Rev. Eric D. Williams, the
first year pastor of Greater
Pleasant View Baptist Church,
was recently honored by the
congregation during an
Appreciation Day celebration, at
the church located at 2710
Hillsboro Road, Brentwood.
Rev. Eric D. Williams, pastor,
a native of Silver Creek,
Mississippi and a doctoral student
at Vanderbilt University
School of Theology was elected
as the Greater Pleasant View
Church pastor in October, 2007.
Rev. Williams has made an
endilible mark at the church in
particular, as well as in the
Williamson and Davidson counties
in general.
The Courtesy Committee,
coordinated by Nancy
Richardson and Joyce Solomon,
served a ‘potluck’ luncheon consisting
of varied and sundry
food items, which was enjoyed
by all in attendance. During the
luncheon, following the 10:45
am worship hour with guest
preacher Rev. Theophilus J.
Stanford, a testimonial period
was conducted. Rev. Stanford,
pastor of Glen Haven United
Methodist Church of Decatur,
Ga., and a graduate of Georgia
Institute of Technology and
Gammon Theological Seminary,
Atlanta, Ga., delivered a powerful
message entitled ‘How Can
We Sing a Song in a Strange
Land?’ (scriptural reference,
‘137 Psalms,’ 1-4). Prior to his
message, he sang the beautiful
song by S. Martin written in
1905 ‘His Eye is on the
Sparrow.’ The GPV congregation
was thoroughly convinced
that he was an accomplished
musician. Rev. Stanford is currently
pursuing a Doctor of
Ministry degree at Columbia
Theological Seminary in
Decatur, Ga.
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The Upper Room Chapel and Museum
presents ‘Night of the Child’
The Upper Room Museum
exhibits over 100 multi-cultural
nativity scenes. An Hispanic
nativity display celebrates the
70th anniversary of the Spanish
edition of ‘The Upper Room’
devotional magazine. From
origami to coal, exquisite porcelains
to folk art, world-class artisans
tell the universal story of
the birth of Jesus. In the midst of
the hustle and bustle of the season
the mood here is tranquility.
The chapel features a Last
Supper altar wall and stained
glass window entry way. The
Museum features Christian arts
dating from the 14th century.
The Upper Room is closed
on weekends and holidays
including Nov. 27, 28, Dec. 24-
28, and Jan 1,19. It is open
Monday through Friday from 8
am-4:30 pm.
Parking and admission are
free, but a donation of $4 a person
is encouraged to help defray
expenses. Group reservations
are encouraged.
The Upper Room Chapel and
Museum is located at 1908
Grand Avenue. For more information,
call 615-340-7207.
Walk through the “Real” Christmas Town
Christmas comes to life
Sunday, December 14 as
Woodmont Christian Church
(Disciples of Christ) presents its
annual ‘Walk Thru Bethlehem,’
Travel back in time more than
2,000 years to the day of Christ’s
birth and find the reason for the
season.
From 1-7 pm, at 3601
Hillsboro Road (corner of
Woodmont Blvd. and Hillsboro
Road) you can see the sights and
hear the sounds of Bethlehem as
more than 400 church members
recreate the city of Christ’s birth.
As Roman soldiers patrol the
city, visit the marketplace and
see the shopkeepers at work.
Study with the Rabbi in the synagogue
or stop by an authentic
Bethlehem home and hear the
stories of the day. Taste the
bread, nuts and drinks. Listen to
the musicians play and hear the
clatter of the villagers as news
spreads of the arrival of the
Messiah.
Children will especially
enjoy visiting Bethlehem as they
make friends with the young
people of the village. They will
be invited to play games and
participate in many hands-on
projects including doll and pottery
making.
As guests leave the city they
learn that the inn is full. Outside
the inn, they enter a small stable
surrounded by camels, sheep and
goats where a baby was just
born. There, among the shepherds,
traveling kings offer gifts
of frankincense and myrrh to the
baby Jesus and stable visitors.
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for more information.
by Robin Harris Kimbrough
On November 4, we witnessed
one of the most historic
moments in the history of the
entire world, the election of Sen.
Barak Obama as president-elect
of the United States of America.
In the opening remarks of his
acceptance speech, he stated:
“If there is anyone out there
who still doubts that America is
a place where all things are possible,
who still wonders if the
dream of our founders is alive in
our time, who still questions the
power of our democracy, tonight
is your answer.”
Obama’s election as the first
African American president of
the United States reveals that the
American dream does not just
belong to a certain few, but it
belongs to everyone regardless
of their race, class, or gender.
Too many of us have bought into
the idea that we are limited to
what we can do because of who
we are and what we have in the
physical. Obama’s campaign
(which was based on a movement
of change and hope rather
than fear and status quo)
revealed to us the theological
truth that the way to make the
impossible possible is to step out
on faith and believe.
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for more information.
By Barbara A. Woods
Washington, M. Div.
“For a while he refused; but
afterwards he said to himself,
‘Though I neither fear God nor
regard man, yet because this
widow bothers me, I will vindicate
her, or she will wear me out
by her continual coming.’” And
the Lord said, “Hear what the
unrighteous judge says. And
will not God vindicate his elect,
who cry to him day and night?
Will he delay long over them? I
tell you, he will vindicate them
speedily. Nevertheless, when
the Son of man comes, will he
find faith on earth?” (Luke
18:4-8). A second look at
Luke’s ninth use of pistis/faith,
this single tradition parable—
‘The Unjust Judge’.
The ‘fear of God’ is a major
theme of Old Testament faith
and is a teaching found throughout
the Biblical Wisdom Books.
To be sure, as it is written—
‘The Fear of God IS the beginning
of Wisdom’. In the ancient
Greek pantheon, ‘Phobos’ /Fear
IS a god who is both real and
powerful. The deity Phobos is
the one who ‘causes terror’ and
is placed just after Zeus and
before all other gods.
An Invitation to Study Bible,
Thursdays, 6:30 pm, Call:
615.812.4656.
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start your subscription
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by William Watson
The work of God is that you
believe that Jesus Christ is the
Son of God; that God raised Him
up from the dead and gave Him
glory; and that our faith and
hope might be in God.
Man is always trying to earn
his way to heaven. He likes to
feel that there is something he
can do to merit salvation. If man
could somehow contribute the
saving of his soul, then he can
find a ground for boasting which
would be very pleasing to him.
So today, many are seeking to
earn their way to heaven by
good works. Good works do not
precede salvation; they follow it.
The only good work a sinner can
do is to confess his sins and
receive Jesus Christ as Lord and
Savior.
"I am the resurrection, and
the life; he that believeth in me,
though he were dead, yet shall
he live; and whosoever liveth
and believeth in me shall never
die, believeth thou this"? John
11:25-26.
How can you know when
you are a believer? Believers
live in a different sphere, just as
man lives in the air and fish live
in water. A believer lives in the
Spirit. If a person is not continually
in dwelt by the spirit of
Christ, he or she does not belong
to Christ (Romans 8:9). The
characteristics of a believer are
by Christ like living, and by the
way we treat each other and the
way we treat outsiders.
God rarely allows a person to
see how great a blessing they are
to other people. As believing
Christians, we should recognize
that God uses all things to
accomplish His purpose of making
us like Jesus Christ.
Therefore, we should cooperate
with the Holy Spirit.
"And we know that all things
work together for good of them
that love God, to them who are
the called according to His purpose,”
Romans 8:28.
The Road Scholar
A fool shall not inherit
the Garden of Wisdom
by Robert Thomas
I once wrote a little story
about a wise man who had
accumulated much wealth
because he was wise enough to
do so. His children who would
one day become heirs to his
wealth waited patiently for the
wise man to die, so they could
receive all that the wise man
earned and accumulated. They
dreamed of the joy and pleasure
they would experience by
spending the wise man’s wealth
on the desires of their hearts.
They visualized the fame,
popularity and respect gained
though the power of wealth.
The wise man loved his children
and wanted the best for
them, so he planned carefully to
make sure they would benefit
from his fortune after his death.
Finally, the wise man died.
The children wept at his funeral,
and proclaimed that they
would use their inheritance to
keep their father’s name alive
in the hearts of other by doing
good with his wealth.
They would set up a monument
and do things for others in
his name.
For more of this story,
start your subscription
for the Pride today.
Call (615) 292-9150
for more information.
Rev. Eric D. Williams, the
first year pastor of Greater
Pleasant View Baptist Church,
was recently honored by the
congregation during an
Appreciation Day celebration, at
the church located at 2710
Hillsboro Road, Brentwood.
by Robin Harris Kimbrough
By Barbara A. Woods
Washington, M. Div.
by William Watson
by Robert Thomas