We had a great time in Asheville watching the Tourists play! Even though the Tourists lost, our fellowship was rich and sweet.
1st Explorers Shutterfly Account
1st Explorers now has a Shutterfly account where we will be posting photos of our experiences in Summer Camp, After School, and more! You can access these pictures at this link: https://1stexplorers.shutterfly.com/
Making Room for the Devil - Jeff Mathis
When I was a child, I was fascinated by the TV show, ‘The Incredible Hulk.’ You may recall that in that 1970's TV series, the protagonist was a man who had been plagued by a science experiment gone wrong. As a result, whenever Dr. David Banner got angry, his eyes would dilate. His skin would turn a menacing shade of green. His bulging biceps would then rip his shirt to shreds, and a horrible monster would be unleashed. The narrator says it well: “The monster within Dr. Banner was driven by rage.”
“You wouldn’t like me when I’m angry,” he would say to those who would tempt his temper.
This classic Jekyll and Hyde story is both compelling and revealing. For in truth, we all have a monster that lives within us. It is revealed when we are stressed, anxious, furious or enraged. When this monstrous side of us is revealed, it can do incalculable damage to those we love the most. We become reptilian--reacting instead of responding--striking out at others with little thought to the consequences. We are our worst selves when our anger controls our thoughts and our actions.
Dr. Banner is correct. We are neither likeable, nor lovable when we are fueled by rage.
Anger is not the enemy, just as none of our emotions are innately bad. Our emotional response to the world just is. We become co-opted by our emotions, however, when we begin to identify with our feelings. We may feel anger, or disappointment or disgust, but we are not the embodiment of those emotions. It is a far better response to temper our inner voice and report that we “feel angry,” rather than state that we “are angry.” We are not our emotions. Our emotions do not make up our identities.
Or at least they shouldn’t. For when we become our feelings, we feed the monster that is eager to run free.
Paul gives us good counsel on the issue of anger and rage. In his letter to the church in Ephesus, he tells us, “Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not make room for the devil.” (Ephesians 4:26-27).
Feeling anger is not a sin. And that’s a good thing, because there is much to feel angry about. The catch, Paul tells us, is to not sin in our anger.
Anger is a powerful emotion. It can drive us to do good. But it can also be used as a toxin, blinding us to one another and making enemies where we should be neighbors. Anger, as we know, can be manipulated…it can be fueled. People can use us by stoking our anger and directing our inner monsters to hurt others. It is imperative that we guard against this impulse so that we do not allow our righteous anger to prompt a sinful reaction.
So feel anger. Absolutely. Allow the anger that you feel to wash over you. But then let it leave you, as well. Holding your anger inside is just as detrimental to you as it is to unleash it upon others. Find a way to allow your anger to escape. And do so quickly, Paul intones. “Do not let the sun go down on your anger.”
There is a wry comedy in the ways people channel their anger. My father used to go out after work and split wood. The longer he was out there at the wood pile, the angrier—we assumed—he felt. Apparently, I get angry at inanimate objects (or so my family reports). I let the offending device, hammer or tree stump know that I am angry, and for the most part, that verbal release enables me to move on.
How do you release your anger?
I pray that you do. Because, if you do not find a healthy way to release the anger that builds up inside you, you are “making room for the devil.” Be suspicious of the anger that lurks in your heart after the sun goes down. That anger is not working for good. That monster, that devil, is crafting a strategy to work for evil.
How can I be so sure? Just turn on the evening news.
Vespers at Waterrock Knob
Vespers will be on Wednesday July 20th at 6:00 pm. We will be meeting at Waterrock Knob (located at milepost 451 on the Blue Ridge Parkway). The church will be providing a hot dog supper, a time of devotion for the adults and play time for the kids. Then, we will have a game of ultimate frisbee at 6,000 feet! Come cool off with us!
Introducing Our New Children's Ministry Interns
Hello! It is with great excitement that we officially introduce ourselves as the new ministry interns for the Preschool and Children’s Ministries for the 2016-2017 year here at First Baptist Church of Sylva.
My name is Hannah Harris, and I am a recent alumnus of Western Carolina University. I have a degree in Communication Science & Disorders with a minor in Special Education. However, I have recently decided to pursue an Associate’s degree in Respiratory Therapy at Southwestern Community College beginning this fall. Born and raised as a city girl, I quickly fell in love with Western North Carolina and the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains and decided to become more involved in the local community. As a frequent visitor to the church, I was given an opportunity to work in the nursery where I enjoyed working with, and meeting new friends, within the church. I was pleased to extend my time and my efforts to the After School and Summer Camp ministries following that, where I eventually took on more responsibilities. I am currently serving alongside Kelly Brown as the Assistant Director. I am looking forward to devoting even more of myself to the church as the new Preschool Ministry intern.
My name is Megan Harris, and I am also a recent alumnus of Western Carolina University with a degree in Communication Science & Disorders. I first started my experience with First Baptist through the church nursery and immediately found that the church felt like a family and a second home. I was happy to work with Summer Explorers Camp and the After School Ministry last year, and I currently still work with both ministries. After living in Sylva, and having being a part of First Baptist, I have recently decided to pursue further education at a later time so that I can perform to the best of my ability as the Children’s Ministry Intern.
We know that you will want to join us in thanking our predecessor--Sarah Ogletree--for her time and her work with us this past year. We are sad to see her leave us, but we are excited for her next step in attending the Divinity School at Wake Forest University. Her last Sunday with us will be July 31st.
Beginning Sunday, August 6th, we are excited to start the new year with a Sunday School experience that emphasizes learning about the Bible. Our children will be using a new Sunday School curriculum called Heartshaper, which will provide us the opportunity to learn basic Bible knowledge, highlighting all of the major Bible stories beginning in Genesis and proceeding all the way to Revelation. By the end of your child's time in our children's ministry, we will have gone through the Bible five times!
So please join us on Sunday mornings beginning at 9:30 AM! Encourage your children to bring their Bible so that they can learn how to use it to find God's truth. Additionally, feel free to check out the link for the Heartshaper curriculum (http://heartshaper.com) as it provides a multitude of resources for parents and family to share devotions, memorize scripture and put faith into action.
Last, but not least, Graduation Sunday is around the corner – August 21st. The Sunday School classes will break down as follows: babies (ages birth through 12 months), toddlers (ages 1 to 2), preschool (ages 3-Kindergarten), and school-aged children (grades 1 to 5). All of our rising 1st graders who attend on Sunday, August 21st in worship will receive a Bible. This rite of passage signifies a shift in these rising 1st grader's lives at church. These 1st graders are old enough to be able to participate with our church family throughout worship. Our preschoolers will continue to attend the first half of worship before leaving for Wee Praise following the children’s message. Additionally, we will be developing new activity sheets and exercises for our children to participate in during worship.
Thank you for entrusting us with the Biblical education, activities, and overall care of your children! We look forward to further developing our relationship with your families. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to us via email or text message.
Best Regards,
Hannah Harris & Megan Harris
Asheville Tourists Baseball Game on Sunday, July 24
Travel with us after worship on Sunday, July 24 for an afternoon Tourists baseball game in Asheville. For ultimate convenience, drive yourself or carpool with friends. Grab lunch on the way or at the stadium. Game time is 2:05 PM and kids run the bases after the game.
Here's how you can make it to the game:
-Purchase your own tickets either beforehand on-line (theashevilletourists.com) or by calling their box office (828-258-0428). Tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for children and seniors.
-Request seats in section GG, and as close to Row F, as possible--the Mathises will be in section GG, Row F, seats 1,2,3,4 . By purchasing tickets in this (shaded from sun and rain!) section, we will all be able to sit together. Don't delay in getting your tickets! Play ball!
1st Explorers Wish List
If you would like to support our 1st Explorers Ministry, we now have a wish list on Amazon.com. If you purchase an item from our wish list, it will be used by our After School, Summer Explorers, and Wee Explorers camps. To access the wish list, follow this link: http://amzn.com/w/LKIDY053QS5O
Volunteers Needed to Organize History Room
Gwen Messer is sorting through our church's History Room, which holds items from decades of First Baptist Sylva's past. She needs help organizing and sorting through everything however! If you are interested in helping, contact Gwen Messer at 506-8501 or 586-9416.
Singing Ourselves Strong - Jeff Mathis
For as long as I can recall, music has always accompanied my faith.
I must have been around five years old at the time. It was Sunday night worship and we met in our church’s chapel. I was thrilled at what was unfolding—we were going to have a hymn-sing! Little did I know then that the pastor simply wanted a night off. And praise God for that! Our evening was filled with music. Those in our attendance could request the next hymn and we would all lift our voices in worship through song. At one point, I was able to corral our music minister’s attention and I requested a more modern hymn: “Pass It On.”
“I’ll shout it from a mountain-top!,” the chorus rang out. “I want my world to know the Lord of love has come to me, I want to pass it on.”
I don’t have a clear memory of any other Sunday evening worship service from my childhood. But I remember this moment because the entire service was filled with congregational singing.
With the exception of the National Anthem, or ‘Take Me Out to the Ballgame,’ we rarely sing together in public. Outside of church, people do not sing together as we once did. And that’s a shame. Music, and singing in particular, is such a communal activity. When we sing together, we feel a part of something bigger than ourselves. We can make harmony, together. We can get lost in a melody. We can digest rich words of meaning as we sing them. There is power in our shared voices.
Church, then, becomes one of the last few places that we can sing together. Congregational singing is a transcendent experience and is one that we must preserve. Unlike concerts, where the function of the event is to receive the music by listening to the artist, congregational singing places the emphasis on our corporate offering. This shared experience has a name. We call it church.
This Sunday in worship, we will celebrate how music makes us stronger. We will sing our praises to God, hear testimonies about how hymns have touched our lives, and will marvel at the way God is present in our singing. Indeed, God roots us together in Christ by weaving His song into our own.
One of my favorite hymns is, “For All the Saints.”
Although I had grown up with this song, it took on a new meaning for me during my first week at Princeton Seminary. The seminary’s chapel, nearly 200 years old at the time, had extraordinary acoustics. The high ceilings, the marble floors and the uber-powerful pipe organ all worked to reveal God’s glory in music.
It was the downbeat that got me.
I wasn’t expecting it and I certainly wasn’t expecting the power that accompanied it. The note, cloaked in power from the depths of the musical scale, cleared the way for what was to come. The chapel shook. The pew in front of me rattled. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, and I gasped. What kind of majesty was this?
Triumphant, glorious, evocative, 200 seminarians sung as loud as their voices would carry them, and the familiar tune marched us through the 19th century lyrics of encouragement and consolation.
“Thou wast their Rock, their fortress and their Might; Thou Lord, their Captain in the well-fought fight; Thou, in the darkness drear, their one true light. Alleluia! Alleluia!”
Today, this hymn seems perfectly crafted for funerals and memorial services. No, it is not a mournful song. No, it does not soothe a heart wounded by tragedy. Instead, this hymn rouses us to lift our heads to heaven. It is a toast (!) to those who have gone before us into life eternal. The song is a victory march that functions as a confession of our faith in Jesus Christ.
"And when the strife is fierce, the warfare long, Steals on the ear the distant triumph song, and hearts are brave again, and arms are strong. Alleluia! Alleluia!”
When we choose to lift our voices together in worship, we are privileged to sing ourselves strong. This Sunday, First Baptist Church, we will do just that.
Summer Camp Update
As I sit on my porch and reflect on the past 3 weeks of camp. I can’t help but smile and laugh. It has been great to see close to 50 children in our building at First Baptist each day of the week as campers are actively learning and growing together!
I have seen campers grow as they have learned the Lord’s Prayer in their camp groups and in chapel each day. Our oldest group, led by Landon Smith and Caleb Bonner, has done a phenomenal job of being an example for our youngest as they have coordinated and led our daily chapel services as well as donated over 60 books to Sylva Linings. Our 2nd through 4th grade group has done a great job of learning how to be community and share with one another and have even adopted a Ugandan child and are hoping to create a garden out of kiddie pools. Our Kindergarten through 1st grade group has been the most fun and caring group as they took thank you cards to the Sylva Police Department and have helped with offering during our chapel services. Our Pre-School age group has been fun to see as they have a weekly water day on the playground and walk to the library to participate in their weekly events. Jose has taught students how to build really cool solar-powered robots. The heart for service and willingness to learn about God has been a gift to witness!
Our Camp Counselors have amazed me with their willingness to serve, love and lead. They show up every day prepared to engage our children and share God's love with them! I’m overly grateful to serve alongside each of them every day. Please say thank you to them as they lead among us!
Over the next four weeks we will begin preparing for our Lights On Camp Program that will happen on August 11th at 6:00 PM in our Mission and Fellowship Center. This program will be a time that we will share with you about our summer and have a silent auction to benefit our program. I hope you will invite family and friends to join us as we celebrate our summer together!
I am honored to serve as the leader of such an awesome program with staff, children and families that are willing to learn about God and follow him as we journey together. May the next 4 weeks be as amazing as the first 3 weeks.
May we continue to grow, learn and share together!
Kelly