September 2020 – June 2021
"Embracing The Prophets in Contemporary Culture" with Walter Brueggemann
Lead by Susan Bolduc
September 13 – October 18 2020
10:30 am on Sunday's via Zoom
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84364439242
Meeting ID: 843 6443 9242
The prophets have left a rich legacy for people of faith to study and to help us to understand the character of God. They are loved for their poetic prose. But who were the prophets and why did they become a voice of such opposition?
The prophets engaged in the hard work of truth telling about the reality of their country’s pending demise. Israel was in spiritual, political, and economic decline. There was great economic inequality, and the people were worshiping false gods. Although the empire was in decline, the culture still hailed the wealth and greatness of the nation. The prophets’ words broke through the cultural denial that all was well.
These courageous prophets were social outcasts who were often ignored and ostracized for their views. Jeremiah complained to God about how badly he was treated. He was threatened with death, deported to Egypt, he was beaten and put in jail, and thrown in a cistern. He was poor and rejected by family and friends. Rabbi Abraham Heschel, an old testament scholar, said that “The prophets are persons who suffer from a profound maladjustment to the spirit of society, with its conventional lies, with its concessions to mans weakness. This maladaptation can be characterized as moral madness (as opposed to psychological madness)”. The mind of the prophet seems to live in a realm different from the world which most of us inhabit. Yet, they bring back lessons that are of supreme importance to society.
Join us for this 6-week study for a fresh look at these passionate men whose lives were defined by their sympathy with God and concern for their community. Their extraordinary lives provide a lens through which we can view our contemporary culture and look for God’s intentions for our lives.
There is no reading required, but we have suggested readings for each lesson that will enrich the study.
Session 1: Moses, Pharaoh, the Prophets and Us
September 13 Exodus: Chapters 1-7, 13-14, 16-17, 19-20, 32
Session 2: The Prophets as Uncredentialed Purveyors of Covenant
September 20 Jeremiah 2:4-13, 20-22, 26-28. Kings: 6:1-7, 7:1-12, 7:48-51, 10:1-13,
10:23-29
Session 3: Moral Coherence in a World of Power, Money, and Violence
September 27 Micah 3:9-12. Hosea 4:1-3. Jeremiah 7:8-15
Session 4: The Shrill Rhetoric that Breaks Denial
October 4 Amos Chapter 7
Session 5: The Grief of Loss as Divine Judgement
October 11 Amos 6:4. Isaiah 5
Session 6: The Promissory Language that Breaks Despair
October 18 Isaiah 40:1-2, 65:17-18. Luke 1:46-55. Revelation 22:1-2, 6-7
A Contemporary Faith: The Saint John’s Bible
Lead by Michaela Eskew
October 25 – November 29 2020
10:30 am on Sunday via Zoom
The Saint John’s Bible is the first completely handwritten and illuminated manuscript commissioned by the Catholic church since the invention of the printing press. It’s beautiful artistry is found on every page, even in the mistakes. This isn’t your typical Bible, I assure you!
Join me in exploring Biblical texts in a way like never before, where contemporary science and history lie intertwined with the sacred scriptures and jump off the page in both texture and color.
Advent Series: Christian Liturgy 101
Lead by Michaela Eskew
December 6 – December 20 2020
10:30 am Sunday via Zoom
This Advent, let us learn about the faith and symbolism behind our Sunday morning services and church buildings. In our first week, we will explore the liturgical seasons and colors, unpack the symbolism and gestures we find in our churches and in our services, and finally talk about the scriptural basis for the different parts of worship. In our second week, we will break down some of our favorite Advent hymns and look into the theology and scriptures buried within. In our third and final week we will explore images of the Virgin Mary and Child from throughout art history and the Christian world.
Coming in 2021
Faith & Justice: Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Sermons
Lead by Michaela Eskew
January 3 – January 17 2021
As we approach Martin Luther King Jr. Day and in the midst of a tumultuous year of racial conversations, we will spend the next three weeks listening to and reading five of MLK Jr’s most famous sermons and speeches. Along with his famous “I Have a Dream” speech and “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” we will also explore “The Death of Evil Upon the Seashore,” “A Time to Break Silence,” and “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop.” These speeches resonate with biblical allusions and deep theological understanding, while also transporting us right into the middle of the civil rights movement of the 50s and 60s.
How the South Won the Civil War: Oligarchy, Democracy, and the Continuing Fight for the Soul of America
Lead by Pastor Ralph Anderson
January 24 – February 14 2021
Created and Creating: A Lenten Journey through Artistic Spiritual Practices
Lead by Michaela Eskew
February 21 – March 21 2021
Intro to Marriage, Couple and Family Counseling
Lead by David Fenell
April 11 – May 9 2021
Stewardship: Creation, Culture, Time & Talents
Lead by Michaela Eskew
May 16 – June 6 2021