Tues Summer Grad Study

Sacred Meals, Sacred Stories
Time: Tuesdays from 7-9, Dinner from 7-7:30 followed by discussion until around 9pm. Wesley Etc. Cafe.

We will spend 9 weeks together this summer taking time to reflect on the beauty of sharing a meal together in community. After a semester focused on sacrifice it is only fitting that we follow up with a summer focused on the unconditional love and grace of Jesus Christ. We will be looking at what it means to have an open and inclusive table, how we can still come to the table together with all our differences, what the costs of discipleship are, and we will also talk about what God's Kingdom here on earth looks like. Each week we will share a meal together and then spend time looking at scripture, rituals, and stories. It will be a summer filled with sacred meals and sacred stories. Please come out and join us!

Interactive Communion Service

Tuesday, May 12 – “Living Sacrifice”

We will celebrate Communion this evening with Pastor Rob and special music by Michael. The Scriptures for our interactive service will be

1 Corinthians 11:17-34
Romans 12:1-8

If you are following the group, please read:
Bruce Chilton, “[Chapter 8] The Sacrifice of Jesus,” The Temple of Jesus: His Sacrificial Program Within a Cultural History of Sacrifice (University Park, PA: The Pennsylvania State University Press, 1992), pp. 100-111, 137-154.

and please bring the copy of the United Methodist Church Communion Liturgy from the back of your packet. All are invited to this table, and discussion in such a way that everyone can participate, even if they haven't done the reading.

Prayer Thread

I’ve taken Mary’s suggestion to start a thread for our prayer needs. Please feel free to post additions/deletions here, or email them to me to post. Private matters can of course go through the email list.

Anthony's Dad's heart health and his stress test this week
Caci's sister and father, who are biking cross-country!
Mary's school and laptop situation
Kristen's younger brother, Nathan, and his fiancee, Daniela
Anthony's old campus minister
Charmian and her aging aunts
Michael's aging family members
Cheryl's father and sister
Kristen's Grampa B. (peripheral neuropathy), Gramma B. (edema, osteoporosis), Grampa E. (Alzheimer's), and Gram E.
William
Maria, her unborn baby boy, her mother (hysterectomy), and her youngest brother (concussion)
Imy’s brother, Johnny, and his youth ministry
Imy's mother and her church
Kristen's Aunt Suzy's bone and breast cancers
Jason, who left for Iraq 5/11


Cunningham Children’s Home kids and staff
Wesley UMC, Faith MC, Savoy UMC—that they find ways to do Kingdom work despite or through human nature and failings

Peace and justice in the world: Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Israel/Palestine, Mexico, Darfur/Sudan, Congo, Zimbabwe, Northern Ireland

Angels and Principalities

Tuesday, May 5 – Christus Victor
Glenn M. Miller, “Christus Victor,” The Great Irruption: Christ’s Work on the Cross

This week we explore one final explanation of Jesus' work on the cross: that his death defeated the evil powers of the world. The reading is also the final installation in Glenn Miller's study. It is very very interesting, but you won't get the same effect if you just read around--between now and Tuesday, try to get all the way through it. I'm halfway done, and I'm learning a lot!