Friday, June 27, 2014

The Next Three Sundays at Walnut Hill Church

The next three Sundays at Walnut Hill Church ...

Morning Worship, 11am, Sanctuary

Sunday, June 29
Sermon - Here I am Lord...but I Can't Seem to Find You
Scripture - Genesis 22:1-14 and Psalm 13
Preaching - The Rev. Mairi Renwick

Nursery Care and Sunday School for Children

Sunday, July 6
Sermon - What Is Your Yardstick of Life?
Scripture - Exodus 20:1-17; Romans 8:31-39;
    Matthew 22:34-37
Preaching - The Rev. David Sharrard

The Sacrament of Holy Communion

Nursery Care and Sunday School for Children

Sunday, July 13
Sermon - What Do You Hear?
Text - Matthew 13
Preaching - The Rev. Jackie Lindberg

Nursery Care and Sunday School for Children

After Worship Gathering, Noon, Trinity Hall

All are invited to gather for refreshments and fellowship.


******

Sunday Conversations are on summer break.  Look for 
Sunday Conversations to resume in mid-August.

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Walnut Hill Church Weekly Letter

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Greetings to all!

Last week, along with several Walnut Hill friends, I had opportunity to visit the 
Abbey of Gethsemani near Bardstown.  Popularly known for its cheese, fruitcake, 
fudge, and its one time member Thomas Merton, the Abbey is an ongoing 
community of monks leading a life of simplicity, work, worship, and hospitality.

Ours was a brief visit, just long enough to walk the grounds, enjoy a picnic lunch, 
attend two (of seven daily) services of the hours, and glimpse a life quite different 
than most of us lead.  The life of the monastery is not "better" than our lives, but it 
is different, and a visit provides opportunity to experience that difference, and to 
consider what all of our ordinary, and often ceaseless, activity might cause 
us to miss in life.

As the visitor's brochure described it ..."This monastery is a school of the Lord's 
service, a school of brotherly love.  Following Christ under a rule and an abbot, 
monks at the Abbey of Gethsemani lead a life of prayer, work, and sacred reading, 
steeped in the heart and mystery of the Church.  Pupils in such a school as this 
come to know themselves, their God, and His great mercy."  

Visit the Abbey website for more information regarding the community and its 
ministry.  I hope we might visit there again.

Three Evenings Together is a series of Wednesday evening gatherings 
(June 11, 18, 25), 6pm - 8pm, including a meal, activities for all ages, and 
worship.  This year's gatherings focus on the theme, "Living Water."  
This evening's (June 25) meal and program schedule includes:
  -meal - traditional potluck (bring a salad, side dish, or dessert)
  -program - for children - Baptism ... into Disciple-hood, considering the
place where love and mercy meet.
   - for adults - Living Water for the World
 featuring our 
guests, 
Jan and Ken Cottrell.  The Cottrells will visit with us about the need for 
clean 
and 
safe water for communities around the world, and their experience 
with an 
organization, 
Living Waters for the World , working to meet that need.  
See you there!

The scripture lessons for Sunday, June 29 ...
Genesis 22:1-14
Psalm 13

A HOST(S) is needed for our after worship refreshments this Sunday, June 29.  
Visit the online sign up sheet or use reply email to volunteer for this Sunday.

Sunday Conversations will be on summer break for the next several weeks.
Look for Sunday Conversations to resume in mid-August.  

Walnut Hill Cycling Ride - The 3rd Annual Walnut Hill Cycling Ride will be 
held on Saturday, July 19.  This year we are pleased to partner with both
the Bluegrass Cycling Club and KY Refugee Ministries to provide bicycles
for refugee families.  Watch for more details.  By the way, we are inviting
sponsorships this year to help offset event costs.  Use reply email to inquire
about a sponsorship for yourself or a business.  Visit  Walnut Hill Ride for
more information.  Feel free to share this information with your cycling
friends.

Saturday Coffee - Walnut Hill men are invited to gather for coffee each 
Saturday morning, 8am, at Paneras on Richmond Road.  There is no formal
program, simply an opportunity to talk about whatever might be in the news
or on our minds.  Feel free to stop by for as long or short a time as your 
schedule might allow.  No rsvp required.

Sanctuary Refurbishing - The Sanctuary will be receiving a "makeover" this 
summer.  Visit the link ( Sanctuary ) for information regarding this project.   
Thanks to those who have already donated toward this effort. We have so far 
received over $14,000 toward our $20,000 goal.  Your donations continue to 
be needed and appreciated.

Hope Center Items:  While you are traveling or shopping this summer, 
remember that we are gathering "travel size" toiletry items (e.g. shampoo,
toothpaste, soap, etc) for donation to the Hope Center.  Simply bring your
items to Walnut Hill and place them in the "Hope Center" container found in
the Sanctuary Foyer.

Peace to all.

Mike Ward

Friday, June 20, 2014

Sunday at Walnut Hill Church

This Sunday, June 22, at Walnut Hill Church ...

Sunday Conversations, 10am, Trinity Hall

Tolerance and Compassion ... in Islam

In this presentation, religion scholar Karen Armstrong refreshes 
her Muslim audience regarding the history of tolerance within 
their tradition.  Those of us from other traditions might learn a
few things as well.  We will view and discuss the video.  To
view the video in advance, visit   Tolerance and Compassion .  

Morning Worship, 11am, Sanctuary

Sermon - God Hears
Text -  Genesis 21:8-21

Nursery Care and Sunday School for Children
Conversation for Youth

After Worship Gathering, Noon, Trinity Hall

All are invited to gather for refreshments and fellowship.

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Walnut Hill Church Weekly Letter

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Greetings to all!

   We are in the midst of our Three Evenings Together series focusing on "living 
water" for the soul, for Kentucky, and for the world.  Our focus for this Wednesday 
evening is "Living water for Kentucky."  In their book, Rivers of Kentucky, David 
and Lalie Dick provide a sense of the vast resource found in Kentucky's waterways 
generally, and the Kentucky River in particular.

   There are 90,000 miles of Kentucky waterways draining twelve hydrologic basins.
Depending on how the count is done, there are approximately fifty rivers in the
Commonwealth and hundreds of creeks, licks, branches, and wet weather
runoffs.  There are hundreds of unnamed streams...

   The main stream of the Kentucky River begins in the Beattyville section of Lee
County with the convergence of three rambunctious currents: North, Middle,
and South Forks.  By all rights, these streams deserve to be counted as four
rivers because the notion obliges cultural differences among people who for
generations have chosen to carve out hallowed protected places for their
individual selves.  From Beattyville to the confluence with the Ohio at 
Carrollton, the Kentucky River  completes the drainage of an area of seven
thousand square miles, larger than northern Ireland.

Three Evenings Together" is a series of Wednesday evening gatherings 
(June 11, 18, 25), 6pm - 8pm, including a meal, activities for all ages, and 
worship.  This year's gatherings will focus on the theme, "Living Water."  
The evenings (June 18) meal and program schedule includes:
  -meal - pizza party (bring $2/person for pizza and salad)
  -program - for children - "Living Water or Stagnant Pond."  Children will
begin a project making "stepping stones."  Dress for messy work.
   - for adults - 
"Living Water for Kentucky" featuring our
guest, Mr. Hank Graddy.  Hank will talk with us about the condition of the 
KY River basin in general and the work of the Kentucky River Watershed 
Watch in particular.  For more information about the Watershed Watch, visit
KRWW .
See you there!

The scripture lessons for Sunday, June 22 ...
Genesis 21:8-21
Romans 6:1-11
Matthew 10:24-39

Sunday Conversations continue this Sunday, June 22, 10am, in Trinity Hall.  
Sunday Conversation topics vary widely from week to week including Bible study, 
spirituality, and current events to name a few.  Watch the Friday update for
details regarding this Sunday's conversation topic.

After Worship Refreshments - An online sign-up sheet is now available for 
hosting our after worship refreshments.  Visit the sign up sheet via this link 
After Church Refreshments ) to view our hospitality schedule for the next 
3 months, and to sign up.

Walnut Hill Cycling Ride - The 3rd Annual Walnut Hill Cycling Ride will be 
held on Saturday, July 19.  This year we are pleased to partner with both
the Bluegrass Cycling Club and KY Refugee Ministries to provide bicycles
for refugee families.  Watch for more details.  By the way, we are inviting
sponsorships this year to help offset event costs.  Use reply email to inquire
about a sponsorship for yourself or a business.

Sanctuary Refurbishing - The Sanctuary will be receiving a "makeover" this 
summer.  Visit the link ( Sanctuary ) for information regarding this project.   
Thanks to those who have already donated toward this effort. We have so far 
received over $13,500 toward our $20,000 goal.  Your donations continue to 
be needed and appreciated.

Hope Center Items:  While you are traveling or shopping this summer, 
remember that we are gathering "travel size" toiletry items (e.g. shampoo,
toothpaste, soap, etc) for donation to the Hope Center.  Simply bring your
items to Walnut Hill and place them in the "Hope Center" container found in
the Sanctuary Foyer.

Peace to all.

Mike Ward



Friday, June 13, 2014

Sunday at Walnut Hill Church

This Sunday, June 15, at Walnut Hill Church ...


TRINITY SUNDAY


Sunday Conversations, 10am, Trinity Hall

The Trinity:  A Pattern for Spiritual Practice?

We will explore the doctrine of the Trinity, not as a source
of theological debate and argument, but rather as a possible
pattern for our spiritual practice.  

Morning Worship, 11am, Sanctuary

Sermon - A Trinity of Blessing
Text -  2 Corinthians 13:11-13

Nursery Care and Sunday School for Children

After Worship Gathering, Noon, Trinity Hall

All are invited to gather for refreshments and fellowship.

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Walnut Hill Church Weekly Letter

Wednesday, June 11, 2014


Greetings to all!

This Sunday, June 15, is Trinity Sunday, the last of the special days on
the church calendar before the long stretch of Ordinary Time.  The Trinity is 
one of the most mysterious, perplexing, and confounding of the church's teachings.  
The late theologian, John MacQaurrie, attempted an explanation of how the 
doctrine originated and what the church was trying to express through it.

The Christian community believed that God, who had created heaven 
and earth, had become incarnate in a particular human being and that 
furthermore God still dwelt with the community and guided it.  This, we may 
say, was the narrative expression of their faith, and like us, they looked 
for an alternative interpretive language that would express the same faith in 
a different way.  They came up with the trinitarian formula.

Thus we may say that the doctrine of the Trinity tries to elucidate the 
picture of God found in the biblical narrative and in the history of the Christian 
community....a God who embraces diversity in unity, who is both transcendent 
and immanent; who is dynamic and yet has stability...  
(adapted from Principles of Christian Theology)

The scripture lessons for Sunday, June 15, Trinity Sunday...
Genesis 1:1 - 2:4
Romans 6:1-11
Matthew 10:24 - 39

Sunday Conversations continue this Sun, June 15, in Trinity Hall.  The focus 
for this Sunday's conversation will be the doctrine of the Trinity.  Come, enjoy a 
cup of coffee, join the conversation, or just listen in.

Three Evenings Together" is a series of Wednesday evening gatherings 
(June 11, 18, 25), 6pm - 8pm, including a meal, activities for all ages, and 
worship.  This year's gatherings will focus on the theme, "Living Water."  
The meal and program schedule includes:
*June 11 - meal - cookout (bring a picnic/cookout side item)
-program - for children - "Living Water for the Whole Being"
 -for adults - "Living Water for the Soul" featuring our
guest, Professor Margie Ralph
*June 18 -meal - pizza party (bring $2/person for all the pizza you can eat)
         -program - for children - "Living Water or Stagnant Pond"
  - for adults - 
"Living Water for Kentucky" featuring our
guest, Mr. Hank Graddy
*June 25 - meal - traditional potluck (bring a salad, side, or dessert)
-program - for children "Baptism ... into Disciple-hood"
  -for adults - "Living Water for the World" featuring our
guest, Rev. Jan Cottrell
You may rsvp by reply email, by phone (263-5304), or by the sign up sheet
in the Sanctuary foyer. See you there!

Sanctuary Refurbishing - The Sanctuary will be receiving a "makeover" this 
summer.  Visit the link ( Sanctuary ) for information regarding this project.   
Thanks to those who have already donated toward this effort. We have so far 
received over $13,000 toward our $20,000 goal.  Your donations continue to 
be needed and appreciated.

After Worship Refreshments - An online sign-up sheet is now available for 
hosting our after worship refreshments.  Visit the sign up sheet via this link 
After Church Refreshments ) to view our hospitality schedule for the next 
3 months, and to sign up.

Walnut Hill Cycling Ride - The 3rd Annual Walnut Hill Cycling Ride will be 
held on Saturday, July 19.  This year we are pleased to partner with both
the Bluegrass Cycling Club and KY Refugee Ministries to provide bicycles
for refugee families.  Watch for more details.  By the way, we are inviting
sponsorships this year to help offset event costs.  Use reply email to inquire
about a sponsorship for yourself or a business.

Hope Center Items:  While you are traveling or shopping this summer, 
remember that we are gathering "travel size" toiletry items (e.g. shampoo,
toothpaste, soap, etc) for donation to the Hope Center.  Simply bring your
items to Walnut Hill and place them in the "Hope Center" container found in
the Sanctuary Foyer.

Peace to all.

Mike Ward


Friday, June 6, 2014

Sunday at Walnut Hill Church

This Sunday, June 8, at Walnut Hill Church ...

THE DAY OF PENTECOST

Sunday Conversations, 10am, Trinity Hall

Pentecost, A Brain-changing Experience

We will explore how a large group of people experienced God,
transforming their lives.  Christians call this event "Pentecost."
Modern research is demonstrating how divine encounters
actually change our brains, resulting in personal transformation.
In short, we are "wired" to be spiritual beings.

Morning Worship, 11am, Sanctuary

Sermon - Apostles of Forgiveness
Texts -     Acts 2:1-21
John 20:19-23

Nursery Care and Sunday School for Children

After Worship Gathering, Noon, Trinity Hall

All are invited to gather for refreshments and fellowship.

*****

The Vestry will meet at 9:30am in the upstairs office of
Trinity Hall.

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Walnut Hill Church Weekly Letter

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Greetings to all!

This Sunday, June 8, is Pentecost Sunday, when we recall the outpouring of the 
Holy Spirit upon the disciples, and upon the church.  Consider this prayer of 
"invocation of the Holy Spirit," that every day might include a little Pentecost.

Most powerful Holy Spirit,
come down
upon us
and fill us.

From heaven,
where the ordinary
is made glorious,
and glory seems
but ordinary,

bathe us
with the brilliance
of your light
like dew.

(adapted from Celtic Daily Prayer)

The scripture lessons, for Sunday, June 8, the Day of Pentecost...
Acts 2:1-21
1 Corinthians 12:3-13
John 20:19-23

Sunday Conversations continue this Sunday, June 8, 10am, in Trinity Hall.  
Sunday's conversation will focus around the Day of Pentecost and the 
experience of the Holy Spirit, then and now.

Three Evenings Together" is a series of Wednesday evening gatherings 
(June 11, 18, 25), 6pm - 8pm, including a meal, activities for all ages, and 
worship.  This year's gatherings will focus on the theme, "Living Water."  
The meal and program schedule includes:
*June 11 - meal - cookout (bring a picnic/cookout side item)
-program - for children - "Living Water for the Whole Being"
 -for adults - "Living Water for the Soul" featuring our
guest Professor Margie Ralph
*June 18 -meal - pizza party (bring $2/person for all the pizza you can eat)
         -program - for children - "Living Water or Stagnant Pond"
  - for adults - 
"Living Water for Kentucky" featuring our
guest Mr. Hank Graddy
*June 25 - meal - traditional potluck (bring a salad, side, or dessert)
-program - for children "Baptism ... into Disciple-hood"
  -for adults - "Living Water for the World" featuring our
guest the Rev. Jan Cottrell
You may rsvp by reply email, by phone (263-5304), or by the sign up sheet
in the Sanctuary foyer. See you there!

Sanctuary Refurbishing - The Sanctuary will be receiving a "makeover" this 
summer.  Visit the link ( Sanctuary ) for information regarding this project.   
Thanks to those who have already donated toward this effort. We have so far 
received over $12,000 toward our $20,000 goal.  Your donations continue to 
be needed and appreciated.

After Worship Refreshments - An online sign-up sheet is now available for 
hosting our after worship refreshments.  Visit the sign up sheet via this link 
After Church Refreshments ) to view our hospitality schedule for the next 
3 months, and to sign up.

Hope Center Items:  While you are traveling or shopping this summer, 
remember that we are gathering "travel size" toiletry items (e.g. shampoo,
toothpaste, soap, etc) for donation to the Hope Center.  Simply bring your
items to Walnut Hill and place them in the "Hope Center" container found in
the Sanctuary Foyer.

Walnut Hill Cycling Ride - The 3rd Annual Walnut Hill Cycling Ride will be 
held on Saturday, July 19.  This year we are pleased to partner with both
the Bluegrass Cycling Club and KY Refugee Ministries to provide bicycles
for refugee families.  Watch for more details.

Peace to all.

Mike Ward