Letters to the Editor 1-27-16

Dear Corbin Community,

According to the Old Testament, when Israel was saved from Egypt, they were saved for something: the Promised Land. Some 1500 years later, the apostle Paul reminds the Galatians that, like their forefathers, they have not just been saved; they have been saved for something: eternal life.

Here, Paul is trying to highlight for the Galatians how Christian salvation, like salvation from Egypt, gives way to a journey. One is saved and called to live into that salvation. Just as entering The Promised Land first required a journey through the desert, so too does experiencing eternal life require the lifelong process of becoming a new creation.
Which leads to a quick word on salvation. (Literally.)

The Hebrew word for “salvation”—yesha—is directly connected to the Hebrew word shalom, “wholeness.”  For the Old Testament Hebrews, to enter shalom was to become whole. It was to experience health in mind, body, soul, and spirit.

And it still is.

As Christians, we, like the Galatians, have been saved—and we have been saved for something. We have been saved to enter shalom. To become whole. To become new creations—and what follows is the ongoing process of becoming those new creations.

This year at First Baptist Corbin we will be participating in an initiative called “The Wholeness Project: Living Into Salvation.” Rooting ourselves in the original meaning of the Hebrew word yesha, we will be engaging in activities aimed at the cultivation of our minds, our bodies, our souls, and our spirits. What’s more, we will be reflecting on how these activities are inextricably connected with our Christian salvation.

And we’d love for you to join us.

This Friday, January 29th, at 7PM in our church sanctuary, we will kick off “The Faith and Film Series,” where we will screen the Robin Williams film Dead Poets Society, to be immediately followed by a moderated discussion of the film’s spiritual themes at Corbin Cellars.

The following week, on Wednesday, February 3rd, at 6:15 PM, we will kick off “The Faith and Vocation Series,” with a panel discussing “Faith and Medicine.” Here, I will moderate a discussion with several of our local doctors—including Dr. Bill Daniel, Dr. Steve Morton, Dr. Aaron House, Dr. Chris Troxell, and Baptist Health Corbin president Larry Gray—about the intersection of Christian faith and the daily practice of medicine.

Then, at 12PM on February 10th, Ash Wednesday, we will kick off the “Faith and Communion Series,” where we will hold a 30 minute worship service that will include a prayer, a hymn, a homily, communion, and a bagged lunch. This is intended to be a space where the Corbin community can come together as one, regardless of church affiliation, and commune as—and with—the body of Christ.

Finally, we will kick off a series called “The Faith and Culture Café” on Sunday, March 6th at 6PM at You and Me Coffee and Tea, where a 30 minute talk on literature, philosophy, faith, film, music, and pop culture will be followed by a 30 minute discussion of topics from the talk.

Each of these series will meet at a regular time each month: “Faith and Film” on the final Friday, “Faith and Vocation” and “Faith and Communion” on the first Wednesday, and “The Faith and Culture Café” on the first Sunday. Childcare will be provided for each.

Again, we’d love for you to join us, and if you have any questions, please give us a call.

Here’s wishing you a happy and blessed 2016. May you experience the joy of Christ’s salvation and the wholeness that comes from living into it.
Shalom,

Austin Carty
Senior Pastor, First Baptist Church Corbin

To the Editor:

If you’re looking for a fresh start and a new job in the New Year, let Job Clubs work for you!

With practical lessons and expert-led activities planned to help get you back to work, Job Clubs in Knox County is now better positioned than ever to deliver hands-on assistance that can help you write a professional résumé, learn how to succeed in job interviews, connect with employers, workforce professionals, and other jobseekers, and create a winning game plan for your job search.

Join us at the Knox County Job Club, which will meet starting Wednesday, January 27th, at the KCEOC Kentucky Career Center, 464 Court Square, Barbourville, KY.
The Knox County Job Club is brought to you by a partnership between Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program, Inc. (EKCEP), KCEOC and the Kentucky Career Center Office of Employment and Training (OET).

Our career experts in the Job Clubs partnership have brought together a program powered by the career-advising industry’s best ideas and tools to help those searching for employment build the skills and connections they need to find rewarding new work.

In Job Clubs, you will:

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The experts who will guide you through Job Clubs and on your way to a successful new job have been in this industry for years and know what needs to be done to get you on the fast track toward employment.

To attend the next Knox County Job Club meeting, stop by the KCEOC Kentucky Career Center, 464 Court Square, Barbourville, Kentucky starting 11 a.m. on Wednesday, January 27, 2016.

All new members are asked to arrive 30 minutes prior for new member orientation. For more information or to speak with a Career Advisor about the Knox County Job Club, please call 606-546-2639.