Community Ministry Grants

$17,500 in community grants will be awarded in this funding cycle.

It feels like blending Thanksgiving and Christmas: a team of volunteers awarded 14 community ministry grants after reviewing several more applications, and two additional grants from the Hallie Warner fund. Thank you to all of you who make these grants possible with your gifts, and thank you to Jane Short, Cate Mart, Jeff Miller, Calin Trabue, and Pat Cole for their good work! Ed Cole and Kathy Zamata reviewed the proposals for Hallie Warner grants. All proposed grants were approved by the Administrative Council, just a few days before Thanksgiving.

• Our Hands Garden Ministry at Alameda Christian Church will receive $500 to provide food and education opportunities for youth, landscape material, seeds, plants, buckets and soil for bucket gardening by youth. 

• Justice Industries will receive $1,000 to provide jobs for unhoused, hard to employ workers.

• Tennessee Innocence Project  will receive $1,000 to fund exoneration work and to educate the community on wrongful convictions.

• Matthew 25, Inc. will receive $500 to build out a clothing room for men who are residents in transitional housing at their facility.

• United-4-Hope will receive $1,000 to allow them to expand recruitment, training and support for more schools and churches to build partnerships.

• Charis Ministries will receive $500 to purchase food for delivery to people in their homes in Davidson and Williamson Counties. 

• Tennessee Prison Outreach Ministry will receive $1,000 to provide craft materials and teaching supplies for classes with youth. 

• Luke 14:12 will receive $1,000 to provide nutritious meals to individuals struggling with food insecurity and homelessness in Nashville.

• Penuel Ridge Retreat Center will receive $1,000 to underwrite activities through their Street Outreach Program (meals, bus passes, hygiene kits) and a Day Retreat for 12 homeless women.

• Preston Taylor Ministries will receive $1,000 to support their after-school reading program for approx. 50 students in K-8 grades. 

• Open Table Nashville will receive $1,000 to provide propane canisters for heating and cooking for unhoused individuals during the cold months.

• Rest Stop Ministries will receive $1,000 to provide one month of the residential food budget for survivors of human trafficking as they heal and recover.

• Nashville Adult Literacy Council will receive $1,000 to support English Language Learners by covering the cost of 10 annual Burlington English licenses.

• Room in the Inn at Vine Street will receive $1,000 to support the ministry with clothing items, cots, food and other items.

• Senior Ride Nashville will receive $1,500 to provide offset costs for riders in financial need and no access to transportation.

• Westminster Home Foundation will receive $3,500 to provide home repairs and upgrades to keep elderly in their homes.

Some of the recipients are first-time recipients, with others we have partnered in ministry for many years. We hope to hear a Minute for Mission from representatives of each agency next year!

Prayer Labyrinth

The prayer form we will explore this week is the prayer labyrinth. This is a contemplative walk along a twisting path that represents a pilgrimage. In the early days of the church, Christians would make an annual pilgrimage back to Jerusalem. It was a time of fellowship and mutual encouragement as they came together to remember the Lord and receive the sustenance they needed to continue living as believers.

 In time as the church continued to grow and expand, the pilgrimage became difficult. It was a burden to make the long journey, yet Christians wanted a way to experience the blessings without actually having to travel the distance to Jerusalem. The church responded by creating a symbolic pilgrimage that could be done in one place and the labyrinth was born.

 One misconception is that a prayer labyrinth is a maze. There are similarities, but it differs in that the path of a labyrinth leads to the center--there are no dead ends or path options. A labyrinth does have many twists and turns but the path one uses to travel to the center is the same path one uses to travel out. Walking the labyrinth (or “praying the labyrinth”) involves three movements--purgation, illumination, and union. Just as the pilgrims would think of their sins and struggles while they walked to the holy city of Jerusalem, the pray-er considers what they want to let go off as they walk to the center of the labyrinth. This is the movement of purgation. The second movement, illumination, takes place when the individual reaches the center and spends time reflecting and listening. It is parallel to the encouragement, learning and attending to the Spirit that would occur in the rich time of fellowship in the city of Jerusalem.

 The final movement, union, occurs as one walks the path out of the labyrinth. Being now equipped from their time in Jerusalem, the pilgrim reflected on ways they could join into God’s work as they walked home. The pray-er completes their time in the labyrinth in this same reflection of how they can join with God in the work God is doing in their own context. A meaningful practice is to pause at the exit of the labyrinth and offer oneself for God’s use.

 Several labyrinths can be found around Nashville and are generally open for public use. Scarritt Bennett Center, Woodmont Christian Church, and Glendale UMC are a few examples of places that have labyrinths on their grounds. One can pray these alone or with a group. A benefit of doing it alone is that the pray-er can take all the time they want for the experience. There are few distractions when solo. Walking the labyrinth as a group is a different experience. I typically instruct groups in walking the labyrinth together when I lead retreats. It’s sweet to share the prayer form with others. Although in silence, there is a camaraderie and blessing knowing you are all of the same heart and intent. Another option for praying the labyrinth is to use a finger labyrinth. Rather than using your feet, you let your fingers do the walking. You follow the same movements, but on a smaller scale.

 As with all these forms, I hope you will carve out time to experience this “new” form of prayer that has been around for centuries. You will be blessed in the movements of purgation, illumination, and union.

Breath Prayer

This week as we continue to pray alongside Thomas, we focus our thoughts on Breath Prayer. Breath prayer refers to prayer said in conjunction with one’s breathing. A phrase is said on the in-breath and another on the out-breath. It is a form of prayer that became popular in the West in the 19th century through a Russian tale entitled, The Way of the Pilgrim.

In this short story, a man goes to his spiritual father for help to follow the apostle Paul’s encouragement in I Thessalonians 5:17 to pray without ceasing. The Father told him to pray with his breathing. On the in-breath say “Jesus Christ, Son of God” and on the out-breath say, “Have mercy on me a sinner.” This phrase came from the gospel account of Jesus healing blind Bartimaeus who cried these words as Jesus approached. It is considered the most widely used prayer in the monastic traditions. The Father advised the pilgrim to pray the prayer with his breath one hundred times a day. The man returned after a time and said he still was not praying without ceasing, so the Father assigned that he pray it one thousand times a day. The man returned a third time and said he still had not met his desire to pray without ceasing, so the spiritual father suggested he pray ten thousand times a day. Thus, it became that on every in-breath, the pilgrim was saying, “Jesus Christ, Son of God,” and on every out-breath, “Have mercy on me a sinner.” Finally, he was praying without ceasing.

The point of this prayer, and of Paul’s admonition to pray without ceasing, is to increase our awareness of God’s presence. We are different when we remember that God is with us. The phrase used in this prayer form can be the traditional phrase of blind Bartimaeus, but other phrases can be used as well. One option used by many is the 23rd Psalm - “The Lord is my shepherd” on the in-breath, “I shall not want,” on the out-breath. Another version is “I am the beloved’s” and “He is mine.” The exact choice of phrase is less important than its help in centering our thoughts on Christ.

Several years ago, I taught this prayer form as part of an undergraduate course entitled “Disciplines for Christian Living.” Each week of the fifteen-week semester, the students practiced a different discipline, such as fasting, scripture, simplicity, music, etc. Different students resonated with different disciplines. One young man who was a student athlete came to love breath prayer. At the beginning of the semester, he was not happy about having to take the course. He was curious, however, and found that he liked trying out different Christian disciplines. He came back to class one day after a week of practicing the breath prayer and had become a zealous evangelist of the discipline. He exclaimed that he could do it anywhere, at any time and it had become so helpful to him. He was practicing it before and after games and even during games. It took only a moment, so with any anxious thought, he could pause and focus on his breathing. He shared it with his teammates and soon many of them were using it to center themselves on Christ in the moment.

I encourage you to try this one on for size. You can use the traditional phrase of the pilgrim or create your own phrase. The point is to allow yourself in the moment to focus on your breathing and through the phrase to center yourself on Christ.

-       Jackie L. Halstead

Stations of the Cross

Stations of the Cross

As we continue our month of prayer, this week I’ll share another form of prayer—Stations of the Cross. This may be a form that Thomas is participating in as many churches, retreat centers and monastic communities have the stations as part of their prayer offerings. A number of retreat centers and churches around Nashville have Stations of the Cross. It is a practice rich in tradition that offers tremendous blessing to the participant.

The stations of the cross are fourteen stations that depict the passion of Christ. They are based on the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem, the traditional processional of Jesus on his way to the cross. The stations consist of fourteen images depicting Jesus on the day of his crucifixion and serve as a means for believers to make a spiritual mini pilgrimage through contemplation of the passion of Christ.

The images are arranged in order along the walls of a sanctuary or along a path on the grounds. The worshiper goes from image to image stopping at each for a while to reflect and pray based on devotions associated with each. The stations are popular during Lent and especially on Good Friday, but are not limited to these times. Believers pray with them year round.

The themes of the stations are as follows:

1st station: Jesus is condemned to death

2nd station: Jesus carries his cross

3rd station: Jesus falls the first time

4th station: Jesus meets his mother

5th station: Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry his cross

6th station: Veronica wipes the face of Jesus

7th station: Jesus falls the second time

8th station: Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem

9th station: Jesus falls a third time

10th station: Jesus clothes are taken away

11th station: Jesus is nailed to the cross

12th station: Jesus dies on the cross

13th station: The body of Jesus is taken down from the cross

14th station: Jesus is laid in the tomb

Many versions of the devotions can be found. They are typically in a booklet form that can be carried by the worshiper as they move along the path. As example can be found at the site https://www.catholic.org/prayers/station.php. I’ve included part of the reflection of the 7th station found at this site. The 7th station depicts Jesus falling a second time.

This is the second time you have fallen on the road. As the cross grows heavier and heavier, it becomes more difficult to get up. But you continue to struggle and try until you are up and walking again.

Sometimes I think I should know more than I do. I become impatient with myself and find it hard to believe in myself when I fail. It is easy to despair over small things, and sometimes I do.

Help me when things seem difficult for me.  Even when it’s hard, help me get up and keep trying as you did. Help me do my best without comparing myself  to others.

In January I spent a month at Eastern Point Retreat Center on the east coast in Massachusetts. There is a lovely moss-covered straight path through the woods that dead ends at a wall of boulders. On the other side of the boulders is the Atlantic Ocean. The stations are placed on both sides of this path. It was a moving experience to pray with the stations on this beautiful path and then climb the boulders to sit and watch the crashing waves of the sea. And it took on a different kind of beauty when it snowed that included the muffled stillness of the blanket of snow.

I encourage you to participate in this sacred experience. It offers an experience with Jesus that is unmatched.

--Jackie L. Halstead

Book Study starts April 27

“I am writing this book because, like you, I am deeply concerned about the direction of our country,” writes Bill Haslam, former governor of Tennessee, in the opening paragraphs of his book, Faithful Presence: The Promise and the Peril of Faith in the Public Square. “I am also writing because, though the idea might sound farfetched to some, I think people of faith can and should play a leading role in healing the wounds of this country. Unfortunately, that is not what has been happening. Too often the words and actions of Christians have done more to inflict those wounds than heal them. But there is a better way.”

Haslam writes about this “better way” with passion and humor, and with a wisdom shaped by years of experience in business, elected office, and, yes, the church, he pulls his readers to the place where we might reason together and seek the welfare of the city (echoes of scripture, here from Isaiah 1:18 and Jeremiah 29:7, appear throughout the book).

We invite you to read his timely book with us and join us for conversations about faithful presence in the public square. We will gather on Wednesday mornings at 9, beginning April 27, 2022, either in person, or via zoom. Please purchase the book in your preferred format and register so we can share details like the zoom link with you. 

COVID Update

Dear friends,

From the earliest days of this pandemic, any decisions about COVID safety precautions at Vine Street Christian Church were made under the guidance of public health experts and local government regulations. Our highest priority since March 2020 has been the health and safety of our community. 

Now, in March 2022, we are grateful to have reached a different stage of this public health crisis. COVID-19 has not gone away, but conditions have changed sufficiently that we can enter a new phase regarding health and safety precautions. Given current COVID-19 community levels for Davidson County, the Centers for Disease Control state that “people may choose to mask at any time,” i.e. masking is optional. In Metro Nashville Public Schools, since Monday, March 21, masks are encouraged, but not required for students and staff.

At Vine Street, the following guidelines apply, effective April 3:

• Given that vaccinations are not available yet for our youngest participants, we continue to encourage masks during worship, but do not require them. We will continue to provide masks for children and adults at the entrances to the sanctuary.

• We continue to require masks for staff and volunteers interacting with children under the age of 5.

• We do not require social distancing, but ask that all practice social distancing with people wearing masks; individuals wearing masks likely are less comfortable with physical proximity than unmasked persons, and as a community we want to honor that aspect of our diversity.

• We strongly recommend that people with symptoms or exposure to someone with COVID-19 stay at home and attend services online.

Whether a person chooses to wear a mask, or not, is entirely up to them. For us as disciples of Jesus Christ, this freedom to choose is never absolute, but inspired by what love demands. The Vine Street community has been a model of resilience and compassion these past two years, and now we ask that you continue to care for each other with that same measure of compassion and devotion. 

God is faithful. Easter is coming.

Rachel Dixon, Chair of Elders
Melissa Freeman, Chair of Administrative Council
Thomas Kleinert, Senior Minister

One Cup, Many Cups

“This is my body which is broken for you.” Every Sunday we say these words together as we prepare to come to the table, because the meal is central to our life as disciples of Jesus Christ. During the long COVID pandemic, in order to lower the risk of exposure and infection, we made significant changes to our participation in the meal - from not meeting in person at all to staying in our seats and using prepackaged juice and cracker sets in small plastic chalices. Beginning on April 3, 2022, we will resume the familiar walk to the front of the sanctuary to share the meal, but in small yet significant ways our practice will be different from what we used to do pre-COVID:

Together, we say the words of institution as the person at the table takes a loaf of bread and breaks it, and then holds up the chalice. Now you come forward by stepping out of the pew and joining one of the columns slowly making their way down the center aisle. At the front, on the pulpit as well as the lectern side, you will be served a piece of bread from a tray. All pieces have been precut, so only your hands will touch the piece you are about to consume. We use only gluten free bread so as not to exclude those who are gluten sensitive and emphasize that the bread we share comes from one loaf.

Now you take another step to receive a small paper cup. We are using paper cups to reduce the amount of plastic waste. The cups are just the right size for congregants of all ages, and large enough to prevent accidental spills. 

Now you encounter the third person who will pour a small amount of grape juice into your cup. We use only grape juice so as not to exclude persons who don’t drink alcoholic beverages. You’re invited to consume the bread and juice right away and drop the empty cup into a receptacle, or you may take the elements to your seat and consume them in the pew; in that case, please take the empty cup with you at the end of the service, and drop it in one of the trash receptacles at the exits, or simply leave it on the pew cushion. Our deacons will come through after the service to pick them up, and they are a lot easier to spot when they’re sitting on a pew cushion than when they’re jammed into a hymn rack.

If you do not wish, or are unable, to come to the front, those serving communion will come and serve you in the pew. 

Why these changes? We want to find a practice that addresses concerns over multiple people touching a loaf of bread and dipping pieces of it in a shared chalice, concerns that are particularly strong during flu season or future pandemics. We believe that the practice described above will allow us to maintain the strong sense of a community on the way that comes with walking together while significantly lowering the risk of passing germs from person to person. 

Come April 3, you will also notice that the deacons again present our tithes and offerings along with the gifts of bread and wine while we sing, “Praise God from whom all blessings flow…” - no changes here, just all of us raising our hearts and voices in praise to God.

New Book Study Starts March 16

“This book sounds a joyful note, for the whole of creation is a vast cosmic dance. And all of it sways to an unheard yet pervasive rhythm because at the center of it all, at the beginning of it all, at the end of it all, stands the great Choreographer, the only One who keeps the dance going, the particles twirling, and the whole together.”

- From the back cover

Beginning on March 16 at 9am, the Wednesday morning Bible study will discuss Creation: The Apple of God’s Eye by Justo González. In seven brief chapters, the book covers “a surprisingly vast range of Christian teachings on creation” (Deanna Thompson) in a very accessible way. You are invited to join us - you don’t have to be affiliated with our congregation! Just get your own copy of the book in your preferred format and let us know you’ll be joining us (so we can send you the zoom info; we may decide as a group to meet in person later in the month). This study is part of Vine Street’s focus on creation and creation care during Lent.

Project for Lent

Lent will begin in just a few weeks, and this year we invite you to let your prayers, disciplines, and thoughts attend to God’s creation, particularly the Earth we share with our fellow creatures inhabiting its land, waters, and air. This Lenten focus is particularly meaningful this year since our youth are planning an immersion trip in the summer with creation care as their theme. In addition to a Lenten Devotional by Leah Schade and a number of study and service opportunities, we also want to create a shared devotional experience:

We all have images, songs, scripture passages, video clips, poems, and other sharable treasures that inspire or challenge us when we reflect on our place and role in God’s creation. Our plan is to collect these items and to share one of them each day during Lent via email and on Facebook. So you can simply share a picture or a song, or you can add a paragraph or two about why you want to share it. And the same goes for poems, video clips, and scripture passages. Or you can just share your prayers, or the thoughts of your grandchild.

We trust that with all of us participating, this will be a beautiful offering of praise and lament, confession and call to action. Please send your contribution by February 21 to creation@vinestreet.org. Thank you!

COVID update

Details about the omicron variant of the virus are still coming in, but our leadership believes caution is prudent.

We are taking the following steps, guided by the desire to slow the spread of a highly infectious variant whose overall community impact remains unknown and to protect the most vulnerable members of our community:

• The Chancel Choir will not rehearse or sing until we have had a chance to assess the holiday travel impact on COVID infections etc. in the community.

• The Children's Choir will not resume rehearsals on January 9 as planned. We will assess the post-holiday situation on January 10; rehearsals may resume on January 23.

• We will not have Children's Worship on January 9 and 16. After assessing the post-holiday situation, we may have Children's Worship beginning January 23.

• Intergenerational Sunday School will not kick off on January 9. After assessing the post-holiday situation on January 10, we may launch it after worship on January 23.

• In the meantime, we ask that people who have the sniffles or other ambiguous symptoms stay home or get tested.

Book groups start in January

Freeing Jesus - Book group starts January 12

How can you still be a Christian? This is the most common question award-winning author and scholar Diana Butler Bass is asked today. It is a question that many believers ponder as they wrestle with disappointment and disillusionment in their church and its leadership. But while many Christians have left their churches, they cannot leave their faith behind. 

In Freeing Jesus, Bass challenges the idea that Jesus can only be understood in static, one-dimensional ways and asks us to instead consider a life where Jesus grows with us and helps us through life’s challenges in several capacities: as Friend, Teacher, Savior, Lord, Way, and Presence. 

Freeing Jesus is an invitation to leave the religious wars behind and rediscover Jesus in all his many manifestations, to experience Jesus beyond the narrow confines we have built around him. It renews our hope in faith and worship at a time when we need it most.

Join Thomas Kleinert on Wednesday mornings at 9:00 a.m. or Tuesday nights at 6:00 p.m. to discuss Freeing Jesus: Rediscovering Jesus as Friend, Teacher, Savior, Lord, Way, and Presence and talk about who he is and was to us. Please get your copy of the book in your preferred format and register here.

“Combining childhood memories and mature theological musings, personal story and Christian history, Gospel texts and present-day contexts, Bass invites all feeling caged by doctrine, silenced by tradition, or afraid of doubt  to find not just freedom, voice, and the glory of mystery, but also to find Jesus on their own terms and in their own lives.”  — Amy-Jill Levine

“With each new book, Diana Butler Bass goes more deeply into what it means to be a Christian now, in a moment when many can’t summon the energy or the hope required. This may be her finest yet.” — Bill McKibben

Spring 2022 Programming

With COVID vaccines for available for everyone over the age of 5 now available, it feels like there’s light at the end of the tunnel and that we, as a congregation, can start thinking through other opportunities to learn and fellowship together outside of Sunday morning worship. And with Allison’s maternity leave starting on December 15th (assuming baby doesn’t make an early arrival), gearing up for these opportunities in January will be an all-congregation project! We will have faith formation opportunities after service, on Sunday evenings, and throughout the week via Zoom.

Sunday Mornings will include Sunday School after service (11:00-12:00) and Children’s Worship (10:15-10:45)

Sunday School: From January 9th- April 10th after service, the entire congregation is invited to participate in an Intergenerational Sunday School opportunity in fellowship hall. Lasting approximately 50 minutes, each week will incorporate ways to play together, pray together, study God’s word together, and break bread together. There are three roles to fill each week:

• Facilitator (2 each week): Facilitators will make sure that each part of the schedule happens at the appropriate time, and that table groups have all the information and supplies they need for each activity (all of the supplies will be at church, they will just need to collect it and distribute it). Facilitators will be familiar with the lesson plan and encourage participation. Facilitator time commitment: approximately 2.5 hours (1.5 hours preparation and 1 hour during Sunday School itself)

• Snack provider: Provide snacks (suggestions are provided) to correspond with the weekly lesson for approximately 30 participants. You can place them in the kitchen before service. Snack Provider time commitment: flexible—as much or as little time as you have available.

Allison will provide training for facilitators on Wednesday, December 1 from 5:30-7:00. Dinner will be provided.

Children’s Worship: Starting January 9th, children ages 3-3rd grade will have the opportunity to have their own time and space to hear a story, ask questions, and respond creatively. Children will remain in service until the Gloria Patri and return after the sermon during the hymn.  There are two roles to fill for Children’s Worship each week.

• Storyteller role: The storyteller prepares the lesson by gathering the story and supplies and practicing the story and worship liturgy the week prior; assists greeter in room management; affirms children’s responses after the story; helps greeter return children to sanctuary; Story teller time commitment: approximately 2 hours (1 hour preparing through the week; 1 hour on Sunday mornings)

• Greeter role: The greeter sets up the space before worship (arriving approximately at 9:45 when choir is not singing and 9:55 when the choir is singing with choir help), escorts the children from the sanctuary to the chapel (during the Gloria Patri) and back (during the hymn after the sermon), assists story teller in room management, helps children select supplies, and returns supplies to the closet after the children return to the sanctuary; Greeter time commitment: approximately 1 hour on Sunday mornings

Ideally, we would love greeters and storytellers to commit to one Sunday per month. Allison will be having training on Sunday, December 5 after worship for Storytellers and Greeters. Lunch will be provided.

Sunday Evenings will include Children’s Choir and Youth Group twice a month from 5:00-7:00 pm.

The biggest way to help with Sunday Evening programming is by providing dinner. You can sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040A4CA5AB22A4FE3-sunday1

Adult Formation Opportnities will happen throughout the Week and will begin the week of January 9th

Roles to fill include facilitating conversations for 4-6 weeks and determining the best time for folks to meet. Two resources that have been suggested are: Covenant Conversations: A Toolkit for Disciples, which looks at the importance of covenant within the Disciples traditions and a book study of It Takes a Church to Raise a Parent, which helps congregations re-imagine faith formation and congregational care for all ages. Thomas’ Wednesday morning Bible study will continue and is finalizing their topic.

Prints for sale

Phil Ponder thinks of himself as a "visual historian," and anyone who has seen one of his paintings of Nashville buildings and cityscapes knows how much love and attention he pours into his work. We are honored that in celebration of Vine Street's bicentennial he created a beautiful ink and watercolor painting of our church, and we are looking forward to its unveiling on Sunday, October 24!

Limited series prints, size 16"x24", numbered and signed by Mr. Ponder, will be available for purchase at the reception following worship as well as on our website. Prints #2-100 will sell for $100, prints #101-300 for $50. Mr. Ponder will be at the reception to add, upon request, a dedication or similar brief note to the print. We will also sell sets of 10 note cards with his artwork (Christmas cards anyone?) for $15, including envelopes.

Purchase your prints today! You can purchase online and have your order shipped directly to you or drop by the church Monday-Thursday from 10:00am-2:00pm to pick up your order in person.

Click here for our e-store

More anniversary news

Hitstorical Markers to Be Unveiled

Photo: Brent Moore, creative commons license

As part of our 200th anniversary celebration, we will unveil two historical markers on Wednesday, October 20, 2021, and we invite you to be part of the joyful occasion!

We will meet at 10am in the church parking lot at 4101 Harding Pike to take a trolley ride to the old Vine Street downtown (7th Avenue) where the first marker will be installed near the corner of Church and 7th. 

After a brief ceremony, we will get back on the trolley to “reenact” the journey from downtown to our church’s current location to unveil the second marker. After the ceremony, we will meet in our fellowship hall for a boxed lunch.

We hope many of you will be able to join us for at least one of the twin events! Some of you may only be able to join us for one, though, so please register separately for the trolley ride and the boxed lunch. There’s no charge for either. Just click below to register by Sunday, October 17.

Register here

Nashville in the 1820s and 1920s

On Christmas 1779, the first permanent settlement of European settlers at Fort Nashborough was founded. John Egerton, in his book, Nashville: The Faces of Two Centuries, 1780-1980, summarized the first four decades of the settlement as the “Cumberland Frontier,” followed by “Jackson’s Town.” The hinge year between those two periods, 1820, also saw the founding of a new congregation, later known as the Christian Church and eventually as Vine Street Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). 

As part of our bicentennial celebrations, it is our privilege to learn from Dr. Carole Bucy, who holds the honorary position of Davidson County Historian. On two consecutive Wednesdays in September, she will tell us about Nashville in the 1820s and 1920s, and  she will help us imagine and understand a little better what life in Nashville was like in those years. Her lectures will take place in our sanctuary (4101 Harding Pike, Nashville TN 37205) at 7pm, and they will also be livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube. We invite members, friends, and neighbors to join us, be it in person or online!

• Nashville in the 1820s - Wednesday, September 15, 2021, 7pm

• Nashville in the 1920s - Wednesday, September 22, 2021, 7pm

We ask all people attending in-person indoor events at Vine Street Christian Church to wear a mask and maintain social distancing.

Carole Bucy is professor of history at Volunteer State Community College. She holds degrees in history from Baylor University, George Peabody College, and Vanderbilt University. As a longtime advocate for local and state history, she regularly conducts teacher workshops on the incorporation of Tennessee history into existing U.S. history courses and is a frequent speaker across the state on a variety of historical subjects. In Nashville, she regularly teaches classes for the public known as “Nashville 101 and 102” as a way to help local Nashvillians learn and appreciate the city’s history. Carole has been a  member of Westminster Presbyterian Church for 46 years. 

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Apocrypha? An Introduction

Some Bibles include a section between the Old and New Testament, often called The Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books. Included are texts like Wisdom of Solomon, 1 and 2 Maccabees, Tobit, and more. Why are they appearing in a separate section? Why aren’t they included at all in some Bible editions? When and where were they written, and by whom?

Starting on Wednesday, September 8, at 9:00am, Thomas Kleinert will facilitate a Bible Study Book Group, based on the short and very readable intoductory book by Brandon Hawk, Apocrypha for Beginners. In addition to this volume, available in print as well as an e-book, we will also consult a couple of dictionary articles, and if the group is interested, we will take a closer look at one or two of these ancient texts.

Given the current pandemic situation, we will gather via Zoom. Please purchase your copy of the book in the format you prefer, and register here, so we can send you the link and other details. Please contact us if you have any questions.

“Whether they were lost, cut, or censored, the various apocryphal stories offer unique opportunities to learn about the histories of Judaism and Christianity while broadening spiritual understanding. But exploring this vast canon of texts alone can be daunting. Apocrypha for Beginners makes it simple by offering a guided experience, helping explain each piece’s importance and contextualize its place in history.” —promotional blurb by the publisher

Bicentennial Celebrations

Last week, we sent the letter below to hundreds of members and friends of Vine Street Christian Church. We are so excited, and we hope many will join us to celebrate 200 years of ministry in Nashville and beyond!

Dear Friends of Vine Street Christian Church,

Each of you receiving this letter is a part of the Vine Street Christian Church community! This extensive community includes persons who presently worship at Vine Street, persons who have worshiped with Vine Street in the past, and persons who have other interests or experiences with Vine Street, both in the past and in the present. Whatever your connection, we want to make certain that you know about our upcoming 200th Anniversary of the founding of Vine Street Christian Church in Nashville. You may already know that we had planned this celebration for last year, given that Vine Street traces its beginnings to 1820. The COVID-19 pandemic required us to reschedule the celebration for this year instead. We will therefore be celebrating our 200th Anniversary during our two hundred and first year!

In the coming weeks you will be receiving a “save the date” listing of the precise days, times, and locations of our Anniversary events. The purpose of this note is to give you an overall view of these Anniversary events and to let you know that you, together with your friends and families, are invited to join us for any and all of these Anniversary moments.

Our celebrations will begin with a journey into the past and the place where Vine Street began. Dr. Carole Bucy, who has the honorary title of Davidson County historian, will make two fascinating presentations about these early environments. The first will be a glimpse into the world of Nashville in the 1820s. The second will fast-forward 100 years and look at Nashville in 1920s. These presentations will occur on the evenings of September 15th and September 22nd, at 7:00 pm, at Vine Street and will be livestreamed as well.

Although the exact dates have not been set, we will celebrate the installation of two Metro Nashville Historical Markers in late September or early October. The first will be located at the site of the downtown church, near the corner of 7th (then called Vine Street) and Church. The second will be installed in front of the current Vine Street along Harding Pike. We are planning a unique walking event between the downtown location and our current location, so stay tuned!

Many of you are familiar with local artist, Phil Ponder. Phil has painted a number of cityscapes of Nashville as well as paintings of significant structures and locations. Phil has agreed to paint what will be an amazing “portrait” of our current church building. He is already underway with this work. You will have an opportunity to be part of the unveiling of this painting as well as obtain a print suitable for framing and display in your home or elsewhere. Phil will sign and number these. We will announce details of the unveiling and the signing event in our “Save the Date.”

A “pinnacle” of our Anniversary celebration will be the weekend of October 23rd and 24th. We will truly open Vine Street to our neighborhood and community, starting with food, games, music and simply social time together on Saturday, the 23rd. We will use both our newly-renovated church building and yards to spread out and enjoy this time together. Our new carillon will send out its music from the steeple while we welcome you, and all, to this fun day. Gabe Dixon will help end the day with a set of his extraordinary music!

Sunday, October 24th, will center on Vine Street’s 200 years of worship together. Dr. Terri Hord Owens, General Minister and President of the Disciples of Christ, will preach at our 10:00 am morning worship. The Vine Street choir will perform, for the first time, an anthem written by David N. Childs and commissioned for our Anniversary celebration. Following the worship service, we will gather in our newly-renovated Fellowship Hall to raise toasts, hear remarks from church and community leaders, and share together the Vine Street stories that we each bring to our own part of this amazing 200-year heritage of faith and witness in Nashville and across the world.

We hope you will be a part of this Anniversary celebration!  Watch for the “save the date” information that will be coming your way with details of this exciting time in the life of the church we all share together!

COVID update

It’s supposed to be a happy and exciting time when school starts after the summer break. This year is different, though. The lack of a COVID vaccine for children and the spread of the Delta variant has parents, teachers, and school administrators worried. 

Many schools and school districts have taken appropriate steps to protect students and staff, but some struggle with putting best public health measures into practice. 

At this point, we are not able to adequately assess the impact of school openings on the spread of the virus, and many parents have decided to limit their children’s potential exposure by cutting back on non-school, indoor activities. After conversations among church staff, with the elders as well as with Administrative Council leadership, we have determined to postpone the start of Sunday morning Faith Formation programming. We will use the weeks between now and Labor Day (September 6) to monitor the pandemic situation in our community; we will reassess our decision after that date.

This means that we will not have our Sunday School kick-off this Sunday at 9:00am; however, beginning this Sunday, Pastor Allison will offer activities and conversation with children (grades K-5) between 9 and 10am.

We encourage you, as individuals and as families, to develop your personal hybrid church schedule. We will continue to gather in person for worship and some meetings (masked and maintaining social distancing) and we will also continue to livestream our services. You know what is best for yourself and your loved ones, and we wholeheartedly support you in your decision to attend or not attend or occasionally attend services in person. We’re together in this, and we trust that God’s loyal love will continue to sustain us.

COVID update

The Tennessean reported on April 27 that Nashville health officials intend to lift on May 14 all coronavirus restrictions on businesses and gatherings, with the exception of the mask mandate. This step was made possible by declining cases of COVID and the growing vaccination rate in Davidson County. 

Since then, the positive trends have continued and are on track to fully meet Vine Street’s own target metrics: from April 27 to May 12, the 7-day average of new cases dropped from 14 to 7/100K; test positivity dropped from 4% to 3%; and the vaccination rate increased from 27.8% to 36%.

A recent CDC graphic gives us much to celebrate, while also reminding us that wearing masks and observing social distancing continue to be good, helpful habits.

As we prepare to return to in-person worship on May 23, we want to remind you that

• we require congregants and guests (including children age 5+) to wear masks that cover their mouth and nose while arriving, attending, or departing from any events; we have disposable masks available for those who need them;

• we encourage all to wash their hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds or to make use of the hand sanitizer stations at the entrances;

• we expect that social distancing recommendations be observed by all at all times (no hugs or handshakes; maintain physical distance of 6ft when seated; try to maintain physical distance of 6ft when moving);

• elevator use is limited to 2 riders per cab (more if all belong to the same household);

• we discourage use of the water fountains; 

• we do not include congregational singing in our services for the foreseeable future;

• and we offer prepackaged communion elements to worshipers at the entrances (we partake at the usual time in the service, but remain in the pews).

These restrictions are significant, but they are small when we consider the impact they have on further slowing the spread of infection, and they pale in comparison to the joy of gathering in person for worship and seeing each other’s smiling eyes above our masks! We will continue to livestream our worship services, and we hope that we will soon be able to sing together - even if we have to learn to do so with our masks on! 

Finally, you may not know how to feel about any of this - you may feel excited and hopeful, while also noticing some lingering anxiety. You may feel energized and ready to go, or you may notice that you can’t just turn on a dime to switch into “almost-post-COVID mode”. Feel all those feelings and talk about them with friends and people you trust. This past year has been very difficult for all of us, and “coming out of it” will not just follow some calendar - we will each have to find our own path, but we don’t have to do it alone. 

Forming Faith at Vine Street: Part 2

After selecting their guiding scripture—The Greatest Commandment (Matthew 22: 35-40, Mark 12:18-21, Luke 10:25-28) and discerning and naming the eleven core components of faith formation, the task force reflected on how we, (as individuals and a community, in our homes and in our building and in the world), might engage and live out these core components in meaningful ways. The task force recognized and acknowledged that different life stages requires that how we think, discuss, and practice these core components.  The task force felt the approach should vary based on developmental capacities and life experiences. They named the following life stages to help determine and name specific ways of living out these core components throughout one’s whole life:

 Ages 0-4 Young Adult 1 (College Age)

Ages 5-9 Young Adult 2

Ages 10-13 Middle Adult

Ages 14-17 Senior Adult

So how might an 8 year old practice prayer? How might a senior adult love God with their heart, mind, and body?

The task force next reflected on specific ways these core components could be lived out throughout one's life. Then, they reflected on how these eleven core components might be integrated into living out the greatest commandment. 

Below, you'll find examples of we might practice and teach prayer throughout all the life stages and how we might integrate the eleven core components for elementary school children and senior adults into understanding and living out the Greatest Commandment. As you explore these examples, you’re invited to reflect on these questions:

How has your understanding and practice of prayer changed throughout your life? How might we, as a congregation, be able to empower and equip our community to live out this greatest commandment?