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The Chimes nline
Newsletter of First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta
SUNDAY Schedule
January 30, 2011 Christ at the Center
Sunday, January 30 First Communion Sunday • Prayer breakfast for Homeless persons - 6:30 am, Fifield Hall • Communion Service 8:30 am, Winship Chapel • The Mustard Seed Bookstore Open 9:00 - 1:00 • First Communion Worship Service 9:00 am, Sanctuary • First Communion Brunch Immediately following Worship, Fifield Hall
• Cherub Choir - 9:30
am
• Sunday School for All Ages - 10:05 am • Fellowship Hour - 11:00 am Fifield Hall • Worship Service - 11:15 am, Sanctuary • Fellowship Hour - 12:15 pm,
Reminder The Chimes is published bimonthly. In months where there are five Sundays (as in January), the fifth Sunday will be printed as a single issue.
D
uring rites of passagebaptisms, birthdays, weddings, and funerals, we have a 9:00 am - David Florence to preach f e w s a c r e d moments to contemplate what it means to be human. We invite children to witness this sacramental rhythm as we teach and model our faith practices. Psalm 139 conveys messages of fear and confidence, of terror and beauty. The psalmist strives to express earthly limitations as well as spiritual possibilities. As Robert Alter says, the poem is “a meditation on God’s searching knowledge, and on God’s inescapable presence throughout the created world.” Parents and teachers guide our children who are of the earth and who are of the heavens. The sacraments help us to bridge this human paradox and find our way to receive God’s grace and compassion. Join first graders and their families as they receive the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper for the first time.
David C. Florence
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n his short story, “The Capital of the World,” Ernest Hemingway tells the story of a father and Paco, his teenage son. Their relationship strained and eventually shattered, leading 11:15 am - Lindsay Armstrong to preach the son to run away. Distraught, his father began an intense search to find him. Finally, the tired, hurting father placed an ad in a Madrid newspaper, hoping that his son would see the ad and respond. The ad read: Dear Paco, Please meet me in front of the newspaper office at noon. All is forgiven. Love, Father The next day at noon, in front of the newspaper office, there were 800 boys and men named Paco, all seeking forgiveness from their fathers. Forgiveness is difficult but vital; yet, a wrong word, rash action or betrayal are as much a part of our lives as the caring gesture and the loving touch. During the 11:15 am worship service, we turn to Genesis 33:1-17, the hopeful culmination of the story of estranged brothers Jacob and Esau. Their entire story is found in Genesis 25:19-33:20, and I commend it to you as we consider how our own lives can proclaim grace as powerfully as our words.
Peace and joy to you all,
Lindsay Armstrong