Fire: Refining
Years of exploring and celebrating faith in a community comes to touch us at very deep levels. Yet when we reflect upon the meaning of the words and the implications at the core of our symbol and ritual, we are often alarmed at the beliefs they reflect, beliefs we no longer hold. A great chasm has opened between what our hearts yearn for and what our minds reject. Refining the elements of Christianity that have deep spiritual resonance while maintaining intellectual integrity is a challenge progressives face, particularly if we seek to do it with love.
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Language
- Scott Kearns, BA MDiv MSW
Language is tricky. It can build bridges or create barriers. This is particularly true in the church with its distinct language, one that has helped many people, yet also excluded and condemned many others. Here, you’ll find ideas for speaking in fresh ways about experiences, values, relationships, growth, and understandings of life, and thereby facilitate new connections with others, both in our tradition and outside it, while preserving core values – those parts of our tradition too important to give up.
We’ll examine typical messages, prayers, and hymns for truth-claims, promises, doctrines, and dogma, and ask the questions: What does that mean? Whom might it exclude? What do I actually believe? What have I been meaning when I’ve used that language? Is there something I could say that is closer to what I mean? The gain may be worth the loss of familiarity; the liberation worth the transitional discomfort.
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Praying the Lord’s Prayer Forward
The English version of the Lord’s prayer, or the prayer that Jesus taught, is perhaps the most misinterpreted passage of the New Testament. The sad part of this is that it is at the heart of our Christian practice. Billions of people across this planet know that prayer – it is etched in their hearts from an early age. They continue to pray these words believing that they are praying to the kind of God that Jesus understood, in a way that Jesus dictated, for things that Jesus found to be most important.
To truly enter into the heart and mind of Jesus we must attempt to understand his culture, his language and the times in which he lived. Jesus lived in a time and culture very different than our own – what better way to fully engage this prayer then to go back….way back… to the beginning. Back to the language that Jesus spoke with all of its cultural connotations. Back to Aramaic.
Come join us as we re-visit this prayer through Jesus’ original language. Learn the nuances of each word, each syllable, the ancient roots of the imagery that it invokes. Saying and understanding the prayer in Jesus’ own language will likely change your understanding of the man, the mission and the God to which we pray.
Do you have the courage to be transformed? Come join us in this provocative and highly spiritual journey into the prayer that Jesus really taught.
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Congregational Hiccups
Charting a progressive course for congregations isn’t always smooth sailing. Using her experience at West Hill UC as a guide, join in discussion with Dana Wilson-Li as she gives an appraisal of what has worked, what hasn’t and some lessons learned along the way. You’ll explore barriers to change that you may have experienced, and some you might not have considered. Ultimately we’ll reflect upon some of the things that need to be in place to make progressive change happen.
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Congregational and Choral Singing
Ever wonder…… ”So if they don’t use the hymn books, what do they sing?!”
If this is a question you’ve found yourself asking, please join Babette for this workshop and discover some of the varieties of music available which allow us to find meaning, connection, be moved and inspired. Once you begin to open yourself to the possibilities, you’ll discover how many there are!
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Multimedia in Congregational Sacred Gatherings
- Mary Joseph
How does one integrate Powerpoint in worship situations? What are the technology considerations? Is it right for your church? What will you have to learn to use it and how much more work will this really be? What can and can’t congregations do with regard to Powerpoint content?
This workshop will engage all these questions as well as discussing the art of the presentation, including showing videos and using music.
