Rags of Light: A Creative Workshop with Dr. Brian Walsh

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 10am-1pm PDT

Dr. Brian Walsh will be with us Sept 20th for a creative workshop in conversation with his new book, Rags of Light: Leonard Cohen and the Landscape of Biblical Imagination.

Workshop: Liturgy, Contemporary Music and Liberating the Imagination. This conversation would specifically discuss the shaping of liturgy that engages contemporary music. It will offer examples of Eucharistic liturgies that featured the music of artists like Bruce Cockburn, Van Morrison, Ani di Franco, Joni Mitchell, Tracy Chapman, U2, Leonard Cohen and Bruce Springsteen.

How does one write liturgy that invites the work of these artists into the rituals of the church which avoids cheap fandom while respecting the art in such a way that resonance with scripture?

And, importantly, how does such liturgy shape the liturgies of our lives?

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Find out more about Dr. Brian Walsh HERE

Imagining the Sacred: An Art History Lecture Series

One of the purposes of the visual arts is to make the unimaginable visible and to represent the abstract and eternal. Through lectures and discussions, this course will explore the influence of spiritualities on art production and human expression, including Zen, Paganism, Islamic art, Theosophy, ancientChinese art, and Medieval Christianity. Art and artists covered include Shang Bronzes, Medieval illuminated manuscripts, Hilma af Klint, Piet Mondrian, John Cage and Agnes Martin. Course will include readings and simple in-class exercises. Suitable to all levels.

Details: 

• Taught by Jessica Zaikin-Cook

• Time, location, and more info coming soon

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Instructor Profile Coming Soon

Finding Our Place at the Table: A Practical Theology of Food

Our busy, screen-heavy, consumer-focussed age is a challenging time to grow up; anxiety, depression, and loneliness are hallmarks of this generation.

• How can we, as parents, caregivers, the church, and the greater community, help children grow into a healthy understanding of God, the world, and what it means to be human—even as we struggle with this ourselves?

• How can we help children develop a sense of the sacred in the mundane ups and downs of their everyday lives?

We’ll explore these questions through lecture and discussion, with the help of researchers, thinkers (both theological and otherwise), and our own experience. We will see how daily rhythms, seasonal celebrations, unstructured play, good books, and time spent in Creation can help children develop a sense of The Story (and their important place in it).

Details: 

• Hosted by Heidi Teel. Space is limited to 14 people. We will meet on four consecutive Thursdays from 6 pm to 9 pm, starting Thursday September 18. The cost is $225 and includes dinner each evening.

• There will also be a Saturday food field trip (details to follow).

• Because this is meant to be a shared experience, we are only able to accommodate certifiable allergies, not food preferences. (But vegetarian possibilities will always be provided.)

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Heidi Teel has taught several VISTA classes: Finding Our Place in The Story (spiritual formation in children), Finding Our Place at The Table (food and theology), and she’s currently researching and preparing Consider the Lilies (exploring the ethics, creativity, and impact of clothing from a theological perspective). She is the co-author of A Time to Read: Good Books for Growing  Readers (For Those Who Love Books, Children, and God), was the Interim Community Life Minister at St. Barnabas Anglican Church, and is delighted to have recently become a Nana! Heidi has been married to her husband Paul for 35 years, and they are the parents of three adult children.