Every time we learn something our lives are enhanced. This is true with enriching our lives with the arts, learning new skills, having experiences which help us to grow, and making discoveries which deepen our faith in God. For many of us a walk in the beauty of God’s creation teaches us, encounters with others strengthen us, and quiet times of reflection nurture us. We learn and grow in many ways.

For our young people, the first learning comes at home and often begins with the custom of saying bed-time prayers and grace at meals. This pattern is one which becomes the core of a life of prayer for so many people. When favorite stories from The Story are read and told to young children, they grow up realizing that there never was a time when the Bible stories were unknown to them. And so together we build a life of faith in our households.

Among the ways by which we deepen our faith is participation in Christian Education. We have gathered a fine staff for our Sunday morning Church School program for people of all ages. Curricula have been carefully chosen with the assistance of The Rev. Debra Kissinger from Bishop Paul’s staff. We have been working hard to enhance the physical space where our children and youth gather to learn more about the Christian life. Please take time to come and look. All three classrooms have received fresh coats of welcoming colors of paint. Peter Salmon is painting delightful murals in our nursery-young children area. Watch them unfold, but please do not touch as the work is in a fragile state.

The adults will be meeting in the library. They will continue to use “The Inviting Word” which has been so well appreciated by those who have been participating for the past two years. It is a wonderful mix of study, reflection, idea-sharing, art appreciation and more. The library will provide the atmosphere of quiet which is sometimes part of the work of that group.

Knowing that “one size does not fit all,” we realize that there are parents and others who would like to have a different opportunity on Sunday mornings. If a more informal time appeals to you, I invite you to gather in the parish hall for fellowship before worship. A welcoming atmosphere is being planned for you.

Sunday morning is not the only time for learning and growing in our faith! Our Monday evening Bible study is another fine opportunity for you to consider. I asked the others who currently participate in that program what I might say in this article. The responses basically lead to our saying that this is an unstructured Bible study. Perhaps a description of a typical Monday evening will be most helpful. We gather at 7 PM and begin with some conversation to find out what is going on in one another’ lives and often share humorous stories (aka jokes!) and a good bit of laughter before we pray together and begin to read. We are doing course reading. This means that we are reading through the Bible. As I write this we are reading in the book of Judges. We don’t skip anything – even the sometimes challenging names! Conversation around the reading includes questions, reflections and sharing ideas about the passage. Please consider this to be an invitation to you and know that everyone is welcome.

The adult education committee is planning an over-night retreat for next spring, there will be seasonal studies in Advent and Lent, as well as occasional Quiet Days. Suggestions for other studies of the Bible as well as various faith-oriented books will be gratefully received. We can gather during the day or in the evening, for long- or short-term work. I will be happy to hear your ideas! For instance this past spring we did a study of the Resurrection appearances of our Lord. These several sessions took place on Thursday morning during the weeks after Easter. This is one way in which we can learn together.

The most important thing that I hope you will realize from this rather rambling article is that continuing to learn and grow in faith is important for all of us at every age. No one is ever too old to learn something new!

The Reverend Canon Virginia Rex Day +

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