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› Sunday Worship Services › Christian Education
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Adult Programs The Sunday Morning Adult Forum provides the opportunity to discuss freely in a Christian context a variety of issues and topics of interest. You are invited to express and share your concerns, thoughts, and insights on local and world issues as well as ethical and moral ones. Join Floyd Swanson and Mae Scanlan at 10 a.m. on Sunday morning for a lively, far-ranging discussion of ideas, views, concerns, news events, books, articles, cartoons, and anything you feel influences our lives as Christians. The Sunday Morning Adult Bible Study invites you to join them in the Parlor at 10:00 a.m. We will study prayer in the Bible by looking at ten different prayers that are taught in the Bible. We will also use a text as a study guide. Bring your Bibles, or pick one up from the shelves in the Parlor and come join us. Ginger Boone will lead the group. Further information may be obtained by calling the church office at 301-365-5733. Wednesday Morning Bible Studies, led by Pastor Lookingbill, begin at 10:30 AM and are followed by a brown bag luncheon -- bring your sandwich! Typically one book from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament are studied each year. Following the spring study of the Second letter to the Corinthians, Pr. Lookingbill will begin a study of Genesis in September. “In the beginning . . .” is the way the first book of the Bible begins, a story line that initiates a study of “origins,” of the way God has interacted with the world. As a beginning look at what human life is like on earth, Genesis depicts a world of chaos, even in the first families of creation. God is viewed as the One who brings order out of chaos, with multiple episodes of regression and dysfunction. Nonetheless, God’s purpose for humankind moves forward in history with covenants and promises. The Book of Genesis is basically divided into two large sections: The first eleven chapters bring to light the pre-history creation stories and the account of the flood. Beginning at Chapter 12, the story of Abraham and Sarah and the ancestral history leads to the wonderful cycle of stories about Joseph, Egypt and God’s purpose despite human failure. Beginning on 8 September, Pr. Lookingbill will gather the Wednesday morning Bible Encounter group to take up the challenge of Genesis. We meet at 10:30 a.m. each Wednesday and conclude with a brown bag lunch about noon. Members and friends of Emmanuel are invited to join our fall study to review our ancient “origins” and share our Christian view about how God continues to interact in our lives today. Wednesday Evening Studies are led by Pastor Lookingbill and usually feature a close look at a book chosen for the particular multiple-week study. The evenings begin with a potluck supper at 6:30 p.m., following the study discussion at 7:30 p.m. The Wednesday evening study group will begin meeting on 15 September to study together the most recent book by Harvey Cox of Harvard College and Divinity School, The Future of Faith. The group is dedicated to meeting each week for discussion and consideration of the current state of religious life in America and how it affects our personal lives as well. This latest book by Harvey Cox may well be his most considered thoughts on religious life in American today, published at the same time that he announced his retirement from active teaching at Harvard after more than forty years. In his writing, Dr. Cox refers to a “current metamorphosis in religiousness” as properly described in the poetic words of Gerard Manley Hopkins, as our everyday world “charged with the grandeur of God.” Basically Dr. Cox wants us to understand a difference in the use of the words “faith” and “belief.” He considers faith something that explores “deep-seated confidence” and refers in our lives to people we trust and values that we treasure. On the other hand, belief is rather more of an opinion, likely used with a certain amount of uncertainty. What he is really getting into is the difference between the “faith” of the early Christians and the “belief” system that emerged with the establishment of official Christianity and the hierarchy that goes with it. What we are going to investigate is the nature of religion in our lives and in our community today and how it is invigorated by Harvey Cox’s analysis and description. Join Pr. Lookingbill and the group each Wednesday evening in the Fellowship Hall for supper at 6:30 and in the Christian Education room at 7:30 for the study. Supper is provided by members of the group each week and shared with generosity. You need not come to supper to participate in the study. Books are available through the internet and in most book stores. If you need help in getting a book, please call the Church office. Women's Opportunity for Prayer and Study: Anyone interested in praying together on Friday mornings (men welcome too!) are invited to join us from 8:00-8:30. Women's Bible Study: The Women’s Bible Study for 2010/2011 begins in September and is held the third Tuesday of the month at 7:30 p.m. at the church. Please feel free to join us as you can. Interfaith Study Programs offer additional opportunities for discussion of shared faith.
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