SPIRITUAL FORMATION 2016 (Summer Courses)
FIRST NAME:
*
LAST NAME:
*
EMAIL
*
CONTACT NUMBER
June
The Diary of Perpetua (CLOSED) (6/2, 6/9, 6/13, and 6/23; 7-9 p.m.; Pastor LaKeesha Walrond, facilitator) There were many writings during the first few centuries regarding the early Christian church. Some were included in the development of the New Testament, but many were also excluded. This class will explore one of those excluded texts - The Diary of Perpetua (a copy of the text will be provided). This text is survived in both Greek and Latin forms, and scholars believe it to be an actual historical account of Perpetua and Felicity, the first female Christian Martyrs. Converted to Christianity early in her life, Perpetua was believed to be 22 years old at the time of her death, in 203 AD at Carthage in the Roman province of Africa. Felicity, her fellow prisoner was pregnant at the time of her imprisonment and was also martyred with Perpetua along with many others. This class will challenge our assumptions about female leadership, martyrdom, and faith as we examine an eyewitness account of the suffering and death of these two women who refused to deny their commitment to Christianity.
Finding My Way to Me: Living on Purpose (CLOSED) (6/6, 6/16, 6/24 and 6/27; 7-9 p.m.; Kim Arango, facilitator) Discernment is an ancient and deeply biblical practice that allows us to faithfully respond to our sense of call. This course will explore the popular questions: What should I do with my life and How can I determine if God is involved in my decisions? After examining the practice of discernment from historical, psychological, and spiritual perspectives, participants will be pushed to discover for themselves what discernment looks like. A compilation of resources such as books, articles, activities, dialogue, and assessments will be incorporated in this course.
Book Club: Democracy in Black by Eddie Glaude, Jr.; (Wednesdays, June 15 and 29; 6-7 p.m.; Min. Aquarius Gilmer, facilitator) Glaude’s text discusses how America’s great promise of equality has always rung hollow in the ears of African Americans. Today, the situation has grown even more dire. From the murders of black youth by the police, to the dismantling of the Voting Rights Act, to the disaster visited upon poor and middle-class black families by the Great Recession, it is clear that black America faces an emergency - at the very moment the election of the first black president has prompted many to believe we’ve solved America’s race problem.
August
Knowing God for Yourself: Part II (CLOSED) (Mondays, 8/1 - 8/22; 7-9 p.m.; Pastor Willa Rose Johnson, facilitator) Building off of last year’s exploration of mysticism, Knowing God for Yourself Part II seeks to lead participants to a deeper relationship with God through the twofold approach of stripping away stale images of God that restrict our prayer life and practicing stillness in God’s presence through guided and unguided meditation. The class will make use of the teachings of Jesus and the anonymous texts The Cloud of Unknowing and The Privy Counsel. The class will encourage the study of these mystical texts, the practice of in-class and at-home prayer and meditation, and the use of reflection with our group on the experience and its insights.
The Naked Now (Thursdays, 8/4 - 8/25; 7-9 p.m.; Deacon LaVerne King, facilitator) In his text, The Naked Now, Richard Rohr challenges people of faith to know that the kingdom of God exists in us and can be experienced through the “naked now,” a spiritual awakening that introduces you to your deeper self. This course and readings will move you from a mere human existence to putting sight to blind eyes through contemplative enlightenment. Participants can expect a shock and pierce to the spirit with the revelatory teachings of Jesus. This class will give you the desire to move from darkness to light, from shadows to illuminating reality, and from slavery to freedom. Perhaps you will even meet yourself for the first time. In this class, you will begin to reimagine God, reimagine yourself, reimagine your relationship with God, and reimagine your relationship with humanity. The Naked Now can be the matrix that begins that process.
Submit
Should be Empty: