Sunday at Walnut Hill Church

This Sunday, September 28, at Walnut Hill Church...

Sunday Conversations, 10am, Trinity Hall

Moses:  Fact of Myth?

Moses is a central character in the story of the Exodus

from Egypt and the establishment of Israel as a people.

Was Moses an historical figure or a composite character

of Israel's tradition?  What difference, if any, does it make

for our reading of the Exodus narrative?  As a starting

point for our conversation, consider this NOVA interview

with Professor Carol Meyers.

Morning Worship, 11am, Sanctuary

Sermon:  Is the Lord Among Us, or Not?

Text:  Exodus 17:1-7

Nursery Care and Sunday School for Children

After Worship Gathering,  Noon, Trinity Hall

All are invited to gather for refreshments and fellowship.

Ecumenical Sunday Volunteer Meeting, Noon, Sanctuary

Persons interested in helping out with our Ecumenical

Sunday weekend (Oct 4 - 5) are invited to a brief meeting 

after worship this Sunday.

CROP Walk, 3pm, 2nd Presbyterian Church

All ages are invited to walk 3 miles as part of the Walnut

Hill CROP Walk team to raise awareness and dollars for

hunger relief.  Meet in the 2nd Presbyterian Church parking

lot at 3pm.  The walk begins promptly at 3:30pm

Youth Activity, CROP Walk, 3pm

Youth (middle and high school) are invited to participate

in the CROP Walk (see details above), followed by a 

post-walk meal together.

A Fall of Hospitality

Dear Walnut Hill Members and Friends:

This special email is being sent to remind you about, and invite you to visit, Walnut Hill's online refreshment sign up sheet.

Here is the link:  After Church Refreshments

If you prefer, you can navigate to the sign up sheet via the Walnut Hill Church website,  www.walnuthillchurchky.org .  (click on "Links,"  then select "After Church Food Reservations")

When you get to the site, the process is quite simple:

*Select a Sunday that works for you, and click on "edit".

*Find your name in the dropdown box and select it

*If others are working with you, you can type their names in the "comments" box.

*Click "submit."

Once you have signed up, you will receive an email confirmation.  You will also receive an email during the week leading up to your Sunday.

By the way, if you do not see your name in the dropdown box, that simply means we did not have your email on file at the time the list was created.  Let us know, and we will update it.  In the meantime, you can sign up by selecting "new" in the dropdown box and typing your name in the comments section.

If you have any questions or problems using the online sign up, simply let us know by an email to Nelson (you can send an email to Nelson via the sign up sheet web page) or to me  ( mward@walnuthillchurchky.org ).  Also, you can still sign up via the traditional sign up sheet on Sunday mornings.

Let me take this opportunity to remind us all how important the after worship gathering is for our life together at Walnut Hill as it provides opportunity for us to make and deepen acquaintances and friendships.

Let me also say that the Sunday refreshments need not be elaborate, just something simple to gather around for our fellowship.

Please take a moment to select a Sunday, so that we might all enjoy a Fall of Hospitality!

Thanks to all our hosts!

Peace,

Mike Ward

Walnut Hill Church Weekly Letter

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Greetings to all!

Yesterday at the United Nations was the 2014 Global Summit on Climate Change.  

In that spirit, consider these thoughts from Bartholomew I, Ecumenical Patriarch of 

Constantinople, spiritual leader of Eastern Orthodox Christians, and sometimes 

referred to as the "Green Patriarch" for his advocacy on behalf of the environment.  

Regarding the opinion that humanity has waited too long to act to safeguard the 

environment, Bartholomew writes...

It is never too late.  God's world has incredible healing powers; and human choices 

can change the tide in global warming.  Within a single generation, we could steer 

earth toward our children's future.  With God's blessing and help, that generation

can begin now.  For the first time in the history of our world, we recognize that our 

decisions and choices directly impact the environment.  It is up to us to shape our 

future; it is up to us to choose our destiny.  Breaking the vicious circle of ecological

degradation is a choice with which we are uniquely endowed at this critical moment 

in the history of our planet.

(as found at www.patriarchate.org)

The lectionary texts for Sunday, September 28....

Exodus 17:1-7

Philippians 2:1-13

Matthew 21:23-32

Men's Coffee - Walnut Hill men are invited to gather each Saturday morning, 8am,

at Paneras (Richmond Rd) for coffee and conversation.  Feel free to stop by for as

long or short a time as your schedule allows. No rsvp required.

Sunday Conversations continue this Sun, Sep 28, 10am, in Trinity Hall. This

Sunday's topic, "Moses: Fact or Myth."  As we like to say, come enjoy a cup of coffee, 

join the conversation, or just listen in.

HOSTS ARE NEEDED for our after worship refreshments for several Sundays 

upcoming, including this Sun, Sep 28.  Use reply email to volunteer for this Sunday, 

or visit Walnut Hill's online sign up sheet to sign up for this Sunday or a Sunday

later in the fall.

The Lexington CROP Hunger Walk will be held on Sun, Sept 28, 3pm at 

Second Presbyterian Church.  All ages are invited to walk to raise awareness 

and dollars for hunger relief locally and around the world. 

Ecumenical Sunday "Weekend" is coming on Sunday, Oct 4 - 5.  

Our guest for the 

weekend is the Rev. John McCullough, President and 

CEO of Church World Service.  

Public events include:

*Sat, Oct 4, 10am - Noon, Ecumenical Mission: Present and Future, 

an informal conversation with Rev. McCullough.

*Sun, Oct 5, 10am - Sunday Conversations featuring Rev. McCullough.

*Sun, Oct 5, 11am - Morning Worship and Holy Communion, with 

Rev. McCullough preaching.

Join us, and invite others to join us, for any/all of these events. We also need 

volunteers to help with various aspects of the weekend.  Use reply email to 

inquire about volunteering.  Also, a brief meeting will be held for volunteers 

immediately after worship this Sunday, September 28.

Exploring Our Spirituality (EOS) begins on Sunday, October 12.  This EOS 

season will be guided by Paul's letter to the Philippians.  Small group sign up 

begins immediately.  Use reply email to inquire about joining a small group.

Sermon recordings are available on the Walnut Hill Church website,

www.walnuthillchurchky.org .

Peace to all.

Mike Ward

 

Sunday at Walnut Hill Church - FALL POTLUCK!!

This Sunday, September 21, at Walnut Hill Church...

FALL POTLUCK!!!  (see details below)

Sunday Conversations,10am, Trinity Hall (upstairs office)

Violence in Families

We will talk about violence in families including such questions 

as:  How has religion contributed to domestic violence?  How 

might religion, including the Christian religion, help in a positive 

way to curb domestic violence? We will use a Kentucky Council 

of Churches policy statement on domestic violence as a starting 

point for our conversation.  To review the statement in advance,

visit KCC policy statements , click on "Domestic Violence."

Morning Worship, 11am, Sanctuary

Sermon - Generosity in an Age of Fairness

Text - Matthew 20: 1-16

Nursery Care and Sunday School for Children

FALL POTLUCK, Noon, Trinity Hall

Bring a salad, side dish, or dessert, and join us for this delicious 

Walnut Hill tradition.  Meat and beverages will be provided.

Walnut Hill Church Weekly Letter

September 17, 2014

Greetings to all!

There has been much conversation lately regarding  "violence," particularly 

violence in the context of relationships and families. Violence comes in many 

forms including physical, emotional, mental, even economic and social.  The 

recent public conversation provides an opportunity for all to consider the ways 

in which we have been involved in violence, as victims, as perpetrators, and

sometimes as both, as well as to seek healing and peace in all our relationships.  

Consider this prayer...

O God of Love:

We pray for victims of violence that they might find...

healing of body, mind, and spirit,

safe places to live, work, and play,

caring people to welcome and love them.

We pray for perpetrators of violence that they might find...

healing for their own injuries and scars,

new and healthy ways to live with others and themselves,

caring people to welcome and love them.

We pray for all people that they might find ...

courage to address the many forms of violence around them,

wisdom to seek healing for victims and offenders,

capacity to welcome and love their neighbors.

Amen.

The scripture lessons for Sunday, September 21...

Exodus 16:2-15

Philippians 1:21-30

Matthew 20:1-16

FALL POTLUCK!! This Sunday, Sept 21, is the annual Fall Potluck.  

Bring a salad, side dish, or dessert.  Meat and beverage will be provided.

Sunday Conversations continue this Sunday, Sept 21, 10am, in 

Trinity Hall (upstairs office). Our conversation this Sunday focuses around 

the topic of violence, particularly domestic violence.

Ecumenical Sunday "Weekend" is coming on Sunday, Oct 4 - 5.  

Our guest for the weekend is the Rev. John McCullough, President and 

CEO of Church World Service.  Public events include:

*Sat, Oct 4, 10am - Noon, Ecumenical Mission: Present and Future, 

an informal conversation with Rev. McCullough.

*Sun, Oct 5, 10am - Sunday Conversations featuring Rev. McCullough.

*Sun, Oct 5, 11am - Morning Worship and Holy Communion, with 

Rev. McCullough preaching.

Join us, and invite others to join us, for any/all of these events. We also need 

volunteers to help with various aspects of the weekend.  Use reply email to 

inquire about volunteering.

Exploring Our Spirituality (EOS) begins on Sunday, October 12.  This EOS 

season will be guided by Paul's letter to the Philippians.  Small group sign up 

begins immediately.  Watch for more information.

The Lexington CROP Hunger Walk will be held on Sun, Sept 28, 3pm at 

Second Presbyterian Church.  All ages are invited to walk to raise awareness 

and dollars for hunger relief locally and around the world. 

In the Community:  Social Justice Advocacy...and the Changing Landscape 

of Politics and the Church is both title and theme of a gathering this Sat, Sept 20, 

9am - Noon, at Maxwell St. Presbyterian Church.  Featured speaker is 

Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, Director of the Office of Public Witness, Presbyterian 

Church (USA).  Additional presenters include Dr. Marian McClure Taylor, 

Executive Director of the Kentucky Council of Churches.  The morning will 

encourage and equip persons to address emerging issues at the local, state, 

and national/international levels.  This event is free and open to the public.

Peace to all.

Mike Ward

Sunday at Walnut Hill Church

This Sunday, September 14, at Walnut Hill Church ...

Sunday Conversations, 10am, Trinity Hall

Forgiveness

Jesus spoke often about "forgiveness."  We will talk about

forgiveness this Sunday, beginning with a video presentation

by Jack Kornfield, a teacher of Buddhist traditions.  To view 

the video ahead of time, visit 12 Principles of Forgiveness .

Morning Worship, 11am, Sanctuary

Sermon - A Letter to the Strong and the Weak

Text -  Romans 14:1-23

Nursery Care and Sunday School for Children

After Worship Gathering, Noon, Trinity Hall

All are invited to gather for refreshments and fellowship.

Youth Gathering, 5:30pm, Trinity Hall

Youth (middle and high school) are invited to gather for

a meal and program, including planning for upcoming

activities and service projects.

Walnut Hill Church Weekly Letter

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Greetings to all!

Tomorrow is the 9-11 anniversary, and after thirteen years of military engagement many of 

the same hostilities, conflicts, and fears remain today as then.  Might there have been, might 

there be, another way?  Karen Armstrong offers a radical, perhaps even scandalous, 

alternative.

Retaliation is likely only to exacerbate hatred and violence ..... On September 11, 2001, 

for example, there were demonstrations and expressions of sympathy for the United States 

in countries all over the world, including Palestine and Iran.  If there had been a nonviolent 

and openhanded response to the attacks on the Twin Towers instead of a military offensive, 

might the outcome have been different?  Remember Confucius's words:  if you seek to establish 

yourself, then seek to establish others.  Humiliating the enemy can be dangerous.  The harsh 

conditions inflicted on Germany by the Treaty of Versailles after the First World War gave birth 

to the conditions that helped to bring Adolph Hitler to power.  We need to find a way to ensure

that all peoples enjoy the treatment we wish for ourselves.

(from Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life)

The scripture lessons for Sunday, September 14...

Exodus 14:19-31

Romans 14:1-12

Matthew 18:21-35

Sunday Conversations continue this Sun, Sept 14, 10am, in Trinity Hall.  The topic for this 

Sunday is  "Forgiveness." Come enjoy a cup of coffee (a new brew by the way), join the 

conversation, or just listen in.

Youth (middle and high school) are invited to gather this Sun, Sep 14, 5:30pm, at Walnut 

Hill for a meal and activities, including planning group programs and service projects for 

the fall.

NURSERY CAREGIVER POSITION OPEN

Walnut Hill is currently seeking a caregiver to staff the church 

nursery on 

Sunday 

mornings from 10:30am - 12:30pm.  Visit the 

link ( Nursery Caregiver ) 

for a complete 

job description and 

contact information.  Direct inquiries and 

referrals are welcome.

Nursery Volunteers Needed - While we are seeking to employ a regular nursery care 

giver (see above), we are in need of volunteers willing to staff the Sunday morning 

nursery, an important ministry to Walnut Hill's youngest members and their families.  

Use reply email to inquire about volunteering on a Sunday upcoming, or check the sign 

up sheet posted on the Trinity Hall bulletin board for a Sunday on which you might 

help Walnut Hill "welcome the children!"  Openings are available for Sept 21 and beyond.

YOUTH ACTIVITY LEADER POSITION OPEN

Walnut Hill is currently seeking an activity leader to staff the church's 

ministry 

with and 

to middle and high school youth.  Visit the 

link ( youth leader ) for a 

complete job 

description and 

contact 

information.  Direct inquiries and referrals 

are welcome.

ACE Trip - Each year the 5th grade class of Athens Chilesburg Elementary School 

takes a "field trip" to Washington, DC.  For the last several years, Walnut Hill has 

supported this trip by providing sponsorships for students whose families would 

otherwise be unable to afford it.  Walnut Hill has agreed to sponsor up to six students 

($560/student) this year.  If you would like to help in this sponsorship, make your check 

payable to Walnut Hill Church, designated "ACE Trip."  Gifts in any amount are welcome.

Upcoming Events:

*Sun, Sept 21, after worship - Fall Potluck, bring a salad, side dish, or dessert

*Sun, Sept 28, 3pm - CROP Walk to raise awareness and money for hunger relief

*Sun, Oct 5, 10am - Noon - Ecumenical Sunday, guest the Rev. John McCullough, 

CEO and President of Church World Service.

*Sun, Oct 12 -  Exploring Our Spirituality season begins with Sunday and small

group opportunities

Peace to all.

Mike Ward

 

Sunday at Walnut Hill Church

This Sunday, September 7, at Walnut Hill Church

Sunday Conversations,10am, Trinity Hall

The Doubt Essential to Faith

In a 2013 TED Talk, journalist and author, Lesley Hazleton, shares 

her thoughts about the relationship between doubt and faith 

particularly in relation to religious extremism.  How do doubt and 

faith relate to each other in our experience?  To view Ms. Hazleton's 

presentation in advance, visit The Doubt Essential to Faith .

(nursery care available)

Morning Worship, 11am, Sanctuary

Sermon - A Day of Remembrance

Text -  Exodus 12:1- 14

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.

Walnut Hill Church Weekly Letter

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Greetings to all!

This past weekend Barbara and I had opportunity to visit our son, William, who now 

resides in Atlanta.  Every time we visit him there, I find myself impressed, awed, and 

sometimes overwhelmed by the size, pace, diversity, and extremes of that large city.  

Returning to Lexington finds me relieved to be back in quieter surroundings, but also 

appreciative of the energy of large urban environments.

I am reminded that one vision of God's hope/intention for humankind is cast in the 

metaphor of a great city (Rev 21), the dimensions of which would dwarf even the 

greatest cities of our time, which suggests God's delight in human beings gathered

together, their energy, creativity, and relationships with one another. Large cities 

certainly have their problems, often very big problems, but cities also contain within 

them an abundant potential for God's glory to be found in the myriad human beings 

who populate them.  

Perhaps this is what Thomas Merton glimpsed in his so called "Fourth Street Vision,"  

which he experienced in the downtown shopping district of Kentucky's largest city.  

In the midst of the downtown crowd, Merton realized...

"...It is a glorious destiny to be a member of the human race, though it is a race 

dedicated to many absurdities and one which makes many terrible mistakes: yet, 

with all that, God Himself gloried in becoming a member of the human race. A member

of the human race! To think that such a commonplace realization should suddenly 

seem like news that one holds the winning ticket in a cosmic sweepstake."

(from Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander)

The lectionary texts for Sunday, September 7...

Exodus 12:1-14

Romans 13:8-14

Matthew 18:15-20

Sunday Conversations return this Sunday, Sept 7, 10am, in Trinity Hall.  Our topic 

for this Sunday: "The Doubt Essential to Faith."  Come enjoy a cup of coffee (a new 

brew by the way), join the conversation, or just listen in.

A Host(s) is needed for our after worship refreshments this Sun, Sept 7.  Use reply 

email or visit our online sign up sheet to volunteer for this Sunday or another Sunday 

later in the fall.

Nursery Volunteers Needed - While we are seeking to employ a regular nursery care 

giver (see below), we are in need of volunteers willing to staff the Sunday morning 

nursery, an important ministry to Walnut Hill's youngest members and their families.  

Use reply email to inquire about volunteering for this coming Sunday, or see the sign 

up sheet posted on the Trinity Hall bulletin board for a Sunday on which you might 

help Walnut Hill "welcome the children!"

NURSERY CAREGIVER POSITION OPEN

Walnut Hill is currently seeking a caregiver to staff the church 

nursery on 

Sunday 

mornings from 10:30am - 12:30pm.  Visit the 

link ( Nursery Caregiver ) 

for a complete 

job description and 

contact information.  Direct inquiries and 

referrals are welcome.

YOUTH ACTIVITY LEADER POSITION OPEN

Walnut Hill is currently seeking an activity leader to staff the church's 

ministry 

with and 

to middle and high school youth.  Visit the 

link ( youth leader ) for a 

complete job 

description and 

contact 

information.  Direct inquiries and referrals 

are welcome.

ACE Trip - Each year the 5th grade class of Athens Chilesburg Elementary School 

takes a "field trip" to Washington, DC.  For the last several years, Walnut Hill has 

supported this trip by providing sponsorships for students whose families would 

otherwise be unable to afford it.  Walnut Hill has agreed to sponsor up to six students 

($560/student) this year.  If you would like to help in this sponsorship, make your check 

payable to Walnut Hill Church, designated "ACE Trip."  Gifts in any amount are welcome.

Upcoming Events:

*Sun, Sept 21, after worship - Fall Potluck, bring a salad, side dish, or dessert

*Sun, Sept 28, 3pm - CROP Walk to raise awareness and money for hunger relief

*Sun, Oct 5, 10am - Noon - Ecumenical Sunday, guest the Rev. John McCullough, 

CEO and President of Church World Service

Thanks to all those who by their service last Sunday opening the buildings and gates,

welcoming the people, leading/participating in worship by word and music, teaching 

children, staffing the nursery, providing hospitality, and securing the buildings and 

grounds at the end of the morning demonstrated the strength and spirit of the

Walnut Hill community.

Peace,

Mike Ward