Sunday Lecture Series

All lectures will take place at 11:45, after worship in the Chapel. Light lunch will be served.

September 14th: Eternal Punishment: Criminal Justice Reform in Illinois

Join the community organizer Harlette Washington of the Community Renewal Society for this informative session on the needs of our broken criminal justice system, and find out what the Community Renewal Society is doing to solve some of our society's most troubling criminal problems.

 

October 12th: The Story of Jesus & The Myth of War

We welcome Dr. Scott Paeth, professor of Religious Studies at DePaulUniversity and author of Local Church in a Global Era , as he presents a moral and theological examination of the contrasts between the Christian story of redemption in Christ and the mythologies of violence that seduce societies into war.

 

October 19th: On Monsters: Racism in the Ancient World

As our church continues its Sacred Conversation on Race, we invite you to join us as we welcome Dr. Stephen Asma, professor of religion at Columbia College. Dr. Asma is the author of The Gods Drink Whiskey and On Monsters: A Tour of Fears & Fascinations. He will be presenting his research on monsters of the ancient and medieval world in the context of racism, reminding us that racism is not a problem of the modern world alone.

 

November 2nd: Writing the Sacred: Psalm-Inspired Path to Spiritual Writing

Join Ray McGinnis, author of Writing the Sacred for this hands-on workshop on psalm writing and sacred poerty as a means of spiritual practice. By examining the nature of the psalms, Mcginnis will instruct participants in the art of sacred writing.

 

 

November 9th: The Gospel According to Cash: Christianity & the Battle for the Soul of a Nation

Rodney Clapp, author of Johnny Cash and the Great American Contradiction. Through the unlikely lens of legendary songwriter Johnny Cash, Rodney Clapp explores the distinctly Amercian contradictions of holiness and hedonism, lonesomeness and community, tradition and progress. Utilizing the life and music of Johnny Cash to illustrate these and othercontradictions, he probes these phenomena with sharp theological questions seeking the language and knowledge that will enable us to reach across liberal & conservative divides.

November 30th, December 7th, & December 14th: The Gospel According to Mark: Who, What, When, Where...and Say What?

Join Rev. Bob Stout for this three-week intensive Bible Study on the Gospel of Mark. Rev. Stout will help us to think through this gospel within its historical context, addressing issues such as authorship and audience, why it seems to have been written, where it came from, when it was composed, and what some of it's key passages are saying to us as we read then in the 21st century.

 

 

Bible Study

Ever wish that you could dive into the Bible, understand it better and see how it pertains to your own life? Then check out our Women's Evening Bible Study, which meets every 1st and 3rd Thursday from 7:00 - 8:30 pm in the Parlor. And don't forget AMEN: A Men's Bible Study, which meets every 1st and 3rd Tuesday from 7:00 – 9:00 pm in the Chapel.

Small Groups

The Faith Forum meets on Sunday mornings, at 9:00 a.m. in the Parlor, where they discuss a variety of current issues as well as biblical interpretations. The group has had as many opinions as participants.

Sisters on a Sojourn meets in designated member's homes. This group of women gathers at 9:15 a.m. on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month. Discussion is based on a book that is purchased by everyone in the group.

The Guy's Groop is a men's group that meets on the 2nd & 4th Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. in the conference room. The topics are pre-selected based upon the interests and suggestions of the group, and vary widely from meeting to meeting. Most sessions relate in some tangential way to development of expression of individual spirituality or one's personal faith journey, to current events topics or issues as they impact our personal or our church's manifestation of faith, or to some totally non-religious topic that just seems to strike someone's fancy.

Moms & Psalms is a group of mothers with young children who gather from 9:15-10:45 a.m. on the 1st & 3rd Fridays in the Parlor. Childcare is provided for a small fee. The group selects a book, which everyone purchases, and then gathers to explore their faith in open and lively discussion and fellowship.