March Events

CREATING RADICALLY WELCOMING COMMUNITIES / Saturday, March 8 @ 9am-2pm: Stephanie Spellers (from the Crossing) and Arrington Chambliss (awesome teacher, activist, priest in the area) lead this workshop at Episcopal Divinity School. Come explore the practice of "radical welcome" -- that is, embracing the gifts, presence and transforming power of cultural groups the church usually pushes to the margins. Cost: $75 each; $60 per person for three or more people registering together (includes lunch); scholarships available. To register, please contact Priscilla Burns at pburns@eds.edu or 617.682.1506. Episcopal Divinity School, 99 Brattle Street in Cambridge.

"SHARING JESUS, TALKING THE TALK" with MARCUS BORG / Saturday, March 15 @ 9am-1pm: Progressive biblical scholar Marcus Borg is the featured speaker at the Spring Learning Event sponsored by the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts (of which we're part). If you'd like to attend, get registered at http://www.diomassevents.org/sharing_jesus. It's free! To be held at Boston University's Sherman Union on Comm Ave.

tomorrow

Hey dear Boston friends,
Just a reminder about our meeting tomorrow at 7pm. I'm looking through Brian McLaren's new book, Everything Must Change for a discussion topic, so be thinking in terms of social justice and global poverty for what we'll be discussing tomorrow.

McLaren opens his book with two probing questions:
1. What are the biggest problems in the world?
2. What does Jesus have to say about these global problems?
Anyway, I thought if you gave a little thought to these questions before tomorrow we could probably have a great discussion. I'll find a few passages from McLaren's book to get us going, and then we'll just open it up to discussion.

See you soon! (at 5A durham st., Somerville MA 02143)
Anna
PS: Sarah's got great news from her ordination board this past weekend in CA so we'll also use tomorrow night as a bit of a celebration for her. So please try to come if you can! :)

Feb meeting

Our next meeting will be at 7pm at 5A Durham St., Somerville. This is a meeting of the larger Boston Cohort, so I would love to see all of you, especially those of you who haven't come before. We'll be eating something simple and then talking theology for an hour or two.
also, be sure to check out our facebook group!
If you have any questions or comments, send me (Anna) an email at skatson@gmail.com.
Thanks!

Next meeting: Feb 26, 7pm

For most of the rest of the semester, the majority of us are meeting in the Lazarus group on Wednesdays. So our "normal" cohort activities will be limited to the once a month Boston Cohort meeting. I'm thinking, and if anyone has other ideas, let me know, of seeing what it would be like to do a merger of what we have been doing in our weekly and monthly meetings for our next large group meeting, Feb 26, 7pm. This means that we will try meeting in a house for the first time, and sharing a meal there rather than eating out. Also perhaps someone can bring a meditative element to share alongside of the short reflection that leads into our discussion. Anyway, just so you know, we're going to change it up a bit and see how it goes.

Lazarus Group

Our first meeting of the Lazarus group will be this Wednesday at 7pm. I'll get the location to you all soon.

Lazarus Group

This spring the Boston Cohort will be hosting a Lazarus at the Gate bible study starting on Wednesday Feb 13th at 7pm. This is sponsored by the Boston Faith and Justice Network. The blurb about the group states that “it is a discipleship group intended to encourage ‘’rich'’ Christians to seek justice in our relationship with those who are poor, starting with our own lifestyles.”
The study will cover:
* Old and New Testament themes regarding wealth and poverty
* Reflecting on our own budgets and consumer habits
* Exploring responsible consumerism, fair trade, and simplicity as components of a globally just lifestyle
* Practical ways to respond to poverty and hunger from relief and development to political advocacy

- So far we have about 10 people committed so let me know pretty soon if you are interested, I think there is a optimal number of people that would be good for the study, but we could probably work something out if there is a lot of interest.

We will be doing this Bible study every Weds but the last one of the month from 7-8:30 pm. Then from 8:30-9:30pm we’ll have our regular weekly cohort meetings. (At least that’’s the plan for now). The purpose for this split in times is so that those of you who want to commit to the Bible study can, but so that we are also able to stay flexible and welcoming to newcomers. The study will go for about 10 sessions, and wrap up by the end of April.

We will be meeting this Tuesday at 7:30 pm at Sarah’’s Apartment: (5A Durham ST. #3, Somerville) because this week is Ash Wednesday. Then after that we will be meeting on Wednesdays for the rest of the semester, except for the last Tuesday of the month when we will meet with the larger Boston Cohort. FYI: This meeting will be taking place also at Sarah’’s (address above) and not Danny’’s this month, it will occur on Feb 26, 7pm.

Try to make it on Tuesday if you think you might be interested in the study because hopefully Andy from the BFJN will be visiting to present the material to us (if not, I have it, so we can still look at it) so that you can see if it is something you would be interested in.