A two-part Adult CE Series on the history of First Church

Don't miss two intriguing classes on Sunday, January 29 and Sunday, February 5 after the 11 AM worship service when Dr. Baron Mullis and Rev. Kenneth Ross explore the historic patterns of our disunity, and the spiritual resources for reunion, upon which we might call as we confront a secular America that seems resigned to alienation, fragmentation, and disintegration.

• January 29 with Rev. Ross. “Things Fall Apart.” What can we learn from two sharp divisions of our church and their subsequent reunions?

• February 5 with Dr. Mullis: “Belonging in an Age of Disintegration.” What might we learn from our contentious history, and how might we join in the rescue our common faith?

Please join us in-person in the MacColl Room or remotely via Zoom. For remote attendance, please register below or call the church office. You may also find the link on the event listing in the Realm Connect app.

From September 11 through October 9, Dr. Baron Mullis is preaching a 5-part sermon series on the Lord’s Prayer. The series provides an opportunity to enrich our learning with a moderated discussion on the sermon following the 11 AM worship service each week. The discussions will be held in the MacColl Room, with both in-person and virtual attendance. Please join us!

To attend virtually, watch the live stream of the worship service at 11 am here. Please register below to receive the Zoom link for the post-sermon discussion.

On three Wednesday evenings in the season of Lent—March 9, 16, and 23—our Parish Associate the Reverend Barbara Chaapel will lead a class on several parables in the Gospel of Luke, including the Parable of the Prodigal Son and the Parable of the Fig Tree.

Each class will invite participants into a conversation with Jesus and with each other to discover what the parables mean and consider how they may shed light on our lives.

The class will meet from 7:30 to 8:30 PM on Zoom. Registration is required; register below.

Wednesdays in February, 7-8 pm

Join the Rev. Margaret Somerville for four sessions of exploring contemplative practices from different faith traditions. These Wednesday evening sessions will provide a short introduction to each contemplative practice, engagement in the practice, and time to reflect on our experience and share our insights. Guided meditations, chants, prayers, and images are used to explore our connection to and awareness of the divine both within us and beyond us.

Sign up below to receive the zoom link.

The Reverend Dr. Eddie Glaude, Jr., Princeton University professor and frequent contributor to our national discussions on race, has written an important book about James Baldwin (1924–1987), the African American poet, novelist, essayist, and civil rights activist. Jon Meacham has said: “In this searing, provocative, and ultimately hopeful book, [Glaude] takes us on a fascinating journey through the mind and heart of James Baldwin. But a parallel odyssey through Glaude’s own formidable mind and generous heart unfolds as well.”

Parish associate Rev. Kenneth Ross—theologian, historian, and former English major—will walk us through Begin Again: James Baldwin’s America and Its Urgent Lessons for our Own (2020) this coming January. We will try first to understand Baldwin’s America, and then to understand Dr. Glaude’s contemporary America, before exploring why Dr. Glaude—admittedly as a Christian pastor—has hope that we will emerge from our current trials a more inclusive and just society.

Class will meet via Zoom on Wednesday, January 12, 19, and 26, at 7:30 PM. It is not necessary to have read James Baldwin, or to have completely read Dr. Glaude’s book to benefit from our meetings. Please register below to receive the Zoom link, or call the church office (215-567-0532). Copies of the book are available; please indicate on the form if you need a copy of the book.

Longing, waiting, and preparation are the spiritual hallmarks of the Advent season in the Christian church. They are also spiritual themes in other faith traditions.

To help our community of members and friends of First Church prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ, Barbara Chaapel will offer a five-week zoom class during Advent that will use the scripture texts of Advent and poems from both the Christian tradition and other faiths that invite our reflection on longing—both what we long for as individuals and what the world is longing for.

The classes are scheduled for Wednesday evenings from 5:00-6:00 p.m. on November 24 and December 1, 8, 15, and 22. Each session will pair sacred poetry and scripture, and will include time of silence, praying, reading texts together, and sharing and reflection on those texts.

Join us on November 24, the eve of Thanksgiving, as we focus on gratitude for the longing that God has created within us. Then set aside an hour on the next four Wednesday evenings for your spiritual practice during Advent— to share in community, prayer, and study with others on the journey toward Christmas.

Register below to receive the zoom link.

A new Adult Christian Education series in October and November

Rev. Cindy Jarvis, who has written extensively on the subject of theology and ethics, will lead a four-part series on theology and ethics. She will be joined by guest speakers Dr. Nancy Duff, retired Associate Professor of Christian Ethics at Princeton Theological Seminary, and Dr. Katie Day, Professor of Religion and Society at the Lutheran Theological Seminary. Drawing from the work of writings of a group of modern theologians whose names are both familiar (Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Paul Lehman) and less well-known (Katie Cannon, Emilie Townes, Marcia Riggs), they will lead us in asking what we are to be and do as “followers of Jesus Christ and members of his church...in the world God has given us to be human in.” Nancy Duff will be leading the classes on October 27 and November 3, Katie Day on November 10, and Cindy Jarvis on November 17. The classes will be held on Zoom at 5 PM on these four Wednesdays. Please register below to receive the Zoom link.

Beginning September 12, Dr. Baron Mullis will preach a 5-part sermon series, in which he will attempt to lay out a way of equipping us to think theologically about relevant topics in our modern life. We'll have the opportunity to talk about what we’ve heard with a moderated discussion on the sermon following the worship service each week. Please join us!

Listen to the sermons via our Sermon Podcast (available shortly after the worship service). Recordings of the talk-back sessions can be heard here.

September 12 The Politics Sermon
Jeremiah 29:1-7, Deuteronomy 6:4-9
Fraz Thomas, Discussion Leader

September 19 The Violence Sermon
Romans 12:9-21, Luke 10:25-37
Bill Leonard, Discussion Leader

September 26 The Sex Sermon
1 Corinthians 13, Matthew 22:34-40
Cindy Jarvis, Discussion Leader

October 3 The Money Sermon
Luke 12: 41-48, Deuteronomy 11:13-21
Craig Boddorff, Discussion Leader

October 10 The Earth Sermon
Genesis 1:24-31, Mark 12:28-34
Stella Tsai, Discussion Leader

An Exploration of Scripture, Faith, and Stewardship of the Earth

Wednesday evenings @ 7 PM on April 21, April 28, and May 5

The Adult Education Committee announces a new series to usher in the celebration of Earth Day on April 22.  Earth Day, with its 2021 theme of “Restore the Earth,” celebrates the myriad ways in which support for environmental protection is demonstrated around the world. What better way to consider restoring the earth and stewarding its resources than to consider scripture and how it calls us as people of faith to care for the earth.

This 3-part webinar will be held on Wednesday evenings @ 7 PM on April 21, April 28, and May 5.

• On April 21, First Church member Doug O’Malley will talk about local and regional perspectives on climate issues, and stewardship through environmental protection. We are pleased to welcome Doug as a guest speaker in this series.

• On April 28, we’ll watch and discuss segments of A Spiritual and Moral Response to the Climate Crisis, the 2020 webinar presentation given by Karenna Gore for the McClendon Scholars Program at the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, DC.

• On May 5, Ms. Gore will be talking directly to us. Dr. Mullis will moderate this session, which will have a Q&A format. The initial questions will be prepared in advance, and class attendees will be invited to submit questions for Ms. Gore to address.

Please register in advance to join any or all sessions!  After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Doug O'Malley is the State Director for Environment New Jersey, part of the Public Interest Network. He has been with Environment New Jersey since 2001, leading campaigns to fast-track New Jersey’s clean energy economy via offshore wind, solar and energy efficiency programs and to rejoin New Jersey in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) program; he’s also led campaigns focused on New Jersey’s drinking water quality and protection of the state’s watershed lands.

Karenna Gore is founder and director of the Center of Earth Ethics at the Union Theological Seminary. The Center, bridging the worlds of religion, academia, policy and culture, seeks to discern and pursue changes necessary to stop ecological destruction and create a society that values the long-term health of the whole. Ms. Gore is also an ex-officio member of the faculty of the Earth Institute at Columbia University.

Beginning in January, the Adult CE committee is partnering with our Gun Violence Prevention Task Force to learn about the prevalence of guns in our country, the consequences of both gun violence and careless gun use, and consider how we as people of faith can begin to grapple with a grim and entrenched problem.  

On January 12 and the following three Tuesdays at 7:00, a book club will feature America and its Guns:  A Theological Perspective by James Atwood, a Presbyterian pastor who spent 36 years fighting against this country’s easy access to firearms. Atwood brings a biblical and theological understanding in his portrayal of the impact that guns have on our society.

Please register using the form below. Registrants will receive a copy of the book at no cost. Each week’s discussion will cover approximately 50 pages of the book.

Wednesday evenings

You are invited to join a lectio divina class led by the Reverend Barbara Chaapel on Wednesdays November 25 through December 16, as we reflect on the season of preparation for the birth of Christ.

Lectio divina means “divine reading.” It is an ancient Christian practice of reading and contemplating scripture that promotes communion with God and with our fellow believers and deepens our understanding of God’s Word. It offers a way to listen to the reading of a text and interact with it, and then to respond in silence and shared reflection, listening for God’s presence in our lives with what the Benedictines call “the ears of the heart.”

You are warmly invited to join fellow members and visitors for this spiritual experience during Advent. Whether through your listening or your words, you will be a valuable contributor to the community we are forming together. For more information, please contact Barbara Chaapel.

Our classes will be held using Zoom, a free video-conferencing tool that you can use from any computer or mobile device.  You can also participate using audio-only by dialing in with a standard telephone.

Registration is required: please register below:

Sundays, November 8, 15, and 22 @ 10 AM

The First Church Anti-bias Task Force is holding a series of forums to reflect on the issues of bias and race that have been raised during this difficult year. Questions for reflection will be posted here and emailed to registrants before each forum, so that attendees can prepare for listening to one another, and sharing honestly. We hope you’ll take part in these important conversations.

Questions for November 15:

1. How are you feeling right now?

2. What are you reflections surrounding the events of this last year?

The forums will be held using Zoom a free video-conferencing tool that you can use from any computer or mobile device.  You can also participate using audio-only by dialing in with a standard telephone.

Registration is required; please register below:

Please join us at noon on the next two Wednesdays (October 21 and 28) for a brief history of the Barmen Declaration and discussion on its relevance today.  The Theological Declaration of Barmen is in our Book of Confessions, one of only three additions to the book made in the 20th century.

The declaration, a call to resistance against the theological claims of the Nazi state, was adopted in an emergency assembly of German Protestant churches in 1934.  The churches were alarmed by the encroachment of the Nazi state into their freedoms and autonomy. The Nazis pressed to create a single Reich Church under a single government, and required loyalty oaths from the ministers to the new regime and to Hitler personally. The traditional boundary between Church and State was to be abolished. In six brief articles, the Barmen Declaration boldly asserted the freedom of the churches to order and govern themselves, and rejected any arguments that they needed another Leader besides Jesus Christ.  Among those who attended the assembly was theologian Karl Barth, who is considered to be the primary author of these articles.

In these two sessions, Ken Ross will outline the religious and political crisis Hitler forced upon the German churches and detail the contents of the Barmen Declaration. We will then consider the relevance of the Barmen Declaration today.

Please access The Barmen Declaration for use during the presentation.

• October 21 "Then: The Politics of Religion."

• October 28: "Now: The Religion of Politics." 

This is a zoom presentation; registration is required.

Lunchtime Bible Study

Dr. Baron Mullis will lead a midweek lunchtime Bible study. These weekly “Bible Breaks with Baron,” held on Tuesdays at 12:15, are short (~30 minute) lessons on some of the Biblical texts that have been used to marginalize people through the years.  These studies are background learning for a revised program on unconscious bias that we will offer later this fall.

These Bible studies will be held via Zoom; registration is required. Register below:

Zoom is a free video-conferencing tool that you can use from any computer or mobile device.  You can also participate using audio-only by dialing in with a standard telephone.

An invitation to try something new, yet old!

Lectio divina, or sacred reading, is an ancient practice of reading scripture aloud, listening to and asking questions of the text, and sharing with others how it intersects with our lives.

On four Wednesdays, July 22 through August 12, from 5-6 PM, Barbara Chaapel will lead an online lectio divina study of the lectionary texts for the following Sundays. Each session will include hearing the text, input from Barbara about the context of the passage in the Bible, responding to short prompts, quiet reflection, and sharing about the text as it intersects with our lives. 

Join us whether you have done lectio divina before, or try it if you want to experience a new way of listening to scripture.  For more information, please contact Barbara Chaapel.

For our online study, we are using Zoom a free video-conferencing tool that you can use from any computer or mobile device.  You can also participate using audio-only by dialing in with a standard telephone.