WORK & SPIRITUALITY
Vocation as Discernment and Discipleship
This class will explore the intersection of our daily work and our connection with God. We will engage traditional spiritual exercises and prayer practices as a means of drawing out the presence of God in our work and God's vocational call to us. We will hear from fellow CMCers about their work lives: How did they come to the work they do? What joys and challenges does work bring? How do they balance work and the rest of life? Interspersed we will provide time to discern for ourselves how we are being called to connect with God and others through our work. We'll also take a look at what the Scriptures, and modern day writers, have to say about work. Other topics will include how we might share our beliefs in a work setting and how to practice self-care and Sabbath.
Class materials and information
Leader: Adam Yoder
CONVICTIONS: What Matters Most
Have your faith beliefs changed over the years but you’ve never quite articulated how?
Do issues like the ordination of women, marriage and ordination of gays and lesbians or Christian exclusivism (Jesus is the only way to salvation) leave you unsettled?
Does the Bible sometimes seem like a stumbling block to your faith—or does this question offend and even anger you?
Do the changes and conflict in our congregation, in the Mennonite Church, and in the Church at large seem overwhelming and intractable?
What is the heart of Christianity? What does it mean to be a Christian in a time of change and conflict?
If you want to reflect on your own journey with the Bible and faith, this class may be for you. We’ll use Convictions: How I Learned What Matters Most, by the engaging, readable theologian Marcus Borg, who calls himself a passionate Christian believer. He writes about his childhood faith memories, his life conversions (plural), and his resulting convictions. The class will use active learning methods (mostly a circle process and discussion, some input and structured exercises) as together we seek a deeper faith through honest conversations about what matters most.
Class materials and information
Facilitators: Carolyn Yoder, Reta Finger, Rick Yoder
SAVING WORD & THREATENED WORLD
Christian Discipleship in the Context of Civilizational/Ecological Crisis
A Study of Mark’s Gospel
What does Christian discipleship and salvation mean in the context of our civilizational/ecological crisis? Is there a path of discipleship that leads us beyond fossil-fueled, American-led empire? This class will walk us through the Word, specifically, the Gospel of Mark, and its application in our World today, using the text Say to this Mountain by Ched Myers and other Christian scholar-activists. We will seek to learn how, as a community of disciples on the Way, to better discern the meaning of discipleship in the context of our threatened World and its unprecedented challenges.
Leaders: Valerie Serrels; Michael Snell-Feikema