March 2ND EDITION 2025 WEB

MARCH 2025

SECOND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

2NDPRES.ORG

A couple of weeks ago a Baptist pastor in Memphis (Cordova) lamented to his congregation that he was “disappointed” in the new policy of the current administration to no longer observe the sanctity of churches when it comes to arresting undocumented immigrants. He said he didn’t “like the idea” of a church being “raided” and he said didn’t want people to be afraid to come to the church if they were in need. (You can read his full statement and even see a video of it on the Fox 13 Memphis website.)

The pastor concluded by saying, “So I hope that we can give each other grace if we disagree.” Tennessee Senator Brent Taylor did not give the pastor grace. He stood up and walked out of the service and then posted about it, prompting a firestorm of social media backlash against the pastor. Almost all of the comments were along the lines of “Keep your woke, progressive politics out of the pulpit.”

Interesting. When evangelical pastors use their pulpits to parrot the political agenda of the Republican party and say that the President has been anointed by God to save America, conservative Christians do not complain about politics from the pulpit. In fact, they cheer it. I hope you can appreciate the irony and hypocrisy.

It might not surprise you to hear people have walked out of sermons while I was preaching. In my first congregation one gentleman slammed a door on his way out, shattering the glass that was in it. In my last congregation a gentleman stormed up to me after worship as I was greeting worshipers and slammed me up against the wall as he yelled at me for what I had said.

To my knowledge, no one at 2nd has gotten up and walked out during a sermon, but some people have stopped coming to worship altogether because they say I’m too political. Some have said this to me directly, which I have appreciated. Others have simply told others who have then told me.

Here’s what I’ve learned through the years. Comments like, “you’re too political” or “I don’t like politics in the pulpit” or “stick to the Gospel” are really just ways of saying, “I don’t agree with you.” That’s the reality. When people cry about “politics in the pulpit” what they are really upset about is “politics different from mine in the pulpit.” I have never – not once in 25 years – been criticized for being too political by someone who liked or agreed with what I said in a sermon. In fact, just the opposite; I have been thanked and praised. I guess when we like or agree with what is being said it’s not politics, it’s just the truth.

Please know it is never my intention to make any of you angry with something I say in a sermon. My intention is to help you grow spiritually and to help you understand the context of the Bible better. Sometimes challenging longheld or commonly-held beliefs is the best way to do that.

Sometimes applying Scripture to current political issues is the best way to do that.

Also, please know that I would never tell you what to believe or how to think about any particular issue. What I do want to do is challenge you to think critically about what the Scriptures say and how they apply to current issues so you can come to your own informed conclusion. Then, if we disagree, we disagree. But at least we are disagreeing on how we interpret Scripture and not what was or wasn’t said in a sermon.

Grace and peace…

Table of Contents Worship Connect

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Go Support

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Calendar

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Upcoming Sermon Texts and Topics We continue our sermon series on The Life of Jesus as we move into Lent on Ash Wednesday, March 5th. Jesus’ Kingdom Mission is coming to a conclusion and from now through Easter we will be focusing on the last week of Jesus’ life, as recorded in Luke’s Gospel.

March 2nd

Luke 9:28-36

The Life of Jesus: Transfiguration

March 5th

Joel 2/Mt 6

Ash Wednesday

March 9th

Luke 19:28-40

The Life of Jesus: Enters Jerusalem

March 16th

Luke 19:41-48

The Life of Jesus: Cleanses the Temple

March 23rd

Luke 20:9-26

The Life of Jesus: Argues with the Authorities

*March 30th Luke 22:47-53

The Life of Jesus: Arrest

*Even though March 30th is a 5th Sunday, we will worship in the sanctuary since our friends from Church of the Savior are in the Fellowship Hall.

Ash Wednesday - March 5th The season of Lent begins on Wednesday, March 5th. We will celebrate with a service of Imposition of Ashes in the Sanctuary at 6:00 p.m.

This will be a joint worship service with our friends from Church of the Savior.

Second Readers will meet at the church in the Mary Chambers Room, March 19, at 11:30. Our book is The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris. Leslie Matthews will lead our discussion.

Everyone is asked to bring their lunch and enjoy the discussion. We would love to have anyone interested join us and if there are questions, call Margaret Sullivan at 865-363-3967.

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New Organist - Sarah Warner Sarah is a passionate organist, holding a B.M. in Organ Performance with an emphasis in Composition and a B.A. in Theology and Religious Studies from Bellarmine University in Louisville, KY. Graduating Summa Cum Laude, Sarah has earned the Faculty Merit Award in Music and has presented at two Music Teachers’ conferences on the local and state level. Having only begun her musical journey as an adult in 2019, Sarah has performed solo works for organ, piano, and various collaborative works. Viewing music as an opportunity to lift our entire being to God, Sarah enjoys arranging hymn tunes and writing chamber works centered around Christian Spirituality. Her most recent piece, Purgation, was written for the Archdiocese of Louisville and debuted in April 2024 at St. Louis Bertrand Catholic Church. As a singer, Sarah enjoys lifting her voice to God as a mezzo-soprano and has sung major works in several university and church choirs. Professionally, Sarah is a member of Knoxville’s American Guild of Organists and teaches piano, organ, and voice.

Arts and Crafts The arts and crafts group is changing its meeting date to the first Monday of each month. The group meets at 10:00 am in Room 227.

They are always looking for new members! Contact Cheryl Ragsdale (cherylintennessee@yahoo.com) for more information.

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New Members!

Zach Wright and Jessie Wilson Zach was born and raised in Fountain City, where he attended Fountain City Presbyterian Church. He graduated in kinesiology in May of 2024 from UT Knoxville and is now in the Physician Assistant program at LMU Knoxville. While at UT, he attended UKirk UTK, where he lived his senior year and served as the hospitality intern running the UPerk coffee shop.

Jessie is from Cookeville and grew up in the First Baptist Church of Cookeville before her family followed their close friends to begin Covenant Church of Cookeville. She graduated in industrial engineering in December of 2024 from UT Knoxville and is continuing there for her master's of industrial engineering. Jessie was introduced to UKirk UTK when she began dating Zach, and has kept attending UKirk into graduate school.

We have been friends with Seth Reynolds and Blythe Lundberg throughout college, and Seth invited Jessie to sing in the choir starting the summer of 2024. We are excited to officially join the church and continue to grow in faith together with this welcoming and loving community!

Glenn & Barbara Lamping We moved to Knoxville from Wausau, Wisconsin in September 2024. We left our three adult sons (and two granddaughters) back in Wisconsin. Since we have no family in the area, we look forward to forming friendships here that will become like family. We decided to move in our retirement because we were tired of the long winters in Wisconsin, but we still wanted the four seasons. Of all the places we considered and visited, Knoxville felt like home to us. We visited a number of churches in Knoxville, but none of them were where God was leading us. We attended 2nd Presbyterian after reading about the congregation on the internet. Everyone was so welcoming and friendly every time we attended an event or service that we wanted to be part of this congregation spreading God’s love throughout the community. We love traveling the world and experiencing different cultures. We will make it to our 7th continent (Antarctica) with our next trip.

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MARCH PROGRAM On Tuesday, March 11, from 10:00 to 11:30, Presbyterian Women offer the second program in its study year from February through June, 2025, concentrating on some successful nonprofits.

An Emerald Youth Foundation Team will report on the new Lonsdale Community Complex which contains music rehearsal rooms, a weight room, a full gym, a health clinic, learning center, fitness center, meeting rooms, and outside sports fields. The EYF representatives will describe the hopes and plans for a similar community complex on Magnolia Avenue where few community services exist. All church members and visitors of the church are invited and welcome to attend these programs!

During the second half of Presbyterian Women’s study year from February through June, 2025, we are concentrating on various non-profits that concentrate on specific missions which seek to fulfill God’s mandate found in Genesis 1:26 Then God said, “Let us make humankind; and let them have dominion over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals . . .

Unfortunately humans have failed to take good care of God’s domain and many of God’s people as well as nature are suffering.

FEBRUARY PROGRAM In February Presbyterian Women hosted the Director of Ijams Nature Center and gave us a bird’s eye view of the many facets of the Center; all focused on keeping the Center’s spaces and functions as close to the natural environment as possible. Amber Parker stated that the Center has grown from a few acres to more than 300 acres now—a natural haven for wild and plant life in the middle of an urban and bustling South Knoxville.

Parker gave us much to think about as she discussed Ijams’ history, present, and future surviving in a world that minute by minute damages God’s gift to His children.

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Lenten Book Study – Hope Is Here!

Our Lenten book this year is Hope Is Here!: Spiritual Practices for Pursuing Justice and Beloved Community by Luther E. Smith, Jr. This book examines how we truly perceive and join the work of hope, enlivening us to a life that is oriented toward immediate and future experiences of personal fulfillment, justice, and beloved community. Interpreting five spiritual practices for individuals and congregations to experience the power of hope, Smith prepares us to engage racism, mass incarceration, environmental crises, divisive politics, and indifference that imperil both justice and community. Luther E. Smith, Jr. is Professor Emeritus of Church and Community at the Candler School of Theology, Emory University.

We will be reading the book together with Church of the Savior and gathering weekly to discuss the readings at a day/time to be determined.

The book is available at all major online book sellers. A very limited supply of is available in the church office for $16.50 each.

Spring Forward - Daylight Saving Time Daylight Saving Time begins at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, March 9th. Remember to set your clocks ahead one hour before going to bed on Saturday, March 8th, or you’ll be an hour late for worship!

GO Team Report – February 2025 The GO Team is responsible for extending the ministry of 2nd Presbyterian beyond the church both locally and globally through financial donations and volunteer activities. They rely on the generosity of the congregation to fund their efforts and welcome recommendations for donations and volunteer opportunities.

The team meets on the first Thursday of each month at 1pm in the Barbour Room.

Next meeting March 6.

February Disbursements: Presbytery of East Tennessee - $1,150. This will be the monthly disbursement for the year for a total of $13,800.

Morgan Scott Project - $3,000. This donation is being made earlier this year than usual to help with recovery from tornadoes that hit Morgan and Scott counties on the evening of February 6.

Morgan and Scott counties are two of the poorest in Tennessee. Since 1972 the Morgan-Scott Project for Cooperative Christian Concerns (MSP) has formed a base from which the needs of low-income families in Scott and Morgan counties in rural Tennessee can be addressed. MSP functions as both a social services agency and as a community development organization.

East Knox Free Medical Clinic - $2,000. Since first opened in 2013, the East Knox Free Medical Clinic's mission has been to provide quality care in a safe environment. At the clinic, they provide their patients with comprehensive care. This is an all-volunteer clinic seeing patients with high blood pressure, high blood sugar, as well as other acute and chronic diseases.

West View Elementary School - $500. – Approved for sponsorship of car pick-up hang tags for 2025-2026 Knox Pride - $2,500. This donation is to help with an immediate need. Knox Pride serves the area in countless ways extending well beyond the LGBTQIA+ community. Just to name very few, they have food pantries, support groups, community gardens, and a thrift/clothing store. They are a United Way agency and are also supported by various other grants and donations. This immediate need was called to our attention by Pride Interfaith Knox.

Volunteer activities for Late January and February: January 31 – Volunteers served breakfast in the Resource Center at Volunteer Ministry Center to those working their way to permanent housing as well as staff.

February 19 – Volunteers were schedules to serve lunch at KARM. Unfortunately, this had to be canceled but will be rescheduled soon.

West View Supplies Collection Box – This box located in the atrium has a current list of supplies needed. As a result of generous donations, two deliveries to West View have already been made already this year. Please check the current needs listed at the collection box as they will be updated from time to time.

GOing and Serving in 2025 – Watch for upcoming volunteer opportunities at VMC, KARM, and Love Kitchen, West View, and others in upcoming weekly newsletters. Coming up in March and April – Love Kitchen, and KARM.

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2nd Harvest Food Bank Donations Thank you SO much for your overwhelming generosity in during our Love Your Neighbor Knox 2025 campaign! Thanks to you our food bin is overflowing with nonperishable food items to share with 2nd Harvest Food Bank during their slowest season of the year.

Additionally, we raised $1,162 for the Souper Bowl of Caring, which will also be shared with 2nd Harvest Food Bank. We are truly a welcoming, faithful, and hopeful congregation!

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ACTUAL 2024

BUDGET 2024

TOTAL GIFTS

$900,563.50

$833,965.00

TOTAL EXPENSES

$818,602.43

$841,294.00

EXCESS (SHORTAGE)

$81,961.07

($7,329.00)

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27 10:30 a.m. Galatians Bible Study (Barbour Room)

26 6:00 pm: Lenten Book Study (Mary Chambers)

Basketball(Gym)

25 9:00 a.m. FISH Pantry (Fellowship Hall) 7:00 pm Scouts (Gym) 8:45 p.m.Ukirk Basketball (Gym)

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9:45 a.m. Staff Meeting (Small Conference Room) 5:00 p.m. Young Adult Ladies Life Group (Youth) 5:30 p.m. Preschool Board Meeting (Zoom)

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5:00 p.m. Young Adult Ladies Life Group (Youth)

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9:15 a.m. Choir Practice 9:15 a.m. Faith, Science and Future Sunday School (Barbour Room) 9:30 a.m. Sunday School 10:30 a.m. Worship 10:45 a.m. Children’s Church

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9:15 a.m. Choir Practice 9:15 a.m. Faith, Science and Future Sunday School (Barbour Room) 9:30 a.m. Sunday School 10:30 a.m. Worship 10:45 a.m. Children’s Church

6:00pm Session Meeting (Barbour) 7:00pm Scouts (Gym, Scout Room) 8:45pm Ukirk

18 11:30am 2nd Readers Book Club (Buckingham Clubhouse) 6:00 pm: Lenten Book Study (Mary Chambers)

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6 p.m. 2nd Wednesday Dinner & Program (Fellowship Hall)

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10:30 a.m. Galatians Bible Study (Barbour Room) Deadline for 2nd Edition Articles

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10:30 a.m. Galatians Bible Study (Barbour Room)

5:00 p.m. Young Adult Ladies Life Group (Youth)

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10:30 a.m. Galatians Bible Study (Barbour Room) 1:00 p.m. Go Team Meeting (Barbour Room)

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THURSDAY

9:15 a.m. Choir Practice 9:15 a.m. Faith, Science and Future Sunday School (Barbour Room) 9:30 a.m. Sunday School 10:30 a.m. Worship 10:45 a.m. Children’s Church

10:00 a.m. Presbyterian Women (Fellowship Hall) 6:00 p.m. Worship Team (Barbour Room) 7:00 pm Scouts (Gym) 8:45 p.m.Ukirk Basketball (Gym)

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6:00 pm: Ash Wednesday Service (Sanctuary)

WEDNESDAY

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4:30pm CONNECT team (Barbour Room) 5:00pm Facilities (Zoom) 6:30pm Scout leaders 7:00pm Scouts (Gym, Scout Room) 8:45pm Ukirk Basketball (Gym)

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9:45am Staff meeting (SM Conference Room) 10:00 am: Arts and Crafts (Room 227) 3:00 p.m. Budget Finance Team Meeting (Zoom) 5:00 p.m. Young Adult Ladies Life Group (Youth)

TUESDAY

MONDAY

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9:15 a.m. Choir Practice 9:15 a.m. Faith, Science and Future Sunday School (Barbour Room) 9:30 a.m. Sunday School 10:30 a.m. Worship 10:45 a.m. Children’s Church

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SUNDAY

March 2025

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28

21

14

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FRIDAY

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22

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10:00 am: Adoption Celebration (Gym) Overnight: Remedy International Staying (Gym)

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SATURDAY

THE SECOND EDITION

2ND PRES KNOX

WELCOMING + FAITHFUL + HOPEFUL

SECOND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 2829 KINGSTON PIKE KNOXVILLE, TN 37919

CLERGY STAFF Pastor Tim Reynolds Pastor/Head of Staff treynolds@2ndpres.org Pastor Sarah Morgan Transitional Associate Pastor for Congregational Life & Mission smorgan@2ndpres.org PROGRAM STAFF Matthew Mimbs Director of Music & Arts mmimbs@2ndpres.org Holly Grimm Children & Youth Ministry Coordinator hgrimm@2ndpres.org Sarah Warner Organist swarner@bellarmine.edu SUPPORT STAFF Jack Rosamond Church Administrator jrosamond@2ndpres.org

PRESCHOOL STAFF Linda Sue Byrd Director lsbyrd@2ndpres.org Holly Grimm Assistant Director hgrimm@2ndpres.org --------------------------------------------------CONTACT US: Second Presbyterian Church 2829 Kingston Pike Knoxville, TN 37919 Ph. 865.523.2189 Fax 865.637.2617 www.2ndpres.org

Responding in gratitude to God's love and grace, we are a welcoming, faithful, and hopeful community, following Jesus and serving him in the world.

ELDERS

MINISTRY TEAMS & MODERATORS

CLASS OF 2025 Zachary Burch Lisa Henley Laura Turner Terry Weaver

WORSHIP Betsy Foster John Gill

CLASS OF 2026 Leonard Bailey Doug Barbour Monica Casey Clara Hardin CLASS OF 2027 Betsy Foster John Gill William Owen Cheryl Ragsdale

CONNECT Terry Weaver Cheryl Ragsdale GROW Zach Burch Monica Casey Laura Turner GO Leonard Bailey Clara Hardin SUPPORT Doug Barbour William Owen PRESCHOOL Lisa Henley