On January 6, the Adult Forum will begin reading and discussing the book Jesus Before Christianity by Albert Nolan. Originally published in 1976, this was a highly acclaimed book that focused on the life of the historical Jesus. The printing of several more editions in recent years speaks to the relevance and continued resonance of Nolan’s work. All who wish to participate are welcome. Please find your own copy of the book or try to arrange to share a book.
The forum meets at 9 am each Sunday morning except on holiday weekends and in the summer. These insightful and relevant sessions focus on many modern day topics and use diverse resources. Anyone high school age or older is welcome to attend in the Parent’s Room, near the Manomin Street entry. Highlights of what the group has read (or watched) and discussed recently include;
- Study of the Eight Points of Progressive Christianity
- Waking Up White by Debbie Irving. Irving describes her mid-life realization of her white privilege. She revisits her own transformation and efforts to the unfair racial, cultural, and systemic ramifications of privilege.
- The TPT documentary OutNorth, the history of LGBTQI+ people and advocacy in Minnesota.
- The Listen Up!” Bible Study Series encouraged participants to read and discuss many books of the Bible in a 21st Century context. Below are a couple examples.
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- Ecclesiastes LISTEN UP! Bible Study
Sometimes considered the most curmudgeonly and cynical of all the books of the Bible, Ecclesiastes is also praised for telling it like it is. It addresses eternal problems that have always troubled human society: the problem of pain, the fruitlessness of overwork, the vanity of ambition, the age of anxiety, the fear of death and being forgotten. Ecclesiastes reminds us that these are not 21st century problems. - Job LISTEN UP! Bible Study
Job is one of the most-read books in the Hebrew Bible. Often assigned in secondary school and college literature classes, it is for many people the only book of the Bible they have read. Why Job? Because the story of Job is a thrilling, challenging, and compelling account of the spiritual transformation that’s possible as we find ourselves in between the falling apart of the old world and the building up of the new.
- Ecclesiastes LISTEN UP! Bible Study