Exploring Faith
for Grownups
On Wednesday evenings from 7 to 8 pm on Zoom our Better Together partner churches will gather to discuss five books that will encourage us to expand our minds and grow our faith. Here is a schedule for our gatherings, and a list of the books we will be studying. If you would like help purchasing the books, please contact your rector and we are happy to help! Click on the link for purchase information. Link to attend on Zoom.
This Here Flesh by Cole Arthur Riley
In her stunning debut, the creator of Black Liturgies weaves stories from three generations of her family alongside contemplative reflections to discover the “necessary rituals” that connect us with our belonging, dignity, and liberation.
Dates for study: Wednesdays, 10/19,10/26, 11/2, 11/9, 11/16
An Online Advent "Retreat"
Looking for a deeper encounter with God this Advent season? A chance to intentionally put the holy back into what might be a hectic holiday season? A month-long retreat in the midst of everyday life? Rev. Adam Spencer of St. Elisabeth's in Glencoe will lead a four week series, "Spirituality in Advent," on Wednesday evenings on Zoom this Advent season for our partner parishes. Inspired by the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, we will journey deeper into our faith and our relationship with God through scripture, imagination, prayer, and conversation together. There is no book to purchase or read; just show up online. One-on-one conversation and spiritual direction with Adam will be available between sessions as well, if desired. We will meet Wednesdays on Zoom (link above) at 7 pm on November 30 and December 7, 14 and 21. (This course will replace the Poetry of Advent course previously advertised and will use the same Zoom link).
Dates of retreat: Wednesdays, 11/30, 12/7, 12/14, 12/21
The Assembly by Gordon Lathrop
This book articulates why and how the assembly is so important in Christianity. Lathrop intends the book to assist Christian congregations and their pastors or priests to recover vital, participatory, and life-giving in-person worship after the pandemic. He further intends that participants will see and treasure the importance of assembly as the primary form of “church” and as a vital source of Christian daily life.
Dates for Study: Wednesdays, 1/18,1/25, 2/1, 2/8, 2/15
Learning to Pray by James Martin, SJ
Learning to Pray explains what prayer is, what to expect from praying, how to do it, and how it can transform us when we make it a regular practice in our lives. A trusted guide walking beside us as we navigate our unique spiritual paths, Martin lays out the different styles and traditions of prayer throughout Christian history and invites us to experiment and discover which works best to feed our soul and build intimacy with our creator.
Dates for Study: Wednesdays, 3/1, 3/8, 3/15, 3/22, 3/29
God is a Black Woman by Christena Cleveland
Cleveland’s crisis of faith sent her on an intellectual and spiritual journey through history and across France, on a 400-mile walking pilgrimage to the ancient shrines of Black Madonnas to find healing in the Sacred Black Feminine. God Is a Black Woman is the chronicle of her liberating transformation and a critique of a society shaped by white patriarchal Christianity and culture. Each of the four Wednesday meetings will discuss three chapters: April 19, chapters 1-3; April 26, chapters 4-6; May 3, chapters. 7-9; May 10, chapters 10-12.
Dates for Study: Wednesdays, 4/19, 4/26, 5/3, 5/10