For December 15: Exploring the Teaching of Jesus

Join as us we explore the teaching methods of Jesus...

What is a parable?
Why did Jesus teach with parables?
What was his message for his early followers?
What is the message for us today?

For December 8: Exploring Jesus' Birth

Come join the discussion in the Sunday Forum as we explore the birth narratives of Jesus. 
We have four Gospel accounts of Jesus' life and ministry, and only two of them focus on his birth.  And, those two have different accounts, different aspects that they emphasize....

So, what do we do?

How are we to understand Jesus' birth from a historical perspective?

How does history intersect with our faith--and how might they 'clash?'

Join the conversation!! 
Sunday, 9:15 in the Parish Hall...

The Sunday Forum: November 24--The Faces of Jesus

The Faces of Jesus

Last week in the Sunday Forum Tony Hatch stretched our faith as he showed us several different contemporary icons of Jesus.  We were stretched because he challenged some of our traditional assumptions.  A brown complexioned Jesus challenged our Northern European Caucasian assumption.  A Native American Jesus challenged our assumption of a privileged status as those who have bequeathed the faith to benighted souls of lesser strain.  An Arab Jesus challenged us to think that the Muslim people, even the radical Islamist, is loved by God as much we ourselves. 

But then Jesus has always challenged the world’s assumptions about him and about itself.  And Tony went on to show a Jesus whose life and words inspired others to take him seriously and live again his ageless challenge to the domination systems of every age.  In our time the gross inequalities in power (wealth), nutrition, and health between the haves and have-nots of the world cry out for sanity, equity, balance: simple fairness. 

In the many faces of Jesus we touch the deep concerns of people far and wide who have found in Jesus a space where “the hopes and fears and of all the years” have been met. 

The 20^th century has seen Jesus as Liberator, and “Liberation Theology” born in Central and South American favelas energized Christian thinking far beyond its homelands.  Much earlier a similar result of the Gospel’s hope preached and sung in Christ-communities among slaves in the American south was a contributing energy to the subtle ground swell that became the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960’s.  In the words of Richard Niebuhr the Christ of Culture was finally able to break through his cultural restraints and become the Christ who transforms the culture that proclaims him.

This Sunday (Nov. 24) we are going to look at some of the Christological titles found in the Christian Bible in order to see how the first followers of Jesus understood him.  This is important because the way he is understood was the way he is preached and taught.

How are we to preach and teach Jesus in our day?  Does it differ from the way he was preached and taught in the first century?   In subsequent centuries?  If so, why? And how?

From November 17: Dr. Tony Hatch's Forum Presentation

Explore these questions from Dr. Tony Hatch's reflection on how our understandings of Jesus help shape the way we understand social inequality in our world.



                                                               Health Inequality

 

Global Wealth Inequality

Questions to consider from Dr. Hatch:

How do cultural representations of Jesus shape how we imagine and respond to the suffering of others?

How do accounts of Jesus’ teachings inform how we think about inequality and injustice in our time?

How can images, texts, and social facts inspire our vision of Jesus, inequality, and social justice?

"Who is Jesus?" Join the conversation!

Join the conversation this Sunday as Dr. Tony Hatch, sociology professor and member of the parish, shares his thoughts on Jesus. 

How do we understand Jesus?  Today in our lives? 
How does Jesus challenge us to look beyond ourselves?
How do our own assumptions inhibit living into the reality of Jesus' teachings?

It promises to be a wonderful conversation as we continue our dialogue around the person of Jesus of Nazareth--historically, theologically, socially, and spiritually. 

Sunday morning, 9:15 in the parish hall.....

November 10: Exploring Jesus in Scripture

There are 100 names for Jesus in Holy Scripture - who do YOU say that Jesus is?

We will explore the many names of Jesus - 

-what they meant in ancient times, 

-what his followers called him, 

-what he called himself, 

-why some of the names were so controversial 

-and what these names mean to us in our faith journeys.

November 3: Exploring God the Son

God the Son

 

In order to know someone we must spend time with that person.  After a while we can probably answer the question: What do I like about this person?  Or what are their qualities?

 

As we enter the next theme in our Catechesis, the month of November will be dedicated to God the Son.  The Outline of Faith in the back of our prayer book gives these questions and answers:

God the Son

Q.	What do we mean when we say that Jesus is the only Son of God?
A	We mean that Jesus is the only perfect image of the Father, and shows us the nature of God.
Q.	What is the nature of God revealed in Jesus?
A.	God is love.
Q.	What do we mean when we say that Jesus was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and became incarnate from the Virgin Mary?
A.	We mean that by God's own act, his divine Son received our human nature from the Virgin Mary, his mother.

 

Catechism     849

---

Q.	Why did he take our human nature?
A.	The divine Son became human, so that in him human beings might be adopted as children of God, and be made heirs of God's kingdom.
Q.	What is the great importance of Jesus' suffering and death?
A.	By his obedience, even to suffering and death, Jesus made the offering which we could not make; in him we are freed from the power of sin and reconciled to God.
Q.	What is the significance of Jesus' resurrection?
A.	By his resurrection, Jesus overcame death and opened for us the way of eternal life.
Q.	What do we mean when we say that he descended to the dead?
A.	We mean that he went to the departed and offered them also the benefits of redemption.
Q.	What do we mean when we say that he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father?
A.	We mean that Jesus took our human nature into heaven where he now reigns with the Father and intercedes for us.
Q.	How can we share in his victory over sin, suffering, and death?
A.	We share in his victory when we are baptized into the New Covenant and become living members of Christ.

 

This Sunday we will explore who we at St. Benedict’s answer these questions about who Jesus is?  What qualities do we most like about Jesus and how might we emulate those qualities to others?

 

Finally, being All Saints’ Sunday, we will look at how those qualities of God have been expressed in those who have gone before.  If we have time, we will get into the “official” process for sainthood in the Roman Catholic Church and how we define that process in our Anglican Tradition.

 

See you Sunday at 9:15 to kick off another theme with a bagel and a cup of coffee.

 

~Brian

For October 27: Exploring the Law in the Old Testament

Come join the conversation on Sunday morning in the Forum as we look at The Law in the Old Testament. 
How do we understand The Law, the Holiness Codes....and the search for how to live righteously? 

There is a great deal to say about The Law, from the Ten Commandments down to the other 300 other commandments found in Jewish Scriptures.  More than simple rules for living, The Law, the Holiness Codes, were a framework for a righteous life. 

How do we understand them in our own context, as 21st century Christians, exploring the richness of 3,000 year-old Jewish texts? 
They are important to how we see our own practice of faith....

Come explore with us as we dive into The Law!

Sunday morning, 9:15 in the Parish Hall.

For October 20: Exploring the Hebrew Prophets

Join the conversation this Sunday at 9:15 as we explore the Hebrew prophets in the Old Testament. 

Who were the prophets?  We hear their names often in our readings:  Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos, Hosea, Micah...  But how do we understand them? 
The prophets were special people, raised up by God and inspired by God to speak God's truth to a particular people in a particular place and time. 

They became the conscience of the nation, of a people.   And they did not live pleasant lives!  They were often suspect, often persecuted, often resisted.  Yet, their message still speaks to us today, the message they had about our call to return to a deeper trust and reliance on God. 

The prophets sought to remind the people of who they were...and of what God's call was on their lives. 

A question for us is this:  What might the voice of the prophet sound like to us today? 

Come explore!!

For October 13: Exploring the Wisdom Literature of the Old Testament

Come join the conversation this Sunday as we explore the Wisdom Literature in the Old Testament. 
Many of the aspects of the OT may be unfamiliar to us as Episcopalians, but they are vitally important for understanding who we are, where we came from, and how we understand ourselves...

We'll take a stroll through the books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes...and we'll have a great conversation with the Book of Job. 

We'll also share in a bit of  Hebrew lesson as we look at language and how our translation helps shape the way we understand our faith and our identity. 

So, come explore!!!
Sunday morning, 9:15 in the Parish Hall...

Sunday Forum October 6: The Old Covenant

Come join the conversation this Sunday as we enter into a new topic in our ongoing Sunday Forum.

Having explored Human Nature, Creation and God the Father/Creator, we will now build on these themes in a month-long discussion of the Old Covenant, looking at the Old Testament, Hebrew Scriptures.

How do we understand the history, the founding story of Abraham as being central to the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim faiths?  All three of our faiths share the story of this great Patriarch of the faith.

How can a deeper understanding of this pivotal story help us in our contemporary discussions of inter-faith dialogue in the midst of so much tension, warfare, and animosity?

Come join this intriguing--and vitally important--conversation.  Sunday, 9:15 in the Parish Hall.

Sunday, September 29: Round-table discussion on creation and our "purpose"

Join the conversation this Sunday as we share a round-table discussion, looking back on the past few weeks of our conversation:

- What is human nature?
- How do we understand creation?
- How do we understand God the Father/Creator?
- What are we created for?

This "extra Sunday" in September will give us a chance to reflect on where we are now in our conversation.

What questions are still lingering in you?

What new images do you have from what others have shared in the Forum?

We will also have a chance to reflect on stewardship as a practice which embodies our participation with God in God's mission....linking with our "purpose."

So, the conversation is good!
Come join it!!

For September 22: "What are we created for?"

Come join the discussion at the Sunday Forum on September 22 as we reflect on "What are we created for?"
Using the ancient contemplative frameworks of Purgation --> Illumination --> Union, along with added richness from inter-religious dialogue--we will explore what many consider the "purpose" of our existence.
(I'm not going to spoil it for you here!)

We'll also use the Labyrinth, an ancient practice of walking meditation, as a metaphor for the journey to salvation, the path to wholeness and fulfillment.

So, come and explore with us as we continue this series of rich conversations!

Fr. Stuart

For September 15: Exploring the truth in our creation myths

Come continue the rich conversation on creation--and how we understand the Creator--in the Sunday Forum.

When we look at how we understand creation--our creation myth--we seek to delve into the truth about ourselves and our image of God. How does our exploration of the mythology of creation connect with our reflections on Faith and Life--the over-arching theme of the forum series?

We will explore questions such as these:

"How can it be true if it's a myth?"

How do we seek to use the creation myths for our own purposes?

Come join the rich conversation!
Sunday mornings, 9:15 in the parish hall

August 18: Human Nature Session 1

Join us Sunday morning for the first session of our discussion on Human Nature.
Watch the attached video clip to your right, and explore the two slides for a preview.

Could you share the gift of music?

Each Sunday morning, as we gather in the Parish Hall for a song and prayer, we need folks to help lead the simple chants we will share. If you would be willing to help, using whatever instrument you may know, please let Fr. Stuart know!

The Great Gathering gives us a chance to meet together and start off our Sunday with prayer....wonderful....

August 11 Formation Kickoff Sunday!

Don't forget to come this Sunday morning as we kickoff the Fall Formation year!

We will begin our new inter-generational formation framework: At the Intersection of Faith and Life.

Gather in the Parish Hall on Sunday mornings:

9:15 for opening hymn, Bible lesson and prayer

9:30 children, youth and adults go to their respective rooms for continued reflection.


Let's explore our faith together as a parish, taking advantage of the richness of our many perspectives!

For folks who are new to The Episcopal Church and/or to St. Benedict's, this is a wonderful way to explore the practice of faith within the Episcopal/Anglican tradition. This class will help you discern Confirmation or Reception.

For all of us, it is a marvelous chance to reflect on the central tenets of our practice of faith.

Join the conversation!

Bishop Rob Wright's upcoming Sunday Forum on August 4

As we prepare for Bishop Rob Wright's time with us on Sunday, August 4, I invite you to explore this sermon by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King. We will have a chance to reflect on it together in the Sunday Forum.


Copy and past this address into your search to explore the sermon "Why Jesus Called a Man a Fool."


http://mlk-kpp01.stanford.edu/index.php/encyclopedia/documentsentry/doc_why_jesus_called_a_man_a_fool


And, join the conversation on Sunday morning, August 4 at 9:30 pm in the Parish Hall.

Sunday Forum: Exploring Compassion

Join the conversation on Sunday as we continue to explore compassion.

We have asked such questions as "Who am I?" And these questions, we have discovered, can only be 'answered' through the lens of our connectedness in God and with one another.

We come to understand our interconnectedness only through the practice of compassion...

And, compassion is a practice to be explored!

So, join us as we continue to share our thoughts on compassion, on our identity in God and with God...and with one another...

C. S. Lewis recording for Sunday Forum

For our ongoing conversation in the Sunday Forum, looking and listening to ways of sharing our faith perspectives, click HERE to explore a wonderful recording of C. S. Lewis.

As you listen, pay close attention to the language he uses, the images he draws from...his perspective of faith.

Then, let's keep the conversation going!

Blessings,
S+

Silent Retreat on July 13

Come join us in a time of silence and meditation on Saturday, July 13 from 9 am to 3 pm.

If you have wondered what it would be like to bring a bit of the monastic environment to the parish, and to your daily life, this is your chance to explore meditation and guided journaling!

If you have craved a peaceful time of reflection and guidance, stepping aside from the busyness of your life, this is your chance to come soak in a time of reflection and focus.


We will gather at 9 am, an then we will spend 6 entire hours in silence together.

Contact Fr. Stuart for more details and to RSVP: Stuart@MySaintB.org

Explore our recent Lenten Retreat online now!

If you were unable to attend the recent Lenten Retreat at the parish, fear not! We are including these photos on the spiritual formation blog, so you can go online and explore the discernment of the 31 people who gathered that day at St. Benedict's. Simply scroll down and spend time with each of the photos...

With the yellow, our guiding question centered on the stories in our lives: "Why you love what you love, why you do what you do..." How can we look at our own individual lives and notice?

With the blue, we moved into a group discernment focusing on collected images and words from throughout the day. What images or words or thoughts stood out to you from our conversations? We gathered these words into a "word cloud" that helped us imagine future areas of growth and exploration within the parish community...

With the images, we moved into a time of visual representation of one word or image that seemed to summarize or epitomize the entire day's experience. These images are powerful and symbolic!

So, I invite you to explore online...and share in future conversations at the parish as we continue to discern how God is guiding us as a parish community...

Blessings,
Stuart+

Let's keep the conversation going with the Sunday Forum!!

Join the great conversation on Sunday mornings at 9:30 am in the Parish Hall as we continue to explore various videos and reflections.

We are currently using the DuBose Lectures given by Barbara Brown Taylor at the University of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee ("Yeah, Sewanee's Right...") Her reflections focus on "Learning to Walk in the Dark," and our conversation delves into the symbolic aspects of light and darkness within the practice of our faith.

Also, we will soon be rotating in various other videos and TED talk series. So, if you know of a topic you would like to explore, please let me know. I can add it to the rotation list!

Come grab breakfast at 9 am and join the conversation at 9:30!

Blessings,
Stuart+

Come explore Hell during Lent...

This year during Lent, we will be "Exploring Hell." Not literally, but spiritually and metaphorically...
We will draw upon the history of how we have understood hell, looking at how there has been a development of tought around hell and humans connect to God in the sense of Divine "punishment" and "merit"--or lack thereof.

We will also explore images from art and literature, personal dimensions with poetry and reflection, and how there are aspects of our life here and now that are "hellish," with war, poverty, oppression, injustice...

So, come "Explore Hell" on Sunday mornings, at 9:30 in the Parish Hall, downstairs (of course) when you come in the building.
Breakfast is there, as well!