2023 Summer Spirituality Series
This very popular series returns this summer with a great slate of presentations lined up. Come join us on Thursday evenings in the Parish Hall as we explore topics ranging from the art work of Fr. Mark Harris to the women of the Revolutionary War era. Each session starts at 7pm and ends with ice cream from King's Ice Cream. Come join us!
June 1 The Rev. Canon Mark Harris, Despair, Resistance, Hope and Everything Else
A short exploration of spiritual force, art making and the agenda of the prophet Micah.
Mark Harris, priest associate at St. Peter's, is an artist / printmaker, working primarily in making prints from woodblocks and linocuts. For the past year and a half, he has been exploring the relation between despair, resistance, hope and "everything else." The "everything else" is the destination to which all our despair, resistance and hope points. This destination is a space in which spiritual force is made real, where the promise of abundant life is real. How words and images can help point us towards this destination is the challenge. Art in this context is a "reading" of the map that the object provides. Art is not the object; it is the narrative of each person's engagement with the art object as a pointer. Thus, we are all artists in our viewing, in our making, in our making it a tool for our own spiritual journey.
June 8 “Backs Against The Wall: The Howard Thurman Story”
This video, a production of Journey Films, explores the extraordinary life and legacy of one of the most important religious figures of the 20th century. Born the grandson of slaves, Thurman became a “spiritual foundation” for the Civil Rights Movement, inspiring many of its leaders including Martin Luther King, Jr, Jesse Jackson and Congressman John Lewis. In the mid-1930s, Thurman was the first Black American invited to meet Mohandas Gandhi who shared his strategy of non-violent resistance. Gandhi suggested it would be through the African American experience that the non-violence resistance movement could take on global significance. When Thurman returned to America, his writings and speeches planted the early seeds for the non-violent Civil Rights Movement. Thurman is also remembered for helping launch The Fellowship Church for All People in San Francisco, a pioneering venture to create the nation’s first interracial, intercultural church community. Thurman was a gifted and prolific writer who authored more than 20 books and celebrated as one of the great preachers of his era.
June 15 The Rev. Jerry Ray Anderson, Memoirs of An AIDS Chaplain
Fr Jerry Ray, a retired Episcopal priest, will share reflections from his book, “Ordained by Angels: Memoir of an AIDS Chaplain” and his experiences as a priest, chaplain, and caregiver during the time of the AIDS crisis long before “coming out” in the Church was acceptable. As NPR radio host Diane Rehm has written -- "The start of the AIDS crisis created deadly problems the public chose to ignore for several years. But one man . . . recognized early on the dangerous world in which gay men were living. . . By his efforts and with his enduring spirit, he stood by those who were sick and those who died. In his new book, he takes us on a journey through his own life experiences, growling up in a conservative religious environment, coming out as gay man, his struggles with alcoholism, the loss of friends and lovers, and ultimately to a place of healing and a new beginning, A courageous and painfully honest account of one man's life as a priest during a perilous time in our history."
Copies of the book will be available for $25.00, payable by cash or check. It is also available through Amazon. Fr. Jerry is being hosted by his long-time friend and our fellow parishioner, John Michael Sophos.
June 22 The Rev. Jeffrey A. Ross, Lessons Learned About Conflict Management,
Fr. Jeff, the Rector of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Lewes, will share what he learned from a weeklong training in March as a facilitator for conflict resolution. The training was offered by Colin Craig at the Corrymeela Community in Ireland. Craig played a key role in bringing about the Good Friday Accords in Northern Ireland. Given the current climate that affects society, politics, and even the churches, peaceful conflict resolution is a much-needed skill for our times.
June 29 “Recognizing & Confronting Bigotry” Please note that this session will be held in the Church
A presentation by Andrew Goretsky, Regional Director of The Anti-Defamation League Philadelphia. With the increase in hateful rhetoric and violence towards Jewish Communities, People of Color, and the LGBTQIA+ Community it is more important than ever that we come together to stop hate and secure justice and fair treatment for all. The ADL's ultimate goal is a world in which no group or individual suffers from bias, discrimination, or hate.
For more information about The Anti-Defamation League visit www.adl.org
July 6 Charito Calvachi-Mateyko, JD, Restorative Justice
Charito Calvachi-Mateyko has spent her professional career studying, mastering and implementing established methods to promote peace and justice within society. She is a restorative justice practitioner and a passionate promoter of racial justice and the Latino culture. She has had rich and diverse experiences such as being a radio show host, an author, a storyteller and a teacher. Using her passion for her work and her ability to forge strong inter-personal connections, Charito has helped heal the wounds of crime, build communities and broaden cultural awareness.
Charito is the founding member of the Latino Initiative on Restorative Justice (LIRJ), a tax-exempt organization whose mission is the dissemination of restorative justice. Charito is also the Principal of Rosario Calvachi-Mateyko & Associates, LLC, in Delaware that provides restorative justice services domestically and abroad. She is a native of Ecuador and has dual citizenship in both the U.S. and Ecuador.
This program has been made possible by Delaware Humanities, a state program of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
July 13 Mary G. Jackson, MEd, MS, LCPC, Recognizing the Divine in Our Lives I
Mary is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor. A lifelong seeker, Mary invites us to ponder our own spiritual journey and to recognize the Diine in everyday life. She is the author of Presence: Recognizing the Divine in Your Everyday Life. This session will focus on her book and its insights. The book will be available for purchase @$19.95 by cash or check. It is also available for purchase on Amazon.
July 20 Mary G. Jackson, MEd, MS, LCPC, Recognizing the Divine in Our Lives II
Following the previous session, Mary will assist us in looking for the presence of the Divine in our own lives. You do not need to be present for the July 13 session to attend this presentation. Mary’s book, Presence: Recognizing the Divine in Your Everyday Life, will be available for purchase @$19.95 by cash or check. It is also available for purchase on Amazon.
July 27 Dr. Josh James, PhD, The Theology of (Certain) Psalms
For many people of faith, the book of Psalms has been a constant companion—it is a prayer book that provides time-honored words for many different occasions, a song book that provides lyrics for communal hymns and laments, or simply a nostalgic resource reminding readers of significant moments in their spiritual journey. But for all of the book's "familiarity," Psalms is still very much an ancient and highly diverse collection of theologically-dense poetry that can be difficult to read. To understand the book well requires attention to unfamiliar forms and ideas that, because we have read them or sung them for years, we often overlook. As an attempted corrective, in this summer session, we will discuss some of Psalms' most interesting theological concepts, hoping to set them back in their decidedly ancient contexts. Psalms for Normal People. Dr. James’ book is available for purchase on Amazon.
Josh James (PhD, Fuller Theological Seminary) is an ordained Baptist minister, born and raised in southern Delaware. He is currently serving a progressive, Cooperative Baptist church in Salisbury, MD, called The Restoration Project. In addition to church work, he is an adjunct instructor of Old Testament at Fuller Theological Seminary, and he is the author of the recently released, Psalms for Normal People. He lives in Salisbury with his wife, Kate, and two sons, Abram (9) and Jude (7)
August 3 “Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America”
In this 2-hour video, civil rights lawyer Jeffrey Robinson, using personal anecdotes, interviews and archival film, draws a sobering timeline of anti-Black racism in our country.
August 10 Mary G. Jackson, MEd, MS, LCPC, Discernment
How can we know what God wants for us? How is God a part of our discernment and in making he more important decisions that shape our lives and destinies? Mary will focus on the process of discerning God’s will for us using a practice designed by the Quaker community. One does not need to have attended her previous lectures to attend.
August 17 An Evening of Q & A with Dr. Amy—Jill Levine, PhD
In Person event.
Dr. Levine (AJ) is the Rabbi Stanley M. Kessler Distinguished Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies at Hartford International University for Religion and Peace.
She will be with us live via Zoom and will respond to questions developed by members of the community after her book The Sermon on the Mount. The evangelist Matthew’s account of the sermon contains some of Jesus’ most profound and most memorable teachings. This should be of special interest to congregations which are reading from the Gospel of Matthew in our worship this year. If time permits, Dr. Levine will entertain other questions the audience may have about her writings.
August 24 Marcos Salaverria, Director of Education at the Lewes Historical Society
The Lewes Historical Society is a local treasure. Lewes is an old town rich in history. Marcos will focus his presentation on the lives and labors of enslaved persons who played an integral, though unheralded part of the growth and development of this community on the bay.
August 31 Eric Mease,” Remember the Ladies”
The musical, Hamilton: An American Musical, introduced us to Elizabeth Schuyler-Hamilton who, until recently, was known mainly to historians. Now, our kids and grandchildren sing her praises! Elizabeth Schuyler-Hamilton is only one of many women in the pantheon of American’s founders. This lecture helps us abide by Abigail Adam’s wish that we “remember the ladies,” including both Elizabeth Hamilton and Abigail Adams, as well as Martha Washington and Dolley Madison.
Eric Mease is an American History buff with a specific interest in the Early American period. He is a retired paralegal from the DuPont Company’s Intellectual Property group, a graduate of the Pennsylvania State University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism, and a Master’s degree in Arts and Liberal Studies from the University of Delaware. Eric is a member of the board of trustees of the Historical Society of Cecil County and a past member of the board of directors of the Historic Elk Landing Foundation, both based in Elkton, Maryland. He has taught continuing education classes around a wide range of topics including the American Civil War, America’s Founding Fathers and Mothers, the Declaration of Independence, Alexander Hamilton, a comparison between the founding of Plymouth, Massachusetts and Jamestown, Virginia, American Slavery, and the Race to the Moon at Cecil College, Harford Community College, and Delaware Technical and Community College. He is married with two grown children and 4 grandchildren. Besides history, Eric’s hobbies include camping, biking, and long-distance running. He has 3 marathon and 70 half marathon metals adorning a basement wall!
This program has been made possible by Delaware Humanities, a state program of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
