Have you ever just wanted to hear quiet? With all of the talking and yelling and beeps and honks and commercials and other noises that seem to occupy all of our space, it would feel good to be able to turn it all down and make room for something else. With all the opinions and conflicting voices, we are expected to sort through it all and try to find something that assures us that things will be okay. Sometimes we just have to remember that in truth, it's just noise.

*My sermon on July 30, 2023 at ⁠⁠⁠Bluegrass United Church of Christ⁠⁠⁠ in Lexington, Kentucky.

SCRIPTURE: Luke 19: 37-39

Learn more about us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠believingbetter.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kennybishop.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠facebook.com/kennybishop.page⁠⁠⁠

Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠twitter.com/kennybishop⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/kenny.s.bishop⁠⁠⁠

Substack: ⁠⁠⁠kennybishop.substack.com⁠

Some of us are kinda spooked at the thought of God knowing everything about us. But it's probably because we've been warned of a god that gets some kind of strange delight out of taunting us with judgment, then punishing us for whatever kind of "sin" we've been secretly living in. But that's not the God we ever find in the bible. We can take comfort in knowing that God does in fact know us and takes great delight in loving us just the same.

*My sermon on July 23, 2023 at ⁠⁠⁠Bluegrass United Church of Christ⁠⁠⁠ in Lexington, Kentucky.

MESSAGE: "God Knows" by Kenny Bishop

SCRIPTURE: John 4: 4-7, 9-16

Learn more about us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠believingbetter.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kennybishop.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠facebook.com/kennybishop.page⁠⁠⁠

Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠twitter.com/kennybishop⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/kenny.s.bishop⁠⁠⁠

Substack: ⁠⁠⁠kennybishop.substack.com⁠

June is Pride Month, and this is Pride weekend in Lexington. Since our founding, BUCC is a welcoming church that proudly affirms those who identify as LGBTQ+, and we feel especially called to speak to the discrimination and mistreatment they often face as individuals and as a community. Pride is about celebrating who they are, their history, and their worth. We invite everyone to see them as God does. Btw, we think God is pretty proud of them.

*My sermon on June 25, 2023 at ⁠⁠⁠Bluegrass United Church of Christ⁠⁠⁠ in Lexington, Kentucky.

MESSAGE: "My Pride" by Kenny Bishop

SCRIPTURE: Proverbs 16: 18

Learn more about us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠believingbetter.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kennybishop.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠facebook.com/kennybishop.page⁠⁠⁠

Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠twitter.com/kennybishop⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/kenny.s.bishop⁠⁠⁠

Substack: ⁠⁠⁠kennybishop.substack.com⁠

Most of us white Americans have only recently become educated on the significance of June 19th. As Black communities have celebrated Juneteenth, a day that could rightly be seen as America's true Independence Day, too many of us who never learned about the final pronouncements of freedom to the enslaved people of Texas simply lived without the knowledge and the inspiration it brings. Most Americans are also unfamiliar with Homer Plessy and John Marshall Harlan and their contributions to eliminating some of our nation's most racist laws. So let's learn together.

*My sermon on June 18, 2023 at ⁠⁠⁠Bluegrass United Church of Christ⁠⁠⁠ in Lexington, Kentucky.

SCRIPTURE: Galatians 4: 7

Learn more about us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠believingbetter.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kennybishop.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠facebook.com/kennybishop.page⁠⁠⁠

Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠twitter.com/kennybishop⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/kenny.s.bishop⁠⁠⁠

Substack: ⁠⁠⁠kennybishop.substack.com⁠

It means something to "be the church." We can say we are the church, but actually being the church is something else altogether. It means we must do more than claim our position as followers of Christ, it means we must mimic his ways of compassion and embracing humanity. As we continue our spring series on being the church, today's focus is on enjoying this life, its blessings, its joys, and its laughter.

Some audio clips of comedian Mark Lowry are featured in this service. You can learn more about Mark at www.marklowry.com.

*My sermon on May 21, 2023 at ⁠Bluegrass United Church of Christ⁠ in Lexington, Kentucky.

SCRIPTURE: Philippians 4:4

Learn more about us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠believingbetter.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kennybishop.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Facebook: ⁠⁠facebook.com/kennybishop.page⁠⁠

Twitter: ⁠⁠twitter.com/kennybishop⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠instagram.com/kenny.s.bishop⁠⁠

Substack: ⁠⁠kennybishop.substack.com

A lot of people claim Christianity as their religion. But claiming it and being it are not always the same thing. To be a Christian is to mimic Jesus, and that often means we must follow his lead in taking positions against the things that demean humanity. Racism is one of the big ones, and sadly, many self-identified Christians have traded what Jesus says about it for what their favorite politician has to say. Jesus calls it a sin, so I believe racism is a sin.

*My sermon on May 14, 2023 at Bluegrass United Church of Christ in Lexington, Kentucky.

SCRIPTURE: Romans 10: 12 & Psalm 82: 3-4

Learn more about us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠believingbetter.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ and at ⁠⁠⁠⁠kennybishop.com⁠⁠⁠⁠

Facebook: ⁠facebook.com/kennybishop.page⁠

Twitter: ⁠twitter.com/kennybishop⁠

Instagram: ⁠instagram.com/kenny.s.bishop⁠

Substack: ⁠kennybishop.substack.com

It means something to "be the church." We can say we are the church, but actually being the church is something else altogether. It means we must do more than claim our position as followers of Christ, it means we must mimic his ways of compassion and embracing humanity. Embracing the diversity of God's humanity is vital to our witness. Discrimination of any sort defeats our witness, and more importantly, works against God's intentions for our world.

*My sermon on April, 2023 at ⁠Bluegrass United Church of Christ⁠ in Lexington, Kentucky.

MESSAGE: "Us" by Kenny Bishop

SCRIPTURE: Genesis 1: 27a

Learn more about us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠believingbetter.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ and at ⁠⁠⁠⁠kennybishop.com⁠⁠⁠⁠

Facebook: ⁠facebook.com/kennybishop.page⁠

Twitter: ⁠twitter.com/kennybishop⁠

Instagram: ⁠instagram.com/kenny.s.bishop⁠

Substack: ⁠kennybishop.substack.com

NOTE: Much of today's message is brought by the beautifully inspiring Robin Wall Kimmerer. You can learn more about Robin and find her books on her website at robinwallkimmerer.com

It means something to "be the church." We can say we are the church, but actually being the church is something else altogether. It means we must do more than claim our position as followers of Christ, it means we must mimic his ways of compassion and embracing humanity. Today, the day after Earth Day, we continue our spring series "Be the Church" focusing on protecting the environment. The psalmist says the earth is the Lord's, which means it is intended to belong to all of creation, which means it is not ours to abuse and consume.

*My sermon on April 23, 2023 at ⁠Bluegrass United Church of Christ⁠ in Lexington, Kentucky.

MESSAGE: "The Lord's Earth" by Kenny Bishop

SCRIPTURE: Psalm 24: 1-2

Learn more about us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠believingbetter.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ and at ⁠⁠⁠⁠kennybishop.com⁠⁠⁠⁠

Facebook: ⁠facebook.com/kennybishop.page⁠

Twitter: ⁠twitter.com/kennybishop⁠

Instagram: ⁠instagram.com/kenny.s.bishop⁠

Substack: ⁠kennybishop.substack.com

It takes a lot of humility to step down from your place of power and position to serve in a task that most would consider an insult. It's one of those lessons Jesus taught by example when he left the supper table, girded himself with a towel, and started washing his servants' feet. When they protested, he told them that it was necessary for the world to know that everyone is a servant to their neighbor. Lately, we have seen power on display at the state capital in Tennessee where powerful white men shut down and expelled young, Black legislators who've been muzzled and were desperate to be heard as voices standing up for the victims of a recent mass shooting there. What if Jesus was one of those legislators?

*My sermon on April 7, 2023 at Bluegrass United Church of Christ in Lexington, Kentucky on Good Friday.

MESSAGE: "How They'll Know" by Kenny Bishop

SCRIPTURE: John 13: 1, 3-5, 12b -14, 34-35 (NRSV)

Learn more about us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠believingbetter.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ and at ⁠⁠⁠⁠kennybishop.com⁠⁠⁠⁠

Facebook: ⁠facebook.com/kennybishop.page⁠

Twitter: ⁠twitter.com/kennybishop⁠

Instagram: ⁠instagram.com/kenny.s.bishop⁠

Substack: ⁠kennybishop.substack.com

We tend to think of Jesus' entry and ride into Jerusalem on a donkey as the beginning of the end for his earthy work and ministry. The events of that day will lead to his last meal with his followers, his betrayal, his execution, his burial, and his resurrection. But it seems we've forgotten the reason the people were most excited to see this peasant leader. It was because he was supposed to bring change. They believed he was coming to change the way the government and those in power were ruling over them. Today in the U.S., thousands of our children and citizens are dying senselessly because of guns. Just like those first-century citizens needed someone to step up and lead the charge, we need someone to come and make some change.

*My sermon on April 2, 2023 at Bluegrass United Church of Christ in Lexington, Kentucky on Palm Sunday.

MESSAGE: "Palms of Change" by Kenny Bishop

SCRIPTURE: Matthew 21: 1-11

Learn more about us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠believingbetter.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ and at ⁠⁠⁠⁠kennybishop.com⁠⁠⁠⁠

Facebook: ⁠facebook.com/kennybishop.page⁠

Twitter: ⁠twitter.com/kennybishop⁠

Instagram: ⁠instagram.com/kenny.s.bishop⁠

Substack: ⁠kennybishop.substack.com