Everything Must Change … in Louisville

March 16, 2009

Yesterday I was warmly hosted by Highland Baptist Church … morning services and then an overflow crowd for an evening forum on Everything Must Change. Among special surprises of the day …
– At the evening EMC forum, the band and choir performed a beautiful original song inspired by Everything Must Change. I’m hoping I’ll get an mp3 or video to post soon. For me, as you can imagine, it was a “chill up your spine” moment.
– Being just down the street from a leading conservative Southern Baptist seminary, we weren’t surprised that a number of students came who were enthusiastic about countering my message with their own during the Q & A session. They did a good job of letting their opinions be known, and proved themselves loyal advocates of their tradition. God bless them. The conversation challenged everyone present to think more deeply about God’s love for our world, and our role in God’s work.
– After morning services, new friends Joe and Terri Phelps brought me out to Port Royal, where we spent a delightful afternoon with Wendell and Tanya Berry. The ewes were lambing, the birds were feasting at the bird feeder, the Kentucky River was rolling by, the cornbread was delicious (made from locally-grown ingredients and supplied by fellow-guests Eric and Brooke), and the Berry’s couldn’t have been more hospitable and charming … It was an unexpected treat and a long-time dream come true for me to meet one of my favorite authors. If you’ve never read a Wendell Berry book – I recommend you start with his poetry (like The Timbered Choir), his essays (like Sex, Economy, Freedom, and Community) or best – one of his novels (maybe Jayber Crow or The Memory of Old Jack).
Speaking of Everything Must Change,Bob Carlton alerted me to two links that sound like they’re taken from the EMC script …
This one by Thomas Friedman …
This one by Paul Gilding …
Today we begin the “New Ways of Being Church” conference at Louisville (Presbyterian) Seminary. Like the Albuquerque gathering later this week, this event is sold out.