For the week ending April 3, 2026

Our Good Friday worship service will be held tonight in our sanctuary, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Our focus will be on the suffering of Jesus, the unfolding events which led to his death on the cross, and the meaning of his crucifixion, especially in light of the tomb being empty and Jesus being risen from death on Sunday morning. Through scripture, prayer, music, hymns, liturgy, a short message from me, and a special anthem from the choir, we anticipate the Holy Spirit will bless us with meaning, comfort, challenge, and abundant grace as we worship on this sacred evening. The service will close with the elements of our worship space being removed, and we will all depart in silence, as we walk into and through this very dark Good Friday with God.
On Sunday morning, our Easter will begin, 36 hours later, at 6:30 a.m., for our SonRise worship service, outside in the church yard (weather permitting). During our half-hour service, we will gather together to listen, watch, pray, and sing as the body of Christ, witnessing, in new ways and old ways, the resurrection of Jesus Christ. A new day is about to dawn, filled with the wonder and the glory of Easter.
Following the outdoor service, we will all come inside to enjoy fellowship around the tables and delight in the Easter breakfast that Bobby and his crew are preparing. Sunday School classes will meet at 9 a.m. and our 10:30 a.m. Easter worship service in the sanctuary will be adorned with Easter lilies, filled with joyful music, and will bring the good news of our risen Savior into all our eager hearts. Communion will also be celebrated as the culmination of our Easter worship experience.
I look forward to being with you, as we move through holy week into the joy and wonder of Easter. May God bless us all in the journey ahead!

As we continue the discussion on the Presbyterian governmental organizational structure I thought I would also share a bit of US governmental history. Of the 54 signers of the Declaration of Independence, there were 12 documented Presbyterians. Only John Witherspoon was an ordained clergyman. Eleven additional signers had documentation with family ties or active members in Presbyterian congregations. This bit of trivia comes from minutes of Presbytery and Synod meeting minutes and church records. Why does this matter? Some British observers called the American Revolution the Presbyterian Rebellion.
So last week we addressed the session or in the example I offered – the local city council. The next level is Presbytery. Presbytery is the Regional Leadership. The Presbytery is led by a pastor known as the Executive Presbyter. The Presbytery is a geographic cluster of churches (e.g., Presbytery of Middle Tennessee). There are 78 churches in the Presbytery of Middle Tennessee. It consists of all pastors in the region and representatives (elected Ruling Elders) from each congregation. They offer support and guidance.Think of it as the “county government” of the Presbyterian system.
In the next two weeks, I will discuss the Synod and lastly the General Assembly. As we have seen in the newsletter, PLPC is moving forward in the process of a new pastoral call. The Presbytery is facilitating the process and when complete, the Presbytery will assist in the installation.

This past Saturday, March 28th, Priest Lake Presbyterian Church hosted a wonderfully lively Easter Egg Hunt — and what a morning it was! Thanks to the generosity of our congregation, we had 1,200 stuffed eggs, including several special golden eggs with money tucked inside. The excitement on the kids’ faces made every bit of preparation worth it.
We welcomed about 22 children, including the Tucker twins and Aurora, many of our kids from the Hispanic congregation, and four children from the wider community. The morning began with coloring and snacks, giving everyone a chance to settle in, laugh together, and enjoy the sunshine before the big hunt.
A heartfelt thank‑you goes to our amazing helpers who made the event run smoothly: the Tucker twins, Maureen Meyer, Tom Tozer, Natalie Inman, Cora Lynn Butler, Nancy Loudermilk, Nathanial Jennette, Jeff Binns and Megan Sadler. Their energy, kindness, and willingness to pitch in created a warm and welcoming space for every child who joined us.
It was a beautiful reminder of what community looks like — shared joy, shared work, and shared celebration. PLPC truly shined.

Mark your calendar for Sunday, April 26, when the Nashville Choral Project returns to lead us in worship. They were absolutely fantastic when they visited before, and we were truly blessed by their beautiful, spirit‑filled singing. You won’t want to miss this special morning of music and praise.