We offer opportunities to learn more about our faith and our role in today’s world. We welcome newcomers and inquirers to our classes on Sunday morning and during the week.
When: Sunday morning, 9:00 – 10:00 a.m.
Where: First classroom upstairs, 1000 Douglas Ave
What: Our Sunday school class for youth and adults gives attendees a chance to lead or participate in discussions of a wide range of bible-based books and other materials led by church members or the pastor.
Topics range from interpretation of scripture to lives of religious thinkers to evolution of church doctrines, to ways of doing God’s work in the world.
Sessions are held prior to worship every Sunday except on major holiday weekends. Discussion series range from four weeks (Lent and Advent) to eight weeks and are based on insights participants gain from assigned advance readings.
Full participation by all is encouraged in a friendly, respectful environment. Class descriptions and assignments are posted in the church and announced in the church newsletter.
Lenten Study: A Takeoff on the Psalms
The Sunday morning Lenten study this year will be based on the book Finding Jesus in the Psalms: A Lenten Journey by Barb Roose. Sessions will be at 9 a.m. in the first classroom upstairs. This paperback book is readily available new or used from many sources. Richard Lindeborg can also have a new copy sent to your home for $17.99, shipping included.
Roose served on staff at Cedar Creek Church in Perrysburg, Ohio, for 14 years on the executive leadership and teaching teams. She is the author of multiple books and Bible studies, including her current releases: Winning the Worry Battle: Life Lessons from the Book of Joshua and Joshua: Winning the Worry Battle. Since 2005, she has been speaking to audiences in the US and abroad, including national platforms such as the Aspire Women’s Events, She Speaks Conference, and the UMC Leadership Institute.
From the Publisher: “Barb Roose guides the reader through a meaningful encounter with the Psalms through the season of Lent. Combining an interpretation of the Psalms with real life stories, the study moves through the familiar words of Psalm 23 toward the painful cries of Psalm 22 uttered by Jesus on the cross. The study includes reflections on the life of King David and the original context of the writings, along with connections between the Psalms and the life and death of Jesus the Messiah.”
From the Author: “The Psalms provide a perfect framework for experiencing Lent through the verses that were Jesus’s own scriptures, offering both him and us strength and wisdom in a painful and redemptive season. The Book of Psalms hums with the heartbeat of our humanity with divinely inspired words that find purchase in the tenderest places in our hearts when our human words or wisdom fails us.”
The reading assignments are:
Feb. 26 “Introduction” and Ch. 1: “Why Do We Need to Find Jesus in the Psalms?” (plus Psalm 2 and Romans 8)
Mar. 5 Ch. 2 : “Finding Jesus with us in Our Hard Places” (plus Psalm 16)
Mar. 12 Ch. 3: “Finding Jesus as Our Shepherd” (plus Psalm 23 and John 10:1–18)
Mar. 19 Ch. 4: “Finding Jesus as Our Hope” (plus Psalms 100 and 110, and Hebrews 7)
Mar. 26 Ch.5: “Finding Jesus as Our Strength” (plus Psalm 69, Matthew 26, and John 18)
April 2 Ch. 5: “Finding Jesus as Our Savior” (plus Psalm 22, Matthew 27, and John 20) and
“Conclusion”
Pastor Katie Palmer leads an inquirers class for those interested in finding out more about who we are are what we believe as needed throughout the year. Those interested in finding out more about church membership are encouraged to approach an Elder at the communion table on Sunday morning following worship.
As we move into the Lenten season in late February, Pastor Katie will schedule one or two more book discussions. Dates will be determined by the birth of Katie’s new granddaughter, who will be arriving sometime in February! Sue Monk Kidd’s novel The Book of Longings will guide one discussion. This novel imagines the story of Jesus’ wife during the time of his ministry. (Many scholars have long thought that Jesus was probably married; it would be quite unusual for a Jewish man in his time not to be.) The story is that of Ana, the wife’s character, but weaves Jesus’ story in and out of the events in Ana’s life.
The Associated Press review of the novel says that Kidd’s
. . . painstaking research and artful crafting of setting and character ensure that The Book of Longings is
not just an extraordinary novel, but one with lasting power. . . . [Her] brilliance shines through on so
many levels, but not the least in her masterful, reverential approach to capturing Jesus of Nazareth as a
fully human young man.
Kidd’s book is available through Amazon for $13.99 ($11.99 for Kindle edition); from Alibris for $6.59.
Please let Katie know if you plan to attend so she can prepare for the appropriate number of participants.
