July 17, 2019: This week the world is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first lunar landing/walk, which occurred on July 20, 1969. The occasion reminds me of Psalm 8, or more accurately a 1986 hymn setting of the psalm by Fred R. Anderson… O Lord, our God, how excellent , How glorious is Your name. Your majesty surrounds the earth, And children sing your fame. The heavens shout your handiwork; We stand beneath in awe, To think the One…
July 12, 2019: This Sunday, July 14, at Walnut Hill Church… Sunday Conversation, 10am, Trinity Hall A Conversation About Worship Join us for conversation about all things worship at Walnut Hill including The Worship Book, The Hymnal, and our general worship practices. Your comments and thoughts will be appreciated. Morning Worship, 11am, Sanctuary Sermon - We Thank God for You Text - Colossians 1:1-14 Faith Formation, 11am, Trinity Hall Nursery Care and Classes for all Ages Won’t You Please Be My Neighbor? (Luke…
July 10, 2019: Worship is a primary activity of the church, providing opportunities for persons to gather and share in praise, thanksgiving, prayer and reflection on the scriptures and life. For the last ten years, The Walnut Hill Worship Book has been our primary worship guide. The time seems right to have some conversation regarding the Worship Book and to consider possible revisions that might be useful. At the same time we will have some conversation regarding the Hymnal, and our worship practices…
July 5, 2019: Blessed are the Persecuted(?), 10am, Trinity Hall What Shall We Do? We conclude our conversations regarding religious persecution considering responses to persecution and other expressions of religious intolerance and hostility. What is our responsibility as followers of Jesus Christ? Morning Worship, 11am, Sanctuary Sermon - Freedom of Religion Text -Matthew 7:12 Independence Day Weekend Observance The Sacrament of Holy Communion Faith Formation, 11am, Trinity Hall Nursery Care and Classes for Children and Youth. The Good Samaritan (Luke…
July 3, 2019: Tomorrow, July 4, is Independence Day, the celebration of our life together as a nation, including its founding ideals. Among those ideals was/is “freedom of religion," expressed in the First Amendment to the Constitution, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting a free exercise thereof…” We have spent the last 243 years trying to figure out just what those words mean, and don’t mean. Like the nation as a whole, so our…
June 28, 2019: This weekend, June 29-30, at Walnut Hill Church… SATURDAY, JUNE 29 THE WALNUT HILL BIKE RIDE Registration - 8am Open Road Rides - 8:30am “Fun Ride” on Walnut Hill Road - 9am Complimentary Brunch - 10am - 1pm Helmets required for all cyclists. This event is free and open to the public. Donations accepted to provide bikes for students at Athens Chilesburg & Brenda Cowan Elementary Schools. SUNDAY, JUNE 30 THE 3RD SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST Morning Worship,…
June 26, 2019: This Saturday, June 29, is the 8th Annual Walnut Hill Bike Ride. We look forward to welcoming cyclists, volunteers and visitors. Registration opens at 8am. Open road rides begin at 8:30am. The “Fun Ride,” on Walnut Hill Road, begins at 9am. Brunch will be served from 10am - 1pm. Join us for cycling (helmet required) or just to enjoy the day. Walkers are welcome on the “Fun Ride.” This event is free and open to the public.…
June 21, 2019: This Sunday, June 23, at Walnut Hill Church… Keeping the Faith We will explore the experience of persecution through four case studies: Nguyen Cong Chinh, Gulmira Imin, Mahvash Sabet , and Dennis Christensen . What might we learn from the experiences of these persons? Morning Worship, 11am, Sanctuary Sermon - Why Am I So Sad? Text - Psalm 42/43 Faith Formation, 11am, Trinity Hall Nursery care and classes for children and youth Faith, Hope and Love (1 Corinthians 13) This week’s…
June 19, 2019: Tomorrow, June 20, is World Refugee Day, an annual occasion to spotlight the experience of refugees, defined (by the United Nations) as persons who have fled home and country due to “a well founded fear of persecution because of their race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.” In addition to classically defined refugees are asylum seekers, internally displaced persons and stateless persons. Statistically, every minute twenty people flee their homes because of…
June 14, 2019: This Sunday, June 16, at Walnut Hill Church … Blessed Are…, 10am, Trinity Hall Blessed are the persecuted… We conclude our series of conversations around the Beatitudes of Jesus (Matt 5:1-12) as we consider his strange sounding words about persecution. This Sunday’s conversation will be the first of three concerning religious hostility, violence and persecution: acknowledging its existence, considering its effects, and exploring ways to transcend it. Morning Worship, 11am, Sanctuary Sermon - Wonder, Joy and Delight Text…