Wellsprings of Wisdom Fall 2015 Session 2 Wednesdays, October 21st - November 11th Dinner at 6:00pm, Class at 7:00pm

Three Mystics Walk into a Tavern led by sid hall & jim harrington This class will be taught by our pastor, Sid Hall, and Civil Rights activist, Jim Harrington, co-authors of the recent publication by Hamilton Books. In Three Mystics, Rumi, Moses de León, and Meister Eckhart—three of the greatest mystics of all time—meet in a Venice Tavern on the summer solstice in the year 1300 for an imaginary night long, engaging conversation. They discuss issues ranging from the nature of God and the meaning of mysticism, feminism and social justice, and are visited by mystics from the past and future like Black Elk, Starhawk, and Marguerite Porete. Week 1: Mysticism of Unsaying Week 2: Mysticism & the Nature of Religion Week 3: Mysticism & Social Justice Week 4: Mysticism & Feminism Week 5: Mysticism & the 21st Century

We are Trinity: The Art of Telling our Story led by deb campbell In this class, we will share our stories on video. With the right questions, our rich past and core values will unfold. The video segments will be yours to keep and share, and (with your permission) excerpts can also be used by Trinity to tell our congregation’s story. In the process, we’ll get to know each other in a unique way.

We will also teach you the basics of video interviewing, using nothing but your smartphone. You will be able to participate in the Storycorp project – documenting our life stories in the Library of Congress. Scared of technology? No problem! You don’t have to have a smartphone to participate. Just bring yourself and your story. The Gospel according to the Simpsons led by andrew young The Simpsons is one of the longest running, funniest, most irreverent, and, according to some religious leaders, the most theologically relevant show on television today. In this class we will explore the religious and spiritual aspects of Bart, Homer, and the rest of cartoon’s first family. We’ll look at how the Simpsons view God, Jesus, heaven and hell, the Bible, prayer, their evangelistic next-door neighbor Ned Flanders, and the town’s church and pastor, Rev. Lovejoy. Is Lisa is the voice of Jesus? Will Homer the heretic call upon the Divine to get out of his next moral dilemna? This will be a fun adventure for any Simpsons’ fan, and an insightful exploration of how religion and faith influences popular culture. dinners - wednesdays at 6pm before class We would love to have you join us for dinner on Wednesday nights. It is a great time to get to know folks and build community. children’s WOW This session we will have either a catered meal or a meal hosted by a church group, including the United We would love to have your kids join us on Methodist Women! Wednesday evenings after dinner for prayer Each meal includes a salad, drinks, and dessert. activities, artistic adventures, and fun games! We will have enchiladas, lasagne, homemade soups and more. Please register your child using the form below or online before the first day of class. Please be sure to include any dietary restrictions on the *Note dinner discount prices for children below. form below. If you have any questions, please contact Shelley payment options Walters at [email protected] or 512.459.5835.

Several payment options are available. You can turn in a check with this registration form directly in Shelley’s box in the front office; you can put it in the special offering plate on Sunday morning; you can pay online using the link below; or you can pay at the first class meeting. Checks should be made out to Trinity with “Wellsprings” in the memo line. Cash payments should be places in an envelope marked with your name and “Wellsprings.”

You can also register and pay online using this link: http://www.tumc.org/no-exceptions/open-minds/wellsprings-of-wisdom

Name(s): ______Phone: ______

Email: ______I can bring a salad or dessert! $ Total Details Class Three Mystics Walk into a Tavern (Please note names x $20 $ We are Trinity: The Art of Telling our Stories by class) The Gospel according to the Simpsons Children’s Activities FREE $ Name ______Age _____

All 5 Dinners x $32.50 $ (Circle) Vegetarian, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, (Adult) Other Dietary Restrictions

All 5 Dinners x $25 $ (Circle) Vegetarian, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, (Child) Other Dietary Restrictions

Individual Dinner x $8 each $ (Circle) Vegetarian, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, (Adult) Other Dietary Restrictions

Individual Dinners x $5 each $ (Circle) Vegetarian, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, (Child) Other Dietary Restrictions

Total Payment =