Friends on the Camino

And where are they?

A: Three Vine Street friends who walked a portion of the Camino de Santiago, an ancient pilgrimage route in Spain, in 2021.

On Wednesday night, March 29, the three friends will share some of the experiences, memories, and photos from their journey. We had planned to hear from them a few weeks ago, but had to reschedule due to inclement weather. We invite you to join us for a simple “Pilgrim’s Meal” and hear about the sights and sounds of the Camino!

Wednesday, March 29
6:30 p.m.
Fellowship Hall

Lynchings in Nashville

Thousands of Black people were the victims of lynching and other forms of racial terror in the United States between 1877 and 1950. “Many of the names of lynching victims were not recorded and will never be known,” according to the Equal Justice Initiative, but more than 200 lynchings of Black people have been documented in Tennessee alone. Six of these documented lynchings took place in Davidson County.

A group from Vine Street visited the Equal Justice Initiative’s National Memorial for Peace and Justice in February, together with the Legacy Museum and the Civil Rights Memorial Center, all in Montgomery, Alabama. It is good to make that pilgrimage, but equally important for all of us to consider the impact of racial terror on our own community.

We are honored to welcome Brittany T. Paschall as our teacher on Wednesday, March 8, at 6:30pm. 

Brittany is the founder and board chair of We Remember Nashville, and she has been a strong leader in its mission, “To tell stories that have been forgotten, intentionally erased, or were never told.” Brittany was born and raised in Nashville, and she works as an educator, minister, and organizer. She says about herself, “I was raised in the Churches of Christ, but like to say I met God in the movement. While my spiritual heritage is within the Church of Christ, it is no longer my theological home. I became an organizer at age 14 and began working to leverage resources and to imagine a better world. In the midst of this work and daily, I am discovering a Creator who invites us into loving relationship with all of Creation and who empowers us to end oppressive forces that stand in the way of this.” You may read her full bio here.

We will meet on Wednesday, March 8 at 6:30pm in Fellowship Hall for a meal and for Brittany’s presentation and discussion. We expect the program to conclude around 8:00pm.

From ashes to blooms

Lent is a season of prayer and quiet reflection, beginning with Ash Wednesday. Much like the soil outside, the ground of the heart lies fallow, while being prepared to receive the seed of God’s word. We begin with ashes, remembering our mortality and the faithfulness of God. Lent is a season of longing and waiting - for growth, for flourishing, for new life.

In worship on the Sundays during Lent, we will touch rocks and sand, soil and water, and pray with them. We will reflect on the gifts of light and growth, and we will get our hands in the dirt, putting seeds in the ground - awaiting the day when we sing together, Now the Green Blade Rises.

During Holy Week, we will gather for a meal on Maundy Thusday, to celebrate the beautiful gift of the Lord’s Supper “on the night when he was betrayed.”

Throughout the Lenten season, we will send “flowers” to your inbox (you may simply subscribe by scrolling to the bottom of this page and adding your email to our distribution list): Each day, a question, idea, quote, or prayer will drop into our inbox, encouraging you to “consider the lilies” as well as the tulips, snowdrops, forget-me-nots, and…

On Easter Sunday, we will gather for worship in a sanctuary filled with flowers, surrounded by signs of new life, and sing our praise to God whose love has conquered the power of death. Let’s wrap the cross with hundreds of blooms!

• Ash Wednesday, February 22, 6:30pm — prayer service in the sanctuary

• Sundays in Lent, 10:00am — worship in the sanctuary

• Maundy Thursday, April 6, 6:30pm — dinner in Fellowship Hall

• Easter Day, April 9, 10:00am — worship in the sanctuary

Difficult Words of Jesus

“Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26). And this from Jesus who teaches us to even love our enemies?

In our next Bible study series, we will wrestle with some of the difficult words of Jesus, guided by A. J. Levine’s 2021 book of the same title (and a series of short introductory video talks).

We will have two groups meeting at church, in Pastor Thomas’s study:

Tuesday nights at 5pm, beginning January 31

Wednesday mornings at 9am, beginning February 1

Both groups follow the same 7-week schedule, so participants can switch as needed.

In The Difficult Words of Jesus, Amy-Jill Levine shows how these difficult teachings would have sounded to the people who first heard them, how they have been understood over time, and how we might interpret them in the context of the Gospel of love and reconciliation.

It’s not too late to join us! Just get a copy of the book or e-book and come over. If you have any questions, please contact Thomas.

Book study starts February 1

When Jesus commands us to “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44), we know we’re listening to a very clear and demanding teaching. To do this is just very hard. But there are teachings that are even harder; not necessarily harder to do, but hard to hear, hard to grasp.

“Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26). And this from Jesus who teaches us to even love our enemies?

“Whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all” (Mk 10:44). And this from Jesus who came to set us free?

“You are from your father the devil, and you choose to do your father’s desires” (John 8:44). How does this square with loving one’s opponents?

In our next Bible study series, we will wrestle with some of the difficult words of Jesus, guided by A. J. Levine’s 2021 book of the same title (and a series of short introductory video talks). Feedback from participants in other studies based on her books have been consistently stellar, and our conversations have been fruitful. We will meet at church on Wednesday mornings at 9:00am, beginning on February 1. If there is enough interest in an evening group, I’m willing to coordinate calendars to find the best day and time. Please use the online form to sign up or indicate your interest in an evening group. The book, in both print and e-book editions, is widely available, so please get your own copy. 

In The Difficult Words of Jesus, Amy-Jill Levine shows how these difficult teachings would have sounded to the people who first heard them, how they have been understood over time, and how we might interpret them in the context of the Gospel of love and reconciliation. I look forward to getting together with you to wrestle with some of these difficult teachings!

Amy-Jill Levine (“AJ”) is Rabbi Stanley M. Kessler Distinguished Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies at Hartford International University for Religion and Peace and University Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies Emerita, Mary Jane Werthan Professor of Jewish Studies Emerita, and Professor of New Testament Studies Emerita at Vanderbilt University. An internationally renowned scholar and teacher, she is the author of numerous books including The Difficult Words of Jesus: A Beginner's Guide to His Most Perplexing Teachings, Short Stories by Jesus: The Enigmatic Parables of a Controversial Rabbi, Entering the Passion of Jesus: A Beginner’s Guide to Holy Week, Light of the World: A Beginner’s Guide to Advent, Sermon on the Mount: A Beginner’s Guide to the Kingdom of Heaven, and Signs and Wonders: A Beginner’s Guide to the Miracles of Jesus. She is also the coeditor of the Jewish Annotated New Testament. AJ is the first Jew to teach New Testament at Rome’s Pontifical Biblical Institute. In 2021 she was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. AJ describes herself as an unorthodox member of an Orthodox synagogue and a Yankee Jewish feminist who until 2021 taught New Testament in a Christian divinity school in the buckle of the Bible Belt.

Investment in community outreach

Vine Street Christian Church is committed to serving the Nashville community. For decades, we have been in ministry partnership with Room in the Inn, and for many years with organizations like Open Table Nashville, Luke 14:12, Westminster Home Connection and others, supporting them through community ministry grants as well as through hands-on volunteer work. In 1985, visionary Vine Street leaders launched what is known today as Insight Counseling Centers, bringing to fruition our dream of providing spiritually informed and psychologically sound counseling to Nashville residents of all income levels.

We are happy to continue this rich tradition of community ministry with a grant of $44,214 from the Hallie Warner Fund to support a new initiative to create a Financial Empowerment Network with personalized services for older adults in Davidson County. Recipients of the grant are AgeWell Middle Tennessee and United Way of Greater Nashville, who will use it to fund a six-month planning process, starting in January, that includes a series of focus groups with older adults, convening community nonprofits, faith communities and volunteers who serve older adults, and developing a collaborative network to provide individual financial empowerment counseling, along with benefits enrollment assistance and community resource navigation.

“Economic insecurity among older adults is a huge issue throughout our cities and nation, and while there are some sector-specific efforts, such as affordable housing and transportation, there have been very few, if any, local efforts to look more holistically at economic security. We want to create a better way to work alongside low- and middle-income older adults to help improve their financial stability,” said Grace Sutherland Smith, executive director of AgeWell Middle Tennessee.

“Too many seniors in our communities are living on fixed incomes and struggle to make ends meet with rising costs of living,” said Brian Hassett, president and CEO of United Way of Greater Nashville. “We’re honored to partner with AgeWell and Vine Street Christian Church to relieve some of that burden on older adults in our neighborhoods and to ensure that they remain supported, independent and thriving.” 

We know that Hallie Warner, the fund’s original donor, would be very pleased with this collaboration between AgeWell and United Way to develop a coordinated program that responds to a great need facing older adults in our community. Her will stipulated that her gift be spent to aid “the needy elderly in our community.”

 “We speak with older adults daily who are faced with economic insecurity and don’t have enough money to meet their everyday needs,” said Smith. “They need more affordable housing, or they need help with food assistance or need in-home care and cannot afford it. Building upon United Way’s successful Financial Empowerment Center model, bringing together agencies that help with benefit enrollment, and planning with older adults, we want to provide a welcoming and dignified solution for those who are struggling financially.”

We are excited about this initiative and grateful for the opportunity to help launch it. We will keep you informed about opportunities to participate in focus groups, and about the project’s development in 2023.

Lessons & Carols on Christmas Eve

At 11pm on Christmas Eve, we gather in the sanctuary for a service of lessons and carols. We share the Lord’s Supper, and at the conclusion of the service, standing in a circle in the darkened sanctuary and singing “Silent Night,” we pass the flame to each other, candle to candle. It’s a wondrous way to practice receiving the light of Christ and sharing it!

If you would like to be a reader for one of the lessons, please use this form to let us know. Every year, we look for a variety of persons to give voice to those ancient readings.

Community Ministry Grants

$17,500 in community grants will be awarded in this funding cycle.

It feels like blending Thanksgiving and Christmas: a team of volunteers awarded 14 community ministry grants after reviewing several more applications, and two additional grants from the Hallie Warner fund. Thank you to all of you who make these grants possible with your gifts, and thank you to Jane Short, Cate Mart, Jeff Miller, Calin Trabue, and Pat Cole for their good work! Ed Cole and Kathy Zamata reviewed the proposals for Hallie Warner grants. All proposed grants were approved by the Administrative Council, just a few days before Thanksgiving.

• Our Hands Garden Ministry at Alameda Christian Church will receive $500 to provide food and education opportunities for youth, landscape material, seeds, plants, buckets and soil for bucket gardening by youth. 

• Justice Industries will receive $1,000 to provide jobs for unhoused, hard to employ workers.

• Tennessee Innocence Project  will receive $1,000 to fund exoneration work and to educate the community on wrongful convictions.

• Matthew 25, Inc. will receive $500 to build out a clothing room for men who are residents in transitional housing at their facility.

• United-4-Hope will receive $1,000 to allow them to expand recruitment, training and support for more schools and churches to build partnerships.

• Charis Ministries will receive $500 to purchase food for delivery to people in their homes in Davidson and Williamson Counties. 

• Tennessee Prison Outreach Ministry will receive $1,000 to provide craft materials and teaching supplies for classes with youth. 

• Luke 14:12 will receive $1,000 to provide nutritious meals to individuals struggling with food insecurity and homelessness in Nashville.

• Penuel Ridge Retreat Center will receive $1,000 to underwrite activities through their Street Outreach Program (meals, bus passes, hygiene kits) and a Day Retreat for 12 homeless women.

• Preston Taylor Ministries will receive $1,000 to support their after-school reading program for approx. 50 students in K-8 grades. 

• Open Table Nashville will receive $1,000 to provide propane canisters for heating and cooking for unhoused individuals during the cold months.

• Rest Stop Ministries will receive $1,000 to provide one month of the residential food budget for survivors of human trafficking as they heal and recover.

• Nashville Adult Literacy Council will receive $1,000 to support English Language Learners by covering the cost of 10 annual Burlington English licenses.

• Room in the Inn at Vine Street will receive $1,000 to support the ministry with clothing items, cots, food and other items.

• Senior Ride Nashville will receive $1,500 to provide offset costs for riders in financial need and no access to transportation.

• Westminster Home Foundation will receive $3,500 to provide home repairs and upgrades to keep elderly in their homes.

Some of the recipients are first-time recipients, with others we have partnered in ministry for many years. We hope to hear a Minute for Mission from representatives of each agency next year!

Prayer Labyrinth

The prayer form we will explore this week is the prayer labyrinth. This is a contemplative walk along a twisting path that represents a pilgrimage. In the early days of the church, Christians would make an annual pilgrimage back to Jerusalem. It was a time of fellowship and mutual encouragement as they came together to remember the Lord and receive the sustenance they needed to continue living as believers.

 In time as the church continued to grow and expand, the pilgrimage became difficult. It was a burden to make the long journey, yet Christians wanted a way to experience the blessings without actually having to travel the distance to Jerusalem. The church responded by creating a symbolic pilgrimage that could be done in one place and the labyrinth was born.

 One misconception is that a prayer labyrinth is a maze. There are similarities, but it differs in that the path of a labyrinth leads to the center--there are no dead ends or path options. A labyrinth does have many twists and turns but the path one uses to travel to the center is the same path one uses to travel out. Walking the labyrinth (or “praying the labyrinth”) involves three movements--purgation, illumination, and union. Just as the pilgrims would think of their sins and struggles while they walked to the holy city of Jerusalem, the pray-er considers what they want to let go off as they walk to the center of the labyrinth. This is the movement of purgation. The second movement, illumination, takes place when the individual reaches the center and spends time reflecting and listening. It is parallel to the encouragement, learning and attending to the Spirit that would occur in the rich time of fellowship in the city of Jerusalem.

 The final movement, union, occurs as one walks the path out of the labyrinth. Being now equipped from their time in Jerusalem, the pilgrim reflected on ways they could join into God’s work as they walked home. The pray-er completes their time in the labyrinth in this same reflection of how they can join with God in the work God is doing in their own context. A meaningful practice is to pause at the exit of the labyrinth and offer oneself for God’s use.

 Several labyrinths can be found around Nashville and are generally open for public use. Scarritt Bennett Center, Woodmont Christian Church, and Glendale UMC are a few examples of places that have labyrinths on their grounds. One can pray these alone or with a group. A benefit of doing it alone is that the pray-er can take all the time they want for the experience. There are few distractions when solo. Walking the labyrinth as a group is a different experience. I typically instruct groups in walking the labyrinth together when I lead retreats. It’s sweet to share the prayer form with others. Although in silence, there is a camaraderie and blessing knowing you are all of the same heart and intent. Another option for praying the labyrinth is to use a finger labyrinth. Rather than using your feet, you let your fingers do the walking. You follow the same movements, but on a smaller scale.

 As with all these forms, I hope you will carve out time to experience this “new” form of prayer that has been around for centuries. You will be blessed in the movements of purgation, illumination, and union.

Breath Prayer

This week as we continue to pray alongside Thomas, we focus our thoughts on Breath Prayer. Breath prayer refers to prayer said in conjunction with one’s breathing. A phrase is said on the in-breath and another on the out-breath. It is a form of prayer that became popular in the West in the 19th century through a Russian tale entitled, The Way of the Pilgrim.

In this short story, a man goes to his spiritual father for help to follow the apostle Paul’s encouragement in I Thessalonians 5:17 to pray without ceasing. The Father told him to pray with his breathing. On the in-breath say “Jesus Christ, Son of God” and on the out-breath say, “Have mercy on me a sinner.” This phrase came from the gospel account of Jesus healing blind Bartimaeus who cried these words as Jesus approached. It is considered the most widely used prayer in the monastic traditions. The Father advised the pilgrim to pray the prayer with his breath one hundred times a day. The man returned after a time and said he still was not praying without ceasing, so the Father assigned that he pray it one thousand times a day. The man returned a third time and said he still had not met his desire to pray without ceasing, so the spiritual father suggested he pray ten thousand times a day. Thus, it became that on every in-breath, the pilgrim was saying, “Jesus Christ, Son of God,” and on every out-breath, “Have mercy on me a sinner.” Finally, he was praying without ceasing.

The point of this prayer, and of Paul’s admonition to pray without ceasing, is to increase our awareness of God’s presence. We are different when we remember that God is with us. The phrase used in this prayer form can be the traditional phrase of blind Bartimaeus, but other phrases can be used as well. One option used by many is the 23rd Psalm - “The Lord is my shepherd” on the in-breath, “I shall not want,” on the out-breath. Another version is “I am the beloved’s” and “He is mine.” The exact choice of phrase is less important than its help in centering our thoughts on Christ.

Several years ago, I taught this prayer form as part of an undergraduate course entitled “Disciplines for Christian Living.” Each week of the fifteen-week semester, the students practiced a different discipline, such as fasting, scripture, simplicity, music, etc. Different students resonated with different disciplines. One young man who was a student athlete came to love breath prayer. At the beginning of the semester, he was not happy about having to take the course. He was curious, however, and found that he liked trying out different Christian disciplines. He came back to class one day after a week of practicing the breath prayer and had become a zealous evangelist of the discipline. He exclaimed that he could do it anywhere, at any time and it had become so helpful to him. He was practicing it before and after games and even during games. It took only a moment, so with any anxious thought, he could pause and focus on his breathing. He shared it with his teammates and soon many of them were using it to center themselves on Christ in the moment.

I encourage you to try this one on for size. You can use the traditional phrase of the pilgrim or create your own phrase. The point is to allow yourself in the moment to focus on your breathing and through the phrase to center yourself on Christ.

-       Jackie L. Halstead

Stations of the Cross

Stations of the Cross

As we continue our month of prayer, this week I’ll share another form of prayer—Stations of the Cross. This may be a form that Thomas is participating in as many churches, retreat centers and monastic communities have the stations as part of their prayer offerings. A number of retreat centers and churches around Nashville have Stations of the Cross. It is a practice rich in tradition that offers tremendous blessing to the participant.

The stations of the cross are fourteen stations that depict the passion of Christ. They are based on the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem, the traditional processional of Jesus on his way to the cross. The stations consist of fourteen images depicting Jesus on the day of his crucifixion and serve as a means for believers to make a spiritual mini pilgrimage through contemplation of the passion of Christ.

The images are arranged in order along the walls of a sanctuary or along a path on the grounds. The worshiper goes from image to image stopping at each for a while to reflect and pray based on devotions associated with each. The stations are popular during Lent and especially on Good Friday, but are not limited to these times. Believers pray with them year round.

The themes of the stations are as follows:

1st station: Jesus is condemned to death

2nd station: Jesus carries his cross

3rd station: Jesus falls the first time

4th station: Jesus meets his mother

5th station: Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry his cross

6th station: Veronica wipes the face of Jesus

7th station: Jesus falls the second time

8th station: Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem

9th station: Jesus falls a third time

10th station: Jesus clothes are taken away

11th station: Jesus is nailed to the cross

12th station: Jesus dies on the cross

13th station: The body of Jesus is taken down from the cross

14th station: Jesus is laid in the tomb

Many versions of the devotions can be found. They are typically in a booklet form that can be carried by the worshiper as they move along the path. As example can be found at the site https://www.catholic.org/prayers/station.php. I’ve included part of the reflection of the 7th station found at this site. The 7th station depicts Jesus falling a second time.

This is the second time you have fallen on the road. As the cross grows heavier and heavier, it becomes more difficult to get up. But you continue to struggle and try until you are up and walking again.

Sometimes I think I should know more than I do. I become impatient with myself and find it hard to believe in myself when I fail. It is easy to despair over small things, and sometimes I do.

Help me when things seem difficult for me.  Even when it’s hard, help me get up and keep trying as you did. Help me do my best without comparing myself  to others.

In January I spent a month at Eastern Point Retreat Center on the east coast in Massachusetts. There is a lovely moss-covered straight path through the woods that dead ends at a wall of boulders. On the other side of the boulders is the Atlantic Ocean. The stations are placed on both sides of this path. It was a moving experience to pray with the stations on this beautiful path and then climb the boulders to sit and watch the crashing waves of the sea. And it took on a different kind of beauty when it snowed that included the muffled stillness of the blanket of snow.

I encourage you to participate in this sacred experience. It offers an experience with Jesus that is unmatched.

--Jackie L. Halstead

Book Study starts April 27

“I am writing this book because, like you, I am deeply concerned about the direction of our country,” writes Bill Haslam, former governor of Tennessee, in the opening paragraphs of his book, Faithful Presence: The Promise and the Peril of Faith in the Public Square. “I am also writing because, though the idea might sound farfetched to some, I think people of faith can and should play a leading role in healing the wounds of this country. Unfortunately, that is not what has been happening. Too often the words and actions of Christians have done more to inflict those wounds than heal them. But there is a better way.”

Haslam writes about this “better way” with passion and humor, and with a wisdom shaped by years of experience in business, elected office, and, yes, the church, he pulls his readers to the place where we might reason together and seek the welfare of the city (echoes of scripture, here from Isaiah 1:18 and Jeremiah 29:7, appear throughout the book).

We invite you to read his timely book with us and join us for conversations about faithful presence in the public square. We will gather on Wednesday mornings at 9, beginning April 27, 2022, either in person, or via zoom. Please purchase the book in your preferred format and register so we can share details like the zoom link with you. 

COVID Update

Dear friends,

From the earliest days of this pandemic, any decisions about COVID safety precautions at Vine Street Christian Church were made under the guidance of public health experts and local government regulations. Our highest priority since March 2020 has been the health and safety of our community. 

Now, in March 2022, we are grateful to have reached a different stage of this public health crisis. COVID-19 has not gone away, but conditions have changed sufficiently that we can enter a new phase regarding health and safety precautions. Given current COVID-19 community levels for Davidson County, the Centers for Disease Control state that “people may choose to mask at any time,” i.e. masking is optional. In Metro Nashville Public Schools, since Monday, March 21, masks are encouraged, but not required for students and staff.

At Vine Street, the following guidelines apply, effective April 3:

• Given that vaccinations are not available yet for our youngest participants, we continue to encourage masks during worship, but do not require them. We will continue to provide masks for children and adults at the entrances to the sanctuary.

• We continue to require masks for staff and volunteers interacting with children under the age of 5.

• We do not require social distancing, but ask that all practice social distancing with people wearing masks; individuals wearing masks likely are less comfortable with physical proximity than unmasked persons, and as a community we want to honor that aspect of our diversity.

• We strongly recommend that people with symptoms or exposure to someone with COVID-19 stay at home and attend services online.

Whether a person chooses to wear a mask, or not, is entirely up to them. For us as disciples of Jesus Christ, this freedom to choose is never absolute, but inspired by what love demands. The Vine Street community has been a model of resilience and compassion these past two years, and now we ask that you continue to care for each other with that same measure of compassion and devotion. 

God is faithful. Easter is coming.

Rachel Dixon, Chair of Elders
Melissa Freeman, Chair of Administrative Council
Thomas Kleinert, Senior Minister

One Cup, Many Cups

“This is my body which is broken for you.” Every Sunday we say these words together as we prepare to come to the table, because the meal is central to our life as disciples of Jesus Christ. During the long COVID pandemic, in order to lower the risk of exposure and infection, we made significant changes to our participation in the meal - from not meeting in person at all to staying in our seats and using prepackaged juice and cracker sets in small plastic chalices. Beginning on April 3, 2022, we will resume the familiar walk to the front of the sanctuary to share the meal, but in small yet significant ways our practice will be different from what we used to do pre-COVID:

Together, we say the words of institution as the person at the table takes a loaf of bread and breaks it, and then holds up the chalice. Now you come forward by stepping out of the pew and joining one of the columns slowly making their way down the center aisle. At the front, on the pulpit as well as the lectern side, you will be served a piece of bread from a tray. All pieces have been precut, so only your hands will touch the piece you are about to consume. We use only gluten free bread so as not to exclude those who are gluten sensitive and emphasize that the bread we share comes from one loaf.

Now you take another step to receive a small paper cup. We are using paper cups to reduce the amount of plastic waste. The cups are just the right size for congregants of all ages, and large enough to prevent accidental spills. 

Now you encounter the third person who will pour a small amount of grape juice into your cup. We use only grape juice so as not to exclude persons who don’t drink alcoholic beverages. You’re invited to consume the bread and juice right away and drop the empty cup into a receptacle, or you may take the elements to your seat and consume them in the pew; in that case, please take the empty cup with you at the end of the service, and drop it in one of the trash receptacles at the exits, or simply leave it on the pew cushion. Our deacons will come through after the service to pick them up, and they are a lot easier to spot when they’re sitting on a pew cushion than when they’re jammed into a hymn rack.

If you do not wish, or are unable, to come to the front, those serving communion will come and serve you in the pew. 

Why these changes? We want to find a practice that addresses concerns over multiple people touching a loaf of bread and dipping pieces of it in a shared chalice, concerns that are particularly strong during flu season or future pandemics. We believe that the practice described above will allow us to maintain the strong sense of a community on the way that comes with walking together while significantly lowering the risk of passing germs from person to person. 

Come April 3, you will also notice that the deacons again present our tithes and offerings along with the gifts of bread and wine while we sing, “Praise God from whom all blessings flow…” - no changes here, just all of us raising our hearts and voices in praise to God.

New Book Study Starts March 16

“This book sounds a joyful note, for the whole of creation is a vast cosmic dance. And all of it sways to an unheard yet pervasive rhythm because at the center of it all, at the beginning of it all, at the end of it all, stands the great Choreographer, the only One who keeps the dance going, the particles twirling, and the whole together.”

- From the back cover

Beginning on March 16 at 9am, the Wednesday morning Bible study will discuss Creation: The Apple of God’s Eye by Justo González. In seven brief chapters, the book covers “a surprisingly vast range of Christian teachings on creation” (Deanna Thompson) in a very accessible way. You are invited to join us - you don’t have to be affiliated with our congregation! Just get your own copy of the book in your preferred format and let us know you’ll be joining us (so we can send you the zoom info; we may decide as a group to meet in person later in the month). This study is part of Vine Street’s focus on creation and creation care during Lent.

Project for Lent

Lent will begin in just a few weeks, and this year we invite you to let your prayers, disciplines, and thoughts attend to God’s creation, particularly the Earth we share with our fellow creatures inhabiting its land, waters, and air. This Lenten focus is particularly meaningful this year since our youth are planning an immersion trip in the summer with creation care as their theme. In addition to a Lenten Devotional by Leah Schade and a number of study and service opportunities, we also want to create a shared devotional experience:

We all have images, songs, scripture passages, video clips, poems, and other sharable treasures that inspire or challenge us when we reflect on our place and role in God’s creation. Our plan is to collect these items and to share one of them each day during Lent via email and on Facebook. So you can simply share a picture or a song, or you can add a paragraph or two about why you want to share it. And the same goes for poems, video clips, and scripture passages. Or you can just share your prayers, or the thoughts of your grandchild.

We trust that with all of us participating, this will be a beautiful offering of praise and lament, confession and call to action. Please send your contribution by February 21 to creation@vinestreet.org. Thank you!

COVID update

Details about the omicron variant of the virus are still coming in, but our leadership believes caution is prudent.

We are taking the following steps, guided by the desire to slow the spread of a highly infectious variant whose overall community impact remains unknown and to protect the most vulnerable members of our community:

• The Chancel Choir will not rehearse or sing until we have had a chance to assess the holiday travel impact on COVID infections etc. in the community.

• The Children's Choir will not resume rehearsals on January 9 as planned. We will assess the post-holiday situation on January 10; rehearsals may resume on January 23.

• We will not have Children's Worship on January 9 and 16. After assessing the post-holiday situation, we may have Children's Worship beginning January 23.

• Intergenerational Sunday School will not kick off on January 9. After assessing the post-holiday situation on January 10, we may launch it after worship on January 23.

• In the meantime, we ask that people who have the sniffles or other ambiguous symptoms stay home or get tested.

Book groups start in January

Freeing Jesus - Book group starts January 12

How can you still be a Christian? This is the most common question award-winning author and scholar Diana Butler Bass is asked today. It is a question that many believers ponder as they wrestle with disappointment and disillusionment in their church and its leadership. But while many Christians have left their churches, they cannot leave their faith behind. 

In Freeing Jesus, Bass challenges the idea that Jesus can only be understood in static, one-dimensional ways and asks us to instead consider a life where Jesus grows with us and helps us through life’s challenges in several capacities: as Friend, Teacher, Savior, Lord, Way, and Presence. 

Freeing Jesus is an invitation to leave the religious wars behind and rediscover Jesus in all his many manifestations, to experience Jesus beyond the narrow confines we have built around him. It renews our hope in faith and worship at a time when we need it most.

Join Thomas Kleinert on Wednesday mornings at 9:00 a.m. or Tuesday nights at 6:00 p.m. to discuss Freeing Jesus: Rediscovering Jesus as Friend, Teacher, Savior, Lord, Way, and Presence and talk about who he is and was to us. Please get your copy of the book in your preferred format and register here.

“Combining childhood memories and mature theological musings, personal story and Christian history, Gospel texts and present-day contexts, Bass invites all feeling caged by doctrine, silenced by tradition, or afraid of doubt  to find not just freedom, voice, and the glory of mystery, but also to find Jesus on their own terms and in their own lives.”  — Amy-Jill Levine

“With each new book, Diana Butler Bass goes more deeply into what it means to be a Christian now, in a moment when many can’t summon the energy or the hope required. This may be her finest yet.” — Bill McKibben

Spring 2022 Programming

With COVID vaccines for available for everyone over the age of 5 now available, it feels like there’s light at the end of the tunnel and that we, as a congregation, can start thinking through other opportunities to learn and fellowship together outside of Sunday morning worship. And with Allison’s maternity leave starting on December 15th (assuming baby doesn’t make an early arrival), gearing up for these opportunities in January will be an all-congregation project! We will have faith formation opportunities after service, on Sunday evenings, and throughout the week via Zoom.

Sunday Mornings will include Sunday School after service (11:00-12:00) and Children’s Worship (10:15-10:45)

Sunday School: From January 9th- April 10th after service, the entire congregation is invited to participate in an Intergenerational Sunday School opportunity in fellowship hall. Lasting approximately 50 minutes, each week will incorporate ways to play together, pray together, study God’s word together, and break bread together. There are three roles to fill each week:

• Facilitator (2 each week): Facilitators will make sure that each part of the schedule happens at the appropriate time, and that table groups have all the information and supplies they need for each activity (all of the supplies will be at church, they will just need to collect it and distribute it). Facilitators will be familiar with the lesson plan and encourage participation. Facilitator time commitment: approximately 2.5 hours (1.5 hours preparation and 1 hour during Sunday School itself)

• Snack provider: Provide snacks (suggestions are provided) to correspond with the weekly lesson for approximately 30 participants. You can place them in the kitchen before service. Snack Provider time commitment: flexible—as much or as little time as you have available.

Allison will provide training for facilitators on Wednesday, December 1 from 5:30-7:00. Dinner will be provided.

Children’s Worship: Starting January 9th, children ages 3-3rd grade will have the opportunity to have their own time and space to hear a story, ask questions, and respond creatively. Children will remain in service until the Gloria Patri and return after the sermon during the hymn.  There are two roles to fill for Children’s Worship each week.

• Storyteller role: The storyteller prepares the lesson by gathering the story and supplies and practicing the story and worship liturgy the week prior; assists greeter in room management; affirms children’s responses after the story; helps greeter return children to sanctuary; Story teller time commitment: approximately 2 hours (1 hour preparing through the week; 1 hour on Sunday mornings)

• Greeter role: The greeter sets up the space before worship (arriving approximately at 9:45 when choir is not singing and 9:55 when the choir is singing with choir help), escorts the children from the sanctuary to the chapel (during the Gloria Patri) and back (during the hymn after the sermon), assists story teller in room management, helps children select supplies, and returns supplies to the closet after the children return to the sanctuary; Greeter time commitment: approximately 1 hour on Sunday mornings

Ideally, we would love greeters and storytellers to commit to one Sunday per month. Allison will be having training on Sunday, December 5 after worship for Storytellers and Greeters. Lunch will be provided.

Sunday Evenings will include Children’s Choir and Youth Group twice a month from 5:00-7:00 pm.

The biggest way to help with Sunday Evening programming is by providing dinner. You can sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040A4CA5AB22A4FE3-sunday1

Adult Formation Opportnities will happen throughout the Week and will begin the week of January 9th

Roles to fill include facilitating conversations for 4-6 weeks and determining the best time for folks to meet. Two resources that have been suggested are: Covenant Conversations: A Toolkit for Disciples, which looks at the importance of covenant within the Disciples traditions and a book study of It Takes a Church to Raise a Parent, which helps congregations re-imagine faith formation and congregational care for all ages. Thomas’ Wednesday morning Bible study will continue and is finalizing their topic.

Prints for sale

Phil Ponder thinks of himself as a "visual historian," and anyone who has seen one of his paintings of Nashville buildings and cityscapes knows how much love and attention he pours into his work. We are honored that in celebration of Vine Street's bicentennial he created a beautiful ink and watercolor painting of our church, and we are looking forward to its unveiling on Sunday, October 24!

Limited series prints, size 16"x24", numbered and signed by Mr. Ponder, will be available for purchase at the reception following worship as well as on our website. Prints #2-100 will sell for $100, prints #101-300 for $50. Mr. Ponder will be at the reception to add, upon request, a dedication or similar brief note to the print. We will also sell sets of 10 note cards with his artwork (Christmas cards anyone?) for $15, including envelopes.

Purchase your prints today! You can purchase online and have your order shipped directly to you or drop by the church Monday-Thursday from 10:00am-2:00pm to pick up your order in person.

Click here for our e-store

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