First Presbyterian Church News (Clarksville, TN)

A Three-Year Journey through the Gospels: Introducing the Lectionary A lectionary is a collection of readings or selections from the Scriptures, arranged and intended for preaching during worship.  Lectionaries have been used in churches since the fourth century, when large churches began to arrange their Scripture readings according to a schedule which follows the calendar of the church’s year. The Revised Common Lectionary provides a three-year plan or pattern for the Sunday readings. Each year is centered on one of the synoptic gospels. Year A is the year of Matthew, Year B is the year of Mark, and Year C is the year of Luke. John is read each year, especially in the times around Christmas, Lent, and Easter, and also in the year of Mark (the shortest of the gospels). Each year, we will follow the path of one of these gospels as it leads us again to Christ. Year A, Matthew, November 30, 2025 - November 22, 2026 Year B, Mark, November 29, 2026 - November 21, 2027 Year C, Luke...

 

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH CLARKSVILLE, TENNESSEE ALL SAINTS' DAY 2025 COMMEMORATING THE FAITHFUL "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:1-2, NRSV) Don Atkins Ted Atkinson George & Margaret Ackley  Angel & Helen Adames  Dan & Lynette Aiken Janet Aiken Judy Aiken Marshall Aiken Robert Aiken Kathleen Rowe Agnew Dee Albright Celia Ambrester  Barbara Ann Arnold John M. Arrington  John K. & Mary Arrington Bayless G. Atkins Ed & Anna Kathryn Atkinson Ned Atkinson William Hunter Atkinson Harper N. Ausenbaugh  Crit Austin Elizabeth Baddley  Meredith Baggett ...

 ARTIST STATEMENT "Process defines outcome" Silkscreen Paintings "Process defines outcome" means that the series of actions taken to achieve a goal (the process) is what determines the final result or success (the outcome). By focusing on and improving the process, one can achieve desired outcomes. In the process of silk-screening, my focus is experimental - trial and error. Traditionally, the silkscreen process focuses on one color=one screen. An example would be a one-color silkscreened T-shirt design. My focal process has been on one screen = many colors, where the total design and colors are “loaded” on one screen, then “squeegeed” (pressed through the screen quickly) through the screen, resulting in a multicolored, painted effect. The “process’ is experimental. The “outcome” is unpredictable, colorful, many times loosely defined. One trouble spot in this process was that the paint was drying too soon while still on the screen, forcing me to work quickly in ‘loa...

  The Christmas story is filled with familiar sights and sounds: a lowly manger, a brilliant star, humble shepherds, and adoring parents. And weaving through it all are angels. We often see them as silent, decorative figures with halos and wings. But in the biblical narrative, angels are anything but quiet. They are God’s messengers, dynamic agents of change who arrive with earth-shattering, history-altering news. When they appear, they interrupt the ordinary with the extraordinary and command one thing: “Listen.” This Advent, we invite you to join us for a five-part sermon series, "The Angels of Christmas," based on the work of Susan Robb. Our theme will be "Hearing God’s Message, Listening to God’s Messengers." We will journey through the familiar nativity story by focusing on the four pivotal angelic encounters that paved the way for Christ’s birth. We’ll explore the visits to Zechariah, Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds, examining not only the message they receiv...

We live in a world obsessed with comparison. From social media feeds to career ladders, we are constantly measured—and measuring ourselves—against one another. This relentless "striving for superiority," as Miroslav Volf says, is exhausting. It promises fulfillment but often leaves us feeling anxious and inadequate. What if there was a different way to live? What if our true worth wasn't based on how we "stack up against others" at all? This November we will explore this question with a four-part sermon series: "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God: Trust in God and Freedom from Striving." Inspired by Miroslav Volf's The Cost of Ambition (Brazos, 2025), we will explore how our identity in Christ frees us from the toxic cycle of comparison and competition. True stewardship isn't about outdoing others; it's about discovering God's grace, which allows us to live with joy, gratitude, and genuine freedom. Join us for this four-week journey. The Ser...

A PLACE WHERE LOVE CAN BE FOUND They say I'm known in this sacred place, But how could they really know me? I've hidden my truth, locked it away, Afraid of the price I might have to pay. They wear their masks with practiced grace, And I do too, just in case. We trade our smiles, nods, and names, But no one dares to name the pain.  (Chorus) Let's make a place where we can be found, Where mercy and love come pouring down. Faith over fear will lead us there. Loving each other builds God's house everywhere. Show me your scars and I'll show you mine. Not wounds to hide, but holy signs. God placed us here to heal as one-- Reflections of the risen Son. (Bridge) See me seeing you, See me seeing God in you, And God in me. WE ARE BLESSED I am the doctor, I am the nurse, The responder who gets there first. I am the miner who braves the dark. We share the light that's in our hearts. (Chorus) We are blessed, we are blessed, We are blessed, we are blessed. Through your grace,...

FPC has been awarded $24,880 by the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship as a recipient of the 2025-2026 Vital Worship Grant! We were first awarded this grant in the amount of $17,000 for the Faith Focus Wednesday program in 2023-2024 and then reapplied this spring. Our new project--developed by Hannah Cruse, Doug Young, Greg Glover, and the Steering Committee--will build on the mission of Faith Focus to  connect faith to action through cycles of education and reflection, liturgical creativity, and discipleship practices that aim to address homelessness and hunger.  We will continue to offer dinner, childcare, and a program each Wednesday this year during Faith Focus at 5:30. Many of these evenings may be devoted to learning about and taking part in missional work in partnership with the Irene Center for Hope. Join us in our pursuit to answer the question "How can we end homelessness and hunger for children in Clarksville?" We will also ask how our worship forms us to be mis...