Shooting Pool

Ancient people had a rich thesaurus full of words to describe the commonly observed fact that however careful we are, the wheels keep coming off our best laid plans. They spoke of evil and devils and demons. They spoke of powers and principalities as institutions that had the power to oppress and dominate them, with no chance of voting them out of power. In Revelation, John of Patmos addressed seven letters to the seven churches of Asia Minor, but he addressed the letters to the "Angel" of each church.

Our world view is a much more arid place, where events careen across a billiard table in accord with complicated equations, but we have denied ourselves the language known to the ancients which empowered them to consider the billiard players.

Join the Congregation of Community Presbyterian Church of Bellefonte, KY for this week's sermon on devils, demons and why the wheels keep coming off, by clicking HERE for audio or HERE for text.


Community Presbyterian Church of Bellefonte, Kentucky, was built on the casting floor of a 19th Century iron blast furnace. We use "The Casting Floor" as an image for the power of the Spirit to form us. Visit us at http://communitypresbyterian.org.

A Piece of Gristle

It is hard for Americans particularly to turn their back on the common understanding that with good old American hard work, we can transform our world into Eden. The lessons of history and the teachings of the Gospels, however, offer a different view. No matter how good your intentions, you are not the Savior of the world and you cannot accomplish what you think you can. Evil is present, in our corporations who sit on money while the unemployment rate is high, in our churches which allow themselves to become so bound by their procedures that they do harm to children, in our very lives when we put our comfort and our flattering view of our goodness ahead of the needs of others. Join the congregation of Community Presbyterian Church as we examine the piece of gristle that runs through the world and each of us by clicking HERE for audio and HERE for text.

Community Presbyterian Church of Bellefonte, Kentucky, was built on the casting floor of a 19th Century iron blast furnace. We use "The Casting Floor" as an image for the power of the Spirit to form us. Visit us at http://communitypresbyterian.org.

Boots on the Ground

I speak to an awful lot of folks who instruct me that we live in a random world, a world without purpose or direction. Stuff happens as the bumper sticker says. Frankly, I have a problem with that. I can't embrace it. I'm convinced that we live in a purposeful world, a world of intentionality. Come see what I mean by joining the Congregation of Community Presbyterian Church of Bellefonte, Kentucky for this week's sermon on the burning bush by clicking HERE for audio or HERE for text and answer for yourself this burning question: how long would you have to look at a burning bush before you noticed that it was not being consumed?

Community Presbyterian Church of Bellefonte, Kentucky, was built on the casting floor of a 19th Century iron blast furnace. We use "The Casting Floor" as an image for the power of the Spirit to form us. Visit us at http://communitypresbyterian.org.

Go Fly a Kite

Sometimes, in discussions with folks around the Chapel of St. Starbuck's, I get the feeling that there is a reluctance to reach beyond the early teachings we received in the church as children to a more mature relationship with God. I think of the early teaching we received as the tail of the kite and the breath of God as the breeze that blows us skyward. Come join the congregation of Community Presbyterian Church of Bellefonte, Ky by clicking HERE for audio or HERE for text and let us know what you think.


Community Presbyterian Church of Bellefonte, Kentucky, was built on the casting floor of a 19th Century iron blast furnace. We use "The Casting Floor" as an image for the power of the Spirit to form us. Visit us at http://communitypresbyterian.org.

TEMPTATION

My experience in the courts was that nobody sets out to do evil. They set out to do something reasonable, even important, but then, somehow, it goes awry. This Sunday, I'm using the language of demons and devils to talk about temptation. Satan doesn't tempt us to burn nine-year old girls. Satan convinces us that it is an important thing to save a foreign country from Communism, then teaches us to refer to nine-year-old girls as "collateral damage". Click HERE for audio or HERE for text.

Community Presbyterian Church of Bellefonte, Kentucky, was built on the casting floor of a 19th Century iron blast furnace. We use "The Casting Floor" as an image for the power of the Spirit to form us. Visit us at http://communitypresbyterian.org.

Kingdom Eyes

Three hundred years before Christ, if not longer, the battle was joined between those who believed that their own senses revealed to them everything knowable about the world, and those who believed that it was possible to make connection with the unseen reality of the world. The debate has not shown any sign of diminishing in the intervening eons, so I doubt that we will put it to rest today. Nonetheless, did you know that the gravels that skinned your knee on the playground were mostly empty space, as was your knee, come to that? Come join us for this week's Transfiguration Sunday sermon, "Kingdom Eyes" by clicking HERE for audio or HERE for text.

Community Presbyterian Church of Bellefonte, Kentucky, was built on the casting floor of a 19th Century iron blast furnace. We use "The Casting Floor" as an image for the power of the Spirit to form us. Visit us at http://communitypresbyterian.org.

Us and Them

Every time my faith wavers, this church astonishes me. Many emails and phone calls were made last night because of the snow, and because we had Boy Scout Sunday, Communion AND Super Bowl Sunday scheduled. The attendance predictions were pretty pessimistic.

Full house. Go figger! I am so blessed.

While I get over my celebration of the remarkable people I have come to so love, why don't you take a minute to join them in our debate over immigration reform by clicking HERE for audio or HERE for text?


Community Presbyterian Church of Bellefonte, Kentucky, was built on the casting floor of a 19th Century iron blast furnace. We use "The Casting Floor" as an image for the power of the Spirit to form us. Visit us at http://communitypresbyterian.org.