LENTEN WEDNESDAYS

/ Union Avenue Christian Church/

LENTEN WEDNESDAYS AT UNION AVENUE CHRISTIAN CHURCH begin March 8 and continue through April 5. Each Wednesday evening will begin at 5:30 p.m. with a simple potluck supper in the Fellowship Room. Following our fellowship at the table, participants will have three enrichment options to choose from:

A Study of Hymnody in the Context of Lent
Where did the traditional hymns we sing come from, and why are we still singing them? This weekly study will examine that question, against a backdrop of historical perspective, cultural context, and poetic allusion. A different Lenten hymn will serve as the basis for each week’s discussion. If participants own a copy of their congregation’s hymnal (or are able to borrow a copy), they are asked to bring it with them to the study. This study will be led by Rick Burk, minister of music at Westminster Presbyterian Church, in the Chapel.

When the Bible Disagrees with Itself
Someone has said, “We take the Bible seriously, therefore we cannot take the Bible literally.” The Bible does not permit us to take every verse of the Bible for its direct literal meaning as it seems so often to contradict itself. Sometimes we take the liberty of simply remembering or living as if one passage is the whole truth. But how can we hold two different passages to be true when they seem to literally contradict each other. Some in our culture, therefore, do not take the Bible seriously but treat it all as metaphor or poetry. Still, other times we use one particular verse to support our politics or as a support of the way we want to live. Each week this class will look at two or more verses on one subject that seem to contradict each other. Facing these disagreements may enrich our faith journey. Reverend Frank Proctor will lead this study in the Pastor’s Study.

Waking Up White: Finding Myself in the Story of Race
For 25 years, Debby Irving sensed inexplicable racial tensions in her personal and professional relationships. As a colleague and neighbor, she worried about offending people she dearly wanted to befriend. As a teacher, she found her best efforts to reach out to students and families of color left her wondering what she was missing. In Waking Up White, Irving tells her often cringe-worthy story with such openness that readers will turn every page rooting for her — and ultimately for all of us. This book study will be led by tinA pihL, executive director of Union Communion Ministries, in the Fellowship Room. Participants should make their own arrangements to purchase the book by Debby Irving.

Please join us each week as we explore the season of Lent with dialogue and learning.