 Bethany Lutheran Church, ELCA |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Bethany News
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
June, 2008 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
While Pastor is on Sabbatical, we will have lead articles that focus on the gifts of that Sabbatical to the congregationl This month, a reflection on Sam Torvend's presentation
"Swimming in the cultural waters of the Pacific Northwest" |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| On Saturday and Sunday, June 21 & 22, a group of people in the Pacific Northwest did something contrary to our very nature. We stayed in the basement of a small church in the Green Lake neighborhood of Seattle, on one of our rare sunny days, and listened to someone speak to us about church and statistics….and we had a good time! Dr. Samuel Torvend, professor of religious studies at Pacific Lutheran University held us enthralled for over six hours of lecture and conversation as we looked at what factors influenced the development of culture in the Pacific Northwest and the implications of that culture on the life of the church. Over sixty people attended from a diverse array of denominational backgrounds. We had Presbyterians, Anglicans, Methodists, American Baptists, Disciples of Christ and United Church of Christ as well as Lutheran folks in attendance. We had ordained clergy, rostered Associates in Ministry and lots of lay people. We sat together in mixed groups, listened to Sam, reflected silently on what he had presented and engaged in lively conversations around thought provoking questions. We ate wonderfully prepared meals together, laughed together and thought seriously about the implications of being church in an area that is not only largely unchurched, but apparently places no value on being in church. We did not solve anything; we did not create a magnificent plan that would “rescue” small churches or somehow magically entice people to walk through our doors. We did, however, begin the process of thinking deeply about who and what we are called to be as people of God in this place, in this time, for these people. It was a marvelous adventure, one which hopefully will continue to generate thought and conversation for weeks to come. If you were one of the folks who found it impossible to attend, take some time to talk to someone who did. We had over thirty Bethany people involved in at least one session over the course of the two-day event. Find out what they remember, what they thought about and what they found challenging. Enter into the conversation, practice the highly formative Christian discipline of deep thinking about God. It will be a great way to begin to prepare for Pastor Dennis’ return from sabbatical and for our continued life as a congregation in the 21st Century in Seattle, Washington. Deacon Jan Cherry will transcribe her notes from the event and they will be available electronically or on the bulletin boards by the end of June. Jan Cherry, Diaconal Minister Ecumenical Liturgical Coordinator School of Theology and Ministry Seattle University PO Box 222000 Seattle, WA 98122 (206) 296-2383 cherryj2@seattleu.edu |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Welcome| | Who are we? | | Map | | Staff and Council | Schedule and Activities | | Concert Schedule |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||