Adult Spiritual Formation

All Saints' is blessed to have a number of outstanding teachers and mentors among us. Join us and you will be engaged and challenged with opportunities to deepen your spiritual praxis (practices) and knowledge. There is a wisdom tradition in Christianity that is deep, rich and exciting. Here is the place to find experienced guides for your journey of seeking in those places.

In addition to the classes below, join us each week (or drop-in as you can) in the library Sunday mornings from 10 - 10:40 AM where you will hear a parishioner talk about a particular word that describes a passion that is part of their own spiritual formation and journey. Each speaker and topic is unpublished - come and be both surprised and nourished by what you hear.

Contemplative Invitation Teaching & Christ Centered Prayer

Christ Centered Prayer practitioners observe regularly how much more powerful meditation in a group feels than meditation on one’s own. Fortunately, All Saints’ parishioner and friends have a number of opportunities through the week to meet with others and share the energy. The usual practice for each one-hour session is a 20- minute prayer period followed by a 40-minute discussion on a question or a topic from The Lessons. (If you do not have a copy of The Lessons, they are available for $25 each.)

All of these sessions are open and everyone is invited to any or all of the sessions through the week as you are able. If you are new to Christ Centered Prayer you will be instructed on this simple practice. See the calendar for a listing of current prayer circles.

Wisdom Classes
Mondays at 6:45 PM in the Library, led by John Otto and others
Tuesdays 10:00 AM in the Library, led by Jan Hilton

The Wisdom Classes at All Saints' are an opportunity for us to explore at a deeper level.

The new book for the Monday Night Wisdom Class is inspired by our "commitment to finding innovative ways of experiencing God's presence in all Sacred Traditions." This commitment is stated as part of our core value of Innovation and our culture of seeking interfaith understanding. "The Garden of Truth" was written by Seyyed Hossein Nasr, professor of Islamic Studies at George Washington University and author of over 50 books.

Some excerpts from reviews:
"Nasr's sober call to return to our religions, not to the truncated and diseased state into which we've reduced them, but to their still beating hearts which are everywhere the same, is the driving force behind this latest title The Garden of Truth".

"The Garden of Truth is an absolutely beautiful book. Although it might be called a (Sufi) primer, it is deep and rich and filled with sentences that make you stop and ponder and contemplate the wonders of the inward and outward aspects of the Divine...What I also liked about Dr. Nasr's narrative is his respect and appreciation for other mystical traditions, both East and West. His is no narrow view."

We invite you to join us as we begin this weekly book study on Monday, January 16th from 6:45-8:00 PM.Our original book order for this class has been sold out, contact John Otto for additional books or more information.

Tuesday's class begn reading The First Christmas: What Gospels Really Teach About Jesus' Birth by Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan on Tuesday, November 15.. One idea discussed in the book is that the birth stories should be read as parables. Please join us as we investigate our faith and beliefs about Jesus' birth, especially as we will begin reading this book during the Advent Season. Books may be purchased in the church office for $9.

You are welcome to join these studies at any time.

EfM (Education for Ministry)

EfM is a four-year program of study that includes a survey of scripture, church history and theology. In addition, there is an opportunity for theological reflection -- listening for the voice and presence of God in the life of the world. Students commit to one year of study at a time in small classes with an experienced EfM mentor. There is a fee for this course and scholarships are available. We have three EfM groups, morning and evening. For more information about classes beginning each fall call the office at 855-6294.