New Small Group Study: “Resurrection: Myth or Reality?”

Join us Sunday April 3 for a new short-term small group study centered around the text Resurrection: Myth of Reality? by retired Episcopal Bishop John Shelby Spong.  Participants in the study will be invited to view and discuss a series of videotaped lectures with Spong based on the text and to consider how we understand the meaning of the resurrection for our faith.

Bishop Spong, the author of many scholarly texts on the life of Christ and the Church, offers a non-literalist view of the Easter narrative, arguing that to truly understand these stories we must also understand Jewish tradition, culture, and literature.  This study will look at the Jewish midrashic approach to storytelling -- using stories of the past to give new meaning to stories of the present - and offers a variety of images of Jesus' live/death/resurrection including Jesus as atoning sacrifice, Jesus as Son of Man, and Jesus as the Suffering Servant.  Ultimately, this study will ask participants to focus less on what happened historically on that first Easter and instead engage the deeper question: "What does it mean for us as follow the Way of Jesus?"

This small group will meet on Sunday mornings 9:30-10:30 AM in the church library for 6 weeks beginning April 3.  All are invited to attend.  Discussion will be facilitated by Brent Dodge and Barry Kirk.