Adult Formation

Pilgrim’s Path Classes Start January 11

December 11, 2019 by St. George's 1 Comment

The Pilgrim’s Path course is for anyone who wants to more deeply explore the Christian journey through the Episcopal Church. It is ideal for those who went through a confirmation class way back when, those who have never been to church, those who haven’t thought much about faith at all, those who are always seeking, and those who are beginning to wonder but aren’t quite sure.

We welcome everyone and invite you to ask, challenge, probe, think, feel and identify perhaps for the first time – what you believe and how to give expression to that belief. For 2020, classes run 9 am to noon in Sydnor Hall on January 11, January 25, February 8, February 22, March 7, March 21 and April. To sign up, fill out the form below or click here. You can also call the office if you prefer: (540.373.4133).

Lenten Weekend 2019

January 23, 2019 by St. George's 4 Comments

Rooted in Wholeness: Contemplative Prayer and Mindfulness

March 8 – 10, 2019. Featuring the Rev. Ōshin Jennings, leader of No Barriers Zen in Washington, D.C.

Online registration is now closed. Please register when you check-in at the door.

How do we remove barriers to nurture our inner selves? This year’s Lenten Weekend invites participants to let go of their thinking and surrender to God’s wholeness through practices of meditation and contemplative prayer. Our keynote speaker is The Rev. Ōshin Jennings. Rev. Ōshin is a Soto Zen Buddhist priest, a trained psychotherapist, and multi-media artist. He is the first known Deaf Buddhist monk and leads No Barriers Zen, a meditation community based in Washington, DC. The aim of No Barriers Zen is to make meditation practice accessible to people of all abilities and disabilities.

This weekend is accessible to all Deaf, hearing, and ASL communities and is made possible in part by a grant from the Episcopal Conference of the Deaf (ECD).

Schedule of Events

Friday – March 8
Sydnor Hall
6 pm: Potluck dinner – bring a dish to share!
Nave (note location change)
7 – 9 pm: Introduction to Meditation by The Rev. Ōshin Jennings

Seats and a limited number of cushions will be available. Please feel free to bring your own meditation cushion.

Saturday – March 9
10 am: Tour of St. George’s facilities
Nave (note location change)
7 – 9 pm: Expanding Our Practice by The Rev. Ōshin Jennings

Seats and a limited number of cushions will be available. Please feel free to bring your own meditation cushion.

Sunday – March 10
Nave
9 am: Worship Service with Homily by The Rev. Ōshin Jennings

Sydnor Hall
10 am: Adult Forum discussion “The Embodied Buddhist Journey” led by The Rev. Ōshin Jennings

Youth Floor
12:30 pm: Lunch with Youth

Nave
2 pm: Interfaith Panel Discussion: How do different faith communities participate in meditation?
Panelists:

Rev. Ōshin Jennings, our keynoter for the weekend
Seham El-Ansary, Islamic and inter-faith scholar and community leader, Fredericksburg-area resident. She is the founder and director of WAH- Women Alliance For Humanity, self-prosperity coach, former education and management consultant, and a lifelong community activist who has dedicated her efforts to civic empowerment, women & youth training, interfaith outreach, and the betterment of the community. She holds an MBA and a BA in Social Sciences and Education, with a minor in Psychology. She lectured in many universities, churches and synagogues. Her community work has been featured in various local newspapers, TV & Radio shows, in the San Francisco Bay Area, California. Education and empowerment work is her paramount focus and passion in life.
Dr. John McLaughlin, M.D. physician and mindfulness based stress reduction instructor. John has been involved in meditation and contemplative practices since his late teens. He started with TM (Transcendental Meditation) and currently practices in the Non Dual tradition in the Ramana Maharshi and Sri Nisargadatta lineage. His root teacher in Adyashanti. John is a cofounder of the Yoga Foundation of Fredericksburg which is a nonprofit organization which offers yoga, mindfulness and wellness workshops with a focus on the underserved in our community. He teaches Mindfulness Bases Stress Reduction (MBSR) after having finished his teacher training with the founder Jon Kabat Zinn at the University of Massachusetts. He has a strong science background having trained as a MD and now combines his passion for the Body with that of the Mind and Spirit.
The Rev. Joe Hensley, rector of St. George’s.
The Rev. Ed Jones, Episcopal deacon and former editor of the Free Lance Star will serve as the moderator for the panel discussion

Online registration is now closed but you are welcome to attend! Please register at the door when you check-in.

<a href="https://stgeorgesepiscopal.wufoo.com/forms/zw73lje16v8ud0/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Fill out my Wufoo form!</a>

Living in Rhythm, Evening Lent Series

February 1, 2016 by St. George's 2 Comments

Living in Rhythm: a Lenten reflection. During Lent, you are invited to explore what it means to cultivate a “rule of life.” This is about finding a sustainable rhythm of life that includes the things which are most important to the spiritual, physical, and emotional well-being of ourselves and our community. Sign up for a daily email from the monks at Society of St. John the Evangelist (ssje.org) and/or join fellow St. Georgians on Monday evenings at 7 p.m. in Faulkner Hall for group reflection. Study booklets can be downloaded for free from ssje.org or are available in the church office. Begins Feb. 15.

Here is Br. David from the Society of St. John the Evangelist explaining how the structure of a Rule is like a trellis in a garden, giving order and meaning to our lives.

The Five Marks of Mission

January 6, 2016 by St. George's Leave a Comment

We do not often think of ourselves as a “missionary” church, but we are! Come explore the “5 Marks of Mission” as named by The Episcopal Church and worldwide Anglican Communion, and adopted by the General Convention in 2009:

To proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom (Tell)
To teach, baptize and nurture new believers (Teach)
To respond to human need by loving service (Go)
To seek to transform unjust structures of society (Transform)
To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth (Renew)

We’ll explore how we are living out this mission at St. George’s and imagine new possibilities as well. Sundays, 10 a.m., Sydnor Hall, throughout the month of January 2016.

Live the Questions: Animate Bible Study

December 22, 2015 by St. George's Leave a Comment

Sundays, Jan. 10-31. Faulkner Hall. To ask questions is to open ourselves up to new insights. In each of four upcoming Adult Education sessions, we will watch a short video and discuss the questions the segments pose of the Bible and our relationship to it.

One speaker explores the questions theologians wrestle with reconciling God’s love in the midst of dark and violent stories. Another has us ponder the fact that the gospel stories about Jesus were meant to be game changers for the audience. The third session ask the question: “what’s really going on here?” and how that might shift our interpretation. The last session we will discuss how the Bible is used as a weapon, a fortune cookie and a fairy tale. Please join us with your coffee and your questions! Facilitated by Melanie Clore.