Church family,

In search of something to share this week with you all, I came back to that article I referenced in the sermon this past Sunday, "In Italy, I've Rediscovered the Power of Three Types of Prayer." You can find it here. A major takeaway from that article is that the Psalms are a powerful prayer book in times of distress, lament, and sadness, and entering into those texts in the spirit in which they are written helps us navigate our own sense of feeling lost amidst our present confusion.

With that in mind, I am praying Psalm 69:1 today. It reads: "Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck." I encourage you to read the rest of it, of course. For me, however, it was this first line that struck me. It struck me because I feel as though the waters have come up to my neck.

I may be alone in this, but I don't think so. I don't know how to swim these strange waters. Using the imagery of the psalm, it feels like a moment from years ago. We were in Eilat, Israel, on the Red Sea, and despite the wariness of the group, I couldn't resist the beautiful blue waters all around me that day. I was happy and full of joy, so I quickly threw my shirt off, slipped off my shoes, and jumped in off the end of the short pier that was maybe 25 or 30 feet out.

Things were great for a while. But about ten minutes in, and as others in the group gathered on the pier to look at me, point, and smile, I suddenly felt a quick pain in my leg. It wasn't quite a cramp, but that point right before your leg cramps. I jerked my leg straight to keep it from tightening up, and it suddenly dawned on me that I was in over my head. The sea was relatively calm, but it was deep, and there was a current that could have quickly pulled me out. I began to rely on my arms to keep me afloat, but as I waited for my leg to settle down, fatigue began to settle in. My head went under a couple of times. I began to panic, but I knew I needed to remain calm.

By God's grace, I was able to swim back to the pier, but I will never forget that moment. There are times in our lives when the waves threaten to push us down. For many of us, the waves of concern, family pressures, and general anxiety are enough to pull us under. Just like David, we cry out to God the only thing we know to cry, "Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck."

As you read through the psalm, you see the ups and downs of this mighty wrestling match with God. Amidst our suffering, there are no easy outs or quick fixes. Yet, despite the pain and the complaints, David comes back to praise and trust time and again. I think this is what we are called to do these days.

In the end, we can place our trust in the steadfast mercy and love of God, just as David did. Though it is hard to see, God has every intention of making good on the promises. The most interesting of those promises that speaks to our situation, I think, comes in verses 35 -36. David writes, "For God will save Zion and rebuild the cities of Judah; and his servants shall live there and possess it; the children of his servants shall inherit it, and those who love his name shall live in it."

There is a day coming when we will pick up the pieces and rebuild, by God's help. Not only that -who knows? -in that rebuilding, we might find that room has been made for our society to stand on a firmer foundation. No matter the result, God has promised us a place to belong. In Christ, nothing can rob us of this consolation.

Stay strong, keep praying, and be a blessing,

In Christ,

Pastor Sam

In response to President Donald Trump's guidelines to extend social distancing until April 30, and to Governor Bill Lee's Executive Order to do so until April 24, the session has decided to cancel all in-person meetings, gatherings, and worship until Friday, April 24. All scheduled meetings will take place by conferencing, and a single worship service will be livestreamed at 10:00 a.m. on Sundays. The service will be followed by prerecorded online programs for Marthina Chapel, the Friendship Class, adults, children, and students. You can join us for the livestream on our YouTube site (details in "How to Stay Connected" below), by the link provided on our Facebook page, or by the link in our e-newsletter.

The internet and smartphone scammers who targeted us in January are at it again. Posing as FPC staff, they say that they are in a meeting or otherwise unable to attend to an important issue. They will then ask you to buy a gift card (for Walmart, Target, Food City, etc.) to be given to a person or family in need, some worthy-sounding ministry, or another credible recipient. They will instruct you to send the card information to an attached phone number. The message may come to you as a text or through Facebook or a similar method. It is a scam. PLEASE DO NOT respond or take any action. The staff of FPC will never ask you to do anything like this! Learn more about scammers and gift cards here.

We cannot gather at the church for a while, and in-house groups may have suspended meetings, but we can still study the Bible together! We invite you to join us online. Every Tuesday and Thursday, we will post a short study, so that you can hear a word of comfort from God's Word and pray with us as we pray for our community, the nation, and the world. We encourage you to subscribe to our YouTube and Facebook sites, so that you will know when a new Bible study drops.

If you have a need, please call the church and let us know! We want to be a blessing to you and make sure that you have what you need. Our responders are prepared to bring essential supplies and make general wellness calls. And if you see a need, please let us know. We have medical personnel on call, for the time being, whom you can call on if you feel the need. You are not alone!

Grass neither knows nor cares that we're all keeping a low profile for a while. Its urge is to reach for the heights. Some of us who are feeling housebound have leapt at every opportunity to get outside and kick that ambition to the curb. The fortunate few, the members of the FPC mowing team, can venture farther afield and mow the church lawn. Randy Cook is the lucky fellow who gets to roam around the big field on Florida Avenue April 1 -4. JB Madison gets his chance April 8-11. Have fun, and thanks!

Church Officers
Class of 2020	Class of 2021	Class of 2022
ELDERS
Nancy Allerton	Ann Abel	Anna L. Booher
Rebecca Beck	Randy Cook	Bruce Gannaway
David Hyde	John Graham	Will Hankins
Jordan Pennington	Katie McInnis	Dottie Havlik
Jerry Poteat	John Vann	Laura Ong
DEACONS
Blake Bassett	Fred Harkleroad	Mike Cleland
Rhonda Comer	Matt Kingsley	Geneva King
Ron Fox	Lisa McClain	George Linke
Brenda Lawson	Drew Rice	Charlie Taylor
Barbara Thompson	Joyce Samuel
TRUSTEES
Peggy Hill	Jack Butterworth	Nancy Cook