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Upcoming Events

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MONTREAT

Fall Conferences at Montreat Conference Center – www.montreat.org

Multicultural Institute

November 8-11

Courses offered include The Spanish Immersion (begins November 7); Leaven in the Mix: Facing Race & Culture in Congregations; Multicultural Church 101: Leadershift for the 21st Century; and Raising Kingdom Consciousness in Us & in Our World

Co-sponsored by the Presbyterian Multicultural Network and Montreat Conference Center

More information and register online: http://www.montreat.org/current/multicultural-institute-2011

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COLUMBIA THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

Explore Sabbath and Sabbatical

Decatur, GA. Bestselling author Wayne Muller will lead "Living Into Sabbath,” October 30-November 4, at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, GA. Participants may choose from one of three tracks for this event. "Creative Sabbatical Planning" is available for those who are planning a sabbatical leave, and "Spiritual Formation" for those who want to learn Sabbath as a spiritual discipline. The third track is designed for independent study through the seminary’s Guthrie Scholars program. All three tracks include Wayne Muller's plenary presentations, when he will offer tools, exercises, and meditations that support the keeping of Sabbath.

"In lives overladen with choices, we need to learn how to do fewer things more deeply, intentionally, and thoughtfully," Muller says.

A graduate of Harvard Divinity School, Muller is a therapist, minister, community advocate, consultant, public speaker, and author.

He has served as Senior Scholar at the Fetzer Institute and is an Extended Faculty member at the Institute of Noetic Sciences. He is the founder of Bread for the Journey, a network of ordinary people who engage in grassroots, neighborhood philanthropy through micro-grants.

Event information and online registration are available at http://www.ctsnet.edu/LL/Events.aspx (scroll to October 30). Participants are encouraged to read Muller's most recent book, A Life of Being, Having, and Doing Enough (Harmony 2010).

Columbia Theological Seminary, located in Decatur, GA, was established in 1828 and is one of 10 theological institutions of the Presbyterian Church (USA). The seminary offers seven graduate degree programs: Master of Divinity, Master of Arts (Theological Studies), Master of Arts in Practical Theology, Master of Theology, Doctor of Ministry, Doctor of Educational Ministry, and Doctor of Theology in Pastoral Counseling. Currently 421 students are enrolled, representing 30 denominations, 34 states, and 10 countries. More information about Columbia: http://www.ctsnet.edu.

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Columbia Theological Seminary Faculty Members

Contribute to New Lectionary Series on Social Justice

Decatur, GA—Jeffery Tribble, Sr., and Catherine Gunsalus González are among contributors to Preaching God’s Transforming Justice: A Lectionary Commentary, Year B, Featuring 22 New Holy Days for Justice. Dr. Tribble is assistant professor of ministry. Dr. Gunsalas González is professor emerita of church history and co-wrote her contribution with her husband, Dr. Justo L. González, a theological historian.

This new commentary, published by Westminster John Knox Press, is unique in being the first to help preachers focus on the implications for social justice in every biblical reading in the Revised Common Lectionary. In addition, this series introduces 22 holy days, which enlarge the church’s awareness of God’s call for justice and the ways that call comes to the church and world today. Among the days included are World Aids Day, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Asian American Heritage Day, International Women’s Day, César Chávez Day, Earth Day, Yom ha Shoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day), Peoples Native to the Americsa Day, and Night of Power.

For each lectionary day and each Holy Day for Justice there is an essay to help preachers integrate a variety of social justice concerns into their preaching. The 90 contributors are a diverse group of biblical scholars, preachers, social activists and professors of preaching. The contributors are about half women and half men from a broad range of communities—racial/ethnic, denominational, gender orientation.

Dr. Tribble wrote the commentary for the Eighth Sunday after the Epiphany. He comments on passages from Hosea, the Psalms, 1 Corinthians and Mark.

Dr. Gunsalus González and Dr. González wrote for Proper 20 with focus on biblical readings from Proverbs, Jeremiah, the Psalms, James and Mark.

Walter Bruggemann, professor emeritus of church history and a leading biblical authority, says, “This extended commentary makes clear that when one asks fresh voices of the biblical text, one gets fresh responses. In addition to fresh interpretive voices on offer here, this volume provides special resources and guidance for the Holy Days for Justice, a new entry into the church year for treasured occasions in the life of the church and in our society. This book holds promise of transformative energy for the preaching, teaching, interpreting work of the church.”

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