At our June 8 Celebrating the Year in Faith Formation Service, Margaret Harrison offered what Faith4Life means for her.
You can also watch her story below, starting at 38:21.
I believe that this church planned to have the most interesting, thought-provoking classes for adults of any Christian church and has succeeded in doing that. We moved to this area in 2021, during the Covid years, and became acquainted with this church through the internet. I remember cold calling the church and asking Chip if there were Sunday school classes for adults. He suggested The Universal Christ, a book by Father Richard Rohr. That book study was on zoom. We weren’t members, but dove into that study as if we had been here a thousand years and had known the participants for decades. The book is wonderful. I was hooked after reading the Foreword and all-in after reading the first two pages of the section titled “Before We Begin.” All of this was before chapter 1. This book has been my constant companion since then. It stuck with me and to me.
We did the Disciple study where I learned that a large print Bible is this girl’s best friend and that a dedicated time to do the reading is necessary. In addition to studying other books by Richard Rohr, we have studied some by Brian McLaren—Do I Stay Christian and Life After Doom are standouts. Robin Kimmerer’s book, Braiding Sweet Grass, called to mind my childhood in Oklahoma, where I learned, then forgot, but was reminded that if a creature has eyes over mouth, it’s part of your family. What about oysters you may ask. Well, I knew a fellow who sold seafood to restaurants, and he told me that oysters have a mouth, primitive eyes, but no brain. According to the rule —eyes over mouth—it is my family. We’ve joined Connie’s studies on Sunday mornings. Through all of these classes we have met Richard Rohr, Adam Hamilton, Brian McLaren, Trip Fuller, Amy-Jill Levine, Barbara Brown Taylor, John Phillip Newell, Thomas Merton, James Finley. You will find these people here in our classes. How fortunate we are!
All of this is to say, There are people who remember their Sunday school classes from childhood, and that’s enough for them. It’s good to remember that we are all on the same faith journey; we are just at different places. All faith journeys are personal, one of a kind. But if those early lessons of childhood now leave you with questions and doubts (maybe doubts too strong a word, maybe if you’re just wondering about some things in those stories), come here and learn to look at Biblical texts with your adult ability to understand.
Don’t think that reading Do I Stay Christian will make you an infidel or non-believer; it won’t, but, it will make you examine why you say you’re a Christian and what it means to be a Christian. Don’t think that reading every book that Father Richard Rohr ever wrote will make you a Roman Catholic; it won’t, but, it may make you look at all of creation in a different way. You may look for the face of the Christ in every person you meet and every other aspect of creation, as I now do. If you are ever concerned that the babe in the manger could be replaced by the sleigh and reindeer, that the nails and the cross maybe replaced by a bunny and dyed eggs, then come here and learn how religion can reflect or reject cultural values and mores. Learn how to strengthen your resolve to make your walk more holy.
So, I say fasten your seatbelt, put your tray table in the upright position and get ready for blast off.