Sunday Schools: 2010-02-21T22:46:59Z Copyright (c) 2010, Donna Thurmond ExpressionEngine tag:gumc.powweb.com,2010:01:17 tag:gumc.powweb.com,2007:/3.177 2007-02-13T20:13:00Z 2007-02-14T20:01:13Z Elaine West ewest@midsouth.rr.com tag:gumc.powweb.com,2006:/3.142 2006-12-14T17:39:00Z 2009-02-02T18:00:15Z J.D. Graffam jd@jdgraffam.com Germantown Groups is the online home for many of GUMC's groups. It's an interactive approach to ministry, a way to stay in touch, and a tool for our members to use in spreading God's love.

If you are interested in creating a group web page for your Sunday School class or church group, email JD Graffam.















]]> tag:gumc.powweb.com,2010:/3.695 2010-01-17T15:38:01Z 2010-02-02T15:44:38Z Donna Thurmond dthurmond@germantownumc.org
“This is the day that the Lord hath made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24

Let us pray. Dear Lord God, right now, we ask that you remove those things that may distract us, and Lord, we ask that you fill each and every one of us up with your presence and Lord, I ask that you fill me up with your presence and power; anoint my mouth, my heart, my lips, so that all I say, Lord, will be acceptable in thy sight. It is in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, that I pray. Amen.

2 Corinthians 5:16-20 NIV So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.

This is the Word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God.

Before I begin, I would just like to remind you that this sermon is the 2nd in our series, “Looking Through the Eyes of Another.”

The number 46664 was a very popular number and known by countless individuals at one time in our history. This was the prison number assigned to Nelson Mandela, the former President of South Africa...the first Black African to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Mandela had been incarcerated for 27 years as a political prisoner prior to his presidency. Upon his release from prison, at the age of about 71 or 72, Mandela emerged with his basic mantra being not one of hate, bitterness, revenge, or retaliation, but one with a focus on reconciliation and negotiation.

This theme of reconciliation is mentioned in our Scripture lesson here today. In fact, if you listened carefully to the reading of the passage, perhaps you noticed that the word “reconcile” or some form of it, was mentioned five times in verses 18-20.

So we ask ourselves: Why was the Apostle Paul so concerned with reconciliation? Well, Paul wrote the letter to the church at Corinth because the people there were dealing with some radical issues or concepts also.

During Paul’s time, life in Corinth was ordered and measured according to how well one knew one’s place in life and kept it. There was an implicit understanding that there was a certain manner in which you could take pride in your lower socio-economic class statue, take pride in your poverty, and take pride in your enslavement. You see, the population of Corinth was primarily filled with opportunists and immigrants who were seeking a better way of life. The largest segment of people was what we call freedmen; that is, those who had formerly been slaves in Rome. Also, ex-Roman soldiers seeking a better life for their families were part of the mix. Corinth also attracted ethnic diversity as it was filled with Greeks, Orientals, Jews, and Romans, and there was a significant transient population of merchants, traders, and sailors.

Some Biblical scholars have even stated that Corinth had many of the characteristics that we see in some of our cities today, like San Francisco and New York. This is why when we read 2 Corinthians, we too need to focus on reconciliation because even today we are divided according to race, class, and gender with the most damaging and the most pervasive being race or racism.

You see, racism is defined as speaking, thinking, or acting negatively about an individual solely based on that person’s culture, class, or color and physical appearance. And, because racism is based on such a deep-seated feeling of hatred and disgust, it also breeds hatred and disgust. This is why we look at reconciliation.

Brothers and Sisters, reconciliation is directed toward taking two parties that are hostile and angry with each other and bringing them together where the hostility is no longer there and they can be friends and fellowship together. A person cannot be reconciled with someone who refuses to be so. This is why we say reconciliation, and not forgiveness, because reconciliation requires both parties’ approval whereas forgiveness can be virtually only one-way. Certainly, the verse that emphasizes ministry of reconciliation is mentioned by Paul to the church at Corinth but also to all of us who call ourselves Christians.

I know some of us may be thinking we really don’t know if it applies to us because we think we have moved past the need for reconciliation. But, I ask you: have we? I would like to share something with you through my eyes and then you can judge where we stand on the issue of differences and how we really treat each other.

About three or four months ago, a group of my colleagues and I went to lunch at a nearby fast food restaurant. We all said that we would order, sit down and eat there. When we all went to the table to sit down, I noticed that everyone who was there with me had been served their food on a tray; my food had been placed in a neatly folded “to-go” bag. Through my eyes and my interpretation of the incident, I was hurt and disappointed that I had been treated differently. I even noticed that there was one other African-American present and he, too, had a neatly folded “to-go” bag. We were the only two in the place with “to-go” bags.

I approached the lady who had given me the bag to seek some form of reconciliation because remember, reconciliation implies a broken relationship. When I asked the lady who took the order why, she simply said, “Oh, I must have gotten distracted.” I left and returned to my seat -- not really feeling better because even in that moment, she still did not offer me a tray. She did not apologize. Had we reconciled our differences at that point?

As I reflected on this, I realized that this will happen and it does, but what matters in situations like this one is how we respond to an individual who has broken the relationship. I couldn’t help but think of Paul and how he had said how we should not regard anyone from a worldly point of view, and most assuredly from my narrow and injured lens. What mattered was that I understood that I could not, nor should not, hold this lady’s indifferent and insensitive behavior against her. I wanted, through my actions, to invite this young lady to exchange her old attitude of indifference for a new one that focused on compassion and caring.

Some of us now may be thinking that we are grateful that this attitude of indifference does not exist here in this church. Well let me remind you, Paul did write the letter to the church at Corinth, so let me share this experience with you.

About a month ago I was here at this church for a special event. I intentionally decided to sit in the balcony. Much to my surprise, it was almost full with the exception of two pews at the front of one section. Now, don’t get me wrong, I know how we as Methodists sit in our self-proclaimed, self-identified, self-appointed pews and we don’t move very much from that spot. We even get thrown off balance when someone else sits in our pew, but this situation could have been different.

As I moved to the almost empty pew to sit down, I noticed there was a gentleman there with a camcorder who never looked up to acknowledge me but leaned forward as if he had already begun taping, but the performance hadn’t begun. You see, he was trying to block me from entering that pew.

A lady seated at the far end of that same pew showed her ownership of the pew by telling me I could not sit there. I thought for a few seconds, then brushed past the gentleman and took a seat anyway. The lady turned her back to me in a huff, but I assured her I that would move when her family and friends come if they needed that space. Only later after a couple of performances did a woman and her young child appear, and there was more than enough room on that pew for four people.

She turned to me a few minutes after that and asked me if I were a member of this church. I simply responded, “Yes, I am.” She turned away from me, still visibly angry, and then turned back and asked me later, “How long?” I responded, “A year and a half,” and we sat in silence for the rest of the evening. I couldn’t help but think “Is she going to report me to the pastor?”

You see, Brothers and Sisters, through my eyes, I saw hostile and insensitive behavior. Through my eyes at that moment, I realized that I could not extend reconciliation; I could only extend forgiveness, which caused me to feel somewhat sad and disappointed. I did not tell her I was a pastor because in the end I earnestly believed that it would not have mattered because in the end I was still someone different from her. I realized that as God’s people we need to respect each other not because of titles and positions we may have, but because we are all God’s people. We all have value because Jesus Christ died for all of us and not just for some of us.

This issue of value and even self-worth caused me to reflect on a situation involving my younger daughter several years ago. My daughter came home from school in tears, angry, and crying at the age of 4 because the teacher told her she was black and my daughter, being a very precocious child, corrected her and told her she was pink. And then she looked at me with tears running down her face, and said, “Mommy, will you call my teacher and tell her that I am pink? I really don’t think my teacher knows her colors.” I told her that I would call.

The next day I did meet with her teacher and she tried to imply that I was not doing my job as a good parent because my daughter needs to know that she is black. And, I assured her that the only thing my daughter needed to learn at the age of 4 was that she was a child of God and that she was loved far more than what anybody could possibly put into words.

The teacher was very angry with me. I was angry and sad because I knew that it wouldn’t be long before my daughter would have to deal with issues of race. It seems ironic that the worst differences between races are exaggerated when brown and pink people are labeled “black and white.” Those very terms themselves begin to polarize our thinking between two extremes, rather than emphasizing the closeness of the two. They emphasize the differences in people, rather than the similarities bounded by God’s love. This is how our children are socialized into thinking of themselves in categories of being black or white and not taught to think about the character and content of one’s heart as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. often preached about, and this is most assuredly what the Apostle Paul was referencing in his epistle.

I am also equally certain that there may have been instances where some of you sitting here today have even felt the pain of being treated differently, where you were possibly mistreated or excluded because of the color of your skin or your ethnicity. This is why today, we need to read Paul and seriously think about reconciliation because we need to “regard no one from a human point of view” but from Jesus Christ’s point of view, loving each other in spite of our differences.

The motivation and fruit of true reconciliation is love. If we have been reconciled to God through Jesus Christ, we are called to love and serve God by loving our neighbors. The most effective way for us to serve God is reconciling ourselves to each other. You see, God sought out reconciliation with us even though God was not the instigator. God sought us out. God did not follow class, color or culture distinctions and then determine that some of us were more worthy than others.

That’s why today I say we all must move from racism to gracism, a term introduced by David Anderson, the author of the book, Gracism. Here, Anderson reminds us that the basic and most primary definition of grace is the unmerited favor of God on humankind. So, when the definition of racism, which is negative, is merged with the definition of grace, which is positive, the term of gracism emerges. Gracism is defined as the positive extension of favor on other individuals based on class, culture, or color.

I want to conclude with a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s speech, “Loving Your Enemies.” It reads: “So this morning as I look into your eyes…I say to you, ‘I love you. I would rather die than hate you.’ And I am foolish enough to believe that through this power of this love somewhere, men [women] of the most recalcitrant bent will be transformed. And then we will be in God’s kingdom.” (Loving Your Enemies) We will then be fully reconciled.

Let us pray. Lord, God, we thank you for your presence. We thank you for the Word. Challenge us, Lord, so that we can move from racism to gracism. It is in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Endnotes: This sermon is based, in part, upon material from the following sources:

1. David A. Anderson, Gracism: The Art of Inclusion (2007). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
2. R. Kent Hughes, Second Corinthians: Power in Weakness, Vol. 46 (2006). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
3. Jan Lambrecht, S. J. & Daniel J. Harrington, S. J., Second Corinthians – Sacra Pagina Series, Volume 8 (1999). Minnesota, Collegeville: The Liturgical Press.
4. The New Interpreter’s Bible – A Commentary in Twelve Volumes, Volume IX. (2000). Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press.
5. William M. Ramsey, Second Corinthians – Interpretation Bible Studies, (2004). Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press.
























]]> tag:gumc.powweb.com,2009:/3.607 2009-02-09T19:14:00Z 2009-02-09T19:20:05Z Daniel Turner dturner@intermixdesign.com The “Real Life 101” Sunday School Class (formerly the GIFT class)
we are a warm, welcoming group of adults in our early 40’s to late 50’s. We are single’s and married couples focused on Christian Fellowship through the study of relationships, life experience, boundaries, and “starting over”. Short-term studies are selected by our class members and help us to be healthier and happier in our life relationships. (Room 335, HMC)

Upcoming Series Feb 2009
The “Real Life 101” Sunday School class (formerly the GIFT class), will begin a 13-week study series entitled Boundaries, on March 1 at 9:30 a.m. in room 335. This lesson series is by noted authors Cloud and Townsend and is designed to help Christians prioritize and take control of their lives by properly setting personal boundaries and learning how to say “No.” ]]> tag:gumc.powweb.com,2009:/3.601 2009-02-02T17:58:00Z 2009-10-22T16:24:21Z Daniel Turner dturner@intermixdesign.com

8:30 a.m. Class

FRIENDS IN FAITH: We are a friendly mix of couples and single adults, both conservative and liberal in our Christian beliefs. In our study, we focus on Bible study as well as contemporary issues relating to the Christian walk. All ages. (Room 338, HMC) Contact Laura Lewis at 759-9366 or laqlewis@bellsouth.net


9:40 a.m. Classes

ALPHA: We are a warm-hearted class of couples and singles who are mostly empty-nesters, or have older children. Class format is to have presentations by guest speakers on a variety of topics that include contemporary issues, biblical understanding, and family concerns. Regular class socials, supportive fellowship, and community outreach are emphasized. Ages: late 40’s–early 60’s (Room 136, behind Fellowship Hall) Contact Jackie Flaum at 748-3706 or jrflaum@yahoo.com

APOSTLES: Our class studies biblical, family, and social topics that focus on life issues. While our group primarily supports parents of elementary to high school-aged children, parents in our group have children of all ages. Ages 40’s-50’s. (Room 338, HMC) Contact Jerry Clark at 737-8101 or jclark03@comcast.net

CELEBRATION: We are a friendly, active class of couples and singles who discuss a combination of Bible and life issues in a warm, accepting fellowship. Ages 40’s-60’s. (Room 232, Chapel Building) Contact Larry Shaw at lnorton5@comcast.net

EMMANUEL: We are a class of couples and singles seeking to grow in a deeper relationship with Christ through Biblical Study and enjoyable discussion. Scripture-based ideology provides a basis for both classroom lessons and life experiences through group philanthropy and family fellowship. Ages 20’s-30’s. (Room 131, Chapel Building) Contact Casey Casteel at 759-9379 or caseycasteel@comcast.net

FAITH & REASON: We are a diverse group of couples and singles study various books that promote thought-provoking, faith-based discussions. All ages. (Library, Chapel Building) Contact David Jensen at 624-0882 or dmjensen@fedex.com

FELLOWSHIP FORUM: Our class members discuss a variety of contemporary issues in the context of Christian fellowship. Class members and invited speakers lead these discussions, and a wide variety of opinions are openly shared. Ages 50’s-60’s+. (Room 339, HMC) Contact Del Mercer at dmercer3@comcast.net

FINNEY: We are an older class that follows the International Lesson Series with occasional guests who speak on various topics of interest. Ages 70+. (Room 231) Contact Joan Johns at 795-1636.

FISER COVENANT: Our class chooses a book of the Bible and journeys straight through the book as led by the teacher. Bring your Bible and enjoy this time of study and fellowship. Ages 40’s-80’s. (Room 133, Chapel Building) Contact Jim Borden at 754-9461 or jaborden@bellsouth.net

FIVE-Star Singles (mid 20’s-40) Are you single and seeking a place to find friends and grow in your faith? We encourage singles and single parents to become active in this Bible-based class featuring a variety of speakers dealing with single-related life issues. (Room 135, Chapel Building) Contact Matt Kuhn at mkuhn@lennyscorp.com

REAL LIFE 101. We are a warm, welcoming group of adults in our early 40’s to late 50’s. We are single’s and married couples focused on Christian Fellowship through the study of relationships, life experience, boundaries, and “starting over.” Short-term studies are selected by our class members and help us to be healthier and happier in our life relationships. (Room 335, HMC) Contact Lillie Kay Mitchell at 755-0376 or lkmarkle@hotmail.com

GILBERT: We are an energetic and vital group who study the Bible and related Christian topics. Maintaining a close, thriving relationship among our members and supporting each other in prayer are important to this class. Ages 65+. (Room 240, Chapel Building) Contact Joan McKay at 763-3485 or jfmckay1@aol.com

HORIZON: We are an active group who study the Bible and discusses timely Christian issues. Our class is involved in various ministries of the church and participates in outings and social activities. Ages 40’s-60’s. (Room 233, Chapel Building) Contact Linda Colebank at 624-2429 or lindac40@juno.com

LAMPLIGHTERS: As a busy, active class of singles and couples, we are a supportive fellowship actively involved in serving the church and the community. Primary study emphasis is the Bible and issues facing Christians. Ages 50’s-60’s. (Room 342, HMC) Contact Bob Land at 755-1542 or landrs2590@earthlink.net

SEEKERS: We are a class of cordial couples and single adults who together study the Bible in addition to addressing contemporary, social, and family issues. Ages 50’s-60’s. (Room 242, Chapel Building) Contact Roger Woelke at 754-4459 or rogerwoelke@comcast.net

11:00 a.m. Classes

ASBURY: Our class of responsive adults, both couples and singles, focuses on fellowship and Bible studies. We seek to make spiritual truth relevant for everyday living. Ages 45-60. (Room 136, behind Fellowship Hall) Contact Anne Fritz at 725-5647 or clarissafritz@bellsouth.net

EMMAUS: We are an enthusiastic and active group of adults whose children are teenagers through young adults. We are very involved in mission work, in addition to keeping a busy social calendar. We are continually seeking growth in Christ through Bible-based and contemporary issue studies. Ages 40-50+. (Room 342, HMC) Contact Jimmy Wright at 755-3985 or jimmyw24@comcast.net

FAITH & FAMILY. We have formed a new Sunday School class for parents of middle school and high school age students. This is a great opportunity to get to know other parents while we study and fellowship together. If you know of someone who you think may be interested in being a part of the class, invite them to come with you! (Room 240, Chapel Building) Contact Kelly Arrendell at pkarrendell@bellsouth.net or 850-8292.

FOUNDATIONS: We are a class for young couples, many with families, to meet together for fellowship and discussion on topics ranging from Christianity in the “Bible Belt” to marriage enrichment. We meet regularly outside of class for socials and mission events. Ages 20’s-30’s. (Room 242, Chapel Building) Contact Derrick McNeal at mcneadr10@yahoo.com

PRESTON CLASS: From exploring the Christian message in the music of U2 to studying the spiritual discipline of gratitude, the Preston class provides a forum for singles and couples in their 20’s and 30’s to discuss contemporary and faith-based issues in a relaxed, social environment. (Room 335, HMC) Contact Holly Turner at 291-2669 or hstults@yahoo.com

TRINITY: We are a group of adults with young families who enjoy current event and issue based discussions with a spiritual foundation. Age 30’s and 40’s. (Room 339, HMC) Contact Neal Maxwell at 753-5454 or yamdesigns@mac.com

BELIEVERS: And Jesus said, “All things are possible to him who believes.” (Mark 9:23). We are a Bible Study group of adults with young children. Our weekly lessons focus on developing a better understanding of God’s Holy Word as it pertains to our daily lives. We seek to deepen our faith through the Bible with a discussion format supplemented with Christian literature, audio/visual media, and speakers. Ages 30s-40s. (Room 338, HMC) Contact Jamie Earnest at jjeearnest@aol.com

2331 S. Germantown Rd. • Germantown, TN 38138
901-754-7216 • http://www.germantownumc.org


]]> tag:gumc.powweb.com,2008:/3.482 2008-05-20T13:50:00Z 2008-05-20T14:26:28Z Daniel Turner dturner@intermixdesign.com tag:gumc.powweb.com,2008:/3.483 2008-05-18T14:10:00Z 2008-05-20T14:14:08Z Daniel Turner dturner@intermixdesign.com Preston Class News and Events

Thursday, May 22-
Class Social- Daniel and Holly Turner have graciously offered to have the social this week. It's going to be at 7:00 Thursday night at their house (7175 Claiborne Drive, Germantown, TN 38138). They're planning poker for the guys and games for the girls. Everyone's on their own for dinner so eat before you come or feel free to bring food along with you! See you then!

Sunday, May 25
Sunday School:
Steven Solomon teaching on Methodist and John Wesley history (Part 2)

Youth: No Element (Memorial Day)

Sunday, June 1:
Sunday School: Brian and/or Romilly teaching on some great topic

Church Picnic: Our Annual Church Picnic will be Sunday, June 1, at McVay Park from 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Tickets are available at the Welcome Center. Cost is $8 for adults, $6 for children, with age 3 and under free. Habitat for Humanity will be providing the food with all proceeds to benefit Habitat. The McVay House will be open for those seeking a cooler place to enjoy the picnic. ]]> tag:gumc.powweb.com,2008:/3.484 2008-05-16T14:14:00Z 2008-05-20T16:12:41Z Daniel Turner dturner@intermixdesign.com Preston Tattoo Shop
At this years Harvest Festival the Preston class showed their "class" by opening a tattoo shop for the kids. Hundreds of tats where given and many moms where pleased.

pics coming soon!


Preston Volunteers at Crave
This year class members turned out in record numbers to participate in the Youth Group's fall retreat known as "CRAVE." There was a super-hero dance, ropes course, faith based speakers and many other activities. Not only did the youth enjoy this event, I think members of our class learned quite a bit also.

pics coming soon!

Christmas Party Gets Interactive
This years Christmas party introduced Guitar Hero and Dance,Dance Revolution into the mix with funny results. Gift stealing was still in full force, the food spread was great and the dance club stayed open late into the night. Thanks for everyone who participated in the events of the evening.

Lets not forget that we raised over $100 to purchase toys for Reel Foot Ministries Group. Thanks to everyone who donated.





]]> tag:gumc.powweb.com,2007:/3.442 2007-12-30T22:24:00Z 2010-02-21T22:46:59Z Snookie Newman cnewman2@bellsouth.net tag:gumc.powweb.com,2007:/3.418 2007-10-29T03:44:00Z 2007-10-31T03:45:24Z J.D. Graffam jd@jdgraffam.com tag:gumc.powweb.com,2007:/3.252 2007-05-03T17:40:00Z 2007-05-03T21:41:10Z Elaine West ewest@midsouth.rr.com tag:gumc.powweb.com,2007:/3.251 2007-05-03T17:38:02Z 2007-05-03T21:40:16Z Elaine West ewest@midsouth.rr.com tag:gumc.powweb.com,2007:/3.250 2007-05-03T17:34:01Z 2007-05-03T21:37:27Z Elaine West ewest@midsouth.rr.com May 13 Causey
May 20 Kenley
May 27 Davis
June 3 Jones
June 10 Waugh
June 17 Murphy
June 24 Sells
July 1 Adams
July 8 Hopper ]]> tag:gumc.powweb.com,2007:/3.249 2007-05-03T17:32:00Z 2007-05-03T21:33:51Z Elaine West ewest@midsouth.rr.com May 13 Causey
May 20 Kenley
May 27 Davis
June 3 Jones
June 10 Waugh
June 17 Murphy
June 24 Sells
July 1 Adams
July 8 Hopper ]]> tag:gumc.powweb.com,2007:/3.209 2007-04-03T22:16:00Z 2007-04-04T02:17:25Z J.D. Graffam jd@jdgraffam.com