The Race, by the Jeff St Left-Leaning Men's Half-Thomas String Band!

 Another take on a song we've done before. And not just for Derby Day!

The Greening of the Spirit

In keeping with our last announcement (I think...)

Uncle Ralph (Waldo Emerson) reflected, "The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn." And we can see that in the fall and winter times... a single oak can produce thousands of acorns. They're still out there on the ground, even now.

And here's the thing: The oak is not stingy about it. The oak does not try to hoard all those acorns, growing thorns around them so no one can get to them.

The oak is gracious and generous. And IF a squirrel (or hundreds of squirrels) "steals" an acorn for its own nourishment, the oak doesn't take offense. It is generous. It is gracious. It is giving.

Nature is like that. God is like that. The Beloved Community can embrace that, as well.

And to be sure, it can be hard in these cold winter times, when the stingy and graceless try to hoard and hoard, taking for themselves and unwilling or fearful to think about sharing with others. They demand "efficiency," not grace. They push away rather than gather in.

Nonetheless, the way of sharing, abundance and grace is the right way to go. There is a place for wise use of resources and "efficiency," but that really should be as a subset of grace and abundant sharing.

As various biblical writers and wise people have long noted, what happens to the stingy and the hoarders when they push others away and try to take it all for themselves, perhaps in the name of "efficiency" and with false claims about "They're all a bunch of lazy thieves!" ...what happens to these hoarders? They end up with a bunch of rotten, useless acorns. This is because acorns were meant to be shared and spread with careless abandon.

The greedy farmer said, "This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain."

But God replied, "You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?"

And when the Manna ("what is it?") fell to the ground so that there was enough for everyone... what happened to those who greedily tried to store more than they needed away? It rotted.

And when the rich business people refused to pay their laborers for the work they had done? God lashed out at them...

Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter.

May we embrace grace and grow into abundance and grow into sharing. May the season of the Greening of the Spirit begin soon and take deep roots.

We Have a New Pastor! Welcome, Amy!

As regulars will know, our dear pastor Cindy Weber retired in 2023. She has been our fearless leader for nearly 40 years and has been such an amazing pastor and friend. We look forward to her continued guidance and mentorship in the years to come!

But, with her retirement, we had the very difficult task of finding our next leader/pastor/shepherd. Someone who is nurturing and supportive, someone who is prophetic and a strong justice promoter and a dazzling and inspiring preacher and leader. And we're so elated to announce that we HAVE found that person - Amy Armstrong! The pastor search committee spent months getting to know Amy (and her marvelous family) and the church has had the chance to meet her and get to know her and 100%, we are amazed and certain that she is the right "fit" for this band of rebels and vagabonds.

Amy and her family - wife, Joy and daughter, Alysa - are coming to us from North Carolina and they are all just a tremendous delight! Amy will be starting in June and we can't wait to see where this goes from here. There is electric energy happening at Jeff St, my friends. And in this time of great concern for our nation and our world, this beloved community of God is ready to boldly go forward from here.

I'm sure we and/or Amy will be sharing more when the time is right, but hallelujah, what a great start to our next stage of being the Beloved Community in Louisville. Thanks be to God!

Music Sunday 2025, Bend the Curve

 

A wonderful song by Gabe Dixon, performed here by Kate, Roger, Dan, Donna and David...

A lot of people just tryin' to breathe
Others, hesitating, try to decide
I don't wanna be caught asleep
The world's wakin' if you open your eyes
Everybody's got a hand on the wheel
Everybody's got a hand in the sky
The arc of the moral universe
Needs us to point it just right

So bend the curve
Bend it down to the ground
Bend it down toward justice
What we all deserve
Bend the curve
Bend it down to the ground
Bend it down for freedom
Let's get to work

Bend the curvе
Bend the curve

This land is our land
Why'rе we letting it burn to ashes?
This sea is our life
Don't let it go sleepin' with the fishes
This world is talking to us
Are we gonna have sense to listen?
Might have start making a fuss
Plant a seed and come to fruition

Bend the curve
Bend it down to the ground
Take it down to the Earth
'Cause she needs us now
Bend the curve
Bend it down for science
You know, it's just common sense
For what's going 'round

Bend the curve
Bend the curve
Bend the curve
Bend the curve

All right

There's people workin' dawn to dusk
But they can't trust that it's enough
To have a decent life
There's people in an ivory tower
Clingin' to power, scared of the hour
When we unify
And sanctify
Just one big ball
Just one big life

Bend the curve...

Bend the Curve

Our beloved pastor of nearly 40 years - Cindy Weber - retired last year and it's been a busy several months. I just realized I hadn't posted anything about it here. But what can one say? She is some kind of wonderful and we love her so much.

Here's a song that was sung to both Cindy and Robert, her husband, at her retirement celebration. Bend the Curve, a wonderful song that speaks of King's Moral Arc of the Universe, and how we're about the business of bending that curve just a bit closer towards justice! Many thanks to Kate, Donna, David, Paul and Roger for this wonderful performance!

Down by the Riverside

It's been a while since I've posted here. Just to play some catch up, I'll be posting some of our songs from the last year or two. This one is from yesterday.

All Music Sunday

We had an all music Sunday yesterday at church. Here are just a few snippets from the day. A wonderful time was had by most, I think.