Bluegrass Sunday—What a Friend We Have in Jesus
Chris Stewart, Barry Smith, and Sam Miller
Yeah, this happened at Douglass today. It was brilliant! Thank you to our friend, Barry Smith, and our new friends, Chris Stewart and Sam Miller!
Sermon Podcast: Crossing Borders
Where is Legion today and what responsibility do we have when we hear Legion’s voice? Where are those who’ve been held in bondage by the powers and principalities, those who need to hear the voice of Jesus and to be set free from the chains that tie them to the tombstone society has made for them?
Because Legion still runs the graveyard wherever people’s race, or immigration status, or sexual orientation, or gender identity, or physical or mental capabilities prevent them from flourishing the way God intended.
Legion’s still in power wherever the poor are kept in their poverty by those who believe they have everything to gain and nothing to lose, wherever children are bullied, and the elderly are forgotten.
Legion still lives wherever people are made to believe that the way they have been created by God is not good enough—either for God or for us.
So, here’s what I think: I think that we who would be like Jesus, we need to take the risk and cross the borders to go looking for the people Jesus himself went out in search of, and to speak the words and do the work necessary to see them free.
We need to brave the wasteland and go into the graveyards that house so many, and find ways to break the chains that keep them in bondage.
We can’t afford to wait and let them come to us.
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Leading 'Ex-Gay' Organization Closes, Apologizes To LGBT Community | ThinkProgress
So, in case you didn't hear. This is going to be a huge deal.
Exodus International, one of the nation’s most prominent coalitions of groups promoting harmful “ex-gay” therapy, announced Wednesday that it was disbanding and apologized to the LGBT community for the massive harm it has caused to many. Alan Chambers, the group’s president, issued a written apology, acknowledging that his organization hurt many.
In his apology, Chambers wrote:
Please know that I am deeply sorry. I am sorry for the pain and hurt many of you have experienced. I am sorry that some of you spent years working through the shame and guilt you felt when your attractions didn’t change. I am sorry we promoted sexual orientation change efforts and reparative theories about sexual orientation that stigmatized parents. I am sorry that there were times I didn’t stand up to people publicly “on my side” who called you names like sodomite—or worse. I am sorry that I, knowing some of you so well, failed to share publicly that the gay and lesbian people I know were every bit as capable of being amazing parents as the straight people that I know. I am sorry that when I celebrated a person coming to Christ and surrendering their sexuality to Him that I callously celebrated the end of relationships that broke your heart. I am sorry that I have communicated that you and your families are less than me and mine.
DBCC Yard Sale Blowout!
Douglass Boulevard Christian Church is having a HUGE yard sale on July 13 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. The Yard Sale will feature furniture from around the church and from our members, but will also include household items.
NO EARLYBIRDS. Doors to the DBCC gym open at exactly 8 a.m., rain or shine. DBCC is located in the Highlands neighborhood at 2005 Douglass Boulevard, Louisville, KY 40205.
Come for the yard sale, stay for the food! Douglass Loop Farmers Market opens at 10 a.m. each Saturday, including July 13th, on the campus of Douglass Boulevard Christian Church.
DBCC Work Day
DBCC is having a four-hour blitz of cleaning, moving, and fixing in anticipation of welcoming Louisville Classical Academy into our education wing this summer.
Who: We need people who like fixing things, cleaning things, decluttering things, moving things, or organizing things.
What: DBCC Work Day
When: June 29 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Seriously. You do not want to miss this.
Advertising: Youth Minister Position
Douglass Boulevard Christian Church (DBCC) is seeking a part-time Youth Minister.
- This position requires someone with an entrepreneurial spirit, as well as someone who has never held a kid over a balcony.
- DBCC’s Youth Minister should be willing to try making something awesome without asking for permission to make it.
- DBCC’s Youth Minister must be unfraid of trying things that may not work and curious in retrospect about why some things do work and others don’t.
The Youth Minister position will begin as part-time with the possibility of additional hours and responsibilities in the future.
You may contact us through the web site, or send something via electronic mail , or if need be through the United States Postal Service: 2005 Douglass Blvd., Louisville, KY, 40205.
Douglass Boulevard Christian Church is an open and affirming community of faith in the Highlands neighborhood of Louisville, Kentucky. Read more and listen to podcasts at http://douglassblvdcc.com.
Sermon Podcast: Is Your God Too Small? (Guest Preacher, Dr. Glenn Hinson)
Taking Cues on Immigration from Jesus
By Derek Penwell
I received a call a while back from someone I’ve known since we were kids. Caesar, lived in the children’s home my grandparents established in San Luis Potosí, Mexico, in 1964. I spent my summers there. I’ve also known his wife, Sophie, from the time she was a baby. She grew up in the home, too.
Some years back, Caesar came into the States illegally to work as a painter in Atlanta, leaving Sophie and their son, Caesar, Jr., in Mexico. Hard life, living in one country illegally, while your family lives in another.
Lonely. Anxious. Scared all the time you’ll be discovered, and sent back.
Out of the blue, Caesar called me and asked if I could send him a little money via Western Union, so that he could help bring his family to Atlanta. He explained to me how difficult it is living without the people you love the most next to you; how uncomfortable it is living in a country that takes every opportunity to tell you how much they wish you’d leave … “after you finish that last job for me”; how painful it is to contemplate having to return home to a country where you’re afraid the violence will swallow your family, leaving nothing behind but shattered lives and spent shell casings.
What’s a man to do? He’s got a wife, a son. All he cares about is keeping them safe, and making enough money to create a future he’s sure is unavailable to them back in his homeland.
Where does one start when speaking of illegal immigration?
Read MoreGuest Preacher: Dr. Glenn Hinson
You won't want to miss this!
Join us this Sunday as Dr. Glenn Hinson, retired professor of Church History brings reflections on his relationship with Thomas Merton in Sunday School (9:45). Afterward, he will be preaching on "Is Your God too Small?" (11:00).
Biographical Information
Glenn Hinson has come a long way from his roots in the Ozarks of Missouri. For most of his elementary education he attended a one-room country school with about a dozen fellow students. Things improved after high school, however, as he attended Washington University in St. Louis (B.A.), the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (B.D., Th.D.), and Oxford University (D.Phil.).
His life course has confirmed Douglas Steere’s observation that “Life’s interruptions often turn out to be God’s opportunities.” Intending to study law, he found himself sidetracked and rerouted toward Christian ministry during his third year of college. Expecting either to serve as a pastor or a missionary, he spent most of his life training ministers. After teaching Church history at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, for thirty years, he took part in the development of Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond (1992-1999). Choosing to retire from his position as Professor of Spirituality and John Loftis Professor of Church History in 1999, he subsequently taught at Candler School of Theology, Emory University; Louisville Presbyterian Seminary; Lexington Theological Seminary; and the newly founded Baptist Seminary of Kentucky.
Glenn is married to Martha Burks. They have two children—Christopher and Elizabeth—both of whom received Ph.D.s in 2002.
With work as his “play,” Glenn is the author or editor of 29 books and more than a thousand articles and book reviews. His most recent books are The Early Church (Abingdon), Love at the Heart of Things: A Biography of Douglas V. Steere (Pendle Hill/ The Upper Room), Spiritual Preparation for Christian Leadership (The Upper Room). and A Miracle of Grace (Mercer), his autobiography. He served for many years as Editor of Review & Expositor. He has served on the Board of Weavings from its beginning and is a frequent contributor to it.
Glenn was a member of the Faith and Order Commissions of both the National and World Council of Churches. He took part in numerous dialogues, including the international dialogue between Baptists and Roman Catholics. He was a member of the Ecumenical Institute of Spirituality founded by Douglas Steere and Godfrey Dieckmann.
He has served as a faculty member for the Academy for Spiritual Formation since its founding in 1983.
Pope Francis Says Atheists Who Do Good Are Redeemed, Not Just Catholics
"The Lord created us in His image and likeness, and we are the image of the Lord, and He does good and all of us have this commandment at heart: do good and do not do evil. All of us. ‘But, Father, this is not Catholic! He cannot do good.’ Yes, he can... "The Lord has redeemed all of us, all of us, with the Blood of Christ: all of us, not just Catholics. Everyone! ‘Father, the atheists?’ Even the atheists. Everyone!".. We must meet one another doing good. ‘But I don’t believe, Father, I am an atheist!’ But do good: we will meet one another there.”
~Pope Francis
Sign Up for Repair Affair!
Mark your calendar for June 15th's New Direction's Repair Affair!
New Directions, Inc, who will operate Woodbourne House, our senior housing initiative, has an exciting opportunity for DBCC to directly provide housing repair needs for elderly and disabled homeowners of low income.
Organization volunteers will work to install or repair wheelchair ramps, handrails/grab-bars, steps, floor repairs, door/window repairs, roof/mechanical repairs, weatherization, exterior/interior painting, and other repairs that can impact safety and security.
Making repairs that protect the structure of these houses, and makes them more accessible and safe for their elderly occupants helps to keep these long-time residents in their homes and preserves affordable housing stock.
The goal is to impact the factors that keep each house “livable” and occupied which prevents it from becoming yet another vacant and abandoned property threatening the safety and desirability of the neighborhood where it is located.
Please specify what experience or skills you have in these areas:
- Exterior House, foundation, porch and trimming
- Yard Work
- Minor Plumbing
- Minor Electrical
- Carpentry
- Other: specify
For more information call the church office.
We need to know who's available to work, so get your name in as soon as possible!
Sermon Podcast: What Does This Mean?
"Because if we could ever learn the lessons of Pentecost about healing divisions, maybe the rest of the world might finally be interested in listening to what we have to say. If we were ever to embody the life of Jesus—who in his death showed that he was more concerned about drawing all people unto himself than about being right—I think we might be surprised to find a world much more ready to hear what we have to say.
"I say we give it a shot.
"I don’t know. What do you think?"
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The Prophetic Call for a Little Brash Stupidit
In this blog post, Will Willimon reminds us that age and experience are important, but that they can become idols when we forget that God is dynamic, moving--and so is the world (and the church) that God oversees. We need to move forward, take chances, embrace failure not as a moral deficiency but as a tool for learning.
"We choke to death on the geriatric virtues of maturity, balance, and careful procedure when what our moribund system needs are more clergy who are young, brash, reckless, and stupid. That is new pastoral leaders who will give God enough room to get in this staid old church and do the sort of resurrection that this God does so well."
DBCC Yard Sale Time Is Here Again!
Well, it's is that time again, folks. Come to Douglass Boulevard Christian Church on Saturday for a rain-or-shine for a multi-family yard sale in the church's gym. Past customers know: this sale is well-organized with reasonably-priced, high-quality schwag.
When: 9–3, Saturday, May 18 (please, no earlybirds)
Where: 2005 Douglass Boulevard Christian Church
ALSO: Come for the schwag, stay for the farmer's market. Douglass Loop Farmer's Market runs in the church's parking lot from 10–2.
Sermon Podcast: The Second to Last Word
What if we were known as the folks who, when the rest of the world turns its back, are the ones who say, “Come on in. There’s room in here for you?”
You thirsty? Come on in.
You been stepped on? Sit down right here?
You hungry to be loved for the person God created you to be? We’ve got a table right here with room enough for everyone … for anyone. Come on in!
Wouldn’t that be something? If people knew us as the place where everyone … anyone is welcome?
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A Letter to LGBT Student Groups (and Allies) at Christian Colleges
From A Letter from Rachel Held Evans
I don’t know much about what it’s like to be you. But I value those times we’ve spent talking over coffee and exchanging emails. We always seem to find one another when I’m on a college campus, and I’m beginning to think it’s because we’re the same kind of people—broken, wrestling, hopeful, brave…ragamuffins and misfits just taking it one day at a time.
I love you, and I am honored to be your sister in Christ.
Hang in there.
I’ve got your back.
— Rachel
Derby at DBCC
A big thank you to the Clarks for hosting the Derby festivities!
Call to the Host (er . . . Post)
In honor of Kentucky's grand tradition, DBCC offers a call to the Post!
(Mint Juleps will be served in the Narthex.)
Sermon Podcast: They Will See His Face
"No, you start telling people that they live in a place where they can see the face of God, and pretty soon they’re going to start living like it’s true.
"And it’s not even like we’re responsible for pulling it off, for planning this new world that looks like John’s picture of God’s new city. But one day, after spending all this time with a different vision, we wake up to see that we inhabit an entirely different world from the one we used to inhabit, or the one that used to inhabit us."
A sermon on Revelation and the New Jerusalem.
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DBCC Hosts Screening of the Film "Gen Silent" on Aging and LGBT Elder Issues
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
CONTACT:
Chris Hartman, Fairness Campaign Director
(502) 640-1095; @FairnessCamp
Dr. Noell Rowan, BSW Program Director, UofL Kent School of Social Work
(502) 852-1964; NLRowa01@louisville.edu
"Aging Fairly" Series Includes FIlm & Lecture on LGBT Elder Issues
April 28, 4 p.m., UofL Chao Auditorium; June 9, 5 p.m., Douglass Blvd. Christian Church
(Louisville, KY) As part of its "Aging Fairly" series, the Fairness Campaign is partnering with KIPDA Mental Health and Aging Coalition, the University of Louisville Kent School of Social Work, The LGBT Center at University of Louisville, Mad Stu Media, Faith Leaders for Fairness, and True Colors Ministry to present showings of Stu Maddux's award-winning documentary film on LGBT aging, Gen Silent.
Each film showing is coupled with a brief lecture by Dr. Noell Rowan, BSW Program Director of UofL's Kent School of Social Work, who will reveal findings from a groundbreaking Hartford Faculty Scholars research project, Resiliency and Quality of Life for Older Lesbian Adults with Alcoholism. The series is free to the public with refreshments and will be shown Sunday, April 28, 4:00 p.m. at UofL's Chao Auditorium in the basement of Ekstrom Library and Sunday, June 9, 5:00 p.m. at Douglass Boulevard Christian Church, 2005 Douglass Boulevard.
The film showing and lecture series is part of the Fairness Campaign's ongoing efforts to promote awareness in the community of LGBT aging issues and disparities among older LGBT adults. As chronicled in Gen Silent, many older LGBT people struggle with going back into the closet as they fear prejudice and unfair treatment in assisted living facilities and nursing homes. According to Improving the Lives of LGBT Older Adults, a joint study by the MAP Project, Center for American Progress, and SAGE, 8.3% of LGBT elders reported abuse or neglect by a caretaker due to their sexual orientation or gender identity, senior lesbian couples have almost twice the poverty rate of senior heterosexual couples, LGB older adults have 11% higher alcohol abuse rates than their heterosexual peers, and 72% of LGBT seniors are hesitant to engage in mainstream aging programs for fear of being unwelcome, among other staggering statistics.
"With more than 1.5 million LGBT seniors living in America today, and with that number ever increasing as more Baby Boomers join those ranks, caring for and better accommodating the needs of our LGBT elders has become an increasingly urgent issue on the Fairness Campaign's radar," shared director Chris Hartman. "In the coming years, we will be deepening our partnerships with these and other organizations--like Elderserve, Inc.--to best serve Louisville and Kentucky's LGBT seniors."
WHAT: "Aging Fairly" film and lecture series
WHEN & WHERE:
Sunday, April 28, 4:00 p.m.
UofL's Chao Auditorium in the basement of Ekstrom Library
Sunday, June 9, 5:00 p.m.
Douglass Boulevard Christian Church, 2005 Douglass Boulevard
WHO: Dr. Noell Rowan
KIPDA Mental Health and Aging Coalition
University of Louisville Kent School of Social Work
The LGBT Center at University of Louisville
Fairness Campaign
Mad Stu Media
Faith Leaders for Fairness
True Colors Ministry