Adult Forum
We have an exciting lineup of Adult Forum topics and speakers for the upcoming year. A goal for the year is to dive deeply into some interesting and controversial topics that will give us some interesting ideas to consider and wrestle with together as we strive to be continually formed and transformed as Christians. At the heart of our considerations is the notion that we are not merely being “educated” as Christians, but that we are striving to allow God to transform us into the new beings that God has promised we will be, through the Spirit.
In the Fall months of September through November we will consider the overarching topic, “The Church, what is it good for?” Subtopics and questions will consider “what is the church?” “”to what are we called?” “what is informing our faith?” “what is saving us now?” and “What is the role of the church in this post-modern, post-Constantinian, rapidly changing world?” As a part of these sessions we will have a combination of speakers and discussions, as well as a reading list for those who want to delve deeper into these questions.
September 11 – Ministry Sunday
September 18th – Introduction of topic and group discussion
September 25th – Don Cady on the Tapestry of the institutional church
October 2nd – “Are your Affairs in order” – presentation by Charley Chabot
October 9th – Victoria Hobson
October 16th – Presentation by Peter Carey, Kathleen Haden and the Youth Group
October 23rd – The Rev. Jane Sigloh on the Church and the Creeds
October 30th – Presentation/Discussion on “What is saving you now?”
November 6th – Theology of All-Saints and All Souls and All Hallow’s Eve – Cemetery
November 13th – No Adult Forum – Bishop Gulick
November 20th – Wrap up of “The Church, what is it good for?”
November 27th – Advent 1 – Wreathmaking
In Advent, our Associate Rector, Peter Carey, will offer a three-part series on “The end of the world (as we know it)” through the eyes and thought of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. In this series, we will consider the ways that pastor, theologian, and Christian martyr, Dietrich Bonhoeffer thought of the world and the church, considering especially the notion of the “end times.” “How much we understand the ‘end times’ in the history of the world?” “How might Dietrich Bonhoeffer consider our times, today?” And, “to where might these considerations point us today”
December 4th – The End of the World and Dietrich Bonhoeffer The Rev. Peter Carey
December 11th – The End of the World and Dietrich Bonhoeffer The Rev. Peter Carey
December 18th – The End of the World and Dietrich Bonhoeffer The Rev. Peter Carey
December 25th – Christmas – No Adult Forum
January 1 – New Year’s Day – No Adult Forum
In January, we will consider the theological and spiritual question of “Heaven and Hell: who’s going where?” Recently, evangelical Rob Bell wrote a book in which he offered some thoughts about who might be going to heaven and who might be going to hell that were challenging to the larger evangelical community. A key point was how to understand where people such as Gandhi and other nonChristians might be “going” and how we understand the Christian approach to this question. In two sessions in January, the Rev. Jane Sigloh will present on the key question of “Heaven and Hell: Who’s going where?” It will likely be a thought-provoking and wonderful series, and should engender more discussion and thought.
January 8th – Heaven and Hell: who’s going where? – the Rev. Jane Sigloh
January 15th – Heaven and Hell: who’s going where? – the Rev. Jane Sigloh
January 22nd – Parish Meeting (TBA?
January 29th – Parish Meeting (TBA?)
In February, we will consider the all-important commandment of “loving thy neighbor” while we consider especially all those who we consider “other.” “Who is our neighbor?” “Old Testament constructions of hospitality and the stranger,” “Jesus’ ethic of the stranger and hospitality,” “the other”. We also hope to have guest a guest speaker who will lead us to consider Christian-Muslim dialogue and relations in our world today.
In Lent and Easter, we will examine the topics of repentance and reconciliation. “What might it mean to really forgive?” “”What would this really look like, feel like, be like?” “Are we ready for the transformation that God has in store for us?” We will then consider the work of Desmond Tutu in his theology of “Ubuntu” and the work on reconciliation that theologian Miroslav Volf has done.
We are excited about a full and deep and challenging year in Adult Forum, and hope to see you join us!
The Rev. Peter Carey and the Adult Forum Committee
