"Where would we be without St. Paul?"

This Sunday, May 27 at 9:15 our Moderator, Mark Fagerlin will answer the question, "Where would we be without St. Paul?"

Mark says,"There were two missions in the early church,one operating from Jerusalem under the leadership of Peter and the sons of Zebedee, and later James, the brother of Jesus, and other members of his family. The other mission was run by Paul, from various centers. The two missions were agreed about the supreme significance of Jesus, but little else. How we got where we are today has a lot more to do with Paul than with Peter. And, how I got to First Congregational Church has everything to do with their story."

As always, our discussion is open to all.

Remember next Sunday, June 3 there will be NO forum due to John Shelby Spong's visit. Please spread the word about our excellent lecture series.

Pickin’ and Grinnin’ with Phil and Larry

This Sunday, May 20, at 9:15 a.m. our own Rev. Larry Anderson and our neighbor Dr. Phil Cohen, Rabbi of Agudas Israel will present “Pickin’ and Grinnin’ with Phil and Larry,” a combination of music and musings like only they can do! It'll probably be a spirited, spiritual, harmonious, possibly hilarious,session.

Hawaiian (Polynesian) Kahuna Spirituality

This Sunday, May 13 at 9:15, our own Ed and Romella Hart O’Keefe will introduce us to Hawaiian (Polynesian) Kahuna Spirituality. The teachings of the kahuna tradition of Polynesia/Hawaii are thousands of years old. They begin with concepts of the “Three Selves” that make up human beings and include lessons that teach individuals how to reconnect with the inner sources of wisdom and power we all possess. A brief outline of these teachings will be presented along with resources for further study and reading.

A White Person Looks at White Privilege

This Sunday at 9:15 am, Dr. Marc Mullinax will be speaking to us.  Marc works at Mars Hill College, where he is a professor of Religion (since 2001). He is also the faculty sponsor for a student spirituality group called Ethos, the only one of its kind at the college that does not do worship, or mention Jesus on a regular basis. Instead, students gather over dinner to discuss in confidence matters and issues relating to spirituality, and never leave without connecting their conversations to social justice. 

His forum is entitled A White Person Looks at White Privilege.  Using the story of Jacob and Esau as a launch, Marc will probe whiteness, racism, and other color codes in American society. For example, when did it become necessary for a group of people to identify themselves as “white”? Against whom did they wish to demarcate themselves? In the talk, there will be first hand testimonies to the quiet powers that race, orientations, education, and other life-conditions actually do play in the USA. He will invite those gathered to dive deep and surface with their own understandings of how they play (or benefit from others’ playing) the cards of race or power or status. Are our privileges and gifts so many entitlements that blind us to, or are they lenses by which we may actually see more clearly, the inbreaking of God’s Realm on earth as it is in heaven?

Please plan to join us for this thought-provoking session.  Everyone is welcome.