By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches
— Proverbs 24:3-4
Classes reflect our church’s progressive theology while engaging our Scriptures and other faith related literature. Classes are lively and differences of opinion are valued. Periodically, evening classes are conducted.
There are also forums held periodically after church relating to modern topics affecting our lives and world.
MESSAGE FROM SANDRA S:
After hearing PK’s sermon Sunday, I am giving something up for Lent…fretting! Instead of freaking out, overreacting, worrying, I am going to spend the 40 days of Lent singing hymns, reading scripture, and reflecting on the words of theologian Henri J. M. Nouwen. Want to join me? Two things are being offered and you don’t need to do both, but I am choosing to read “Lent and Easter: Wisdom from Henri J. M. Nouwen” AND “Lift up Your Voice: Singing Through Lent and Easter.” Nouwen’s book can be purchased through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or any bookstore of your choosing. “Lift up Your Voice” is available through me, either a paper copy or a digital version that I can send to your email.
We will meet on Thursday, March 6 at 5:00pm in the Madonna Room for a potluck and discussion as to how we might incorporate these studies into our busy lives during the 40 days prior to Easter. There is no specific way to approach these studies, but let’s meet over a meal (always a good idea) to see what we come up with.
On Thursday, April 10 at 5:00pm in the Madonna Room we will again meet to reflect on how these studies enhanced our experience of Lent. We can hold a discussion, create a collage, write a poem, or just eat!
If you are interested in joining us, please call the church office.
The notes below provide a brief synopsis of each Lenten program:
INTRODUCTION:
“All of creation,” wrote the twelfth-century German abbess and composer, St. Hildegard of Bingen, “is a song of praise to God,” a swirling symphony all around us.
“To sing is to pray twice,” St. Augustine, the fourth-century North African bishop, is said to have once remarked – that is, first praying through the song’s words, and second through its music.
And for Martin Luther, next to theology, music is the greatest art: “For if you want to revive the sad, startle the jovial, encourage the despairing, humble the conceited, pacify the raving, mollify the hate-filled...what can you find that is more effective than music?”
This Lenten season, why not take the Christian musical treasury as your guide, this sacred art, thousands of years old, in which big ideas and beautiful melodies come together?
In this devotional, each week, biblical texts and beloved songs inspire practices you can try yourself, with your family or friends, or with your congregation. As the days lengthen, the birds will sing – and so will we, strengthening our spirits, praying twice, and joining in with creation’s symphony of sorrow and joy, anguish and comfort, death and new life.
NOUWEN
“Thought-provoking words from renowned spiritual writer, Henri J. M. Nouwen, lead readers along a journey of conversion during Lent and Easter week. These periods of penance and celebration, lavish with rituals, help us become more sensitive to our own weaknesses and Christ's victory over sin. Through it all, Father Nouwen comforts and reassures us with reminders that God loves and accepts us even in our human state.
Each daily reflection--from Ash Wednesday through the Second Sunday of Easter--begins with thoughts from Father Nouwen on an appropriate theme, supported by Scripture, prayer, and a suggested activity for spiritual growth.”