This fall, the Community Room Sunday school class and the Wednesday night Bible study group are studying the book of Ecclesiastes. If you missed our first session together, this 20 minute podcast will give you a quick introduction to the book. The Community Room class meets downstairs on Sunday mornings in the Community Room, from 9:45am to 10:45am. On Wednesday nights, the Adult Bible study meets in the Fellowship hall from 6 to 7pm. We hope to see you! Please contact Art Wright if you have any questions.
Death and Dying Series (Lent 2016)
If you missed our four-week series “On Death and Dying,” our 2016 Wednesday night Adult Lenten Series, here are links to podcasts of all four sessions. We’re grateful for your willingness to delve into this subject, and found that we had very meaningful dialogue around tables when given permission to talk about this most challenging topic. We hope you’ll find the podcasts and the discussion questions helpful for you as you wrestle with what it means for us to be mortal human beings who believe in an infinite God.
Series Overview and Schedule
“Dying is the most general human event, something we all have to do. But do we do it well? Is our death more than an unavoidable fate that we simply wish would not be there? Can it somehow become an act of fulfillment, perhaps more human than any other human act?” (Henri Nouwen). Join us for this special four-week Lenten series in the Fellowship Hall from 6:30 to 7:30pm on Wednesday evenings after the fellowship dinner. Led by Jeff and Julie Walton and Art Wright, this series will explore practical and theological aspects of what it means for us to prepare for a good death. Please contact Art Wright (wright@tbcrichmond.org) if you have any questions.
Week 1 (Feb 17) – Introduction and Big Questions
Week 2 (Feb 24) – The Dying Process, How to Prepare Well for Death
Week 3 (March 2) – After Death, Funerals
Week 4 (March 9) – Grieving
On Death and Dying: Week 4 (Adult Lenten Series 2016)
This is the fourth and final week of “On Death and Dying,” our 2016 Wednesday night Adult series during Lent. Our session this week is led by Rev. Jeff Walton and includes discussion of the grieving process. We’re making these podcasts available if you are unable to join us on Wednesday nights in the fellowship hall.
[display_podcast]
Series Overview and Schedule
“Dying is the most general human event, something we all have to do. But do we do it well? Is our death more than an unavoidable fate that we simply wish would not be there? Can it somehow become an act of fulfillment, perhaps more human than any other human act?” (Henri Nouwen). Join us for this special five-week Lenten series in the Fellowship Hall from 6:30 to 7:30pm on Wednesday evenings after the fellowship dinner. Led by Jeff and Julie Walton and Art Wright, this series will explore practical and theological aspects of what it means for us to prepare for a good death. Please contact Art Wright (wright@tbcrichmond.org) if you have any questions.
Week 1 (Feb 17) – Introduction, Big Questions
Week 2 (March 2) – The Dying Process, How to Prepare Well for Death
Week 3 (March 9) – After Death, Funerals
Week 4 (March 16) – Grieving
Tabernacle Stories
Tabernacle Stories: A Wednesday Evening Series
A number of us have been meeting on Wednesday evenings in the fellowship hall after the weekly fellowship dinner for our “Tabernacle Stories” series. This is a seven-week series centered around the theme of “testimony.” Each week, we invite one or two people from our congregation to share stories about their spiritual journeys and where they have seen God at work in their lives. We ask questions and explore together how God is moving among us at Tabernacle and in the world.
I have to admit—this series has been more meaningful and richer than I ever anticipate. Each week, the stories we’ve heard have made us laugh, cry, and reflect in profound ways on God’s presence in our lives and in the life of our congregation.
The idea for this series started with a quote that my wife Beth shared with me. She had interviewed dozens of people for a history book she wrote about Camp Alkulana, and she was sharing something that a former camp director had told her about the power of stories. She said: “The story is told … as a testimony to what God has done and is doing. If we do not share the story, we believe, its power and truth is diluted, and its impact forgotten.”
I thought—how profound! It seems simple, and even obvious, on the one hand. We read in worship each week about the stories of God at work in the lives of our ancestors of faith: Abraham and Sarah, Ruth and Naomi, Isaiah, Jesus, Paul, Priscilla and Aquilla. But how often do we feel like we have permission to share with others what we think God has been—and is—up to in our own lives?
For me, the question became this:
How else do we know what God is up to in the world and in our lives unless we talk about it and share our stories?
So each week our guests have been sharing stories of their spiritual journeys. The first week, Jay Hartman shared very meaningfully about how he senses God’s presence at work in his life through his carpentry business. He isn’t on staff at a church, but he shared how he has come to see his day-to-day job is indeed a ministry. During our second week, Gail and Bill Welstead shared rich stories about their lives and their involvement in the life of Tabernacle Baptist Church for decades now. Bill, now a retired chemist and prescription drug maker, shared a poignant memory of a particular experience he had when wrestling with the ways in which he was gifted to serve God aside from his vocational calling:
“I was on my way home, and I remember…. I was at Brookland Park Boulevard and Brook Road…. And a voice came to me—not audible. But a voice came to my mind and it simply said, ‘Bill if you could make a drug that could cure the world of every disease, do you think it would be a better place?’ And I had to think about that. I thought about that all the way home, and the next day and the next day. And I was thinking, ‘You know, there would still be greed, and there would still be murder, and there would still be war, and there would still be all of these other things. Yeah, maybe people would feel better doing it. [laughter] But I began to realize that there has never been a drug made—nor will there be—that will change a man’s heart. That will transform a man—or person. … And so then I got the idea that, ‘God, you must be speaking to me.'”
You’ll have to listen to the podcast to see how Bill’s story continues!
Just this past week we got to hear from Kathy and Larry Allen, who recently became members of our church on Easter. They traced their journeys from Virginia all over the country and world. They shared their sense that God had called them back home to Richmond, and to Tabernacle Baptist Church in particular, to serve and use their gifts for ministry among us and in our community.
I share these snippets just to whet your appetite. They are just a glimpse of the amazing stories we’ve heard each week. I can only imagine that the stories we’ll hear in the coming weeks will be just as amazing. Through these stories we sense God at work in profound ways in our lives and in the life of our congregation. I hope you’ll join us.
Here is the remainder of our schedule of speakers:
April 27 – Naomi Reddish
May 4 – Vincent Sallie
May 11 – Bya Wann
May 18 – Samuel Lian
Grace and Peace,
Art Wright
Minister of Spiritual Formation
On Death and Dying: Week 3 (Adult Lenten Series 2016)
This is the third week of “On Death and Dying,” our 2016 Wednesday night Adult series during Lent. Our session this week is led by Rev. Julie Walton and includes discussion of the physical process of dying, what happens to one’s body after death, and making decisions about what happens to our bodies after we die. We’re making these podcasts available if you are unable to join us on Wednesday nights in the fellowship hall.
Questions for Discussion this Week:
- What values or theological underpinnings do you have today in living that you hope show through in your dying and in the next steps after your death?
- What scares you about death the most? What gives you peace?
- What do you want done with your body & what services/rituals?
- What do you hope your legacy is?
- What do a good death & and good service look like?
- What questions do you need clarification on in order to prepare well for a good death?
- What loose ends do you have in your life right now that you hope will be resolved prior to death, and what steps can you take to move in that direction?
[display_podcast]
*Clarifying note: Approximately 12 minutes into the podcast, Julie mentions the relationship between brain death and continuing mechanical life-sustaining measures. She refers to the Terri Schiavo case from the early 1990’s, saying that Schiavo was brain dead and was kept on mechanical support for life sustaining measures. Schiavo was actually in what is often called a “persistent vegetative state” (without recourse for any meaningful recovery even with medical treatment) rather than brain dead, which is a clinical definition for death. The important part of the discussion, at this point in the audio, is underlining the importance of making sure our healthcare wishes for our medical treatment are known to family and loved ones. It’s important to share these decisions and make sure our loved ones understand and are able and willing to respect our healthcare instructions. This is also why it is important to have a medical decision maker, on one’s behalf, in the case that one is not able to speak for themselves. This person should be someone who will honor your wishes and respect your healthcare decisions.*
Series Overview and Schedule
“Dying is the most general human event, something we all have to do. But do we do it well? Is our death more than an unavoidable fate that we simply wish would not be there? Can it somehow become an act of fulfillment, perhaps more human than any other human act?” (Henri Nouwen). Join us for this special five-week Lenten series in the Fellowship Hall from 6:30 to 7:30pm on Wednesday evenings after the fellowship dinner. Led by Jeff and Julie Walton and Art Wright, this series will explore practical and theological aspects of what it means for us to prepare for a good death. Please contact Art Wright (wright@tbcrichmond.org) if you have any questions.
Week 1 (Feb 17) – Introduction, Big Questions
Week 2 (March 2) – The Dying Process, How to Prepare Well for Death
Week 3 (March 9) – After Death, Funerals
Week 4 (March 16) – Grieving
On Death and Dying: Week 2 (Adult Lenten Series 2016)
This is the second week of our five-week series “On Death and Dying,” our 2016 Wednesday night Adult series during Lent. Our session this week includes discussion of the importance of talking about death, how to prepare for death, and how to die well. We’re making these podcasts available if you are unable to join us on Wednesday nights in the fellowship hall.
Questions for Discussion this Week:
- Stanley Hauerwas says that “death” is something of which modern Christianity does not want to deal. We seem to want to die by our terms, telling physicians how we want to exactly die. However, the Book of Common Prayer asks God to deliver us from dying “suddenly and unprepared.” How is this different from our modern desire for how we want to die?
- In the Middle Ages, people wanted to have a lingering time before death in order to get their lives right with others and God. In other words, they feared God more than death. How have we, in modern times, lost the ability to come to terms death and therefore come to terms with our lives? How can we pace our lives in order to be reconciled to God and others?
- How does talking about how we “want to die” make you feel? How do you and your family talk about death (or did you talk about it when you were a child)?
- What is a good death for you?
- What does it mean for you to die well as a person of faith?
[display_podcast]
Series Overview and Schedule
“Dying is the most general human event, something we all have to do. But do we do it well? Is our death more than an unavoidable fate that we simply wish would not be there? Can it somehow become an act of fulfillment, perhaps more human than any other human act?” (Henri Nouwen). Join us for this special five-week Lenten series in the Fellowship Hall from 6:30 to 7:30pm on Wednesday evenings after the fellowship dinner. Led by Jeff and Julie Walton and Art Wright, this series will explore practical and theological aspects of what it means for us to prepare for a good death. Please contact Art Wright (wright@tbcrichmond.org) if you have any questions.
Week 1 (Feb 17) – Introduction, Big Questions
Week 2 (March 2) – The Dying Process, How to Prepare Well for Death
Week 3 (March 9) – After Death, Funerals
Week 4 (March 16) – Grieving
On Death and Dying: Week 1 (Adult Lenten Series 2016)
This is the first week of our five-week series “On Death and Dying,” our 2016 Wednesday night Adult series during Lent. Our session this week includes an introduction to the series, some assumptions that we have in talking about death, and some big questions that we will be asking in this series. We’re making these podcasts available if you are unable to join us on Wednesday nights in the fellowship hall.
Questions for Discussion this Week:
- What is your earliest memory of death?
- How did you understand death as a young child?
- How did your family talk about and respond to death?
- Do you have any positive experiences with death? What made it a positive experience?
- Do you have any negative experiences with death that you feel comfortable sharing?
- Assumptions about death and dying?
- Why do you think it’s so hard to talk about death?
- What do you think it’s going to be like to be dead?
[display_podcast]
Series Overview and Schedule
“Dying is the most general human event, something we all have to do. But do we do it well? Is our death more than an unavoidable fate that we simply wish would not be there? Can it somehow become an act of fulfillment, perhaps more human than any other human act?” (Henri Nouwen). Join us for this special five-week Lenten series in the Fellowship Hall from 6:30 to 7:30pm on Wednesday evenings after the fellowship dinner. Led by Jeff and Julie Walton and Art Wright, this series will explore practical and theological aspects of what it means for us to prepare for a good death. Please contact Art Wright (wright@tbcrichmond.org) if you have any questions.
Week 1 (Feb 17) – Introduction, Big Questions
Week 2 (Feb 24) – The Dying Process, How to Prepare Well for Death
Week 3 (March 2) – After Death, Funerals
Week 4 (March 9) – Grieving
Let’s Talk About Sex: Week 13
This is the thirteenth and final session of our fall 2015 Wednesday night Adult series. Our topic this week is “Toward a New Theology of Sexuality.” We’re making these podcasts available if you were unable to join us on Wednesday nights in the fellowship hall. You are also invited to join us this coming Sunday morning (Dec. 13, 2015) from 9:30 to 10:15am in the parlor to discuss this previous Wednesday’s topic. This session will be led by Rev. Kristen Koger.
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION AND REFLECTION:
- What is one of your biggest takeaways from this series? (What was especially significant for you? What is one new idea you now have?)
- How has this series made you uncomfortable, stretched you, or pushed your buttons?
- How has this series changed what you think a healthy sexuality looks like?
- How has this series shaped how you think about the role of the church in matters of sexuality?
- What lingering question or questions do you have, or what is one issue that you will continue to wrestle with?
- Has this study created or revealed a gap in your formal and functional theologies related to some aspect of sexuality? What might you need to do to close the gap?
*NOTE: We were unable to capture the audio recording of the Wednesday evening program this week due to a technology glitch. Art Wright recorded a summary of the presentation and discussion, and that recording is available here for our weekly podcast.**
EVALUATIONS: We would be grateful if you would click through this link to complete an evaluation of this series. We are looking for your honest assessment. This feedback will help us as we reflect on the series, as Tracy Hartman prepares to teach a seminary course on this topic, and as other churches think about having similar conversations.
RESOURCE LIST: Tracy Hartman and Art Wright have complied a list of resources that they found helpful as they prepared for this series. You can download a pdf of this resource by clicking here (the file will download from Dropbox). Please note that Tracy and Art attempted to pull in a variety of perspectives as they researched and prepared for the weekly topics. Neither they nor TBC necessarily endorse every view represented in this resource list. The list is lengthy; if you have specific questions or interests, please consider emailing us and we can direct you to specific resources appropriate for your interests or questions.
Schedule and Previous Podcasts from the Series:
Introductions and Context
September 9
Week 1 – Introduction, Ground Rules, and Big Questions
September 16
Week 2 – Sexuality and Objectification in Contemporary Culture
Sex and Sexuality in the Bible
September 23
Week 3 – Sex and Sexuality in the Old Testament, part 1
September 30
Week 4 – Sex and Sexuality in the Old Testament, part 2
October 7
Week 5 – Sex and Sexuality in the New Testament, part 1
October 14
Week 6 – Sex and Sexuality in the New Testament, part 2
Healthy Sexual Relationships Today
October 21
Week 7 – The Biology of Sexuality
October 28
Week 8 – Sex and Marriage
November 4
Week 9 – How to Talk to your Young Children about Sex and Sexuality
November 11
Week 10 – How to Talk to your Teenagers about Sex and Sexuality
November 18
Week 11 – How to have Difficult Conversations
December 2
Week 12 – Dealing with Shame and Guilt
December 9
Week 13 – Toward a New Theology of Sexuality (Closing session)
Let’s Talk About Sex: Week 12
This is the twelfth session of our fall 2015 Wednesday night Adult series. Our topic this week is “Dealing with Shame and Guilt.” We’re making these podcasts available if you are unable to join us on Wednesday nights in the fellowship hall. You are also invited to join us on Sunday mornings from 9:30 to 10:15am in the parlor to discuss the previous Wednesday’s topic. These sessions will be led by Rev. Kristen Koger.
If you’d like to view the Brené Brown video that Dr. Tracy Hartman shows during this session, you can find it here.
Schedule for the Series
Introductions and Context
September 9
Week 1 – Introduction, Ground Rules, and Big Questions
September 16
Week 2 – Sexuality and Objectification in Contemporary Culture
Sex and Sexuality in the Bible
September 23
Week 3 – Sex and Sexuality in the Old Testament, part 1
September 30
Week 4 – Sex and Sexuality in the Old Testament, part 2
October 7
Week 5 – Sex and Sexuality in the New Testament, part 1
October 14
Week 6 – Sex and Sexuality in the New Testament, part 2
Healthy Sexual Relationships Today
October 21
Week 7 – The Biology of Sexuality
October 28
Week 8 – Sex and Marriage
November 4
Week 9 – How to Talk to your Young Children about Sex and Sexuality
November 11
Week 10 – How to Talk to your Teenagers about Sex and Sexuality
November 18
Week 11 – How to have Difficult Conversations
December 2
Week 12 – Dealing with Shame and Guilt
December 9
Week 13 – Toward a New Theology of Sexuality (Closing session)
Let’s Talk About Sex: Week 11
This is the eleventh session of our fall 2015 Wednesday night Adult series. Our topic this week is “How to have Difficult Conversations.” We’re making these podcasts available if you are unable to join us on Wednesday nights in the fellowship hall. You are also invited to join us on Sunday mornings from 9:30 to 10:15am in the parlor to discuss the previous Wednesday’s topic. These sessions will be led by Rev. Kristen Koger.
Schedule for the Series
Introductions and Context
September 9
Week 1 – Introduction, Ground Rules, and Big Questions
September 16
Week 2 – Sexuality and Objectification in Contemporary Culture
Sex and Sexuality in the Bible
September 23
Week 3 – Sex and Sexuality in the Old Testament, part 1
September 30
Week 4 – Sex and Sexuality in the Old Testament, part 2
October 7
Week 5 – Sex and Sexuality in the New Testament, part 1
October 14
Week 6 – Sex and Sexuality in the New Testament, part 2
Healthy Sexual Relationships Today
October 21
Week 7 – The Biology of Sexuality
October 28
Week 8 – Sex and Marriage
November 4
Week 9 – How to Talk to your Young Children about Sex and Sexuality
November 11
Week 10 – How to Talk to your Teenagers about Sex and Sexuality
November 18
Week 11 – How to have Difficult Conversations
December 2
Week 12 – Dealing with Shame and Guilt
December 9
Week 13 – Toward a New Theology of Sexuality (Closing session)