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Adult Forums for April into May: how do we do ‘church’ in this context?

Christ, risen from the dead, found his disciples worried and afraid. He breathed his Spirit into them and said, “as the Father has sent me, so I send you.” (John 20) Many of the scripture readings we hear between Easter and Pentecost, like this one, have to do with the origin, purpose and hope of church (in Greek – ekklesia or “assembly.”) So, as a theme for Lent was “grace in our context,” a theme for Easter adult forums will be “church in our context.”

April 3 – Are there different ways of being Christian within the New Testament? Mark Bertelsen leads a discussion on the epistle of James and possible disagreement with Paul.

April 10 – Christianity and California. Dr. Madeleine Forell Marshall will share some of the insights and challenges she presented at the Founders Day Lecture at our local seminary, coming out of her experience as a religion professor and in the mission field. How do we as Lutherans present this gospel in the cultures of California? She maintains that when we neglect “locality” in favor of some idea of “universal” Christian meaning we devalue religious experience and ruin essential metaphors. The incarnation insists that we take the physical world, our bodies and our localized experience seriously. The forum will also be the occasion for the launch of the new SunsetChristianity.com website, a place for sharing resources and stories.

April 17 – Christianity in America: a historic view. FLC member Kyle Erickson, as part of his graduate work, recently read the 19th century de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America and found the observations of this French writer on American Christianity fascinating. Kyle shares some of these insights and leads us in discussion.

April 24 – First Lutheran Church – goals for ministry. At our semi-annual meeting our council distributed vision and draft goals, which were also posted on the walls so folks could add their own sticky note comments. We’ll discuss these goals, the comments, progress and direction of FLC in the Silicon Valley context.

May 1 and 8 – “A different Christianity: Eastern Orthodoxy.”  Jose’ Macias (partner to Mark Bertelsen) leads a discussion of the Eastern Orthodox Church: it’s historic lineage and where it stands today.

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Sunday morning forums in February and March: God’s grace and our context

The image is from Rembrandt’s depiction of the Prodigal Son – maybe the most well known story about God’s grace.  We’ll hear this story (from Luke 15) during worship on Sunday, March 6.

Here’s a page with notes, images, more information pertaining to this forum series.

Grace is a word that gets thrown around easily; it certainly sounds appealing and it’s important to Lutherans, but what does it mean, really?  How would a grace-centered Christianity look different than what we see in the media?  What would it mean to bring grace specifically to people in the context of the Silicon Valley?

February 14 – Introduction with Pastor Bernt, with a reading of Romans 3, the great “Lutheran” passage we hear on Reformation Sunday – and reference to the recent Atlantic piece on the Silicon Valley suicides and themes of honor and shame, isolation and belonging, works and Sabbath, failure and forgiveness.

February 21 and 28 with Mark Bertelsen and Bruce Johnson.  These two sessions will examine the evolution of the Christian concept of grace from St. Augustine to Luther and from the Old Testament to the New Testament, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s exposition and critique of “cheap grace”.

March 6 – Susan Scott shares some of her learning about vulnerability and grace.

March 13 and 20 – Nancy Schmit and Pastor Kate lead us in discussion about a very popular and grace-centered contemporary Lutheran pastor and writer, Nadia Bolz-Weber, as well as the author Anne Lamott.

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Sunday forums for January: people talk about their faith

Sundays at 9:15am (between worship services) in the library, January 10 to February 7

The topic: God and the people of the Silicon Valley

How is it that people experience faith in our area?

Do people God’s presence?  God’s absence?  

What are the struggles people have with faith, their doubts?

How do we respond to how Christianity is portrayed in the media?  What decisions have we made based on what we believe?

Hear members of First Lutheran Church tell their stories and reflect on questions such as those above.  

At the beginning of each hour long form, two or three people representing a variety of backgrounds, will share.  Time for questions and general discussion will follow.

 

The idea for these forums is that in an area which feel isolate, we get to know each other better as brothers and sisters in Christ, in order to build community now but also because learning to talk about our faith (and doubts!) prepares us for better listening to our neighbors.

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Forums for December – Sundays, 9:15-10:15am

Forums are held in the library.

November 29: On the first Sunday in Advent, Ken Schreiber will lead a discussion of Mary the mother of Jesus focusing on what the Bible tells us, in what tradition has added and the spiritual messages that we can take into Advent.

December 6: New Music Director Dr. Lucik Aprahamian will introduce herself and discuss the history of the Oratorio with a focus on Handel’s Messiah, which is the featured work of this year’s Christmas Eve service.

December 13: Joe Haletky recently visited Rio de Agua Viva, our sister Parish in El Salvador, and participated in a meeting of an international advisory board to the Salvadoran Lutheran Church. Joe will lead a discussion of his trip and conditions facing the Lutheran Church in El Salvador.

December 20: Ken Schreiber will lead a discussion of how we apply and interpret Scripture. Martin Luther gave us Scripture alone (sola scriptura); the Roman Catholic Church uses Scripture and Tradition (sola scriptura is a heresy). Some Catholic Bishops are advocating a third element: the reality of life. The discussion will look at how Forum participants apply these three elements in their spiritual life.

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Adult forums for November

Adult Forum is held in the Library on Sunday mornings from 9:15 to 10:15. The schedule for November is:

November 1 and 8: Mark Bertelsen will lead a two part discussion of The Road to Character, a recent book by David Brooks. The discussion will start with the two creation stories in Genesis. Brooks’ labels these stories as Adam I and Adam II and explores how they relate to a person’s character. The discussions will include a review of other sources who have examined how to be a person of good character, including Socrates, St. Paul, Pelagius, Saint Augustine, and Luther, as well as relevant Biblical texts and whether and to what extent are God and faith a necessary piece of the puzzle.

November 15: Choir member and Marimba player Rich Gillam will introduce Forum to the Marimba. This Forum will be held in the Sanctuary.

November 22: Remembering the Dead: Ken Schreiber will lead a discussion of an English translation of The Mourner’s Kaddish. The Mourner’s Kaddish is a central part of Jewish liturgy and regarded by many as the most sacred Jewish prayer. The Mourner’s Kaddish is recited at the time of death, during mourning and on the annual anniversary of one’s death.

November 29: On the first Sunday in Advent, Ken Schreiber will lead a discussion of Mary the mother of Jesus focusing on what the Bible tells us, on what tradition has added and the spiritual messages that we can take into Advent.

 

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Forums for October 2015

Adult Forum is held in the Library on Sunday mornings from 9:15 to 10:15. The schedule for October is:

October 4: Bach’s Cantata 150: Last June 14th, viagra sale the Choir incorporated Bach’s Cantata 150 into our Service. Bach’s Cantata’s were teaching elements in the weekly service. Ken Schreiber will lead a Forum discussion focused on the words that Bach used in Cantata 150.

October 11: Pope Francis addresses Congress: Ken Schreiber will lead a discussion of theological content associated with the Pope’s September 24th address to Congress.

October 18: “Glory be to God for dappled things” is the first line of Pied Beauty, cost a poem by Gerard Manley Hopkins (1844-1889). Hopkins, price English poet, Roman Catholic convert and Jesuit Priest, wrote Pied Beauty in 1877. Ken Schreiber will lead a Forum discussion of Hopkins’ poetic praise to God.

October 25: Remembering the Dead: The Mourner’s Kaddish is a central part of Jewish liturgy and regarded by many as the most sacred Jewish prayer. The Mourner’s Kaddish is recited at the time of death, during mourning and on the annual anniversary of one’s death. As we approach All Saint’s Day, Ken Schreiber will lead a discussion of an English translation of The Mourner’s Kaddish.

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September schedule and theme: our neighbors, our mission

We pastors and the church council would like to invite others into the conversation about goals and the mission of the church. We’ve drafted a statement of vision we’re hoping might give focus to our future efforts and prayers – which can be found here.  We’d like your input.

Coincidentally (providentially?), the bible readings for worship in September connect nicely with themes from this vision. So, during September and into October, we’ll be addressing mission and vision topics in sermons, we’ll be hosting conversation opportunities, and we’ll have a fellowship hall display about our mission.

Schedule
September 6 (Labor Day Weekend) – one worship service.
8:30 conversation: Who is our neighbor?
9:30 Worship, sermon on James 2: church and divisions within society.

September 13 “Rally Day” as Holy Cross Sunday, one worship service, beginning of Sunday School, welcome to Luçik Aprahämian
8:30 conversation: What is our mission?  Craft for kids with Wendy.
9:30 Worship, sermon on Mark 8: Christ the way forward and the processional cross as fitting symbol.
10:30 fellowship and reception welcoming our new music and choir director, Luçik Aprahämian.  Distribution of bibles, meet your teacher.

September 20 – on this Sunday, we’re back to two services!
8:30 and 10:30 sermon on Mark 9: a child at the center, Christ in community.
9:15 conversation: Who is our neighbor?

September 27
8:30 and 10:30 sermon on Mark 9: “Whoever is not against us is for us” – connecting with neighbors.
9:15 conversation: What is our mission?

October 4
8:30 and 10:30 sermon on Mark 10: grace embraces all.
12:00 lunch conversation on vision, please rsvp with a pastor.

About the conversations:

We’re dividing the conversation into two parts “our neighbors” and “our mission.” It’s a lot to cover: for now, we’re getting some ideas out there and beginning to identify questions for future exploration. We’re doing each conversation twice, at different times – so you have 8:30 or 9:15 options. Additionally, we can host a noon lunch conversation October 4th, with childcare, but we ask that you rsvp for this option.

Topics:

Our neighbors: what is FLC’s “parish?” Are we here for fellow Lutherans? Fellow Christians? The neighborhood(s)? How does church life reflect or challenge divisions in society? What can we learn about our neighbors? What if people aren’t looking for the “right” church – or any church? What can’t we know about our neighbors, except through relationships with them? What it’s like to meet Christ in the presence of neighbors?

Our mission: what is FLC’s mission? Maybe we’d like to increase attendance or membership, but is the focus promoting our church or the gospel? (And what about that “e” word – “evangelism?”) Certainly, social action and charity are important – “doing for” – but how do we also “connect with?” We’ll talk about grace, cross bearing, and how it’s God who is in mission before we join in.

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May adult forums – the book of Acts

Continuing discussion of the Book of Acts.  All are welcome: meet in the library at 9:15am on Sundays.

May 3: The Forum discussion will focus on Luke’s depiction in the Book of Acts of the roles of Peter and Paul with the emphasis on descriptions of a meeting in Antioch and the Council in Jerusalem in Acts (Acts 15: 1-41) and in the Letter to the Galatians (Galatians 2: 1-21).

May 10: Forum will continue the discussion of the descriptions in Acts and Galatians of the meeting in Antioch and the Council in Jerusalem including an important translation and interpretation question—is Galatians 2:16 best translated as “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, search but by the faith of Jesus Christ, side effects ” (King James and earlier Bibles) or “we know that a person is justified not by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ” (New Revised Standard Version and many post-1800 Bibles)

May 17: The Book of Acts includes numerous healing miracles that are an important focus for many Christians and Christian churches. The Forum discussion will focus on ways that we can understand these miracles.

 

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March forums: Acts, Food for the Poor, Apocalyptica

Every Sunday in the library, adiposity 9:15-10:15am.

March 1: Ken Schreiber will lead the second session of what will be a series of Forum discussions of The Acts of the Apostles. The March 1st Forum will conclude discussion of some foundational questions such as:

Who wrote Acts and why was it written?  When was Acts written and how to different proposed dates impact how we understand Acts?  How does Acts relate to the Gospel of Luke?  Is Acts history and if yes, what kind of history?  How does Acts treatment of St. Paul life relate to Paul’s letters?  What is the implication that most of the Apostles are never mentioned in The Acts of the Apostles? Why, in the Common Lectionary, are there readings from Acts on only the Sundays of Easter? What might be the implications that the first surviving preaching on Acts didn’t occur until 400 CE?What does the long path that led to Acts being included in the New Testament tell us about the Book?  Why did the author include an extensive number of speeches and the role of the speeches in understanding the theology of Acts?  

March 8: Don Knuth has been spending his spare time trying to write some unusual (but hopefully inspiring) organ music entitled Fantasia Apocalyptica, based closely on the Biblical book of Revelation. He will give a progress report on this project in a special session of the Adult Forum, to be held in the church sanctuary.

March 15: Pastor Marv Abrahamson will lead a discussion of his work for and the work of Food for the Poor.

March 22 and 29: The Forum series on the Book of The Acts of the Apostles will continue with discussions of the Resurrection and Ascension and the Arrest, Trial and Death of Stephen.

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(Re?)discover Martin Luther

“Why are you a Lutheran?” our friend asks, and maybe we reply: “the church I like just happens to be Lutheran,” or, “I grew up Lutheran.”

Or do we have more to say about the Lutheran approach to life and spirituality and the faith that draws us?

Martin Luther is a name that’s easy to find on those lists of the 100 most influential people who ever lived. Maybe we learned about him in Confirmation – but that was some time ago.  What did Martin Luther teach, and does it matter to my personal or our congregational life today?

Pastor Kate and I invite you to read Martin Luther with us.  “The Freedom of a Christian” is a short little treatise that sums up many of Luther’s key ideas, and it’s one of the great spiritual classics of the Christian tradition.

Even the title is provocative: who thinks of Christians as liberated people?  Aren’t they too shackled up with their archaic beliefs and moral constraints?  While I get to read my paper Sunday morning, they have to get up early to sit in pews.  What kind of freedom is that?

We’ll be reading this little book during the month of January 2015.  We think much of what we can learn will be surprising and even helpful as we continue to explore where we’re headed as a congregation (see especially January 25 forum, below).

We’ll be using a recent study version of “Freedom of a Christian” with new translation by Martin Tranvik. Copies will be available at church – we ask small contributions just to cover the cost.

Copies of the book will be made available at church, or order your own online and let us know you’re reading with us.  Conversations will be scheduled during the forum and at other times convenient to those who would like to join in.  Read if you can, but if you don’t get around to it – come to the discussions anyway, we’ll try and sum it up.

January 11, 9:15am – Luther/Tranvik pg.49-65.  How do we understand the Bible and the purpose of worship?  What’s faith and what are its benefits?  What does it mean that Lutherans emphasize the gospel, where other Christians may put more emphasis on God’s demands?

January 18, 9:15a – Luther/Tranvik pg.65-79.  What does Luther mean by freedom, royal and priestly?  Why and how does Christ and his death matter for our lives – and why does Luther say it so differently than many Christians?  How do we approach the world, and what’s the place of spiritual discipline?

January 25, 9:15am – Luther/Tranvik pg.79-96.  One of FLC’s congregational goals is: “we want to increase the service we provide for the local community; while we’ve always been very good at ministering within our own walls, there’s a feeling that there’s an entire community we could be better serving just outside the doors.” (from congregational profile).  Can Luther’s thoughts on life lived in freedom and love for the neighbor help us to explore this idea further?