from her role on staff so she can focus on being a mom and a church member. We are going to celebrate her ministry on Sunday, June 6, at 5 PM at Campbell West with Martin’s BBQ. All young professionals and couples are inivited to come join us. Please RSVP to Amber Moss (amber@woodmontcc.org) if you can make it.
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The Woodmont Book Club will be taking the summer off but will be back on Tuesday, September 21, at 10:30 AM in the Bay Room. Jeanie Taylor will lead the discussion on American Dirt by Jeanine
Cummins.
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2021 Leadership Slate
The nominations are in for our 2021 treasurer, board, elders, & deacons. Our annual congregational meeting and election is Sunday, June 20, at 10:15 AM. Installation of our newly elected leaders is Sunday, June 27, as part of our 10:45 AM service.
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Prayers for our church family
CONGRATULATIONS TO:
- Emilie & John Stauffer on the birth of their daughter, Melanie Kate Stauffer, on May 20
- Dan Smith and Lucile Rich, daughter of Nora and Tate Rich, who were married on May 22
- Laura Hobson and Bryan Sargent, who were married at Woodmont on May 22
NEW CONCERNS:
- Dorothy Stewart's brother, Jerry Greer, new diagnosis of cancer
CONTINUING CONCERNS:
FAMILY/FRIENDS OF MEMBERS - CONCERNS:
- Caleb Graves' father, Wayne Graves – St. Luke’s Hospital Kansas City ICU (Covid issues)
- Pam Groom's brother, Brad Jones - Nolensville, TN - stomach cancer
- Heather Bond's father, Leigh Bond, in Louisville, KY - cancer
- Rita Baldwin's daughter, Debbie McPherson in Houston, TX - cancer
- Pam Groom's father, Gary Jones - Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, Louisville, KY
- Amy Hobart's father, Robert C. Cloud in TX - AML (bone marrow disease)
- Susan Hammonds-White's sister, Lindsay Hammonds, Stage 3 ovarian cancer, Kihei, Maui, Hawaii
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Our elders invite you to join them in prayer
- That we live lives that lead to spiritually healthy families
- For the safe return to in-person activities
- Thanking God for the opportunities He gives us to share His love
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Giving
May 2: $78,974
May 9: $43,317
May 16: $23,027
May 23: $41,898
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Growing disciples of Christ by seeking God, sharing love, and serving others. |
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