Adult Sunday School

Eclipsing Empire: Paul, Rome, and the Kingdom of God

Living the Questions: Jesus and the Kingdom of God

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There are several different segments of the community vis-a-vis adult education.

There are the folks who have been engaged at a fairly serious level for some time. They’ve read more than a few books concerning theology and spirituality. They have engaged in hundreds of conversations exploring the works of contemporary authors in matters of theology and faith.

Then there is another segment who engage in “more traditional” Bible study. Some of them meet each week with the pastor to go over next Sunday’s readings together. Others were meeting on Sunday mornings to follow a biblical or timely topic.

And all of this has been good. It has engaged adults in the task of growing in appreciation for their faith, working at developing an adult understanding of the basics of our faith. But these groups, taken together, represent less than 15 % of the adult membership of this church.

Too many of us grew up with the idea that: “you get your faith when you’re young and then you’ve got it for life.” Translate that: you’ve got a level of human understanding of faith that was quite suitable for a young teenager. And now you are trying to live an adult life faithful to the gospel of Jesus Christ in a rapidly changing world.

Our contemporary experience has us living within a completely different culture than that in which the biblical documents were written. Our view of the world, of the earth and the universe, is very different than that of the people of the biblical narrative. And we are having to deal now with moral issues that are far more complex than the issues of ancient Israel or the early Christian community.

How do we raise our children for living in the future with faith, if our own understanding of our faith is still back in the 1950’s, 1960’s or 1970’s?

Some folks will say: Everything else changes, but our faith remains the same. But the heart of our faith is a living relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. And we all know from our experience of friendship, marriage and family, that living relationships are always growing, changing and developing.

Many of us grew up in an America that was still very much a Christian country. But now seventy percent of the cars you pass on the road in America have never been in a church parking lot. That’s not because the message of Jesus has ceased to be relevant. It may have something to do with the fact that so many of our adult members do not feel adequate to talking about our faith with our unchurched friends. That in turn derives from not having had opportunity to talk about matters of faith with our fellow believers. And in our society, talking about religion has become odious “because you don’t want to sound like some religious fanatic.” So we say nothing. Talking about matters of faith has become taboo. We are working to change that and to develop biblical literacy and theological reflection starting with parents and adults.

Eclipsing Empire: Paul, Rome, and the Kingdom of God

A DVD series, starting on November 29, will continue our journeys in faith enrichment. You are invited to join us, whether it is your first encounter with Paul or you think you know him well.

Preeminent New Testament scholars Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan will lead us on location in Turkey, Greece and Italy as they trace the Apostle Paul's footsteps throughout the Roman Empire. This DVD study explores fresh insights into Paul's message of the Kingdom of God, its challenge to Roman imperial theology, and the apostle's radical relevance for today. Just as Paul challenged his society many years ago, come and hear his challenge to our society today!

Jesus for the Non-Religious

A two week study will be led by Professor James Sodt based on Bishop Spong's book Jesus for the Non-Religious. No preparation necessary. Just come for a short DVD and discussion.

Living the Questions: Jesus and the Kingdom of God

A study on "Living the Questions: Jesus and the Kingdom of God" by Marcus Borg (Biblical scholar). No preparation necessary. Just come for a short DVD and discussion. This study will be led by Bud Larson.

Nuclear Disarmament

A discussion on the issue of nuclear disarmament beginning March 21. We will review the international treaties that come up for renewal in 2010, view the documentary "The Nuclear Tipping Point" and the "People's Decade" video, which includes testimonies from the Hibakusha (nuclear bombing survivors), and explore how each one of us can get involved in upcoming activities. Everyone is invited. This study will be led by Litsa Binder..