Pass the Peace, Not the Virus!

Rethinking how to honor our neighbor during the COVID - 19 crisis.

Everything Belongs - Chapter 5

At our writers retreat last weekend, we spent some time working through different prompts. Some of the prompts helped us explore a genre or style of writing—several provided a lens through which we could examine our own inner landscapes.  One of the beautiful effects of writing with these prompts is that it gives us the opportunity to step outside of ourselves for and look at our lives and experiences more objectively.  I find that I'm less judgmental in this process and more open to seeing the complexities of my personality and experience.

Everything Belongs - Chapter 4

Melissa often tells me "feelings aren't facts."  She finds herself saying this a lot in her therapy sessions as well--luckily I get a discount. It's taken me a while to catch on, but I'm slowly getting it, I think.  Just because I feel something (fear, anxiety, shame), doesn't mean that feeling has to define my reality.  If I can step back from the feeling a bit, I might be able to see a little more clearly.

Everything Belongs - Chapter 3

As I allude to from time to time, I'm not really a sports fan (though in high school I was decent with a hacky sack). Somehow, both Emma and Jake have ended up playing sports, so I find myself in places I would usually avoid, like gymnasiums. It just so happens I read this chapter of Everything Belongs while sitting on the sidelines of the Lexington Road Church of God's basketball court while Jake was practicing with his Upward team. I was pretty sure the squeaking of rubber and thumping of overinflated plastics was not an ideal environment for reading, but this was something I could do without wifi.

Everything Belongs - Chapter 2

I hope you're enjoying our journey through Richard Rohr's Everything Belongs so far. As we move to the second chapter, Rohr begins by saying that prayer is simple. To be honest, I'm not sure it feels simple yet. It doesn't feel like Rohr is complicating things, but even if prayer turns out to be a simple practice, it will never be easy. Perhaps that's part of what he's getting at in this chapter.

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.