Hello –
We are what we consume. You probably know the phrase “you are what you eat.” It’s also true that our imaginations are shaped by the media we feed it.
At St. Paul’s this fall there are five invitations for you to feed your imagination with things that are good, true and beautiful.
• Basic Discipleship. In this four or five week experience I coach a small group of 3-5 people in the habit of daily prayer. We also tell some of our own stories and learn healthy small group norms. I offer Thursdays at 2pm, Saturdays at 8am and Sundays at 12:40pm. As soon as there are 3 of you for any of those time slots, we’ll start.
• Bible Studies. We have two weekly Bible Studies, Wednesdays at 10am and Thursdays at 6:15. Both are regularly attended by folks with inquiring minds. All are welcome to join at any time and no previous experience is needed or expected. The Wednesday one starts August 30th and the Thursday one starts September 7th.
• Sunday Forum. This is another lively and faithful group, always delighted to fold a new voice into the conversation. At the moment we’re taking great delight in slowly exploring an imaginative book by C.S. Lewis, which we read aloud slowly and discuss. There’s much laughter and insight. 9am to 9:40am in Duncan Hall each Sunday.
• Tuesday Prayer. Every Tuesday morning at 7:30am a group gathers in the church to pray a simplified version of Morning Prayer. (We use an easy to follow bulletin.) We’re done before 8am. Every Tuesday at 5pm a group gathers in the church to do a 20 minute sit of silent prayer, concluding with the Lord’s Prayer. You are welcome to give either one a try. (What if those two things were offered every day but Sunday? How would that shape our imaginations? What impact would that have on our lives and the world?)
• Book Study. Starting the first Tuesday of September, the 6th, Tanner and I will be offering a monthly book study this fall. The book is called The Politics of Virtue: Post-Liberalism and the Human Future. It’s incredibly accurate in naming our current sense of disorientation and in offering a way forward based on the core of our Christian faith. It’s also hard to read. Tanner and I will be offering some guidance before the first meeting to help people engage in conversation and exploration. (Email me if you’re interested and I’ll send you a PDF of a review of the book and the Introduction.)
I close by repeating a sentence many of you liked from last week’s message. “In a world going increasingly virtual we remain stubbornly incarnational.” Basic Discipleship, Bible Study, the Forum, Prayer and the Book Study are five ways we gather face to face at St. Paul’s and so learn to love both each other and God.
Blessings,
Christopher
p: (415) 456-4842