Latest Addition:

Groundbreaking Ceremony

Bethel Presbyterian Church
December 30, 2007
12:15 pm

Call to Worship   Rev. Marc Sherrod, ThD

Unless the Lord builds the house, their labor is in vain who build it.

Unless the Lord watches over the city, in vain the sentries keep vigil.

I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.”

Now our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.

Peace be within your walls and quietness within your towers.

Invocation   Rev. Dick Hettrick

Welcome of Guests

Scripture Reading   Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-12, 32-38, 12: 1-2   Ellen Dailey

Remarks   Gary Griffith

Litany of Thanksgiving   Rev. Patricia Harvey

Give thanks to the Lord who is good.

God’s love is everlasting.

For the good world; for things great and small, beautiful and awesome; for seen and unseen splendors;

Thank you, God.
For human life; for talking and moving and thinking together; for common hopes and hardships shared from birth until our dying;

Thank you, God.
For the young; for their high hopes; for their irreverence toward worn-out values; for their search for freedom; for their solemn vows;

Thank you, God.
For growing up and growing old; for wisdom deepened by experience; for rest in leisure; and for time made precious by its passing;

Thank you, God.
For your help in times of doubt and sorrow; for healing our diseases; for preserving us in temptation and danger;

Thank you, God.
For the church into which we have been called; for the good news we receive by Word and Sacrament; for our life together in the Lord;

We praise you, God.
For your Holy Spirit; who guides our steps and brings us gifts of faith and love; who prays in us and prompts our grateful worship;

We praise you, God.
For your church, our denomination the Presbyterian Church, USA, our Presbytery of East Tennessee, the Kingston United Methodist Church, and our other partners in ministry in Kingston and Roane County, for this church building called Bethel, which once built, then moved, will be moved again. For all the tears of sadness and joy, the hearty laughter and challenging words, the holy communion and exchange of peace, for joyful music and the feeling of comfort and belonging that we have shared and that have reminded us of your goodness and grace.

We give you thanks, O God.

Give thanks to the Lord, who is good.

God’s love is everlasting. Amen.

Hymn   Amazing Grace, How Sweet the Sound   Amazing Grace

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now I see.
Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved;
how precious did that grace appear the hour I first believed!
Through many dangers, toils, and snares, I have already come;
Tis grace has brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.
The Lord has promised good to me, his word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be as long as life endures.

Prayer for a New Church Building   (Unison)

Eternal God, high and holy, no building can contain your glory or display the wonders of
your love. May this space be used as a gathering place for people of goodwill. When we
worship, let us worship gladly; when we study, let us learn your truth. May every
meeting held here meet with your approval, so that this building may stand as a sign of
your Spirit at work in the world, and as a witness to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Amen.

Scripture   Isaiah 2: 2-4; 43: 15-21 Ken Dungan

Gathering Around the Plow

Benediction   Rev. Marc Sherrod, ThD

We Give Thanks for……….

Rick Cox Construction and Dick Maynard, Building Site Supervisor

Foxhollow Goodson Church Consultant & Architect, Chris Malone

Members of Bethel’s Design and Development Committee

Ken Dungan, Co-Chair Laura Dailey
Gary Griffith, Co-Chair Dave Stevenson
Karen Schall Jerry Harvey
Frederic Morgan Gary LeMasters
Julie Bunch Phil Walsh

Current Elders on Bethel’s Session

Laura Dailey Karen Schall
Amber Jacks Anita Richmond
Denise Martin Carol Brown
Carolyn McNew Joe Coen
Alfred Rybka Gary Griffith
Julie Bunch Dolores Sandmel
Danny Holloway
Cathy McDowell, Clerk

Marc Sherrod, Minister
Patricia Harvey, Parish Associate

Kingston Historical Society
Celia Simon, President

Citizens National Bank
Frank Knies, President

Presbytery of East Tennessee
Steve Benz, Executive Presbyter

Kingston United Methodist Church
Don Morris, Minister

You are invited to attend the public hearing sponsored
by the Kingston Historical Zoning Commission which
will meet at Bethel on Thursday, January 3, at 7:00 pm.
There will also be a public hearing on January 8^th,
as we seek a building permit variance by the City of Kingston.

Almighty God: God of yesterday…God of today… God of tomorrow…God of time and space… God of the journey we call life…. We come seeking your guidance today as we begin a new phase of our ministry in this place. You called Adam to tend the Garden, Abraham to claim the Promised Land , Moses to lead the journey out of Egypt. To each, O God, you appointed a task. All resisted your call. They offered you excuses: Jeremiah begged off: “ I’m too young !” Mighty Moses declined saying “I am not a good speaker”. Elijah sulked from his cave, “I am the only faithful one left on your side !

Lord God, You must have heard all the excuses. Your Son, our Savior, called disciples to follow. And He got many excuses as well. But when the “excuse makers” followed Your divine plan, O Lord, you sent help from on high:

Manna from heaven, water from the rock, power to forgive sin and heal., even fishermen who could preach to thousands.

Ken Dungan and I are co-chairs on the design and development committee. Actually I am more of a vice chair than a co-chair. Ken does the hard work and I show up when he can't be there. I got the job today because I developed a loud voice during 19 years of teaching Junior High children. So the next time you hear someone making a big speech, especially on the national level, you need to realize that they may have gotten where they are by being the loudest and not the smartest.

My assignment today is 2 to 3 minutes of remarks. Since my task wasn't too clearly defined, I decided to talk about the church. We all know that when we talk about the church we are not talking about the building but about the people-- those who are here, those who are not here, and those who would like to be here. In light of this historic occasion, we might think about those who were here in the past and those who will be here in the future

At the risk of having the real preachers file a grievance against me for working outside my craft, I am going to base my remarks on some scripture, the story of the escape of the Hebrew children from Egypt.

Let's imagine for a minute the scene the morning after the crossing of the red sea. The kids are running up and down the beach. Everybody is tired and sore. Some of the guys are saying, "You reckon there's any fish in that water?" Everybody is sorta waiting for Moses to say,"Head em up and move em out."

It occurs to me that these folks like us, are dealing with some basic emotions. First, they are thankful. They have escaped slavery, they are away from the plagues of grasshoppers and frogs, and the soldiers who were chasing them yesterday didn't catch them. I'm thankful. I'm thankful for the folks who have worked so hard over the last 5 years and over the last week And I'm humbled by the folks this week who are a lot older than me and worked circles around me. I am especially thankful for the people who saw the need for improvements and said "Yes, I'll help pay for it." I'm thankful that we have a plan that will let us make better use of our facilities for years to come.

I expect that some of the Hebrew children were sad. They had left homes, and, although we aren't told about it in scripture, it stands to reason that some of their friends and family decided to stay in Egypt. I'll admit to being a little sad. The thing is we get our memories of people tied up with out memory of place. We remember walking our daughter down the aisle of Bethel at her wedding and the folks who were there and we get sad. But it's not really because the aisle and the church are going to change a little. It's because some of the folks who were there are gone and some have changed and nothing ain't the same anymore.

I'm sure that some of the Hebrew children were fearful and apprehensive. What if they had known that they were going to wander for 40 years before getting to the Promised Land and have to fight for it when they got there and still windup with the only land in the Middle East without oil under it? I'll admit to a little apprehension. I'll feel a lot better when our sanctuary is setting on its new foundation. How will it be worshipping with the Methodists who have so graciously offered to take us in? What if I can't find my classroom? What if I forget what color of offering envelope to use? Most of my apprehension, however, is because I know how stressful construction projects can be for everyone involved. It will test our patience with the project and with each other. I've already managed to upset several folks about one thing or another and I wouldn't have done it for the world. Each of us has our own vision of what the project will look like, the architect has his vision, and the contractor has to try to build it. And although the plans have been available for 2or3 years, I expect to hear the phrase, "I didn't know it was going to be like that." many times. In fact some of us on d and d have already said that.

So what did the folks gathered beside the Red Sea do? The gathered up their stuff and started the journey. They would complain about not having onions to eat with their quails and manna. They would even sin pretty bad a time or two. But they managed to muddle through. And so shall we.