At the Coffee and Conversation Hour, 10 a.m., in Brooks Hall, this coming Sunday, November 15, I will be leading a conversational overview of our Winter/Spring Adult Programs Theme at St. Andrew's:

From Here to Eternity: Conversations about Life, Death, and Resurrection

The program over a number of months--in Sunday morning conversations, Sunday afternoon lectures, Saturday evening movie nights, midweek Book Discussion groups and more--will circle from various vantage points the sometimes anxiety-producing, always-compelling question: What happens when we die? The foundation of our conversation will be to consider carefully what the Bible and the traditional teachings of our Christian family have had to say on the subject--with a special focus on how that material has been incorporated within our Anglican expression of Christian faith. It may be surprising to some to discover that the Bible and Christian tradition don't really say some of the things people generally think and assume they say. And then from that we'll move in wider circles, to see what artists and poets have imagined over the centuries--and even to see how the question has been taken up by the movies and other expressions of our popular contemporary culture. We'll talk together to share some of our own wonderings, and we'll listen to what some other religious and philosophical traditions have had to say. And we'll talk about practicalities as well: about how we address familial, professional, legal, and medical concerns at the end of life. We'll talk about funeral and burial customs, and the kinds of choices we as individuals and families may have before us at the time of a death. I expect the program to be fascinating in many ways as we address what are certainly serious and complicated topics with the light, good humored, and hopeful touch most appropriate to Christian people. So: a beginning overview this Sunday at 10 a.m.--hope to see you there! BruceR http://www.standrewspgh.org http://revbmrobison.blogspot.com/