February

The month of February has been filled with a full schedule of events and accomplishments.

Northern Kentucky served as my "home-base" in February while I took day trips and some overnight visits to see family, friends here in the mid west and attend worship and workshops close by.  I also enjoyed some restful time at my home and leisurely lunches with colleagues and friends.

Mother & Dad

My High School - the oldest HS in Indiana

My Jr. High (Middle) School

I visited my parents and home town of New Albany, IN and was able to attend worship in my home church, First Church of God, for the first time in 20 years.  It was great to see long-time friends, Sunday School Teachers and to be there for worship.

My Home Church

I read the book "If the Church Were Christian: Rediscovering the Values of Jesus" by one of my favorite authors, Philip Gulley.  This is another fantastic book by Gulley.  I hope to do a book study with St. John in the Fall and I spent some time during sabbatical trying to work out details for bringing Philip to St. John for a weekend all-church retreat.  www.PhilipGulley.org
 

Fairfield Friends Church

Along with reading Gulley's book I was able to go to his Church for worship on Sunday, February 19th.  It was the first time I ever attended a Society of Friends (Quaker) congregation.  It was wonderful.  The Fairfield Friends Church is located in Camby, IN just south west of Indianapolis.  They have been in their current building since the mid 1880's and are now building a new "meeting house."  I'm so glad I went and worshiped with them.  It was great to meet Philip Gulley and hear him preach in his own congregation.  www.fairfieldfriends.org  I also attended the Spiritual Gathering at Earl School of Religion in Richmond, IN on March 3rd where Philip was the main speaker.

Jeff Cooksey

While in Indiana I stopped in Indianapolis and visited my friend Jeff Cooksey, a friend I have known since third grade church camp.



I also journeyed to Anderson, IN where I stopped by Anderson University where I did my undergraduate work. 

Me in front of AU's new York Performance Hall

And another highlight was spending several days with my good freind and colleague and Youth Pastor from my Jr. High days, John and Ruth Albright.  We had a great time together.

John and Ruth Albright

During February I also read the book "Liberating Hope! Daring to Renew the Mainline Church" by Michael Piazza and Cameron Trimble co-directors of the Center for Progressive Renewal.  This was a very helpful read and a great resource for my ministry at St. John.  As you may have feared, I will be returning with all kinds of resources I will want to apply to our ministry together at St. John.  Are you ready?

Pastor Joe Phelps

On one of my short trips I had the opportunity to attend the Highland Baptist Church in Louisville, KY, a progressive liberal Baptist Church (formally Southern Baptist, now Cooperative Baptists and Alliance of Baptist affiliated) doing great ministry.  I've been wanting to attend Highland for years but this was my first time to do so. 
I met with Joe Phelps, the Sr. Pastor, and we had a very enlightening talk about renewing and rebuilding urban progressive congregations.  I have a new friend and colleague in Joe!  A comment that Joe said to me about St. John was that we are, "A Progressive Christian Voice in Northern Kentucky."  I think this could be a powerful tag-phrase for us to use on all of our publications, website and promotional materials.  This is who we are and we should be "evangelistic" about it.  We have light to shine and we need to do so boldly!
I attended both their 9:00 a.m. and their 11:00 a.m. services of worship and hope to return to attend their 7:00 p.m. Friday Worship that reaches a whole different crowd on Friday evenings.

Highland Baptist Church in worship

As many of you know, I love movies.  It is very hard for me to watch a movie and not think of how I could use some of the lines in a sermon.  Here are two quotes that made their way to my journal in February.  

The first one is from the movie "Shunned" about an Amish girl. 

"The miracle ain't the life you missed, Katie, it's the life you've got." 

The second is from the 1951 movie with Kirk Douglas, "Ace In the Hole".

"I don't go to Church,.....kneeling bags my nylons." 

Now there is a reason for not attending Church I've never heard before.  LOL