Current Opportunities

This class is led by Shirley Warehime. "Understanding the New Testament" by Professor David Brakke explores the context in which the New Testament was written to help us understand the message. Please consider joining them on Wednesday or Thursday mornings at 9 am in the fireside room or by zoom! Everyone is welcome to attend. Please contact Keeley if you intend to join via Zoom.

May 21st and 22nd last day of class. May 28th and 29th out for breakfast; contact Shirley for details.

May 4.  Stay Loyal to Reality with Brian McLaren and Barbara Brown Taylor.  In this 24-minute interview, Brian McLaren of the Center for Action and Contemplation interviews Barbara Brown Taylor about the importance of embracing “what is” more than adhering to our beliefs.  They delve into questions around transcending biases and unconscious judgements with the goal of discovering how seeing is social, political, and contemplative.  This interview is based on the 27th chapter of Brian’s book, Do I Stay Christian?: A Guide for the Doubters, the Disappointed, and the Disillusioned

May 11.  The After Party Launch:  Towards a Better Christian Politics with David French, Russell Moore, and Curtis Chang.    So, if we’re not supposed to talk about religion or politics, can we talk about both?  I think we can.  In this 1 hour 28-minute listening we’ll hear members of the conservative, evangelical Christian community wrestle with that community’s drift towards nationalism.  But rather than simply bemoan this movement, they are proposing a path forward through a program that aims to re-orient people away from anxiety and conspiracies towards more foundational spiritual formation.  In particular, they focus on the “how” of politics before the “what”.  This conversation is political, but not overtly partisan; however, this particular problem is more prevalent on the right than the left today so most of the concern is in that arena.  This interview is provided by the Trinity Forum whose goal is to keep the Christian intellectual tradition alive, nurture new growth, and make it available to everyone.

May 18.  The Sun Does Shine with Ray Hinton.  In this 42-minute interview with Kate Bowler, Ray Hinton describes his experience as one of the longest serving death row prisoners in Alabama history - in spite of being wrongly convicted….  What does this have to do with church you might ask?  Well, the ability to find life, freedom, and forgiveness on death row should help all of us know that if someone can wrestle with their faith and circumstances in that environment, and come out the other side, so can we.

May 25.  The Inner Landscape of Beauty with John O’Donohue.  Krista Tippet of The On Being Project interviews the late Irish poet, theologian, and philosopher John O’Donohue regarding his conviction that beauty is a human calling.  John had a lifelong fascination with the inner landscape of our lives and with what he called “the invisible world” that is constantly intertwining what we can know and see.  Seems like a good perspective to take into summer!