Last week I took a group of women from our church to a monastery in St. Meinrad, Indiana. These women have been meeting weekly since January. We call ourselves a book club because we come together around a table to eat lunch and discuss a book we're reading. But to be honest, I'm not sure we are a book club anymore. The conversation now centers around our lives with God. We share our spiritual journeys, our questions, our doubts, the ways we connect with God. We pray together. Sometimes we sit in silence and listen for God. It's become a cherished part of my weekly routine because I'm not just growing in knowledge, I'm growing closer to God. When we went away together for just over 24 hours something wonderful and holy happened. We shared meals, conversations and laughter that allowed us to know each other more deeply. We joined the monks for prayers and found ourselves lifted to God through their singing. And maybe best of all, at least for me, we participated in some group spiritual exercises. The guided meditations on scripture and lectio divina (sacred readings) allowed us to linger in the Word of God: to let it ask us questions, to let it reveal to us a loving and always present God who speaks the exact word we need to hear. We listened to our sisters share what God was saying to them and we ended by praying for one another. God does something special in community. When we come together God pours out the Holy Spirit. We find our- selves known and loved. We discover that we are not alone in life. Rather, we have a family of faith who supports us, challenges us to be better, even allows us to lean on their faith when ours seems to have run dry. We have profound experiences of the living God as we allow ourselves to be vulnerable, to let others into our lives. Of course it takes courage and a commitment to move in that direction. But it is totally worth the effort and risk! I believe God is up to something extraordinary in our church community. There are other groups having experiences similar to my "book club." Many people are telling me how their lives have been changed recently through this church. What do you think God is doing among us? What does God want to do in you? I believe the Spirit of God will continue blessing us through the formation of new groups. And through these groups, continue changing people's lives. But don't take my word for it. Listen to what your church family has to say: "In the stillness and beauty of St. Meinrad my soul was touched by God. The experience of group lectio divina with my sisters in Christ moved me toward the path of sanctification and centered my prayers for deeper communication with God. Experiencing the Holy Spirit in that situation truly causes you to yearn for the presence of God in every aspect of your life." "I have learned and grown more in my Christian faith this year at Belle Meade UMC than any other time in my life." "Experiencing God in new, deeper ways happens when we expect it and are willing to wait for it. This truth emerges in every aspect of our spiritual life: congregational worship, private devotion, small group study. Guided meditations help me glean from Scriptures new insights and renewed intentions. Group lectio divina fosters a closeness to God and to others. I looked forward to hearing God's whispers into the ears of my heart and I was not disappointed. " My heart sings in praise to God for what is happening among us! May each of us be open to what God wants to do in our life. Peace, Kristin Belle Meade United Methodist Church October 2, 2013 The Spire " The Blessings of Community" by Rev. Kristin Clark-Banks
Transcript
Last week I took a group of women from our church to a monastery in St. Meinrad, Indiana. These women have been meeting weekly since January. We call ourselves a book club because we come together around a table to eat lunch and discuss a book we're reading. But to be honest, I'm not sure we are a book club anymore. The conversation now centers around our lives with God. We share our spiritual journeys, our questions, our doubts, the ways we connect with God. We pray together. Sometimes we sit in silence and listen for God. It's become a cherished part of my weekly routine because I'm not just growing in knowledge, I'm growing closer to God.
When we went away together for just over 24 hours something wonderful and holy happened. We shared meals, conversations and laughter that allowed us to know each other more deeply. We joined the monks for prayers and found ourselves lifted to God through their singing. And maybe best of all, at least for me, we participated in some group spiritual exercises. The guided meditations on scripture and lectio divina (sacred readings) allowed us to linger in the Word of God: to let it ask us questions, to let it reveal to us a loving and always present God who speaks the exact word we need to hear. We listened to our sisters share what God was saying to them and we ended by praying for one another.
God does something special in community. When we come together God pours out the Holy Spirit. We find our-selves known and loved. We discover that we are not alone in life. Rather, we have a family of faith who supports us, challenges us to be better, even allows us to lean on their faith when ours seems to have run dry. We have profound experiences of the living God as we allow ourselves to be vulnerable, to let others into our lives. Of course it takes courage and a commitment to move in that direction. But it is totally worth the effort and risk!
I believe God is up to something extraordinary in our church community. There are other groups having experiences similar to my "book club." Many people are telling me how their lives have been changed recently through this church.
What do you think God is doing among us? What does God want to do in you? I believe the Spirit of God will continue blessing us through the formation of new groups. And through these groups, continue changing people's lives. But don't take my word for it. Listen to what your church family has to say:
"In the stillness and beauty of St. Meinrad my soul was touched by God. The experience of group lectio divina with my sisters in Christ moved me toward the path of sanctification and centered my prayers for deeper communication with God. Experiencing the Holy Spirit in that situation truly causes you to yearn for the presence of God in every aspect of your life."
"I have learned and grown more in my Christian faith this year at Belle Meade UMC than any other time in my life."
"Experiencing God in new, deeper ways happens when we expect it and are willing to wait for it. This truth emerges in every aspect of our spiritual life: congregational worship, private devotion, small group study. Guided meditations help me glean from Scriptures new insights and renewed intentions. Group lectio divina fosters a closeness to God and to others. I looked forward to hearing God's whispers into the ears of my heart and I was not disappointed. "
My heart sings in praise to God for what is happening among us! May each of us be open to what God wants to do in our life.
Peace,Kristin
Belle Meade United Methodist Church October 2, 2013The Spire" The Blessings of Community"
by Rev. Kristin Clark-Banks
Art & Soul: Creatively Connecting With God & Each OtherIt's Painting Prayer with a twist!Painting Techniques, Next Wednesday, Octo-ber 9th from 6:15-7:00. Cost is $10.Would a little practice with acrylic materials in a question-and-answer environment help you feel more comfortable painting and bring more
enjoyment to the Painting Prayer experinece? This is for you! We will prac-tice some basic to more advanced painting techniques including color mixing, shading, layering, and textures. *There will not be a finished piece to take home. This is a practice session only.Painting the Night Away, Thursday, October 24th from 6:00-8:00 pm Cost is $30. BYOD (Bring your own dinner) and friend, spouse, date, child (if old enough to stay up) and enjoy a fun night of painting. We will paint step-by-step together with lots of instruction to complete this beautiful church painting. This is the church version of “Sip and Strokes.” It will be a great time! All skill levels welcome. **You must sign up to reserve your spot, which you may do via the registration sheet in the administrative lobby, or email [email protected].
An Opportunity to ServeDo you know our church provides refresh-ments to our bereaved families during visitations before a funeral or memorial service? The bereavement committee organizes and supplies this food and other items, expressing our sympathy in a “hands on” way. With a large, active group it is not necessary to help with every visitation. Are you willing to bake cookies, make sandwiches, cut up fruit, make tea, host, pack up leftovers for the family to take home, etc. for an occa-sional visitation? Please contact Susan Meador ([email protected]) or Betty McAlister ([email protected]) if you will serve on the bereavement com-mittee, or if you have questions. Thank you for considering.
Send off to SenegalJoin us this Friday, Oct 4 at 7:00 pm in Fellowship Hall for a time of fellowship and sharing with a prayer and a blessing for Lauren Christians before she leaves for Dakar, Senegal
October 15 to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with college students through Cru International. She’ll be gone through July 2014 without returning stateside, so we’re also putting together an electronic scrap-book for her with words of encouragement, prayers, and blessings. If you can’t join us for the send off, feel free to send special thoughts for Lauren to Susan Christians at 8011 Hwy 70S, Nashville, TN 37221 or to [email protected].
Memorial GiftsDonations were made to the Memorial Fund in memory of:Roy Bess by:
Dean JacksonJim Williams by:
Hardaway Construction Corp. L.H. Hardaway, Jr. David and Kitty Williams DonnanNancy and Hale Hooper
Blessing of the AnimalsYou are invited to bring your pets for an individual prayer of blessing anytime between 5:30 and 6:30 pm next Mon-day, October 7. Join us for a wonderful time of bless-ing our pets, who are God's special gifts in our lives!
Informational Meeting This Sunday: 2014 Trip to the Holy LandJoin us for a brief informational meeting about this exciting trip after 10:30 service this Sun-day, October 6 in the lounge.Bishop Bill McAlilly will be leading a group from
the TN and Memphis Conferences February 17-26, 2014. The trip will in-clude travel to Galilee, Nazareth, Megiddo, Jericho, Mt. of Olives, Beth-lehem, and Jerusalem. As we travel together, we will worship and learn. We will visit sites where Jesus was born, where he walked, and where he taught and prayed. All inclusive pricing starts at $3196 and includes: airfare from Nashville, all tours, fees, taxes, transportation, daily breakfast and dinner, and first class hotels. Brochures and general information are avail-able by contacting Danny Rhodes ([email protected]), or Kristin Clark-Banks ([email protected]) via email or at the church office 615-352-6210.
The church prayer list cannot be included on our website due to privacy issues.
You can find the list in the church bulletin
or in the e-mail newsletter.If you would like
to receive the newsletter by e-mail please contact
the church office at 352-6210 or sign up at the church website,
www.bellemeadeumc.org, under the newsletter and events
page.
Acolyte and Crucifer ScheduleDate Acolyte CruciferOct 6 Bailey Francis Brayden DeVault-SmithOct 13 Jackson Hinchman Matt DialOct 20 Leigh Ann Schmidt Kang HuhOct 27 Emily Carro Spencer Williams
Pumpkinfest 2013October 27 4:00-6:00 PM Our famous festival is on the way! Mark your calendar for a fun-filled fall evening with your church family. Dress your chil-dren in their spookiest and most imagina-tive costumes; come enjoy the games, annual parade and costume contest. Join in the fun and decorate a booth. The Upper Room-Fidelis class will be defend-ing their championship this year. Prepare your best chili and bring it to share: The best chili recipe goes home with a prize! Last year’s winners were Mark Acker and Anne-Marie Brush. Along with the contest we will enjoy a chili dinner together. To participate with a booth or to join the chili cook-off, sign up in the administra-tive lobby. And last but not least bring your clogs---we are going to square dance!
Pumpkin Patch Begins This SaturdayVolunteers are needed at 9 am this Saturday, October 5 to unload the pumpkins for our annual pumpkin patch. Also, please consider helping out by working shifts of the patch dur-ing the month of October. The shifts are daily and segmented into two-hour increments, starting at 10 am and ending at 6 pm, except Sundays, which begin at noon. All proceeds from this fundraiser benefit youth ministries. Sign up in the church lobby and email [email protected] with any questions.
Belle Meade United Methodist Church121 Davidson Road, Nashville, TN 37205www.bellemeadeumc.org(615) 352 - 6210
Worship This Sunday8:30 am - Worship in the ChapelSermon: Rev. Kristin Clark-Banks
Music by BMUMC acoustic ensemble 8:45 am - Holy Communion in the Sanctuary
A 15-minute time of communion with prayers and liturgy.
10:30 am - Worship in the SanctuarySermon: Rev. Kristin Clark-Banks
Music: Belle Meade Choir and Instrumentalists9:15 am - 10:15 am Sunday School for all ages
World Communion Sunday This WeekWorld Communion Sunday, one of six church-wide special Sundays of The United Methodist Church, provides scholarships for U.S minority students and international students, on both undergraduate and graduate levels.Following is an example of the impact these scholarships have: The Rev. Catrena Talbert is a certified United Methodist Chaplain because she got financial help from Journey Toward the Ordained Ministry and Ethnic Minority Scholarship programs, both funded by World Communion Sunday offerings. Growing up as an African American in tiny Stateline, Mississippi, Catrena felt called to preach and especially to the chaplaincy. However, her denomination did not ordain women. Her aunt introduced Catrena to her UMC female pastor who urged her to go to college. Thanks to scholarships funded by World Communion Sunday she was able to graduate from Rust College in Holy Springs, MS, and Gammon Seminary in Atlanta. Today she is a chaplain at a federal prison in Yazoo City.
