Christian worship, worship approaches within other faith traditions, and Advent devotionals are among the season’s offerings.
Growing in faith by engaging the heart and mind, the adult Christian education program at Vine Street Christian Church is open to all post-high school-aged persons. Guided by church leaders and featuring occasional guest speakers from the Nashville community, adult Christian education meets most Sundays at 9 a.m. in Fellowship Hall.
Here’s the tentative lineup (topics and speakers are subject to change):
Unceasing Worship (Aug. 30) Jim Zamata will help us through a (very) brief survey of some of the different ways that the church understands its worship and why it is important for us to gather. He will lead us through questions like: What is happening when we worship? What does it mean to say that “Christ is present” at the table and how has the church understood this through the years? And perhaps, more importantly, why gather to worship at all?
Signs, Signs, Everywhere Signs (Sept. 6) Amanda Miller will lead a discussion around the varied symbolism surrounding the idea of communion in the New Testament text. Beyond just remembrance of Christ’s death, there are also images of thanksgiving, eschatological feast and resurrection, among others.
Taste and See (Sept. 13) This week Amanda Miller and Thomas Kleinert will explore different ways to experience communion, and they will lead us in a communion service building on some of the different images we’ve studied.
Stack ’Em Up: Waffle Breakfast (Sept. 20) Everyone needs a study break! Join the Vine Street youth group and Rev. Hope Hodnett as they serve some of the finest golden brown waffles this side of Pancake Pantry. Sweet toppings and lots of hot coffee round out this tasty, all-church experience.
Worship in the Jewish Tradition (Sept. 27) Adult Christian education will feature guest speaker Rabbi Flip Rice. He will teach us about the practices of public worship in the Jewish tradition, as well as the manner it informs the daily life of those in the Jewish tradition.
Worship: Muslim Tradition (Oct. 4) Guest speaker Paul Galloway will explore with us the practices of public worship as well as the manner it informs the daily life of those in the Muslim tradition.
How Worship Informs Our Lives (Oct. 11, 18 and 25) Guided by Jackie Halstead, join us for a three-week series on the manner in which our lives can be a manifestation of our worship. We will discuss it in terms of suffering, daily tasks as worship and incarnational living with the people we encounter in our lives.
Worship through the Psalms (Nov. 1 & 8) More details coming soon!
Worship: Coptic Christianity (Nov. 15) We will welcome a guest speaker to teach us about the practices of public worship as well as the manner it informs the daily life of those in the Coptic Christian tradition.
Vine Street as Sacred Space (Nov. 22) What do clear windows in the sanctuary represent? Are the pew wood carvings significant? Ted Parks will lead this class as we explore the architecture and symbols present in the Vine Street Christian Church worship spaces.
Advent Devotionals Return in December It’s become a tradition that Vine Street participants create through an Advent devotional booklet to mark the holiday season and to encourage the community as we approach Christmas. On Dec. 6, 13, and 20, we anticipate having several contributors discuss their entries with the group.
For inquiries about these educational opportunities, contact Camille Biter, chair of the adult Christian education committee (camillebh@comcast.net).
This fall series comes on the heels of a special summer edition of adult Christian education during which participants read and discussed Short Stories By Jesus: The Enigmatic Parables of a Controversial Rabbi by local scholar and Vanderbilt professor A.J. Levine.