Shalom
Shalom is an adult gathering exploring our theological, biblical and cultural diversity. The class provides an opportunity to engage in respectful discussion better enabling each participant to appreciate the world in which we are living. And while we embrace and enjoy our meaningful Christian heritage, we warmly regard the reality that this means different things to different people and enjoy the experiences that come through differing perspectives. Finally, we seek to honor our class’s name, Shalom (Peace), by prayerfully lifting up and caring for each other while striving to create a loving, supportive learning community. All of this is born out of our common conviction to love all people as God intends!
Spring/Summer Group Discussions
The Kind Humans Survival Guide by John Pavlovitz (April 27 - June 1st)
We are living in an angry world and we all need a little more kindness in our lives. This study is designed to help us better understand how we can embody kindness in the face of life’s challenges. In the words of the author: “As jacked-up as the world is, we get to be the people who show up and remind it that goodness still inhabits this place, that loving human beings haven’t called it a day . . . because someone is counting on them (us) to be present and to make them feel seen and heard and valued.”
Unlearning God by Philip Gulley (June 8th . . . )
Most of us grow up taking in whole belief systems with our mother's milk, only to discover later that what we received as being certain is actually nothing like it. And then we're faced with a choice--retreat to spiritual security and the community that comes with it, or strike out into the unknown.
With his trademark humor and down-home wisdom, Philip Gulley serves as just the spiritual director a wayward pilgrim could warm to, inviting readers into his own sometimes rollicking, sometimes daunting journey of spiritual discovery. He writes about being raised by a Catholic mother and a Baptist father across the street from a family of Jehovah's Witnesses--all three camps convinced the others are doomed. To nearly everyone's consternation, Philip grows up to be a Quaker and a pastor. In Unlearning God, Gulley showcases his well-loved gift as a storyteller and his acute sensibilities as a public theologian in conversations that will charm, provoke, encourage, and inspire.