Walnut Hill Church Weekly Letter

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Greetings to all!

Observing RENEW, Week 4, March 11 - 18

We are in the midst of RENEW, Week 4:  "God Calls Us as Members

of Walnut Hill Church."  In her book, Amazing Grace, Kathleen Norris

offers some thoughts about life and worship in the church.

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 also 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 its life.  When formal worship seems less 

than worshipful - and it often does...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.

An online activity:  Since you are already online, you might check out

this Week 4 activity suggestion from the RENEW Home Activity Booklet.

The Larger Family of God - Visit the websites of Walnut Hill's 

denominational partners: The Presbytery of Transylvania 

( www.transypby.org ) and the Episcopal Diocese of Lexington

( www.diolex.org ).   Learn about their congregations, organization, and

mission.  Visit the websites of Walnut Hill's ecumenical partners:  The

Kentucky Council of Churches ( www.kycouncilofchurches.org ) and 

Church World Service ( www.churchworldservice.org ). Learn about 

their members, organization, and mission.

Sermon Recordings during the RENEW season are available on the 

internet at  www.walnuthill.posterous.com  .  Go to the site and scroll 

down to the recording of your choice.

Looking ahead to RENEW, Week 5, March 18-25

Focus: God calls us in our neighborhoods.

Scripture lessons:  Romans 12:9-21; Luke 6:27-38; Luke 10:25-37

Sunday Conversations continue this Sunday, March 18, with the topic: 

Who is my neighbor?  We will focus on Jesus' parable of The Good 

Samaritan.

Tornado Relief

Thanks to all who have given so generously over the last two Sundays in 

response to the needs of our neighbors in West Liberty and other places 

around the Commonwealth.  Over $1,000 has been received and is on the 

way to the affected areas via Church World Service and the Episcopal 

Diocese relief fund. 

Peace to all.

Mike Ward