Dear friends in Christ
A new class begins: Sick People in the Bible. There are several kinds of sickness in the Bible, including conditions like infertility, death itself, leprosy, demonic possession, fever, lameness, and injury from a fall. There is also evil done, as when a king is suffocated, and evil repented, as when a king turns away from wickedness and has his life extended. Weekly through mid-March, I will lead this Bible study of selected stories of sickness in the Old and New Testaments. This class will meet on Sundays at 10 a.m. on the 5th floor, and will be repeated on Thursdays at 12:40 p.m. on the 2nd floor. For February 2 (and 6), we’ll look at two stories of boys who die: 2 Samuel 12 and 1 Kings 14.
A new series begins: Christians Readings Greeks. On Monday, February 3, the first of a series of first-Monday seminars will discuss the following selections from Homer’s Iliad: Books 1, 6, 9, 16, 18 (to line 371 only), 22, and 24. The discussion will be in Andrew Hall from 6:15 to 7:45 p.m. Anyone who has done the reading is welcome to the discussion.
Looking ahead: For March 3, the reading is Plato’s “Apology.”
The topic for the Rector’s Christian Doctrine Class on Tuesday, February 4, is “The Holy Trinity.” Anyone interested in the topic is welcome: in Andrew Hall from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. This class has been exceedingly well-attended (as many as 50 people). But we can find a place for you too, if you haven’t yet come to this class. A special feature of this session is that Father Mead will take us through the Athanasian Creed.
And then there are Ethical Wednesdays. On Wednesday, February 5, the second of four sessions on my book Christian Ethics: A Guide for the Perplexed, meeting weekly except for February 12. This week’s session will discuss chapters 3 and 4, which cover utilitarianism, deontology, and virtue ethics, and launch into a Christian take on the virtues (how to be successful as a human being). Andrew Hall, 6:30 p.m.; visitors welcome.
On the web:
After the doctrine class on the Incarnation, one of the young adults sent me this link. It is to a 15-minute interview with Michael Ramsey, the famed archbishop of Canterbury. It seems to be from about a generation ago, back when there was such a thing as “Episcopal TV.” It’s interesting, although you might want to skip the first minute of introductory music.
Peace.
