Adult Faith Formation
Still Waters: June 20, 2026
Still Waters Fellowship takes place around a good meal and the exploration of one or more of the traditional practices that can help us grow in our relationship to God. All are welcome! RSVPs are encouraged in the interest of meal planning.
Our next gathering will be on Saturday, June 20, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the home of Roger Parker. For more information or to RSVP to Roger, click on the link below.
Bible Study: Spring 2026
We meet every Wednesday at 11:15 a.m. in the church library.
Anyone is free to drop in for a taste of the joy that we share in our prayer, meditation, scripture, and Christian community.
Some new revelations concerning The Plan of God.
This is the topic for Wednesday Bible Study during Lent: From before time began God has had a plan -
that humankind will share God's life in God's Kingdom. There is such a wealth of wisdom that we can explore
and find great depth of meaning. Instead of focusing on a book of scripture for however long that book takes
we are bouncing around to find particular topics and look at scripture in a way that is new to us. There have
been many questions and challenges to explore.
Why is there sin in the world? Evil? What do Adam and Eve and their story have to do with us and
what do we learn from them? Did God create sin and evil? Is Redemption necessary? Does God punish us?
Our conversations have been brisk and loaded with thought. We have come to understand more about the
value of conversational meditation. It is all a critical tool for spiritual growth. The goal is not teaching nor
learning. It is feeding and living scripture. It is growing in faith and nurturing our lives in God.
Psalm of the week for Easter, May 17 ~ Psalm 68: 1-10, 33-36, Exsurgat Deus (God will arise)
Yes, God will arise! There has been a lot of mischief in the world and Yahweh has had quite enough. His
enemies have scattered and fled. This can happen when those who hate HIM mess with the Almighty. The
scattering does not bring the naughty to some sort of denouement. Yahweh, as always, handles it nicely. The
bad kids vanish like smoke, melt like wax in the fire, and perish because of the mere presence of God.
As a side bar..., what do you know about Yahweh? Yahweh = God. It is a Hebrew word. It is
a very holy word. So holy that it is forbidden to be spoken. Humans are to leave it alone! So the vowels have
been eliminated and it is now difficult to speak the Holy Name. I once heard a young female rabbi speak
about this. She wrote the YHWH on the white board and instructed us to say it. (It would be fine to try this
at home.) I will spoil your fun by just telling you that you will be speaking...BREATH. That is what is sounds
like. And recall that breath IS life. So...lots of meaning.
I suggest you focus on verses 6 - 10 and discover good things that God has done or provided
for the people. Even the whole world has some of the action. Also pay attention to "the presence of God".
There is more than one way to define the presence of God. You can probably collect several. This portion
ends with verse 10.
Our section picks up again at verse 33 ending at verse 36. Feel free to read up on the verses
that are skipped.
Now we write the poetry that brings psalm 48 to a close. There are 4 verses of the kind of
praises to God that force deep breaths and strong voices on the exhales. There are likely bronze instruments
to be blown upon accenting the expressions of (...what could be the "expressions.,). Could these cosmic noises,
these uncontained voices, ever be part of our own symphonies?
I like to think so. I think God and I will turn the volume up.
Have a great week as we near the end of
Eastertide.
Blessings, Kathie S.