Mitch Carnell

Effective Communication Made Simple

Posts Tagged Chautauqua

Civility Discussion at Baptist House

Aug 12

Posted by Mitch in Say Something Nice | Comments off

            The discussion of Christian Civility at Baptist House at the Chautauqua on August 8 went really well. There was much discussion and it was great to hear the experiences of others. It remains difficult to understand how we Christians treat other Christians with such disrespect. Chautauqua and Baptist House stand in such great contrast to the harsh rhetoric that is often present.

            Pat and Bud (Ernest) Brown are such gracious hosts and have created the right atmosphere for such discussions. Baptist House itself is a beautiful setting for Christians of all faiths to gather.

            I did not take enough of the Say Something Nice buttons. They were in great demand this year. I hope all who were there and all who read this will take up the challenge. Adopt Say Something Nice Sunday, the first Sunday in June, in your church and help us encourage others to be more Christ-like in our daily communication. This was the 3rd. year for this Brown Bag Lunch Discussion. I am thankful for the generous hospitality of Pat and Bud Brown.

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Brown Bag Lunch at Baptist House – Aug. 8

Jul 31

Posted by Mitch in Say Something Nice | Comments off

            I will lead a brown bag lunch discussion on Christian Civility at the Baptist House at the Chautauqua Institution in New York State at 12:15 on August 8. The United Church of Christ House is also a partner. The event is open to everyone. Rev. Bud Brown, resident chaplain of Baptist House, said, “This is certainly a topic that is very appropriate at Chautauqua. Rev. Laverne Gill, chaplain/administrator, of the UCC Society, said that they were happy to be a part of the discussion. Copies of, Christian Civility in an Uncivil World, will be available at the lunch It is also available as an ebook.  The Chautauqua Institution began in 1874 and has grown from there. It is on the banks of Lake Chautauqua and is a beautiful Victorian community.

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Thankful Thursday – The Rev. Dr. Loren Mead

May 10

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On this Thankful Thursday, I am grateful for the gifts that the Rev. Dr. Loren Mead brings to my life. Loren is an Episcopal priest now retired but called back into the trenches by Saint Alban’s Episcopal Church near the Washington Cathedral. He writes a blog, “The Daily Cup.” He grew up in South Carolina and served churches in Moncks Corner and Chapel Hill. In 1974 he founded the Alban Institute and served as its president. The Institute works with troubled churches. He is a graduate of the University of the South and the University of South Carolina. I met him in the summer of 1996 at the Chautauqua Institution where he gave a series of five lectures on, “The Once and Future Church.” I had the great unexpected pleasure of talking with him. He assured me that the Southern Baptists were not the only group being ravaged by fundamentalism. Then he offered me the most profound advice concerning our own local struggles. “Mitch, stay as long as it nourishes you.” Where could you find more sage advice? I followed his recommendation and continue to be nourished by a great and wonderful fellowship. We have reconnected recently and he has given his thumbs up to Say Something Nice Sunday. His latest book is the, Financial Meltdown in Mainline?  He is also an ardent swimmer. On this Thankful Thursday, I am grateful for the influence of Loren Mead in my life.

Thankful Thursday is a day set aside to recognize the importance of someone to our lives and to let her or him know of our gratitude. Develop an attitude of gratitude. Say Something Nice; Be a Lifter. You will be glad that you did.

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Thankful Thursday – The Rev. Dr. Linda M. Bridges

May 3

Posted by Mitch in Articles | 1 Comment

On this Thankful Thursday, I am grateful for the gifts that the Rev. Dr. Linda M. Bridges brings to my life. I first heard her at Chautauqua as the chaplain of the week in 1996. Because she, Joan Lipscomb Solomon and I are all South Carolinians we got together for lunch at the Athenian Hotel, the oldest wooden hotel in the United States still in service. Joan was a classmate at Furman and wrote a religion column for the Daily Chautaquan. Linda is a delightful person. Her father was a mountain preacher in the areas around upper Greenville County. She is one of the women forced out of her position at Southern Seminary, (Women should not teach men.) where she received her Ph. D. Linda had a profound influence on me that week with her preaching and living example of, “Grace upon Grace.” What a wonderful explanation of our lives. No one else has captured the meaning or the words of explanation that Linda did. She was a founding faculty member at the Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond where she taught New Testament, Greek and Women’s Studies.  She published, The Church’s Portrait of Jesus, in 1997 and, A Commentary on 1-2 Thessalonians, in 2007. She is now at Wake Forest University where she is Associate Director of Admissions. I will be forever grateful for the gifts that Dr. Linda Bridges brings to my life.

Thankful Thursday is a day set aside to recognize the gifts of someone special to our lives and to let her or him know of our gratitude. Develop an attitude of gratitude. Say Something Nice; Be a Lifter. You will be glad you did.

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