Advent Study Series
An Advent study, Held in God’s Grace, will begin Monday, November 29.
The themes chosen for this Advent study follow a series developed by the Carmelite order of the Roman Catholic Church. For each week texts have been chosen for in-depth study. Texts are from the book of Isaiah and the book of Luke. Themes include Waiting, Accepting, Journeying, and Birthing.
The group will meet at Grandview Terrace at 3 p.m. This series will be led by Pastor Linda Bailey and Robin McFarland. All are welcome to join us in the craft room on the second floor.
Christianity and World Religions
Why are there so many religions? Is Christianity the only way to God? Can I practice my faith and appreciate a friend who practices and believes in a different faith? What do I really know about other faiths? These questions and more will be explored in classes beginning October 4 and 5. We will begin a six- week study called Christianity and World Religions: Wrestling with Questions People Ask.
This program will include small group studies that feature videos, Bible study, and discussion. Study groups will meet Mondays at 3 p.m. at Grandview Terrace. The study will be repeated Tuesdays at 11 a.m. at the church in the Conference Room. The study, published by Abingdon Press, was developed by the Reverend Adam Hamilton, pastor of the Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas.
The series will be led by Ray and Robin McFarland.
Living the Questions
Monday Afternoons
October — December
The Desert Palms 3-5 p.m. Monday afternoon Living the Questions weekly discussion class has completed the first three of the six-session, courses on Great World Religions--Islam, Judaism, and Hinduism, and will be beginning a new series on Monday, October 4, again led by Fred Berkenkamp.
The next six two-hour sessions will be an intensive study of another of the Great World Religions--Buddhism, involving DVD-supported lectures by a world-recognized expert plus guided discussions.
A religion without a god? How could that be? And how could it have captured and captivated so many millions of people in so many countries for so many centuries?
In this course, we will discover how, in its 2,500 year history, Buddhism has grown from a tiny religious community in northern India into a movement that spans the globe.
We will view the astonishing vitality and adaptability of a tradition that has transformed many Eastern civilizations, and has become a lively component in the cultures of Europe, Australia, and the Americas. And we will be inspired to think in new ways about the secret of a serene and satisfying life.
The study of Buddhism offers great challenges to people who have grown up in the Western world. It does not share many of the central beliefs of Western religions, such as the concept of a single, omnipotent God, or that each human being has a permanent self that began at conception and will continue in afterlife.
And yet, both Buddhism and Christianity have numerous similarities. Both are built around the golden rule. Both reject extreme asceticism. Doctrines of both give an emphasis to love for neighbor and of all mankind.
Buddhism also teaches people how to confront and deal with the deepest questions of human life: Who am I? What is ultimate reality? How can I know it? How can I develop my full potentials as a human being? What will happen to me when I die? How can I live in a way that will be happy, peaceful, compassionate, and free from suffering?
The focus of this course will be to better understand Buddhism’s role as a way of life.
We will be utilizing the renowned Teaching Companies’ Great Course material on Great Religions--Buddhism, developed by Professor Luke Timothy Johnson, Ph.D. He earned his Ph.D. in New Testament from Yale University where he taught New Testament from 1982-92 before accepting his current position of Professor of New Testament and Christian Origins at Emory University. He is the author of 20 books, and has received numerous prestigious awards for excellence in teaching.
In Session One, we will set the stage by exploring Buddhism as a World religion as well as the Life of the Buddha.
In Session Two, we will focus on how the Buddhist understanding of suffering leads not to pessimism but to a realistic assessment of life’s difficulties and a sense of liberation and peace, the Path of Nirvana.
In Session Three, we will focus on the Buddhist Community, and on the Mahayan Buddhism to seek the welfare of other living beings.
In Session Four, we will focus on the celestial Buddha's and Bodhisattvas plus the tradition of Emptiness--that everything is possible for someone for whom emptiness is possible.
In Session Five, we will explore Theravada Buddhism in Southeast Asia with particular focus on the relationship between Buddhism and politics and the “righteous” kings of Myanmar and Thailand. We will then explore Buddhism in Tibet, including the Dalai Lama.
In Session Six, we will explore the distinctive and differing character of Buddhism in China and Japan.
If we approach this tradition with an open mind and open heart, the “otherness” of Buddhism will give us a new way of understanding ourselves.
Leader: Fred Berkenkamp
Date: Monday, October 4
Time: 3—5 p.m.
Place: Fellowship Hall—Room A
Cost: $6
For those who are interested and not already in the last Living The Questions class, please let the Church Office know by Wednesday, September 15 so books can be ordered and received. Friends are always welcome.
