Embedded Files
Kimberly P Chastain, Pastor
Three Possibilities for Future Studies
Three Possibilities for Future Studies
(let the pastors know of your interest!)
The pastors were talking about ideas that we have or that someone has suggested to us for future studies, and three ideas were mentioned that both of us thought sounded interesting. We probably would not start any of them until the fall, but we can make choices about preparation if we know how much interest there would be for each.
New Bible Study: Queering Scripture — What does the bible have to say about gender, sexuality and heteronormativity? What is hidden behind our assumptions and the assumptions made by translators, and how can we recover some of those hidden stories? So often the “Christian” perspective is stereotyped and stereotyping, but the reality portrayed in scripture is much more nuanced.
Becky Kindig, Associate Pastor
New Book Study: Our Hidden Conversations: What Americans Really Think About Race and Identity by Michele Norris. In 2010, award-winning journalist Norris created “The Race Card Project”, distributing postcards that said: “Race. Your Thoughts. 6 Words. Please Send.” The postcards were left in bookstores, airport lounges, restaurants and hotel rooms. Six words is short enough to engage people but gives an opportunity for powerful snapshots. It allows insight into what people have experienced but never spoken. As the responses began to flood in, a question was added to the website: “Anything Else?” This beautifully designed book, just released, provides a window on what was shared and invites reflection about unshared and unseen experiences.
The project continues on the website theracecardproject.com.
Educating Ourselves about Israel and Palestine. What is the history? What is happening now? What is at stake and what is the official stance of our denomination? The story is painful and the destruction almost beyond imagining. But getting to the history behind the emotions and opinions is challenging. In a world where every point of view can be amplified or suppressed, we’d like to understand what the “sides” are, no matter what each one concludes after we learn together.
Ashes to Go
Ashes to Go
Pastor Kimberly and Pastor Becky distributed “Ashes to Go” again this year on Ash Wednesday at Binghamton University. They have been offering this to the BU students, faculty, and staff for several years now through our partnership with the Binghamton University Interfaith Council. They received many thanks from students and staff who didn’t have another opportunity to get them in their busy schedule and appreciated this chance for this “holy interruption” in their day to remember that they are God’s beloved dust.
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