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.

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.

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.

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.

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.