Death and Dying Classes
Wednesday Evenings, 7-8:30, Youth Building

Advance Health Care Directive, Part 1
March 12
Chaplain Erin King and social worker Jan Jordison from Community Hospice will explain what an Advance Health Care Directive is and the importance for all adults to have one. We will go through the process of filling one out with the expectation that participants will have it done by the end of next week’s class. Participants will further explore what they would want at the end of life by using the “Five Wishes” document. We will discuss who can be an agent and why to choose that person. By filling out the directive, you will be sure that your wishes will be met at the end of life. We will also discuss what questions to discuss with loved ones.

Advance Health Care Directive, Part 2
March 19
Participants will further explore what they would want at the end of life by using the “Five Wishes” document. We will follow up on who can be a witness to signing the Advance Care Health Directive. We will discuss the meaning of qualitative care and palliative care and explain how to determine which is best for you and your loved ones. By the end of this class, participants will have a signed Advance Healthcare Directive.

Understanding Hospice Care
March 26
Hospice nurse Bob Patnode will share his experiences and lead a discussion on the nature and benefits of hospice care.

The Benefits of Grief Counseling
April 2

The Why and How of Planned Giving
April 9

Taming Texts of Terror
Sundays, 11:30 – 12:45, Fireside Room

God’s Violence in the Bible
Sunday, March 2
How do we understand Bible stories of God’s destruction of whole cities by fire, and the whole world by a flood? How do we understand Psalms asking God to destroy our enemies? This class will offer tools for making sense of such violence attributed to a God of love and mercy. We will consider the levels of spiritual consciousness of Biblical writers. We will also discuss what it means to say the Bible is the inspired word of God. The class will draw on the book The Violence of Scripture by Eric Seibert.

The Troubling Parables of Jesus
Sunday, March 9
The parables of Jesus are often perplexing and filled with disturbing images of destruction. We will consider the parables as wisdom teachings of Jesus to change our consciousness so we can move beyond a dualistic way of thinking to the way that unites us with God, others, and our true selves.

The Bible and Homosexuality
Sunday, March 23
Many churches have used six Bible passages to justify the condemnation of Gay and Lesbian people. In this class, we’ll see that such an interpretation not only ignores the cultural context of these passages, but also violates the spirit of the Gospel.

Making Sense of the Book of Revelation
Sunday, March 30
The Book of Revelation has been used to predict who will be saved and who will be damned. It has been used to predict disasters and other frightening world events. In this class, we will see why such purposes are a misuse and misunderstanding of the Book of Revelation. We will consider this book as an example of Apocalyptic literature with a message of courage and hope for those who preserve in the loving way of Jesus.

Sunday, May 26, 11:30-12:45, Fireside Room

If you really want to read and understand the Bible, where do you begin?  How do you make sense of so many different teachings and so many strange and even frightening passages?   In this class taught by Pastor Michael, you’ll be introduced to the Bible’s four basic stories, which provide a lens for interpreting this Sacred Book.