Category: Adult Education

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Christians Against Christian Nationalism Workshop

On Sunday, March 19, Elena Aronson led over twenty people in a workshop exploring the origens and expressions of Christian Nationalism. Christian Nationalism claims that Christianity should have a privileged position in the public square.

Aronson provided a worksheet that helped participants counter the features of Christian Nationalism with civically-engaged Christian responses. For example: “America was founded as a Christian nation” is countered with “America was founded as a place of religious freedom.“

The unedited workshop is available on YouTube.

Additional resources include:

Christian Nationalism Reading and Resource List

  1. Articles
    a. What is Christian Nationalism? – Christianity Today
    i. https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2021/february-web-only/what-is-christ
    ian-nationalism.html
    b. Views of the U.S. as a ‘Christian nation’ and opinions about ‘Christian
    nationalism’ – Pew Research Center
    i. https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2022/10/27/views-of-the-u-s-as-a-ch
    ristian-nation-and-opinions-about-christian-nationalism/
    c. Black, Evangelical and Torn – New York Times
    i. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/14/magazine/black-evangelicals.html
    d. White Christian Nationalists Want More Than Just Political Power – Atlantic
    i. https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/01/white-evangelicals-fixa
    tion-on-washington-dc/617690/
    e. What Does ‘White Christian Nationalism’ Even Mean, Anyway? – Sojourners
    i. https://sojo.net/articles/what-does-white-christian-nationalism-even-meananyway
  2. Books
    a. Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States –
    Andrew L. Whitehead & Samuel L. Perry
    b. Postcards from Babylon: The Church in American Exile – Brian Zahnd
    c. Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and
    Fractured a Nation – Kristin Kobes Du Mez
    d. American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel and Threatens
    the Church – Andrew L. Whitehead
    e. Unsettling Truths: The Ongoing, Dehumanizing Legacy of the Doctrine of
    Discovery – Mark Charles & Soong-Chan Rah
  3. Organizations
    a. Christians Against Christian Nationalism
    i. https://www.christiansagainstchristiannationalism.org/
    ii. Instagram: @endchristiannationalism
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Lenten Sermon Series 2023

Sundays at 10:30 am February 26-April 2

In conjunction with the Salt Creek Cluster of United Methodist Churches, First Church will explore the Lenten season with common objects found in the scriptures: dust, bread, cross, coins, shoes and oil.  This series is inspired by Jill Duffield who reminds us that God works through the ordinary and goes to great lengths to communicate with us about Jesus Christ, salvation, grace, and reconciliation.

Drawing from the Christian contemplative tradition, Duffield reminds us that it is often in “hindsight that God’s providence becomes recognizable.”  Throughout his teaching, Jesus taught that the kingdom of God is near and in our midst.  Each week through these objects you will be asked to consider the possibility, the promise, that God is present, speaking, seeking to be in relationship with you.

Finally, the churches in the cluster will participate in a pulpit exchange.  First Church will be welcoming Reverend Hong-kien  Jeremiah Lee of Addison: Good Samaritan Church and the Reverend Juyeon Jeon of Bensenville: First UMC.  Pastor Joe will be preaching at Addison: Good Samaritan and Elmhurst: Christ and Villa Park: Calvary.

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Birding with Pastor Joe

York Woods, September 11, 2022; 7 am-8 am; overcast and rain.

Hermit Thrush Photo courtesy of Cornell’s All About Birds

Four people took a chance today to go birding with Pastor Joe. We learned that DuPage County is home to 268 observed species and that York Woods was the first forest preseve of DuPage County. Woodpeckers were the most abundant bird family represented so we learned how to identify male and female wood peckers.

We heard many hermit thrushes and were rewarded with one on the path flitting its wings.

We recorded 14 species:

3 mourning dove

1 great blue heron

6 red bellied woodpecker

3 downy woodpecker

1 hairy woodpecker

1 eastern wood peewee

1 great crested flycatcher

10 blue jay

1 black capped chickadee

3 white breasted nut hatch

2 European starting

4 hermit thrush

10 American robin

6 common grackle

1 northern cardinal

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Experiencing God’s Grace

This series explores the sacraments of holy communion and baptism.  In preparation for this, consider watching the 1987 movie Babette’s Feast (available for rent  on Amazon and Apple tv for $3.99 or free to checkout at Elmhurst Public Library).  Additionally, the library is hosting a series of events called  Common Connection: Around the Table that uses lectures, discussion and critical thinking to identify topics that influence the world today.  Pastor Joe would love to hear about your experiences.  You can leave him a comment by clicking this form.

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Taize Prayer Returns to First Church

Sunday mornings: July 10, August 14, and September 11; and Wednesday Evening October 5 at 6:30 pm.  Taizé prayer is a meditative common prayer that uses uncomplicated and repetitive songs that allow the mystery of God to become tangible through the beauty of simplicity. 

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Juneteenth Rally Against Racism

Join us as we continue to wrestle with racism and work toward meaningful change through a celebration of Black culture. We will share music, stories, creative activities, education, and a voter registration table. For more information click HERE

June 19, 2022 – 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.

Elmhurst First United Methodist Church – 232 S. York St

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Bible Study and Conversation about Gun Violence

Join in this three session Bible Study written by Bishop Sally Dyck, former bishop of the Chicago Episcopal Area.

Many of us want to respond to the continued tragedies of gun violence and we wonder what resources our faith tradition gives us. In her introduction, Bishop Dyck says,

This Bible study; Kingdom Dreams, Violent Realities; is important in helping
us identify and articulate the common good that is essential in our policies
and attitudes toward guns. We need biblically-based and faith-filled
conversations about this public health epidemic. Lives are at stake!

This study will be ZOOM only on June 15, 22, 29 at 11 am. Registration is required. Register here.

Click here for a digital copy of Bishop Dyck’s study.

Micah 4:1-4

4 But in the days to come,
        the mountain of the Lord’s house
            will be the highest of the mountains;
        it will be lifted above the hills;
            peoples will stream to it.
2 Many nations will go and say:
    “Come, let’s go up to the mountain of the Lord,
            to the house of Jacob’s God,
        so that he may teach us his ways
            and we may walk in God’s paths!”
Instruction will come from Zion
        and the Lord’s word from Jerusalem.
3 God will judge between the nations
        and settle disputes of mighty nations,
            which are far away.
They will beat their swords into iron plows
        and their spears into pruning tools.
Nation will not take up sword against nation;
        they will no longer learn how to make war.
4 All will sit underneath their own grapevines,
        under their own fig trees.
    There will be no one to terrify them;
        for the mouth of the Lord of heavenly forces has spoken.

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Safari Adventure Pictures

Thank you to all who came out for the Safari Adventure on April 23rd. We had a great time exploring the wild with you! Check back here for more events like this in the future.

Take a look at the rest of the photos here.