ONLINE
BOOK STUDY
with
Rev. Deacon Ari Wolfe
Director of Social Justice Programming at St. Columba's
Fridays
September 15 — October 13
11:00 - 12:00pm PT
Join Deacon Ari Wolfe for a look at what Celtic lore calls thin places - locations and times where the curtain between our known world and the abode of the Divine come closer to each other, bringing us into deeper connection with both God and the world around us - and how all people are called into ministry to one another.
We will meet for discussion via Zoom every week on Fridays, September 15th through October 13th, from 11:00am to 12:00pm PT. A study guide will be posted to Deacon Ari’s website each week with the pages to read and suggested focal points for the upcoming discussion. All are invited to read along, and the Friday sessions will remain open to anyone who would like to join in.
About the Book:
From the author: "The first thing to say in our exploration of priesthood is this: priesthood is a fundamental and inescapable part of being human. All human beings, knowingly or not, minister as priests to one another. All of us, knowingly or not, receive priestly ministrations from one another. Unless we begin here, we are not likely to understand the confusions and uncertainties and opportunities we have been encountering in the life of the church itself in recent years…”
Review from Bruce Bawer, author of Stealing Jesus: How Fundamentalism Betrays Christianity: "What a blessing to have at hand William Countryman's book, which, by disentangling ordination from real ministry, does an extraordinary job of clarifying what we mean when we speak of the church, of religion, and of God. I wish every self-identified 'person of faith' could read this remarkable, thought-provoking book."
About the Author
William Countryman is a priest in the Episcopal Church and retired professor of New Testament from Church Divinity School of the Pacific. He lives in Berkeley, California and is an associated priest at The Church of the Good Shepherd.
Cost: Free
Suggested Donation: $20
No one is turned away
The Reverend Ari Wolfe, MTS The Reverend Ari Wolfe (she/her) is a deacon in the Episcopal Church. With an eclectic spiritual background, she holds a Master's degree in Theological Studies from the Church Divinity School of the Pacific, with a focus in the area of Queer Theology and how congregations can better extend welcome and support to people who are LGBTQ-identified. Deacon Ari was ordained in November, 2019 at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco and currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the School for Deacons. She has three adult children and lives in El Cerrito with her husband and 3 cats. A life-long social activist, she is excited to bring conversations of racial justice and a curriculum for anti-racism to the community. For more information, please visit www.deaconsjourney.com.
