Questions from Opening Sunday

On Sunday, January 11, 2015, we wrote responses to three questions. What follows is a compilation of the responses you provided. In a number of cases I had to guess at which question some of you intended your comment to address. If I got it wrong, just let me know and I’ll move your response to a more fitting place. You can contact me using the “Contact Us” link at the top of the page.

What are you curious about?

  • How do we nurture our congregation to become even more alive and joyful and welcoming to new members?
  • How can we re-form a church to move beyond being a force for divisiveness?
  • Religion as mental illness
  • Canon fodder, and how not to be it
  • Curious about how and why (history, need) Christianity took hold and grew (in the 1st century).
  • How does being a person of progressive faith differ from being a compassionate humanist?
  • The lectionary
  • What are key/basic elements in progressive faith?
  • How do I strengthen and build my relationship with God?

What questions do you have about the Bible, Jesus, or God?

  • Doubts about the resurrection / ascension story – What was happening (history, people, need) to inspire this profound story?
  • How were these stories passed down – altered – in 1st and 2nd centuries?
  • How do we see divinity and what it means in a modern world?
  • Immaculate conception
  • Translations decided
  • How can we see these elements [key/basic elements of progressive faith?] in our beliefs and understanding of God and Jesus?
  • Who makes lectionaries?
  • How [are we to] understand literal stories?
  • Is Jesus literally God incarnate?
  • How much to take literally so that I can continue to be a Christian. What are basic doctrines of a progressive Christian?

What do you hope we cover in this class?

  • Is there a movement of the Spirit in Scripture that is essentially feminine? What attributes of Jesus, the Son, and God the Father might be illuminated to give room for more feminine images?
  • Does our organizational structure, physical building, and order of worship restrict us from fuller involvement in our local community?
  • A sense of still being in but not of the world, while being able to embrace neighbors rather than traditional separateness – where is our identity?
  • Learn more about the Bible
  • I need some contemplative time — otherwise I consider this an assignment — so wait!
  • I’m interested particularly in the “supernatural deeds attributed to Jesus. How do we understand / interpret these? Is it possible to reject the supernatural elements (miracles, raising the dead, etc.) of Christianity and still be Christian?
  • Is there a point at which the bible became ‘fixed’ — passages weren’t added or deleted? (As opposed to being revised/reworded to become more contemporary (i.e. Good News Bible)?
  • How are people to interpret the Bible when most don’t have an historical background / knowledge?
  • Is there still truth in some of the scripture that we may believe is not literally true?

Questions and Information for Sunday 1/11/2014

On Sunday we will introduce ourselves, think a little about why we are offering this class and why you have decided to attend, then we will look at a bible passage that has been used for centuries to silence dissent among Christians and consider how to understand it in a more accurate and fair manner. Here are some things to think about between now and Sunday:

  • What are you curious about?
  • What questions do you have about the Bible, Jesus, or God?
  • What do you hope we cover in this class?

We look forward to seeing you on Sunday, either in person or online!