Look at the Birds of the Air: Jesus and the Natural World (4 Week Online Series)

“Biologically speaking, new life continuously comes from death over time.  Theologically speaking, the cross signals that God is present in the midst of anguish, bearing every creature and all creation forward with an unimaginable promise.”
Elizabeth A. Johnson

Swallows, foxes, sheep, a new star, earthquakes, fig trees, vineyards, weeds and wheat, a storm on the sea — once you start to notice it, threads of the natural world are woven into the very fabric of the gospels.  Nature may be a character in the story or the backdrop of Jesus’ teaching.  Other times, it provides an allegory or metaphor that reveals something about God’s Kingdom and what it means to be a disciple of Jesus.

Well, and why not?  God became incarnate in a human being and human beings are one with the world in which they live.  Those two statements point us toward a Christ-centered spirituality that is also eco-centered.  They raise all kinds of questions.  Did Christ save the natural world as well as humankind?  In that case, what does salvation mean?  Are we, his disciples, called to care for the planet as well as one another?

Explore the natural world in the gospels as we get inside those questions.  We will look at spaces, animals and plants in a selection of Gospel stories and teachings.  Our methods will include discussion, reflection, prayer and input from the presenter.  Bernadette will share some ideas from Elizabeth Johnson’s Creation and the Cross. Overall, this series will be more spiritual and less theological.

Each session stands independently of the others, so come to as many as you can.

If you wish to register for individual sessions, please click on the links below.

CLICK HERE for Session 1
CLICK HERE for Session 2
CLICK HERE for Session 3
CLICK HERE for Session 4