Greetings to all!
In her memoir, The Spiral Staircase, scholar and author Karen Armstrong shares
her discovery of "compassion" as a potential unifying theme across religious traditions.
My life changed after the publication of A History of God. The book was a success …
and I began to travel widely. But my work continued to revolve around the centrality of
compassion. When I wrote an essay about Genesis in In the Beginning, I found that the
struggle to achieve harmonious relations with our fellows brings human beings into God's
presence; that when Abraham entertained three strangers, making room for them in his
home and giving them all the refreshment he could on their journey, this act of practical
compassion led directly to a divine encounter…I learned that the practice of compassion
and social justice had been central to the cult of [Jerusalem] from the earliest times, and
was especially evident in Judaism and Islam. I discovered that in all three of the religions
of Abraham, fundamentalist movements distort the tradition they are trying to defend by
emphasizing the belligerent elements in their tradition and overlooking the insistent and
crucial demand for compassion.
(Armstrong followed up her discovery by promoting the "Charter for Compassion" , which
has been adopted by numerous communities around the world.)
The scripture lessons for Sunday, November 8 …
-Luke 10:25-37
-Matthew 5:43-48
Sunday Conversations continue this Sun, Nov 8, 10am, in Trinity Hall. Our
conversation is guided by the current EOS theme, Following Jesus: A New Look,
with particular attention to the topic "Jesus Taught: The Great Commandments."
Come enjoy a cup of coffee, join the conversation, or just listen in.
Children's Choir: Children (through elementary age) are invited to gather this Sun,
Nov 8, 10am, in Trinity Hall for music and singing in anticipation of the children's
Christmas presentation on Dec 13.
The Annual Meeting of the Congregation of Walnut Hill Church will be held on
Sunday, November 8, immediately after morning worship. The primary items
of business include the election of Vestry members and officers, the presentation
of the 2016 budget, and action on the Pastor's terms of call. All Walnut Hill Church
Members and Friends are encouraged to attend.
Youth (middle and high school) are invited to gather for a meal and activities this
Sunday, November 8, 5:30 - 7:00pm, at Walnut Hill.
A Community Conversation will be held on Sunday, Nov 15, 3:30 - 5:00pm
to receive and discuss goals, objectives, and ideas that have been gathered
over the last several months by the Long Range Planning Committee. The
Nov 15 conversation will focus on the areas of Worship, Education, and Fellowship.
Future conversations will focus on areas of Leadership, Governance, Buildings,
and Grounds. All Walnut Hill Members and Friends are encouraged to attend.
Your ideas and thoughts are needed. Nursery care will be provided.
EOS FALL 2015 - Exploring Our Spirituality, "Following Jesus - A New Look,"
including Sunday Conversations, morning worship, individual study, and small
group fellowship is ongoing. To view an online version of this fall's workbook, visit
EOS Fall 2015 Workbook . EOS season sermon recordings are available via the
Walnut Hill website, Audio Recordings .
Thanksgiving Dressing - The holiday season is upon us, and once again
Walnut Hill has been asked to provide the stuffing/dressing for the Nathaniel
Mission Community Thanksgiving Meal. We have agreed to provide 80 pounds
of dressing for the 300 or so persons who will be attending. We are seeking
16 sponsors ($20/each) to underwrite the cost. Make checks payable to
Walnut Hill Church (designated "dressing").
Peace to all.
Mike Ward
.
No comments:
Post a Comment