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LOUISVILLE, KY

PERMIT NO 1737

Highland Presbyterian Church

1011 Cherokee Road

Louisville, KY 40204

April 2020

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1. Cut out and color Flat Jesus.

2. Take pictures of Flat Jesus hanging outwith you: on a walk around your neighborhood,watching worship on line, doing laundry, etc.As you take these photos, remember that Jesus iswith you wherever you go.

3. E-mail these photos to Rob: rob.miller@hpclouisville.org

4. Watch for your (and others’) Flat Jesus photos in the newsletter andaround HPC!

Flat Jesus

Last week, when I took this photo of tulips in the courtyard garden here in the building where we live at the Masonic Home, we were beginning to live into the reality of restricted access to our campus. In any other year, I would have relished this confinement because last weekend would have been the first and second round of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament! Oh well, as they

say. As our daily lives and routines have been thoroughly disrupted, and as uncertainty breeds anxiety, it is important to remind ourselves of the things that have not changed.

First, it is spring. All around us, the beauty of this season is exploding as lawns and bushes, flowers and trees emerge from winter browns into the glorious colors of new and abundant life. God’s beautiful world remains an enduring sign of God’s immense creativity and providential care for all of life. As you get out in your neighborhood or even just in your yard, savor these signs of beauty. Celebrate the beauty. Give thanks to the Author of Life.

Second, as I write this on March 23, we are half-way through Lent. A couple of weeks ago, I started a Sunday afternoon study on a book called The Pilgrim’s Compass. The author’s thesis is that we think about our spiritual lives through the metaphor of pilgrimage, a journey in which we are open to discovering ourselves, God and one another in new ways. Obviously, we have suspended our class, but I would share a couple of thoughts.

First of all, there is something ironic about considering pilgrimage (which in the literal sense involves travel) in this particular year when many if not most of us are severely restricted in where we can go or even what there is to go to. All the more reason to consider journey as metaphor. When we travel, we inevitably encounter the need to change. Things happen that we do not and cannot anticipate. A successful journey requires openness and flexibility. Right relationship with God is not a static state but rather a life-long experience in which we come to know God and ourselves at ever-deeper levels.

Second, the journey that we make in the season of Lent is not geographical but theological. We are not going anywhere physically. We are going (if we make the journey) to the heart of God. We are headed to Easter, the powerful sign of God’s triumph over death, destruction, and despair. But the road to Easter leads only through Good Friday – the day of death, destruction, and deep despair. Our hymns express these things better than our best theology. “What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul? What wondrous love is this that caused the Lord of bless to bear the dreadful curse for my soul, for my soul!”

The end of Lent is the triumph of grace and goodness. We will likely not be together on Easter Sunday, but whenever we do regather as community, it will be Easter! We will have so many hymns to sing, but these words by Brian Wren are very strong. Wren wrote this Easter hymn in 1968, when Easter fell just ten days after the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: “Christ is alive! Let Christians sing. The cross stands empty to the sky. Let streets and homes with praises ring. Love drowned in death shall never die.”

Keep on the journey. Keep in touch. Keep well. Keep hopeful. It will be Easter.

-Cynthia Campbell

“SHARING HOPE FROM THE HEART OF THE HIGHLANDS” APRIL, 2020

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Gifts have been given to the Rapier Fund in memory of Bill Burbank by Mary Ellen Harned, and Frances O’Connor.

Gifts have been given to the Memorial Fund in memory of Bill Burbank by JoAnn Utter, Walter & Maude Baker, J. Irvin Nichols, Daniel Jones,

and Elaine and Barry Wise.

Gifts have been given to the Memorial Fund by Elaine and Barry Wise in memory of Vi Sigler, Stewart Cobb, Betty and David Jones.

Gifts have been given to the Community Relief Fund in honor of Cynthia Campbell by Elaine and Barry Wise.

Highland is most appreciative of these gifts.

Session Summary A report from the March 2020 Session Meeting.

The HPC Session met by Zoom video conferencing.

The Session approved suspending the examination of the new Elders, and to consider them to be full members of the Session from this date forward. They have had training, and they have been elected by the congregation. Formal ordination and installation will come at a later date.

Church in the World - The Session approved first quarter mission disbursements, previously approved in the budget: Habitat for Humanity - $2,500; Highlands Community Ministries - $5,500; Cabbage Patch - $3,000;

Kentucky Refugee Ministries - $2,000, Mid-Kentucky Presbytery - $15,159.38.

Deacons are in the process of calling all church members, seeing what the needs of members are, and how those can be met.

In Memoriam

Frank Heller, III

Sept. 18, 1954 - Mar. 17, 2020

Music News As many of you know, all music activities at Highland have been suspended due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The month of March had several choir concerts planned, but unfortunately, all of them had to be canceled or postponed in order to ensure the health and safety of all. This virus hurts not only for the illness that it inflicts but because it strikes at the very heart of who we are. We are social beings who strive to be with one another, and that’s exactly what we have had to give up. However, we must remember that our current situation is for now only, not forever. We will meet again. We just need to be patient. I am hesitant to say when we will return. I do not believe any of us know when that will be. However, when we do, I know that we will resume in full force. I am hoping by Pentecost. If that’s the case, the brass and timpani that normally play for Easter, will play for Pentecost. It will be a huge celebration! I am also hoping that if the quarantine ends in early May, we could potentially have HPC Orchestra play as originally scheduled for Pentecost as well. Like I said, it will be a huge celebration. I have also spoken with Worship and Spiritual Life Committee, and we are determined to reschedule the Arts on the Corner Concert that was canceled. Too much time and effort was given by so many to abandon such a beautiful project. We will just simply wait until the time is right. Until then, I leave you with the words of one of my favorite hymns.

1) God be with you till we meet again;

By his counsels guide, uphold you;

With his sheep securely fold you.

God be with you till we meet again.

2) God be with you till we meet again;

When life’s perils thick confound you,

Put his arms unfailing round you.

God be with you till we meet again.

3) God be with you till we meet again;

Keep love’s banner floating o’er you;

Smite death’s threat’ning wave before you.

God be with you till we meet again.

[Chorus]

Till we meet, till we meet,

Till we meet at Jesus’ feet,

Till we meet, till we meet,

God be with you till we meet again.

-Vini Frizzo

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These are crazy times, y’all. There’s no way around it. Our hands are chapped from washing them so much, our workplaces are shutting down, our kids are at home with us ALL THE TIME, there’s no toilet paper left in Louisville, and who knew we touched our faces so much on a daily basis?! Not to mention this whole deadly virus thing….

Our lives are affected in so many ways, both large and small, and while I wrote the first paragraph in levity, it is a daunting and horrible situation that we find ourselves in. It is first and foremost important that you try and stay physically healthy by washing your hands, practicing social distancing, and quarantining yourself if you feel sick, but it is also very important that you take care of your mental health during this time.

The Depression Project put out this graphic showing why the Coronavirus is challenging us as a society so much. First, our mindsets have been switched from ‘living’ to ‘survival’ mode. We are constantly on edge and the news, social media, and rumors are not helping our brains switch anytime soon. This time also obviously promotes social withdraw and loneliness, which can be isolating even when you are surrounded by members of your family, not to mention excruciating if you live alone. While it is certainly normal to feel anxiety during this time of so many unknowns, it’s going to be key to find ways to let parts of it go. Some levels of anxiety can be helpful: in keeping us vigilant in handwashing for example, but the unproductive anxiety that can make our minds spin out of control is what we need to work on.

Staying grounded can be especially helpful, and by that I mean, looking at what is surrounding you and trying to live in that exact moment. You can do this in your head (or even out loud if you need someone to talk to) by listing what you sense around you. A tangible coping skill for grounding is to list: 5 things you see, 4 things you physically feel, 3 things you hear, 2 things you smell, and 1 thing you taste to bring you back to your present reality instead of letting our thoughts spin madly on.

Some other things you can do to care for yourself are: putting the news and social media away, taking care of your body by stretching, meditating, exercising, and eating healthy well-balanced meals. You might need to start eating less if you are doing less physical activity than you do normally. Get plenty of sleep and do so without the aid of drugs or alcohol. Take time to yourself – if you live with others right now, schedule time to be alone as well as together having fun. Talk to others about how you are really feeling. Pick up the phone and spend this time reconnecting to those you don’t normally have the chance to. Send letters! Lots of letters! Focus on what you can and cannot control. You may have seen this graphic by The Counseling Teacher making the rounds on social media. It’s a helpful reminder of what we need to be focusing on and need to be letting go of during this time.

If you need some resources, there are great apps for mental health! Headspace is one that I use frequently. There are guided meditations, sounds and guided exercises to help you wind down and sleep, as well as workouts for stress relief. There is also a YouTube channel called Cosmic Kids that is fun yoga and mindfulness to do with your children who are at home and crazy all the time. Finally – talk to a professional. Teletherapy was just approved to be used by all therapists in Kentucky and they are offering lots of training times and capabilities, so you can easily find a therapist who will talk to you on the phone or on video. Let’s keep checking in on each other and keep taking care of ourselves. If you know of anyone needing anything, let a pastor or deacon know! It might be a long time until we are physically in the same space, but we can still be the church in spite of our current challenges.

-Megan McCarty

Coping with the Coronavirus

Holy Week is a tough subject for children! I’ve learned over the years that even for adults the idea of betrayal, a brutal death, and resurrection are difficult things for adults to wrap their heads around (including mine!). So, for kids, it’s that much harder! However, after watching the movie Frozen 2 about 13 times in a week (thank you covid-19), I think that movie is an intriguing metaphor for exploring the Holy Week story with Kids!

Palm Sunday – Watch the beginning of the movie through the song “Some Things Never Change.” All of the images in this movie up through this song are of family and friends coming together, enjoying meals together, and playing together. These things remind me of Palm Sunday when Jesus and his followers have a parade together! They are celebrating Jesus! Ask questions in your family about what you like to celebrate together and how they celebrate! Are some of those things you do to celebrate things you do every year (like birthday parties or Christmas traditions)? Compare these to the story of Palm Sunday. Jesus was coming to Jerusalem like Jews did every year to celebrate Passover! (read John 12:12-16)

Maundy Thursday – Continue watching the movie through the scene where Anna and Elsa find their parents’ boat. For children, Maundy Thursday can be about remembering who you are. Anna and Elsa learn that water has memory and they see images of their family from when they were younger. Jesus and his disciples remember the important stories of the Jewish people (specifically, the Passover). What do your kids like to remember? After Anna and Elsa are on the boat, Elsa sends Anna away and Anna feels betrayed. Talk about how Jesus might’ve also felt betrayed by Judas. How do we respond when our friends betray us? (read Matthew 26:20-29)

Good Friday – Continue watching the movie through the part where Elsa is frozen. Elsa learns that she is supposed to tell the truth about what happened between the Northuldra and the Arendallian peoples. However she is frozen. Jesus, too, has learned that he must tell the truth about God – even when others are being unkind to him. However, he dies. Explore questions with kids about why telling the truth can be hard. Ask how Elsa tells the truth even after she is frozen (you may have to watch a bit further, but she sends a message to Anna through the water droplets). How does Jesus’ dying also help him tell the truth? (In Jesus’ death, we see how much God was willing to give up to show how much God loves us. After Jesus’ death, we see that for God, death isn’t the end of the story.) Read Mark 15:21-24

Easter Sunday - Watch the rest of the movie! Watch how Elsa becomes unfrozen and how Olaf becomes a snowman again! This is resurrection! This happens because they have faith that those around them will take care of them. In Jesus’ death, he too had faith that he would be resurrected. Explore the story of Jesus’ resurrection and talk about how surprised and amazed the disciples must’ve felt! Read Matthew 28:1-10

Overall, my favorite way to present the Holy Week journey to kids is to show them how we are whole at the beginning (at the Palm Sunday Parade). Then we are separated from one another (through sin, betrayal, etc.). Finally, we come back together in the resurrection even stronger and more complete than we were before the week started. Sometimes we (like Jesus and his disciples) have to go through tough stuff before we become complete again. Elsa has to be separated from her family and learn about her past in order to be the person she is created to be. I like to remind kids that if the story doesn’t have a happy ending, then God’s not done with the story yet.

-Doodle Harris

Holy Week for Kids

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Staying Connected during Coronavirus

Want to receive communications from the church via email? If you didn’t receive this newsletter via email, that means you haven’t opted in to our electronic email group. That means you may occasionally miss important announcements from Highland Presbyterian Church. If you’d like to be added to our email list, please email or call Rob (rob.miller@hpclouisville.org) or 502-451-2910.

Continue to worship with Highland Presbyterian Church If you didn’t know, we’ve been broadcasting our Sunday Worship services! You can find the recorded videos on our website (www.hpclouisville.org) or on our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/highlandpres/). We invite you to worship with us virtually every Sunday at 11:00am as we continue to socially distance ourselves.

Adult Ed. Sunday School Classes Not wanting to miss our on any of the fun that is video-conferencing, the Feasting on the Word and A Place at the Table adult education Sunday School classes have continued to meet the past weeks. If you’d like to join either of these classes, please contact Megan at megan.mccarty@hpclouisville.org.

Fellowship Groups Several Fellowship small groups have been virtually gathering for time together. If you would like information on any of the groups meeting electronically, please email Megan at megan.mccarty@hpclouisville.org.

Prayer Requests During this extended period of being physically away from church, we remain available for all pastoral concerns. If you would like to submit prayer requests, please visit our website (www.hpclouisville.org) or call the church office. While we are currently unable to be together, we will always remain a supportive church family.

Calendar Due to the uncertainty surrounding the duration of the coronavirus and the impact it will have on event cancellations, be sure to visit our church calendar (www.hpclouisville.org/news-events/calendar/) for the most up to date information.

Making Masks Several motivated WINGS (Women In God’s Spirit) members have put together sewing kits and instructions to make masks. If you have a sewing machine and would like to help out, please contact Kathy Reed (kathyreed330@gmail.com) or Janet Raderer (traderer@bellsouth.net) to coordinate getting supplies to you. They will be able to supply you with detailed instructions, including a video to explain the process.

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Apr. 1: Edy Ewing

Apr. 2: Kevin Burns

David Dobson

Trey VanCleave

Apr. 3: Dorissa Falk

Melissa Head

Annie Kerman

Apr. 4: Carl Thomas

Cooper Osborne

Matt McLaren

Jozy Jones

Jess Rift

Apr. 5: Eddy Gilbert

Apr. 6: Lincoln Weible

Apr. 8: Jess Mays

Ben Weible

Apr. 9: Carol Pye

Apr. 10: Martha Makela

Apr. 12: Lynn Coryell

Apr. 13: Hayden Brown

Apr. 14: Linda Raymond Ellison

Apr. 15: Teresa Flynn

Apr. 16: Robert Stansbury

Hank Hoyt

Apr. 17: Joyce Metzger

Roger Taylor

Doodle Harris

Apr. 18: Frances O’Connor

Daphne Westbury

Janice Prichard

Betsy Barrick

Apr. 19: Vernon Broyles, III

Apr. 20: Lenna Soltau

Sue Latta

Austin Giesel

Apr. 21: Taylor McGovern

Greg Sekula

Apr. 22: Nancy Pearcy

Cyrus Tucker

Marie Cross

Daniel Burford

If we ever forget your birthday, or we have it wrong, please let us know!

Apr. 23: Grover Potts

Fred Holper

Apr. 25: Brad Devlin

Mary Rapier

Margy Ann Palmer

Apr. 26: Will Catlett

Ann Holmes

Laura Patterson

Courtney McClure

Logan Trentham

Apr. 27: Brennen Burns

Apr. 28: Bruce Plymale

Apr. 29: Susan Miller

Apr. 30: Beckett Kim

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