Discovery Class
Who we are : A diverse bunch of folks, with no particular distinguishing demographics, who gather on Sunday mornings at 9:45 in the downstairs Fellowship Hall (usually) to grapple with questions about our individual and collective faith journeys. We’re young, not-so-young, young-at-heart, married, single, divorced, otherwise partnered, gay, straight, female, male, parents, non-parents, you name it, we’ve got it represented somehow. For more information, contact Dan Browning at danielabrowning[at]gmail.com.
What we study:
March 2007 - We will study Barbara Brown Taylor’s latest book, Leaving Church: A Memoir of Faith.This s an enjoyable, easily read, and well-written spiritual memoir that will enlighten and entertain you. Here’s a brief review synopsis:
A widely acclaimed preacher, Taylor draws on her homiletic skills in this finely crafted memoir with a simple plot: an Episcopal priest exhausts her inner resources, first in an urban church and then in a small country parish; she changes jobs, struggles and finds renewal.
In the past we have looked at a diverse set of topics, and we tend to examine these in dialogue with each other (i.e., none of us has all the answers, or even all the questions). In the Fall of 2006 we studied President Jimmy Carter’s new book, Our Endangered Values. In Lent 2006 we studied Mystics and Contemplative Practices, with a great mix of academic and practical lessons. In the Fall of 2005we had an engaging series on Science and Religion, with a particular emphasis on the recent debates concerning evolution and “intelligent design theory”.
Here’s a sample list of other topics we’ve discussed in the past several years:
- Scriptural studies
- John
- Romans
- James
- Various lectionary texts during the Lent and Advent seasons.
- Topical studies
- Eucharistic theology
- Immigration
- Poverty and hunger
- Meditation
- Environmental ethics
- Globalization
- Urban ministry
- Social Principles of the United Methodist Church
- Religious metaphors
- Christianity and Islam
- Video studies
- The Power of Myth with Joseph Campbell and Bill Moyers
- The Wisdom of Faith with Huston Smith
- Book studies
- Divinity and Diversity - Marjorie Suchocki
- A New Christianity for a New World – John Shelby Spong
- Beyond Belief – Elaine Pagels
- The Gnostic Gospels – Elaine Pagels
- Living Buddha Living Christ – Thich Nhat Hanh
- Amazing Grace – Kathleen Norris
- The Jesus I Never Knew – Philip Yancey
Why you should join us: Because you also want to continue to ask questions and take risks, you are never satisfied with the standard spoon-fed answers, you want to find new and newly-invigorated ways of encountering the sacred, and you want to do so in a supportive and encouraging environment with a group of folks who, if we dare say so, can be fun to hang out with!
