July 26, 2010

Jeff and Suzanne Butler presented their daughter, Zoie Raye Butler, in dedication to the Lord Jesus Christ on Sunday, July 25, 2010, in the 9:00 AM service in the Sanctuary. Zoie was joined at the altar by grandparents: Harry and Donna Wood, Marvin and Becky Butler; great-grandparents: Ken and Anita Peterman; aunts: Brandy Wood, Jamie Wood; cousins: Eva, Nicholas, Jada; friends: Jeremy Hood and Victoria. A long time has passed since a baby was dedicated in first service and the congregation responded with great joy. Lots of people reached out to touch Zoie or to talk to her on her blessing journey. She was sweet and responsive. We bless the Lord who has blessed Jeff and Suzanne with a child to love for him.

Bill Hill and his wife, Hazel, began to attend HCN several years ago at Bill’s choosing. Hazel belonged to a church in the Old Hickory Village but for some reason, Bill would not go with her. He told her if she would go to this church, he would go. They attended the second service. Neighbors who attend HCN and knew Bill told him he would like first service better. He thanked them and told them he liked the music in second service. Then, Hazel died. He took her back to her church for the memorial service and burial. Two weeks later, he was back at HCN. Bill died two weeks ago at the age of eighty. Bill’s niece contacted Ruby Barber and asked if I might help with a graveside service for Bill and I did. When I met with the sweet family to get them to tell me about Bill, they told me of his friends at church. He knew all sorts of people who he described in detail. Ole Blomberg. Valerie Marsh. I was impressed. Bill Hill was a relatively unchurched senior adult who found a spiritual home at an unlikely time in his life. Why am I surprised? Warm, open lives are hard to resist.

Dr. Mike Jackson arrived in town yesterday afternoon with his wife, Cheryl, and their moving truck. Mike is the new preaching professor at Trevecca. Shane Tarter, Scott Primm, Brian Brinkman, Daniel Jones, Cassie Hunt, and I met them at their new apart-ment just off the TNU campus and helped unload furniture. Then we drove to TNU to unload his library into his new office. The Jacksons plan to attend HCN. While Mike has been my good friend for more than thirty years, Shane, Scott, Brian, Daniel, and Cassie had never met him. Sometimes in life, we need friends who have friends.

Rebecca Sharpe leaves for Uganda in two weeks. She travels there on mission with the women’s basketball team from Union University. The team is collecting several specific items to take with them for distribution: twin size bed sheets (new and used), blow bubbles, and stickers. Bring all items to the church by August 6, 2010.

During the months of June and July, pastoral staff members have rotated teaching responsibilities on Sunday evenings. All adults were invited to the Sanctuary to share After You Believe: Why Christian Character Matters by N.T. Wright. I taught the first lesson and last night, I taught the last lesson. It was a dense but impressive book. I am grateful to the eight to twelve people who stayed the course and finished the race. I am grateful to my colleagues who were willing to teach tough stuff in the summer.

If you are interested in knowing more about the six pieces of clothing story I shared in yesterday’s message, you can read more at www.sixitemsorless.com.

I received an email announcement today from Maggie Lawrence, a Captain at the Nashville Fire Department. The department is accepting applications for Fire Recruit from today until August 26, 2010. If you are interested or have further questions, contact Captain Lawrence at 862-5230.

Three meetings with very specific purpose are scheduled for the next two weeks. Adult Sunday School Teachers are invited to meet with Dr. Rondy Smith on Sunday, August 1, 2010, at 4:30 PM. A Baptismal Service is scheduled in the Sanctuary on Sunday, August 8, 2010, at 5:00 PM for the purpose of baptizing believers. The Mission Africa 2010 Team presents stories and pictures on Sunday, August 8, 2010, at 6:00 PM in the Center. Reserve space on your schedules.

I look forward to Sunday. It the first of August and the day before school begins in Wilson County. I am missing some of my friends.

In Christ Jesus,

Pastor Howard

July 12, 2010

HCN celebrated the Fourth of July with grilled hotdogs and hamburgers and all the fixings prepared by the Men’s Cooking Team and the Women’s Ministries Kitchen Team. Wayne McNeese led the grilling team and he told me on Sunday to list Tyler Koon as his assistant. I think I saw Kenny McNeese side-by-side with his dad. Lisa Anderson, Pam McNeese, and Dot Waffird sliced the tomatoes, peeled the lettuce, and chopped the onions, then organized the tables for serving. Thanks to everyone who brought a salad, dessert, and large drink to add to the feast. Angela Hisey baked two rhubarb pies and brought me my very own pie to share with staff on Monday. I ate a piece of the pie she brought to the cookout and two pieces of my own pie. When I went to sit under the trees, Beth Seaman offered me an extra chair and so I sat among my friends. It is a fine thing to be part of a church that still gathers for eating and talking and sitting and being with one another. Thanks to all of the people who worked hard to do the cooking and set-up and clean-up so the rest of us could enjoy the day.

District Conventions and Assembly were held in Memphis at the Calvary Church of the Nazarene last week. Delegates from HCN were Joy Bradley, Alene Gill, Linda Parkhurst, Daniel Smith, Jake Resor, Wendell and JoAnn Poole and pastoral staff members Rondy Smith, Carol Waller, Ken Jewett, and Howard Plummer. Daniel and Jake were granted the first district license in their process toward ordination. Rondy Smith read scripture in the ordination service where Ken Jewett’s ordination in the Wesleyan Church was recognized and transferred. Robin Jewett was at Ken’s side in the service. I had the privilege to pray for Ken. I also had the privilege to ride in the same vehicle with Ken and Jake going to Memphis and with Jake returning from Memphis. I enjoyed the conversation greatly. My favorite piece of conventions and assembly is always the time I get to spend with my fellow pastors. I forget how much I need them and love them. The same was true this year.

The Church Board met for the monthly meeting on Sunday, July 11, 2010, at 4:30 PM and approved the following assignments for this year:

Adult Ministries: Tony Dozier, Kendell Poole, John Reigard, Steve Kelley

Building, Grounds, & Equipment: Jerry Keener, Wendell Marlowe, Lance Waller

Children/Youth Ministries: Jennifer Neely, Jeff Cater, Carolyn Washing

Finance: Phil Jordan, Mike Miranne, John Mannen, Scott Perkins

Mission: Kristi Mabry, Matthew Mullins, Teresa Vines, Beverly Mitchell

The board also received financial reports, reports of old minutes, reports from Africa and possibilities of beginning a third worship service in August.

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The Pastoral Staff Team met this morning for the first time since the first of June with an attempt to work on calendar items. Mission Team members for Africa and Europe need to watch for emails asking about specific dates for reporting to the congregation. A service for the sacrament of baptism is scheduled for Sunday, August 8, 2010, at 5:00 PM in the sanctuary. All who trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior need to be baptized. Call the church office at 847-3335 to place yourself on a candidate’s list.

Promotion Sunday is August 1, 2010. Children are promoted to the next class based on age as directed by Children’s Pastor Carol Waller. I know that you may think Carol is mean and feisty (I would agree with feisty), but she is a trained educator who attempts to make the best decisions for all of our kids. You may think your child is exceptional and deserving of promotion based on the DNA they share with you, but that is not what qualifies for promotion. Please cooperate with Carol. She loves your kids.

Students going into the fifth grade will be promoted to LiveWire Middle School Ministries on August 1, 2010. Ken Jewett directs this age ministry assisted by Jake Resor and Daniel Smith. Students going into the ninth grade will be promoted to Building One Senior High Ministries on August 1, 2010. Shane Tarter directs this age ministry. It is important that we keep order with grade promotion. I understand students who would like to promote themselves into the next social group regardless of grade level but that is not acceptable to either group. We need parents to be the adults who help us make the appropriate age group exciting and acceptable. Thank you. No one is trying to be the heavy here. We have attempted to make exceptions for students who were retained in a grade but promoted each year at church with their peer group. Again, we love your kids. Help us.

When the MissionAfrica Team arrived in Kenya, we met a lady named Sandy who was from Minnesota and who was assigned by World Servants to join our team in ministry. Sandy was a Home Economics teacher in a high school. She brought needles and thread with her and after several days in Kali, she set about sewing up every piece of clothing that needed stitching. She would walk up to kids whose clothing was falling apart and begin to pull it together with thread. Kids stood in line to get stitched. One little boy had on pants that were so threadbare that there was nothing substantial enough on which to anchor a thread. He got new pants. I liked Sandy. I began to realize that wherever we went, her eyes focused on things which needed attention and she moved toward those things. She sewed. She picked up thorn bushes. She washed clothes and hung them on the line. Whatever her hands found to do, she did it. May God the Holy Spirit help me and help you to follow her example. I need to quit talking so much and start doing.

I look forward to Sunday.

In Christ Jesus,

Pastor Howard

July 5, 2010

Four weeks ago, I wrote the last pastoral letter to you before beginning a journey to Africa with seventeen brothers and sisters from HCN. It was a return trip for Anna and me having first visited in June of 2008. Hermitage Church was well-cared-for by the exceptional pastoral staff team which remained state side. Preaching responsibilities were assigned to Ken Jewett, Rondy Smith, and Carol Waller. Pastoral responsibilities were shared by this team including Shane Tarter. As the senior associate, Rondy and I had conversations about possible needs which might arise but none of us could have predicted the grief care needed at the sudden death of nineteen year old, Palmer Maphet. Pastoral ministry is both Spirit-driven and instinctual. God equips us with gifts and graces or we are barren. Rondy and Shane and Carol and Ken moved toward the Maphet family and toward the HCN family with the gifts and graces of God and God carried everyone. Rondy led the congregation in mourning on Sunday and Shane helped to lead in the memorial service on Thursday. Tommy Boner left an emotional voice-mail message on my phone telling me how God had mightily used Rondy and Shane and the church all week and how proud he felt of the family.

We heard of Palmer’s death in Africa from a phone call in the early evening and those of us who knew him gathered to weep. We shared in a memorial service for him later in the week. We missed the comfort of weeping with all of you. Palmer Maphet was an exceptional young man who loved God and loved us. He died on mission for God. His race was too short.

All of our airline connections to and from Africa worked this year. Not all of the air conditioning units in the planes worked. We will schedule an evening to tell our stories to you and in the meantime, I will attempt to not tell them all in preaching. I look forward to hearing the stories of the Mission Team to Europe.

Ken Jewett is an ordained Wesleyan minister whose credentials will be transferred to the Church of the Nazarene this Thursday evening, July 8, 2010, in Memphis during the ordination service of District Assembly. Ken and Robin have lived their entire lives as members of the Wesleyan Church. This week, they become Nazarenes. Welcome. You make us better. I hope we make you better.

Ronnie Thompson was ordained an elder in the Church of the Nazarene on the North Arkansas District on Thursday, June 17, 2010. Congratulations to Ronnie. Ronnie served through most of his ministerial life at HCN. He is the husband of Jenni McMillan Thompson; the son of Ron and Delores Thompson; the son-in-law of Herb and Miriam McMillan. He is the wild and crazy daddy of Ben and Shelby.

Middle School Students participated in Mission Week last week in-town. The group worked one day at church, one day at the Siloma Medical Clinic, one day in downtown Nashville. Some of the students were Annie Cater, Kristin Paddon, Chandler Scott, Kailey Perkins, Holly Baughman, Marileigh Mabry, Jacob Paddon, Jared Mannen, Caleb Foster, Abby Elkins, Ashley Wallace, Hannah Jackson, Nathanael Jackson, Nikki Graves, Eddie Mahoney, Ryan Mahoney, Josh Elkins, Rachel Thimell, Clay Cochran, Keely Dozier, Olivia Garrett, Bryson Fox, Josh Pilarski, Isabella Green, Haylee Gold, JD Hall.

Some of the chaperones were Jake Resor, Daniel Smith, Ken Jewett, Treila Garrett, Diane Cater.

I will attend the District Conventions and Assembly in Memphis this week as a representative of our church. I hope to be home and back on a regular schedule next week. I miss regular schedules. I hope you are well and safe and vacationing and renewing and getting ready for new seasons in your life.

In Christ Jesus,

Pastor Howard