The Adult Forum
The Forum
Sacred Conversations about Life
The Forum is an adult education program hosted on Sunday mornings (other than “Community Sundays” that are focused on fellowship) during the Education Hour, from 11:05 to 11:45 a.m. We invite all to join us in the church sanctuary for these “Sacred Conversations about Life” where guest speakers, clergy, and leaders from our Church will stimulate deeper thought and questions about what it means to live as Christians in a complex world. Detailed schedules of the topics and speakers will be made available through the parish newsletter, in Sunday leaflets, and on our web site. We hope that members and their friends will look over The Forum schedule and attend those programs that are of the most interest. No preparation is needed and there is no homework assigned.
Schedule
Hosted by St. Paul’s Episcopal Church on Sundays from 11:05-11:45 in the church. All are invited to join us!
March 29 – Easter Egg Decorating for All Ages
Easter Eggs are a symbol of Resurrection. A chick hatching from the egg is a symbol of Jesus rising from the tomb. To participate in this Easter tradition, everyone, of all ages, is invited to the undercroft for refreshments and egg decorating. There will have wood eggs, plastic eggs, balloon eggs, and other ways to decorate eggs for Easter.
April 5 – Easter Egg Hunt and Party
All are invited to the Grand for refreshments, fun, and our traditional Easter Egg Hunt. Come join us for fellowship and an Easter celebration!
April 19 – Reading Genesis: Let’s Start at the Beginning
The Hebrew scriptures open with the creation of the universe (actually two different creation accounts). Memorable stories follow: Adam & Eve in the garden, the Tower of Babel, Noah’s Ark. Where did these stories come from? How can we modern people of faith understand them? Come join Mark Stanley to look at the influential first 10 chapters of the Book of Genesis.
May 3 – Moral Choice in Community: Paul’s Letter to Philemon as a Test Case.
Christians face moral choices daily as they strive to live out baptismal vows and bear witness to the gospel. How do we evaluate personal rights and spiritual principles to discern God’s will? What can the church as a community of faith do to help us make right decisions? We will read Paul’s Letter to Philemon to reflect on the complex process of moral choice and its consequences. Our special guest forum presenter will be renowned scholar and author, the Rev. Dr. John Yieh. Dr. Yieh is Professor of New Testament at Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria.
May 17 – The English Reformation: Let’s Start at the Beginning
Why is our church different from the Lutherans, Presbyterians, and Roman Catholics? So much of the style and spirituality of the Episcopal/Anglican Church comes from our earliest formation in the 1500’s in England. Join Mark Stanley for this story of martyrdom, scholarship, and a real life “Game of Thrones” that shaped our denomination today.
Past Forums
November 10 – Progressive Theology – What can a modern person believe?
Progressive scholars have been exploring how 21st century Christians can engage the doctrines and traditions of the church in a new way. They are rethinking such topics as how to read scripture, the person of Jesus, the Resurrection, miracles, and even the nature of God. Do some of these scholars go too far? And how might they open up inspiring ways of understanding our faith? Join Mark Stanley to look at some liberal scholarly views on the Christian belief.
November 17 – Discovering God Through Black Girlhood.
Our special guest speaker is the Rev. Khristi Lauren Adams – author and the new Executive Director of Community & Belonging at the Saint Paul’s Schools in Brooklandville. In her new book, Womanish Theology: Discovering God Through Black Girlhood, Khristi reflects her faith journey, inviting readers to learn from a new perspective and guiding them to a deeper understanding of their own spirituality. Khristi introduces a new branch of theological thought she calls womanish, as a play on the womanist tradition (the theology of Black womanhood). “Womanish,” is a term Black mothers used for young girls as they grew more interested in doing grown-up things. In this forum Adams will draw on her own life story as well as the life stories of other Black girls to explore theological concepts such as Scripture, salvation, prayer, neighborly love, and the image of God. This conversation will reveal that theology is for everyone and that the whole community of God can learn from the spiritual insights of Black girls.