Deadline to Order Easter Lilies is 2/23 ~ Order Online: www.tinyurl.com/Lilies4Me or Fill Out the Form on pg. 5

In This IssueFrom Woodmont’s Staff:Clay Stauffer 2Trey Flowers 2The Season of Lent 2Ash Wed. Devotional 3Announcements 3Youth Group 4Woodmont Kids 4Easter Lily Order Form 5Bulletin Board 5Upholding Our Church 6

Welcome New Members! February 15, 2015

(l to r) Dawson, Misti, David and Jackson Schmutz

Sunday, February 22First Sunday of Lent

NEW Lenten Sermon Series Morning Worship, 9:30 and 11:00 a.m.

(through Palm Sunday): "Parables of Jesus Christ"

The Bridge Worship NEW Lenten Sermon Series 5:15 p.m. Evening Worship

"The Shape of Lent"Thursday, April 2

Maundy ThursdaySpecial 5-Star Dinner

5:35 p.m. in Drowota Hall followed by

Worship Service at 6:30 p.m. The Last Supper

Service of Communion - A Live Reenactment!

Friday, April 3Good Friday

Worship Service5:30 p.m. in the Sanctuary

with the Chancel Choir"Seven Last Words of Christ"

Easter Prayer Vigil Begins, 7:00 p.m.Saturday, April 4

Holy SaturdayFamily Easter Egg Hunt

10:30 a.m. on the East LawnBring your family and friends!

Sunday, April 5Easter Sunday

Easter Prayer Vigil Concludes, 7:00 a.m. Worship Services

7:00 a.m. Sunrise Service at the Outdoor Chapel (may bring a chair)

9:30 a.m. in the Sanctuary with simultaneous service at The Bridge in Drowota Hall

and11:00 a.m. in the Sanctuary

(no simultaneous service)

2015 LENTEN SCHEDULE

Sara James with sons (l to r) William & Jackson (3 years)

Adam Sherland and Ricki Adkins,engaged to marry at WCC

Download the 2015 Season of Lent booklet to any of your devices and enjoy the inspirational prayers, devotionals and reflections wherever you go.

www.tinyurl.com/MyLentDevo

Core ValuesWelcomingOutstanding worshipOutreachDifferent traditionsMission and ministryOn the moveNurturingTransforming

MissionGrowing Disciples

of Christ by Seeking God, Sharing Love

and Serving Others

Due to the Deep Freeze in TN, this edition of The Spire has been abbreviated to accommodate shorter production time but still deliver your news!

Easter Prayer VigilWoodmont’s Easter Prayer Vigil is a time of taking watch in prayer and spending time with the Lord before celebrating Jesus’ resurrection on Easter Sunday. The Prayer Vigil is a 36 hour period broken down in to 30 minute time blocks beginning at 7:00 p.m. on Good Friday and concluding at 7:00 a.m. Easter Sunday. You may pray from home or the church Sanctuary.

To sign up please visit www.tinyurl.com/PrayerVigil2015

2

Searching for Life’s Meaning by Clay Stauffer "What is the meaning of life?"  It’s a big question,

a bold question, and often an overwhelming question.  It’s a question that I wrestle with on a continual basis.  It’s the question that called me into the ministry at a young age.  Why are we here?  What are we supposed to be doing while we are here?  What difference will we make while on Earth?  The question is answered differently by different people.  Thomas Merton said, "Love is our true destiny.  We do not find the meaning

of life by ourselves alone.  We find it with another."  Leo Tolstoy said, "The sole meaning of life is to serve humanity."  The prophet Micah asks, "What does the Lord require of you?  To do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:8).  Paul Tillich said, "Faith consists in being vitally concerned with that ultimate reality to which I give the symbolical name of God.  Whoever reflects earnestly on the meaning of life is on the verge of an act of faith."  Sadly, there are many who never wrestle with this question.  Perhaps it’s too deep.  Perhaps the answers that they find are unsatisfactory.  Perhaps they are too busy just living life to ask the question. Victor Frankle put a different twist on this question.  He said, "The meaning of life differs from man to man, from day to day, and from hour to hour.  What matters, therefore, is not the meaning of life in general, but rather the specific meaning of a person’s life at a given moment."  Everybody does not have the same answer to this question. Some might give one word answers – family, friends, love, joy, work, money, happiness, compassion, etc.            Social Psychologist Jonathan Haidt has also wrestled with this question his entire life and it has driven and inspired much of his professional research.  In his book The Happiness Hypothesis, he says that there are actually two questions that should be asked which cannot be separated.  "The first asks about life from the outside; it looks at people, the Earth, and the stars as objects – ‘Why do they all exist?’ – and is properly addressed by theologians, physicists,

and biologists.  The second question is about life from the inside, as a subject – ‘How can I find a sense of meaning and purpose?’ – and is properly addressed by theologians, philosophers, and psychologists.  The second question is really empirical – a question of fact that can be examined by scientific means.  Why do some people live lives full of zest, commitment, and meaning, but others feel that their lives are empty and pointless?" (Haidt 218-219).  As a theologian, I enjoy wrestling with both questions.  Even those who can’t come up with a convincing answer to the first question must still wrestle with the second.           Jesus gave his own answers to this question throughout his life and ministry which we have recorded in the gospels. When asked which commandment of the law is the greatest, he said, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength…and love your neighbor as yourself." (Matt 22:36-40)  In the Sermon on the Mount, he said, "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." (Matt 5:44).  He said, "Do not worry about tomorrow.  Tomorrow will bring trouble of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today." (Matt 6:34)  He also said, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." (Matt 7:12)  As his followers, we have to take these words seriously when wrestling with this question.               During the Season of Lent, I will be leading a class on Wednesday nights at 6:30 p.m. called "Faith, Film, and Meaning" in the Boardroom where we will wrestle with this question.  Film has a way of captivating our attention and emotion.  We will look at clips from well-known movies such as Good Will Hunting, A River Runs Through It, With Honors, When a Man Loves a Woman, A Time to Kill, and many more.  We will cover a multitude of themes including love,  loss, grief, fear, addiction, recovery, hope, war, peace, and redemption.  If you are a person who finds yourself thinking about these topics through the lens of faith, come and join us! Blessings,

Frozen by Trey FlowersI’ve loved snow days ever since I was little. 

Some of my fondest memories growing up were building snowmen, sledding in the backyard, and making hot chocolate after coming in from the cold.  Since I’ve moved to Nashville, I still love a good ole’ snow day, even if it’s not nearly as much fun as an adult in the age of email and cell phones where we can still work from home.  As I write this article and peek out my window, I see the

ground majestically covered in white and steady icicles hanging from every branch of our favorite tree.  Even though snow days don’t mean the same thing anymore, I still get to live vicariously through the students in the youth group who are all posting pictures of sledding in the park and building snowmen with their neighbors.  A cup of hot tea never tasted so good! Still, I cannot help but wonder about all those people for whom a snow day is not a warm memory or a happy day at home.  On any given night, Nashville has between 3,000 and 4,000 homeless people seeking food and

shelter.  As we light fires and sip from warm mugs, the daily journey of the homeless and working poor are anything but a warm memory.  Snow days don’t create any more space or extra beds in the shelters around town.  These subzero wind chills are our solemn reminder that if we don’t live out Jesus’ command in Matthew 25 (feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, visit the sick/imprisoned), then who will?  Surely if the ministry of Christ had taken place in the Midwest rather than the Middle East, he would have added "warm the ones stuck in the snow" to the list of things we do for him whenever we help the least of these.            I am so grateful to be part of a church family that not only hosts Room in the Inn on Friday nights but who also come together to provide extra emergency nights during the "cold snaps" that we’ve been having more and more of lately.  When winter comes, we can’t double the number of beds in Nashville’s homeless shelters, but we can certainly double the space in our hearts to share the love of Christ with all people.  One bed at a time, one meal at a time, we live out the mission of Christ in a world that can otherwise feel far too cold.

The Season of Lent Lent is the forty-day period before Easter. It is a season of soul-searching and repentance - a season for reflection and taking stock. When we count the forty days, we skip Sundays. Thus in 2015, Lent begins on February 18 and ends on April 5. Historically, Lent has been, for the faithful, a time of re-dedication and for converts, a time of instruction and preparation for baptism. The forty-day period recalls the time of Jesus’ withdrawal into the wilderness to fast and pray. The color used in the Sanctuary during Lent is purple - a royal color to prepare for the King. The color for Easter Sunday is white for celebration of the risen Christ. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, this year February 18, so called for the ceremony of placing ashes on the forehead as a sign of penitence. In the Roman Catholic Church, the ashes are obtained from burned palm branches of the previous Palm Sunday and placed on the foreheads as a reminder that "you are dust, and unto dust you shall return." In the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), some congregations observe Ash Wednesday only as a marker for the beginning of Lent, while others hold services that focus on the cleansing of the spirit and the anointing with oil and ashes. Palm Sunday is the Sunday before Easter. It is so called from the custom of carrying palm branches in procession, in commemoration of the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. Maundy Thursday is the Thursday before Easter. "Maundy" is derived from the Latin "mandatum" or commandment. Maundy Thursday commemorates The Last Supper - "Do it in remembrance of me." Good Friday recalls Jesus’ death on the cross. "Good" refers to the blessings of humanity that Christians believe came as a result of Jesus’ crucifixion. Some churches display a cross draped in black on this day. Easter Sunday commemorates Jesus’ resurrection. It is a celebration of life over death; the promise of forgiveness and eternal life through Christ.

SIGN UP FOR HABITAT BUILDS: 3/7, 8, 14 & 15 • 7:15 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.When Woodmont sponsors a Habitat for Humanity build, church members and friends come out in droves to put a hammer to a nail, a paintbrush to a wall, and to get to know one another while doing the work of God. After the work is over, we hand the keys over - keys to new dignity, new hope and new life. To sign up visit: www.tinyurl.com/WoodmontBuilds.March 7 - Day 1 - Framing March 14 - Day 3 - Siding/InsulationMarch 8 - Day 2 - Framing Roof March 15 - Day 4 - Finish Siding

The Menu: Chili and all the Fix-in’s: Red Bean Chili, White Bean Chili, Mixed Green Salad, Sour Cream Cornbread, Triple Fudge Brownies with Ice Cream, Pizza for the Kids. Reservations are due by noon, February 23. RSVP by calling the office - 297-8563, by emailing rvaughan@woodmontcc.org, on-line: by visiting www.tiny.cc/5StarWoodmont, or on Sunday’s Connection Card.

5-STAR DINNER: FEBRUARY 25 • 5:35 p.m., DROWOTA HALL

Faith, Film & Meaning - NEW Wednesday Night Class led by Clay Stauffer, Feb. 25, 6:30 p.m. in the Boardroom

This class will explore film clips from well-known movies with spiritual themes and discuss what it means to find meaning and purpose in life.

Friday March 6th • 7:00 p.m. AVENUE • 120 3rd Ave S. • Nashville

Festive Attire Welcome!To purchase tickets and find out more

about the auction visit www.tinyurl.com/March6Auction

GEMS - (G)reet, (E)at, (M)eet, and (S)ocialize Tuesday, February 24 - Noon Room 105 Catered Meal - $8.00Program: Woodmont Christian Church Deacon and Board Member, Jeremiah Pyron will share Woodmont’s Mission Trip to Guatemala.Menu: Meaty Lasagna, Italian Green Beans, Caesar Salad, Ricotta Cheese Cookies.

If you would like to attend, please make reservations by Friday, Feb. 20, by calling the church office at 297-8563 or by emailing rvaughan@woodmontcc.org.

Lent comes around each year and offers us an opening. During Lent, we’re given forty days to strip away some of the barriers we keep up in our lives - busy schedules, old anger, financial worries, greed - and poke holes into the day-to-day, making room for that spark of the Holy Spirit that burns within each of us. The ashes we wear on our foreheads on Ash Wednesday are burnt from last year’s Palm Sunday palms. We place them there with the prayer that this year we will make space in our hearts for deeper relationship with God. I think of the two who were reunited with the resurrected Jesus on the road to Emmaus. They said to one another, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us?" As we begin this Lenten journey on Ash Wednesday, I invite you to slow your racing thoughts, to calm your restless spirits and lessen your load a little. And, with whatever small kindling you have, build a fire in your heart, and ask God to meet you there. But instead of piling on the logs, make space for prayer and quiet and listening for God’s holy voice, still speaking.

FIRE by Judy BrownWhat makes a fire burn is space between the logs, a breathing space.Too much of a good thing, too many logs packed in too tight can douse the flames almost as surely as a pail of water would.

So building fires requires attention to the spaces in between, as much as to the wood.When we are able to build open spacesin the same way we have learned to pile on the logs, then we can come to see how

it is fuel, and absence of the fuel together, that make fire possible.We only need to lay a log lightly from time to time.A fire grows simply because the space is there, with openings in which the flame that knows just how it wants to burn can find its way.

From Woodmont’s Lent Devotional Booklet - Ash Wednesday, February 18, by Tallu Schuyler Quinn

Would you have a few hours available in the next few weeks to assist with data input in our office?  This job is easy and if you have keyboarding skills (or just generally use a computer), you will be perfect for this work. We will need a few people

who can spend 2-3 hours at a time on either a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday to help. Our hope is to get the job completed within 30 days.  If interested, please contact Linda Whitson – lwhitson@woodmontcc.org or call 297-8563.  Thanks – we hope to hear from you!

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Mission statementBuilding a caring community for ALL youth that helps us connect with God, our true selves, & others.

SUNDAY SCHOOLFebruary 22 at 9:30 a.m.

Class LessonPuppiesStarsPandasFrogsMonkeys

The Lost SheepJesus’ MiraclesJesus heals two DaughtersJesus and the Tax Collectors

Parents, You’re Invited! Join us this Sunday at 11:00 a.m. (start in the Boardroom) as we continue our Sunday School series "In the Image Of - Q & A Panel Discussion." Join us for a panel discussion with questions from both parents & students.

Registration for CYF’s Spring Fling is now live! To access the registration form, visit www.tinyurl.com/CYFspringfling.YOUTH CABINET MEETING THIS SUNDAY February 22nd in the Youth Lounge immediately following Sunday School.

stay connected!

@woodmontccyouth#woodmontccyouth

Disciples Class Registration for 5th Graders & Older is Open!The time for the Disciples Class is approaching! This seven-week experience is for anyone in the fifth grade or above who would like to learn more about what it means to faithfully follow Christ. Each student will have the opportunity to be baptized, if he or she chooses. The Disciples Class is an important step in your child’s journey of faith. In this class, your child will: (1) explore some of the foundations of the Christian faith; (2) have the opportunity to confess his or her own faith; (3) be mentored by a faithful adult in the church; (4) bond with others who will be friends through Chi Rho, CYF, and beyond; (5) meet his or her future youth leaders; and (6) much, much more! To download the registration form and information packet for the class, visit www.woodmontkids.com.

Sundays10:3o a.m. jubilation rehearsal (cyf discussion room)11:oo a.m. sunday school (youth wing)5:15 p.m. the bridge worship6:15 p.m. youth night & dinner (youth wing)

tuesdays 6:30 a.m. high school bible study, Panera green hills monthly, girls: 1st & 3rd Tue, guys: 2nd & 4th Tue wednesdays 5:15 p.m. homework highs & lows (youth wing)

exit at CONNECT WITH GOD and turn right at LOVE CARE FORGIVE

stay connected!

@woodmontccyouth#woodmontccyouth

Sunday, February 22 - First Sunday of Lent9:30 & 11:00 a.m. Sunday School9:30 & 11:00 a.m. Worship Services12:00 p.m. Youth Cabinet Meeting (Youth Lounge)12:30 p.m. Nominating Committee Meeting (200)5:15 p.m. The Bridge Worship (DH)6:15 p.m. Youth Group (Youth Commons)Monday, February 234:00 p.m. "The Geezers" Men’s Group (BR)5:15 p.m. Cub Scouts (DH)6:00 p.m. WMT Board Meeting (BR) Boy Scouts (DH)7:00 p.m. Stewardship Committee Meeting (100)Tuesday, February 249:00 a.m. Women’s Prayer Group (C/S)12:00 p.m. G.E.M.S. (Greet Eat Meet Socialize) (105)6:00 p.m. Handbell Practice (Choir Room) Wednesday, February 256:15 a.m. Men’s Small Group (100)7:00 a.m. Men’s Bible Study (105) Younger Men’s Bible Study (BR)4:30 p.m. Celtic Spirituality (100)5:30 p.m. Grace Notes Kids Choir (Kids Commons)5:35 p.m. 5-Star Dinner (DH)6:15 p.m. DivorceCare (The Bay) JYF Kids Club (Kids Commons)6:30 p.m. NEW CLASS - Faith and Film (BR) Choir Practice (Choir Room) Celtic Spirituality (100) Financial Peace University (200) Leadership Woodmont (105)Thursday, February 26 Library Workday

Opportunities at WoodmontIn the Hospital:Wayne Puckett, Summit - No phone calls or visitors please. John Galloway, St. Thomas WestJohn Beck, father of Dennis Beck, TN State Veteran’s Home Humboldt, TNContinuing Concerns:Dr. Will Keim, Corvalis, ORJames and Daisy Reynolds, parents of Julia Reynolds, (Daisy is in McKendree Village Rehab)Nancy Turner Julie Janes Dottie Hetzel Jim Collins, Atlanta, GAMary Hofwolt, sister of John Hobby Julia Shipp Mina Malaty, nephew of Joseph Badawy, Albany, NYMilitary:Cody Bender, husband of Ashley Wilson Bender; son-in-law of Steve and Judy Wilson, Middle EastJeremy Watson, son-in-law of Doug and Terri King, Middle EastKevin Baird, son of Malcolm and Debbie Baird, LiberiaThose Serving Abroad:Courtney Valk, Peace Corps, Republic of Georgia

Prayers for our Church Family

• The homeless in our community suffering during this winter season - God’s blessings on all those who help with Room In The Inn!

• The sick and afflicted from our own church family; consider praying for each of them by name!

• Our fellow Christians throughout the world entering the Lenten season - preparing for Easter through prayer, repentance, giving to others, and self-denial!

• Our Senior Minister, Clay, as he prepares to share a Lenten worship series, The Parables of Jesus Christ!

Elder Prayer Cover - The Elders of Woodmont Invite You to Join Them in Prayer For:

ORDERING LILIES• Fill out the form, detach, and: 1) place it in Sunday’s offering plate or 2) mail it to 3601 Hillsboro Rd. Nashville, TN 37215.

Please mark your check/cash envelope "for lilies."• Online at www.tinyurl.com/Lilies4Me - click the link in your order confirmation email to pay on-line or you can pay by check

(Sunday’s offering plate or by mail).

ORDERED BY (PLEASE PRINT)First: ____________________ Last:____________________ Ph: ____________________ Email: ________________________

TOTAL PURCHASED/METHOD OF PAYMENT• I am purchasing ____ plants @ $10.50 each = $ _________ (total due - see chart) • I am paying: BY CHECK BY CASH ON-LINE

FOR THE EASTER LILY BOOKLET (PLEASE PRINT - LIST ONLY NAMES SEPARATED BY A COMMA)

• Given By - First/Last Name(s) or Family Name: ____________________________________________________________________

• In HONOR of - First/Last Name(s) or Family Name:

________________________________________

________________________________________

________________________________________

• In MEMORY of - First/Last Name(s) or Family Name:

________________________________________

________________________________________

________________________________________

Easter Lilies May be Ordered  ‘In Honor of/Memory of’ Family and Friends. Following the 11:00 a.m. Easter service, plants purchased may be taken home or to be given as gifts. Lilies will be 14" to 16" tall, with 2 stalks, in foil-wrapped pots and will be used to decorate the Sanctuary on Easter Sunday only. After the 11:00 a.m. Easter service, purchased plants may be taken home to enjoy or give as gifts. Each plant is $10.50.

Easter Lily Order Form - Deadline to Order is Monday February 23

Non Profit Org.US Postage Paid

Nashville, TNPermit #1204

Woodmont Christian Church3601 Hillsboro Rd. Nashville, TN 37215

By Our Presence and Our Gifts Schedule of Deacons Serving February 22, 2015

Schedule of Elders Serving February 22, 2015

Date Sun. School Total Atd. Operating Communion PrepJanet Wall

Service Coordinator9:30 - David Reynolds, 11:00 - Laurie Hester

Video Camera9:30 - Nicole Clayton, 11:00 - Paula Forcht

9:30 a.m.Jack Derryberry

andBill Heyne

11:00 a.m.Anne Mitchell

andBryan Sargent

Pat Malone - Serving at Hospital5:15 p.m.Mart Sesler

Weekly Prayer Partner Decatur-Trinity Christian Church,

Memphis

January 25 332 856 $16,795February 1 362 819 $67,731February 8 358 833 $35,746

February 15 TBA TBA TBA

Worship Services - February 22, 2015

9:30 and 11:00 a.m. Clay Stauffer, Preaching

NEW Sermon Series: "Parables of Jesus Christ"Title: "Being A Spiritual Person"

Scripture: Matthew 13:1-9, 13-235:15 p.m. - The Bridge Worship

Justin Gung, PreachingNEW Sermon Series: "The Shape of Lent"

Title: "Walk the Line"Scripture: Luke 9:51

Woodmont Christian Church StaffRev. Clay Stauffer, Senior Minister

Dr. C. Roy Stauffer, Minister of Adult Education & Church LifeRev. Justin Gung, Minister of Children & Congregational CareFarrell Mason, Minister of Family Life & Pastoral Care Andra Moran & Stephen Daniel King, Creative Directors for "The Bridge" Worship

Thom Schuyler, Director of College, Young Adults, Missions & OutreachRev. Trey Flowers, Minister of Youth & "The Bridge"Tallu Quinn, Director of The Nashville Food ProjectMichael Graham, Director of Music MinistryCarla "CJ" Schooler, Minister of Jr. High Youth

9:30 a.m.Laura Beth Brown

Kasey ClymerMark Clymer

Tim PerryLaura Dovan

Janet WallCynthia Arnholt

Steven McGinty

11:00 a.m.Mike Wright

Cynthia ArnholtJim Hester

Barbara SullivanTeri DiamondNick Forlidas

Selena GuilfoyBarbara Sullivan

5:15 p.m.Jay Everett

David StewartVirginia DinkerRebecca Everett

Martha Duff, Director of Preschool Ben Saunders, Youth Ministerial InternSarah Huffman, Accompanist Mary Clare Pyron, Parish Nurse and Small Groups Coordinator

Linda Whitson, Staff Administrator Sara deBettencourt, Communications Director Rebecca Vaughan, Receptionist Steven Austin, Housekeeping Chris Beck, Finance Manager

Joe Badawy, Housekeeping Shirley Taylor, Housekeeping Sam Marsh, Property & Housekeeping Manager Hannah Ott, Youth Ministerial Intern Nancy Holmes, Children’s Ministry Assistant

Sunday, February 22, 5:15 p.m. New Series: "The Shape of Lent"

Justin Gung, PreachingSermon Title: "Walk the Line"

Scripture: Luke 9:51The geometric shape featured this week is the most basic and fundamental: The Line. This is the shape of which all others are made. Everything is created with lines: shapes and letters, art and language, architectural drawings and musical staffs. The sermon will review Lent as a topic and encourage us to "walk the line" from point to point and week to week, all the way to Easter.