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School of Christian Living—Spring Term 2
March 22, 2016 @ 4:00 pm - April 26, 2016 @ 6:30 pm EDT
Classes are free and all are welcome. A light dinner will be served at 7:00 ($4 donation suggested), and the actual classes begin around 7:45 and end at 9:30.
We have three exciting classes:
Exploring the Psalms (led by Margreta Silverstone): The Psalms is a book that has the most imagery, the most passion, and the most sayings that have entered popular culture yet our culture cherry picks what to remember from the Psalms rather than the full text. We will explore the Psalms and their relevance to our life today. We will explore the imagery and passion of the Psalms, whether as poetry or as music. We will seek to understand the desires of the authors, and to find modern parallels. We will work to appreciate the courage and spiritual wisdom of the ancient writers even as we determine to acknowledge their expressions of hatred, fear, and grief. Using a variety of formats, both written and unwritten, we will begin developing our own Psalms. This class will partly fulfill the Hebrew Scriptures requirement for becoming a Steward.
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Learning to Think and Feel Theologically (led by Pat Conover): This is the first course in a series on progressive Christian theology. Everyone already thinks and feels theologically. We can help each other do it better by reconsidering our thinking and encouraging each other to notice, appreciate, and live into Saving Truth (kerygma). We will earn to integrate inside out and outside in thinking better. We will learn to integrate the ways our thinking affects our feeling and the ways our feeling affects our thinking.  We will consider and reconsider what matters most to us as individuals; what matters most in our relationships with companions, neighbors, and enemies; what matters most in our relationships with God. We will consider what salvation means and how it is possible even in the midst of the hardest of hard times. There will be a minimum of emphasis on reading and a maximum of emphasis on journaling and conversation in and between classes. Please reflect on the following questions in preparation for the first class: (1) Who are you? (2) What are you? (3) do you feel thankful for the gifts of your life, your companions, your world, the earth?
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Ecological Spirituality: Thomas Berry and His Call for New Religious Attitudes to Heal Our Relationship with the Earth (led by David Novello): The late Thomas Berry, a Catholic priest and historian of religions, is widely regarded as the most influential Christian voice on the need for rethinking our religious perspectives to avoid destroying the planet. Berry began writing in the 1970s about our spiritual relationship with the Earth. He deplored our destructive attitudes and actions, and the same time held out hope for a new creation story to lead us toward “Ecozoic era” in which we would heal our relationship with the “Earth community.” In this class we will discuss Berry’s writings and watch a video on his life and influences. We will read the 200-page Thomas Berry: Selected Writings on the Earth Community (edited by Tucker and Grim)  Please buy it before class.Â
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TO REGISTER
To register, email David Lloyd or put your name on the sign-up sheet at Sunday Worship.
