Adult sunday school archive
A Christian's Guide to Planet Earth
Living the Questions, Part 3
Living the Questions, Part 2
Living the Questions, Part 1
Interrupted by Hope: Turning Towards Advent
Feeding Our Faith
A Christian's Guide to Planet Earth
Our adult spiritual formation group will begin a six-week study of Betsy Painter’s A Christian’s Guide to Planet Earth: Why It Matters and How to Care for It.
This book has been recommended to our congregation by our Earth Care Team. Each chapter is a combination of scientific information about our planet, along with theological meditations related to caring for the earth. There are practical suggestions for how to care for the earth more effectively.
There are multiple copies available for purchase at the church, so even if you can’t join us on Sunday mornings for our discussion, consider picking up one for your own reading.
Living the Questions, Part 3
The adult spiritual formation class concluded Living the Questions 3.0 in the fall of 2022.
"Living the Questions is an open-minded alternative to studies that attempt to give participants all the answers. Living the Questions creates an environment where participants not only interact with one another in exploring the best of today's theological thought, but together strive to explore what's next for Christianity."
Topics to be discussed:
September 4 -- A Kingdom without Walls
September 11 -- Social Justice: Realizing God's Vision
September 18 -- Incarnation: Divinely Human
September 25 -- Prayer: Intimacy with God
October 2 -- Compassion: The Heart of Jesus' Ministry
October 9 -- Creative Transformation
October 16 -- Embracing Mystery
Living the Questions, Part 2
The adult spiritual formation class studied Section Two of Living the Questions 2.0 in May and June of 2022—meeting each week at the church from 9:30 to 10:30 am. Section Two was entitled “Honoring Creation” and included various topics such as “Restoring Relationships,” “The Prophetic Jesus,” and “Evil, Suffering, and A God of Love.” The format of each session includes a video, guided discussion, Bible study, and spiritual exercises. The videos include conversation, sermon clips, lecture excerpts, and spiritual exercises for practical application.
We explored together the journey of our Christian faith, with its many dimensions, challenges, and questions.
Click on the links below to access the handouts that accompanied our sessions.
Living the Questions, Part 1
The first seven-part session, "Invitation to the Journey," considers faith as a journey and not a "destination". Topics convered included "Taking the Bible Seriously," "Thinking Theologically," and "Stories of Creation". It began with "An Invitation to Journey". Click below to download the handouts that accompanied the classes. During class we will view portions of the DVD, with pauses to discuss the material presented.
Interrupted By Hope: Turning Towards Advent
The purpose of Advent is to make us pregnant with hope. For many, the holiday season is not filled with joy, family, and gifts, but anxiety, stress, and despair. Advent seeks to reframe our experiences with new expectations, expectations that will not disappoint. It is the expectancy that new life will start to grow within all of us. However, we must be willing to make room for an interruption. Can we make that space to receive this gift?
These films are provided to help bring our attention to the season, to a sacred, different time. Each can be used in a communal or individual setting. May God use this time as a fresh breath, a new life within you and among you. May the stirrings of this season take root within you, extend and serve the world through you.
(Click here to view previews or to get more information.)
Films in the series:
- Advent as Reorientation – Brian Zahnd “Learning How to Hope”
- Advent as Wisdom – Richard Rohr “The Welcoming of a Bigger Mind”
- Advent as Scandal – Richard Rohr “Going to The Depth of the Manger”
- Advent as Looking – Glennon Doyle Melton – “Be Still and Look”
- Advent as Breaking the Circle – Wm. Paul Young “Coming to Find Us”
- Advent as Poetic Imagination – Malcolm Guite “A Womb for the Wounded World”
- Advent as Subversion – Richard Rohr “Bearing the Divine Through the Ordinary”
- Christmas as Incarnation - Parker Palmer “The Risk of Incarnation”
- Christmas as Embodiment – Barbara Brown Taylor “Matter Matters”
Feeding Our Faith
Eucharist, literally “good grace,” is what some churches call communion. On the night of Jesus’ last supper, he gave thanks for the meal and made it into a symbol and sacrament of his life. The bread is his body broken and the cup is his life poured out. As he shares this meal with his disciples, he shares himself with the world.
There have been many interpretations about what actually happens when Christians take communion. This study moves beyond debates on the theology of communion to see how we find meaning in the experience of communion. In this film-based series, we’ll hear what communion means for theologians, authors and food pantry workers -- and we’ll explore its meaning in our own lives.
Click here to view previews or to get more information about the series:
- September 13 - “The Eucharist as Story” with Dwight Peterson
- September 20 - “The Eucharist as Community” with Sara Miles
- September 27 - “The Eucharist as Life” with Stanley Hauerwas
- October 4 - No Sunday School - Join us for outdoor worship at Living River!
- October 11 -“The Eucharist as Transformation” with Sara Miles
- October 18 - “The Eucharist as Welcome” with Parker Palmer
- October 25 - “The Eucharist as Salvation” with Diana Butler Bass
- November 1 - “The Eucharist as Revelation” with Ian Morgan Cron
