weekly letter

October 31, 2007

 

Tomorrow, November 1, is All Saints' Day, an occasion to remember and give thanks for the saints (holy ones) of God throughout the ages, including those known to the whole world, those known only to a few, and those known only to God.  Together they comprise the "great cloud of witnesses" who encourage us in our journey today.  In one of his journals, Thomas Merton reflects on some of his favorite saints. Who might be among your favorite saints?

 

     The saints of the 15th century are among those who most move me.  In the collapse of medieval society, corruption of the clergy, decadence of conventional life, there emerged men and women of the laity supremely obedient to God, especially Nicholas of Flue and Joan of Arc.  Complete and simple signs of contradiction to worldliness and system and convention and prejudiced interest.  Not rebels at all, but completely meek and submissive instruments of God.  In them you see clearly and movingly revealed what it is not to be a mere rebel but to be obedient to God as a sign to men, a sign of mercy, a revelation of truth and of power.  I am drawn to these "signs" of God with all the love of my heart, trusting above all in their love and their intercession, for they live in the glory of God.

(from The Intimate Merton)

The Scripture lessons for Sunday, November 4, All Saints', Holy Communion:

     Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18

     Ephesians 1:11-23

     Luke 6:20-31

 

Sunday Conversations on Scripture texts and topics continue this Sunday, 10am, in Trinity Hall.  David Sharrard will lead this Sunday's conversation.  Feel free to stop in to join the conversation, have a cup of coffee, or just listen.

 

Children's Choir:  This Sunday, November 4, 10am, Nell Horman continues her music work with the Walnut Hill children.  Children and youth are invited to take part in these Sunday morning music times leading toward a Christmas presentation in December.  Look for Nell on Sunday in the Children's Chapel (weather permitting) or in the upstairs office of Trinity Hall. For more information, contact Nell (273-1021).

 

The Vestry will meet this Sunday, 10am, in Trinity Hall.

 

Pass the Stuffing - For the last several years Walnut Hill Church has supported the Nathaniel Mission Community Thanksgiving Dinner by providing the "dressing" (a.k.a. "stuffing") for the meal (300 servings, approximately 12 large baking pans).  By arrangement with Critchfield's the dressing will cost $18 per pan.  Contact Lee Tucker to sponsor a pan.

 

Men's Dinner - Arrangements for the next Men's Dinner have been set as follows:  Tuesday, November 13, 6pm, at Buddy's on High Street.  The speaker will be Dr. Rick Lowery, Interim Dean of Students at Lexington Theological Seminary.  His topic for the evening: "Still Brewing in Kentucky, Sacrifice in the Old Testament, and Conflict Resolution."  To rsvp, contact Gene Brockopp (268-2045) or use the sign-up sheet in the sanctuary.

 

Thanks, news, etc...

     *Thanks to...Shelby and Dougie Hilliard for their assistance during worship last Sunday; Nell Horman and Cory Sharrard for their Sunday morning work with the Walnut Hill children; Mark Horman for his recent work in the cemetery.

    

Peace to all.

 

Mike Ward

weekly letter

October 24, 2007

 

Greetings to all!

 

This Sunday, October 28, is Reformation Sunday, observed in many Protestant traditions, recalling those times, people, and events that led to so much change in the ecclesiastical, political, and cultural landscape of Europe and beyond.  In honor of that day, it seems appropriate to consider some words from Martin Luther as he describes the occasion of his discovery of God's grace in the midst of studying Paul's letter to the Romans.

 

     At last, by the mercy of God, meditating day and night, I gave heed to the context of the words, namely, "In it the righteousness of God is revealed, as it is written, 'He who through faith is righteous shall live.'" There I began to understand that the righteousness of God is that by which the righteous lives by a gift of God, namely by faith.  And this is the meaning: the righteousness of God is revealed by the gospel, namely, the passive righteousness with which the merciful God justifies us by faith...Here I felt I was altogether born again and had entered paradise itself through open gates.  There a totally new face of the entire Scripture showed itself to me.

(as found in A History of Christian Thought, Volume III)

 

The Scripture lessons for Sunday, October 28:

     Joel 2:23-32

     2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18

     Luke 18:9-14

 

Men's Coffee: Walnut Hill men are invited to gather for coffee on Saturday morning, October 27, 8am, at Paneras on Richmond Road.  Feel free to stop by for as long or short a time as your schedule permits.  No rsvp required.

 

Children's Choir:  This Sunday, October 28, 10am, Nell Horman resumes her music work with the Walnut Hill children.  Children and youth are invited to take part in these Sunday morning music times leading toward a Christmas presentation in December.  Look for Nell on Sunday in the Children's Chapel (weather permitting) or in the upstairs office of Trinity Hall. For more information, contact Nell (273-1021).

 

Sunday Conversations continue this Sunday, October 28, 10am, in Trinity Hall.  This week we will focus on Reformation Sunday, discussing some of the words of the early reformers.  Feel free to stop in for a cup of coffee, to share an idea or question, or just to listen.

 

Hospitality Opportunity - A host(s) is needed for our after worship refreshments this Sunday, October 28.  Use reply email or contact the church office (263-5304) to volunteer.

 

Nathaniel Mission Partnership - For the last several years Walnut Hill has supported the Nathaniel Mission Community Thanksgiving Dinner by providing the "dressing" (a.k.a. "stuffing") for the meal (300 servings, approximately 10 large baking pans).  By arrangement with Critchfield's the dressing will cost $18 per pan.  Contact Lee Tucker to sponsor a pan.

 

Men's Dinner - Arrangements for the next Men's Dinner have been set as follows:  Tuesday, November 13, 6pm, at Buddy's on High Street.  The speaker will be Dr. Rick Lowery, Interim Dean of Students at Lexington Theological Seminary.  His topic for the evening, "Still Brewing in Kentucky, Sacrifice in the Old Testament, and Conflict Resolution."  Contact Gene Brockopp for more information.

 

Thanks, news, etc...

     *Thanks to...Beth, Oggie, Shelby, and Dougie Hilliard and Joanne Hilliard for providing our refreshments last Sunday.

     *Lee Sturtevant was introduced to the congregation last Sunday as a new member of Walnut Hill Church.

 

Peace to all.

 

Mike Ward 

weekly letter

October 17, 2007

 

Greetings to all!

 

With few exceptions, household "chores" are part of life for all of us.  How we perceive those daily tasks can vary widely from person to person.  In the preface to her book, Being Home, Gunilla Norris reflects on the spiritual possibilities of household routine.

 

     Prayer and housekeeping  - they go together.  They have always gone together.  We simply know that our daily round is how we live.  When we clean and order our homes, we are somehow also cleaning and ordering ourselves.  We know this by virtue of being human creatures.  How we hold the simplest of our tasks speaks loudly about how we hold life itself.

     How then do we "come home" spiritually and dwell there?  In my own life I have found no better way than to value and savor the sacredness of daily living, to rely on repetition, that humdrum of rhythm, which heals and steadies.  Increasingly it is for me a matter of being willing "to be in place," to enter into deeper communion with the objects and actions of a day and to allow them to commune with me.  It is a way to know and to be known...to surrender my isolation by participating in the experience as it happens.  And it is a struggle! So often it is said that we teach what we want to learn.  I want to learn this very much.

 

The Scripture lessons for Sunday, October 21:

     Jeremiah 31:27-34

     2 Timothy 3:14 - 4:5

     Luke 18:1-8

 

Sunday Conversations regarding the lessons for the day (see above) continue this Sunday, October 21, 10am, in Trinity Hall.

 

Labels/Box Tops For Education - Don't forget that Walnut Hill is receiving product labels/box tops for education to benefit Athens Chilesburg Elementary School.  Simply place your labels/box tops in the basket located in the Sanctuary foyer.  Check the bulletin board in the Sanctuary for a listing of participating products.  A.C.E. also welcomes your empty printer cartridges. Place them in the box in the Sanctuary foyer.

 

Men's Dinner - Arrangements for the next Men's Dinner have been set as follows:  Tuesday, November 13, 6pm, at Buddy's on High Street.  The speaker will be Dr. Rick Lowery, Dean of Students at Lexington Theological Seminary.  His topic for the evening, "Still Brewing in Kentucky, Sacrifice in the Old Testament, and Conflict Resolution."  Contact Gene Brockopp for more information.

 

In the neighborhood: The Old Richmond Road Neighborhood Association Dinner Meeting will be held on Monday, October 22, 6:30pm, at the Jean Farris Winery and Bistro.  For more information, see the flyer on the Trinity Hall bulletin board or contact Mary Diane Hanna (263-4231).

 

Thanks, news, etc....

     *Thanks to....The Hormans, the Smiths, and the Hannas for our refreshments last Sunday.

     *Congratulations to Kim and Stuart Morris on the occasion of the baptism of their son, Haywood Knox Morris, during morning worship last Sunday.  Haywood's paternal great grandparents were the late Walnut Hill members Jeanie and David Blythe.

     *The Children's Choir will not be in session this Sunday, October 21.  Look for the Children's Choir to resume on Sunday, October 28, 10am.

     *Thanks to the generosity of those present on Ecumenical Sunday, October 7, Walnut Hill Church has sent $1,836 to the Kentucky Council of Churches in support of its ecumenical work in Kentucky.  Thanks to all!

    

Peace to all.

 

MikeWard

weekly letter

October 10, 2007

 

Greetings to all!

 

In her book, A Circle of Quiet, Madeleine L'Engle recalls an experience that occurred during a writing class at Ohio State University.

 

     One morning in Ohio someone brought up the separation of church and state, and the fact that hymns and prayers are now forbidden in public schools, and I agreed with those who felt that any kind of religious proselytizing in a public school is an impertinence..."But," I found myself saying, "you will find that you cannot help teaching children your own religion, whatever it is....If a belief in God motivates your life, the children are going to know that...whether you ever mention God or not.  If you are more interested in money than anything else, that's not going to escape them.  You've got to accept the fact that you are basically not teaching a subject, you are teaching children.  Subjects can probably be better taught by machines than by you.  But if we teach our children only by machines, what will we get?  Little machines.  They need you, you as persons."  And I quoted Emerson: "What you are speaks so loudly over your head that I cannot hear what you say."  So I know, with a sense of responsibility that hits me with a cold fist in the pit of my stomach, that what I am is going to make more difference to my own children and those I talk to and teach than anything I tell them.

 

The Scriptures for Sunday, October 14:

     Genesis 9:8-17

     Acts 2:37-42

     Luke 24:44-53

    

Men's Coffee: Walnut Hill men are invited to gather for coffee this Saturday, October 13, 8am, at Paneras on Richmond Road.  Feel free to stop by for as long or short a time as your schedule allows.  No rsvp required.

 

Children's Choir:  This Sunday, October 14, 10am, Nell Horman resumes her music work with the Walnut Hill children.  Children, preschool through 5th grade, are invited to take part in these Sunday morning music times leading toward a Christmas presentation in December.  Look for Nell on Sunday in the Children's Chapel (weather permitting) or in the upstairs office of Trinity Hall. For more information, contact Nell (273-1021).

 

Sunday Conversations regarding the Scripture lessons for the day (see above) resume this Sunday, October 14, 10am, in Trinity Hall.  Feel free to stop in for a cup of coffee, to share an idea or question, or just to listen.

 

Hospitality Opportunity - A host(s) is needed for our after worship refreshments this Sunday, October 14.  Use reply email or contact the church office (263-5304) to volunteer.

 

In the Community:

    *The Franciscan Peace Center will host a "Walk for Peace" on Sunday, October 14, 3pm, downtown Lexington.  Gather at the High Street parking lot above the Lexington Transit Center. See www.franciscanvision.org for more details.

     *The Interfaith Alliance of the Bluegrass will host its Annual Meeting and Dinner, on Thursday, October 18, 6pm, at Christ Church Cathedral.  The keynote address, "From Hazard to Amman: A Journey to Find One People and One God", will be offered by Mr. William E. Davis, a national leader in the Baha'i Community.  Dinner tickets ($15/person) may be reserved by email (tiabg@qx.net) or phone (559-5943).

     *The Old Richmond Road Neighborhood Association Dinner Meeting will be held on Monday, October 22, 6:30pm, at the Jean Farris Winery and Bistro.  For more information, see the flyer on the Trinity Hall bulletin board or contact Mary Diane Hanna (263-4231).

 

Thanks, news, etc...

   *Thanks to all who were so helpful in coordinating our "Ecumenical Sunday" observance including...our special guests the Rev. Carlos Malave, the Rev. David McKee, and the Rev. Chris Skidmore; Karl Crase who provided our refreshments for the day; children's teachers and nursery keepers; Lee Tucker and her welcoming team; Linda Barnes and Vestry members; Angela Hurley, the choir, Bob and Natalie Watt, Bill and Maggy Patterson for their leadership in worship.  A podcast of Rev. Malave's sermon, "A Tradition, A Calling, and a Future", is available on the Walnut Hill Church website, www.Walnuthillchurchky.org.

     *Diane Gwin and Matt McCormick  were married at Walnut Hill Church on October 6.  Diane is the niece of Walnut Hill member Charles Snow.

     *Thanks also to...Linda Barnes and Gene Brockopp for coordinating last week's women's and men's dinners respectively and to our guests Judge Pamela Goodwine and Senator Ernesto Scorsone; Ruth Sharrard for hosting the Women's Guild meeting on Monday.

 

Peace to all.

 

Mike Ward     

Ecumenical Sunday

October 5, 2007

 

Greetings to all!

 

Just a quick note to remind you of "Ecumenical Sunday" on October 7.  The schedule for the day:

    9:30am - Classes for children and adults

        *Nicodemus (Jesus Loves Me, This I Know) -for children- Life is full of changes. How does welcoming Jesus change our lives?

        *Ecumenism, Possibilities and Prospects - for adults- The Rev. Carlos Malave will offer his insights as we talk informally about where the ecumenical movement might be headed in the future. 

     11:00am - Morning Worship and Holy Communion - Rev. Malave will be our preacher for the day.  We will celebrate the Sacrament as well as receive greetings from ecumenical partners and friends.

     12:15pm - Refreshments - Our regular after worship refreshments will take the form of a festive reception to celebrate our ecumenical life and ministry at Walnut Hill.

 

Our preacher for the day is the Rev. Carlos Malave, Assistant Stated Clerk and Associate for Ecumenical Relations, Presbyterian Church (USA).  A native of Puerto Rico, Rev Malave received his education at the University of the Antilles, Loma Linda University, and Fuller Theological Seminary.  He served parishes in Puerto Rico and California before beginning his work in the Office of the General Assembly (PCUSA) in 2001.  He has also served on the Pacific Committee on Ecumenical Relations and the Southern California Ecumenical Council.

 

Peace to all.

 

Mike Ward

weekly letter

October 3, 2007

 

Greetings to all!

 

This Sunday, October 7, World Communion Sunday, is Ecumenical Sunday at Walnut Hill.  In the spirit of the day, consider the words of the Preamble to Walnut Hill Church's Constitution and By-Laws.

 

     We, the members of Walnut Hill Church, an Ecumenical Church, of Lexington, Kentucky, do hereby organize for the purpose of providing public worship, the apostolic ministry of word and sacrament, religious instruction, pastoral care and counseling and in general a witness to the community of the need for life and work in the name of Jesus.

     We accept for membership with us all those who profess the Lord Jesus and who share with us an appreciation for the historic creeds, sacraments, the historic canon of scripture of the Old and New Testaments, and the historic apostolic ministry.  We also include in our fellowship those who, while seeking truth, may not be prepared to accept as yet the fulness of the above stated standards. We, as a church, are a fellowship of believers who wish to bring together all men and women as children of God and do not wish to make an obstacle in creed and dogma to fellowship with God's people. We believe that the true basis of Christian fellowship is love which is greater than all our differences and without this love we have no claim to Christian Fellowship.

 

Take note of a special schedule for Sunday, October 7, Ecumenical Sunday:

     9:30am - Classes for children and adults

        *Nicodemus (Jesus Loves Me, This I Know) -for children- Life is full of changes. How does welcoming Jesus change our lives?

        *Ecumenism, Possibilities and Prospects - for adults- The Rev. Carlos Malave will guide us in exploring where the ecumenical movement might be headed in the future. 

     11:00am - Morning Worship and Holy Communion - Rev. Malave will be our preacher for the day.  We will celebrate the Sacrament as well as receive greetings from ecumenical partners and friends.

     12:15pm - Reception - Our regular after worship refreshments will take the form of a festive reception to celebrate our life and ministry at Walnut Hill.

 

 Women's Dinner - Wednesday, October 3, 5:30pm, at Jo-Beth Booksellers Cafe. Speaker: Judge Pamela Goodwine. Contact the church office (263-5304) for details and to rsvp.

 

Men's Dinner - Thursday, October 4, 6:00pm, at Jo-Beth Booksellers Cafe.  Speaker: Senator Ernesto Scorsone.  Contact the church office (263-5304) for details and to rsvp.

 

Women's Guild - The Women's Guild will meet on Monday, October 8, 1:30pm, at the home of Ruth Sharrard.  We will continue our study of 10 Gospel Promises for Later Life.  This month's focus, "We Have a Lifelong Mission."   All women of Walnut Hill Church are invited to attend.

 

Thanks, news, etc....

     *Thanks to...Gene & Dorothy Brockopp for bringing refreshment items last Sunday; Nell Horman and Derek Vaughan for their work with the children and youth last Sunday; Mark Horman and Barbara Waldmann-Ward for work on the cemetery and church grounds.

     *On Sunday, September 30, Emett and Joyce Barfield were received into our fellowship, Emett as a Friend, Joyce as a Member of Walnut Hill Church.

 

Peace to all.

 

Mike Ward