Winding down, one time

We don't have anything specific as a topic for this coming week. We covered such a tremendous amount of ground over the last three Evolution Sundays, maybe we'll spend some time reflecting.
Please join us for some leisurely friendship and good conversation. Something interesting always seems to turn up. If not, we'll watch Simon Sinek's TED talk on why we bother to get out of bed in the mornings.
We'll be delighted to see you.

Evolution Sunday Continues! Week Three!

This coming Sunday, February 24, we'll continue with the topic of evolution under the able guidance of Dr. Julie Wade. For the past two weeks, we've cover some of the basics on how evolution works and the evidence supporting it. This coming week we'll discuss what evolution means in terms of what we believe. This is my favorite part.

Please join us. We'll be happy to see you

Our Second Evolution Sunday

This coming Sunday, Dr. Julie Wade will continue exploring the evidence for evolution that we started last week.  She writes, "This week I shall emphasize some of the specific genes that are known to be around 500 million years old that are in us and that control the development of such structures as eyes, limbs, and heart.  We shall explore a new topic called biogeography that uses evolution to explain why we have certain animals and plants only on certain continents and not others.  Emphasis will be placed on how with todays technology, all lines of evidence so far examined continue to support the theory of natural selection as Darwin first described it."

Please join us for a friendly, lively session. We'll be delighted to see you.

Evolution Sunday! The Evidence for Evolution

The Adult Forum's most popular annual event centers around our celebration of Evolution Sunday, and the excellent presentations of Julia Wade, Ph.D., retired professor of Biology at Milligan College. This Sunday, Dr. Wade will speak on the Evidence for Evolution. She writes:

"So many people today say that they do not believe in evolution, but would they if they knew more about it?  In this talk celebrating Darwin’s birthday, we’ll explore some of the evidence from Darwin’s day and explain how that information has been substantiated and upheld by further research over the last 154 years since the publication of On the Origin of Species in 1859. We shall examine what is happening today in the fields of genetics and evolutionary embryology, all of which support Darwin’s original Theory of Natural Selection."

Please join us for this lively event. We'll be delighted to see you.

The Boogey Man

The boogey man arrives somewhere between 1 and 3:30 AM, bringing with him our anxieties, fears and obsessions. He covers these gifts with the sour sauces of dread and self-recrimination. He's not a lot of fun. He visits all of us from time to time, but we rarely talk about him. I figure that if we bring him into the daylight, make fun of him and tell jokes at his expense, it'll be easier to shoo him away the next time he comes creeping through the dark.
Please join for this hopefully interesting session. We be happy to see you.

Elements of Faith at a Catholic Funeral

Tuesday, I attended the funeral of a close friend, Rocky. My family and their family have been very close for more than 30 years. Rocky and I were "dad-pals". Our wives were roommates in college. Our children are close friends.  We were very much on the interior of the formalized grieving process through Rocky's traditional Catholic funeral and wake, where specific elements of tradition and faith were employed to palliative effect, often to the point of "laughter through tears."* This coming Sunday, we'll have a look at those elements, and discuss their merits. Please be warmly welcome. We'll be happy to see you.

*"Laughter through tears is my favorite emotion. (Truvey Jones)" -- Robert Harling, Steel Magnolias

Meet the author, Father Harry Shaefer

This coming Sunday, January 20th, we're in for a treat. We'll play host to retired Episcopalian priest, the Rev. Harry Shaefer. Enjoying retirement, Harry has returned to his love of New Testament study, and he has just authored the soon-to-be released book, The Hidden History of the Pauline Churches: First Thessalonians. This is our chance for a conversation with the author. In an email, Father Shaefer notes that, "The book is addressed to highly educated and intelligent laypeople. Parts of it will be too difficult for some." We'll take that as both a complement and a challenge. If you want to brush up on your Thessalonians, try the link: It's an easy listen.
Please join us for an engaging session. We'll be delighted to see you.