Spring Courses Pearls of great price: wisdom, time, scripture. with course organiser Canon Dr. Rod Garner Diocesan Theologian

Transcription

1 Spring Courses 2014 Pearls of great price: wisdom, time, scripture with course organiser Canon Dr. Rod Garner Diocesan Theologian

2 Spring Courses 2014 Canon Dr. Rod Garner is the Diocesan Theologian. Each Spring, Summer and Autumn he organises short educational events where individuals can learn alongside others to deepen their faith and understanding. This Spring Series has a lot to offer prospective learners. At Southport the focus will be on the mystical tradition of the Church - a vital but frequently neglected dimension of Christian faith down the centuries. In Liverpool a Lent Course at Liverpool Hope University will consider Wisdom, Time and Scripture - important and interesting themes, well worth considering in a season of spiritual renewal. In May, St. James House is the venue for as series of evening meetings entitled Reappraisals. Over three weeks there will be an opportunity to combine prayer, theological reflection and practical experience in relation to the New Testament, the role of the local Church and the importance of discernment in the religious life. We hope that you will find something of interest here and look forward to welcoming old and new faces. 2

3 Pearls of great price: wisdom, time and scripture A Lent Course at Liverpool Hope University Chapel Lent is a time for renewal. The days lengthen and there are intimations of new life. Traditionally it is also seen as a springtime for the soul - an opportunity to reflect more deeply on the scriptures and the time that makes up our lives. This course will offer guided prayer, thoughts and reflections on the passage of time, what it is for, how we use it, and how we might use it better by viewing it in new and more creative ways. It will consider what wisdom might mean in a culture short on patience and shaped by instant answers and quick solutions. Time will be spent with the haunting book of Ecclesiastes, the gospel of John and key passages from the letters of St. Paul. Our guide will be the Diocesan Theologian, Canon Dr. Rod Garner whose latest book How to be wise addresses the above themes. The Course is for everyone - Clergy, Readers, and anyone prepared to set some time aside each week in Lent to learn and pray with others. A bookstall will also be available with a range of affordable paperbacks. DIRECTIONS: Hope Park Campus is situated on Taggart Avenue, Childwall, close to Queen s Drive (A5058) at the end of the M62. Address for Satnav - Taggart Avenue L16 9JD. Pay and display parking is in operation on the campus. Course Information Pearls of great price: wisdom, time and scripture Course Leader: Canon Dr. Rod Garner Dates and Topics Tuesday 11th March - Making Sense of it All Tuesday 18th March - Time and the book of Ecclesiastes Tuesday 25th March - Wisdom and the Gospel of St. John Tuesday 1st April - St. Paul: who is Christ for us Today? Time All meetings start at 7.30pm with refreshments served from 7.00pm Fee No enrolment fee. Retiring collection will be taken to cover expenses Location Liverpool Hope University chapel, Hope Park, Taggart Avenue, Liverpool, L16 9JD. 3

4 The threefold path: mystery, mysticism and mindfulness An Evening Course at Southport College. There are many paths to God: prayer, church, service to others, sacrifice and, supremely for Christians, the person of Christ. But within Christianity there has also been a strong mystical tradition. This religious path has favoured silence over words, mystery more than dogma and the testimony of deep religious experience in preference to doctrines or creeds. In a contemporary world saturated with noise and distractions, people are increasingly feeling a need to retrieve this path or perhaps discover it for the first time. This evening Course will introduce some of the great mystics of the Church - Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross and Julian of Norwich along with the New Testament writings of St. John s Gospel and Paul s Epistles. It will also explore the sublime poetry of the Anglican priest and poet, George Herbert - the subject of a new and highly acclaimed biography by John Drury. In keeping with the theme of the meetings there will be space for reflection and meditation. The meetings will be of help and interest to anyone wishing to know more about mysticism and how it can deepen religious life and witness today. Course Information The threefold path: mystery, mysticism and mindfulness Course Leader: Canon Dr. Rod Garner Dates and Topics Tuesday 29th April - Music at Midnight: The Life and Poetry of George Herbert Tuesday 6th May - Getting to God: The Way of the Mystics Tuesday 13th May - The Sacrament of Silence: Meditation and Mindfulness Time 7.30pm with refreshments served from 7.00pm Fee 15 ( 12 concessions) for all three sessions including refreshments Location Southport College Conference Room (1st Floor) Mornington Road, Southport, PR9 0TT. 4

5 Reappraisals: bible, church and wisdom An Evening Course at St. James House, Liverpool. Part of the joy and privilege of discipleship is rediscovering things we had forgotten or perhaps never really grasped first time round. Remember how dim the companions of Jesus were on the Emmaus road in relation to the scriptures until he opened their eyes to the treasures they had failed to see (Luke 24.7). The same rule applies to what we think we know about the local church and the part that wisdom should play in our lives as we seek the mind of Christ (Philippians 2.5/Romans 12.2). In both cases, we frequently work with a limited understanding that restricts our hope and vision. All the more important then that we have occasional opportunities to reengage with familiar themes in order to discover their hidden depths. Trusting the New Testament: an opportunity to engage with Richard Bauckham s prize-winning book Jesus and the Eye Witnesses in which he offers a convincing argument for trusting the reliability of the New Testament and the record of those who witnessed to Jesus. The Hospitable Church: using extracts from Martyn Percy s new book The Ecclesial Canopy, this evening will explore what it means to be the body of Christ and how churches can engage more effectively with their local communities. Course Information Reappraisals: bible, church and wisdom Course Leader: Canon Dr. Rod Garner Dates and Topics Tuesday 20th May - Trusting the New Testament Tuesday 27th May - The Hospitable Church Tuesday 3rd June - The Way of Wisdom Time 7.30pm with refreshments served from 7.00pm Fee 15 ( 12 concessions) for all three including refreshments Location St. James House, 20 St. James Road, Liverpool, L1 7BY. Free parking is available in the SJH car park The Way of Wisdom: in a confused and anxious age, everyone wants to be wise. Drawing on scripture, philosophy and the arts Rod Garner s new book How to be Wise addresses this concern and provides ample material for informed discussion. 5

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7 Spring 2014 Booking Form The closing date for bookings is the 5th March Complete this form and send it to Lifelong Learning. Please show if you will be paying the normal fees or the concessionary rate (for retired and unwaged attendees). Feel free to make copies of this form if more people would like to attend. Pearls of great price: wisdom, time and scripture [ ] Tuesday 11th March - Making Sense of it All [ ] Tuesday 18th March - Time and the book of Ecclesiastes [ ] Tuesday 25th March - Wisdom and the Gospel of St. John [ ] Tuesday 1st April - St. Paul: who is Christ for us Today [ ] NO enrolment fee The threefold path: mystery, mysticism and mindfulness [ ] Tuesday 29th April - Music at Midnight: The Life and Poetry of George Herbert [ ] Tuesday 6th May - Getting to God: The Way of the Mystics [ ] Tuesday 13th May - The Sacrament of Silence: Meditation and Mindfulness [ ] Fees - 15 [ ] 12 [ ] Reappraisals: bible, church and wisdom [ ] Tuesday 20th May - Trusting the New Testament [ ] Tuesday 27th May - The Hospitable Church [ ] Tuesday 3rd June - The Way of Wisdom [ ] Fees - 15 [ ] 12 [ ] Total fees enclosed Please make cheques payable to Liverpool DBF Form continued on next side > 7

8 Spring 2014 Booking Form Please detach and complete this form using BLOCK CAPITALS and return by 5th March 2014 to: Elaine Leggett Lifelong Learning St James House 20 St James Road Liverpool, L1 7BY Name: Address: Post Code: Daytime Tel No: Please indicate if you are Clergy Reader Lay Person Please give details of any special requirements: Signed: (continue on separate sheet if necessary) Date: