September 7-21 - Israel and Palestine - led by Jeffrey Pugh
Jeff Pugh will come to SMF for three weeks and share with us his knowledge and insights on the Israel Palestine conflict. As we know, this is an important matter to stay informed on and understand the nuance of, and so we are thankful that Jeff will dive into that with us.
September 28 - Guest Speaker, Giselle Gaytán.
This conversation will explore the possibilities of Latine theological aesthetics to respond to the erasure of urban renewal and gentrification. Looking to Latine art as a site of theological formation, I will analyze how art can imagine alternative, creative possibilities of home-making amid the violence of displacement.
October 5 - Continued Adam Hamilton / John Wesley videos - led by Rick Hamilton
We will be continuing the series we started last semester. Join Adam Hamilton for the last part of a six-week journey as he travels to England, following the life of John Wesley and exploring his defining characteristics of a Wesleyan Christian. Wesley’s story is our story. It defines our faith and it challenges us to rediscover our spiritual passion.
October 12 - grateful.org videos - led by Bonita Wilson
We will be watching and reflecting on a collection of videos from grateful.org. The videos center Br. David Steindl-Rast, who is an author, scholar, and Benedictine monk who focuses on gratefulness as a practice of joy. He is often referred to as the “grandfather of gratitude” and his meditation and interviews that we’ll be watching will help us to understand his thoughts and connect with gratitude inside ourselves too.
October 19 - Spring Planning Session - led by Rick Hamilton
Please join us to discuss what material you want to cover next semester. Bring ideas for videos, articles, books, podcasts, speakers, and more as we discuss what should be on the schedule.
October 26 - Paul the Pharisee book discussion - led by Renita Banks
The centuries after the Protestant Reformation brought about a radical reinterpretation of the epistles of St. Paul, disconnected from any historical reality. But Paul operated, during his entire life, as a faithful Pharisee within the Roman Jewish world. In Saint Paul the Pharisee: Jewish Apostle to All Nations, Fr. Stephen De Young surveys Paul’s life and writings, interpreting them within the Holy Tradition of the Orthodox Church. This survey is followed by De Young’s interpretive translation of St. Paul’s epistles, which deliberately avoids overly familiar terminology. By using words and ideas grounded in first-century Judaism, De Young hopes to unsettle commonly held notions and help the reader reassess St. Paul in his historical context.
November 2 - Paul the Pharisee book discussion - led byBonita Wilson
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November 9 - Paul the Pharisee book discussion - led by Sue Lewis
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November 16 - Paul the Pharisee book discussion - led by Rick Hamilton
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November 23 - 1-2 Timothy authorship discussion - led by Chris Reffett
Modern biblical scholarship generally agrees that many of the Epistles were not written by the people we think wrote them, including several of Paul's letters and the Peter letters. We will start with a brief overview of the scholarship around the authenticity of these letters, and then move into a deeper discussion: what does it mean for us as Christians that these are in the Bible?
November 30 - Advent Blessings - led by Sue Lewis
To start off the Advent season, we will read and discuss four blessings of peace, hope, love, and joy from Kate Bowler. Kate is known for writing honest and thought provoking blessings as a form of poetry and prayer. This collection of blessings for Advent will help us to center ourselves as we start the season and give us an honest look at what waiting for peace, hope, joy, and love will hold for us in this season.
December 7 - UMC Advent videos - Leader to be determined
This week, we will watch a series of videos that the United Methodist Church put out for Advent. They will give space to reflect on what Advent means for us as a church and dive into the theology behind what this season brings as understood by our tradition. It will be both an educational and reflective time of joining in this series of videos with the broader UMC community.
December 14 - Sanctified Art Advent videos - Leader to be determined
As Advent continues, we will take some time of prayerful reflection and with the art and poetry provided by sanctified art. Sanctified art is a group that provides progressive and theological art, poems, prayers, and reflections specially for liturgical seasons. Exploring their art and reflections is a beautiful way to lean into this Advent season.
December 21 - Sections of Devotional - led by Rocky Shoemaker
We will end our Advent season by reading a few excerpts from Seasons Greetings and discussing them. Rediscover the beloved Christmas story this year through the words of those who were there. From King Herod to the Magi, the Innkeeper, the midwife -- and even Jesus himself -- hear the dramatic stories of the Bible characters forever changed by the miracle that took place in Bethlehem so long ago. As we hear the multiple perspectives of what Jesus' birth and life meant for these characters of old, we're invited to ask what it means for us, now, today.