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Adult formation & spirituality
Opportunities for adult education and spiritual renewal
Adult education -- on Sundays
LIVING THE QUESTIONS
by The Rev. Char Mills
As adults we are all on a journey of discovery and we invite you to come to the following series if you have more questions than answers. It will open your thinking to hear how thirty acclaimed scholars, theologians and other experts view Christianity today. It will not give you compact answers, but rather open your mind to new avenues.
Living the Questions is a series of DVD presentations that last 20 minutes each. There are twenty-one sessions which strive to create an environment where participants can interact with one another in exploring what is next for Christianity. Grab a cup of coffee and join Finn Pond, Pete Wyman, Jonathan Steinhart, Bob Mills and me for discussion at 10:00 a.m. The series is not sequential, so you can drop in for any session and find an interesting topic being discussed. Recent and upcoming topics are :
- Feb. 5 Social justice: Realizing God's vision
- Feb.12 Incarnation: Divinely human
- Feb. 19 Prayer: Intimacy with God
- Feb. 26 Compassion: The heart
- Mar. 4 Creative transformation
- Mar. 11 Embracing the mystery
- Mar. 18 ERD Sunday: What is ERD, and what does it do?
- Mar. 25 DVD series, "Saving Jesus" (a sample of what might come in the fall)
- Apr. 1 The myth of redemptive violence, and Practicing resurrection (written material from Living the Questions)
- Apr. 8 (Easter - no class)
Beginning April 15 and running through June 10, we will start a new series entitled "The Uppity Women of the Bible." This is a DVD series focusing on Ruth, Song of Songs, Judith, and Esther. The format includes a lecture and then time for discussion. For those who have been wanting a Bible study, this is your opportunity!
Adult education – during the week
Exploring Prayer and Practice -- Wednesdays, beginning February 29 at 7 p.m.
Join
us this Lent on Wednesday evenings, February 29 - April 11, as we look
at different types and styles of prayer and meditation. The class will
consist of presentations, prayer practice and conversation among
participants. Weekly prayer homework and optional background reading
will be given so that participants have an opportunity both to try and
learn about different styles of prayer. Time will be provided in each
session so that people can reflect on their experiences. The class will
be held at 7:00-8:30 p.m. Sign up is requested, on the sheet at the
communications center. The Rev. Elaine Breckenridge will be the primary
presenter, assisted by others.
The Episcopal Church welcomes you -- Wednesdays, beginning April 25 at 7 p.m. Join Elaine Breckenridge as we gather to learn and reflect on what it means to be an Episcopalian. This class is suitable for newcomers, cradle Episcopalians and those in between. The text for the class is "Always Open: Being an Anglican Today," by Richard Giles. If you would like Elaine to order a book for you, please sign up at the communication center. Book cost is $12. Class will meet on Wednesdays, April 25 - May 16, 7:00- 8:30 p.m.
WOMEN’S CONTEMPLATION & CONVERSATION
2nd and 4thTuesday mornings at 10:00 a.m.
by The Rev. Elaine Breckenridge
Women's Contemplation and Conversation is an open group which meets for quiet prayer and group reflection. All women, including those outside the parish, are welcome. Each meeting includes a theme with readings and prayer. Silence is kept for twenty minutes and then a guided conversation for reflection follows.
The group gathers in the meditation chapel from 10:00 to 11:15 a.m. on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of each month. The 2012 winter/spring quarter is facilitated by Elaine Breckenridge and Pat Kowal. Please contact the church office or email the Rector if you have any questions or want more information.
Cursillo: growing Christ-centered leaders
A number of St. David's members are active leaders in Cursillo (cur-SEE-yo), a movement of the church, under authority of the diocesan bishop. Cursillo aims to support ministries throughout the diocese by inspiring
and developing leaders within the parishes, and providing a structure
that can support their further spiritual growth and development
A Cursillo weekend brings together a diverse group of adult Episcopalians from Thursday night through Sunday afternoon. The three days
are filled with talks and group discussions on aspects of our faith, plus fellowship,
singing, good food, and time for privacy, meditation and prayer. Eucharist is celebrated each day. Lay people lead the weekend, with 2 or 3 clergy members as spiritual advisors. Cursillo is not intended to be a conversion experience,
but rather to enrich and deepen your spiritual life.
After the weekend, small groups of friends gather regularly for continuing encouragement and fellowship ("Group Reunion"). Larger groups from throughout the area meet monthly for the same purpose ("Ultreya"). Spiritual direction from skilled lay persons or clergy is also encouraged, to provide help in deepening one's relationship with Christ.
For more information, and details of the next Weekend, are at St. David's communication center and at the Cursillo website.
Spiritual direction
Spiritual direction is a time-honored practice which spans most of the world's great religions. The importance of this ministry has become more recognized in the Christian Church generally and in the Episcopal Church specifically. Spiritual direction is offered at St. David's by the Rev. Gaye Lagana -- a deacon, trained spiritual director* and member of St. David's. Meetings are by appointment in Catherine's Room, across the hall from the church office.
Rabbi Jacob Staub has given one of the best concise descriptions of this ministry. He is quoted on the Spiritual Directors International web site as saying: "The object of spiritual direction is to cultivate one's ability to discern God's presence in one's life -- to notice and appreciate moments of holiness, to maintain an awareness of the interconnectedness of all things, to explore ways to be open to the Blessed Holy One in challenging and difficult moments as well as joyful ones. The director serves as a companion and witness, someone who helps you (sometimes with questions, sometimes just by listening) to discern the divine where you might have missed it and to integrate that awareness into your daily life."
Generally, most spiritual directors meet with their directees about once a month. To decide if spiritual direction is right for you, the best course of action is to meet with a director once or twice to see if both parties are comfortable working with each other. You may contact Gaye for an interview or for more information by calling her at 468-0514, or by email. A brochure is also available.
*Gaye received a certificate of completion in spiritual direction from Gonzaga University in 2004. She completed an eight-month retreat studying and practicing Ignatian spirituality in the Spiritual Exercises in Everyday Life. She has practiced Authentic Movement, focusing on meditations and the witnessing aspects of relationships, for 15 years.
Education for Ministry (EfM) is a program of theological
education and reflection on ministry offered by extension through the
School of Theology at the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee.
It is specifically designed for adults to pursue a
program of study within their own parishes. It is a four-year curriculum of Old and New Testament study, church history
and theology. Individual participants
belong to an EfM seminar group, facilitated and guided by a
mentor trained by the School of Theology. Seminar groups meet weekly
through the academic year, generally for two to three hours. They discuss the week’s reading assignments, worship
together, and learn a process of theological reflection which helps
them to connect their theological study with their own experience.
Although it is a four-year program, members make a commitment to
register for one year at a time. The tuition for one year is $340.00,
which includes all books and materials. We will schedule another Education for Ministry class when there are enough people interested. For more information, contact mentors Elaine Breckenridge or Gaye Lagana. You may also contact any of St. David's former EfM students for more information and feedback. They are: Char Mills,
Barbara Gronberg, Martha Lou Wheatley-Billeter, Jim and Nadine Grady,
Jeanne Mitchell, Steve and Kathleen Kellen, Sally Atkins, Marjorie
Heywood, John Finlon and Tom Latimer.
EfM5
Some of our former EfM students have formed a continuing group, named "EfM5," to study various books and videos and engage in theological reflection. For more information, contact Elaine Breckenridge.
Travis library
Located on the lower level of our parish hall, the Travis
library was established in memory of the Rev. Ronald James Travis, a
27-year member of St. David's. Ron was ordained a deacon in 1981, and
died in 1998. He was an avid reader and many of his religion books were
donated to the library.
The library has a unique color-coded
classification system that makes it easy to find what you're looking
for. It's maintained by volunteer members of the Library Committee and
contains both fiction and non-fiction resources primarily on religious
and spiritual topics. Books and other resources are donated by parish
members, who then feel a part of the library and check out more books
themselves - a win-win situation!
Current selections are
displayed atop the shelving units by the windows, and on a display shelf
in the hallway outside the library. The check-out book is on the
counter, ready for your use.
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