Sacred Conversations about Life
Hosted by St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
on Sundays, 9:30-10:20 a.m.
at The Grand, next door to the Church
Schedule for Spring 2018
April 8 The Resurrection Appearances. Join The Rev. Mark Stanley to look at the New Testament stories of the Risen Christ. We will explore why each of the Gospels describes these holy encounters in a slightly different way. Most importantly, what is the Good News they contain that can make a difference to our faith today?
April 15 Keeping Secrets: Making Sure our Parish Stays Emotionally Healthy. Using Family Systems Theory, we will talk about how keeping secrets can result in passing negative dynamics down from generation to generation within congregations. We will explore the signs of healthy and unhealthy systems, as well as looking at ways to break certain cycles, and nurture the ongoing health of our congregational system. Led by The Rev. Mary Luck Stanley.
April 22 Translations of the Bible: Which translation is the best to use? What can be lost (or gained) by certain versions? How can our understanding of translations impact our view of the Bible and our faith? Mark Stanley will try to help us not get lost in translation. Led by The Rev. Mark Stanley.
April 29 Mercy, Mercy Me! Promoting Mercy in Our Lives and Our Culture
As adults, we know the value of mercy, and we strive to impart that value to children and teens, even as we encounter a world that does not seem to value it. Because mercy is not a “one-and-done” virtue, in order for the world to become a more merciful place, each of us must practice mercy every day in our own lives. This session will examine how we can make mercy a more conscious practice – in our families, work, and communities. The Dr. Pat Fosarelli, Associate Dean, St. Mary’s Ecumenical Institute, author, and physician.
May 6 Conflict Resolution in Action
During my last visit, we talked about the role of narrative in conflict. How we talk about conflict either helps us develop next steps. The good news is through subtle shifts in how we think and talk about conflicts, we can transform our experiences. In this session, we will put into practice some of what we discussed theoretically in the last session; though, no prior knowledge or experience is required to attend this session. Participants of this forum will engage in exercises which use narrative technologies proven to help people transform their relationship to conflicts. The techniques we will practice are: externalization, double-listening, and circular questioning. Please come with a conflict in mind (personal, political, or professional). You will work together with what’s on your mind coming at challenges in new ways. Participants will leave not only with a new ways to approach their own challenges, they will be better equipped to support friends, colleagues, loved ones, and your wider community. Led by Sarah Federman, PhD, Assistant Professor: Negotiations and Conflict Management, College of Public Affairs, University of Baltimore
May 13 Tale of Two Cities
Join David Prater, who is a member of OSP and is also a human rights attorney for the Maryland Disability Law Center, for a discussion about housing and criminal justice in Baltimore City.
May 20 Is There Mercy Enough for Judas?
The character of Judas Iscariot has captured the imagination of people throughout history. So (in)famous is he that, like Elvis and Madonna, he is known by his first name. Endlessly enigmatic and almost universally demonized, Judas Iscariot has had countless works written about him. Yet, the New Testament evidence is quite sparse, and frequently contradictory. In an effort to establish the textual evidence, we will first investigate what our sacred texts preserve about this perplexing figure, and then, we will attempt to answer our most vexing questions: What motivated Judas to hand Jesus over to the authorities? What exactly is his “sin,” and how does it compare to Peter’s? If there is forgiveness and mercy enough for Peter, is there mercy enough for Judas . . . or should they be judged differently? Led by Dr. Rosnne Catalano, who is a professor at St. Mary’s Ecumenical Institute, as well as serving as a staff scholar at the Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies.
May 27 Memorial Day Weekend: Summer Break, No Programs
