Ezekiel Act 2: Riddles as release and renewal

In this series, we are studying Ezekiel like a street theater play performed in four acts.  We'll be studying this book during our January Bible Study.

Overview of Act 2: “Perform the Message” (Ezekiel 12-24)

Chapters 12-24, “Perform the Message,” describe Ezekiel’s verbal performances on the street. As news of Jerusalem’s destruction reaches the exiles in Nippur, Ezekiel interprets the event as a sign to the people. The prophet moves to a dramatic verbal performance, using parables, dialogue, and ongoing conversations. 

The elders of the community are his audience. He speaks in ancient riddles using the image of the eagle and the transplanted vine (17) culminating with a living parable or sign-act of calloused grief. In order to show the people the way they have treated God, he refuses to grieve the death of his wife (24).  

God has remained faithful to the covenant, but the people have behaved like an unfaithful spouse that has not yet recognized his or her infidelity. The riddle of the eagle and the vine opens their ears to understand their treachery and their opportunity to be cleansed and changed. 

The city's destruction serves as a sign of their infidelity as well as an invitation to obedience. Their political and spiritual capital has been destroyed, but God's people have not. The people no longer need to focus on replacing the city. If they are willing to allow their lives to be restored by Ezekiel's message, God's presence will be among the people because God's presence has always remained with them. 

The riddles function as release and renewal. They are released from the punishment of atoning for the sins of previous generations (Exodus 34:6-7). They no longer bear any responsibility for the mistakes, shame or guilt of others. They must now take the message of renewal personally (Ezekiel 18:20). By doing so, they accept their responsibility for their actions, vow to remain faithful to the covenant and to learn through the suffering they experience. There is an opportunity for people to return, repent, and be restored no matter where they are located.

In the next post, we'll look at the practices that Ezekiel prescribed for the exiled community to follow. But before we do, have you released yourself from responsibility for the shame and guilt that you have tried to carry for others' actions? God already has.

Approaching Ezekiel, understanding its influence

A Sentinel in the Watchtower

Approaching Ezekiel

In my last post, I introduced a January study of Ezekiel at First Baptist. The book's influence has been felt for years.

Preachers, scholars, and politicians alike have looked to world events over the years to justify their interpretations of Ezekiel. Placed in the center of the Bible, the book is a treasury of literary forms, pictures, parables, sermons, and geopolitical maps to fill a library full of speculations.

We cannot approach Ezekiel without admitting a bit of our own biases and hearing voices of previous interpretations.

This book is a product of the period between 589 B.C. - 539 B.C. from the time before the fall of Jerusalem in 586 and the season after the destruction. On the global stage, Zedekiah is the last king of Judah, and Nebuchadnezzar rules over the Babylonian empire. The center of the world as the Jerusalemites knew it shifted from Jerusalem to ancient Nippur in modern-day Iraq. In the biblical record, Ezekiel is a contemporary with Jeremiah, who writes from the view of those leaving Jerusalem. Ezekiel prophesies as one who has already left Jerusalem and hears of its fall.

Much like other prophetic books, we read a script that explains God’s word to the people. Just as the priest represents the people to God, a prophet re-presents God to the people using words, stories, and traditions that his contemporaries understand. Ezekiel draws from biblical and nonbiblical stories and traditions popular during the time of the exile. We hear echoes of the accounts of Noah from the book of Genesis; the Exodus story of Moses and the Israelites; the story of Job; and “The Tale of Aqhat,” featuring a character named Daniel, not to be confused with the biblical one (Ezekiel 14).

Ezekiel has influenced generations. Place in the middle of the canon, the book fits scripture’s overarching message to redeem people from their sin and restore them in light of God’s plan. For example, the book is heard in the Johannine literature (Vine and shepherds: John 10), “marks on the foreheads” and the cities of Gog and Magog (Revelation), and Paul’s Corinthian correspondence (hearts of stone). Scholars, artists, and musicians have been also influenced by its imagery and majesty. Spirituals such as “Ezekiel Saw de Wheel” and “Dem Dry Bones” encouraged and motivated slaves during crises Christians have walked the aisle to say yes to a God who through Jesus Christ “melts the heart of stone.” The “wheel in a wheel” served as a visual for William Blake’s series of paintings. Some have gone to such extremes to assemble battlefield plans for the mythical Gog and Magog on today’s world stage.

For artists, the book evokes images and illustrations. For prophets, the book invites interpretation. For musicians, Ezekiel provides wonderful lyrics for spirituals. For actors and audience, the book begs to be performed.

Ezekiel is a book about a prophet who performs a message using pantomimes, gestures, parables, and images in a public setting for a people whose lives are changing before their eyes. God calls people to communicate his message and forms them around his word. In so doing, he forms a new community of people who embody and live out the future he is shaping for them. We know very little about the historical life of the prophet Ezekiel, other than he was a married priest who served in Jerusalem and was deported to Babylon. We know much more about the ways he communicated God’s message and the ways that this book was heard by exiles for generations to come.

Ezekiel invites us to watch a world that must be seen and heard in order to live. The audience joins with the village elders  to watch this street-corner prophet equip them to carry out God’s message in their lives. A former priest who has been called to a prophetic life, the main character Ezekiel embodies this message through a series of techniques: sign-acts, gestures, street theater, paralysis, and lack of grief over his deceased wife. He preaches the message rhetorically through riddles and parables that awakens the people to their issues. He casts a vision of a new city and temple that God is creating for the people to live in as well as to orient their lives toward.

For the purposes of this study, we will be influenced by rhetorical and performance criticisms of the Old Testament. We will do very little to try to recreate the historical circumstances around the book. Ezekiel never saw the completion of the city he imagined. The closing chapters are not designed to give architectural renderings of a place somewhere in the Middle East. Ezekiel’s message is much deeper and more meaningful. Ezekiel’s performance tears people away from their longings for a place on this earth to a palace being built in time through the Sabbath, a new community, and a city that God crafts.

By using its rhetorical structure and by studying key passages that move Ezekiel’s argument forward, we will discover a message for people of all times living “in the meantime.” Caught between the way life used to be, but not fully certain of the way life is going to turn out, they hear, watch, and pay attention to a person who shows them how to live. They not commissioned to resist the powers that be, to relive past traditions or to forecast the future. Ezekiel is a book for a generation that waits for the future to open. As they wait, people listen to the Word, accept responsibility for infidelity, repent through a series of cleansing rituals, observe the Sabbath, and live faithfully to the first commandment. In so doing, God does his part as well by melting the hearts of stone. He teaches leaders how to shepherd the people. Ezekiel proclaims so that “others may know that “The Lord is There.”

For the community to be changed, the people must accept that the destruction of their city and worship center in Jerusalem and Israel are direct results of their disobedience to God. They must hear that even the nations where they are living in exile are excluded. This is a tough message to stomach (literally). Yet by digesting the message first in silence and eventually through communication, Ezekiel and the people realize something new. Although God brings the destruction, the devastation is a consequence of the people’s action, not God’s capricious behavior. No one is spared, not even those with marks on their foreheads or those living in exile. Israel and the other nations are responsible.

Secondly, God must act because God understands that the people’s actions have calloused toward his presence. They do not recognize where he is. God’s goal is simple: through Ezekiel and the message he embodies, people will see that “The Lord is There” (48:35). God sends his word to call out a model prophet who will demonstrate to them what they have done, what he is doing, and what the plan is for the future. God transforms hearts of stone into new hearts. God then forms new leaders who will shepherd the people, re-members the community of dead dried bones, and then designs a place for the community to live.

Third, the people must respond. Presumably they did since we are still reading and studying this fascinating book today. Today’s audience is challenged to follow their lead. 

In my next post, we'll outline an approach to studying the book.

How do you approach Ezekiel? What have you heard about this book that influences your interpretation?

Ezekiel: God's Presence in Performance

Join us for my study of Ezekiel at First Baptist Church of Knoxville.

"God's Presence in Performance"
Wednesdays, January 9-February 6

Bridge
12:00 noon
Trentham Hall
$6 lunch

Prayer meeting
6:00 p.m.
Chapel

Ezekiel was a priest who became a street-corner prophet. He used pantomime, gestures, parables, and visions to call the exiled people in the ancient city of Nippur to repentance and fidelity to God. Wherever we are scattered, God is present with us. We respond to God's word and renew our lives when he hear and obey the message.

January 9
Act 1: Watch, Listen, and Gesture
Ezekiel 3-4

January 16
Act 2: Perform the Message
Ezekiel 17

January 23
Act 3: Shepherd the People
Ezekiel 34

January 30
Act 4: Re-member and Visualize God's Presence
Ezekiel 37

February 6 (Bridge only)
The Lord is There
Ezekiel 40-48

Pairing up to Believe #Advent

Some stories are meant to be together. At night, a bedtime story is shared between two people. In counseling, the minister and the client share confidential stories. Conference calls just are not nearly as personal as one voice speaking to another. In the same way, Luke tells the story of Jesus through characters paired together, some side by side, others in conversation. One character parallels another. Disciples go out two by two; two disciples walk on the road to Emmaus. In the drama of the nativity, the story happens in pairs of people who anticipate, teach, and demonstrate how to believe.

In Luke's account of Jesus' birth, you can find plenty of literary features. There are four hymns and two annunciations, two births, and two circumcisions. The characters are also paired together uniquely. They form doublets, running parallel to one another for readers and listeners to compare and contrast. Zechariah and Joseph are two fathers who perform their parts silently. Two mothers rejoice and sing the news: Elizabeth and Mary. The birth of two sons runs parallel to each other. The birth of John the Baptist anticipates the role of Jesus. Two sets of messengers spread the news: angels and shepherds. Two witnesses around the temple offer instructions, blessing, and warnings when they see the child: Simeon and Anna. 

One of the first artists to depict this motif was one of Leonardo da Vinci's students, Jacopo Pontormo. In his painting for the atrium of the SS. Anunziata in Florence, Italy, he paired Elizabeth and Mary with Joseph and Zechariah. These mothers and fathers (and their sons), bear the promise first described in Malachi. The messiah would "turn the heart of fathers to their children and children to their fathers." (Malachi 4:6). Luke elaborates a bit on that prophecy and states more directly that this would turn "the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous--to make ready a people prepared for the Lord" (Luke 1:17).

These doublets will shape each of my messages in Advent. We will compare and contrast these characters to prepare our lives for the coming of the Lord. We will look at their attributes, habits, attitudes, difficulties, and emotions. By doing so, we close the gap between the strange world of the first century and our world. We realize that through their emotions, frustrations, and fears, we share a life that was not meant to be lived in isolation. We live out the coming of the Lord with friends, parents, children, and messengers learning how to believe. Through the message of Advent, God invades each person's life and works in miraculous ways, especially when we share the story with someone else.

Above: Pontormo. Visitation. 1514-16. Fresco. S. Annunziata, Florence. 

FMI: Heidi J. Hornik and Mikeal C. Parsons, Illuminating Luke: the Infancy Narrative in Italian Renaissance Painting. (Harrisburg: Trinity Press, 2003), 59-92.

Bearden High School @fbcknox Seniors Open a Door of Hope in South Africa

How do you measure the success of a church program? It’s easy to count inputs—registrations, attendance, money, and decisions. But the real measure is the outcome. What happens as a result of a group of people participating in studies and projects? Two ministries live on through the lives of three seniors in this year’s First Baptist class of 2012.

Anna Cate and Annie selling jewelry for the Door of Hope

In January, Taylor Burkhart participated in a unique poverty simulation as part of Disciple Now/ Merge weekend. The group learned what it was like to be a part of the 20% of the world that has most of the food and resources and the 80% who don’t. The world has abundant resources; relatively few share what the rest of the world needs. Through a simulated dinner of beans and rice for the impoverished, and steaks for others, the group learned to receive and give to each other. In April, Taylor took this experience on the road to Maryville Christian School students. Michael McEntyre and Taylor introduced the concept to the principal, and they conducted a living poverty simulation for the students beyond our walls.

Annie Pickle at the Door of Hope

Last summer, Anna Cate Hale and Annie Pickle encountered living poverty in South Africa. Each month 200 babies are abandoned by mothers and parents in South Africa. Some are dumped in rivers. Others are left in the open. An organization called Door of Hope is trying to change that. By providing a safe, anonymous way for people to leave their unwanted children, the Door of Hope ministry in South Africa receives, cares for, and places children into forever families. They literally build doors for people to place their babies and care of the babies that are left. Through their Leadership Class at Bearden, Anna Cate and Annie shared the mission of Door of Hope with their fellow students. They are seeking to raise $2,500 to launch a Door of Hope in Soweto, South Africa, to provide even greater access to parents so that baby’s lives can be saved.
Taylor, Anna Cate, and Annie are just three examples of how lives are continuing to be changed through this senior class. This month, we don’t celebrate them. We celebrate God’s work through them, and you can get involved in their mission.

To contribute to the Door of Hope Initiative, make checks payable to Bearden High School- Door of Hope. Mail to
8352 Kingston Pike  Knoxville, TN 37919. Their goal is $2,500.

Let’s give thanks to God for what continues to come out of this Senior Class. Pictured above: Annie Pickle and Anna Cate Hale sell jewelry to raise money for the Door of Hope. Below: Annie with a child at the Door of Hope in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Generosity fuels transformed lives @fbcknox when a single mom becomes a social worker @buckner_intl

Wendy Woodward knows first hand better than any one else what it's like to receive help in difficult times. Through our community ministry, she prepares the way for others to change their lives. She is just one result of God's abundant generosity in 2011.

Last year, First Baptist surpassed budget needs by over $27,000 and ended the year over $156,000 over expenses. You gave over $1.9 million to the operating budget. This is the first time in eleven years that this has happened two consecutive years. So what happened as a result of your gifts? People like Wendy Woodward came our way.

Wendy is a social work student at the University of Tennessee's College of Social Work. She's so passionate about her faith, caring in her work, and thoughtful in her studies, she has been at odds with another non profit over the role of faith in her work. She came to First Baptist by her own admission "to gain experience in a Christ centered environment." She spent a semester with us launching a food co-op to assist families with a 45 lb quantity of food for $3 every two weeks. She has met with clients, and assisted with our Christmas Brunch.

She wrote to me a in a recent email: "My experiences as a struggling job loss survivor fueled my ability to help others in my role as the benevolence worker at FBC . Carol McEntyre and I have worked closely in assisting families who are struggling with financial difficulty and have helped individuals and families with food from the fish pantry who are living in their cars and in motels because families are now homeless due to rough economic times. Landlords have been forced to foreclose on rental properties which have resulted in several families being displaced in the area. FBC also assists with numerous energy assistance pledges because of the recent increase in energy costs in the area. In my research project this semester on U.S. public housing policy, I found a devastating lack of investment into low income rental properties in urban areas. This results in higher energy bills for lower income renters. I am seeing this same pattern locally in the majority of clients who call in for assistance from the church. Most have energy costs that are sometimes equal to or exceeding their rent in most of these older units. This is where God uses the benevolence ministry of First Baptist to meet the needs of those around us in our community. I also feel God has truly turned my tragedy into a blessing by giving me the compassion to assist those who are going through similar situations that result when resources are depleted."

Even though Wendy is a volunteer intern, the work is not free. The ministry comes because you invested through the budget in a Buckner partnership years ago, and the fruits of this work continue to flourish.

In 2012, we ask you to give again through the ministry budget of the church. The goal is attainable and virtually the same amount as we gave in 2011. Our priorities are similar to this past year but with greater focus on at-risk children and families, leadership training, small group Bible study, and worship.

If Wendy is any example, the way is already prepared for these priorities and many more to be accomplished right in front of our eyes.

@fbcknox giving keeps pace with 2010

One of my favorite books this year has been Tina Rosenberg’s Join the Club. She describes how peer pressure motivates social change in our lives. Through the power of groups coming together, people will do things that no institution or leader can compel them to do when they influence each other for good.

We have seen the evidence of that positive change in the lives of our young people. This quarter, our students traveled to Johannesburg, South Africa as ambassadors of the power of Christ’s love and character on their lives. In August, we heard their stories of abstinence, purity, and character that they shared with South African young people. They taught and demonstrated how the Christ life shapes every aspect of their lives. The impact they had on the South Africans continues to affect the group back home. Under Michael McEntyre’s leadership, this group of teenagers has taught each other the life transforming virtues of the gospel that they are taking into their schools and homes.

This kind of ministry would not be possible without the positive influence that you have exerted on each other to give generously. Your financial gifts to these students and many other ministries through the budget of First Baptist have provided staff, resources, materials, supplies, and care. Just imagine, to operate the youth ministry staff, programs, and ministries at First Baptist, it costs an estimated $275 each day.

This year, your giving continues to keep pace with last year. Thus far, we have received $1,265,589, compared to $1,269,042 last year at this same time. Our expenses are also less than last year. We have spent $1,286,466 this year compared to $1,292,518 this time last year.

To finish 2011, I am asking you to continue this generous pace. Last year during the fourth quarter, God abundantly poured out his blessings through you. I am asking you to do the same again this year. Let’s join the club of generosity and do for each other what God has already done for us. He has given us his son Jesus Christ, and that is really all we need.

(Pictured above: Kathryn Pickle with South African students)

What's the one thing in your life? We asked a few people. Watch:

The One Thing from First Baptist Church, Knoxville on Vimeo.

What is the one thing in your life, your focus? We've heard the trite expression, "Keep the main thing the main thing"; but what is the thing? The book of Philippians is written to followers of Christ trying to maintain their focus when they think their world is falling apart. Paul teaches them the highest goal of the Christian life, but this focus is more than a vision statement. His "one thing" lowers anxiety, unifies our relationships, and restores joy in life. So what is the main thing? Join us as we discover together September 18, 25, October 2, 9, and 16.

To South Africa with Love @fbcknox_mission Skype Sunday @fbcknox 8:42 a.m.

The trip that began with a dream and a lot of home football games becomes reality today. This afternoon, 28 students from First Baptist Church along with 30 others from area churches are en route to Johannesburg, South Africa. They will spend 10 days teaching Bible studies, leading "True Love Waits" groups, coaching sports camps, and leading in worship.

Our church has supported this group in so many ways. We have parked cars for home football games, hired babysitters and lawn mowers, given scholarships through the Heart of Knoxville, and provided the resources for an incredible youth ministry. Thank you to Michael McEntyre for training this team and leading this effort. Please be praying for the group as they travel. Updates will be available on our website or via the twitter feed. During First Community Sunday, the team will Skype live into the service. Please be sure to join us for this live conversation and connection. Our team is


Annie Pickle
Michael McEntyre
Morgan Johnston
Megan Turner
Jonathan Keaton
Laura Beth Roberts
Anna Cate Hale
Cathy Johnston
Daniel Pieratt
Amy Pickle
David Lethco
Missy Burkhart
Courtney Allen
Micky Roberts
Andy Tatum
Kim Holcomb
Austin Tatum
Mac Pickle
Emily Holcomb
Julie Rice
Bryce Jones
Jan Johnson
Sean Rice
Kathryn Pickle
Mark Coffield
Nikki Austin
Mack Burkhart
Jess Maples

They return to Knoxville Sunday, July 31 at noon. We look forward to hearing their report on August 17 at 6:00 p.m. in Trentham Hall.

Second quarter of generosity @fbcknox

From Niagara Falls to Wears Valley, from Columbus, Ohio, to South Knoxville, everywhere you look, you can see God’s work through First Baptist. Thank you for your faithful generous giving during the second quarter of 2011. Giving has increased over this same time last year, and the cost to do ministry has gone up as well. We have been able to keep pace because of your faithful generosity. In the process over the last year, we have cut our debt almost in half. Here is a year to date comparison summary of 2010 and 2011:

June 30, 2010
Budget Receipts $ 834,490
Budget Expenses $ 854,304
Debt $ 801,375


June 30, 2011
Budget Receipts $ 840,314
Budget Expenses $ 866,648
Debt $ 446,837

Pictured above are the people in which you have invested this season through the budget. Mentors celebrated our fifth school year at South Knoxville Elementary as part of the KidsHope USA mentoring initiative. Through your gifts, you have touched the lives of students and have helped turn this school from being an “at-risk” elementary school into a turnaround success. These mentors have tutored shared and loved on children for Christ. Many of these children frequent our worship services and Bible Studies, and several of them were a part of our Kids Camp in Wears Valley at Camp BaYoCa. In Columbus, Ohio, the Golden Notes performed at Knightsbridge Assisted Living Center on their way to Niagara Falls. They were the first church choir to perform at the facility.



We could not do this without your gifts to the budget. These resources provide the staff, transportation, supplies, and equipment to make these events possible. If you have any questions about your enclosed contribution statement or for more information about the church’s finances, be sure to contact Amy DePriest in the finance office. July-September promises to be just as active and fruitful. Please be praying for our youth mission trip to South Africa, the start of a new school year, and the beginning of Fall Bible Study and Wednesday evening programs.

Since July 1, 2010, God has poured out his blessings on First Baptist. Over the last 12 months, our budget giving has risen 8.4%, and our debt has decreased almost 50%. The growth over the past 12 months of giving positions us for a great season of planning for the 2012 budget. We have entered this summer with no budget reductions or freezes for the first time since 2008. Councils, staff, and committees are already dreaming about what is possible in 2012 now that this past year has been so successful. We welcome your input in this process and look forward to what God is going to continue to do in the coming weeks.


Pictured above:

Dena Metts visits with one of the residents in Columbus on the Golden Notes Tour

Glenna Atchley, Barbara Butler, and Mary Nelle Robbins enjoy lunch with their “little sisters” at South Knoxville Elementary.

Sign up to #mentor @ South Knoxville Elementary this fall: 1 hour, 1 child, 1 day. @fbcknox

Kids hope mentors 2011 from First Baptist Church, Knoxville on Vimeo.

Read first hand about the power of this ministry from Ryan Plemmons. Ryan is interning with us this summer:

Kids Hope USA Anniversary

On Tuesday, May 24, 2011, ministers and volunteers gathered at South Knoxville Elementary to celebrate yet another anniversary of the Kids Hope USA program. The program, which began at First Baptist Church five years ago, involves tutors from FBC working with students who have poor marks in reading. While there, tutors often form incredible bonds with their student that transcends the reading material. Kids and tutors often do out-of-class activities and have fun outside the classroom, allowing tutors to show the kids the love and compassion of their Lord. As the school year came to a close, kids and their parents were treated to hot dogs, chips and cookies. Kids could lso be seen playing on inflatable toys and generally enjoying the end of a hard year of school.

While not a tutor, I was fortunate enough to meet and chat with Trevor, a fourth grader at the school. He was extremely talkative and funny, and his favorite hobbies involve reading joke books and lifting weights. While he seems to enjoy school, there is plenty of hardship in this home. His mother is unemployed, and he as been forced to mow lawns in order to make ends meet for his mother and sisters. Having met him, I realized that all of the blessings that have populated my life and the lives of many inside the Church are not available to all. Poverty can at times seem so distant and removed from our lives, but Trevor lives only minutes away from our church and from our comfortable lifestyles. This is a challenging reality to deal with. Thankfully, programs like Kids Hope keep children like Trevor interested and engaged in school, and provide them with an opportunity to escape their tough situation through education. Programs like these are vital to improving our community, and I would like to take this opportunity to commend all the people who tutor or volunteer with the young ones at South Knoxville Elementary. Your work is certainly not easy, but the difference you make in the lives of these children is both tangible and eternal. The love of Christ you exhibit to these kids is incredible, and the impact you are making in the school is amazing. Keep up the good work!

Youth lead children at Kids Camp to jump into their faith @fbcknox

“How do you know where you’re going, Daddy,” asked Drake as we walked through the woods of Kids Camp. This was his first time to anything that involves outdoor adventure. The Shiell family’s idea of camping usually comes with air conditioning. This month was his first chance to experience camping of any sort. He tagged along with Kelly and me as we participated in the second annual First Baptist Kids Camp. (Pictured L to R: Jackson Snodgrass, David Lethco, Jim Mabe, and Mark Coffield)


Readers of this blog will remember last year’s report. We began a unique effort of producing a children's camp with youth taking key roles as leaders. This year, Michael McEntyre, Susan Tatum joined by Anissa Hudson led our students to teach and train future generations. The youth led, and 3-5th graders followed. Once again, this year has gone above and beyond our imaginations. Forty-seven of us traveled to the end of Happy Hollow Road in Sevier County to do what churches do best. We train people in the character of Christ. In this case, “we” were 7-12th graders, along with college, young adults, and parents leading Bible studies, sleeping in bunk beds, eating a lot of bacon, singing music, jumping around, and showing students how to jump into faith in Christ. I had the privilege of teaching in the morning and evening services. This year was especially meaningful to me. My entire family participated; and Mark Coffield, David Lethco and I went to Children's Camp together my first summer in Knoxville....except Mark and David were campers. Today they are leaders.


The children were church to each other. We watched as students who fell down and scraped knees were assisted by other children who ran to get band-aids without being prompted. We saw students who came from 12 different elementary schools across Knox and Sevier Counties form a small community in just a few hours. We listened as children poured their hearts out to each other and were comforted by caring adults and friends who set examples through their lives and witness.


The pre-teen years are so vital for us as First Baptist. I have a vested interest in this group. Parker is one of the rising 5th graders. Our church family must be vigilant and intentional in these formative years. The gods of our society are pretty jealous about time and commitment. Weeks like these, however, give us a chance not to only say as a church, “Jesus is Lord,” but to re-commit to these students as they mature and grow. We back that confession with action and transformation. With our "home grown" talent, children are motivated to bring friends. With the spiritual prayers and direction from staff and volunteers, the event becomes an incredible, quality offering to the Lord.


Thank you for investing in this ministry. Thank you to the adults who sacrificed their time to begin preparations weeks ago and to share with these children a piece of their lives. And if you’re like Drake and occasionally wonder where we’re going, just watch these students. They’re ready to hold our hands through the forest as a “little child” leads the way.

Dan and Kathy Romano live & worship downtown.Watch this story of faith as @downtownknoxville neighbors @fbcknox

Over 2700 residents moved to downtown Knoxville, Tennessee, in the last 10 years. Two new residents are First Baptist's own Dan and Kathy Romano. Listen to their story of faith and life as neighbors in the downtown community. Consider whether you would like to relocate to First Baptist's neighborhood.

Dan and Cathy Romano Downtown Knoxville Living from First Baptist Church, Knoxville on Vimeo.

Making Room at the Table @fbcknox #generosity #tithe #stewardship

By now you've heard from everyone who expects a commitment from you in 2011. Already this year, I’ve been contacted by Parker's school, my alumni association, and the nonprofits I support. I’ve renewed magazine subscriptions and memberships. All of these are important, but all pale in comparison to the annual commitment I make to our church.

Last year people demonstrated their commitment to First Baptist in historic ways. Through God’s generous blessings, we set a record in budget giving, paid down our debts to the lowest they have been in 10 years, and repaid all the money we borrowed from our designated funds to get through the budget crunches from 2006-2009. At a time when we thought that we were desperate, you became dependent, sought direction from the Lord, and began a process called “Because I Have Been Given Much.” We acknowledged that as James 1:7 suggests, “Every good and perfect gift comes from above”; and we’ve been blessed with incredible gifts.

The generosity season is here again. Our goal is to “Make Room at the Table” for every person that is touched by First Baptist in 2011. I believe that there is plenty of room for everyone at God’s abundant table. We need your help to provide the meals, staff, camps, materials, mission, air conditioning, fuel, building repairs, and so much more to make that happen.

Our budget goal is $1,876,000. Our remaining debt is $465,750. You saw what we were able to do this year: repay designated funds and pay down the debt. After we meet our financial obligations and provide for appropriate cash in the bank, any excess to the budget will go toward the debt. A gift to the budget is a gift toward getting out of debt. That would create plenty of new seats at the table.

This year our students will take a very active role in the budget. Through Michael McEntyre and Susan Tatum’s leadership, our youth are adopting the Mission Friends as their budget goal. Our children are adopting the ESOL ministry as their budget goal. They will be receiving offering envelopes and a program tailored just for them.

On April 10, we will demonstrate that love for the Lord and our church by turning in commitment cards for 2011. We do not sign pledge cards at First Baptist. We ask people to commit toward a 2020 vision of tithing. By taking one step at a time, you will become a generous tither within 9 years. Last year, many of you took the first step and will take another small step of sacrifice again this year. If you've never experienced the joy of tithing, or had to organize your finances last year, now is the time to take the first step.

You can begin today. Please fill out the online commitment card. Once you press "submit," the information will go straight to the financial office and will be handled confidentially. You may also print the card and bring it with you to worship April 10. The deadline for commitment cards is April 24. We will conclude our season of generosity with the “Step Up” offering May 15. This offering kicks off a summer of ministry and celebration.

I will have to admit to you that last year we did this on a bit of blind faith. Since all faith is blind, now we obey on lots of evidence of what God can do through you. So let’s enjoy the bountiful blessing of his table.

Downtown ecumenical Lenten lunches announced @fbcknox

Join us each week as we celebrate the unity of our faith and the diversity of our congregations. Hosted by the downtown cooperative churches, we welcome you to join us for worship each Wednesday during lent at 12:05 followed by a light lunch at 12:30.

March 16: First Presbyterian Church

March 23: Immaculate Conception

March 30 St. John’s Cathedral

April 6: Church Street United Methodist

April 13: First Baptist Church

@fbcknox welcomes 200+ Students to sing March 6 @ YouthCue Festival

Music shapes the memory and meaning of a life of faith. More than the beautiful offering we give to God, music informs our belief and remains with us until the end. Only one person has ever requested an encore sermon for her funeral, but most people have a favorite song or two.

Youth choir shaped much of the faith I have today through the melodies of the heart. I still catch myself humming a tune from a choir tour even now. Whether as an artist or now a part of the audience there is still nothing quite like the youth choir experience that brings together scripture, tradition, service, worship, teamwork, and relationships.

At First Baptist, we're blessed to have parents and students who participate in Chapel Choir, a music minister in Kely Hatley who teaches ministry through music, and a congregation who supports the efforts. On March 6, we will discover new partners in worship through the Youth Cue Festival Concert.

Founded in 1990 by renowned Baptist music minister Randy Edwards, Youth Cue brings together students across denominations with one common refrain: students singing and making music in our hearts to the Lord. They blend voices, harmonies, orchestrations, and traditions to exalt the Lord, inspire others, and teach the gift of a lifetime of service and sacrifice.

We're expecting over 200 students leading in worship on Sunday morning, March 6. The choir loft will overflow into the balcony for sure. But don't miss out on the 4:00 p.m. concert. Our Chapel Choir, along with the other 200 and a full orchestra, will exalt the Lord and challenge our hearts.

Through YouthCue, you will receive hope for the future of the church, and you will be in awe of what God is doing to shape the present. It's something that you will carry the rest of your life.

Katie Erwin and @fbcknox Youth Serve at Second Harvest Food Bank

Katie Erwin describes her experience at Second Harvest Food Bank during Disciple Now weekend.

Disciple Now Volunteers at Second Harvest Food Bank - Interview with Katie Erwin from First Baptist Church, Knoxville on Vimeo.

"Hi! I'm Katie Erwin, and I went to Disciple Now on January 14 and 15. Part of my mission project was at Second Harvest. Second Harvest gives food to over 458,000 people all over East Tennessee. Anybody who wants to volunteer at Second Harvest can get a $1 credit."

Eddie survived a fire & is now #homeless. But he's always kept his word. Watch:

Christmas Brunch Interview 3 from First Baptist Church, Knoxville on Vimeo.

Eddie survived a fire and lived to tell about it. After working at Regas and Club LeConte, Eddie is now at Volunteer Ministry Center, hoping to move into Minvilla Manor. He learned from his father to "keep his word with people" so "he could always go back." Eddie joined us this past Saturday as our guest for the 5th annual Christmas Brunch.

In 2010, you could find @fbcknox people everywhere. Watch this year of ministry in review:

Looking back on a great year of ministry.

Love Feast Video - 2009-2010 Year in Review from First Baptist Church, Knoxville on Vimeo.

Many thanks to Michael McEntyre and Brandon Moore for producing this video.

An open Sunday night on the calendar during Advent? Perfect time for partnership and mission @fbcknox #missional @downtownknox

Finding an open Sunday night for a program-based church during the Christmas season is like finding an empty parking spot at the mall. It rarely happens. But for churches on mission, Sunday nights no longer need to be filled with another event for the sake of the calendar. Many groups celebrate the season and carry out the church's mission even better than we can on campus. With no reason to reinvent the proverbial worship wheel, churches can partner with these groups and extend the mission of the kingdom of God.

Consider what happened yesterday at First Baptist. The Fellowship Council and Worship Council provided lunch and worship. Neither happened on our campus, but both were "First Baptist events." During the lunch hour, several families participated in "Advent out to Lunch." Nine downtown restaurants offered "discounts" for eating out. I like what Courtney Evans said. She called it the "GOJESUS discount." But these families went a step further. They re-gifted the savings to the restaurant servers. They shared their percentage off their meal as an additional gratuity for the work the food service workers provide year-round.

Following the meal, many others attended the Knoxville Nativity Pageant. For 42 years, the First Baptist family and extended family have provided a living re-enactment of the prophecies and announcements of the birth of Christ as well as the arrival of the shepherds and magi. At 3:00 p.m. we worshiped together along with hundreds of others and joined (officially) what this fine organization as been doing in our community.

Our strategic plan for 2010-2014 calls us not only to work together but think creatively about these kinds of partnerships we can form with groups already on mission. Sunday was just one example of the way this is happening. There is no better season than to share the season with people who know the kingdom of God is "at hand." Now we can join hands.

(Pictured above Jonathan Higdon, Reese Higdon, and Drake Shiell check out the sheep stars of the Nativity Pageant.)

For more information on other churches who are engaged in partnerships, check out these great examples:

Calvary Baptist Church, Washington, D.C.

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina, Harrelson Center
Hopeful Imagination Resources