Bloom Into Life - A Prayer by Kara Kilpatrick

Kara Kilpatrick wrote this litany for our Early Worship service last week.  It pulled together many parts of the service, from our reflections on the light of the world to Merton's vision on a street in Louisville of all humanity "shining like suns."  She ended our prayer together with an encouragement to use the mantra "Breathe in God's blessing.  Breathe out God's blessing to the world."  What a wonderful contemplation that binds together our inner life as beloved children of God with God's invitation to express that love by helping our neighbors.

Grateful

Mark is "feeling grateful."

Everything Belongs - Chapter 1

If you're like me, when you first start reading Richard Rohr's proclaiming via subtitle The Gift of Contemplative Prayer, you may ask "where's the part about praying?" It's an understandable question, but I think a clue can be found in Rohr's reference to The Practice of the Presence of God.

Why I Love Central - Gwen Hart

As we continue our "Why I Love Central" series Gwen Hart, one of our deacons, shares with us why Central has become a home for her... in a poem.

Why I love Central; a broad subject for sure
So much beyond what is in the brochure
As Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote back in the day
How do I love thee; let me count the ways

Come rain or shine or wind or hail
Don and Thomas greet without fail
High fives and hugs and a how are you
Makes every Sunday a special tadoo

Ways to Help in Puerto Rico

The Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America is a Program Partner with the Alliance of Baptists.  Uniting Baptists with peacemakers from various faith traditions across North America, the BPFNA provides resources, training, and advocacy while working for justice.  They have recently published a simple guide with ways that we can help the continuing relief efforts in Puerto Rico.

On this First Sunday of 2020

We greet 2020 hoping for the best, bracing for the worst, but above all nurturing faith in your wisdom and love, regardless what lies in our paths. We will try, and fail, and try again—to do what we can, to give what we can, as you send daily opportunities for kindness and patience our way. And yes, over and over we will practice faith, hope and love in our own little corners of your infinite Creation. In your name we pray, Amen.

Learning from Our Children

In worship this Advent, you may have noticed some new banners.  Our children created two banners in Sunday school to help us celebrate the coming of the Light of the World. 

Watch Justice Through Bail Reform

We were honored to host the Kentucky Council of Churches and the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy's forum on bail reform.  This informative and inspiring presentation features people directly affected by the inequities of our justice system and important data for our community.

Why I Love Central - Jane Tatum

During the past 4 decades, as I endured the ridiculous fusses about women’s roles in church (don’t talk, don’t preach, know your place), and the divisive and disruptive actions of hostile takeover of institutions such as seminaries, colleges, missions organizations, churches and families, I was more and more of a mind that being a Baptist was a waste of time.  Being a good Baptist failed to address real-world issues of injustice, economic and social inequality, environmental degradation and just pick one of the topics that confront us daily.  Being a good Baptist, or Pharisaic correctness just seemed irrelevant in trying to follow the Jesus of the Gospels.  Over those decades I assumed that I would ultimately evolve into an Episcopalian, or at least a Presbyterian.

A Graveside Poem In Memoriam: Francis Emerson Hancock

A fitting poem for a life lived full of faith and without regret.