"Down on the Farm" was the theme for 1st Explorers, November 8-10. It was a short week because of the schools closing on Monday and Veterans Day on Friday, but a busy one. Extension Agent Emily McClure continued her cooking class for the older kids, focusing on fat in the diet. A healthy dish featuring eggs was prepared by the 1st Explorers. On Thursday, Extension Agent Rob Hawk talked about soil and its importance in growing gardens and crops. Chapel each day focused on farmers in the Bible.
The CDC Recommends That You Wear a Mask Indoors
Council on Aging Box Collection
Every year, the Council on Aging fills boxes with good things for the disabled and Homebound in Jackson County. They ask that the items be put in a wrapped box. There are several wrapped boxes in the Loving Kindness Room with a list inside of needed items.
If you can help with this project, please take a box, fill it and either return it to the Church or take it to the Senior Service Center before November 30. Thanks for your help with this giving project and bringing joy to others!
Thanksgiving Dinner – THIS Sunday, November 20
Christmas Offering
Consider giving a gift that will extend the work of Christ’s Kingdom in our community! This year, choose to give a gift in honor or memory of someone special through our Christmas Offering. All proceeds of the Christmas Offering will be used to further the mission and ministry of First Baptist Church in our town and around the world. When you contribute to our Christmas Offering, the church will send a Christmas card to the person you choose to honor. Christmas Offering envelopes are available in both the pew racks in our sanctuary and our church office.
What’s Your Favorite Bible Verse?
The children's Sunday School class wants to know! They are asking folks to write out their favorite verse and their name on a piece of paper located in a basket in the vestibule over the next 2 Sundays. Return the verse to the basket and the children will add it to their favorite verses on a bulletin board outside the Children's Sunday School room. This will make a great intergenerational bulletin board and a wonderful way for the children to learn more about the Bible and our congregation. Thank you for your help!
Recipes Appreciated!
Each week we include a recipe in the Church Chimes and we hope that you are enjoying reading and trying them. You can add your favorite recipes to the Chimes by sending them to Cheryl Beck at cabeck@ncsu.edu. This is an ongoing WMU project.
Thanks for participating!
Needed: Magazines for Students
Students at the Jackson Community School need a diverse collection of magazines to assist them in class projects this fall. Please drop off any old magazines you might have in the Loving Kindness Center located next to the elevators beside the sanctuary. Brooke Drum is a teacher at the Jackson Community School and will gladly answer any question you have about ways that we can be good neighbors to their students.
The Other Nine
by Dr. Jeff Mathis
In many cultures, it is unacceptable to be ungrateful. Regardless of the gift, an appreciation for an offering is expected. Growing up, telling my generous aunt that I was too good for her cornhusk toy was flat-out offensive.
But increasingly, it’s become fashionable to be ‘peculiar’ about the gifts we receive. Savvy consumers have the right to be picky, and entitlement replaces thanksgiving.
“Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” The ten lepers had spotted Jesus and had a hunch that he might be able to save them from their disease.
Jesus shouted back: “Go and show yourselves to the priest.” Jesus was telling them to present themselves for inspection to identify them as clean.
And as they did, they were healed.
But “one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him.”
Jesus, though, was a bit miffed. “Where,” asked the Christ, “are the other nine?”
We are the Other Nine, of course. We are guilty of not returning thanks to God, our Great Provider. And I can imagine that Jesus is miffed at us, too.
It’s not hard to imagine that these Other Nine were probably thankful for being healed. How could these newly healed lepers not have been? Jesus had heard their plea, saved them, and enabled them to be reunited with their families. I’m confident these Other Nine were grateful. But they failed to acknowledge it out loud to the One who made it possible. Not for nothing, one takeaway from this story is that it’s not good enough to feel thankful. We have to be willing to acknowledge our gratitude out loud.
Thanksgiving means acknowledging the good. In contrast, we are often much quicker to identify the ‘not-good,’ the imperfect, the unfair, the unacceptable, and the undone in our lives. But the good? We tend to either overlook it or flatly take it for granted.
May God forgive us.
Thanksgiving is a choice and must be shared aloud (‘Thanksfeeling’ sounds pretty terrible, doesn’t it?).
Thanksgiving requires open eyes, ears, and, yes, mouths. It’s not enough to feel thankful. We must express it.
In the coming week, choose to acknowledge the good to family, friends, and even strangers. And certainly, let’s not forget to share our gratitude with God.
Besides, it’s never too late for the Other Nine to thank Jesus.
