Living God's Future Now - w/c 9 May 2021

Living God’s Future Now’ is our mini online festival of theology, ideas and practice.

We’ve developed this in response to the pandemic and our changing world. The church is changing too, and - as we improvise and experiment - we can learn and support each other.

This is 'Living God’s Future Now’ - talks, workshops and discussion - hosted by HeartEdge. Created to equip, encourage and energise churches - from leaders to volunteers and enquirers - at the heart and on the edge.

The focal event in ‘Living God’s Future Now’ is a monthly conversation where Sam Wells explores what it means to improvise on God’s kingdom with a leading theologian or practitioner.

The online programme includes:

• Regular weekly workshops: Biblical Studies (Mondays - fortnightly), Sermon Preparation (Tuesdays) and Community of Practitioners (Wednesdays)
• One-off workshops on topics relevant to lockdown such as ‘Growing online communities’ and ‘Grief, Loss & Remembering’
• Monthly HeartEdge dialogue featuring Sam Wells in conversation with a noted theologian or practitioner

W/c 9 May 2021

Sunday

Inspired to Follow
Zoom
Sunday 9 May, 14:00 (BST)
Register here.
‘Inspired to Follow: Art and the Bible Story’ helps people explore the Christian faith, using paintings and Biblical story as the starting points. The course uses fine art paintings in the National Gallery’s collection as a springboard for exploring questions of faith. Session 17: The Ascension. Text: Acts 1:1-12. Image: ‘The Incredulity of Saint Thomas’, Giovanni Battista Cima da Conegliano, about.1502-4, NG816.

Monday

God will not be mocked
Zoom
Monday 10 May, 6.00 pm (BST)
Register here.
Next St Brides Liverpool theology lecture in association with HeartEdge with Fergus Butler-Gallie. What being creatures who laugh might mean for our view of God, of the follies of humanity and the particular charisms of the C of E.

Biblical Studies class
Zoom
Monday 10 May,19:30-21:00 (BST)
Register here.
Join Simon Woodman on two Monday evenings each month for a Biblical Studies class: a lecture followed by discussion, with handouts, looking at the Gospels and Acts. Lecture 09: Luke-Acts.

Tuesday

Art, Scripture and Contemporary Issues
Zoom
Tuesday 11 May 14:00 -15:00 (BST)
Register here.
In a short series, curators for the Visual Commentary on Scripture will speak about their experience of curating for VCS. Deborah Lewer will speak about curating an exhibition on Proverbs 11 exploring the righteousness of true and accurate measures.

Sermon Prep Sally Hitchiner and Sam Wells
Livestream
Tuesday 11 May 16:30 -17:30 (BST)
Live streamed on the HeartEdge Facebook page here.
A live preaching workshop focusing on the forthcoming Sunday's lectionary readings in the light of current events and sharing of thoughts on approaches to the passages.

Wednesday

Public Health and Church Engagement post pandemic
Zoom
Wednesday 12 May 10:30-12:00 (BST)
Reg here.
Gillian Straine, CEO of The Guild of Health and St Raphael, explores the potential of the church and people of faith to be agents of healing in our post pandemic world. Workshop 2 develops a theology of healing by exploring the question, 'What is healing?'.

Community of Practitioners workshop
Zoom
Wednesday 12 May 16:00-17:00 (BST)
Email Jonathan Evens here to take part. This is open to all, including ordinands and lay leaders. Church leaders join in community, share and reflect together on their recent experiences in the form of wonderings with one of the HeartEdge team.

Thursday

Art, Scripture and Contemporary Issues
Zoom
Thursday 13 May, 14:00-15:00 (BST)
Reg here.
In a short series, curators for the Visual Commentary on Scripture will speak about their experience of curating for VCS. Caleb Froehlich will speak about curating the Cities of Refuge exhibition which considers the provisions of the biblical cities of refuge from the perspective of sanctuary-seekers.

Living God's Future Now conversation - Stephen Cottrell
Zoom
Thursday 13 May, 18:10 – 19:10( BST)
Register here.
Sam Wells and Stephen Cottrell will be in conversation to discuss how to improvise on the kingdom. The Most Reverend and Right Honourable Stephen Cottrell is the 98th Archbishop of York.

Friday

Shut In, Shut Out, Shut Up Season 4: Ableism, Faith & Church
Zoom
Friday 14 May, 16:30-18:00 ( BST)
Register here.
Ableism is discrimination and social prejudice against disabled people. Like racism and sexism, it classifies entire groups of people as 'less than'. This series explores ableism, faith & church across context, culture and practice. Come and join the conversation with Fiona MacMillan, Ann Memmott and Dr Naomi Lawson Jacobs.

Coming Up

Mission Summer School - 12 – 16 July 2021
Zoom
12-16 July 2021
For more details and to reg click here
An opportunity to engage more deeply with the theology of mission and to explore how it relates to your own practice.Input structured around the four Cs of Commerce, Culture, Congregation and Compassion. A mix of teaching and conversation with leading scholars and practitioners including the Revd Dr Sam Wells, Professor Anthony Reddie, Dr Cathy Ross, and Revd Heather Cracknell, among others. Workshops to engage with the themes and issues presented. Encounters with churches, organisations and projects (HeartEdge and Fresh Expressions) to get a hands-on feel for how it works out in practice.

For more information please have a look at this video of Sam Wells telling us more, here.

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Emmylou Harris - All That You Have Is Your Soul.