Adult Education at Market Square
Winter/Spring 2017
THE MONDAY BIBLE STUDY meets the 2nd and 4th Monday of each month at 10:30 a.m. in the
church library, unless we have an issue that commands a change. We will meet on the following
dates: January 8 & 23; February 13 & 27; March 13 & 27; April 10 & 24; May 8 & 22. The group has
chosen the Horizons Bible study titled, “Who is Jesus? What a Difference a Lens Makes.” The study
takes us on a journey through the Gospels, Hebrews, the non-canonical Gospels, other Abrahamic
faiths and concludes with contemporary cultural interpretations, while giving us a view of who the man
Jesus was and allowing us to develop our own viewpoints of him. Cheryl Goode is the convener of
the group; for more information, please contact her at the church.
LIFT (Learning in Faith Together)
Plan to get your LIFT (Learning In Faith Together) for the Spring. Our theme for this six week cycle
will be a study of the Beatitudes. The class will explore the scriptural context and the present day
implications of these blessings. Through a discussion format we discover new perspectives on
scripture and our faith. Last cycle our group of 10 included members of the Quaker meeting and
MSPC; this cycle we want to include you as well. Join us on Wednesday nights from 7:00 to 8:15 on
February 15 & 22, March 8,15,22, & 29 (No class on March 1 as it is Ash Wednesday and Market
Square has a worship service) in the conference room of MSPC.
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REFORMED READERS
Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m. in the library (4th floor)
February 8
Jonelle Darr leads a discussion on The Sisters of Sinai: How Two Lady Adventurers Discovered the
Hidden Gospels, by Janet Soskice.
April 26
Mark your calendars for the next book discussion, led by Tom Sweet. Stay tuned for more details.
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LGBT & ALLIES BOOK STUDY
Sundays at 9:30 a.m. in Room 420 (next to the Room for the Inner Way)
The group meets to discuss books and other issues that might be relevant to LGBT Christians but all
are welcome---allies and LGBT people alike. For more information, please contact class facilitator,
Paul Whitman ([email protected])
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ATWOOD BIBLE SEEKERS
Sundays in the conference room, Level 3, 9:30 a.m.
Start your Sunday mornings with informed discussion-oriented Bible Study. We seek wisdom, insight,
and God’s grace through the scripture as we support and undergird our faith. We welcome any who
desire Sunday morning Bible Study.
February 5, 12, 19, and 26
Mary Ann Bedard, Book of Judges
March 5
The class will join the Adult Forum.
March 12, 17, & 26
John Taylor, Acts of the Apostles
April 2 & 9: The class will join the Adult Forum
The Reverend Judd McConnell, the Minor Prophet Amos
April 16 – Easter – no class this day
April 23 & 30
Trum Simmons, the Letter of Paul to the Colossians
May 7, 14, 21, & 28
The Reverend Chuck Hiller, the Letter of James
KOREAN LANGUAGE BIBLE STUDY
Every 3rd and 4th Sunday at 11:00 a.m. in the church library
Every 1st and 2nd Saturday at 3:00 p.m. in the conference room (beginning in March)
Sunday Bible study covers the basics of the Christian faith, particularly major themes in
Systematic Theology.
Saturday Bible study focuses on the Gospel of John.
Currently, all Bible studies are led by the Reverend Ki Nam Lee.
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ADULT FORUM
Sundays at 9:30 a.m. in Room 416
February 5 – “I Was A Fundamentalist for the UPCNA!” with the Reverend Bob Hotchkiss
Bob writes this blurb in explanation of the title: “A retrospective of a ministry, at the suggestion of our
pastor.” He also notes: “To make sense of the title, you have to be a certain age.” Bob has had a
good, long, strong ministry in the Presbyterian Church. Come, hear about it!
February 12 – “Navigating the State Capitol” with Steve McMullen, Bre Medevich,
& the Reverend Sandy Strauss
This forum on how to be an effective advocate on statewide issues will be led by two members of our
church who are also members of two state legislators’ Harrisburg staff, Bre Medevich and Steve
McMullen. Also participating and offering first-hand testimony will be the Reverend Sandy Strauss, a
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community leader and advocate with success stories and suggestions about navigating the hallways
of power within the State Capitol. The class will provide practical insights into how legislators receive
information and on how to lobby and persuade our elected officials. Please join us to discuss what
goes on in the offices of the legislature and on how to get your voice heard on the pressing issues of
today.
February 19 – “What About the Paris Climate Accord?” with John Dernbach (environmentalist,
attorney, professor of law, and an internationally recognized authority on sustainable development)
Professor Dernbach will present the major components of the Paris Climate Accord and thoughts
about its future in light of Trump Administration opposition even in the face of world support for it.
(Sponsored by the Market Square Environmental Action Committee)
February 26 - “Just War Theory and Theology: Does It Still Hold?” with Ann Marie Judson and Naed
Smith of Pax Christi and the Harrisburg Catholic Worker
For many centuries, a “just war” theory supported the moral underpinnings of war if certain conditions
were met. However, the Catholic Church is moving away from the Just War theory. Ann Marie and
Naed will tell us why and lead a discussion.
March 5 – “Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret” with the Reverend Angus Miles Watkins from
Ashville, New York
Animal agriculture is the leading cause of deforestation, water consumption, and pollution, is
responsible for more greenhouse gases than the transportation industry, and is a primary driver of
rainforest destruction, species extinction, habitat loss, topsoil erosion, ocean “dead zones,” and
virtually every other environmental ill. Yet it goes on, almost entirely unchallenged. “Cowspiracy” is
the title of a movie that probes these factors and what we might do about them. Angus will review the
movie and lead an exploratory conversation. The movie will be made available to class participants
who would like to view it in the comfort of their home. (Sponsored by the Market Square
Environmental Action Committee)
March 12 – “Skype Conversation with Kate Taber, Our PCUSA Mission Co-Worker in Palestine”
with Margee Kooistra, Tom Sweet, & the Reverend Kate Taber
Via the wonders of computer technology, we will be able to talk in real time with Kate Taber, our
superb mission co-worker in Bethlehem, Palestine, the West Bank. Market Square is a financial and
prayer supporter of Kate’s. Kate works out of the Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem and we
will be able to hear from her first-hand the conditions “on the ground” there. Kate also will answer any
questions we pose about the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine.
March 19 – “A Spectrum of Prayer” with Lori Sweet
Common advice for those who want to learn to pray is to “pray as you can and not as you
can’t.” There are many ways of praying and Lori will talk about a variety of them as a way of
deepening our commitment to the practice of prayer.
March 26 – “The Experience of Returning Home from Service in Vietnam” with the Reverend Chuck
Hiller & the Reverend David Watkins
Chuck and David served in Vietnam and returned home in 1968 and 1969, respectively. Though they
both were on the same ship, the USS Gordon, they did not know each other at the time but met later
through their service in the church. Each has health issues related to the war. Each have
experienced PTSD and faith-related issues related to the war. Come and learn of their after-the-war
experiences and some of the places they eventually found help and hope.
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April 2 – “A Study of a Minor Prophet, Amos, and His Relevance for 2017” (Part 1)
Our beloved Judd McConnell will lead a two week series on the prophet Amos, one of the Minor
Prophets…minor not because he was not important but, well, come and learn why we have “minor
prophets” in the scripture even though they have outsized messages. Although helpful to attend both
sessions, it is not necessary. Come as you are able. During Part 1 (April 2), participants will
encounter the contextual times of this 8th century prophet, review the central theme of Amos, and
explore the various passages of his prophetic message.
April 9 – “A Study of a Minor Prophet, Amos, and His Relevance for 2017” (Part 2) with the Reverend
Judson McConnell. Participants will enter into the African Bible Study Method focusing on passages
in Amos. We will consider the prophecy of Amos in light of our own understandings and feelings and
its relevance for today both personally and in the wider community.
April 16 – Easter Day - NO Adult Forum today.
April 23 – “Eating for Your Health and the Health of the Planet” with Dr. Jim Jones
What and how we eat has definite and important ramifications for our own personal health as well as
our planet. In Jim’s inimitable way, he will share compellingly and winsomely some facts and factors
that will help us all to move toward greater health.
April 30 – “The Heroin and Opioid Epidemics” with the Reverend Ruth Hope Woodlen
There are few things so heartrending in our contemporary society as the number of persons losing or
despoiling their lives in the heroin and opioid epidemics, yet many of us know little about them. This
informative presentation will illuminate the particulars of this addiction and its resulting personal and
societal consequences with an eye to possible helps and solutions.
May 7 – “Military Drones” with Harold “H.A.” Penner
The use of military drones and drone warfare has snuck up on many of us. What is a military drone
and what is drone warfare? To what extent are they being used? Are they necessary? Is there a
place for them in the United States’ military arsenal? What is their purpose? Are they effective? Is
there collateral damage? Do you know there is a drone command center geographically proximate to
us? Mr. Penner is a Mennonite living in Akron, Pennsylvania.
May 14 – “The Blessings of a Good Mother” with Elaine Wilson
On Mother’s Day 2017, think about the life of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God. Elaine will walk us
through the high points in the life of Mary and her relationship to her son, Jesus the Christ, as best
history reveals it. Also, we will take a look at the most famous sculpture ever created of the Virgin
Mary. Done by the artistic genius Michelangelo, the Pieta visually speaks to the life of the most
famous mother in the history of the world.
May 21 – “Planning a Funeral or Memorial Service at Market Square and Relevant Considerations”
with Tom Sweet
Not the happiest of subjects, perhaps, but thoughtfulness to family requires us to think about the time
immediately following our deaths: cremation, body burial, green cemetery? What about the
service? Your preferences and desires? Tom will help us to begin to consider or reconsider plans for
what happens to us at the end of our earthly lives.
May 28 – “Getting Ready for Summer Reading” with Tom Sweet & class participants
Entering soon into the hazier, lazier days of summer, many of us like the summer accompaniment of
good books. In our forum today, each participant is invited to bring a book he or she recommends for
summer reading and offer a 1-2 minute review of the book. Most likely, we will be introduced to good
reads about which we may not otherwise know.
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