Sardis Summer School (Note Revised Summer Worship Time)

This summer, Sardis will offer a unique opportunity for worship and discipleship that is contingent on one thing:
your voice! That’s right, your voice matters, and we want it to be a part of our Sardis Summer School, a blend of worship, education, discipleship, and supper-table conversations.  More details will be available in the July newsletter, but here’s a preview. We will explore two topics, spending four weeks in each topic.

George Carlin famously explored the seven words you can’t say on TV. In the same spirit (only in a much less profane way!), we want to explore some of the words people don’t like to say in church. With the help of Marcus Borg’s “Speaking Christian: Why Christian Words Have Lost Their Meaning and Power—And How They Can Be Restored,” we’ll parse out traditional theological terminology (words like blood, sin, salvation, etc.), and give thought to their place in our community’s faith narrative.

We’ll also spend a few weeks thinking about the intersection of our faith practices
and our ecological practices. What choices are we making voluntarily or involuntarily that affect the health of our planet?  And how do such choices align with our
theological values?

Mid-July through mid-September, Sundays at Sardis will operate on a revised summer schedule:

Sardis Summer School—Church Vocabulary

July 14th, 21st, 28th and August 4th

Communion Brunch

August 11th, 10:30 AM until Noon

*No Sardis Summer School

Sardis Summer School—Environmental

August 18th, 25th, September 8th and 15th

Labor Day Sunday

September 1st, Worship at 10:30 AM
*No Sardis Summer School

9:45 AM — 10:15 AM  Church-wide Thought-Starter

The leader for the morning will offer a five-minute thought-starter on the topic of the day, and then moderate an open discussion among the congregation. Questions and thoughts from all perspectives are encouraged.  This exercise is intended to attune the whole congregation for worshipful reflection and dialogue throughout the morning.

10:30 AM — 11:00 AM  Worship

Morning worship will include special music, favorite hymn requests, prayers of celebration and petition, and a short homily, all focused on the daily theme.

11:15 AM — 11:30 AM  Talk-back

This is your chance!  Tell the proclaimer what you really think. All are encouraged to offer comments, questions, and other thoughts about the homily. And then, everyone is encouraged to keep a conversation going beyond the walls of Sardis.

What do I need to do to prepare? Nothing. Really. Nothing.  Just come ready to be present and open.

Do I have to talk? No, of course not. But the more voices that are heard, the more depth there will be in our exploration of important issues. Plus, we value what you have to say, no matter what it is.  And another thing, we worship a God who’s big enough and humble enough for you to ask what needs to be asked.

What happens if I show up late, or if I can’t come every Sunday? While every week will build on the previous week’s topic, you do not need to be present every week to be able to follow along. And if you are late, don’t worry. We will make every effort to keep all parties involved in the discussions.