Here’s what’s happening in worship May 19-25th, 2014.
Worship Services
Taizé – Wednesday 7:00 p.m.
An hour-long service including sung prayers; simple, beautiful music; a time of silence; spoken and silent prayers; and an opportunity for individual prayer and anointing. This week’s after-Taizé class is a time of music on the Labyrinth.
Good Samaritan – Sunday 8:00 a.m.
The Good Samaritan Worship will now meet at the new EECM Community House (6014 Station Street). This week, Rev. Michael Smith from Destiny International Ministries will preach.
Journey Worship – Sunday 8:45 a.m.
An interactive, energetic service for those seeking a fresh encounter with the gospel of Jesus Christ. At this week’s Journey Worship, the Rev. Dr. Randy Bush will preach.
Sanctuary Worship – Sunday 11:00 a.m.
Our largest service, with music from the Chancel Choir and an organ prelude prior to the service. This week, the Rev. Dr. Randy Bush will preach from John 14:15-21.
Christian Education Classes
Contemporaries
The Factor of Trust
Led by Joe Kennedy
Trust is an area that does not come easily for many of us. And yet, our faith can not develop properly unless we truly learn to trust in the Lord’s guidance. This means that instead of looking to other people and things to save you in your everyday problems, you must first trust in Jesus. Seek His counsel and let the truth of the Word direct your path. As your spiritual maturity develops, you will be led toward a life of balance and meaning. To trust in God will represent an enormous upgrade in your approach toward progress.
Journey with Scripture
The psalmist proclaims, “we went through fire and through water; yet you have brought us out to a spacious place” (Psalm 66:12). May’s readings tell of the emergence of a new life in the spirit of the risen Christ–participation and mutuality in communal life, patient witness, and proclamation of the gospel. The texts help provide assurance that in this world, and in Christ, God’s love is not limited. With abiding presence, we can embark on new journeys to landscapes unimagined.
Join us as we reflect on Acts 17:22-30; Psalm 66:8-20; 1 Peter 3:13-22; and John 14:15-21.
Parenting Circle
We use our time together to share our joys and struggles through a facilitated discussion, guided by the week’s lectionary readings. No advance preparation or reading is necessary and copies of the texts being discussed will be available. We welcome babies and toddlers who may not yet be able to leave their parents.
Seekers
Politics and Faith: Christian Realism and Racism
Led by Dr. Ron Stone
From May 11-25, Dr. Stone, a retired ethics professor at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, will share themes from his new book Politics and Faith: Reinhold Niebuhr and Paul Tillich at Union Seminary in New York.
Niebuhr and Tillich wrote and acted more extensively than their academic colleagues to combat racism, focusing on anti-Semitism and white racism. Tillich is memorialized in the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C.; Niebuhr is regarded by James Cone, the militant African-American theologian, as the best white theological voice against racism. Still, there are criticisms to be made. Their influence on Martin Luther King, Jr., James Cone, Abraham Heschel, and President Obama will be interpreted.
Soul Food
We will discuss chapter four of Discernment by Henri Nouwen. New participants are always welcome!