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The Chimes Newsletter of First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta
SUNDAY Schedule Sunday, June 17 Father’s Day • Prayer breakfast for Homeless persons - 6:30 am, Fifield Hall • Communion Service 8:15 am, Winship Chapel
• The Mustard Seed Bookstore 9:00 am - 12:00 pm • Sunday School for all ages - 9:00 am • Worship Service - 10:15 am, Sanctuary • Fellowship Hour - 11:15 pm, Fifield Hall
Sunday, June 24 • Prayer breakfast for Homeless persons - 6:30 am, Fifield Hall • Communion Service 8:15 am, Winship Chapel
• The Mustard Seed Bookstore 9:00 am - 12:00 pm • Sunday School for all ages - 9:00 am • Worship Service - 10:15 am, Sanctuary • Fellowship Hour - 11:15 pm, Fifield Hall
June 17 & 24, 2012 Christ at the Center
W
hat do you think of when you hear the phrase “growing up?” Maybe you remember your own childhood, or the awkwardness of adolescence. Or that question we all June 17 - Craig Goodrich to preach heard, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Or maybe you recall hearing an admonition in the form of both an exclamation and question, “When are you ever going to grow up!?” This Sunday, June 17, is Father’s Day and it is a good time to look back on our growing up and to honor our fathers, as the commandment instructs. But there is another kind of “growing up,” a growing up in the faith. This is what Paul writes about in Ephesians, when he says, “We must no longer be children…. But we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ.” (Ephesians 4: 14-15). Such growing up in the faith, growing in Christian maturity, is what this community of grace is all about. But what does it mean to grow in faith and how do we do it? The sermon this Sunday is entitled “Growing Up.” Maybe it is time.
See you Sunday.
Craig
S
tanding six cubits and a span (about 9’9” tall), wearing a bronze helmet and a coat of armor weighing about 125 pounds, carrying a bronze javelin and June 24 - Lindsay Armstrong a spear, Goliath to preach of Gath is an intimidating sight. Rumored by some to be a descendant of the Nephilim (Genesis 6:1-4 and Numbers 13:32-33), Goliath is an ancient warrior of mythic proportions. Yet, his size and breath-taking armor are exceeded by his bombast. “Today I defy the ranks of Israel! Give me a man, that we may fight together.” (I Samuel 17:10) With Israel and the Philistines encamped on opposite sides of the mountains, Goliath’s words echo throughout the valley, silencing the Israelites, filling them with fear. Day after day, Goliath issued his challenge, which went unmet until David, the youngest of eight sons of Jesse and a sheep herder, slew the giant. You all know the story. Even children are enthralled as the plot moves toward its climactic end. Yet even for adults with questions about some fairy-tale like aspects of the showdown, the story of David and Goliath is rich beyond measure. On June 24, we explore this powerful story from the past and claim its profound implications and relevance for us today. I look forward to seeing you.