http://www.kentucky.com/158/index.xml News, sports, and entertainment from Kentucky.com en-us Copyright 2008 Kentucky.com Faith and Values 60 Sat, 05 Jul 2008 20:58:27 EDT http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss McClatchy Interactive's Workbench webmaster@kentucky.com http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/452897.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/452897.html Sat, 05 Jul 2008 09:09 EDT
Charlie O'Hara attends Mass at Lexington's Cathedral of Christ the King .every day, seven days a week.

.It keeps God in front of me,. said O'Hara, 43, who drives to church each day from Nicholasville.

And while some may find daily church attendance a bit extreme, such religious devotion is not rare among Kentuckians, a recent report shows.

A survey released last week by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life of more than 35,000 people shows that, compared to the entire nation, Kentuckians pray and attend church more often and believe religion is .very important. in their lives. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/452896.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/452896.html Sat, 05 Jul 2008 09:16 EDT
A Kentucky Anglican church in Maysville that has broken ranks with the U.S. Episcopal Church will witness its first ordination July 12.

Pastor Robert W. .Hudson, a graduate of Trinity School for Ministry in Ambridge, Pa., who has ministered to St. Luke's Anglican Church since May 19, will be ordained to the priesthood in a 10 a.m. service. It will be held at Trinity Lutheran Church, 621 Parker Drive, where St. Luke's 18 members have been meeting for services.

The ordination will be conducted by the Rev. Bill Atwood, a bishop of the All Saints Cathedral Diocese (Nairobi) of the Anglican Church of Kenya.

.Anglican churches .exist under the ministry of .bishops,. Hudson said. .I had known of Bishop Atwood, one of two American bishops providing oversight for the archbishop of Kenya in the United States.. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/452901.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/452901.html Sat, 05 Jul 2008 09:18 EDT
WILMORE . Hawk Nelson Is My Friend might sound like a goofball title for an album, unless you're on MySpace, Facebook or one of the other social networking Internet sites out there.

In that case, you've probably snickered at a message saying someone you've known for life .... is your friend.. Heck, it may even say, .Hawk Nelson is your friend,. which is fine with the band's frontman, Jason Dunn.

.Today with MySpace and Facebook, everyone is looking for friends and to see how many friends you can obtain,. the singer said backstage at last month's Ichthus Festival. .The whole friendship theme is something we've always believed in, since day one. It's never been about putting us on a pedestal above our audience. It's all about being on the same level..

Dunn said that level is under God, and looking to God for hope. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/452902.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/452902.html Sat, 05 Jul 2008 09:21 EDT
Today

. Tibetan Buddhist Community of Lexington, 1800 Gayle Drive, Lexington, will have a slide show on Tibet and a short celebration for the birthday of the Dalai Lama, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. On July 12, a teaching on Introduction to Tantra will be from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Visit www.tbcl.org, e-mail info@tbcl.org or call Richard Farkas at (859) 396-3505.

Sunday

. Saving Grace III will perform at 10:30 a.m. at First Christian Church, 1305 Audubon Ave., Lexington. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/452898.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/452898.html Sat, 05 Jul 2008 09:24 EDT
Music

Jon Foreman

Spring and Summer EPs5 stars out of 5

The Fourth of July .week is an appropriate time to to praise a great .American .songwriter. With his Spring and . Summer EPs, Jon .Foreman has cemented .himself as just that. We should add that the .Switchfoot .frontman is a brave .songwriter (as some of these songs will land him in Dutch with portions of the Christian music community that made him a star) and an exquisite craftsman. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/446219.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/446219.html Sat, 28 Jun 2008 08:48 EDT
Five years ago, Ivan and Alex were best friends, living in an orphanage in the Ukraine.

Today, the 14-year-olds are also brothers, having been adopted by Becky and Mike Child of Lexington.

But they were within a whisker of having to stay in the orphanage, where they would be turned out on the streets at age 16 or 17 with no skills and a dim future.

The Childs, discouraged by the arduous procedures involved in a traditional adoption, .almost abandoned hopes of enlarging their .family. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/446223.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/446223.html Sat, 28 Jun 2008 02:31 EDT
Earlier this month, the Herald-Leader carried an op-ed piece that detailed a dramatic erosion in the numbers and social influence of U.S. evangelical Christians.

The author was Christine Wicker, a former religion reporter for The Dallas Morning News, who has a new book, The Fall of the Evangelical Nation: The Surprising Crisis Inside the Church.

Wicker pointed out, for example, that the largest evangelical denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention, is declining so steadily that, if current trends continue, half its 43,000 churches will be forced to close by 2030.

I agree that evangelical Christianity is losing ground. Wicker offered three explanations while acknowledging that other factors also have contributed to the trend. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/446266.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/446266.html Sat, 28 Jun 2008 02:31 EDT
The Louisville-based Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), bitterly divided over sexuality and the Bible, set up another confrontation Friday over its ban on ordaining non-celibate gays and lesbians.

The denomination's General Assembly, meeting in San Jose, Calif., voted 54 percent to 46 percent Friday to drop the requirement that would-be ministers, deacons and elders live in .fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman, or chastity in singleness..

The proposed change to the church constitution requires approval from a majority of the nation's 173 presbyteries, or regional church bodies . a yearlong process that has been a barrier to similar efforts in the past.

Of equal importance to advocates on both sides of the debate, the assembly also voted to allow gay and lesbian candidates for ordination to conscientiously object to the existing standard. Local presbyteries and church councils that approve ordinations would consider such requests on a case-by-case basis. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/446226.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/446226.html Sat, 28 Jun 2008 08:19 EDT
Today

. The Consolidated District Laymen will sponsor a Prayer Breakfast at 8 a.m. at Macedonia Baptist Church, 103 Cushionberry Lane, Keene.

. Historic Pleasant Green .Missionary Baptist Church, 540 W. Maxwell St., Lexington, hosts its annual Health and Wholeness conference, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The free event's theme is Living the Abundant Life. Continental .breakfast and registration are 9:30 to 10 a.m. Call (859) 254-7952 or (859) 254-7387.

. Udesigned Power Session for Women will be at 1 p.m. at the Lexington Public Library, 140 E. Main Street. Conducted by Christian motivational speaker and life coach Lucrecia Weathers. For more information, visit www.myspace.com/udesigned or call (859) 523-8520. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/446224.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/446224.html Sat, 28 Jun 2008 08:24 EDT
music

Superchick

Rock What You Got | 3 stars out of 5

Superchick breaks the silence . as it often does . of a quiet couple of months for new releases in the Christian rock market with its fourth studio album, Rock What You Got . ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/440490.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/440490.html Sun, 22 Jun 2008 02:04 EDT
MOUNT OF BEATITUDES, .Israel . A dirt path begins across the road from a bus-congested holy site on Israel's Sea of Galilee, .winding up a hill covered with wild oat and thistle.

Thousands of pilgrims each year visit the stone church at Tabgha and other sanctuaries marking Jesus' miracles. But few venture beyond the crowds to the landscape that Jesus walked in the Galilee. Those who do find silence and solace on the rocky hills and in the shade of the olive trees that cover the plains.

Now a private Israeli project has set down a 40-mile hiking path through the region where Jesus ministered. The Jesus Trail hopes to bring thousands of tourists to follow in his footsteps.

The trail is not yet marked, but travelers can hire a tour guide, download GPS coordinates from www.Jesustrail.com or pick up trail maps at tourist sites. The path is meant to be hiked in four days. Pilgrims can sleep near the start of the trail in Nazareth, the town Jesus lived in as a boy, and travel each day to the start of a section. Or they can stay at the occasional guest house offered by kibbutzim and Arab communities or carry tents with them. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/439947.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/439947.html Sat, 21 Jun 2008 06:42 EDT
While Matt Krupp serves in Afghanistan with other members of the 201st Engineer Battalion of the Kentucky National Guard, his wife, Kylene, and 2-year-old daughter Sarah are counting the days until he returns.

Matt calls occasionally, but the separation is tough on his young family. Kylene draws support from Hearts for Heroes, a group of other military family members that meets at Southland Christian Church.

Family members of military personnel learned long ago the value to coming together to help one another. .Any place where military families are located has a group like this,. said Susan Temmermand, Coordinator of Services to the Armed Forces with the Lexington chapter of the American Red Cross.

The military calls it .family readiness,. which Temmermand thinks is a better term than .support group.. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/439949.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/439949.html Sat, 21 Jun 2008 07:08 EDT
The numerous Guitar Hero controllers slung at the Ichthus Festival reinforce the electric six-string's dominance in rock and at Ichthus.

But there was a little four-string instrument that also had a subtle but noteworthy presence in Wilmore last weekend: the violin.

It started with John Porter of Battle of the Bands champion Mile7 pulling out his violin for a few numbers, and it ended with Casting Crowns' Melodee DeVevo showing her well-documented skills with the instrument during Casting Crowns' festival-closing performance.

In between, we were treated to moments including the opening of the set by Skillet, one of the hardest-rocking bands on the main-stage lineup. The band's intro, a countdown of sorts, was teasing the crowd with anticipation of one of Skillet's trademark explosive openings. Instead, we got some virtuoso violin from Jonathan Chu, who also has toured with Todd Agnew. Throughout Skillet's set, he continued to remind us how important violin is in the band's music, especially in powerhouses such as Savior. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/439950.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/439950.html Sat, 21 Jun 2008 07:07 EDT
COLUMBIA, S.C. . South Carolina's lieutenant governor announced last week that he is willing to put up $4,000 of his own money so his state can become the first in the nation to issue .I Believe. license plates with the image of a cross and a stained glass window.

Civil rights groups are considering lawsuits. An attorney for the New York-based American Jewish Congress, Mark Stern, said the legislation allowing the plates is an obvious endorsement of religion by legislators in an election year.

South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford allowed the license plate bill to become law without his signature, noting the state already has a process to allow special plates for any cause as long as enough people come together and put up the money needed to buy them.

Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer helped push the measure through the General Assembly, saying it gives people a way to express their beliefs. The idea came from Florida, where a proposal for an .I Believe. tag ultimately failed. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/439948.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/439948.html Sat, 21 Jun 2008 07:55 EDT
Books

.The Words of Jesus'

By Phyllis Tickle Jossey-Bass. 206 pp. $22.95.

This is a hybrid book: three parts devotional, one part scholarly. It is easy to read and will be easy to give as a gift. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/439951.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/439951.html Sat, 28 Jun 2008 08:17 EDT
Today

. Old Union Christian Church, 6856 Russell Cave Road, will commemorate its 185th anniversary Saturday and Sunday. The event will begin with a picnic at 5 p.m. Saturday at the church. Food will be provided. On Sunday, a worship service will feature several former ministers at 10:30 a.m. A potluck lunch will follow.

. Victory Christian Church's education department will have a fund-raising carnival from 6 to 9 p.m. at 148 Victory Ave. The carnival will feature games, prizes, food, raffles and silent auctions. Call (859) 539-3763.

. The Eckankar Center of Lexington, 153 Patchen Drive, Suite 55B, will host Animals Are Souls Too! from 1 to 2 p.m. Call (859) 268-4888. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/433525.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/433525.html Sat, 21 Jun 2008 07:54 EDT
GEORGETOWN . They make quick work of it, these flower ladies.

Within an hour, four funeral arrangements and all manner of blooms spread across a table in the basement of the First Christian church are transformed.

The ladies catch up for a while, talking about family and the week that has passed, but soon they are concentrating, filling empty glass vases adorned with cards that say Friends with Flowers.

Soon enough, the staid arrangements are released from the metal frames and merged with the simple blossoms into playful bouquets ... peach roses kissing tangerine gerbera daisies, which are nestled close to snapdragons in yellow and lilac. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/433523.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/433523.html Sat, 14 Jun 2008 07:05 EDT
I had lunch the other day with an old friend who was passing through Mount Sterling with his wife.

Back in the day . or as Bruce Springsteen would say, in our glory days . this guy and I played football together at Campbellsville High School.

I'm glad to report that neither of us is so pitiful that 35 years later all we can talk about is our erstwhile teenage jockdom. At our lunch, the subject hardly came up.

But seeing my buddy reminded me how much of my early life revolved around football. I started playing in the fourth grade, when I joined a youth team, and continued my career, such as it was, through junior high and high school. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/433526.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/433526.html Sat, 14 Jun 2008 10:44 EDT
WILMORE . As Ichthus winds down, here are a few festival notes for today and next year.

The Closers

The past several years, Ichthus has calmed down for a late Saturday afternoon worship service complete with a mass communion service. Then, it was party time with high-spirited acts like Audio Adrenaline, tobyMac or last year's dream ticket of closers: Switchfoot and Relient K.

Tonight's closers are a dream ticket, too: Casting Crowns and the David Crowder Band. But festival director Jeff James says that he was definitely trying to end on a more worshipful note. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/433529.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/433529.html Sat, 14 Jun 2008 01:51 EDT
Aspiring writers who hope to find an audience among Christian readers can learn how to reach them at the Kentucky Christian Writers Conference, June 20-21 in Elizabethtown.

Peggy Clark, author of The Power of the Lamb's Blood and a number of magazine articles, has attended the conference three times and found it offers the fledgling writer many opportunities.

.A lot of good teaching takes place, especially with the keynote speaker,. said Clark, who lives in Lexington.

This year's featured speaker is Karen Moore Artl, senior acquisitions editor for Thomas Nelson Publishers. Artl has written books including When You Haven't Got a Prayer and Joyous Holiday Season and has a broad background in marketing. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/433530.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/433530.html Sun, 15 Jun 2008 11:32 EDT
Music

TobyMac

Alive and Transported | 4 stars out of 5

I am taking a morning walk through my suburban neighborhood, but in my head, I am at the Ichthus Festival or anywhere TobyMac is presenting his backflipping, breathless show. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/433524.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/433524.html Sat, 14 Jun 2008 07:02 EDT
Today

. The Tibetan Buddhist Community of Lexington will hold a teaching today and June 21, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at 903 Manchester St. No previous knowledge of Buddhism is necessary. Teachings are free. Call (859) 396-3505 or check the Web site (http://www.tbcl.org).

Thursday

. First Baptist Church, 804 West 5th St., London, will host the Sacred Winds ensemble Thursday, 8 p.m. The group comprises 70 musicians from 10 states. The performance is free. Call (606) 864-4194. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/426846.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/426846.html Sat, 07 Jun 2008 08:55 EDT
Stephanie Smith will be on the main stage at this week's Ichthus Festival twice, a Wednesday evening showcase of acts from her label, Gotee Records, and a 4:10 p.m. slot Thursday. But before that, she'll be in Lexington joining festival-goers who get into town early to work on a mission project organized by the festival and several Central Kentucky ministries and churches.

.One of my goals in this music-band-rock-star thing is not just to stand on the stage and show people that I like to sing,. Smith says. .I really have a heart to better the community and serve and love people at their point of need. This is an opportunity to do that and to get to know the community..

Smith's desire to serve is, in large part, due to the failure of her first attempt at a recording career.

.I went to college to pursue music and pursue the rock-star thing,. Smith says. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/426850.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/426850.html Sat, 07 Jun 2008 08:49 EDT
ELIZABETHTOWN . You can find the oldest free-standing mosque in Kentucky here, and in two months, you will also be able to visit Kentucky's newest Islamic center, which includes a mosque, or masjid, as well as places for gatherings such as weddings, anniversaries, lectures and sports.

The new $2 million Islamic center, just north of the current center at 2816 Ring Road, is expected to be completed in July.

.We started the (current) mosque in 1987, expanded in 1996, then came to the point where we couldn't expand anymore,. said Dr. Yusuf Deshmukh, a physician at Elizabethtown Hematology-Oncology PLC and spokesman for the Islamic Center of Elizabethtown.

.We took on a project which is quite a bit for the size of the community,. Deshmukh said. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/426844.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/426844.html Sat, 07 Jun 2008 08:48 EDT
Music

Dave Barnes

You + Me+ The World 4 stars out of

Though Dave Barnes is a somewhat atypical .artist in the Christian market, he initially seems easy to .categorize. You think of him in that Mat Kearney, Matt Wertz group of singer-songwriters with a faith base and a mainstream audience, particularly in the college market. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/420212.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/420212.html Sat, 31 May 2008 08:25 EDT
In some festooned Sunday school classroom on some weekday in July, some first-grade girl will fuss with crepe paper and foam board, silk flowers and sticky glue, and she will don herself a mighty fine skirt that wiggles just so when she does.

And thus spake Moses.

The Lord works in mysterious ways.

This, my dear Christians, is vacation bible school, and somehow, some way . and we are casting no aspersions because teaching children about faith is a good thing anyway you do it . someone has connected parting the Red Sea with hula dancing. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/420208.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/420208.html Sat, 31 May 2008 08:28 EDT
A craft often done at vacation bible school, summer camp or Sunday school is known as .Eye of God. or .Ojo de Dios.. The Huichol people of northwest Mexico are thought to have originated the art. Each point of the .ojo. represents earth, fire, air and water, and is to remind us that God is watching over all things.

It can be as complex or as simple as the crafter chooses, and requires only two sticks and yarn.

Supplies:

. Two craft sticks or anything remotely like a stick ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/420207.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/420207.html Sat, 31 May 2008 01:48 EDT
Some of the churches offer dinner before VBS, special transportation arrangements, and other activities during VBS week. Call the church for full details.



Anchor Baptist Church, 3601 Winthrop Dr. .Outrigger Island.. 9 a.m.-noon June 23-27. Ages: 3 years old through 5th grade. (859) 296-1214, www.anchorbaptistchurch.org.

Athens Christian Church, 6295 Athens-Boonesboro Rd. .Power Lab.. 6:30-8:45 p.m. June 8-12. Ages: Preschool through 5th grade. (859) 263-5452. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/420280.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/420280.html Sat, 31 May 2008 02:05 EDT
In April, the church launched a six-week drive to raise $8.6 million for the project, hoping to draw commitments from 900 church families.

Members responded mightily. Church leaders announced this month that their fund drive, dubbed Imagine 2: The Power of Everybody, had brought in pledges of $12.6 million from 958 families.

"When we asked them to bring their (pledge) cards forward, it was like a choir standing," said Assistant Pastor Justin McCarty. "It wasn't just people giving, but people who gave ridiculously and sacrificially, giving not just money but part of their heart."

McCarty, who has been with the church since 2001, attributes the success of the fund drive to the shared vision of the church: "transforming unconvinced people into wholehearted followers of Jesus."]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/420211.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/420211.html Sat, 31 May 2008 08:30 EDT
The Kenwick Neighborhood Association and Victory Christian Church are teaming for a tour of residents' homes and gardens on June 8.

The Kenwick Neighborhood Association Bungalow Tour features homes and gardens on six of the area's streets, located just east of downtown Lexington.

.Last year, we were expecting 200 to 250 people. We got 600,. said Len Sorrell, a member of the neighborhood group and an elder at Victory Christian.

The 80-year-old church, where participants can park, is the first stop on the tour, Sorrell said. Tickets are $5, and refreshments including a bake sale will be available. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/420209.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/420209.html Sat, 31 May 2008 08:30 EDT
Today

. The choir of the Lexington Chinese Christian Church, 4030 Lexington Road, Nicholasville, is performing Chinese folk music to raise funds for earthquake victims in China. The concert at the church begins at 8 p.m., followed by a candlelight vigil at 9 p.m. The Kentucky Chinese American Association and the UK Chinese Student and scholars association are joining the church in collecting donations and sponsoring the event. For information, call (859) 271-3065.

. Duncan Chapel United Methodist Church-Jimtown, 2289 Jimtown Lane, continues its Centennial Celebration with .A Giant Yard Sale With Food, Fun and Games. at 1 p.m. The event will feature bingo, cakewalks, raffles and an auction. Call (859) 263-8819 for more information.

. Vision Church of Holiness will have a service for its pastor, the Rev. Larry Weathers Sr. at 1 p.m. The guest speaker will be the Rev. James Price, of Burress Temple, Lockland, Ohio. The service will be at 704 Holladay Drive, Danville. For more information, call Yolanda Weathers, (859) 583-9510 or e-mail evangelist.weathers@gmail.com. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/413970.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/413970.html Fri, 23 May 2008 19:42 EDT
The highly anticipated movie, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, sequel to the 2005 blockbuster The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, has created another intense wave of interest in C.S. Lewis, the author of The Chronicles of Narnia, on which the movies are based.

.There's certainly more interest now because of the movies,. Devin Brown, English professor and Lewis scholar at Asbury College, said. .It will probably send many new readers to discover the books, and the books are always better than the movie. Whether they are believers or not, there are great stories there for them to enjoy..

Brown said the writer's power as a storyteller is one reason his books have never gone out of print in the 58 years since the first tale came out.

.I'll be curious how the Harry Potter books will be doing in 58 years. The fact that Lewis' books are more popular today than ever says a lot about him.. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/413965.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/413965.html Fri, 23 May 2008 19:42 EDT
In late March we had a small party for my 52nd birthday. My girlfriend, Liz, cooked dinner for me and my son, John, my daughter-in-law, Cassie, and my dad.

After the meal, I opened a birthday card from John and Cassie. Its cover read, .Wise. Generous. Helpful. Occasionally goofy. Quick with a hug. Full of great advice. It's a grandpa thing..

The message didn't register.

Inside, the card's print said: .Thanks for doing it so well. Happy birthday, Grandpa!. I still didn't get it. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/413968.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/413968.html Fri, 23 May 2008 19:42 EDT
LONDON . A church famous for its classical music concerts recently celebrated the end of two years of renovations with a grand reopening in the heart of London.

Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles attended the ceremony at St. Martin-in-the-Fields in London's Trafalgar Square.

The church hosted a three-week celebration with baroque orchestra concerts and Church of England services. The restoration project, funded in part by the National Lottery, cost $72 million and began in 2006.

.With all the activity of tourism in Trafalgar Square, the need for a place of solitude and retreat from the city was very evident,. said architect Eric Parry. .And that's what the church now is.. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/413969.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/413969.html Fri, 23 May 2008 19:42 EDT
Word that the Vatican had declared devout Catholics free to believe in aliens traveled at warp speed last week, around the globe and, quite possibly, to points unknown.

Earth-bound theologians and astrophysicists debated it, online .Jedi Council. forums erupted in geeky chatter, and many who have long dared to believe that life exists beyond our terrestrial confines felt some small measure of vindication.

The Roman Catholic Church has never been considered anti-alien. In fact, Catholic priests and scholars have written about the issue of extraterrestrial life since at least the Middle Ages. What made last week's statement significant, several experts say, is that the comments by the Rev. Jose Funes, director of the Vatican Observatory, were printed in the Vatican's own newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano . That gave his words a certain papal heft.

It has also made for some lively discussions between liberal and conservative theologians. The Rev. Christopher Corbally, vice director of the Vatican Observatory, said he has been bombarded with e-mail from colleagues pondering whether God could have created more than one world and whether other beings could be granted redemption via a Christ-like savior. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/413967.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/413967.html Sat, 24 May 2008 08:49 EDT
Phil Stacey

Phil Stacey |4 stars out of 5

Chris Sligh

Running Back to You | 3 stars ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/413966.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/413966.html Sat, 24 May 2008 08:44 EDT
Today

. Tibetan Buddhist Community of Lexington will hold a teaching titled How to Develop Bodhicitta from 10-11:30 a.m. TBCL meets at 903 Manchester Street in Lexington. Visit www.tbcl.org, e-mail info@tbcl.org or call Richard Farkas at (859) 396-3505.

Sunday

The Aaron Crabb Family will perform at Bread of Life Assembly of God Church, 1705 Jennifer Road, at 10:30 a.m. For more information, call (859) 294-5205. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/407287.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/407287.html Sat, 17 May 2008 09:20 EDT
Upon his death in 1854, London Ferrill was buried on East Third Street in the Episcopal Burying Ground's rector's plot. He was not the rector at Lexington's influential and powerful Christ Church, nor had he ever been.

Heavens, Ferrill had spent his whole life as a Baptist.

But he was unquestionably an extraordinary man of faith, having given over his life to God at age 11, having overcome physical and social obstacles to gather his own church flock until it numbered 1,800 and having lived a life worthy enough to draw 4,500 mourners to the funeral of a poor but pious man.

If one earns such a thing, Ferrill earned his place in that beautifully shaded cemetery. He was only one of three Lexington clergymen who had determined to stay behind to minister to the dying during the merciless cholera epidemic of 1833. He had lost his wife early to the disease but remained, knowing of the pain of loss. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/407288.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/407288.html Fri, 16 May 2008 19:47 EDT
I've long tried to figure out what makes some of us want to see our thoughts set down in print, as if the things we say are so important they should be preserved.

It's not just me. Everywhere I go, I meet people who tell me they're would-be writers. They've just finished a novel, are working on an essay, intend to start a blog.

Back in the 1970s, when I still lived with my parents, my grandmother, Lennie Prather, came to stay with us.

She was dying. She'd been in a coma and then spent a lengthy spell recuperating in a nursing home. Her muscles and eyesight had atrophied. She could barely sign a birthday card legibly. She had, at best, an eighth-grade education. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/407296.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/407296.html Fri, 16 May 2008 19:47 EDT
Graduating seniors at area high schools will have a chance to wear their caps and gowns more than once. The baccalaureate service, traditionally a religious service for graduating seniors, is surviving for at least one more class of graduates.

Because public schools cannot compel their students to attend faith-based events, participation is voluntary and student attendance can be sparse. Parents have taken on the task of organizing the ceremonies. And in doing so, they've backed off from a purely religious message and placed the emphasis on inspiration.

.We're trying to do it without it being an overtly religious ceremony,. said Todd Porter, acting president of the Lafayette PTSA. .That can become a little bit tricky..

About 100 seniors from Henry Clay are expected to attend its baccalaureate, said organizer Gesela Brown. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/407299.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/407299.html Fri, 16 May 2008 19:47 EDT
Mega-church pastor, televangelist and all-around happy guy Joel Osteen is appearing in Louisville Sunday to hold a .Night of Hope..

Osteen is a busy man. His ministry includes leading Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, writing best-selling books, and appearing on TV, streaming video and podcasts. From Osteen's Web site .. http://joelosteen.lakewood.cc/ . you can even sign up for a daily dose of .Inspiration in your inbox..

After Louisville, his tour goes to Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; San Antonio, Texas; Chicago, and Calgary, Alberta. In the past two months, he has appeared in Memphis; Greensboro, N.C., and Pittsburgh, Pa. Pittsburgh and Greensboro were both sold out.

Osteen's newest book, Become a Better You is typical of his message. His other books include titles like Starting Your Best Life Now, 30 Thoughts for Victorious Living and Living the Joy Filled Life. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/407294.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/407294.html Sat, 17 May 2008 09:28 EDT
Today

. The Women of St. Paul A.M.E. Church are .sponsoring a .My Man Can Cook. .competition at noon at the church, 251 North Upper Street, Lexington. There will be four categories: chili/soup, entrees, desserts and something special (anything that doesn't fit in the other categories). Tickets for the tasting are $5.Call (859) 255-7945. Also, the women will celebrate Women's Day at 11 a.m. May 25. The guest speaker will be the Rev. Maxine Thomas, the new assistant pastor of St. Paul A.M.E. Church. An afternoon program will begin at 4 p.m. featuring Ohio gospel recording artist Marlyce McCants and the Jimtown Male Chorus.

. The Eckankar Center of Lexington will host .What Goes Around Comes Around: The Law of Karma,. an informal spiritual discussion, 1 to 2 p.m. at 153 Patchen Drive, Suite 55B. Call (859) 268-4888.

. The Tibetan Buddhist .Community of Lexington will hold a teaching, .How to .Develop Bodhicitta,. 10 to 11:30 a.m. at 903 .Manchester Street. The teaching will be followed by discussion. Teachings are free, and donations are welcome. Go to www.tbel.org, e-mail info@tbel.org or call Richard Farkas at (859) 396-3505. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/407297.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/407297.html Sat, 17 May 2008 09:26 EDT
music

Stephanie Smith

Not Afraid | 3 stars out of 5

Christian music is almost a decade removed from an era where it seemed afraid to let women rock. From Jennifer Knapp (Where have you gone?) to Fireflight's Dawn Richardson and the BarlowGirls and .Superchicks in between, the .Christian .market has gotten used to hearing a .woman's voice in front of a hail of guitars, to the point that it doesn't make headlines. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/400561.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/400561.html Sat, 10 May 2008 07:41 EDT
It's great to have friends when you are sick. But it's not so great for the phone to ring all day long when you feel lousy.

As a friend, you want to help, but don't know how. Call? Drop off a casserole? Send a card?

In stressful times, caregivers must figure out how to share information with lots of people and friends must figure out how best to help without being invasive. One possible solution: Check the internet.

Web sites are available to offer those in need a manageable and convenient way to communicate with those who want to help. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/400563.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/400563.html Fri, 09 May 2008 19:42 EDT
Add the Ichthus Festival to the growing list of cultural outposts .going green..

At last year's festival, the second edition held in June and after most school systems close, Ichthus began bringing in church groups who were coming to the festival anyway and asking them to do service projects in Lexington and Eastern Kentucky in the half-week before the music started.

This year, those projects will have an environmentally-friendly theme.

During the three days before the festival, the mission groups will participate in clean-up and planting projects in several Lexington inner-city neighborhoods and Eastern Kentucky communities, and they will help educate kids in those areas about how they can be more environmentally friendly. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/400566.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/400566.html Fri, 09 May 2008 19:42 EDT
CHICAGO . Liberal, religious voters are making their voices heard. And the youngest voices are often the loudest, as a new generation of believers begins to reshape the public discourse on faith in America.

Beau Underwood is a 22-year-old at the University of Chicago Divinity School, an active member of the Disciples of Christ and . in his spare time . he's showing candidates that the path to political righteousness doesn't always veer right.

Underwood and a growing number of other young, left-leaning believers are entering the political arena as campaign aides, lobbyists, grass-root activists and engaged voters. They are trying to expand the focus of faith-based politics beyond the religious right's hot-button issues of abortion and gay marriage. And they are placing social justice issues, like poverty and war, at the intersection of their moral and political decision making.

.The religious voice in politics is not one unified voice,. said Underwood, a self-described moderate who has worked as an aide on several Democratic local and congressional campaigns in his home state of Illinois. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/400568.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/400568.html Fri, 09 May 2008 19:42 EDT
CHICAGO . Hour by hour, the prayers seemed to take on a weight and importance all their own.

Prayers were scripted on note cards or scribbled on walls. These were the innermost wishes of mothers, fathers and children at Chicago's Adventist Bolingbrook Hospital, part of a continuous chain of prayer and reflection going around the clock for seven days.

The continuous worship is a piece of a larger .24-7 Prayer. movement that is growing in popularity in the United States and globally.

As church membership declines, 24-7 Prayer offers something different. It's less structured than the typical church setting; communities of worshipers can gather just about anywhere . warehouses, theaters, nightclubs. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/400564.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/400564.html Fri, 09 May 2008 19:42 EDT
Saturday

. The Leadership of the Christian Community and Concerned Citizens will have a March for Transformation at 1:30 p.m. in Harrodsburg. People from Mercer County and surrounding communities concerned about drug abuse will march through Harrodsburg, ending at the courthouse lawn. Call Pete Presley at (859) 621-5555; Central Kentucky Christian School at (859) 734-9347; or Pam Sims at (859) 583-5045.

. The Tibetan Buddhist Community of Lexington will hold a teaching titled Samsara and Nirvana from 10-11:30 a.m. at 903 Manchester Street, Lexington. The teaching will be followed by discussion. Suggested readings are .supplied in advance on request. Teachings are free, and donations are .welcome. Visit www.tbel.org, e-mail info@tbel.org or call Richard Farkas at (859) 396-3505.

Sunday ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/400565.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/400565.html Sat, 10 May 2008 07:38 EDT
ST. LOUIS . The African Methodist Episcopal Church will hold its convention in St. Louis this summer despite boycott pleas by local blacks unhappy with the city's white mayor.

More than 40,000 delegates, church leaders and other A.M.E. visitors from around the world will meet July 3-11.

The U.S. church, which has roots dating back to 1787, claims 2 million members in three dozen countries.

St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay joined a dozen A.M.E. leaders at a news conference Tuesday to announce the convention. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/393913.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/393913.html Fri, 02 May 2008 19:46 EDT
HARRODSBURG . Motivated by what they perceive to be an epidemic of illicit drug use in their communities, churches in Mercer County are joining forces to combat the problem.

.The high amount of drug use has helped us cross denominational lines,. said the Rev. Mark Thompson, senior minister at Harrodsburg Christian Church.

To kick off their effort, they are expecting thousands of people to participate in a March for Transformation, to be held in Harrodsburg at 1:30 p.m. May 10.

Marchers will gather at four compass points on the outskirts of the city and converge at the courthouse to sing and raise awareness of the drug problems in their community. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/393910.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/393910.html Fri, 02 May 2008 19:46 EDT
How much would you pay to shorten your minister's Sunday sermon?

On June 29, members of First Presbyterian Church in Georgetown can buy one minute of the pastor's silence by contributing $100 to the church's organ fund. Pastor Gaither Bailey said, .If 20 people step up and buy a minute each, there'll be no sermon that Sunday and everybody will go home 20 minutes early..

The church is hoping to raise $120,000 to pay for the refurbishing of a Votey pipe organ installed there in 1895.

.It's one of three like it in the entire state of Kentucky,. Bailey said. .We want to preserve it like it is.. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/452896.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/452896.html Sat, 05 Jul 2008 09:16 EDT
A Kentucky Anglican church in Maysville that has broken ranks with the U.S. Episcopal Church will witness its first ordination July 12.

Pastor Robert W. .Hudson, a graduate of Trinity School for Ministry in Ambridge, Pa., who has ministered to St. Luke's Anglican Church since May 19, will be ordained to the priesthood in a 10 a.m. service. It will be held at Trinity Lutheran Church, 621 Parker Drive, where St. Luke's 18 members have been meeting for services.

The ordination will be conducted by the Rev. Bill Atwood, a bishop of the All Saints Cathedral Diocese (Nairobi) of the Anglican Church of Kenya.

.Anglican churches .exist under the ministry of .bishops,. Hudson said. .I had known of Bishop Atwood, one of two American bishops providing oversight for the archbishop of Kenya in the United States.. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/452901.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/452901.html Sat, 05 Jul 2008 09:18 EDT
WILMORE . Hawk Nelson Is My Friend might sound like a goofball title for an album, unless you're on MySpace, Facebook or one of the other social networking Internet sites out there.

In that case, you've probably snickered at a message saying someone you've known for life .... is your friend.. Heck, it may even say, .Hawk Nelson is your friend,. which is fine with the band's frontman, Jason Dunn.

.Today with MySpace and Facebook, everyone is looking for friends and to see how many friends you can obtain,. the singer said backstage at last month's Ichthus Festival. .The whole friendship theme is something we've always believed in, since day one. It's never been about putting us on a pedestal above our audience. It's all about being on the same level..

Dunn said that level is under God, and looking to God for hope. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/452902.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/452902.html Sat, 05 Jul 2008 09:21 EDT
Today

. Tibetan Buddhist Community of Lexington, 1800 Gayle Drive, Lexington, will have a slide show on Tibet and a short celebration for the birthday of the Dalai Lama, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. On July 12, a teaching on Introduction to Tantra will be from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Visit www.tbcl.org, e-mail info@tbcl.org or call Richard Farkas at (859) 396-3505.

Sunday

. Saving Grace III will perform at 10:30 a.m. at First Christian Church, 1305 Audubon Ave., Lexington. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/452898.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/452898.html Sat, 05 Jul 2008 09:24 EDT
Music

Jon Foreman

Spring and Summer EPs5 stars out of 5

The Fourth of July .week is an appropriate time to to praise a great .American .songwriter. With his Spring and . Summer EPs, Jon .Foreman has cemented .himself as just that. We should add that the .Switchfoot .frontman is a brave .songwriter (as some of these songs will land him in Dutch with portions of the Christian music community that made him a star) and an exquisite craftsman. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/446219.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/446219.html Sat, 28 Jun 2008 08:48 EDT
Five years ago, Ivan and Alex were best friends, living in an orphanage in the Ukraine.

Today, the 14-year-olds are also brothers, having been adopted by Becky and Mike Child of Lexington.

But they were within a whisker of having to stay in the orphanage, where they would be turned out on the streets at age 16 or 17 with no skills and a dim future.

The Childs, discouraged by the arduous procedures involved in a traditional adoption, .almost abandoned hopes of enlarging their .family. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/446223.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/446223.html Sat, 28 Jun 2008 02:31 EDT
Earlier this month, the Herald-Leader carried an op-ed piece that detailed a dramatic erosion in the numbers and social influence of U.S. evangelical Christians.

The author was Christine Wicker, a former religion reporter for The Dallas Morning News, who has a new book, The Fall of the Evangelical Nation: The Surprising Crisis Inside the Church.

Wicker pointed out, for example, that the largest evangelical denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention, is declining so steadily that, if current trends continue, half its 43,000 churches will be forced to close by 2030.

I agree that evangelical Christianity is losing ground. Wicker offered three explanations while acknowledging that other factors also have contributed to the trend. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/446266.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/446266.html Sat, 28 Jun 2008 02:31 EDT
The Louisville-based Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), bitterly divided over sexuality and the Bible, set up another confrontation Friday over its ban on ordaining non-celibate gays and lesbians.

The denomination's General Assembly, meeting in San Jose, Calif., voted 54 percent to 46 percent Friday to drop the requirement that would-be ministers, deacons and elders live in .fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman, or chastity in singleness..

The proposed change to the church constitution requires approval from a majority of the nation's 173 presbyteries, or regional church bodies . a yearlong process that has been a barrier to similar efforts in the past.

Of equal importance to advocates on both sides of the debate, the assembly also voted to allow gay and lesbian candidates for ordination to conscientiously object to the existing standard. Local presbyteries and church councils that approve ordinations would consider such requests on a case-by-case basis. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/446226.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/446226.html Sat, 28 Jun 2008 08:19 EDT
Today

. The Consolidated District Laymen will sponsor a Prayer Breakfast at 8 a.m. at Macedonia Baptist Church, 103 Cushionberry Lane, Keene.

. Historic Pleasant Green .Missionary Baptist Church, 540 W. Maxwell St., Lexington, hosts its annual Health and Wholeness conference, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The free event's theme is Living the Abundant Life. Continental .breakfast and registration are 9:30 to 10 a.m. Call (859) 254-7952 or (859) 254-7387.

. Udesigned Power Session for Women will be at 1 p.m. at the Lexington Public Library, 140 E. Main Street. Conducted by Christian motivational speaker and life coach Lucrecia Weathers. For more information, visit www.myspace.com/udesigned or call (859) 523-8520. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/446224.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/446224.html Sat, 28 Jun 2008 08:24 EDT
music

Superchick

Rock What You Got | 3 stars out of 5

Superchick breaks the silence . as it often does . of a quiet couple of months for new releases in the Christian rock market with its fourth studio album, Rock What You Got . ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/440490.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/440490.html Sun, 22 Jun 2008 02:04 EDT
MOUNT OF BEATITUDES, .Israel . A dirt path begins across the road from a bus-congested holy site on Israel's Sea of Galilee, .winding up a hill covered with wild oat and thistle.

Thousands of pilgrims each year visit the stone church at Tabgha and other sanctuaries marking Jesus' miracles. But few venture beyond the crowds to the landscape that Jesus walked in the Galilee. Those who do find silence and solace on the rocky hills and in the shade of the olive trees that cover the plains.

Now a private Israeli project has set down a 40-mile hiking path through the region where Jesus ministered. The Jesus Trail hopes to bring thousands of tourists to follow in his footsteps.

The trail is not yet marked, but travelers can hire a tour guide, download GPS coordinates from www.Jesustrail.com or pick up trail maps at tourist sites. The path is meant to be hiked in four days. Pilgrims can sleep near the start of the trail in Nazareth, the town Jesus lived in as a boy, and travel each day to the start of a section. Or they can stay at the occasional guest house offered by kibbutzim and Arab communities or carry tents with them. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/439947.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/439947.html Sat, 21 Jun 2008 06:42 EDT
While Matt Krupp serves in Afghanistan with other members of the 201st Engineer Battalion of the Kentucky National Guard, his wife, Kylene, and 2-year-old daughter Sarah are counting the days until he returns.

Matt calls occasionally, but the separation is tough on his young family. Kylene draws support from Hearts for Heroes, a group of other military family members that meets at Southland Christian Church.

Family members of military personnel learned long ago the value to coming together to help one another. .Any place where military families are located has a group like this,. said Susan Temmermand, Coordinator of Services to the Armed Forces with the Lexington chapter of the American Red Cross.

The military calls it .family readiness,. which Temmermand thinks is a better term than .support group.. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/439949.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/439949.html Sat, 21 Jun 2008 07:08 EDT
The numerous Guitar Hero controllers slung at the Ichthus Festival reinforce the electric six-string's dominance in rock and at Ichthus.

But there was a little four-string instrument that also had a subtle but noteworthy presence in Wilmore last weekend: the violin.

It started with John Porter of Battle of the Bands champion Mile7 pulling out his violin for a few numbers, and it ended with Casting Crowns' Melodee DeVevo showing her well-documented skills with the instrument during Casting Crowns' festival-closing performance.

In between, we were treated to moments including the opening of the set by Skillet, one of the hardest-rocking bands on the main-stage lineup. The band's intro, a countdown of sorts, was teasing the crowd with anticipation of one of Skillet's trademark explosive openings. Instead, we got some virtuoso violin from Jonathan Chu, who also has toured with Todd Agnew. Throughout Skillet's set, he continued to remind us how important violin is in the band's music, especially in powerhouses such as Savior. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/439950.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/439950.html Sat, 21 Jun 2008 07:07 EDT
COLUMBIA, S.C. . South Carolina's lieutenant governor announced last week that he is willing to put up $4,000 of his own money so his state can become the first in the nation to issue .I Believe. license plates with the image of a cross and a stained glass window.

Civil rights groups are considering lawsuits. An attorney for the New York-based American Jewish Congress, Mark Stern, said the legislation allowing the plates is an obvious endorsement of religion by legislators in an election year.

South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford allowed the license plate bill to become law without his signature, noting the state already has a process to allow special plates for any cause as long as enough people come together and put up the money needed to buy them.

Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer helped push the measure through the General Assembly, saying it gives people a way to express their beliefs. The idea came from Florida, where a proposal for an .I Believe. tag ultimately failed. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/439948.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/439948.html Sat, 21 Jun 2008 07:55 EDT
Books

.The Words of Jesus'

By Phyllis Tickle Jossey-Bass. 206 pp. $22.95.

This is a hybrid book: three parts devotional, one part scholarly. It is easy to read and will be easy to give as a gift. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/439951.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/439951.html Sat, 28 Jun 2008 08:17 EDT
Today

. Old Union Christian Church, 6856 Russell Cave Road, will commemorate its 185th anniversary Saturday and Sunday. The event will begin with a picnic at 5 p.m. Saturday at the church. Food will be provided. On Sunday, a worship service will feature several former ministers at 10:30 a.m. A potluck lunch will follow.

. Victory Christian Church's education department will have a fund-raising carnival from 6 to 9 p.m. at 148 Victory Ave. The carnival will feature games, prizes, food, raffles and silent auctions. Call (859) 539-3763.

. The Eckankar Center of Lexington, 153 Patchen Drive, Suite 55B, will host Animals Are Souls Too! from 1 to 2 p.m. Call (859) 268-4888. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/433525.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/433525.html Sat, 21 Jun 2008 07:54 EDT
GEORGETOWN . They make quick work of it, these flower ladies.

Within an hour, four funeral arrangements and all manner of blooms spread across a table in the basement of the First Christian church are transformed.

The ladies catch up for a while, talking about family and the week that has passed, but soon they are concentrating, filling empty glass vases adorned with cards that say Friends with Flowers.

Soon enough, the staid arrangements are released from the metal frames and merged with the simple blossoms into playful bouquets ... peach roses kissing tangerine gerbera daisies, which are nestled close to snapdragons in yellow and lilac. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/433523.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/433523.html Sat, 14 Jun 2008 07:05 EDT
I had lunch the other day with an old friend who was passing through Mount Sterling with his wife.

Back in the day . or as Bruce Springsteen would say, in our glory days . this guy and I played football together at Campbellsville High School.

I'm glad to report that neither of us is so pitiful that 35 years later all we can talk about is our erstwhile teenage jockdom. At our lunch, the subject hardly came up.

But seeing my buddy reminded me how much of my early life revolved around football. I started playing in the fourth grade, when I joined a youth team, and continued my career, such as it was, through junior high and high school. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/433526.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/433526.html Sat, 14 Jun 2008 10:44 EDT
WILMORE . As Ichthus winds down, here are a few festival notes for today and next year.

The Closers

The past several years, Ichthus has calmed down for a late Saturday afternoon worship service complete with a mass communion service. Then, it was party time with high-spirited acts like Audio Adrenaline, tobyMac or last year's dream ticket of closers: Switchfoot and Relient K.

Tonight's closers are a dream ticket, too: Casting Crowns and the David Crowder Band. But festival director Jeff James says that he was definitely trying to end on a more worshipful note. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/433529.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/433529.html Sat, 14 Jun 2008 01:51 EDT
Aspiring writers who hope to find an audience among Christian readers can learn how to reach them at the Kentucky Christian Writers Conference, June 20-21 in Elizabethtown.

Peggy Clark, author of The Power of the Lamb's Blood and a number of magazine articles, has attended the conference three times and found it offers the fledgling writer many opportunities.

.A lot of good teaching takes place, especially with the keynote speaker,. said Clark, who lives in Lexington.

This year's featured speaker is Karen Moore Artl, senior acquisitions editor for Thomas Nelson Publishers. Artl has written books including When You Haven't Got a Prayer and Joyous Holiday Season and has a broad background in marketing. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/433530.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/433530.html Sun, 15 Jun 2008 11:32 EDT
Music

TobyMac

Alive and Transported | 4 stars out of 5

I am taking a morning walk through my suburban neighborhood, but in my head, I am at the Ichthus Festival or anywhere TobyMac is presenting his backflipping, breathless show. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/433524.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/433524.html Sat, 14 Jun 2008 07:02 EDT
Today

. The Tibetan Buddhist Community of Lexington will hold a teaching today and June 21, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at 903 Manchester St. No previous knowledge of Buddhism is necessary. Teachings are free. Call (859) 396-3505 or check the Web site (http://www.tbcl.org).

Thursday

. First Baptist Church, 804 West 5th St., London, will host the Sacred Winds ensemble Thursday, 8 p.m. The group comprises 70 musicians from 10 states. The performance is free. Call (606) 864-4194. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/426846.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/426846.html Sat, 07 Jun 2008 08:55 EDT
Stephanie Smith will be on the main stage at this week's Ichthus Festival twice, a Wednesday evening showcase of acts from her label, Gotee Records, and a 4:10 p.m. slot Thursday. But before that, she'll be in Lexington joining festival-goers who get into town early to work on a mission project organized by the festival and several Central Kentucky ministries and churches.

.One of my goals in this music-band-rock-star thing is not just to stand on the stage and show people that I like to sing,. Smith says. .I really have a heart to better the community and serve and love people at their point of need. This is an opportunity to do that and to get to know the community..

Smith's desire to serve is, in large part, due to the failure of her first attempt at a recording career.

.I went to college to pursue music and pursue the rock-star thing,. Smith says. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/426850.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/426850.html Sat, 07 Jun 2008 08:49 EDT
ELIZABETHTOWN . You can find the oldest free-standing mosque in Kentucky here, and in two months, you will also be able to visit Kentucky's newest Islamic center, which includes a mosque, or masjid, as well as places for gatherings such as weddings, anniversaries, lectures and sports.

The new $2 million Islamic center, just north of the current center at 2816 Ring Road, is expected to be completed in July.

.We started the (current) mosque in 1987, expanded in 1996, then came to the point where we couldn't expand anymore,. said Dr. Yusuf Deshmukh, a physician at Elizabethtown Hematology-Oncology PLC and spokesman for the Islamic Center of Elizabethtown.

.We took on a project which is quite a bit for the size of the community,. Deshmukh said. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/426844.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/426844.html Sat, 07 Jun 2008 08:48 EDT
Music

Dave Barnes

You + Me+ The World 4 stars out of

Though Dave Barnes is a somewhat atypical .artist in the Christian market, he initially seems easy to .categorize. You think of him in that Mat Kearney, Matt Wertz group of singer-songwriters with a faith base and a mainstream audience, particularly in the college market. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/420212.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/420212.html Sat, 31 May 2008 08:25 EDT
In some festooned Sunday school classroom on some weekday in July, some first-grade girl will fuss with crepe paper and foam board, silk flowers and sticky glue, and she will don herself a mighty fine skirt that wiggles just so when she does.

And thus spake Moses.

The Lord works in mysterious ways.

This, my dear Christians, is vacation bible school, and somehow, some way . and we are casting no aspersions because teaching children about faith is a good thing anyway you do it . someone has connected parting the Red Sea with hula dancing. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/420208.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/420208.html Sat, 31 May 2008 08:28 EDT
A craft often done at vacation bible school, summer camp or Sunday school is known as .Eye of God. or .Ojo de Dios.. The Huichol people of northwest Mexico are thought to have originated the art. Each point of the .ojo. represents earth, fire, air and water, and is to remind us that God is watching over all things.

It can be as complex or as simple as the crafter chooses, and requires only two sticks and yarn.

Supplies:

. Two craft sticks or anything remotely like a stick ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/420207.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/420207.html Sat, 31 May 2008 01:48 EDT
Some of the churches offer dinner before VBS, special transportation arrangements, and other activities during VBS week. Call the church for full details.



Anchor Baptist Church, 3601 Winthrop Dr. .Outrigger Island.. 9 a.m.-noon June 23-27. Ages: 3 years old through 5th grade. (859) 296-1214, www.anchorbaptistchurch.org.

Athens Christian Church, 6295 Athens-Boonesboro Rd. .Power Lab.. 6:30-8:45 p.m. June 8-12. Ages: Preschool through 5th grade. (859) 263-5452. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/420280.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/420280.html Sat, 31 May 2008 02:05 EDT
In April, the church launched a six-week drive to raise $8.6 million for the project, hoping to draw commitments from 900 church families.

Members responded mightily. Church leaders announced this month that their fund drive, dubbed Imagine 2: The Power of Everybody, had brought in pledges of $12.6 million from 958 families.

"When we asked them to bring their (pledge) cards forward, it was like a choir standing," said Assistant Pastor Justin McCarty. "It wasn't just people giving, but people who gave ridiculously and sacrificially, giving not just money but part of their heart."

McCarty, who has been with the church since 2001, attributes the success of the fund drive to the shared vision of the church: "transforming unconvinced people into wholehearted followers of Jesus."]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/420211.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/420211.html Sat, 31 May 2008 08:30 EDT
The Kenwick Neighborhood Association and Victory Christian Church are teaming for a tour of residents' homes and gardens on June 8.

The Kenwick Neighborhood Association Bungalow Tour features homes and gardens on six of the area's streets, located just east of downtown Lexington.

.Last year, we were expecting 200 to 250 people. We got 600,. said Len Sorrell, a member of the neighborhood group and an elder at Victory Christian.

The 80-year-old church, where participants can park, is the first stop on the tour, Sorrell said. Tickets are $5, and refreshments including a bake sale will be available. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/420209.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/420209.html Sat, 31 May 2008 08:30 EDT
Today

. The choir of the Lexington Chinese Christian Church, 4030 Lexington Road, Nicholasville, is performing Chinese folk music to raise funds for earthquake victims in China. The concert at the church begins at 8 p.m., followed by a candlelight vigil at 9 p.m. The Kentucky Chinese American Association and the UK Chinese Student and scholars association are joining the church in collecting donations and sponsoring the event. For information, call (859) 271-3065.

. Duncan Chapel United Methodist Church-Jimtown, 2289 Jimtown Lane, continues its Centennial Celebration with .A Giant Yard Sale With Food, Fun and Games. at 1 p.m. The event will feature bingo, cakewalks, raffles and an auction. Call (859) 263-8819 for more information.

. Vision Church of Holiness will have a service for its pastor, the Rev. Larry Weathers Sr. at 1 p.m. The guest speaker will be the Rev. James Price, of Burress Temple, Lockland, Ohio. The service will be at 704 Holladay Drive, Danville. For more information, call Yolanda Weathers, (859) 583-9510 or e-mail evangelist.weathers@gmail.com. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/413970.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/413970.html Fri, 23 May 2008 19:42 EDT
The highly anticipated movie, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, sequel to the 2005 blockbuster The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, has created another intense wave of interest in C.S. Lewis, the author of The Chronicles of Narnia, on which the movies are based.

.There's certainly more interest now because of the movies,. Devin Brown, English professor and Lewis scholar at Asbury College, said. .It will probably send many new readers to discover the books, and the books are always better than the movie. Whether they are believers or not, there are great stories there for them to enjoy..

Brown said the writer's power as a storyteller is one reason his books have never gone out of print in the 58 years since the first tale came out.

.I'll be curious how the Harry Potter books will be doing in 58 years. The fact that Lewis' books are more popular today than ever says a lot about him.. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/413965.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/413965.html Fri, 23 May 2008 19:42 EDT
In late March we had a small party for my 52nd birthday. My girlfriend, Liz, cooked dinner for me and my son, John, my daughter-in-law, Cassie, and my dad.

After the meal, I opened a birthday card from John and Cassie. Its cover read, .Wise. Generous. Helpful. Occasionally goofy. Quick with a hug. Full of great advice. It's a grandpa thing..

The message didn't register.

Inside, the card's print said: .Thanks for doing it so well. Happy birthday, Grandpa!. I still didn't get it. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/413968.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/413968.html Fri, 23 May 2008 19:42 EDT
LONDON . A church famous for its classical music concerts recently celebrated the end of two years of renovations with a grand reopening in the heart of London.

Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles attended the ceremony at St. Martin-in-the-Fields in London's Trafalgar Square.

The church hosted a three-week celebration with baroque orchestra concerts and Church of England services. The restoration project, funded in part by the National Lottery, cost $72 million and began in 2006.

.With all the activity of tourism in Trafalgar Square, the need for a place of solitude and retreat from the city was very evident,. said architect Eric Parry. .And that's what the church now is.. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/413969.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/413969.html Fri, 23 May 2008 19:42 EDT
Word that the Vatican had declared devout Catholics free to believe in aliens traveled at warp speed last week, around the globe and, quite possibly, to points unknown.

Earth-bound theologians and astrophysicists debated it, online .Jedi Council. forums erupted in geeky chatter, and many who have long dared to believe that life exists beyond our terrestrial confines felt some small measure of vindication.

The Roman Catholic Church has never been considered anti-alien. In fact, Catholic priests and scholars have written about the issue of extraterrestrial life since at least the Middle Ages. What made last week's statement significant, several experts say, is that the comments by the Rev. Jose Funes, director of the Vatican Observatory, were printed in the Vatican's own newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano . That gave his words a certain papal heft.

It has also made for some lively discussions between liberal and conservative theologians. The Rev. Christopher Corbally, vice director of the Vatican Observatory, said he has been bombarded with e-mail from colleagues pondering whether God could have created more than one world and whether other beings could be granted redemption via a Christ-like savior. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/413967.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/413967.html Sat, 24 May 2008 08:49 EDT
Phil Stacey

Phil Stacey |4 stars out of 5

Chris Sligh

Running Back to You | 3 stars ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/413966.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/413966.html Sat, 24 May 2008 08:44 EDT
Today

. Tibetan Buddhist Community of Lexington will hold a teaching titled How to Develop Bodhicitta from 10-11:30 a.m. TBCL meets at 903 Manchester Street in Lexington. Visit www.tbcl.org, e-mail info@tbcl.org or call Richard Farkas at (859) 396-3505.

Sunday

The Aaron Crabb Family will perform at Bread of Life Assembly of God Church, 1705 Jennifer Road, at 10:30 a.m. For more information, call (859) 294-5205. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/407287.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/407287.html Sat, 17 May 2008 09:20 EDT
Upon his death in 1854, London Ferrill was buried on East Third Street in the Episcopal Burying Ground's rector's plot. He was not the rector at Lexington's influential and powerful Christ Church, nor had he ever been.

Heavens, Ferrill had spent his whole life as a Baptist.

But he was unquestionably an extraordinary man of faith, having given over his life to God at age 11, having overcome physical and social obstacles to gather his own church flock until it numbered 1,800 and having lived a life worthy enough to draw 4,500 mourners to the funeral of a poor but pious man.

If one earns such a thing, Ferrill earned his place in that beautifully shaded cemetery. He was only one of three Lexington clergymen who had determined to stay behind to minister to the dying during the merciless cholera epidemic of 1833. He had lost his wife early to the disease but remained, knowing of the pain of loss. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/407288.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/407288.html Fri, 16 May 2008 19:47 EDT
I've long tried to figure out what makes some of us want to see our thoughts set down in print, as if the things we say are so important they should be preserved.

It's not just me. Everywhere I go, I meet people who tell me they're would-be writers. They've just finished a novel, are working on an essay, intend to start a blog.

Back in the 1970s, when I still lived with my parents, my grandmother, Lennie Prather, came to stay with us.

She was dying. She'd been in a coma and then spent a lengthy spell recuperating in a nursing home. Her muscles and eyesight had atrophied. She could barely sign a birthday card legibly. She had, at best, an eighth-grade education. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/407296.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/407296.html Fri, 16 May 2008 19:47 EDT
Graduating seniors at area high schools will have a chance to wear their caps and gowns more than once. The baccalaureate service, traditionally a religious service for graduating seniors, is surviving for at least one more class of graduates.

Because public schools cannot compel their students to attend faith-based events, participation is voluntary and student attendance can be sparse. Parents have taken on the task of organizing the ceremonies. And in doing so, they've backed off from a purely religious message and placed the emphasis on inspiration.

.We're trying to do it without it being an overtly religious ceremony,. said Todd Porter, acting president of the Lafayette PTSA. .That can become a little bit tricky..

About 100 seniors from Henry Clay are expected to attend its baccalaureate, said organizer Gesela Brown. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/407299.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/407299.html Fri, 16 May 2008 19:47 EDT
Mega-church pastor, televangelist and all-around happy guy Joel Osteen is appearing in Louisville Sunday to hold a .Night of Hope..

Osteen is a busy man. His ministry includes leading Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, writing best-selling books, and appearing on TV, streaming video and podcasts. From Osteen's Web site .. http://joelosteen.lakewood.cc/ . you can even sign up for a daily dose of .Inspiration in your inbox..

After Louisville, his tour goes to Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; San Antonio, Texas; Chicago, and Calgary, Alberta. In the past two months, he has appeared in Memphis; Greensboro, N.C., and Pittsburgh, Pa. Pittsburgh and Greensboro were both sold out.

Osteen's newest book, Become a Better You is typical of his message. His other books include titles like Starting Your Best Life Now, 30 Thoughts for Victorious Living and Living the Joy Filled Life. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/407294.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/407294.html Sat, 17 May 2008 09:28 EDT
Today

. The Women of St. Paul A.M.E. Church are .sponsoring a .My Man Can Cook. .competition at noon at the church, 251 North Upper Street, Lexington. There will be four categories: chili/soup, entrees, desserts and something special (anything that doesn't fit in the other categories). Tickets for the tasting are $5.Call (859) 255-7945. Also, the women will celebrate Women's Day at 11 a.m. May 25. The guest speaker will be the Rev. Maxine Thomas, the new assistant pastor of St. Paul A.M.E. Church. An afternoon program will begin at 4 p.m. featuring Ohio gospel recording artist Marlyce McCants and the Jimtown Male Chorus.

. The Eckankar Center of Lexington will host .What Goes Around Comes Around: The Law of Karma,. an informal spiritual discussion, 1 to 2 p.m. at 153 Patchen Drive, Suite 55B. Call (859) 268-4888.

. The Tibetan Buddhist .Community of Lexington will hold a teaching, .How to .Develop Bodhicitta,. 10 to 11:30 a.m. at 903 .Manchester Street. The teaching will be followed by discussion. Teachings are free, and donations are welcome. Go to www.tbel.org, e-mail info@tbel.org or call Richard Farkas at (859) 396-3505. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/407297.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/407297.html Sat, 17 May 2008 09:26 EDT
music

Stephanie Smith

Not Afraid | 3 stars out of 5

Christian music is almost a decade removed from an era where it seemed afraid to let women rock. From Jennifer Knapp (Where have you gone?) to Fireflight's Dawn Richardson and the BarlowGirls and .Superchicks in between, the .Christian .market has gotten used to hearing a .woman's voice in front of a hail of guitars, to the point that it doesn't make headlines. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/400561.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/400561.html Sat, 10 May 2008 07:41 EDT
It's great to have friends when you are sick. But it's not so great for the phone to ring all day long when you feel lousy.

As a friend, you want to help, but don't know how. Call? Drop off a casserole? Send a card?

In stressful times, caregivers must figure out how to share information with lots of people and friends must figure out how best to help without being invasive. One possible solution: Check the internet.

Web sites are available to offer those in need a manageable and convenient way to communicate with those who want to help. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/400563.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/400563.html Fri, 09 May 2008 19:42 EDT
Add the Ichthus Festival to the growing list of cultural outposts .going green..

At last year's festival, the second edition held in June and after most school systems close, Ichthus began bringing in church groups who were coming to the festival anyway and asking them to do service projects in Lexington and Eastern Kentucky in the half-week before the music started.

This year, those projects will have an environmentally-friendly theme.

During the three days before the festival, the mission groups will participate in clean-up and planting projects in several Lexington inner-city neighborhoods and Eastern Kentucky communities, and they will help educate kids in those areas about how they can be more environmentally friendly. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/400566.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/400566.html Fri, 09 May 2008 19:42 EDT
CHICAGO . Liberal, religious voters are making their voices heard. And the youngest voices are often the loudest, as a new generation of believers begins to reshape the public discourse on faith in America.

Beau Underwood is a 22-year-old at the University of Chicago Divinity School, an active member of the Disciples of Christ and . in his spare time . he's showing candidates that the path to political righteousness doesn't always veer right.

Underwood and a growing number of other young, left-leaning believers are entering the political arena as campaign aides, lobbyists, grass-root activists and engaged voters. They are trying to expand the focus of faith-based politics beyond the religious right's hot-button issues of abortion and gay marriage. And they are placing social justice issues, like poverty and war, at the intersection of their moral and political decision making.

.The religious voice in politics is not one unified voice,. said Underwood, a self-described moderate who has worked as an aide on several Democratic local and congressional campaigns in his home state of Illinois. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/400568.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/400568.html Fri, 09 May 2008 19:42 EDT
CHICAGO . Hour by hour, the prayers seemed to take on a weight and importance all their own.

Prayers were scripted on note cards or scribbled on walls. These were the innermost wishes of mothers, fathers and children at Chicago's Adventist Bolingbrook Hospital, part of a continuous chain of prayer and reflection going around the clock for seven days.

The continuous worship is a piece of a larger .24-7 Prayer. movement that is growing in popularity in the United States and globally.

As church membership declines, 24-7 Prayer offers something different. It's less structured than the typical church setting; communities of worshipers can gather just about anywhere . warehouses, theaters, nightclubs. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/400564.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/400564.html Fri, 09 May 2008 19:42 EDT
Saturday

. The Leadership of the Christian Community and Concerned Citizens will have a March for Transformation at 1:30 p.m. in Harrodsburg. People from Mercer County and surrounding communities concerned about drug abuse will march through Harrodsburg, ending at the courthouse lawn. Call Pete Presley at (859) 621-5555; Central Kentucky Christian School at (859) 734-9347; or Pam Sims at (859) 583-5045.

. The Tibetan Buddhist Community of Lexington will hold a teaching titled Samsara and Nirvana from 10-11:30 a.m. at 903 Manchester Street, Lexington. The teaching will be followed by discussion. Suggested readings are .supplied in advance on request. Teachings are free, and donations are .welcome. Visit www.tbel.org, e-mail info@tbel.org or call Richard Farkas at (859) 396-3505.

Sunday ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/400565.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/400565.html Sat, 10 May 2008 07:38 EDT
ST. LOUIS . The African Methodist Episcopal Church will hold its convention in St. Louis this summer despite boycott pleas by local blacks unhappy with the city's white mayor.

More than 40,000 delegates, church leaders and other A.M.E. visitors from around the world will meet July 3-11.

The U.S. church, which has roots dating back to 1787, claims 2 million members in three dozen countries.

St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay joined a dozen A.M.E. leaders at a news conference Tuesday to announce the convention. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/393913.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/393913.html Fri, 02 May 2008 19:46 EDT
HARRODSBURG . Motivated by what they perceive to be an epidemic of illicit drug use in their communities, churches in Mercer County are joining forces to combat the problem.

.The high amount of drug use has helped us cross denominational lines,. said the Rev. Mark Thompson, senior minister at Harrodsburg Christian Church.

To kick off their effort, they are expecting thousands of people to participate in a March for Transformation, to be held in Harrodsburg at 1:30 p.m. May 10.

Marchers will gather at four compass points on the outskirts of the city and converge at the courthouse to sing and raise awareness of the drug problems in their community. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/393910.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/393910.html Fri, 02 May 2008 19:46 EDT
How much would you pay to shorten your minister's Sunday sermon?

On June 29, members of First Presbyterian Church in Georgetown can buy one minute of the pastor's silence by contributing $100 to the church's organ fund. Pastor Gaither Bailey said, .If 20 people step up and buy a minute each, there'll be no sermon that Sunday and everybody will go home 20 minutes early..

The church is hoping to raise $120,000 to pay for the refurbishing of a Votey pipe organ installed there in 1895.

.It's one of three like it in the entire state of Kentucky,. Bailey said. .We want to preserve it like it is.. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/393911.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/393911.html Fri, 02 May 2008 19:46 EDT
Today

. The Bluegrass Believers, Chapter No. 657 of the Christian Motorcyclists Association, will have a motorcycle ride. Registration will begin at 9:30 a.m. at Donerail Travel Station, at Exit 120 off Interstate 75. Riders will leave at 11:30 a.m. for an approximately 100-mile ride. There will be music by The Iceman, door prizes and a .for fun. bike show. A $10 donation is suggested, with all money going to missions.

. Grace and Truth Ministries will have .10 Days of Healing, Miracles and Salvation. May 3 to 13. The services will include music and refreshments. Services will be at 2 p.m. May 4 and 11 and at 7:15 p.m. May 6 and 13 at 474 Stone Road, Lexington, and at 7:15 p.m. May 8 and 9. Call (859) 771-4391 or (859) 887-5612.

. The Tibetan Buddhist Community of Lexington will hold a teaching titled Establishing a Daily Practice from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at 903 Manchester Street. The teaching will be followed by discussion. Suggested readings are .supplied in advance on request. Teachings are free, and donations are welcome. E-mail info@tbcl.org or call Richard Farkas at (859) 396-3505. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/393912.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/393912.html Sat, 03 May 2008 09:09 EDT
Music

Dizmas

Dizmas | 4 stars out of 5

It's always a good sign when you're listening to an album if your fingers drift over to the volume button to turn it up. Something's caught your attention, and you want more. Dizmas has several such moments on its new self-titled album, affirming that Forefront Records made a smart move bringing the act into its fold. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/391090.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/391090.html Wed, 30 Apr 2008 02:02 EDT
The order by the General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission overturns the ruling of a lower court that found the Rev. Jane Adams Spahr in violation of the constitution of the church by officiating at weddings for lesbian couples in New York in 2004 and California in 2005.

The order issued Tuesday said, "The ceremonies that are the subject of this case were not marriages as the term is defined (by the Book of Order). These were ceremonies between women, not between a man and a woman. ... It is not improper for ministers of the Word and Sacrament to perform same sex ceremonies."

The church's Book of Order says, "Marriage is a civil contract between a man and a woman," and does not prohibit blessings of same-sex couples that are not determined to be marriages.

The high court said in the ruling that the lower court had erred by finding Spahr guilty "of that which by definition cannot be done. One cannot characterize same sex ceremonies as marriages for the purpose of disciplining a minister of the Word and Sacrament and at the same time declare that such ceremonies are not marriages for legal or ecclesiastical purposes."]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/387138.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/387138.html Sun, 27 Apr 2008 11:05 EDT
Improve your productivity without working harder or longer!

Expand your circle of influence!

Learn the real secret of success!

The claims promise that you, too, can recharge your emotional power pack at the Get Motivated Seminar, which will be rocking Rupp Arena on Tuesday. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/387137.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/387137.html Fri, 25 Apr 2008 19:39 EDT
Last month I turned 52. It was something of a shock. Fifty-two isn't decrepit, but it's sure a lot older than I used to be.

I still think of myself as being about 26 . until I pass by a mirror or a plate-glass window and see my late grandfather, Fred Prather, staring back at me.

As you age, a lot of things change besides your looks.

I've written this before, but one thing I find different in my own life is that the older I get, the less I judge people. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/387439.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/387439.html Sat, 26 Apr 2008 02:06 EDT
The Rev. Jane Adams Spahr, retired after 30 years in the ministry, was charged in California two years ago with officiating at the weddings of two lesbian couples in 2004 and 2005. Routinely, disciplinary cases in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) are heard by a Presbytery, a larger body to which the church belongs.

In 2006, the Redwoods Presbytery court affirmed her ministry and ruled that same-sex marriages are not "outside of, or contrary to, the essentials of the Reformed faith as understood by the Presbytery of the Redwoods."

But that ruling was challenged by those who prosecuted Spahr, and was appealed to the next-highest church court, the Synod Permanent Judicial Commission. The synod court overturned the presbytery decision and ordered Redwoods Presbytery to censure Spahr, but recommended the minimum penalty, a rebuke.

Spahr then appealed to the denomination's highest court, the General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission, which heard the case Friday at the Presbyterian Church USA Center in Louisville.]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/387139.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/387139.html Fri, 25 Apr 2008 19:39 EDT
Awards

. Lexington-based .YouthRoots.com, published by Lightworks New Media, has been nominated for a Webby and People's Voice Award for best religion and spirituality Web site. The Webby awards are presented by the .International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, a 550-member group of Web experts and business figures. The People's Voice award is selected by online voters. To vote, go to http://peoplesvoice.webbyawards.com.

Today

. The Consolidated District Laymen will sponsor a prayer breakfast at 8 a.m. at Greater First Baptist-Sharpsburg, Ash and Montgomery Streets. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/387141.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/387141.html Fri, 25 Apr 2008 19:39 EDT
DALLAS . Nearly 1,000 United Methodists lay and clergy delegates . mainly from the United States, but with a strong African contingent . have been gathered since Wednesday in Fort Worth for General Conference, a term that covers the denomination's top legislative body and the body's quadrennial meeting.

.There's such a diverse and global feel to it,. Kentucky's lead clergy delegate, Debbie Wallace-Padgett, senior minister at St. Luke's United Methodist Church in Lexington, said. .We have (delegates from) 50 nations and five continents representing 111/2 million members around the world.

.We talked about how we came from all walks of life but are one people with a mission: to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world..

This epic exercise in church democracy lasts nine days, during which about 1,600 resolutions and proposed changes to church law and policy . everything from revising the denomination's hymnal to boycotting companies with questionable labor practices . will at least get looked at by a committee. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/386335.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/386335.html Fri, 25 Apr 2008 02:06 EDT
With the backing of Turkey's reform-minded government, the team of 80 Islamic academicians from around the world is preparing to release a revised collection of the prophet Muhammad's words and deeds, which guide Muslims on everything from brushing their teeth to reaching heaven.

By year's end, the academics hope to prepare a new intellectual road map for Islam.

The revised collection of Muhammad's guidance will be the latest initiative in a contentious debate about the role of Islam in an era when the most prominent Muslim figures, at least in the West, are extremists such as Osama bin Laden. The rise of al-Qaida and the prominence of hard-line Islamist groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah and the Taliban, argue some Islamic reformers, has created a warped view of Islam in the West.

"This may help to take the words of the prophet from the hands of people who are using them to legitimize their bad deeds," said Mehmet Gormez, the vice president of Turkey's Religious Affairs Ministry, which is overseeing the project.]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/381608.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/381608.html Sun, 20 Apr 2008 02:05 EDT
The pope referred to St. Patrick's several times in his homily, using the building's qualities as a starting point to discuss faith.

"Perhaps more than any other church in the United States, this place is known and loved as 'a house of prayer for all people,'" the pope said, quoting Scripture. "Each day, thousands of men and women and children enter its doors and find peace within its walls."

He devoted several minutes to artist Charles Connick's stained-glass windows, which "flood the interior with mystic light."

The 2,200-seat white marble cathedral -- with 330-foot spires-- opened in 1879.]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/381607.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/381607.html Sun, 20 Apr 2008 02:05 EDT
On a highly personal day, he spoke of his own "spiritual poverty" and said he hoped to be a worthy successor to St. Peter, considered the first pope.

The German-born pope lamented that what he called "the joy of faith" was often choked by cynicism, greed and violence. Yet he drew an analogy to show how faith can overcome distractions and trials.

"The spires of St. Patrick's Cathedral are dwarfed by the skyscrapers of the Manhattan skyline, yet in the heart of this busy metropolis they are a vivid reminder of the constant yearning of the human spirit to rise to God," he said.

In America in particular, he has said repeatedly, the religious intensity stands out in marked contrast to the tepid spiritual emphasis in his native Europe. That makes the United States a testing ground for him in his bid to counter secular trends in the world.]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/380610.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/380610.html Sat, 19 Apr 2008 08:10 EDT
Back in the late 1970s, Barry Benton started flying small teams of dentists and doctors on mission trips to Haiti, hoping to fulfill God's will by helping to improve medical care for needy residents of the impoverished Caribbean nation.

The first trips were tough. Benton, then a Lexington attorney, would take three or four volunteers at a time in his little single-engine plane, making grueling 12-hour flights from Lexington with multiple refueling stops along the way, ending with a six- or eight-mile hike to the small town of Ranquitte in Haiti's northern mountains.

Nevertheless, they soon had a little medical clinic and a small school in Ranquitte (pronounced ron-keet), supported by a organization back in Lexington that they called Christian Flights International. CFI, now a non-profit corporation based in Richmond, celebrated its 30th anniversary last year.

.The little elementary school we started had 12 students, and I think they have about 1,000 students now,. Benton said last week. .They have a computer lab, can you believe that? They have solar panels to recharge their lights. They have lots of other programs going. It's amazing how far things have come.. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/380609.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/380609.html Sat, 19 Apr 2008 08:16 EDT
For years, Asbury College has touted its international media credentials, with graduates working for broadcast and theatrical outfits around the world.

Next weekend, the Wilmore school will put that reputation on public display with a three-day Engaging Culture Weekend, April 24-26.

. Friday night is Narnia Night in Hughes Auditorium, in anticipation of the May 16 release of The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, Disney's second film from C.S. Lewis' beloved fantasy series. The night will feature C.S. Lewis scholar extraordinaire Devin Brown, an Asbury College professor who recently published Inside Prince Caspian: A Guide for Exploring the Return to Narnia . He also published a very well received guide to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe when it came out in 2005.

Also appearing at Hughes, which reportedly will be transformed into a Narnia world with actors in costume playing parts from the story, will be Clayton Ferguson, who formerly worked with Narnia producers Walden Media and is now working with the Narnia Museum Exhibit, which will be traveling through the world the next five years. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/380612.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/380612.html Fri, 18 Apr 2008 19:38 EDT
LVIV, Ukraine . The .rustic beauty of Ukraine's famed wooden churches is surpassed only by their capacity for survival.

Dotting the countryside from the Carpathian .Mountains to Crimea, they have withstood centuries of unforgiving winters. During World War II, Nazi shelling raked the Ukrainian heartland. Under Soviet rule, they became grain silos and warehouses for items such as mattresses and pesticides.

Now, in an era when democracy and religion thrive in Ukraine, wooden churches as old as six centuries face ruin at the hands of the unlikeliest of enemies . the priests and parishioners who became their guardians and, unaware of their historical significance, began .improving. them.

In Sytykhiv, a hamlet hidden away in western Ukraine's dense woodland, preservationist Andriy Salyuk strides up to one of them, shaken by what he sees. Sheathed in plastic siding is the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a wooden Ukrainian Greek Catholic church built in 1878. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/380611.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/380611.html Sat, 19 Apr 2008 08:21 EDT
Music

P.O.D.

When Angels and Serpents Dance | 3 stars out of 5

What better way for a band to welcome back its estranged guitar player than to give him an entire new album? After P.O.D, experienced success with Satellite in 2001, guitarist Marcos Curiel left the band or was kicked out. Although his replacement, Jason Truby, was creative, it wasn't the same arresting music that propelled P.O.D. to the forefront of the Christian music market and made them significant players in the mainstream as well. The P.O.D. saga is proof that you can have all of the talent in the world, but in a group, you have to work great together. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/380608.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/380608.html Sat, 19 Apr 2008 08:18 EDT
Today

. The Eckankar Center of Lexington will host .Come Share Your Dreams.. In this open discussion, participants can share their dreams and learn from others from 1-2 p.m. at 153 Patchen Dr., Suite 55-B. Call (859) 268-4888.

. Tibetan Buddhist Community of Lexington will hold a teaching titled .All About Karma. from 10 to 11:30 a.m. The teaching will be followed by discussion. Suggested readings are supplied in advance upon request. Teachings will be held at 903 Manchester Street. Teachings are free, and donations to TBCL are welcome. For questions or to request the readings, e-mail info@tbcl.org or call Richard Farkas at (859) 396-3505.

. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans will sponsor a regional blood drive today through April 27 with a goal of 1,500 blood donors. More than 50 Lutheran schools and churches will participate including Gethsemane, Good Shepherd, Word of Hope, Our Redeemer, St. Johns, Victory Lutheran and Faith Lutheran churches will take part. To make an appointment to donate, visit www.kybloodcenter.org or call 1-800-775-2522. The drive will be kicked off from 9:30-11 a.m. April 19 at Kentucky Blood Center, 3121 Beaumont Centre Circle, Lexington. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/373764.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/373764.html Sat, 12 Apr 2008 08:56 EDT
When Pope Benedict XVI visits the United States next week, the Bluegrass will be well represented.

The Diocese of Lexington received 75 tickets to distribute among parishioners . 50 to see the pope celebrate Mass at Yankee Stadium in New York City on April 20, and 25 to see him in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, said Deacon Jim Paris, diocesan secretary for pastoral life.

The 25 Washington tickets all went to St. John School in Georgetown, where the seventh- and eighth-grade classes were already planning a school trip to the nation's capital.

.They planned the trip because it tied in with their curriculum in American history,. said Carrie Thayer, communications director of Saints Francis and John Catholic Community. .But when they found out the pope was coming, they extended the trip from four days to five days.. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/373761.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/373761.html Sat, 12 Apr 2008 08:55 EDT
I've just finished reading Graham Greene's The Power and the Glory , one of the finer novels I've read in a long while, maybe ever.

It explores a pair of mysteries inherent in religion: first, that supposedly saintly men and women also may happen to be frightened, feeble sinners; and second, that none of us can measure accurately the impact, good or evil, we've had on others.

Greene, who was British, is among my favorite writers, but I'd never gotten to The Power and the Glory, even though critics consider it his masterpiece. The novel was originally published in 1940.

Greene was a Roman Catholic, yet hated the label .Catholic writer.. He considered himself instead a writer who just happened to be a Catholic. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/373766.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/373766.html Sat, 12 Apr 2008 09:01 EDT
WILMORE, KY . Asbury College is hosting a weekend of entertainment April 24-26 that includes a concert, a film festival and a sneak peak at an upcoming Disney movie.

The weekend opens with the Spring Classic Concert featuring Bruce Broughton, an Academy Award nominee and Emmy award-winning composer, best known for composing the score for the film Silverado . Along with Asbury College music students, the concert will include a Beethoven Piano Concerto and a piece Broughton was commissioned to write for the new Energy Pavilion at Disney's Epcot Center.

At Narnia Night, participants will .enter the world of Narnia through media and Lewis scholars,. according to the college's Website. The event is based on the children's book series by C.S. Lewis, Chronicles of Narnia. The evening includes a presentation by Asbury College professor Devin Brown. Participants will see an extended clip from Disney's upcoming movie Prince Caspian, which is based on one of the Chronicles books .

The fourth annual Highbridge Film Festival takes place Saturday. The festival is a competition of films submitted by college and high school students. The competition includes three categories: short narrative (must be 8 minutes or less); documentary short (must be 10 minutes or less) and super short (must be under 3 minutes). ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/373763.html http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/373763.html Sat, 12 Apr 2008 08:51 EDT
Today

. Tibetan Buddhist Commu