Mark your calendars now! Parkrose Community United Church of Christ (www.parkroseucc.org) will be offering a new 12-week adult education class – Saving Jesus – that will run from Tuesday, Sept. 4 – Tuesday, Nov. 20 (6pm – 8pm). The public is welcome to attend.
The class will start each week with a potluck and then center around some exciting discussions.
"Ever feel like Jesus has been kidnapped by the Christian Right or the Secular Left? Saving Jesus is a revolutionary DVD-based small group exploration of Jesus Christ for the third millennium."
There will be a $25 charge to cover costs (scholarships are available for PCUCC members).
We'll talk about these topics and more:
- Introduction: Jesus through the Ages
- Who was Jesus? Featuring Matthew Fox
- What Can We Know About Jesus (and How)?
- The World into Which Jesus Was Born Featuring John Dominic Crossan
- Jesus' Birth: Incarnation
- Teachings of Jesus: Wisdom Tradition Featuring Bernard Brandon Scott
- Jesus' Program: The Kingdom of God Featuring John Dominic Crossan
- Jesus' Ministry of Compassion
- Killing Jesus, Part One: Who Killed Jesus? Featuring Amy-Jill Levine and Helen Prejean
- Killing Jesus, Part Two: The Atonement Featuring Rita Nakashima Brock and Rebecca Ann Parker
- The Resurrection of Christ Featuring James Forbes
- Why Jesus Is Worth Saving Featuring Marcus Borg
Please RSVP by calling the church office at 503-253-5457 or e-mailing [email protected].
People from outside the church are welcome to RSVP and attend but keep in mind this disclaimer from the creators of Living the Questions, the folks who also created the "Saving Jesus" curriculum:
“Living the Questions” is a study for the countless people of faith who have suffered in silence as the voices of fear and false certitude claim to profess the unchanging truth of Christianity. It’s purpose is to provide a resource for the discussion of what is already believed and practiced by many faithful people still holding on within institutional religion while harboring a conviction that what most churches teach isn’t the whole story. It may even be helpful for those who Jack Spong calls “believers in exile” – those who have left the church because of its refusal to take their questions or life’s situation seriously. It is not intended to spell out new doctrine or create new dogma but to serve as a catalyst to perhaps crack open the door to the future.
To make the implicit explicit, this study is not for:
- those whose personal faith requires them to believe that the Bible is the inerrant and inspired word of God.
- those who believe that the doctrines set forth by the early church are sacrosanct and not to be questioned.
- those whose eternal salvation depends on their unswerving commitment to the above.
- those who believe the reason the mainline churches in Europe, North America, and Australia/ New Zealand have been losing members and influence for generations is because they haven’t been teaching “orthodox” Christianity or preaching the true Gospel.
Please be aware that the issues and concepts discussed in the DVDs and written material will challenge many people’s worldview and understanding of the divine. For some it will be radically new information. For others, it will be an affirmation of what they’ve known deep down for a long time. Both facilitators and participants will want to be prepared for anxiety, conflict, and the need to be patient with those who are struggling.
