W W W . A D A T U M . C O M

There is a garden within each and every one of us. Some people spend a great deal of time cultivating the flowers that grow there. Others nurture the weeds and briars. Many of us don’t pay any attention to our inner spiritual spaces and absolutely nothing is cultivated as a result. The garden that is being discussed here is an inner reality. It is a place which, all too often, is thought of as a kind of last resort, when our world begins to tumble down around us. Many people in recorded history have written about this inner world. It has been called “the practice of the presence of God,” “meditation,” “spiritual exercis-es,” or “contemplative prayer.” People refer to it today as our “quiet time” or “devotional life.” No matter what we choose to call it, we need to cultivate it in order to live. It is true that we can exist without an inner life. However, to live fully and abundantly, we require a personal spirituality.

Individuals take drugs or overdose on alcohol or sex because they have traded in what they really need for an inadequate substitute. This writer will maintain that we have been created with a need to commune with the Lord God. Our creator made us in order to “glorify God.” Any other of our enterprises provide distractions which are able to amuse us in a temporary fashion. Nothing else but a solid relationship with the Almighty will quench the thirst of the human soul. Anyone who seeks an open relationship with God can attain this blessing. In the magnificent sphere of grace, this writer believes that a small effort on our part will yield overwhelming love from our God. If we will but invest ourselves to a small degree in this quest for a meaningful spirituality, our efforts will be rewarded beyond what we can even imagine.

God’s blessings are not handed out by the thimbleful. Most of us have encountered people who were deeply in tune with their Creator. While physicians have not developed instruments to test our spiritual development, anyone who has met a person with a developed spiritual life can perceive certain manifes-tations. We can spot persons of deep faith because they have probably given us something. They tend to touch our lives and bring a contagious joy and peace. Admittedly, this writing is not scientific. It relies upon the reader to stretch the imagination and vision. We are invited to think now about people that were in tune with the Lord God. Some of them were wealthy. Some of them were living in material poverty. Yet, more often than not, the people we are trying to describe were filled with a sense of joy. This is because the inner world is not affected by what goes on outside. It is a sanctuary of peace and harmony. No outward events can change this inner being because it is constructed of eternal substance. James hinted at this when he wrote that we are to “consider it all joy.” This doesn’t mean that spiritual people are schizophrenics who laugh while the world around them is in sadness. It means that “neither life, nor death, nor hunger, nor nakedness, nor powers, principalities… will separate us from the love of Christ.” One may cry at a sad event and yet maintain a deep reserve of peace in the inner sanctum of the heart.

This process begins in the knowledge that the Lord God is sovereign. This is easily spoken but not easily

burned in our beings. It is difficult for us to admit that we are not the supreme creatures of the universe. We are certain that the harm and the good that we do is what controls the destiny of the planet. It is true that the Lord of Life has given us much power. However, the ultimate power and destiny remains in a place well above the mortal sphere.

700 Pine Street, Chattanooga, TN 37402 423.266.2828 office@secondpreschattanooga.org

Second Presbyterian Church of Chattanooga

More News From the Pews

Online Church Directory

www.churchmembershiponline.com/login.aspx

Login: member@secondpreschattanooga.org

Password: member

May 2017

The Disease by Sofia Bean

“Sorry for interrupting your favorite show, but there is breaking news! Many people are getting sick with a new disease!”

At that moment the TV went blank. Cessna looked out the window, and saw people running for their life. He knew he had to try and save his family. His first thought was to get the car and drive to their cabin. He realized that he had to get everyone to a safe place. Then he remembered that his Uncle Eddie worked for the CDC (Center for Disease Control). THAT WAS IT! He could call Uncle Eddie to see what this disease was and what he could do to save his family.

In the meantime, he carried his sisters, Mom, Day, Granny, and TT to their cabin on the mountain. He told them, “Do not open any doors or windows. Keep the doors locked and you should be safe until I get back!”

Cessna’s Mom said, “I am worried about you being alone, please take Bear with you.” Bear was the family dog. Cessna set out on the trip to find Uncle Eddie and hopefully the cure for the disease. He knew he had to protect himself, so he put on a mask and gloves. Cessna took a chance and called Uncle Eddie’s phone. Uncle Eddie actually answered. Cessna found out that Uncle Eddie and the other doctors were close to finding a vaccine for the disease. Cessna got directions to the lab in Atlanta and drove even faster.

By the time Cessna got there, the vaccine was ready. He asked, “How will we get this to everyone?” Uncle Eddie said that it was shipped by planes, trucks, and trains, but that Cessna should take it straight back to the family.

Cessna drove as fast as he could back to the cabin. His sister was already showing symptoms of the disease. She had a fever and a rash inside her mouth. He panicked, “Oh no! Am I too late to save Marilyn?” He quickly called Uncle Eddie and told him what had happened.

Uncle Eddie said, “No worries. She is in the beginning of the illness. Give her two Tylenol and the vaccine, and give everyone else the vaccine including yourself and Bear”. So Cessna gave them all the vaccine. They stayed at the cabin for a month until the disease was under control. Thanks to Cessna’s quick action, and Uncle Eddie and the other doctors at the CDC, many lives were saved.

Thanks to the generosity of the congregation, the PW Sunday offering proceeds were $687.00, and the luncheon proceeds were $129.67. Thank you for your support!

We extend Christian sympathy to the family and friends of Second member

Mrs. Dottie Oslin.

Born: January 25, 1936

Died: April 5, 2017

As I mentioned in last month's letter, we have been invited to participate in St. Paul's VBS. The date is

June 19th-23rd. Preschool-5th grade. Please tell me if your children or grandchildren are interested. Ms. Hutchins encourages our young people to be helpers.

Debra and I want to thank you for all the comments about our "Son Rise" presentation. Our church is truly blessed to have these talented children and youth. We will be singing for Mother’s Day. Be sure to be there for another blessing in song!

If you have new neighbors, remember to invite them to visit. Just tell them, "we will treat you so many different ways, you're bound to like one of them". Remember us in your prayers. Love in Christ,

Linda May

A Note

From Linda

Children’s Ministry

YOUTH NEWS May 7 - Guardian Angel reveal brunch

and Senior recognition

May 14 - Mother’s Day and Youth

Sunday

The Southwest Virginia Children’s Choir will join us in worship on May 28. They have traveled to perform by invitation at the Virginia Music Educa-tors Conference in Norfolk and again at the Homestead in 2013, and to such venues as the Duke Chapel, and large historic churches in At-lanta, GA, Charlotte, NC, and Durham, NC. They also performed the national anthems of both the United States and Canada at an Atlanta Braves game. This fall, the children’s choir has grown to nearly 100 talented children. Director, Joseph Trivette states, “This year’s Children’s Choir is not only about the largest, but one of the best Children’s Choirs we have ever had!”

The JPG Chattanoo-ga Harp Ensemble will give a live con-cert at Second Pres-byterian Church on Saturday evening, May 6 at 7:00 PM. The concert will in-clude multiple harps playing tunes from

broadway to Hollywood musicals. In addition to the select pieces performed by the ensemble, there will be a duet involving other instruments, a piano medley, and a story/song about a great composer. This concert is free and open to the public, so please bring your friends. We thank our host church, Second Presbyterian, for opening their doors to us to help us reach our mission, which is advancing the education and playing of the harp across this country. The program will last one hour.

The final concert of the Choral Arts of Chatta-nooga's 2016-17 season will be on Thursday, May 18th at 7:30 PM with the theme "Falling in Love"! It will be led by Choral Arts' own Artistic Director, Darrin Hassevoort, and showcase vari-ous lighter music pieces celebrating joy, life, and love. Admission is $20/adult and $10/student.

Juliette Blais is graduating from Collegiate High, Chatt State. She will be attending the University of Tennessee Knoxville as a Music Perfor-mance major and planned second major in Educational

Policy. She will graduate with a minor in Lead-ership as part of her admission into the Lead-ership Honors program. Juliette was very for-tunate to have been awarded several scholar-ships -- from the UTK Music program, UTK academic scholarships, and the Chattanooga Music Club scholarships. She appreciates all the love and support from the church over the past four years. Although she and her mother are relocating back to Knoxville, Juliette looks forward to returning to visit her church friends over the next years.

The Chattanooga Boys Choir will present their spring concert, Finale!, here in our sanctuary on May 11 at 7:00 PM. See - and hear! - all five Chattanooga Boys Choir ensembles as they pre-sent their concert wrapping up the 2016-2017 season. Each ensemble will present selections and all will combine at the end of the program.

Congratulations to Dakota Carney, who was selected for membership in the National Honor Society!

Congratulations to Sofia Bean for being chosen as a winner in the prose division for the Young Southern Student Writ-ers contest sponsored by the Southern Lit Alli-ance and UTC! Her win-ning submission is fea-tured on the back page of the newsletter.

The Second Outdoors group took a trip to the Chattanooga Zoo on March 26.

Treasurer’s Report

Saint Matthew’s Shelter Monthly Report

The late Christian singer Keith Green once said, “God can’t cash out of state checks in heaven; He

needs you.” By saying this, he wanted to express that while it was good to send your money to other

places to support the work of ministry, there was a lot that could be done by individuals getting in-

volved in ministry themselves.

We want to thank you for your continued support and interest in the work of St. Matthew’s Shelter.

From the weekly meals and words of encouragement to your interest in meeting their daily needs, it is

truly appreciated. The overnight volunteers have also been enjoying the improvements made to their

sleeping quarters. Both the men who stay in the shelter and the volunteers have commented how it

means a lot to know that you are concerned and involved in the shelter.

Saint Paul in his letter to the church at Philippi, said, “I thank my God every time I remember you.”

Each time you do something to help supply a need or lend an ear to hear from one of our men, you

help to make a lasting investment in their lives and create a lasting memory that they will take with

them always. Thank you.

March 2017 Service Stats:

Bed Nights Used 237 YTD 433

Percentage of Capacity 76% YTD 48%

Available Beds 310 YTD 900

Number of New Residents 8 YTD 17

WONDERFUL WEDNESDAYS Your Fellowship Committee has arranged for the following presentations at our Wonderful Wednesday

gatherings. Please make every effort to join us so we may all learn something new regarding the

scope of caring for our brothers and sisters in the community and share a fine repast with one

another. Dinner is at 5:30 PM, followed by our guest presenters.

DATES

PRESENTING ORGANIZATIONS

May 3, 2017 David Costellow from the Community Kitchen and (hopefully) a few

men from St. Matthew’s Shelter will describe their personal journeys.

May 10, 2017 Mercy Junction’s Beth Foster and others will provide information re-

garding this justice center’s functions and needs.

May 17, 2017 CADAS (Council for Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services) represented by

Mary Kay (Huskins) Roberts, will share information regarding CADAS

functions and services.

May 24, 2017 Welcome Home’s Sherry Campbell will return to update us about the

services provided and future needs

May 31, 2017 Metropolitan Ministry represented by Rebecca Whelchel, who will

share information about their work in the Chattanooga Area.

March Year-to-Date Year-to-Date Over/(Under) 2017

Actual Actual 3/12 Budget Budget Budget

INCOME

Tithes/Offerings $10,751.00 $40,412.92 $38,936.00 $1,476.92 $155,745.00

Meacham Trust $62,873.43 $62,873.43 $62,874.00 -$0.57 $251,494.00

Interest & Dividends $1.75 $1,024.75 $3,750.00 -$2,725.25 $15,000.00

Rental & Fees $400.00 $4,569.46 $4,450.00 $119.46 $17,800.00

Marie Bennett Trust $0.00 $595.18 $375.00 $220.18 $1,500.00

Fund Transfers $408.20 $1,214.20 $4,263.00 $3,048.00 $17,050.00

Other Income $0.00 $2,462.50 $0.00 $2,462.50 $0.00

TOTAL INCOME $74,434.38 $113,152.44 $114,648.00 $4,601.24 $458,589.00

EXPENSES

Salaries & Wages $20,621.54 $55,536.09 $60,556.00 -$5,019.91 $242,224.00

Other Administration $3,394.18 $7,325.73 $7,136.00 $189.73 $28,542.00

Building & Grounds $10,065.61 $25,801.53 $22,738.00 $3,063.53 $90,950.00

Christian Education $34.92 $892.26 $1,750.00 -$857.74 $7,000.00

Evangelism $408.20 $1,214.20 $1,762.00 -$547.80 $7,050.00

Fellowship -$616.99 -$1,813.05 $1,575.00 -$238.05 $6,300.00

Missions/Benevolences $1,629.01 $8,120.34 $11,465.00 -$3,344.66 $45,858.00

Worship $1,702.69 $6,836.69 $7,666.00 -$829.31 $30,665.00

TOTAL EXPENSES $37,239.16 $103,913.79 $114,648.00 -$7,584.21 $458,589.00

Profit/(Loss) $37,195.22 $9,238.65 $0.00 $12,185.45 $0.00

Checking Account

Opening Balance $40,893.87

Deposits for the Month $121,542.16

Withdrawls -$79,071.62

Ending Balance $83,364.41

Note: Trust Fund Income Quarterly

Other Income is amount made on Kitchen Operations

16 Ann Watson

17 Dick Brewer

18 Linda Langston

21 Katie Franklin Lundgren

23 Haley Rymer

24 Nic Peirano

Ron Oslin

26 Allyson Ford

28 Betty Whitaker

29 Julie Asciolla

30 Larry Cooley

May Birthdays

17 William & Sandy Lowery

28 Michael Lechner & Melissa Hamp

1 Cliff Duke

3 Jo Beth Kavanaugh

4 Al Whitbeck

5 Mary K. Roberts

6 Melissa Hamp

9 Casey Voy

Juliette Blais

10 Bob Dean

12 Anne Marie Ford

David Ford

14 Michael Lechner

15 Jack Raulston

Anniversaries

Update your phone directory

Anne Smith and Juliette Blais PO Box 323 Knoxville, TN 37901-0323

Bonnie Bryant 301 Oriole Dr. Chattanooga, TN 37411

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1

Silent Meditation

9:00

Mini Tennis 9:30

Presbyterian Wom-

en’s Circle 10:30

ACA meeting 12:00

Staff Meeting 1:30

2

Tuesday Bible

Study 11:00

3

Tai Chi 9:30

Wonderful Wednesday

Dinner and Service

5:30 PM

Youth and Children’s

Choir 6:00

4

Knit Wits 10:00

Men’s Bible study with

Dr. Phoenix 12:00

5

6

9:00 AM Silent

Meditation

9:30 AM Mini

Tennis

7:00 PM Harp

Concert

7

Sunday School 9:45

Guardian Angel

brunch 9:45

Worship/

Communion/ Senior

recognition 11:00

Lunch 12:05

Evangelism/

Participation meet-

ing 12:05 PM

8

Silent Meditation

9:00

Mini Tennis 9:30

ACA meeting 12:00

Staff Meeting 1:30

9

Tuesday Bible

Study 11:00

10

Tai Chi 9:30

Missions Committee

4:30

Wonderful Wednesday

Dinner and Service

5:30 PM

Youth and Children’s

Choir 6:00

11

Knit Wits 10:00

Men’s Bible study with

Dr. Phoenix 12:00

Boys Choir Finale

Concert 7:00 PM

12

13

9:00 AM Silent

Meditation

9:30 AM Mini

Tennis

14

Sunday School 9:45

Worship/Youth Sun-

day/Mother’s Day

11:00

Lunch12:05

Session meeting

12:45

15

Silent Meditation

9:00

Mini Tennis 9:30

ACA meeting 12:00

Staff Meeting 1:30

Newsletter deadline

16

Tuesday Bible

Study 11:00

Presbytery meeting -

John Knox Center

17

Tai Chi 9:30

Wonderful Wednesday

dinner & program 5:30

Youth and Children’s

Choir 6:00

18

Knit Wits 10:00

Men’s Bible study with

Dr. Phoenix 12:00

Choral Arts Concert

7:30 PM

19

Friday Night

Out 6:00

20

9:00 AM Silent

Meditation

9:30 AM Mini

Tennis

21

Moccasin Bend

Worship Compan-

ions 9:00

Sunday School 9:45

Worship/ 11:00

Lunch 12:05

22

Silent Meditation

9:00

Mini Tennis 9:30

ACA meeting 12:00

Staff Meeting 1:30

23

Tuesday Bible

Study 11:00

24

Tai Chi 9:30

Wonderful Wednesday

dinner & program 5:30

Youth and Children’s

Choir 6:00

25

Knit Wits 10:00

Men’s Bible study with

Dr. Phoenix 12:00

26 27

9:00 AM Silent

Meditation

9:30 AM Mini

Tennis

28

Sunday School 9:45

Worship/SW VA

Children’s Choir

11:00

PW Birthday Lunch-

eon 12:05

29

OFFICE CLOSED

Memorial Day

30

Tuesday Bible

Study 11:00

31

Tai Chi 9:30

Wonderful Wednesday

dinner & program 5:30

Special thanks to the

Rushworths and every-

one who helped with the

Easter egg hunt!