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January 5, 2023
IT’S BACK!
Why I continue to call this class by the name shown above only God understands. Episcopal 101 is neither. It is not just Episcopal, because we cover the entire span of Christianity through the ages. And it is certainly not a 101 level class, because we would argue that you will learn more about Christianity and the church than you ever would in an entrance level study.
This six-week class is specifically designed for those who are relatively new to this tradition and also for folks considering being officially Received into the church. This year, Bishop Reddall will make her formal visit to GSP on April 30, and that is the day she will confirm, receive, and ceremonially welcome new members to the parish with the laying on of hands. If you have never had a Bishop lay hands on your head, this is for you. In addition, many folks at GSP and beyond take this class for various reasons. Some take it as a refresher, some want to increase their knowledge in specific areas, some come to hear the Rector’s own take on the history, liturgy, sacramental tradition and theology of the church, and many come to take part in the theological discussions that have become such an important part of the learning in this class. Others just want to mock the Rector. For all of these reasons, it remains one of the most popular classes we offer.
Our first class will be on the history of the church from Jesus to the Protestant Reformation. (All of that in an hour and a half.) The second class will be history, part II, a look at the church as it developed in America. Class three will be everything you always wanted to know about the Book of Common Prayer and our liturgy, but were afraid to ask. We will also talk about why GSP has a Season of Creation. Class four will be a discussion of Sacramental theology, and what we mean by Sacrament. Class five will be on Episcopal church polity, how we get things done and how we govern ourselves. This class is particularly important to us now as we consider American politics and also the fragile state of the Anglican Communion. The last class will be a comparison of the Episcopal tradition with other Christian denominations, a discussion of the issues facing the church today, and what it means to be an Episcopalian in what may be a post-religious age.
We are going to cover a bunch in a short time, but the classes will be informative for all and always fun, whether you have a doctorate in Anglican studies, or you think that Episcopalian is something that only appears on spelling tests. And did I mention that there will be no papers due!
Come join us every Sunday during Lent in the Sanctuary at High Noon. We will have drinks and snacks outside on the Labyrinth between the 10 AM service and the class. Each session is 90 minutes long. Each class will also be live streamed on our two platforms; tinyurl.com/gspvirtual and gsptucson.org/live.
EPISCOPAL 101 CLASS SCHEDULE
February 26 - (Lent 1) - Church History to the Protestant Reformation
March 5 - (Lent 2) - Church History from the Henry VIII thing, to the George III thing, and in the United States
March 12 - (Lent 3) - The Book of Common Prayer and the Liturgy
March 19 - (Lent 4) - The Sacramental Tradition
March 26 - (Lent 5) - American Church Polity and what else happened in Philadelphia in 1789
April 2 - (Palm Sunday) A comparison of Christian denominations, present day challenges in T.E.C. and the Anglican Communion. Come join the discussions and the fun.
Steve +
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