Open to Explore

Phyllis Nelson, a member of First Baptist Athens' "cradle roll," shares memories of the church and her family with Carol Cofer. 

 Carol Cofer speaks with Kathy Segars about growing up in First Baptist Athens. In this series, "cradle roll" (members who were born into the church) share memories of the church's past to help us prepare for our shared future. 

 Carol Cofer speaks with Jill Dawson about growing up in First Baptist Athens. In this series, "cradle roll" (members who were born into the church) share memories of the church's past to help us prepare for our shared future. 

In the first episode of this series, Carol Cofer speaks with Julie Jenkins about growing up in First Baptist Athens. In this series, "cradle roll" (members who were born into the church) share memories of the church's past to help us prepare for our shared future. 

Guidelines for walking the stations of the cross

This podcast serves as an audio guide for walking and meditating the 14 Stations of the Cross. It is designed for use in the Prayer Garden at First Baptist Church in downtown Athens, GA. The Garden is open from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Good Friday, April 2, 2021. The podcast is timed so that once t is started, a person can allow it to play continuously being guided from station to station with time for silence and meditation at each station. A bell tone will sound, followed by a prompt indicating it is time to move to the next station. 

Option

While it is designed to be used when physically walking a path of the 14 stations, this podcast can be adapted for use in other settings. One can simply find a quite place, inside or outside, and listen to the prayers, identified stations, and prompts for reflection. 

Information about the Stations

The Stations of the Cross are a 14-step devotion commemorating Jesus Christ's last day on Earth as a man. These stations focus on specific events beginning with his condemnation. These are commonly used as a mini pilgrimage. At each station, recall and meditate on the specific event from Christ's last day.

Source of Prayers

The opening and closing prayers are taken from Gathering for Worship: Patterns and Prayers for the Community of Disciples, edited by Christopher J. Ellis and Myra Blyth for The Baptist Union of Great Brittain. Canterbury Press, Norwich, 2005.

This is the final episode in a series of three featuring conversations with Dr. Anna Carter Florence, the Peter Marshall Professor of preaching at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur Georgia. Many of us have heard plenty of sermons. Some which were excellent, plenty that were good, and hopefully not very many bad ones. Perhaps after hearing any one of those types of sermons, you had the question, “What do they teach students in seminary about preparing and delivering sermons?” Dr. Carter Florence offers insight into one seminary professor thoughts, approaches, and answers to the question, “How do you teach preaching?” 

Dr. Anna Carter Florence gave the 2012 Lyman Beecher Lectures, titled: “The Word in the Repertory Church” A video link to these three lectures can be found at the Yale Divinity School website: https://web.library.yale.edu/divinity/beecher-lectures

Lecture I: The Script in the Scripture, the Word in Rehearsal: Proclamation in the Repertory Church (October 24)

Lecture II: It Could Have Gone Differently: Repertory Readings of Texts of Terror (October 25)

Lecture III: Old Texts, New Works: The Repertory Preacher and the Company of Grace (October 26)

Anna Carter Florence, the Peter Marshall Professor of Preaching at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia has developed an approach for reading scripture. Her book, Rehearsing Scripture, is subtitled Discovering God’s Word in Community, gives detail and explanation of this method. Frank Granger and Emily Harbin, ministers at FBC Athens Georgia, explore with Dr. Carter Florence some specific concepts and comments covered in the book discovering that scripture study not only is enjoyable, but it is also relevant to our life now. 

Anna Carter Florence, the Peter Marshall Professor of Preaching at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia has developed an approach for reading scripture. Her book, Rehearsing Scripture, is subtitled Discovering God’s Word in Community, gives detail and explanation of this method. Frank Granger and Emily Harbin, ministers at FBC Athens Georgia, ask Dr. Carter Florence what inspired this way of reading and studying scripture. Together they discuss this playful, yet respectful approach to Bible Study. 

The fifth sermon in the Let’s Talk 2020 series is delivered by Matt Marston, Senior Minister at First Baptist Athens. Among the many voices of the conversation about justice, he suggests Christians have an important message to add.

The fourth sermon in the Let’s Talk 2020 series is delivered by Emily Harbin, Minister of Students and Young Adult at First Baptist Athens. Using the work of Pauline Boss on ambiguous loss, Rev. Harbin explores the impact of losses which are undefined and unfinished.