Therefore just as one man's trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man's act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all. --Romans 5:18

For I delight in the law of God in my inmost self, but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind, making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with my mind I am a slave to the law of God, but with my flesh I am a slave to the law of sin. --Romans 7:22-25

I know I've done my job as a preacher when I get lots of interesting questions after a sermon. This past week was a wonderful example. To those with questions, who were confused or unsure of what I was getting at, I encourage you to consult Scripture. I am, by no means, infallible. You should always measure what I say by the witness of Scripture. Moreover, where I am unclear, I want to work harder to be clear, so I want to take up a question raised by some members last Sunday.

In the sermon last week, I said that acts like cursing a neighbor at a stop light aren't "sin," per se. Quite a few of you had questions on this point because you think that such instances are sin- -that sin is the tally God keeps on God's scoreboard of wrongdoing. In one light, you can say that those things are small "s" sins (plural). Such acts are certainly not the things that God would have us do or say. However, those instances are symptoms of the larger problem, the "disease" or "infirmity" that is "sin" proper (Isaiah 53:4).

Sin (singular) is a condition, a spiritual disease, not a bad mark on God's checklist to see whether you measure up. Sin is the engine driving our transgressions. Sin is the condition that drives us to discern for ourselves the good from the bad (see Genesis 3) because we love things that are beautiful in our own eyes. Our "flesh," or hearts turned in on themselves, is at war with God's will for our lives (Romans 7:22-23). In that war, we are inclined to curse our neighbor and disobey God's commands because we want to call the shots all by our lonesome. On our own, we suffer separation from God's will for our lives, self-deception, and blindness to our own motivations (see Calvin, Institutes, II.1.1-2).

Understood in this way, we commit "sins" (plural) because we are, by nature, sinners (Romans 3:10-18). You cannot escape sin, for it is part of the human condition. In Romans 7, Paul talks at length about this desperate struggle. Like Paul, we are all caught up in this cycle of disobedience and struggle, and when our best efforts fall apart under their own weight, we, too, despair: "who will rescue me from this body of death?" (Romans 7:24b). Why can't I get it right all the time? Why do I keep falling into the same old mistakes, again and again?

What we desperately need is renewed and right relationship to God. We need to be healed of our condition. As Scripture gives witness, the faithfulness of Jesus Christ is the cure for our sin-sick souls (Isaiah 53:5, 1 Peter 2:24, Romans 5:18). Jesus Christ's perfect righteousness and obedience to God does for us what we cannot do for ourselves. As we live in Him by faith, he makes us whole, delivers us, saves us, and gives us the power to resist sin's hold on our hearts as he conforms us into His image through the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:29). He renews our minds and hearts so that we can live in the power of His love, turning away from "sins" (plural) that are really symptoms of the underlying condition (Romans 12:1-2).

In light of all this, what then are we to say? A couple of things. One, we can't win the war by ourselves. We need God's grace in Jesus Christ to save us from our desperate condition. Two, Jesus Christ has won the victory for us, so clinging to Him is our only hope. When we slip and fall into our old ways of being, this isn't a call to beat ourselves up or point fingers. Instead, it is a call to plead to Him for help. Three, because He has won the victory already, we are, as Paul tells us, "more than conquerors through Him who loved us" (Romans 8:37). Whatever you are facing, whatever your trial, whatever falsehood the accuser (the devil) whispers in your ear, you have the power to resist it in His name, and in His name alone. Glory be to God!

In Christ,

Pastor Sam

Organist Charles Frost, whose playing has been called soul-stirring, will perform music by African American composers Sunday, March 24, at 3:00 p.m. in our sanctuary. Works by Fela Sowande, Ellie-Trevor Weston, Undine Moore, Ulysses Kay, Calvin Taylor, Phillip Barnette McIntyre, Ralph Simpson, David Hurd, Florence Price, William B. Cooper, and Carl Haywood are on the program. This event, the second in the 2018 -2019 FPC Arts Series, is cosponsored by the local chapter of the American Guild of Organists. Admission is by a suggested donation of $10. The recital will be followed by a reception for the artist in the church parlor.

Originally from Red Bank, New Jersey, Frost is a graduate of Westminster Choir College of Rider University, Princeton, New Jersey, where he received both the Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in Church Music. There he studied organ with Dr. Joan Lippincott, the former head of the organ department and a world-renowned recitalist and recording artist.

Now the organist at First Presbyterian Church of Hilton Head Island, Frost has served churches in New Jersey, New York, California, Michigan, and South Carolina. He also served on the hymnal committee for our most recent hymnbook, Glory to God. Away from his church work, he is artistic director and conductor of the Sea Island Chamber Singers. Besides being an accomplished musician, he is an avid cyclist who loves to cook and entertain. He's also a self-professed fan of both the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Yankees.

What happens when you combine historic ancient texts of the church, gospel hymns, and a bluegrass band? You get a bluegrass Mass. That's exactly what you will hear on April 10 at 7:00 p.m. in our sanctuary. Tim Sharp and Wes Ramsey, two classically trained musicians, have arranged these texts and songs with a bluegrass flavor and given us this wonderful piece of music, Come Away to the Skies: A High Lonesome Bluegrass Mass. Our Sanctuary Choir will be joined by the choirs from King University and The Chuck Nation Band. Sharp will lead this program and play a little banjo himself. Come join us for an evening of great music that connects Christian worship across the centuries through a unique combination of text and music. Admission is free and the public is invited.

About The Chuck Nation Band: Close harmony singing and superb instrumental playing are the hallmarks of the musicians called the South's best bluegrass band. The band made their Carnegie Hall debut in 2015 and performed at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville in 2016, the same year they were nominated for the Georgia Music Awards Artist of the Year. Nation, a member of the Atlanta Country Music Hall of Fame, is a two-time Georgia State Fiddle Champion, a Georgia State Mandolin Champion, and a Louisiana State Fiddle Champion. The band tours internationally and, in August 2017, represented the US at international folk festivals in China and Inner Mongolia.

The FPC serving team needs one more person to volunteer at Sharing Christ on Saturday, March 30. Our helpers this time range from a volunteer from our mission at Marthina Chapel across town to a visiting missionary from Brazil across the equator --our guest preacher for the fourth Sunday in Lent, Dr. Brian Blount. Come meet them and share God's love!

You would gather with the team at the Sharing Christ mission, on the corner of Sixth and State streets downtown, around 4:30 p.m. You'd set out plates, mix tea and lemonade, make coffee, put bananas in packed lunches, and set out plates and utensils. The team also warms up the food, but the regular kitchen volunteer will be there, so you wouldn't have to cook if that's not your forte. You'd put food on paper plates for the hungry folks in the serving line from 5:30 until everyone has eaten, often two or three helpings. Then you wash the pots, wipe the tables, and vacuum. You're out of there by 7:00 or thereabouts. We'd love to have a new volunteer, or someone who hasn't done it in a while. If you'd like to serve, please contact Dottie Havlik at [email protected] or 423-956-6747.

FPC's rotational bereavement teams are still looking for a few more volunteers who can throw a casserole, salad, or dessert together and a couple of folks who are willing to occasionally help set up and clean up. Men of the church, we're talking to you! If you don't cook, dust off your gallantry and lend a little muscle.

Each bereavement team is on call for a month twice a year to provide a meal (if requested) when a church family has a death. Each team member provides one dish when it is his or her team's turn. We usually deliver the meal to the family's home, but every once in a while we need to set up and clean up elsewhere.

If you can serve in this ministry in any capacity, please call or text Nancy Butterworth at 423-341-3734.

FPC students are working to finance their May 26 mission trip to our sister church and school in the village of Felipe Camarão in Natal, Brazil. You can help! All you have to do is dive into a spaghetti dinner while hearing about their plans for the trip. In this way, you will continue to nourish our congregation's 19-year partnership with a beautiful Brazilian community. Come to the Fellowship Hall at 5:00 p.m. Sunday, March 24, with curiosity in your mind, encouragement in your heart, and a donation in your pocket. You'll meet, or catch up with, some wonderful teens and enjoy a meal you don't have to cook yourself!

These are the members of our 2019 Brazil Team:

 

Students		Adults
Alie Bassett	Ethan Moore	Katie Arnold
Gracie Buckles	Reece Proffitt	John Vann
Autumn Cathey	Kloey Tester	Karen Vann
Hope Godsey	Lance Tudor	Sam Weddington
Cole McBrayer	Lauren Turner	Linda Welch
Riley McCracken	Nolan Wishon

 

A Berhane Yesus class during an earlier visit.

Pastor Sam will make his first visit to our mission partners in Ethiopia April 1 -11, traveling with Grace Kim and Peggy Hill, to nurture our relationship with the staff and students of Berhane Yesus Elementary School in Dembi Dollo. Please pray for our mission trio as they undertake this task. Please pray specifically for wisdom as they prepare, and for safe travel, strength for the journey, and grace for growth in our relationship with our partners in faith.

While Bristol Tennessee City Schools are on spring break next week, our usual program schedule will hit pause. We will not gather for our Wednesday night fellowship programs March 20, but the Sanctuary Choir and the early service Worship Team will rehearse at their regular times and in their regular places. On March 27 we will continue our study of N.T. Wright's Resurrection series.

Earlier in the week we were promised a springlike day today, and that may well have proved to be the case. We are, however, moving bumpily toward a new season, so it may be sleeting as you read this. Transitions are like rollercoasters, so the only thing we know for sure is that there will be ups and downs and fits and starts and cries of joy and dismay until we coast to a stop on level ground. Then, springlike, up pops the existential question: Does that ground need mowing?

If you find yourself pondering such deeps, which we are sure Sartre never did, FPC needs you on our mowing team. We welcome everyone who falls within the age of reason. Joining is as simple as contacting Captain Randy Cook at [email protected] or 423-956-1541. If you've never used a Scag mower before, you can learn its simple philosophy from him.

We are now beginning to collect goldfish crackers for snacktime at Fairmount Elementary School. Please bring your donations to the Little Red House in the Fellowship Hallway, and unseen hands will deliver them to the school. Thank you!

Sunday's Early Worship

You can hear the songs we'll sing in the 9:00 service here.

 

Sunday's Late Worship

Participants: Pat Flannagan, Bob Greene, Sanctuary Choir, Sanctuary Handbell Choir.

	Sir Arthur Sullivan

Music: This Sunday is the second in the church season of Lent, and the choir will sing another setting of the "Agnus Dei" ("Lamb of God") text. This one is by Sir Arthur Sullivan (1842 -1900) of Gilbert and Sullivan fame. Although Sullivan is most remembered as part of that operetta team, he was a very serious composer who wrote music in almost every genre. He was also an esteemed music educator and an organist. He was the composer of "Onward Christian Soldiers" as well hymns 53, 234, and 308 in Glory to God.

Organist's footnotes: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) wrote 17 Church Sonatas (sonata da chiesa), also known as Epistle Sonatas, between 1772 and 1780. These are short, single-movement pieces intended to be played during a celebration of the Mass between the Epistle and the Gospel. I have performed several of these sonatas with strings before. On Sunday I will play my own transcription of "Sonata in D," K. 144 (prelude), for organ solo.

Mozart composed "Adagio," K. 356 (offertory), in 1791 for an unusual instrument known as the glass harmonica, which was invented by Benjamin Franklin in 1761. It uses a series of glass bowls or goblets graduated in size to produce musical tones by means of friction. The Sanctuary Handbell Choir will play a transcription of this piece.

	Maurizio Machella

The "Rondo alla Turca" (postlude) is the third movement of Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 11 in A major, K. 331. Popularly known as the "Turkish March," it is one of Mozart's best-known piano pieces. It imitates the sound of Turkish Janissary bands, the music of which was much in vogue at that time. In Mozart's time, this last movement was sometimes performed on pianos built with a "Turkish stop," allowing it to be embellished with extra percussion effects. There's nothing like that on our Randall Dyer organ, but Maurizio Machella's transcription captures the spirit.

Sanctuary Handbell Choir wants you: We want you to ring a bell every once in a while on a Sunday morning (like this one) and most Wednesday evenings at 6:15. (We will not practice March 20, but save the following Wednesday for us.) Come to room 212 after the next fellowship dinner and join a group of fun-lovers who are learning together. Surprise Bob Greene at [email protected] or ring him at 423-341-0378.

Sunday, March 17

9:00 a.m.       Worship, Fellowship Hall

10:10 a.m.     Sunday School

11:00 a.m.     Worship, Sanctuary

Tuesday, March 19

10:00 a.m.     Staff Meeting, Room 117

10:00 a.m.     Morning Prayer Group, Conf. Room

7:00 p.m.       Boy Scout Troop 3, Scout Wing

Wednesday, March 20

9:30 a.m.       Women's Bible Study, Room 117

5:00 p.m.       Evangelism & Outreach Comm., Room 117

7:15 p.m.       Sanctuary Choir, Room 202

7:15 p.m.       Worship Team, Fellowship Hall

Thursday, March 21

7:00 a.m.       Men's Bible Study, Parlor

12:00 p.m.     Noon Bible Study, Room 117

Church Officers
Class of 2019	Class of 2020	Class of 2021
ELDERS
Anna Booher	Nancy Allerton	Ann Abel
Lee Galliher	Rebecca Beck	Randy Cook
Pete Holler	David Hyde	John Graham
Han Ong	Jordan Pennington	Katie McInnis
Pete Stigers	Jerry Poteat	John Vann
DEACONS
Sujean Bradley	Blake Bassett	Fred Harkleroad
George Linke	Rhonda Comer	Matt Kingsley
Greg Roberts	Ron Fox	Lisa McClain
Nate Sproles	Brenda Lawson	Drew Rice
Bill Whisnant	Barbara Thompson	Joyce Samuel
TRUSTEES
Nancy Cook	Peggy Hill	Jack Butterworth