Adult Formation Minicourses for the Season of Epiphany.
Classes meet for four weeks and you are invited to attend a different class each week or select a topic of interest to you and stay with it for the session. More detailed descriptions of each class will follow in the coming weeks.
Class dates are:Sundays at 11:15am; 14 January, 21 January, 4 February, and 11 February
Classes are
1. The Disciples Knew the Lord Jesus, facilitated by Gabrielle Stott
Discover what the Bible and tradition tell us about the men who broke bread with Christ. What were the personalities and motivations of the men who took up the cross and followed Him?
2. From the Back Bay to the Suburbs: A Christ-centered Spirituality for Right Now, facilitated by Thomas Brown
This survey course will review the history of American Anglicanism that led to what is known as Broad Church spirituality. We will look briefly at its English roots, and delve deeply into the writings of its American successors, including Theodore Parker Ferris and John Suter (first Rector of the Parish of the Epiphany). Each session will incorporate interactive exercises designed to give participants practical tools to equip them for their daily life with Christ.
3. Salem 1692: Challenges for Discipleship, facilitated by Michael Chesson
The tiny community of Salem Village long struggled with problems unusual for a Puritan community, most of which were bound in a sacred covenant. It was fertile ground for evil, which challenged the Village’s first four ministers, each of whom failed to achieve unity and love. This mini-course will focus on the Salem witchcraft crisis and what it might teach us about the perils of leadership, the pain of Christian witness, and the promise of salvation.
4. Abraham and a Life of Faith , facilitated by John Jenke
This minicourse will test our understanding of faith by evaluating three episodes in the life of the Biblical patriarch Abraham, acclaimed by Judaism, Christianity, and Islam as the father of monotheism. Beginning with a look at God’s “Call” to Abraham, the course will proceed to consider Abraham’s haggling with God over the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah and then assess the implications of Abraham’s binding of his son Isaac (the Akedah). How do these three events inform our views of faith today?
Readings from Genesis 11 – 22 as well as chapters from Bruce Feiler’s short book Abraham: A Journey to the Heart of Three Faiths will inform in-class discussion. Copies of Feiler’s book will be available at the beginning of the first class.
5. Bringing God Home, Simple spiritual Practices for Families facilitated by Thea Keith-Lucas
How can your family spend more time with God? In this course designed for kids and adults to attend together, we'll explore who God is, what the Bible means, how to pray for other people, and how to live a Christian life. Each week will introduce an accessible, engaging activity that is easy to do at home.
