Tuesdays, March 22 – April 26, 7:00 pm – 9:30 pm
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.
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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
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Exploring the Psalms – Led by Margreta Silverstone
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Learning to Think and Feel Theologically – Led by Pat Conover
Ecological Spirituality: Thomas Berry and His Call for New Religious Attitudes to Heal Our Relationship with the Earth – Led by David Novello
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 (1914-2009) began writing in the 1970s about our spiritual relationship with the Earth. He deplored our destructive attitudes and actions, and at the same time held out hope for a new creation story to lead us towards an “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). You can either buy it yourself before the first class, or ask David to order it for you.
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 and not the full range of text. In this six-week class, 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 not, we will begin developing our own Psalms. This class will partly fulfill the Old Testament requirements for becoming a Steward of Seekers Church.
Learning to Think and Feel Theologically – Led by Pat Conover
This is the first course in a Progressive Christian Theology series. 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 learn to better integrate inside-out and outside-in thinking. We will learn to better integrate the ways our thinking affects our feeling and the ways our feelings affect 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 emphasis on reading and a large emphasis on journaling and conversation in and between classes. Please reflect on the following three 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?
Register
To register, email Marcia Sprague at marciasprague@mindspring.com or put your name on the sign-up sheet at Sunday Worship.
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