tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-194616512024-03-13T15:14:36.491-04:00First ThoughtsFirst Thoughts is written by Bill Shiell, Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church, Knoxville, Tennessee.Bill Shiellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12801877602798105280noreply@blogger.comBlogger408125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19461651.post-90354124974160021022013-01-07T22:38:00.000-05:002013-01-07T22:38:00.486-05:00Ezekiel Act 4: Re-member God's Presence Ezekiel 35-48<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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We have been studying Ezekiel like a play in four acts. The final act completes the vision of God's place for the community God re-creates. </div>
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Act 4: “Re-member God’s Presence” (Ezkiel 37-48)</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Now the
people are ready to reorient their lives to the future. They have accepted
responsibility, they have been cleansed, and they can now acknowledge that the Lord
with them as they prepare for what God is building. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xPovx-6MCPU/UOuT_qIWwqI/AAAAAAAABEM/FyjZfBnbJt0/s1600/Ezekiel+-+Valley+of+Dry+Bones.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="124" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xPovx-6MCPU/UOuT_qIWwqI/AAAAAAAABEM/FyjZfBnbJt0/s320/Ezekiel+-+Valley+of+Dry+Bones.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ezekiel's call and vision from the synagogue in Dura Europas Syria. 3rd century</td></tr>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
Lord is not only there in the place he’s creating, but he is here within the midst of the people. </span>In the last act, chapters 37-48,
Ezekiel reveals what the people have been longing to hear: a complete vision of
the territory and place that God is building. The place will be called “The Lord is There” (Chapter 48).
Named after the name that God first announced to Moses, “I am that I am,”
Yahweh’s place will be a presence among them that God will design and build.</div>
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Instead of moving toward a place like Israelites marching,
conquering, and settling a territory, God will builds a territory with no geographical boundaries and a people formed to live as citizens in this
place before they arrive. As Ezekiel describes in his famous vision of the
valley of dry bones (chapter 37), the Babylonians and their choices dismembered their lives.
But God will “re-member” them through a new plan of personal, spiritual, and
communal reconstruction. </div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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To inspire them, Ezekiel guides them like a docent through a
new wing of a museum, modeling and demonstrating to them what God’s presence
can do. The boundaries have changed; the bodies are re-membered and connected;
the people have changed; the name on the door and above the threshold has
changed. </div>
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<br /></div>
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The secret to the community, however, will be that they will
live like citizens of this place before it becomes visible. <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Where they live and worship
shapes how God gives them new hearts, re-membered lives, and a change in their
present conditions. </span>They will live simultaneously between two worlds, much as Ezekiel has
performed. Their lives will reflect what they see: God’s presence never abandons
them. Through their behavior as a community, they can perform as witnesses of the
new community. While they await the city’s completion, they can live out the
drama on the world’s stage wherever they live, either by the river Chebar, back
home in Jerusalem, or at home in our world today.</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">A ministry of First Baptist Church of Knoxville, Tennessee, Dr. Bill Shiell, Senior Pastor</div>Bill Shiellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12801877602798105280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19461651.post-71159679069222257592013-01-06T16:33:00.001-05:002013-01-06T16:33:21.984-05:00Ezekiel Act 3: Leaders who shepherd people Ezekiel 25-36<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<![endif]-->We can study Ezekiel like a play in four acts. Act 3 focuses on the role of leaders and followers who have been scattered away from Jerusalem. <br />
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Act 3: “Shepherd the Exiles” (Ezekiel 25-36)</div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ezekiel’s
performance now turns to the territories outside Jerusalem, and the audience expands beyond the elders to his fellow exiles in Nippur.
Those who left Jerusalem are like lost sheep, refugees seeking temporary dwelling places in
hopes that God would allow them to return to Jerusalem quickly. Ezekiel offers them a different kind of hope. Instead of returning to a place now destroyed, the prophet invites them to become the community that the residents of Jerusalem never experienced. </span></div>
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The exiles could have easily blamed the Jerusalemites for their problems and likely did. After all, they are the ones who lost control of the kingdom. Ezekiel reminds the exiled communities that they
behave no better than the Jerusalemites. In fact, their leaders act more like
greedy Pharaohs (Ezekiel 32) than faithful followers of God. Their greed in commerce and
industry and their mistreatment of the aliens and the poor have revealed
similar problems as those back home. Even though this behavior has had severe consequences, God
has chosen mercifully to save them and recreate the community.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FnmHyANmpuU/UOnsWZZ-yzI/AAAAAAAABD8/HO_MVbBHICA/s1600/DSCN0577.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FnmHyANmpuU/UOnsWZZ-yzI/AAAAAAAABD8/HO_MVbBHICA/s320/DSCN0577.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sheep in a pen</td></tr>
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To do so, Ezekiel calls them to recapture their identity as wandering Israelites leaving Egypt. Drawing on memories and parallels with the Exodus generation, the residents of Nippur can reclaim memories and practices as theirs. With no place to return and
no capital to call home, their community awaits a promised land. God is going to give them opportunities
to repent and change, much as he offered Pharaoh. If they want God to “melt
their hearts of stone,” however, new identities and behaviors must emerge.</div>
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Their leaders should imagine themselves as Moses-like shepherds
(chapter 34) of a wandering people awaiting a new kind of territory to be
revealed. They are to be visionary leaders with a new sense of direction and purpose.
They reject their old conduct as business leaders who followed the corrupt
practices of their former lives (Ezekiel 25:12-36). Instead, they care for and
guide the people in their vocations and occupations. The way they conduct
their business represents their faithfulness to God as much as their worship on
Sabbath. </div>
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As sheep under God’s care, their flock <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>retells the Exodus for their generation,
remains faithful to the first commandment, and observes Sabbath. </div>
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The shepherd imagery is a popular one in the Hebrew Bible as well as the New Testament. How do leaders shepherd people today? What is their responsibility to the flock? </div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">A ministry of First Baptist Church of Knoxville, Tennessee, Dr. Bill Shiell, Senior Pastor</div>Bill Shiellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12801877602798105280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19461651.post-6984638674665393462013-01-05T20:41:00.002-05:002013-01-05T20:41:25.963-05:00Ezekiel Act 2: Riddles as release and renewal<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">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. </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Overview of Act 2:
“Perform the Message” (Ezekiel 12-24)</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">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</span> moves to a dramatic verbal performance, using parables, dialogue, and
ongoing conversations. </div>
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The elders of the community are his audience. He<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> speaks in ancient
riddles using the image of the eagle and the transplanted vine (17)</span> 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). <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p0BW079dmJA/UOjVR1BhYUI/AAAAAAAABDs/GN7nQQVaiTM/s1600/DSCN0556.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p0BW079dmJA/UOjVR1BhYUI/AAAAAAAABDs/GN7nQQVaiTM/s320/DSCN0556.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">God has remained faithful to the covenant, but the people have</span> 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. </span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The city's destruction serves as a sign of </span>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. </span><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">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</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. They must now take the
message of renewal personally (</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ezekiel 18:20)</span>. 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.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">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. </span>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">A ministry of First Baptist Church of Knoxville, Tennessee, Dr. Bill Shiell, Senior Pastor</div>Bill Shiellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12801877602798105280noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19461651.post-3446607872482947972013-01-04T22:19:00.002-05:002013-01-04T22:19:21.935-05:00Act 1: Watch, Listen, and Gesture, Ezekiel as a Performance<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Studying Ezekiel</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In my last <a href="http://firsthoughts.blogspot.com/2013/01/approaching-ezekiel-understanding-its.html" target="_blank">post</a>, we discussed how we are influenced by previous studies of Ezekiel. In this study, however, we will study the book the way Ezekiel is written: as a performance of a street-corner prophet.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-INM8QOSnh-w/UOeaiiL6ZlI/AAAAAAAABDc/-xIMU7zQjdc/s1600/Colognepantomime.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-INM8QOSnh-w/UOeaiiL6ZlI/AAAAAAAABDc/-xIMU7zQjdc/s320/Colognepantomime.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Street Pantomime in Cologne, Germany, credit: Mariamel's Fotothing.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Because Ezekiel delivers most of his message on the street,
using gesture, pantomime, and parable, we will study the book like a four-act
play, dividing primarily along the lines of a rhetorical outline of the book,
visions (1-11), parables (12-24), exiles (25-36), and the new territory and
city (37-48)Rather than trying to understand the mind of the prophet, we will
focus primarily on the way the book is written and delivered orally. We are
assuming that no matter what sources Ezekiel had they have now been gathered in
one final form as a book. We are not sure if the historical Ezekiel wrote the
book nor does it particularly matter for this study. Ezekiel moves from first-person
autobiographer to third-person narrator in the book. We are primarily
interested in how these four acts affect the way the listeners are going to
behave after watching the performance. We read along with the book’s exiled audience
who are along the River Chebar, near the ancient city of Nippur in modern-day
Iraq. Their precise location is not nearly as important as their circumstances
in exile. Living away from Jerusalem when their capital falls, these refugees hear
the report of its fall. Like the audience, we watch Ezekiel’s movements,
imagining the future and following the prophet’s instructions.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Act 1:
“Watch, Listen, and Gesture”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Watch, Listen and Gesture” (Act 1, Chapters
1-11) is the (re)calling of the prophet to pantomime<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God’s message as a sentinel would warn a town
of an oncoming enemy. As the community hears that Jerusalem will soon fall at
the Babylonian invaders’ hands, Ezekiel accepts a new calling in ministry.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">With a
vision of spinning wheels framing chapters 1 and 11, Ezekiel becomes mute and
paralyzed to receive God’s word. Then in chapter 4, </span>the prophet uses sign-acts,
a series of nonverbal gestures and pantomimes, to mirror back to the people the
condition of Jerusalem and the temple system. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Despite the community’s denial that this kind of event would
ever happen, and the hope that the community <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>could one day return to a place they loved,
Ezekiel shows them that this hope is not only unrealistic but also disobedient.
Jerusalem and the temple need to be cleansed and replaced.<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ezekiel
accepts God’s call to be quiet and to demonstrate how the people should watch
the destruction of their city and accept God’s new vision for them. In some
cases, they will suffer through these experiences. Their suffering will prepare
them for something new on the horizon.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">When is silence just as important as speech? What can body language tell you about a person's message? </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">A ministry of First Baptist Church of Knoxville, Tennessee, Dr. Bill Shiell, Senior Pastor</div>Bill Shiellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12801877602798105280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19461651.post-83323988543907317322013-01-04T00:06:00.000-05:002013-01-04T00:09:06.415-05:00Approaching Ezekiel, understanding its influence<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pQtFZ_jZdfw/UOZhb8fXhTI/AAAAAAAABDM/bSFaAdISdpI/s1600/P1010067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pQtFZ_jZdfw/UOZhb8fXhTI/AAAAAAAABDM/bSFaAdISdpI/s320/P1010067.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A Sentinel in the Watchtower</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Approaching Ezekiel</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In my last <a href="http://www.firsthoughts.blogspot.com/2013/01/introducing-ezekiel-priest-turned.html" target="_blank">post</a>, I introduced a January study of Ezekiel at First Baptist. The book's influence has been felt for years. </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">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. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We
cannot approach Ezekiel without admitting a bit of our own biases and hearing voices of
previous interpretations. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">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. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">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). </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">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 <a href="http://www.negrospirituals.com/news-song/zekiel_ezekiel_saw_the_wheel.htm" target="_blank">“Ezekiel Saw de Wheel”</a> and <a href="http://www.negrospirituals.com/news-song/dry_bones.htm" target="_blank">“Dem Dry Bones”</a> 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 <a href="http://www.mfa.org/collections/object/the-whirlwind-ezekiel-s-vision-of-the-cherubim-and-eyed-wheels-illustration-to-the-old-testament-ezekiel-i-4-28-5039" target="_blank">William Blake’s series of paintings</a>. Some have gone to such extremes to assemble battlefield plans for
the mythical Gog and Magog on today’s world stage. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">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. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">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. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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Ezekiel invites us to watch a world that must be seen and heard
in order to live. The audience joins with the village elders<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to watch this street-corner prophet equip
them to carry out God’s message in their lives. <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">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. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For the
purposes of this study, we will be influenced by <a href="http://www.biblicalperformancecriticism.org/" target="_blank">rhetorical and performance criticisms</a> 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</span><span class="MsoCommentReference"><span style="font-size: 8.0pt;">,</span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
a new community, and a city that God crafts. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">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.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">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.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">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.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">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. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In my next post, we'll outline an approach to studying the book.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">How do you approach Ezekiel? What have you heard about this book that influences your interpretation?</span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">A ministry of First Baptist Church of Knoxville, Tennessee, Dr. Bill Shiell, Senior Pastor</div>Bill Shiellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12801877602798105280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19461651.post-61828132053877561772013-01-01T19:35:00.000-05:002013-01-01T19:35:37.275-05:00Introducing Ezekiel: the Priest turned Street Performer<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We'll be studying Ezekiel at <a href="http://www.fbcknox.org/" target="_blank">First Baptist</a> this January. Here's a preview of the series. </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ezekiel
prophesies during a time of reconstruction for an exiled community who lives at
the end of one era of faith and awaits the beginning of a new day. Settled in a
world they could have never imagined, they are trying to discover how to live
their faith on the heels of disaster. With no clear path to the future, the
community looks to God for direction and finds it in the life, ministry, and
mission of a street-corner performer.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ezekiel
begins his career as most preachers in ancient Judah did, serving in the
rotation of the sacrificial system. His role quickly changes from priest to
exiled minister to prophetic messenger. God not only calls but then recalls him
to a different ministry plan that he could not have anticipated. He is a
priest-turned-performer showing and eventually telling a message to his
community. He has a vision of a future that only God can bring about, of a city
that only God will build. With that vision in mind, the prophet performs through
gesture and pantomime to awaken his audience’s attention. He speaks in parable
about a future under construction. He calls the people to identify with that
vision and begins to enact its norms and values in the community. They are
citizens in training for a place that will simply be known as “The Lord is
There.” They will demonstrate what that city will look like through their
behavior and their trust in the God who will provide.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
book of Ezekiel records this transformation in the life of the prophet and the
people he serves. Many of the Bible studies written about Ezekiel describe him
as the “hallucinating prophet,” the person who sees UFOs, or the predictor of events
presented in Revelation. This study, however, approaches Ezekiel from the perspective
of those early audiences who heard the message not as Ezekiel performed it, but
as the text was read to communities no matter where they were exiled. Translated
into the Greek Septuagint (LXX) and eventually included in the early Christian
canon, the book testifies to the ways communities identify with a future God is
building. For people living on the heels of disaster, they learn new ways of
living that demonstrate their trust in, fidelity to, and patience with God who
is in charge.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I'll be posting more thoughts on Ezekiel in the coming days. What do you think about this fascinating book? How have you been influenced by this message?</span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">A ministry of First Baptist Church of Knoxville, Tennessee, Dr. Bill Shiell, Senior Pastor</div>Bill Shiellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12801877602798105280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19461651.post-65302351910398583102012-12-27T15:03:00.000-05:002012-12-27T15:03:35.572-05:00Ezekiel: God's Presence in Performance<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HcI8rw-A5P0/UNym25IKM2I/AAAAAAAABC4/Kbxdr1euQOc/s1600/Bridge+Winter+2013+Poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HcI8rw-A5P0/UNym25IKM2I/AAAAAAAABC4/Kbxdr1euQOc/s320/Bridge+Winter+2013+Poster.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Join us for my study of Ezekiel at First Baptist Church of Knoxville.<br />
<br />
"God's Presence in Performance" <br />
Wednesdays, January 9-February 6<br />
<br />
Bridge<br />
12:00 noon<br />
Trentham Hall <br />
$6 lunch<br />
<br />
Prayer meeting<br />
6:00 p.m.<br />
Chapel<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
January 9<br />
Act 1: Watch, Listen, and Gesture<br />
Ezekiel 3-4<br />
<br />
January 16<br />
Act 2: Perform the Message<br />
Ezekiel 17<br />
<br />
January 23<br />
Act 3: Shepherd the People<br />
Ezekiel 34<br />
<br />
January 30 <br />
Act 4: Re-member and Visualize God's Presence<br />
Ezekiel 37<br />
<br />
February 6 (Bridge only)<br />
The Lord is There<br />
Ezekiel 40-48<br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">A ministry of First Baptist Church of Knoxville, Tennessee, Dr. Bill Shiell, Senior Pastor</div>Bill Shiellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12801877602798105280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19461651.post-6610689093930764592012-11-19T09:31:00.002-05:002012-11-19T09:31:55.440-05:00Pairing up to Believe #AdventSome 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.<br />
<br />
<br />
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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. </div>
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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).<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SdiYuDztYhg/UKpBzrjV7AI/AAAAAAAABCk/sq_5wfIrL6Q/s1600/Pontormo_Visitation_1516.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SdiYuDztYhg/UKpBzrjV7AI/AAAAAAAABCk/sq_5wfIrL6Q/s320/Pontormo_Visitation_1516.jpg" width="291" /></a></div>
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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 <span></span>and works in miraculous ways, especially when we share the story with someone else.
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Above: Pontormo. <i>Visitation</i>. 1514-16. Fresco. S. Annunziata, Florence. </div>
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FMI: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Illuminating-Luke-Narrative-Renaissance-Painting/dp/B004JZX1GC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1353335481&sr=8-1&keywords=illuminating+luke" target="_blank">Heidi J. Hornik and Mikeal C. Parsons, <i>Illuminating Luke: the Infancy Narrative in Italian Renaissance Painting. </i>(Harrisburg: Trinity Press, 2003), 59-92.</a> </div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">A ministry of First Baptist Church of Knoxville, Tennessee, Dr. Bill Shiell, Senior Pastor</div>Bill Shiellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12801877602798105280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19461651.post-22690240990430847832012-05-16T16:51:00.002-04:002012-05-16T16:51:33.074-04:00Heart of Knoxville receives donations for the Jones family<div>
<span>Many of you may have seen or heard about the unfortunate
situation of members of our church, the <a href="http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/may/16/public-responds-to-strawberry-plains-widow-brief/" target="_blank">Mary Cate Jones family</a> and their
potential eviction from their home. First Baptist has been in touch
with the family and has agreed to accept donations on their behalf
through our church's non-profit organization, <a href="http://fbcknox.org/category/about/heart-of-knoxville/" target="_blank">The Heart of Knoxville, Inc</a>. </span></div>
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</div>
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<span>Checks should be made out to The Heart of Knoxville, Inc., and mailed to:</span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<span>The Heart of Knoxville, Inc.</span></div>
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<span>510 W Main St</span></div>
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<span>Knoxville, TN 37902</span></div>
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<span>Please include in the memo line: Jones Family.</span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span>Thank you.</span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">A ministry of First Baptist Church of Knoxville, Tennessee, Dr. Bill Shiell, Senior Pastor</div>Bill Shiellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12801877602798105280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19461651.post-20589283999722481562012-05-13T14:04:00.001-04:002012-05-13T14:04:58.297-04:00@fbcknox Graduates launch on missionToday we commissioned our graduates. Thanks to Michael McEntyre and Jonathan Higdon for putting together this video. <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/42072011" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe><div class="blogger-post-footer">A ministry of First Baptist Church of Knoxville, Tennessee, Dr. Bill Shiell, Senior Pastor</div>Bill Shiellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12801877602798105280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19461651.post-53775315654189001282012-05-13T10:35:00.000-04:002012-05-13T10:35:52.810-04:00Resurrection is our home in a world upside down. See Ryan Boyette as an exampleToday in my message, I mentioned Ryan Boyette's ministry in the Nuba Mountains. Check out these links to his work.<br />
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<a href="http://video.nytimes.com/video/2012/02/25/opinion/100000001385038/the-man-who-stayed-behind.html">Video of Boyette's work </a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://kristof.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/25/an-american-in-the-nuba-mountains/">Nick Kristof's story about Boyette</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/ryanboyette">Ryan Boyette's Twitter feed</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=660932683">His Facebook page</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.eyesandearsnuba.org/">http://www.eyesandearsnuba.org/</a><br />
<br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">A ministry of First Baptist Church of Knoxville, Tennessee, Dr. Bill Shiell, Senior Pastor</div>Bill Shiellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12801877602798105280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19461651.post-28758078428324023362012-05-01T09:38:00.001-04:002012-05-01T09:38:33.728-04:00Bearden High School @fbcknox Seniors Open a Door of Hope in South Africa<br />
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.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QETmMpMtLVY/T5_fmlyMbTI/AAAAAAAABBw/uiAEgvEXAmg/s1600/IMG_1782.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QETmMpMtLVY/T5_fmlyMbTI/AAAAAAAABBw/uiAEgvEXAmg/s320/IMG_1782.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anna Cate and Annie selling jewelry for the Door of Hope</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RC4ASUks9JI/T5_hrJkM_VI/AAAAAAAABB8/dRsI46IjFtk/s1600/DSC00430_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="296" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RC4ASUks9JI/T5_hrJkM_VI/AAAAAAAABB8/dRsI46IjFtk/s320/DSC00430_2.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Annie Pickle at the Door of Hope</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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. <br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WuCuZ1ynNwY/T5_lYhHiJAI/AAAAAAAABCY/wf_YzAZknP8/s1600/DSC00883_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WuCuZ1ynNwY/T5_lYhHiJAI/AAAAAAAABCY/wf_YzAZknP8/s320/DSC00883_2.JPG" width="320" /></a>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 <i>them</i>. We celebrate God’s work through them, and you can get involved in their mission.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GIMJ4WZx9hM/T5_lR8FMZVI/AAAAAAAABCQ/Kmoqv5DP0xc/s1600/DSC00416_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GIMJ4WZx9hM/T5_lR8FMZVI/AAAAAAAABCQ/Kmoqv5DP0xc/s320/DSC00416_2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jZVl2OkE5oE/T5_k0jjtuwI/AAAAAAAABCI/f4C76rRV_XA/s1600/DSC00413_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GIMJ4WZx9hM/T5_lR8FMZVI/AAAAAAAABCQ/Kmoqv5DP0xc/s1600/DSC00416_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jZVl2OkE5oE/T5_k0jjtuwI/AAAAAAAABCI/f4C76rRV_XA/s1600/DSC00413_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jZVl2OkE5oE/T5_k0jjtuwI/AAAAAAAABCI/f4C76rRV_XA/s320/DSC00413_2.JPG" width="320" /></a>To contribute to the Door of Hope Initiative, make checks payable to Bearden High School- Door of Hope. Mail to <br />
8352 Kingston Pike Knoxville, TN 37919. Their goal is $2,500.<br />
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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.<div class="blogger-post-footer">A ministry of First Baptist Church of Knoxville, Tennessee, Dr. Bill Shiell, Senior Pastor</div>Bill Shiellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12801877602798105280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19461651.post-26413923296196675182012-03-13T16:22:00.006-04:002012-04-04T12:24:59.276-04:00Turning the World Upside Down #baptistsatwh<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nYGMaGpbNeM/T1-tIx8r5VI/AAAAAAAABBk/Rb7esMatbsQ/s1600/rosedale-courtjpg-f711f9035a34d93e.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 215px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nYGMaGpbNeM/T1-tIx8r5VI/AAAAAAAABBk/Rb7esMatbsQ/s320/rosedale-courtjpg-f711f9035a34d93e.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5719480418142250322" /></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Vm4BJKVKaDM/T1-s8DLqIXI/AAAAAAAABBY/vdwF9Z-HmtQ/s1600/hudimg.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 267px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Vm4BJKVKaDM/T1-s8DLqIXI/AAAAAAAABBY/vdwF9Z-HmtQ/s320/hudimg.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5719480199430152562" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vP5GZEkkAMo/T1-s32hUpJI/AAAAAAAABBM/GzSuZ_T81BA/s1600/hudimg2.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vP5GZEkkAMo/T1-s32hUpJI/AAAAAAAABBM/GzSuZ_T81BA/s320/hudimg2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5719480127311881362" /></a><br />In the book of Acts, the church of Thessalonica made such an impact, that the local leaders said they "turned the world upside down." We don't have to look far for examples today.<br /><br />Jeanette Barnes lived in public housing her entire life; but when a tornado devastated her home in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, one year ago in April, the city did not have enough housing for everyone. What was a city the size of Tuscaloosa, with FEMA and HUD resources at its disposal, to do? They did what governments, neighborhoods, and people have done for centuries. They turned to the church for support.<br /><br />On March 7, I gathered with Pastor Tim Lovett of<a href="http://www.calvarytuscaloosa.org/tornadoreliefinformation"> Calvary Baptist Church, Tuscaloosa</a>; Robert Parham of Ethicsdaily.com; Ricky Creech of the D.C. Baptist Convention, and 60 other Baptist pastors. They came from every denomination in the Baptist alphabet- SBC, CBF, ABC, Progressive Baptist, you name it. We attended a "White House Briefing for Baptist Clergy," focusing on areas where the federal government works with local congregations and other faith-based groups to deliver aid where it is needed most. The Office of Public Engagement hosted us in the Executive Office Building of the White House. We dialogued about the issues of human trafficking, disaster relief, clean air and water, predatory lending, and immigration. We heard the concerns of the administration, and we shared our concerns as Baptists with the President's staff. It was a healthy, pointed, vibrant, non-partisan, civil dialogue as people working together for the common good. <br /><br />As I listened, I realized there is so much that churches and government agencies are doing for people in times of crisis. First Baptist has several examples. With immigration, First Baptist has been on the border and with our Latino congregation; in education, we serve through KidsHope USA. In local disaster relief and recovery , we have worked in Macon County and with the Katrina evacuees.<br /><br />Churches like ours are leading the way in these issues, and we can learn from each other how to impact lives and serve with best practices. Calvary Baptist Church in Tuscaloosa has been at the center of disaster recovery for over a year now. In partnership with the department of Housing and Urban Development, Calvary and the city of Tuscaloosa have repaired or rebuilt 80 homes. Jeanette Barnes was the first recipient of a home. Calvary was recently recognized by HUD for leading the way in disaster relief. Even more significantly, they have found their mission among the residents of the community. A tornado devastated lives; but through the power of the resurrection, they've turned the world upside down.<br /><br />Picture info: A picture of Jeanette Barnes' community of Rosedale, Jeanette Barnes and the team of Calvary Baptist, Jeanette's home today<div class="blogger-post-footer">A ministry of First Baptist Church of Knoxville, Tennessee, Dr. Bill Shiell, Senior Pastor</div>Bill Shiellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12801877602798105280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19461651.post-81792317876111370662012-03-07T22:56:00.005-05:002012-03-07T23:25:15.333-05:00White House Briefing with Baptists<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BOtUYs1EZGg/T1g0eYz-qJI/AAAAAAAABA0/4i_hb8OmBzA/s1600/Baptistsatwh.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BOtUYs1EZGg/T1g0eYz-qJI/AAAAAAAABA0/4i_hb8OmBzA/s320/Baptistsatwh.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5717377423608031378" /></a><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HSWlufG34Ic/T1gwRMJY7BI/AAAAAAAABAo/53IVwVjomf4/s1600/baptistsatwh2.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HSWlufG34Ic/T1gwRMJY7BI/AAAAAAAABAo/53IVwVjomf4/s320/baptistsatwh2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5717372798823361554" /></a><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KwzxskBcIqg/T1gwLTvj3xI/AAAAAAAABAc/az1wbsbBwFc/s1600/Baptistsatwh.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KwzxskBcIqg/T1gwLTvj3xI/AAAAAAAABAc/az1wbsbBwhtthttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifFc/s320/Baptistsatwh.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5717372697783295762" /></a><br />Greetings from Washington D.C. Today I attended a briefing at the invitation of Robert Parham of <a href="http://ethicsdaily.com/">Ethicsdaily.com</a>, Ricky Creech of the <a href="http://www.dcbaptist.org/">D.C. Baptist Convention</a>, and the Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnership department of the <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/engage/about-ope">White House Office of Public Engagement</a>. We met in the Eisenhower administration building with sixty pastors and representatives of the broader Baptist family. It was an alphabet soup of people in SBC, ABC, CBF, and other congregations in the spirit of "Goodwill" Baptists. We came not to speak for our churches. We came to speak to the administration about significant issues and to listen to the White House's initiatives. <br /><br />The topics included human sex trafficking, disaster relief, the housing crisis, lending and mortgage scams, and clean water and air. We heard from each other about critical issues going on in local congregations. We learned from the Obama administration about the faith-based initiatives that are taking root across the country. Fourteen federal agencies have a faith-based office at some level.<br /><br />By law, the Office of Public Engagement is not allowed to be involved in election year partisanship. We stayed away from politics and focused on Amos's mandate to "let justice roll." We looked for the common good that all of us share.<br /><br />Here's the original news piece about the story from <a href=" http://www.ethicsdaily.com/goodwill-baptists-to-meet-discuss-issues-with-whithhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gife-house-cms-19340">ethicsdaily.com</a>.<br /><br />Here's a <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ofbnp">link </a> to the White House <a href=" http://www.whitehouse.gov/engage/about-ope">office</a>.<br /><br />If you have not read the <a href=" https://twitter.com/#!/search/%23BaptistsatWH">twitter </a>feed, be sure to check it out.<br /><br />Here are a few takeaways--<br />Within 48 hours of leaving home, one-half of runaways will be picked up for sex trafficking.<br /><br />There are ninety Payday lenders in the City of Birmingham-- more payday lenders than Starbucks.<br /><br />Churches can be actively engaged in declaring a Jubilee for those caught up in the mortgage crisis, student loan debt, foreclosure, and payday lending scams.<br /><br />I am humbled to be a part of this group. I learned so much about the work going on around the country in churches just like mine. The conversation has just begun.<div class="blogger-post-footer">A ministry of First Baptist Church of Knoxville, Tennessee, Dr. Bill Shiell, Senior Pastor</div>Bill Shiellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12801877602798105280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19461651.post-25114868394084963982012-03-04T09:57:00.002-05:002012-03-04T10:02:39.444-05:00Fleeing disciples on the path through Lent<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uh4gRey03Cc/T1OD_WUrC2I/AAAAAAAABAQ/hAh0GI4weO8/s1600/tissot-the-flight-of-the-apostles-481x737.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 209px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uh4gRey03Cc/T1OD_WUrC2I/AAAAAAAABAQ/hAh0GI4weO8/s320/tissot-the-flight-of-the-apostles-481x737.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5716057476410575714" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">“But he left the linen cloth and ran away naked.”</span> Mark 14:52<br /><br />In the Gospel of Mark, the disciples flee Jesus when he needs them the most. They fit a theme, as David Rhoads suggests, that those closest to Jesus tend to be the farthest from loyalty.<br /><br />The pattern starts with his family. When hearing that Jesus is in town, they try to seize him, labeling him as crazy (Mark 3:21). Eventually Judas, the rest of the twelve, a young man in Gethsemane, Peter in the courtyard of the high priest, the crowds at the trial, and finally the women at the tomb abandon him. All of them fled. <br /><br />Jesus asked one thing of those around him to “be with him” (Mark 3:13-14; 14:34). They struggled with what that call entailed. The disciples, and many of those in the larger network, were not necessarily against Jesus. They were just never really for him either. They enjoyed the miracles, liked the teaching, admired the character, and took much of his advice. But the sign of the true disciple who was one who in the end was able to “take up the cross and follow me.” <br /><br />Jesus’ call to discipleship challenges us to be for Him in the same ways that he was for the world: the many places, people, and ways that Jesus lived. This call sends us to touch the untouchable, love the unlovable, and cast out the evil in the lives and systems of our world. It means responding with humility over pride and peacemaking over hostility. When others would call for more war, preemptive strikes, and hostility, the life of Christ as we are reminded in the garden of Gethsemane puts away the swords and surrenders the weapons of power. This life resorts to prayer and sacrifice as the means to true life.<br /><br />During the season of Lent, we are confronted with those same questions again. What does it meant to be “all in” for Jesus? No one would dare speak against his teachings or life; but if those closest to Mark are any example, we who desire to be close Christ today best be warned. The rare follower stays with him all the way. It’s in this season that God’s grace enables us to remain with him, even if we’re the only one left standing.<br /><br />Image: James Jacques Tissot (1836-1902), "The Flight of the Apostles". Brooklyn Museum, New York<div class="blogger-post-footer">A ministry of First Baptist Church of Knoxville, Tennessee, Dr. Bill Shiell, Senior Pastor</div>Bill Shiellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12801877602798105280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19461651.post-87881320574389435392012-02-21T10:27:00.011-05:002012-02-21T11:44:36.359-05:00How to spend 5 1/2 hours on I-81 on President's Day Weekend<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xDt4y5LnOXw/T0PJyA5pifI/AAAAAAAABAE/IxUbc0Wp9LE/s1600/181storm.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xDt4y5LnOXw/T0PJyA5pifI/AAAAAAAABAE/IxUbc0Wp9LE/s320/181storm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711630613508360690" /></a><br />When traffic stopped at mile marker 65 on I-81 East, I had no idea that we would be moving over five hours later. <br />Thankfully we were not involved in the tragic accident on I-75 in <a http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifhref="http://www.wbir.com/news/article/206797/2/Community-pulled-together-to-help-I-75-crash-victims">Jellico</a>. We were simply taking a 28-hour roadtrip to <a href="http://www.winterplace.com/">Winterplace</a>. <br /><br />We have to choose our weekends wisely in the ministry life. Even Monday school holidays usually mean short trips to avoid taking a Sunday as a vacation day. They are precious and few. After the services Sunday, we loaded the mini-van, picked up a McAlister's Sweet Tea, and ate our PBJ sandwiches for a four hour roadtrip to West Virginia. <br /><br />During "winter storm warnings," they tell you to take flashlights, blankets, and food for a year. I assumed those warnings were for unanticipated snow. I never really factored jack-knifed semi-trailer trucks into the equation. The snow started falling north of Kingsport, Tennessee. Visiblity was low but nothing unusual. Traffic was stop-and-go in some places. When we stopped at mile marker 64, in Wythe County, Virginia, we let the car run for about two hours, assuming the traffic ahead would start moving. This wait turned into more of a German autobahn stall. People were leaving their vehicles, wandering around. We even considered building a snowman. <br /><br />The people ahead of us were tracking things on the scanner. We were trackinghttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif developments on the I-Pad and twitter. The <a href="http://www2.tricities.com/news/2012/feb/20/weather-channel-visits-wytheville-ar-1702617/">Weather Channel</a> was reporting from Wytheville. After two hours of waiting, we turned off the car, took care of the necessary things, and chowed down on graham crackers. Darkness was falling, and we began thinking through what a night might be like on the interstate. Fortunately, the snow stopped. I can only imagine what would have happened if a blizzard had dropped 12 inches of snow on us. <br /><br />The boys had fun bugging each other, and we enjoyed teasing them with stories, songs, and silliness. At the four-hour mark, Parker made a palate. They played every itouch game they could download. Even the wrestling match was over. We cranked the engine and started watching movies again. <br /><br />Now past five hours, we turned off the engine, leaned the seats back, and began to doze. About that time, the traffic cleared. We passed the semi, now safely on the side of the road, and decided to forge on to the hotel.<br /><br />When we woke up the next morning, Parker was sick. On the way to the lifts, we saw the evidence. After a brief clean-up in the warning lane, we decided to head to the mountain. The next exit was for Winterplace. <br /><br />By this time, if you were superstitious, every sign was saying to "turn around and leave immediately." But we're not, and we just go with our instincts. A stranger walked up. "I've got a couple of extra lift passes that we're not using. Would you like to purchase them? They're only $20 (regular $65 on a holiday)." A blessing in disguise? A sign from above? Or maybe just good grace. We didn't deserve the passes, but we were seeing snow. We bought two for the adults. Drake was free. We were going to ski.<br /><br />We arrived at the lodge and decided to set up camp in the dining area, let Parker sleep, while Kelly and Drake skied. I stayed with Parker in the morning and switched with Kelly for the afternoon.<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h-UkJHyCudQ/T0O6r6RKvHI/AAAAAAAAA_s/3JNpYBCyhhc/s1600/parkerskisleep.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 290px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h-UkJHyCudQ/T0O6r6RKvHI/AAAAAAAAA_s/3JNpYBCyhhc/s320/parkerskisleep.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711614015974325362" /></a><br /><br />We left around 3:00 and were home by 6:30. We did not dare exit. Parker is taking a sick day today and recovering. And we are grateful to be home.<div class="blogger-post-footer">A ministry of First Baptist Church of Knoxville, Tennessee, Dr. Bill Shiell, Senior Pastor</div>Bill Shiellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12801877602798105280noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19461651.post-24519937689555423142012-02-08T12:25:00.004-05:002012-02-08T12:31:59.163-05:00Generosity fuels transformed lives @fbcknox when a single mom becomes a social worker @buckner_intl<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CIoVxZMua9M/TzKwtxVuz_I/AAAAAAAAA-k/Jnz5zmZdlxk/s1600/Wendy%2B%2526%2BCharles%2B003.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CIoVxZMua9M/TzKwtxVuz_I/AAAAAAAAA-k/Jnz5zmZdlxk/s320/Wendy%2B%2526%2BCharles%2B003.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706817978216927218" /></a><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />Wendy is a social work student at the University of Tennessee's <a http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifhref="http://www.csw.utk.edu/">College of Social Work</a>. 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.<br /><br />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."<br /><br />Even though Wendy is a volunteer intern, the work is not free. The ministry comes because you invested through the budget in a <a href="http://www.buckner.org/locations/usa-tennessee.shtml">Buckner</a> partnership years ago, and the fruits of this work continue to flourish.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<div class="blogger-post-footer">A ministry of First Baptist Church of Knoxville, Tennessee, Dr. Bill Shiell, Senior Pastor</div>Bill Shiellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12801877602798105280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19461651.post-58060422139749016992012-01-29T10:23:00.004-05:002012-01-29T10:29:10.115-05:00Resources for helping you "pray the hours" (2day's sermon @fbcknox)Today, I preached about finding the quiet, solitary place throughout your day. Here are some resources to help. <br /><br />Websites and Apps:<br /><a href="http://www.missionstclare.com/english/"><br />The Mission of St. Clare</a> (Downloadable apps)<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bookofcommonprayer.net">Book of Common Prayer</a> (will send a daily email)<br /><br /><br />Books:<br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Take-Our-Moments-Days/dp/0836194497/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1327850313&sr=1-1">Take our Moments and Our Days</a> <br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Divine-Hours-Prayers-Springtime-Phyllis/dp/0385505574/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1327850250&sr=1-1">The Divine Hours</a> by Phyllis Tickle (This is a series) <br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Common-Prayer-Pocket-Ordinary-Radicals/dp/031033506X/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1327850208&sr=1-3">Common Prayer</a> by Shane Claiborne<div class="blogger-post-footer">A ministry of First Baptist Church of Knoxville, Tennessee, Dr. Bill Shiell, Senior Pastor</div>Bill Shiellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12801877602798105280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19461651.post-5452276969245869982011-10-24T11:25:00.002-04:002011-10-24T11:27:40.796-04:00@fbcknox giving keeps pace with 2010<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--1Sy9nS1Lpc/TqWDySkjDuI/AAAAAAAAA-Y/eS19nvN7h_g/s1600/pickle.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--1Sy9nS1Lpc/TqWDySkjDuI/AAAAAAAAA-Y/eS19nvN7h_g/s320/pickle.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5667080606117465826" /></a><br /><br />One of my favorite books this year has been Tina Rosenberg’s <span style="font-style:italic;">Join the Club</span>. 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. <br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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. <br /><br />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.<br /><br />(Pictured above: Kathryn Pickle with South African students)<div class="blogger-post-footer">A ministry of First Baptist Church of Knoxville, Tennessee, Dr. Bill Shiell, Senior Pastor</div>Bill Shiellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12801877602798105280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19461651.post-86720005194821731362011-09-15T16:04:00.003-04:002011-09-15T16:06:15.500-04:00What's the one thing in your life? We asked a few people. Watch:<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/29108352?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="400" height="225" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen allowFullScreen></iframe><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/29108352">The One Thing</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/fbcknox">First Baptist Church, Knoxville</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p><br /><br />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.<div class="blogger-post-footer">A ministry of First Baptist Church of Knoxville, Tennessee, Dr. Bill Shiell, Senior Pastor</div>Bill Shiellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12801877602798105280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19461651.post-70869568720092056892011-08-22T09:08:00.000-04:002011-08-22T09:08:00.844-04:00Good news 10 years later @fbcknox #September11 #worship #Habitat<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-S74ApxZlFSk/TkwFWz6kuPI/AAAAAAAAA-Q/o0fkXx3vdho/s1600/10.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-S74ApxZlFSk/TkwFWz6kuPI/AAAAAAAAA-Q/o0fkXx3vdho/s320/10.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5641890322639534322" /></a>
<br /> How significant is a 10th anniversary? For a rising fifth grader, the passage marks a turn into "double digits," top of the school, safety patrol. For parents, 10 years goes by "way too fast." We're over halfway finished with school but only at the beginning of an education. For a nation, 10 years seems like just yesterday when terrorists attacked our country and killed nearly 3,000 people. For our church, 10 years ago marked the beginning of a new era of worship.
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<br /> September is filled with a range of emotions, nostalgia, patriotism, and reflection. It's the 10th anniversary of 9/11 and the 10th anniversary of First Community. One way to mark the occasion is to remember dates, times, and places in <span style="font-style:italic;">chronos </span>time. We remember September 11, 2001; we recall the beginning of First Community 10 years ago the Sunday before September 11. All of us remember "where we were."
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<br /> These are not just dates on a calendar. These occasions invite us to measure another way that time passes, out of the chronological schedule of dates, times, and places through the door of <span style="font-style:italic;">kairos </span>time. <span style="font-style:italic;">Kairos </span>is marked by seasons and generations. Here time is measured not by dates on a calendar but by differences in behavior. We pick up on it occasionally in our way of describing things that happen to us: "It seemed just like yesterday." "My, look how you've grown." "I don't remember when all this started, but my life has never been the same since." <span style="font-style:italic;">Kairos </span>happens in nature all the time; a seed is planted and grows when "the time is right." The fruit is ready to be picked when it ripens. We don't know precisely when, but we believe it will happen.
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<br /> <span style="font-style:italic;">Kairos </span>time is, as you can imagine, God's way of marking time. The biblical writers describe life that is measured by passing seasons, ripening fig trees, growing yeast, and fulfilling promises. None of them have dates on a calendar, but all of them offer the chance to remember, reflect, hope, believe, and obey.
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<br /> The year 2001 was a <span style="font-style:italic;">kairos </span>moment for First Baptist. We changed the way we worship and began First Community that is still growing, evolving, and changing. Like a fifth grader, this seed planted was a promise to current and future generations that our worship will change and adapt as necessary to call people to worship a living God. We do not know yet the fulfillment of the promise, but First Community continues to blossom. As people in Knoxville after 9/11, we changed the way we live. Whether through security lines at the airport, threat levels at Oak Ridge, or economic turbulence, we think about and live in light of our fears in some way every day. We do not yet know the full legacy of these terrible days. We do know, however, that our lives are much different than they were 10 years ago.
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<br /> The same choices that confronted us 10 years ago are still the decisions we see today. We face a mix of worship and fear, of hope and anxiety, of promise and threat. We cannot live in a world without either one. This is why we so desperately need the grace of the gospel. The good news is that our world or our church did not change forever 10 years ago. It changed permanently 2,000 years ago. Jesus Christ entered a world deeply afraid and countered with the gift of good news in the ultimate <span style="font-style:italic;">kairos </span>event. When confronted with the life or death, Jesus taught how to walk the path of worship, obedience, forgiveness, and hope. The promise that began with his birth, death, and resurrection has not yet been fulfilled . He will come again in the fullness of time. That promise helps us recognize that even though our world and our church are different than they were 10 years ago, his gospel makes it possible for life to never be the same.
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<br /> This September, we have a chance to live out this gospel. We celebrate First Community on September 4 with a churchwide breakfast at 8:00 a.m. We remember lives lost and first responders who sacrifice during the Voices of Lee concert on September 11. We break ground on a new Habitat House and dedicate the construction materials in worship on September 18. Worship, Remembrance, Service: the ways we grow into another <span style="font-style:italic;">kairos </span>moment.<div class="blogger-post-footer">A ministry of First Baptist Church of Knoxville, Tennessee, Dr. Bill Shiell, Senior Pastor</div>Bill Shiellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12801877602798105280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19461651.post-40657035286932260272011-07-23T10:17:00.001-04:002011-07-23T10:17:25.850-04:00South Africa @fbcknox_mission team doing well. Block party 2day. Blackberry internet r down.<div class="blogger-post-footer">A ministry of First Baptist Church of Knoxville, Tennessee, Dr. Bill Shiell, Senior Pastor</div>Bill Shiellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12801877602798105280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19461651.post-387577204904576562011-07-20T11:16:00.004-04:002011-07-20T11:22:58.037-04:00To South Africa with Love @fbcknox_mission Skype Sunday @fbcknox 8:42 a.m.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NoTwpXVI-gE/TibyHvhr7OI/AAAAAAAAA-I/4ICSx157JQw/s1600/southafricateam.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NoTwpXVI-gE/TibyHvhr7OI/AAAAAAAAA-I/4ICSx157JQw/s320/southafricateam.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631454598904147170" /></a><br />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.<br /><br />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 <a href="http://www.fbcknox.org/about/hok">Heart of Knoxville</a>, 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 <a href="http://www.twitter.com/fbcknox_mission">twitter feed</a>. 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<br /><br /> <br />Annie Pickle<br />Michael McEntyre<br />Morgan Johnston<br />Megan Turner<br />Jonathan Keaton<br />Laura Beth Roberts<br />Anna Cate Hale<br />Cathy Johnston<br />Daniel Pieratt<br />Amy Pickle<br />David Lethco<br />Missy Burkhart<br />Courtney Allen<br />Micky Roberts<br />Andy Tatum<br />Kim Holcomb<br />Austin Tatum<br />Mac Pickle<br />Emily Holcomb<br />Julie Rice<br />Bryce Jones<br />Jan Johnson<br />Sean Rice<br />Kathryn Pickle<br />Mark Coffield<br />Nikki Austin<br />Mack Burkhart<br />Jess Maples<br /><br />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.<div class="blogger-post-footer">A ministry of First Baptist Church of Knoxville, Tennessee, Dr. Bill Shiell, Senior Pastor</div>Bill Shiellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12801877602798105280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19461651.post-73569247267772128922011-07-14T15:28:00.004-04:002011-07-14T15:45:37.935-04:00Second quarter of generosity @fbcknox<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_GPWjHbQFE8/Th9GzHHm7jI/AAAAAAAAA-A/X5cRQgQrVbU/s1600/DSCF1242.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 286px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_GPWjHbQFE8/Th9GzHHm7jI/AAAAAAAAA-A/X5cRQgQrVbU/s320/DSCF1242.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5629295903134641714" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b7j9NakFoVU/Th9GtHeuOjI/AAAAAAAAA94/4idXRwZiAD8/s1600/100_4252.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b7j9NakFoVU/Th9GtHeuOjI/AAAAAAAAA94/4idXRwZiAD8/s320/100_4252.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5629295800152373810" /></a><br />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:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">June 30, 2010</span> <br />Budget Receipts $ 834,490 <br />Budget Expenses $ 854,304 <br />Debt $ 801,375<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />June 30, 2011</span><br />Budget Receipts $ 840,314<br />Budget Expenses $ 866,648 <br />Debt $ 446,837<br /><br />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. <br /><br /> <br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br /><br />Pictured above: <br /><br />Dena Metts visits with one of the residents in Columbus on the Golden Notes Tour <br /><br />Glenna Atchley, Barbara Butler, and Mary Nelle Robbins enjoy lunch with their “little sisters” at South Knoxville Elementary.<div class="blogger-post-footer">A ministry of First Baptist Church of Knoxville, Tennessee, Dr. Bill Shiell, Senior Pastor</div>Bill Shiellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12801877602798105280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19461651.post-40196698086633722152011-07-06T15:46:00.003-04:002011-07-06T15:48:46.375-04:00Sign up to #mentor @ South Knoxville Elementary this fall: 1 hour, 1 child, 1 day. @fbcknox<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/25477028?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="400" height="225" frameborder="0"></iframe><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/25477028">Kids hope mentors 2011</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/fbcknox">First Baptist Church, Knoxville</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p><br /><br />Read first hand about the power of this ministry from Ryan Plemmons. Ryan is interning with us this summer:<br /><br />Kids Hope USA Anniversary<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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!<div class="blogger-post-footer">A ministry of First Baptist Church of Knoxville, Tennessee, Dr. Bill Shiell, Senior Pastor</div>Bill Shiellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12801877602798105280noreply@blogger.com0