Here’s what’s happening in worship Sunday, March 16th.
Worship Services
8:00 a.m. Good Samaritan
The Good Samaritan Worship will now meet at the new EECM Community House (6014 Penn Circle North). This week will be a Bible study.
8:45 a.m. Journey Worship
An interactive, energetic service for those seeking a fresh encounter with the gospel of Jesus Christ. This month’s theme is Inner JourneysThe Rev. Heather Schoenewolf will preach.
11:00 a.m. Sanctuary Worship
This Sunday marks the second Sunday of Lent. Throughout the season, the 11:00 a.m. service will highlight the music and faith message of African-American spirituals. This week, the Rev. Dr. Randy Bush will preach a sermon titled “I Heard My Mother Say” from Psalm 22.
Christian Education Classes
Contemporaries
Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself
Led by Dr. Polly Mattila
God is the potter and has intentionally designed each of us to fill a special place in the Kingdom. our task is to love our neighbor as ourselves, but that is not always as easy as it sounds. We are challenged to start by loving ourselves, which then allows us to truly love our neighbors. This week is the first in a two-week series.
Journey with Scripture
Lent’s scripture readings include stories about dislocation, where people travel to (or through) foreign and forbidding places. There is fear, confusion, and deep alienation, but there also is abiding presence, grace, and union. Transformations and homecomings are experienced and promised. Such stories are gifts to us as we travel through Lent. Join us as we ponder such diverse scriptures, seeking–and perhaps even experiencing–transformation.
Join us as we reflect on these readings: Genesis 12:1-4a; Psalm 121; Romans 4:1-5, 13-17; John 3:1-17 or Matthew 17:1-9.
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
Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus
In 2013, Reza Aslan’s Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth became a number-one bestseller. In his work, Aslan paints a portrait of Jesus and His message by casting a view through the historical context in which Jesus lived, and the Gospels were written. His analysis invites us to ask: who was jesus? How did he view Himself? How did the early Christian church shape our current understanding of Jesus? Through Sunday, March 30th, we will study this text.
This week, Tucker Ferda, a PHD Candidate in New testament at the University of Pittsburgh, will discuss trends in the study of Jesus that influence Aslan’s book, and important methodological issues about reconstructing the biography of someone from the ancient past.
Soul Food
This month, we will finish and review A Testament of Devotion, by Thomas Kelly, and begin a new spiritual text, soon to be chosen. New participants are always welcome!