Pastor's Page

Mike and his wife,  Dot were born and raised as Kentuckians and are graduates of Western Kentucky University.  They have three adult children and four grandsons.  Their daughter and her family live in Lexington and they have recently moved here to be near them.

The Presbyterian Church USA is a full communion partner with the ELCA, and this placement was discussed and supported by both our I-K Synod Bishop Bill Gafkjen and the General Presbyter Rev. Philip Lotspeich of the Transylvania Presbytery.

A MESSAGE FROM PASTOR MIKE:

 Theologian Adam Hamilton wrote a book entitled: Seeing Gray in a World of Black and White. It seems that over the last couple of generations we, as a people, have become more & more polarized—to the point that, even family members cannot talk about certain topics like politics & religion. So, being able to see some good on either side of a particular issue is allowing gray in a world where many can only see only their particular side. Even on life threatening issues, some folks cannot bear to consider abandoning their positions—even when world-renowned experts have researched the concern and given guidance to the contrary. The truth is that the planet upon which we live and the communities that we build depend upon our discovering common ground with each other. If we but follow the Christ example of living peaceably, we soon re-discover: Jesus commanded that we love God and our neighbor as we love ourselves. I see nowhere in the Bible where we, as individuals, are to strive to have the last word in any lively discussion. Ultimately, God is the last word through the command to love & respect our neighbor. May we begin to understand one another by uttering the prayer: "God help me to remember to love my neighbor and may I hear them out concerning their side of our joint concerns & the feelings they express.” A powerful next step is for us to ask our neighbor sincere questions to better understand their position and the history of how they came to it. In this way, we just might be on the path to a better understanding between us. John 7:51 and Proverbs 18:13 combine to give us good advice in any situation: "Give them a hearing...listen before we answer." Finally Ephesians 4:15 exhorts us: "Speak the truth in love." The peace of Christ that passes all human understanding, Pastor Mike