Wednesday, December 14, 2011

The evolutionary value of Spirituality as a protector in aging

Last Sunday we saw compelling evidence of the hard-wired basis of our spiritual selves. It's no wonder we feel pulled toward the experience of unity and the ineffable. This week we will continue this discussion by looking at the possible evolutionary value of being wired for spiritual seeking and how spiritual practice itself may help make us stronger and more resistant to mental imbalance and the encroachment on age-related disabilities. We'll interview Lydia Roane, an LCSW specializing in gero-psychiatric adaptations, and we'll see if she'll share her knowledge of the mental and emotional challenges of aging and the relation to spirituality. Please join us for the discussion. It should be of particular interest to those of us who are ourselves, aging, and to those of us who love someone who is.
As ever, loving childcare is provided.

From Spiritual Intelligence, Frances Vaughan - 1998, copied from the Council on Spiritual Development

SPIRITUALITY: Subjective experience of the sacred

RELIGION: Creed, community, code of ethics

SPIRITUAL INTELLIGENCE suggests
wisdom and compassion
understanding and inner peace
Love and freedom
depth and breadth of vision

SPIRITUAL INTELLIGENCE may be expressed as
the common work
teaching and learning
healing and forgiveness
research, education and service

Friday, December 9, 2011

The Neurochemistry of Spiritual Experience

Recent controlled studies from Johns Hopkins University show that the use of the hallucinogenic agent psilocybin by naive participants produced in the subjects a profound sense of spiritual experience. Many of the subject reported that the experience was one of the most meaningful of their lives, and two years later, they still maintained that position. This coming Sunday we will have a look at the study and discuss some of the many implications. If you want to read an articulate account of one of the participants, click here:

Please join us for and interesting session. We'll be happy to see you. And as ever, loving childcare is provided.

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Robert Funk on Spiritual Self-indulgence

In “Honest to Jesus” Robert Funk writes that spirituality can be turned into a form of self-indulgence by insisting that “the Bible is a sourcebook for private spiritual nurture.” Funk continues, “Because scripture is considered ‘spiritual,’ individual are entitled to extract their own ‘spirituality’ in private, without the assistance of historical or critical analysis or, for that matter without reference to what the text meant originally. The doctrine that the state may not interfere with religious thought and practice and may not abridge freedom in that sector is taken as a guarantee that religion is a private and personal matter. Accordingly, everyone is permitted to be his or her own expert. Everyone is his or her own authority on the subject; no one has the right to tell an individual what the Bible or the gospels mean.

“This conviction has considerable merit. I subscribe to it myself.

“However, for many it is no more than a shield for self-indulgence, a prescription for do-it-yourself brain surgery. If in private meditation we are satisfied without own secret responses to a text that we may not, in fact, understand, then we have done no more than confirm our prejudices, invoking the text as an ally in self-deceit.”

Please join us as we discuss this topic, congratulate ourselves by citing some egregious examples, and then hopefully, with some honest reflection, explore alternatives.

We’ll be delighted to see you. As always, loving childcare is provided.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Free-for-all!

We're having an unscripted session on this coming Sunday. Who knows what the topic will be. Join us. Tender-loving childcare is provided.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

The social cost of income inequality

Next Sunday, November 20, we'll view and discuss an on-line presentation by British economist, Richard Wilkinson. This is a surprizing and powerful presentation. Wilkinson demonstrates the inevitable relationship between income inequality and social ills. Preview here: http://www.ted.com/talks/richard_wilkinson.html

We hope to see you there. As ever, loving childcare is provided.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

No meeting on Nov 13

We're making room for the 10,000 Villages sale, so we won't be meeting on Nov 13.

However, we're still on for Nov 20 when we'll view and discuss an on-line presentation by British economist, Richard Wilkinson. This is a surprising and powerful presentation. Wilkinson demonstrates the inevitable relationship between income inequality and social ills. Preview here: http://www.ted.com/talks/richard_wilkinson.html

We hope to see you soon.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

No Meeting on November 6

We cancelled the Adult Forum for Sunday, November 6. We needed to make room for the Gratitude Dinner, to which you are warmly invited. It's for all of us.
Next Sunday, November 13, we'll view and discuss an on-line presentation by British economist, Richard Wilkinson. This is a surprizing and powerful presentation. Wilkinson demonstrates the inevitable relationship between income inequality and social ills. Preview here: http://www.ted.com/talks/richard_wilkinson.html We hope to see you soon.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Why Jesus is worth saving

This coming Sunday we will continue our look at the "Saving Jesus Redux" series with a focus on Chapter 12, "Why Jesus is worth Saving."

From the accompanying text:

"The bottom-line is this: most Christians have grown up idolizing the Christ of the creeds and the Christ of faith without giving the Jesus of history much attention, let alone his due. So herein lies the “saving” part. Bernard Brandon Scott says,

“I think the historical Jesus counts now like he’s never counted before. What I’m not convinced ought to survive is Christianity. In fact, I’ve become more and more convinced that Christianity is the enemy of Jesus. When people ask me if I’m a Christian, I almost always say I’m a follower of Jesus—and I’m not sure that’s compatible with being a Christian.”

"Ouch!

"Jesus needs saving because his philosophy of life, what he taught, how he lived, and how he related to the Divine offer profound insights into the problem of human existence. We can adore and confess to the Christ of the creeds, but we can’t emulate the Christ of the creeds. For that, we need Jesus of Nazareth, the teacher, the sage, the prophet, the mystic—the human being."

Please join us at 9:45. Warm, loving childcare is provided.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Robert J Miller

This Sunday, we will host Robert J. Miller, Professor of Religious Studies at Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pa. A Fellow of the Jesus Seminar since 1986, he was Scholar-in-Residence at Westar Institute in 2001. He is the editor of "The Complete Gospels" (1992), an anthology of twenty early gospels presented in Westar's innovative translation, the "Scholars Version," and author of "The Jesus Seminar and Its Critics" (1999) and "Born Divine" (2003).


Here is a video of him
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNuwDg8B9bo

And here is his westar blurb
http://www.westarinstitute.org/Fellows/millerrj.html
and his faculty page
http://www.juniata.edu/departments/religion/research_miller.html

Please join us. We'll be delighted to see you, and as ever, loving childcare is provided.

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Saving Jesus Redux: Resurrection

This coming Sunday Julie Wade will lead the Forum as we look at the historicity of the resurrection as told in the Bible.


“The emphasis upon the tomb really being empty that’s made by some Christians and the emphasis that Jesus rose in a physical, bodily way from the dead is really a distraction.”
—Marcus Borg, Living the Questions

From the text:
"It’s not difficult to imagine a parishioner approaching a pastor after a Bible study comparing the Gospels and saying, “I’m so relieved to know that I’m not crazy. Every Easter when the story was different I thought it was me—I thought I just had a really bad memory.” Nope. Your memory is fine. You’ve just stumbled upon a topic that isn’t discussed in polite company: the
inconvenient fact that none of the Gospels agree on what happened on Easter morning."

Please join us for and engaging session of alert minds. Superb, loving childcare is provided.

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Saving Jesus Redux: Atonement

This Sunday we're going to discuss the 10th chapter of "Saving Jesus redux -- Atonement"
Here's the teaser:
"How odd it would be if the “good news” was what most people think it is—that Jesus died for our sins. If that were the case, then Jesus would’ve been in the rather awkward position of going around the countryside with the nonsensical claim, “Hi, I’m Jesus and I died for your sins!” According to the synoptic gospels, the Good News is that the Kingdom of God is NOW and we’re called to participate in it. But don’t try to tell that to some folks. For many Christians, the “good news” is solely about what’s called the “saving work” of Jesus, achieved by his vicarious and atoning death on the cross.
"And yet, many New Testament scholars argue that some early streams of Christianity flowed with little or no mention of Jesus’ suffering and death. For those early Christians it was Jesus’ life and example, his teaching and healing, that were important. But at the opposite extreme, we’ve got the Apostle Paul preaching “Christ crucified!” with little mention of Jesus’ earthly life. While over the years Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection became essentially the be-all and end-all for most Christians, there’s never been a unanimous opinion. So, how are we to understand God’s saving work in Jesus Christ? Was it his life? His suffering? His crucifixion? His resurrection? All of the above?"
Please join us at 9:45. We'll be deilighted to see you. Loving childcare is provided.

Monday, September 19, 2011

Carol Landis, Ph.D. and the Green Interfaith Network

This coming Sunday we are lucky to host Dr. Carol Landis, President of the Green Interfaith Network, Inc (GINI). Carol and her family are immigrants to TN from Ohio, where she was active with Ohio Interfaith Power & Light. She is a retired science teacher who still works as the Education Outreach Specialist for the Byrd Polar Research Center at Ohio State. She and her husband have started a "nano-farm" to sustain their families with organically-grown produce, fruits, eggs, and meat.

GINI's vision is "to be a model for green faith communities in the Southern Appalachians and to become a spiritual voice for environmental sustainability in the Northeast TN and Southwest VA region." Please join us for a warm session on caring for our corner of the earth, and beyond.

As ever, we'll be delighted to see you, and remember, extraordinary childcare is provided.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Saving Jesus Redux: Who Killed Jesus?

This coming Sunday we'll view the chew on the 9th chapter of Saving Jesus Redux: Who killed Jesus?
I've thought the answer is: "We did," where the "we" is the collective membership of the dominant politcal, military power structure. Two-thousand years ago, that power was in the hands of the Romans. Today, it is in our hands. The extent to which we are a members of that group defines the likelihood of our killing him again, should he return. If this seems far-fetched, consider the Wisdom of Solomon 2:12-20 (NRSV):

“Let us lie in wait for the righteous man, because he is inconvenient to us and opposes our actions; he reproaches us for sins against the law, and accuses us of sins against our training. He professes to have knowledge of God, and calls himself a child of the Lord. He became to us a reproof of our thoughts; the very sight of him is a burden to us, because his manner of life is unlike that of others, and his ways are strange. We are considered by him as something base, and he avoids our ways as unclean; he calls the last end of the righteous happy, and boasts that God is his father. Let us see if his words are true, and let us test what will happen at the end of his life; for if the righteous man is God's child, he will help him, and will deliver him from the hand of his adversaries. Let us test him with insult and torture, so that we may find out how gentle he is, and make trial of his forbearance. Let us condemn him to a shameful death, for, according to what he says, he will be protected."

Please be warmly welcomed to a thoughtful Sunday at 9:45. Loving childcare is provided

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Saving Jesus Redux: The message of compassion

This coming Sunday we'll cover the 8th chapter of "Saving Jesus Redux: Jesus' message of compassion."
This one's kind of deep, and it strikes a chord that we know is true. From the reading, "Matthew Fox shouts it from the rooftops: '...there’s a whole agenda out there for us that we have to wake the Church up to serve, because the Church is busy sleeping on a sentimentalized Christ and not the prophetic Jesus who calls us to do justice! As Meister Eckhart says, compassion is just another word for justice. It’s not about feeling sorry for people—it’s about creating circumstances of fairness and equality and balance so that rivers of wisdom and joy can flow through our hearts—through our communities.'”

Please join us for this heart-warming session. We'll be happy to see you. Tender loving childcare is provided. Starts at 9:45

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Saving Jesus Redux, Chapter 7, The Kingdom

This Sunday we will continue with the "Saving Jesus Redux" series, and we'll focus on chapter 7, Jesus' Program: the Kingdom of God.
From the handout materials:
" Jesus begins his ministry, going about the countryside proclaiming the good news of God. Ask most people on the street what the “good news” of Jesus is and, after sputtering a bit, they might say something like, “that Jesus died for my sins?” Indeed, that’s what most people have been convinced is the “good news.” But how weird would it have been for Jesus to start his ministry with, “Hi! I’m Jesus—and I died for your sins!” Huh? People would have rightly looked a bit suspiciously at him. According to the text, the “good news” has nothing to do with sin or Jesus’ death or much of anything embraced by practitioners of pop Christianity. The “good news” Jesus proclaims is the Kingdom of God is here, it’s now. "

Please join us at 9:45. It'll be an interesting session. And as ever, loving childcare is provided

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Saving Jesus Redux: The Wisdom Tradition -- Repeat

Once again, this coming Sunday we'll view and discuss Chapter 6 of "Saving Jesus Redux: The Wisdom Tradition." From the promotional materials: "Jesus was a purveyor of wisdom. His stories, sayings, and teachings say it over and over again: It’s not about victory. It’s not about punishment. It’s not about rewards. It’s not about what you deserve or what you get. Looking on reality with compassion, love, inclusivity, forgiveness— recognizing everything as created by God, infinite in dignity, to be honored. "Sadly, the God of many or most is not an unconditional lover. Jesus taught otherwise. The wisdom tradition is about learning what questions to ask, engaging the issues that deeply affect people, and being open to new possibilities. It’s a journey that you travel with trusted companions your whole life long. And as Jesus taught and lived, it’s about a surprising and transforming grace that humbles the powerful and empowers the humble." Please join us as we explore this compelling and engaging film.

We'll be delighted to see you. Loving childcare is provided.

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Saving Jesus Redux: The Wisdom Tradition

This coming Sunday we'll view and discuss Chapter 6 of "Saving Jesus Redux: The Wisdom Tradition."
From the promotional materials: "Jesus was a purveyor of wisdom. His stories, sayings, and teachings say it over and over again: It’s not about victory. It’s not about punishment. It’s not about rewards. It’s not about what you deserve or what you get. Looking on reality with compassion, love, inclusivity, forgiveness— recognizing everything as created by God, infinite in dignity, to be honored.
"Sadly, the God of many or most is not an unconditional lover. Jesus taught otherwise. The wisdom tradition is about learning what questions to ask, engaging the issues that deeply affect people, and being open to new possibilities. It’s a journey that you travel with trusted companions your whole life long. And as Jesus taught and lived, it’s about a surprising and transforming grace that humbles the powerful and empowers the humble."
Please join us as we explore this compelling and engaging film. We'll be delighted to see you. Loving childcare is provided.

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Timo Haroken and a mission to the Congo (DRC)

This coming Sunday we'll host Timo Haroken. Timo and Laura Harkonen are new associates of MAF (Mission Aviation Fellowship) which supplies flying services for many globalmission agencies. Laura is a pilot and Timo is completing his seminarytraining to serve as a mission pastor, but the main emphasis is on Laura serving as a pilot for MAF and their destination in the DRC (Democratic Republic of the Congo). Timo will share a video and talk to us about their mission program and future.
Please join us for this interesting presentation. We'll be delighted to see you. And tender loving childcare is provided.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Rounding of Lloyd Geering--The Last Western Heretic

This coming Sunday we will conclude viewing the story of Lloyd Geering as shown through the film, "The Last Western Heretic." This has been a fascinating story that traces the lafe and theological development of one of Presbyterianism's most interesting leaders.
Please join us. We'll be happy to see you, Sunday, at 9:45.
Loving childcare is provided.

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Lloyd Geering -- The Last Western Heretic

Last Sunday, John referenced Lloyd Geering in his sermon. His description of Geering was correct. At age 93 Geering is yet publishing. His latest book "Such Is Life!: A Close Encounter With Ecclesiastes" is being reviewed by Rebecca Hilton. He's a fascinating person. Here's a modified version of his entry on Wikipedia:

Geering was born in New Zealand in 1918. He holds a master's degree in Mathematics and a Doctor of Divinity from the University of Otago. Following his ministry in the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand (PCANZ), he began teaching theology in 1956. In 1967 Geering became famous when he was charged with "doctrinal error" and "disturbing the peace and unity of the (Presbyterian) church". The case was brought before the 1967 General Assembly of the PCANZ, and dismissed without being much discussed. The charges were brought by a group of conservative laymen and a conservative minister. During his church trial he claimed that the remains of Jesus lay somewhere in Palestine and that the resurrection had been wrongfully interpreted by churches as a resuscitation of the body of Jesus. He also rejects the notion that God is a supernatural being who created and continues to look over the world.
Geering is a member of the Jesus Seminar and a participant in the Living the Questions program

He was honoured in 1988 as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire and in 2001 as Principal Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit. In the 2007 New Year Honours List he was made a Member of the Order of New Zealand.


This coming Sunday and the next, we'll view a documentary of his career entitled "the Last Western Heretic." If you'd like a preview, click here for the link. we'll leave plenty of time for discussion.

Please join us. We'll enjoy seeing you. And as ever, tender loving childcare is provided.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

More Kilowatt Ours

Last Sunday we started viewing the video, "Kilowatt Ours," and this week we will finish the view. This video is very good in that it not only points out the problems with our energy consumption, it happily points to easy things we can all do to save energy and money. We'ver got some great advocates in the group. Please join us as we continue the discussion.
As always, excellent and loving childcare is provided.

Monday, June 20, 2011

Kilowatt Ours

This coming Sunday, June 26th, we're going to view the film "Kilowatts Ours: A Plan to Re-Energize America." This compelling documentary Jeff Barrie was produced in Nashville and filmed in southern Appalachia. It takes a careful look at the cost of producing electricity at the expense mountain-top removal. The subject is topical given the recent state legislative issuance of licenses to remove mountain tops in Tennessee. The cost of a kilowatt is much more than dollars we send in to the Power board. The cost hits our environmental, aesthetic and ecological pocketbooks in both the near and far-reaching future. Alternatives are possible-- we don't have to go this way.

See the press release, here: http://www.kilowattours.org/mediakit/KilowattOursPR042309.pdf

Visit the website, here: http://www.kilowattours.org/

Please join us at 9:45 for a thoughtful viewing. We'll be delighted to see you, and as ever, loving childcare is provided.

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Taneem Aziz

This Sunday we have as our special guest, Mr. Taneem Aziz, a local leader of the Muslim Community of Northeast Tennessee. Mr. Aziz will provide his perspective on current events related to the local, national and international Muslim Community. Please join us for Mr. Aziz's return to our FPCe Adult Forum. We'll be delighted to see you. Excellent childcare is provided.

Thursday, June 2, 2011

The Roots of Religion -- JS Spong

This coming Sunday, June 5, we will view and discuss a compressed version of John Shelby Spong's talk on "God in the 21st Century." The compressed version is edited for the salient points Spong makes on "tribal" religion in it's many forms. If you want a preview, here's the link: "Roots of Religion".

Please join us at 9:45. We'll be delighted to see you, and as ever, loving childcare is provided.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Jonathan Miller and Colin McGinn

This week we'll continue viewing Jonathan Miller's interview of British philosopher Colin McGinn. The interview is part of Miller's BBC series, "The Atheism Tapes." We started into this last week and had so much discussion that we ran out of time. This coming Sunday we'll finish up. If you want to preview the entire interview, click here.
Please join us. We'll be happy to see you. As usual, loving childcare is provided.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Back from the Jesus Seminar

This coming Sunday, our very own John Shuck will report to the Adult Forum with news from his recent trip to the 2011 Jesus Seminar in Salem, Oregon.

In 1985, the Jesus Seminar grew out of the efforts of Robert Funk and the Westar Institute whose stated "twofold mission is to foster collaborative research in religious studies and to communicate the results of the scholarship of religion to a broad, non-specialist public." The Jesus Seminar's main goal has been to identify a clearer picture of who Jesus really was. In their words, the Jesus Seminar has sought to "discover and report a scholarly consensus on the historical authenticity of the sayings (phase 1) and events (phase 2) attributed to Jesus in the gospels." The members, a mix of well-known schlolars and unfamiliar names, vote on lines of biblical scripture as being historically accurate, may accurate, not so accurate and definitey not accurate. The results have been both highly lauded and strongly condemned.

Please join us as John brings us up to date on the latest happenings. We'll be delighted to see you, and as ever, warm and loving childcare is provided.

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Saving Jesus, Redux, Part 2

This Sunday we'll have a look at chapter 2. Here's the teaser: So, "Who was Jesus? Apocalyptic firebrand. Mystical faith healer. Political insurrectionist. There are as many images of Jesus as there are theological and political stripes. Walk into the narthex of any number of Protestant churches, and you’re likely to find the sentimental, blue-eyed, pink-skinned Jesus of artist Warner Sallman gazing peacefully upon your comings and goings. Enter the neighboring Catholic Church, and you’ll probably find the image of a beaten, bleeding, emaciated man suffering on a cross. "From the Gospels to illustrated Bible storybooks to portrayals in film, Jesus has been the subject of considerable “spin” over the ages. Each tradition and each individual puts their own emphasis on who Jesus was. For many middle-class Americans, the ideal Jesus is the gentle, upstanding, right-thinking (and often somewhat androgynous) suburbanite with good posture. The notion that Jesus might have been a short, dark, Middle-Eastern peasant rabble-rouser is so far from many people’s capacity to comprehend, that all reason is rejected in favor of the gauzy Aryan visions of early childhood. A blondhaired, blue-eyed Jesus, meek and mild, is such a stalwart icon of Western culture, that to suggest anything contrary or corrective to that image is tantamount to heresy." Please be warmly welcome. And as always, loving childcare is happily provided.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Going Green with Josh Kelaher

This coming Sunday we are pleased to host Josh Kelaher, a student at James Madison University and an entrepeneur in green building design. Josh writes:

I want to talk about some misconceptions people have about "going green." While the name may be trendy, sustainability is not going to be a flash in the pan. Every day we are confronted with more and more problems related to our finite resources in the energy realm. Not only that, but the signs of our threatened energy security are more clear than ever in the recent events around the world. So what can we do? Being environmentally conscious isn't a full time job or a nuisance, as some may think. A major obstacle is that people just aren't accustomed to thinking and acting with their environmental impact in mind. Others still feel that the little things don't make that big of a difference. Nothing could be further from the truth. I want to talk about my house and my experiences living there, as well as working for a start-up company with the goal to make renewable energy options affordable for homeowners through creative financing and integration of designs.

Josh is Judy Garland's grandson who says, "I'm a senior at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. I was born and grew up in South Carolina, and then moved just outside of DC to Fairfax, Virginia for high school. At JMU I'm earning a degree in Integrated Science and Technology, with an emphasis on energy studies and environmental science. I'm passionate about sustainability and learning all that I can to reduce my impact on the environment. For two summers during college, I traveled to Costa Rica to study renewable energy technologies first hand. Outside of my studies, I enjoy snowboarding, playing the guitar, and exploring the Shenandoah Valley."

Please join us to hear this refreshing voice on leaving the world better than we found it. We'll be tickled to see you. As always, superb childcare is provided.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Saving Jesus, part 1

Over the past weeks John's sermons have worked to create a portrait of Jesus as unlike the deity often embraced by many mainstream religious groups. In the telling of the parable of the dishonest manager (Luke 16:1-8) Jesus reveals his beliefs about the privileged and their values toward the accumulation of wealth. His opinion of these self-serving members of the upper socioeconomic class is low one. In the parable of the persistent widow (Luke 18:2-6) we hear Jesus describing a powerful judge who neither fears God or cares for the opinions of people. Jesus advocates for the needy, the members of the lower socioeconomic strata, who insist that they receive justice. And in the story of the Syrophoenician woman (Mark 7:25-30) Jesus initially insults a gentile mother, and when she wise-cracks back at him, he changes his mind.
All of these images of Jesus -- the despiser of the wealthy, the advocate of those deserving justice, a man who reflects on his prejudice and then changes his mind -- are at strong variance with the popular, mainstream view of Jesus-the-God-and-second-member-of-the-trinity. These less common images form a more approachable Jesus, a more human, a more like us Jesus that seems worth a deeper look. They bear a message worth hearing. To this end, the Living the Questions group has produced a study series entitled "Saving Jesus, Redux". This series, prepared with the usual high level of thought, expertise and intelligent adult polish, presents Jesus in a role more related to his advocacy of social justice and less that of deity as personal savior. It is an engaging production done well, and one sure to stimulate some discussion.
Please join us. We'll be delighted to see you. The very best of loving childcare is provided.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

How Do We Say Goodbye?

Death is not an easy subject to discuss but it is inevitable for each of us. As we were reminded on Ash Wednesday, "Dust you are and to dust you will return." In the church, we can talk about difficult subjects. We can own our fears, our brokenness, and our inability to communicate with those whom we love the most. And by acknowledging that something is difficult we begin to be able to approach it with love and kindness. Randy Sermons, Lydia Roane, Pat Willard will present the program.

Please be warmly welcome to this important discussion. Excellent childcare is provided.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

God in America

For those who know that in America, religion matters, and for those who wish it didn’t matter so much, comes GOD IN AMERICA, a sweeping history of how religious faith has shaped America. Interweaving documentary footage, historical dramatizations, and interviews with religious historians, this film series explores the role of religion in the public life of the United States. We will be looking at part one that examines religious freedom in the earliest days of our country.
Please join us. We'll be happy to see you. And as always, excellent childcare is provided.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Wrapping up our evolving brains

Last week we closed with a fascinating discussion on the evolved human brain, with a focus on how we've come to develop a sense of spirituality, and how religion provides us with adaptive benefits. The talk was robust, engaging, and full of energy. Dr. Julie Wade has agreed to lead a closing session on the topic this coming Sunday, March 6. Please join us for a lively forum, and bring your questions and comments. We'll be delighted to see.
As ever, loving childcare is provided.

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

And still our brain evolves

This coming Sunday Dr. Julie Wade will conclude her series on the evolution on the brain with more discussion on the evolution of the frontal cortex, modern consciousness and our natural inclination towards religion and spirituality.
Please be warmly welcome to join us for this interesting and exciting discussion.
As ever, loving childcare is provided.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Our brain keeps evolving

Next Sunday Dr. Wade will continue her presentation on the evolution of the human brain. Last Sunday was the cellular anatomy and physiolgy. Upcoming is evolution and functional development. It'll be good as we approach the hard questions. I think we set a record with 56 folks in attendance. Please join us for more.
As ever, loving childcare is provided.

Monday, February 7, 2011

The evolution of the human brain: Dr. Julie Wade

This coming Sunday we are very pleased to present Dr. Julie Wade speaking on the Evolution of the human brain. She wrote the following:

"The field of biology was revolutionized by Charles Darwin who helped us understand how living organisms have evolved over millions of years and are still evolving today. His theory of natural selection described descent with modification which was driven by environmental pressures. His work has become the central underlying paradigm in the field because he provided so much data to support his theory. This theory first published in 1859 has yet to be refuted by scientists and has been made even stronger by more recent research involving DNA.

Studies of the evolution of the brain and behavior are difficult because we cannot study either internal soft tissues or behavior using fossils. These studies are based on investigations of contemporary organisms that are closely related to their fossilized ancestors. Fossilized skulls are used to extrapolate brain sizes at a given point in evolutionary time but are relatively hard to find.

In his book “The Accidental Mind—How Brain Evolution Has Given Us Love, Memory, Dreams, and God”, neuroscientist DJ Linden does an excellent job of describing the serendipitous evolution of our brains that has given us our humanity. He dismisses the fact that the brain is a paragon of design by describing it as inelegant and inefficient, and he points out that if it were built today by modern engineers, it would look and function very differently from its current design. My presentation will be based on his book which describes how our earliest ancestors have contributed to and laid the foundation for our twenty-first century brains and much of our behavior."

Dr. Julie Wade is a retired Biology Professor and Pre-Professional Health Advisor who taught at Pennsylvania State University (3 yrs) and Milligan College (24 years). She taught a wide variety of courses including comparative anatomy, animal physiology, human anatomy and physiology, cell and molecular biology, endocrinology, histology, and research seminar.

Please join us, Sunday at 9:45. It will be a delightful time. And as usual, excellent and loving childcare is provided.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

The Atheism Tapes with Denys Turner

Jonathan Miller, one of the brightest minds of our time, together with BBC created a series of six interviews in 2004 that aired under the title of "The Atheism Tapes." The interviews were compiled from material left over from Miller's 2003 series entitled, "A Rough History of Disbelief."
All of the "Atheism Tapes" interviews were conducted with well-known atheists, except for the one with Denys Turner, Chair of Theology at Cambridge, and that's the one we will view and discuss this coming Sunday.
The Turner interview begins on the point of "why is there something instead of nothing," but along the way it reels across atheistic fundamentalism and dips into questions that are genuinely appropriate to ask and disingenuously wise avoid. At times the point of the conversation vanishes maddeningly into the thin ethereal air of philosophical obscurity, but in the end, it lands squarely and satisfyingly in pragmatic reality. It is a difficult conversation to follow, but it utimately resolves at a point happily within our reach. If you'd like a preview, click here.
This'll be good. I promise.

Please join us at 9:45. We'll be delighted to see you. And remember, wonderful childcare is provided.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Does the Death Penalty Serve Justice?

This coming Sunday, January 30, we are pleased to host Rev. Stacy Rector, executive director of "Tennesseans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty." Stacy will speak on Tennessee's stance on the death penalty and the justice to be served to the 88 people (87 men and 1 woman) currently held on our state's death row.

Capital Punishment is a type of justice. It falls within the category of retributive justice, a form that appeals to our sense of vengance, and an act that serve to satisfy our base desire to pay back a wrong. However, if we are ever to move beyond "an eye for an eye" (that leaves the whole world blind) then we are pointed towards something else...something like restorative justice, a form that rights the wrong, and liberates us from the need to "get even."

From the Website of Tennesseans for alternatives to the death penalty: "Stacy Rector is a native of Dyersburg, Tennessee, a graduate of Rhodes College and Columbia Theological Seminary, and an ordained Presbyterian minister. She served as the Associate Pastor of Second Presbyterian Church in Nashville for nine years. During her time as a pastor, Stacy served on the board of TADP, the Restorative Justice Coalition of Tennessee, and was a founding member of the board for the Presbyterian Network to End Homelessness. In October 2006, Stacy became Executive Director of Tennesseans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (TADP), an organization whose mission is to honor life by abolishing the death penalty. She also currently serves on the Peacemaking and Outreach committees for the Presbytery of Middle Tennessee and on the board of People of Faith Against the Death Penalty."

Please be warmly invited to join us. We'll be delighted to see you. As always, superlative childcare is provided.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

What is Peak Oil and Why Should the Church Care?

This coming Sunday, January 23, John Shuck will present, "What is Peak Oil?"

According to geologist, Colin Campbell:
"The term Peak Oil refers to the maximum rate of the production of oil in any area under consideration, recognising that it is a finite natural resource, subject to depletion."

Don't let the terse definition fool you. This peak of oil global oil production that many experts think is happening now has huge impacts on everything including geopolitics, transportation, economy, ecology, housing, food, career choices--in short--civilization.

John will present a powerpoint and a short clip on Peak Oil and open up the discussion for what are possible implications and possible creative and compassionate responses.

Please join us. We'll be delighted to see you. And so will our folks that provide the very best childcare.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Heroes and the Challenge of Dissent

In preparing last week's presentation I stumbled across an interview of Richard Cizik as part of a forum on the Cost of Dissent in the Workplace. Other participants included Matthew Alexander who demonstrated the ineffectiveness the US military's efforts with "enhanced interrogation techniques" in Iraq in 2006, and Elizabeth MacKenzie Biedell, a former intelligance analyst who wrote daily briefings for the White House and senior cabinet leaders during the buildup to the Iraq war.
Each of these individuals stepped out of their ranks to say, in effect, "this is not right" and then each bore the burnt of being a truth-teller. Their stories give some depth to the beatitude appearing in Matthew, "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven", and that appearing in Luke, "Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil..."

Please join us as we hear the voices of these people who paid a price for doing the right thing. We'll be delighted to see you. And has usual, loving childcare is provided.

Monday, January 3, 2011

Evangelical Backlash on Environmentalism

Last week an article in the NY Times led off with this video clip:





It is inflammatory. The magnitude of the corruption and dishonesty required to produce such a video is difficult, or nearly impossible to comprehend. I found myself thinking that the group that produced this video, the "Cornwall Allaince" are possessed of a vile, reprehensible theology.

Here's the link to the NYT article: Here

My first inclination is to show how easy it is to find succinct and comprehensive evidence of the overwhelming science that supports the facts of global warming, such as may be found at NASA or the Evironmental Protection Agency.

But, with a closer look and some inquiry, it becomes evident that the Cornwall Alliance formed as a response to what was percieved as a direct threat arising from a schism deep within the fundamentalist right. This schism erupted when Rich Cizik, former vice president for governmental affairs at the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) broke ranks with the hard core conservatives... Cizik not only accepted the science of global warming, he spoke positively of civil unions on Terri Gross' "Fresh Air." It ensured his forced resignation.

This Sunday we'll have a look at the position of Cornwall Alliance and its claim of the anti-Christian nature of climate change, the EPA's summary statement of the science of global warming, and Rich Cizik's efforts to promote global warming awareness through Creation Care.

Please join us Sunday as we have a closer look at the fascinating triangulation. There's hope in it.

As ever, excellent childcare is provided.