Friday, March 30, 2012

Sunday at Walnut Hill Church

This Sunday, April 1, at Walnut Hill Church...

PALM SUNDAY / PASSION SUNDAY

Sunday Conversation, 10am, Trinity Hall

What's So "Holy" About Holy Week?

Why did the gospel writers give so much attention ( 1/3 to 1/2 of
their entire gospels) to the last week of Jesus' life?  Did they give
this week too much attention, or is there something about this
week, without which, our understanding of Jesus would be 
incomplete?  We will talk about these things.

Children's Choir, 10am, Trinity Hall

Children, through elementary age, are invited to gather for 
music and singing in preparation for a presentation later in the
spring.

Morning Worship, 11am, Sanctuary

Sermon:  April Foolishness!
Text:  Mark 11:1-11

The Sacrament of Holy Communion

Nursery Care and Sunday School for children.

After Worship Gathering, Noon, Trinity Hall

All are invited to gather for refreshments and fellowship.

Easter Egg Hunt, Noon, Church Grounds

Children (through 3rd grade) are invited to hunt for eggs scattered 
around the church grounds.  Please bring 1doz stuffed eggs and a 
basket for each "hunter" in your household.
(Even if your household does not include a "hunter," you are welcome
to bring some stuffed eggs for the hunt.)

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Walnut Hill Church Weekly Letter

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Greetings to all!

Observing RENEW, Week 6, March 25 - 31

We are in the midst of RENEW, Week 6: "God calls us to build
a future based on trust."  Consider this recollection offered by 
Frederick Buechner.

I remember sitting by the roadside once, terribly depressed and
afraid about my daughter's illness and what was going on in our
family, when out of nowhere a car came along down the highway
with a license plate that bore on it the one word out of all the 
words in the dictionary that I needed most to see exactly then.
The word was TRUST.  What do you call a moment like that?
Something to laugh off as the kind of joke life plays on us every
once in a while?  The word of God?  I am willing to believe that
maybe it was something of both, but for me it was an epiphany.
The owner of the car turned out to be, as I'd suspected, a trust
officer in a bank, and not long ago, having read an account I 
wrote of the incident somewhere, he found out where I lived and
one afternoon brought me the license plate itself, which sits 
propped up on a bookshelf in my house to this day.  It is rusty
around the edges and a little battered, and it is also as holy a
relic as I have ever seen.
(from Listening to Your Life)

Thanks to all who have participated in the RENEW season
by your prayers, participation in a small group,  sharing in home 
activities, attendance on Sunday mornings, and/or individual
reflection.  We hope that the season has been an experience of
renewal for you!

Looking Ahead to Holy Week, April 1 - 8

Palm Sunday, April 1
*Sunday Conversation, 10am, Trinity Hall - "What's So 'holy'
About  Holy Week?"
*Children's Choir, 10am, Trinity Hall
*Morning Worship & Holy Communion, 11am, Sanctuary,
"Procession of the Palms"
*Egg Hunt, Noon, church grounds, for children through 3rd
grade.  (Please bring 1 doz stuffed eggs per each "hunter" in your 
household.)
*Refreshments & Fellowship, Noon, Trinity Hall

Maundy Thursday, April 5
*Simple Meal Fellowship, 6pm, Trinity Hall, for all ages.
Soup and beverage provided.  Bring a bread, cheese, or fruit.
After the meal, adults will share a service of evening prayer,
while children will enjoy activities related to Holy Week.  RSVP 
by reply email or by phone to the church office (263-5304).

Easter Sunday, April 8
*Easter Sunrise Service, 7am, Walnut Hill Cemetery
*Morning Worship & Holy Communion, 11am, Sanctuary
*Refreshments and Fellowship, Noon, Trinity Hall (Bring
one item for the refreshment table.)

Community Events at Transylvania University
*Rabbi David Sandmell (Prof of Jewish Studies at the 
Catholic Theological Union, Chicago)  will present a lecture, 
"Jewish Views of Jesus," on Thursday, March 29, 7pm, at Strickland 
Auditorium, Brown Science Center.
*Three Transylvania University student choirs will combine
for a concert featuring the Mozart "Requiem" on Friday, March 30,
7:30pm, at the Carrick Theater, Mitchell Fine Arts Center.  Several
Walnut Hill choir members will be part of this performance.
(Both events are free and open to the public.)

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

Peace to all.

Mike Ward

Friday, March 23, 2012

Sunday at Walnut Hill Church

This Sunday, March 25, at Walnut Hill Church

WALNUT HILL RENEW - THE LORD'S CALL
"We are called to build a future based on trust 
in God's love."

Sunday Conversations, 10am, Trinity Hall

Trust

What does it mean to "trust in God's love?"  We will read several
brief excerpts from Albert Nolan's book, Jesus Today, in which
Nolan suggests that "we must let go of God in order to jump into
the embrace of a loving Father whom we can trust implicitly."

Children's Choir, 10am, Trinity Hall

Children (through elementary age) are invited to gather for music
and singing as they prepare for a presentation later in the spring.

Morning Worship, 11am, Sanctuary

Sermon:   They Stayed All Afternoon
Text:  John 1:35-42

Nursery Care and Sunday School for children.

After Worship Gathering, Noon, Trinity Hall

All are invited to gather for refreshments and fellowship. 

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Walnut Hill Church Weekly Letter

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Greetings to all!

Observing RENEW, Week 5, March 18-25

We are in the midst of RENEW, Week 5:  "God calls us in our
neighborhoods."  In his book, Jesus Today, Albert Nolan reflects
on a "change of consciousness" required in loving our neighbor.

Our neighbor may have no love for us at all.  In fact, while loving
those who do love us is natural enough, the real issue has to do 
with loving our enemies...or even loving those who are very 
different from us, those we don't know at all or those we do know 
but who irritate us to no end.  How do we come to love them?

We could say...that if God loves all our neighbors unconditionally,
then we should love them too.  But it still takes an effort of will to 
do that.  How do we learn to love our fellow human beings 
spontaneously - as Jesus did?

The clue to genuinely spontaneous love of neighbor is to be found
in the words "as yourself":  love your neighbor as yourself.  If I 
could learn to see my neighbor as a self like me, or an extension
of my self, a greater self, loving my neighbor would be as natural
and spontaneous as loving myself.  What is required is a 
fundamental change of consciousness - how we see our fellow
human beings.  

Looking ahead to RENEW, Week 6, March 25 - 31

Focus:  God calls us to build a future based on trust.
Scripture:  John 1:35 - 42;  John 15:12-16

Our Sunday Conversations, Sunday School, and Morning Worship
will focus on the Week 6 RENEW theme.

Children's Choir, Sundays, 10am, Trinity Hall

Children through elementary age are invited to gather for music and
singing on Sunday mornings, 10am, in Trinity Hall.  The children will
be working on a presentation for a Sunday later in the spring.

Holy Week, April 1 - 8

Mark your calendars for these Holy Week observances and
activities at Walnut Hill Church.
Sun, Apr 1 - Palm Sunday, 11am
-Holy Communion and Procession of the Palms.
-Egg Hunt after worship.
Thu, Apr 5 - Maundy Thursday, 6pm
-Simple Meal Fellowship
-Evening Prayer and Children's Activities
Sun, Apr 8 - Easter Sunday
-Sunrise Service, 7am, Walnut Hill Cemetery
-Morning Worship and Holy Communion, 11am
Peace to all.

Mike Ward

Friday, March 16, 2012

Sunday at Walnut Hill Church

This Sunday, March 18, at Walnut Hill Church...

WALNUT HILL RENEW - THE LORD'S CALL
"God calls us in our neighborhoods."

Sunday Conversations, 10am, Trinity Hall

"Who Is My Neighbor?"

We will explore Jesus' parable of the "Good Samaritan" guided by a
brief video commentary from Amy-Jill Levine, professor of New 
Testament and Jewish Studies at Vanderbilt Divinity School.  As 
Prof. Levine observes, in this parable Jesus delivers "the knockout
blow" to our assumptions about neighbors.

Nursery care provided for young children.

Children's Choir, 10am, Trinity Hall

Children (through elementary age) are invited to gather for music
and singing, working on a presentation for later in the spring.

Morning Worship, 11am, Sanctuary

Sermon - Neighborliness
Text - Romans 12:9-21

Nursery care and Sunday School for children.

After Worship Gathering, Noon, Trinity Hall

All are invited to gather for refreshments and fellowship.



Wednesday, March 14, 2012

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 








Friday, March 9, 2012

Sunday at Walnut Hill Church

This Sunday, March 11, at Walnut Hill Church...

WALNUT HILL RENEW - THE LORD'S CALL
"God calls us as members of Walnut Hill Church"

Sunday Conversations, 10am, Trinity Hall

Spiritual, But Not Religious

"I am spiritual, but not religious. I do not need the church to be a spiritual person." 
What is the difference between spirituality and religion?  In an age of individual 
spirituality, what is the purpose and value of organized religion, i.e. the church?
Part of our conversation will include an excerpt from an interview with Diana Butler 
Bass, author of a new book titled, Christianity After Religion: The End of Church and 
the Birth of a New Spiritual Awakening.

(Nursery care provided for young children.)

Morning Worship, 11am, Sanctuary

Sermon:  The Elevator Speech
Text:  Acts 2:42-47

Nursery care and Sunday School for children.

After Worship Gathering, Noon, Trinity Hall

All are invited to gather for refreshments and fellowship.

*****

Diocese of Lexington, Tornado Relief Fund

The Episcopal Diocese of Lexington has established a fund to support relief efforts
in central and eastern Kentucky in the wake of last week's storms.  Offering baskets 
will be available in the Sanctuary foyer this Sunday for persons wanting to make a 
special contribution toward this cause.  Contributions may be in cash or checks 
payable to Walnut Hill Church.  For more information regarding this fund, 

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Walnut Hill Church Weekly Letter

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Greetings to all!

Kentucky and Midwest Tornadoes

First on our minds and hearts this week are those affected by last week's
storms.  Thanks to all those who gave generously last Sunday toward the
relief efforts.  Your contributions will be sent to those affected via Church
World Service.  In addition to your gifts, you may wish to offer the 
following prayer:

God of compassion:  you weave out of terrible happenings wonders of
goodness and grace.  Surround those who have been shaken by tragedy
with a sense of your present love, and hold them in faith.  Though they 
are filled with grief, may they find the comfort and strength needed for 
these days; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.
(adapted from The Worshipbook)

Observing RENEW, Week 3, March 4 - 11

We are in the midst of RENEW, Week 3, with our focus being:  "God calls 
us as family members."  I recently happened upon an article in The
Christian Century magazine in which a youth ministry specialist, Rich
Melheim, was asked about the role of family in the process of faith formation.  
Melheim described a simple approach to faith formation he calls "Faith 5."

I am asking parents and kids to commit themselves to five minutes a 
night of simple faith encounters.  Families are asked to drop what they're
doing as soon as the first kid is ready for bed and walk through these 
five steps: 1) share your highs and lows of the day; 2) read a verse of 
scripture from Sunday's preaching or teaching text; 3) talk about how the
highs and lows of the day relate to the scripture (Is God actually saying
something to you?); 4) pray for one another's highs and lows; and 
5) bless one another before turning out the lights on the day.

(from "Family Affair" as found in The Christian Century, Feb 22, 2012)

SUNDAY HOST NEEDED 

A host(s) is needed for our after worship refreshments this Sunday, March 11.  
Remember that refreshments need not be elaborate, just something simple 
to gather around as we fellowship after worship.  Use reply email or contact
the church office (263-5304) to volunteer for this Sunday, or check the 
sign up sheet in the Sanctuary foyer for a hospitality opportunity later in the
spring.

Looking ahead to RENEW, Week 4, March 11- 18

Focus: God Calls Us as Walnut Hill Church.
Scripture Lessons:  Acts 2:42-47; 1 Corinthians 13; John 17:2-26

This Sunday, March 11, we will explore the Week 4 focus in our Sunday 
Conversation (10am), Morning Worship (11am), and Sunday School (11am).

Small Groups are meeting throughout the RENEW season on Sunday
evenings (co-ed), Monday evenings (co-ed), and Thursday mornings
(women).  Call the church office (263-5304) for more information regarding 
RENEW small groups.

RENEW Home Activity Booklets are available in the Sanctuary foyer.  The
Home Activity Booklet offers activity suggestions for all ages.

A RENEW "lending library" of books related to the RENEW themes is 
available and found in Trinity Hall.  Check out the lending library and "check out"
a book for yourself or a child in your household.

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.

In the Community - "The Bluegrass Local Food Summit" will be held  
March 22 - 24, at Crestwood Christian Church in Lexington.  The Summit is a
program of the Sustainable Communities Network.  For more information, see

Peace to all.

Mike Ward




Friday, March 2, 2012

Sunday at Walnut Hill Church

This Sunday, March 4, at Walnut Hill Church...

WALNUT HILL RENEW - THE LORD'S CALL
"God Calls Us as Family Members"

Sunday Conversations, 10am, Trinity Hall

Family

We will explore our experience of "family" through several brief
essays by the late spiritual writer and teacher, Henri J. M. Nouwen.
Themes will include "leaving our father and mother,"  "forgiveness
and gratitude", and "many mothers and fathers."  Come enjoy a
cup of coffee, join the conversation, or just listen in.

Nursery care will be provided for young children.

Morning Worship, 11am, Sanctuary

Sermon - The Church in Miniature
Text -  Colossians 3:12-17

The Sacrament of Holy Communion

Nursery care and Sunday School for children.

After Worship Gathering, Noon, Trinity Hall

All are invited to gather for refreshments and fellowship.

****

Church World Service Emergency Appeal

Church World Service has issued an emergency appeal for
support of relief efforts in the wake of this week's midwest 
storms.  Offering baskets will be available in the Sanctuary
foyer this Sunday for persons wanting to make a special 
contribution toward this cause.  Contributions may be in cash or 
checks payable to Walnut Hill Church.  For more information 
regarding this appeal, see  www.churchworldservice.org .