weekly letter

April 16, 2008

 

Greetings to all!

 

Pope Benedict XVI is visiting the United States this week.  Few people, if any, are more identified with the Church than the Pope.  His visit is an occasion to consider what the Church is and what the Church is to be about,  and that not only the Roman Catholic Church, but the whole Church in its many forms and traditions.  Kathleen Norris offers some observations about the Church as we experience it.

 

     Church is other people, a worshipping community.  The worship, or praise of God, does not take place only when people gather on Sunday morning, but when they gather to paint the house of an elderly shut-in, when they visit someone in the hospital or console the bereaved, when the Sunday school kids sing Christmas carols at the nursing home.  If a church has life, its "programs" are not just activity, but worship.  And this is helpful, because if the Sunday morning service falls flat, it is the other forms of worship that sustain this life.  When formal worship seems less than worshipful - and it often does - if I am bored by the sheer weight of verbiage in worship - and I often am - I have only to look around at the other people in the pews to remind myself that we are engaged in something important, something that transcends our feeble attempts at worship, let alone my crankiness.

(from Amazing Grace)

The Scripture lessons for Sunday, April 20, the fifth Sunday of Easter:

     Acts 7:55-60

     1 Peter 2:1-10

     John 14:1-14

 

Grounds Work Day - Our Grounds Chairman, John Ragland, has called a work day for Saturday, April 19, 9:00am.  There is plenty to do, so join us for as long or short a time as your schedule allows.  No special tools or skills required. We will be working "unless its pouring down rain".  Contact John if you would like more information regarding the work to be done on Saturday.

 

Sunday Conversations resume this Sunday, April 20, 10am, in Trinity Hall.  This week's conversation will focus on Bible study related to "Earth Day".  Feel free to join the conversation, enjoy a cup of coffee, or just listen in.

 

A Host (s) is needed to provide our after worship refreshments this Sunday, April 20.  Refreshments need not be elaborate, just something simple to gather around as we visit after worship.  Use reply email to volunteer for this Sunday's refreshments.  Use the sign-up sheet in the foyer to volunteer for a Sunday later in the spring.

 

BREAKING NEWS!! Kentucky Refugee Ministries has assigned a refugee family to Walnut Hill for sponsorship.  Details are still being received, but here is what we know now. Our family (a single mother and two children) is scheduled to arrive in Lexington on Thursday, May 1.  Our family's country of origin is Iraq. For more information and/or to volunteer your time and other resources, please contact Nelson Barnes.

 

HELPING OUR NEIGHBORS REBUILD: At its recent meeting, the Walnut Hill Vestry agreed to a partnership with the Grace United Methodist Church (Lucedale, MS) to help Grace Church equip a dormitory building to be used by volunteer workgroups engaged in ongoing post-Katrina rebuilding.  Walnut Hill's particular commitment is to underwrite the H/VAC system for the living quarters of the dormitory.  Total cost of the project is $6,000, of which the Vestry has committed $3,000 from money on hand.  Gifts toward the $3,000 balance are now being received.  Checks may be payable to Walnut Hill Church, designated "Mississippi".  For more information regarding this project, check out the bulletin board in Trinity Hall and/or contact Lyle Hanna.

 

Thanks, news, etc...

     *Thanks to...Dick Shore for his presentation at our recent Men's Dinner;  Ruth Sharrard for her "second Sunday" remarks regarding Walnut Hill's meaning in her life; Nell Horman and Amy Trail for their work with the children; Nell & Mark Horman and the children's choir parents for last Sunday's after worship refreshments; Lee Tucker for hosting this week's Women's Guild meeting.

     *Alexandra Rose Wallen, daughter of Joanne and Jody Wallen, received the sacrament of Christian Baptism during morning worship on Sunday, April 13.

     *Cynthia Priem, recipient of the Walnut Hill Church Ecumenical Scholarship, will be preaching for the chapel service at Lexington Theological Seminary on Tuesday, April 22, 11:30am.  Walnut Hill members are invited to attend.

 

Peace to all.

 

Mike Ward