Take On Lent 2024

This “inquirer’s class” is designed for the curious: people who are new to The Episcopal Church, new to the Cathedral, interested in baptism, confirmation, reception from a different faith tradition, or simply eager to study with a new community. Newcomers and regulars alike will explore this essential question: what might it mean to join this Episcopal branch of the Jesus movement?

The five sessions will cover our Anglican roots and theology, surveys of the Old and New Testaments, the Book of Common Prayer and our sacramental life together, and finally an instructional Eucharist that will explain how and why we worship the way we do. Note: this class has a max capacity of 30 people, and is not available to join after Feb. 20.

details

Location: Cathedral Library Boardroom
Facilitators: Vicar Dana Corsello and clergy

Lent can be a daunting time, urging us to reflect on our shortcomings and revealing painful experiences with faith, God, the Church, and the world. Join us as we seek a deeper relationship with God and faith through creativity and the creative process. We’re invited in this season to be brave, vulnerable, and reclaim our faith through creativity. We will explore our relationship with God and faith with our guests through the mediums of visual art, music, poetry, writing, and imagination.

details

Location: Bethlehem Chapel
Facilitator: The Rev. Spencer Brown
Weekly Guests: See below registration button for names and information

Guests:

feb 20: the rev. jim quigley

Jim Quigley is a painter, a sculptor, and a priest. In his teens he asked his beloved high school art teacher why he should consider life as an artist. “Because you can,” said Mr. B. Several years after graduating from the Art Academy of Cincinnati Jim was making an unlikely living as a painter, sculptor, and sought after iron furniture maker. Take on Lent will feature the premier viewing of Empire, Occupation and Pieta, three recently completed large-scale paintings based on his experiences while on a Lilly Foundation sabbatical in Great Britain, Israel/Palestine, and South and Southern Africa.

feb 27: jay hulme

Jay Hulme is a poet, speaker, and theologian from Leicester, in the UK. His books for children have been nominated for some of the UK’s oldest and most prestigious writing and illustration awards. His books for adults are published by one of the UK’s leading Christian publishers and are widely reviewed and praised, with his poem ‘Jesus at the Gay Bar’ becoming an international sensation. Jay speaks and preaches at churches, cathedrals, and theological conferences, and is a regular contributor to the BBC’s Daily Service.

When he isn’t writing, speaking, or caring for the 1144 year old church where he serves as Churchwarden, Jay enjoys exploring (and climbing up) the ancient churches and cathedrals that litter the british landscape, finding inspiration in their beauty, and in the faith which has been practiced there for centuries.

march 5: the rev. erin jean warde

The Rev. Erin Jean Warde is an Episcopal priest, spiritual director, recovery coach, and writer. She is the author of Sober Spirituality: The Joy of a Mindful Relationship with Alcohol. She offers a course, Discerning Sobriety, which helps participants bring spiritual practices and mindfulness into their relationship with alcohol. Check out her offerings around coaching, spiritual direction, and more at www.erinjeanwarde.com. You can explore her Substack, Gather the Inklings, which includes weekly posts and a community.

march 12: sheldon scott

Sheldon Scott mines his experiences growing up in the Gullah/Geechee South and professional background in storytelling to examine the Black male form with particular emphasis on biases of usability and expendability in relation to constructs of race, economics, and sexuality. Scott’s performance, sculpture, installation, photo-based works have been presented at the National Portrait Gallery, National Museum of Women in the Arts, American University Art Museum, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, and Nasher Museum of Art. The artist’s work is in following museum collections: Smithsonian American Art Museum, National Museum of African American History and Culture, Nasher Museum of Art, Ogden Museum of Southern Art.

march 19: spencer lajoye

Spencer LaJoye is an East Coast singer/songwriter with Midwest roots, a classically-trained violinist with a proclivity for Broadway vocals, and a student of Americana music with a theology degree hanging in their studio. They’ve been writing and touring their own autobiographical folk/pop music for over a decade. This February they are releasing Shadow Puppets, their first full-length album under their new name. Childhood memories, family patterns, shame, and desire form a cast of colorful characters in this 12-track, indie-folk tale of a formerly closeted queer kid from Southwest Michigan. The 2021 Kerrville Songwriting Competition winner spins crystalline vocals through a loop pedal while strumming an acoustic guitar in charming, banter-heavy performances.

NOTE: this class has a max capacity of 25 people and is full. Please register for a different class.

Lament is a word laden with a feeling of heaviness, not easily understood, and difficult to experience. Join us as we explore this ancient way of seeking God. We will look at where the bible guides us in lament, as well as how art, music, poetry, and theology show us the value of prayerfully considering lament today, both privately and communally.

details

Location: Northwest Tower Conference Room, 4th Floor (N4)
Facilitators: The Rev. Carla Thompson and Dr. Jayne Osgood (see below for biographies)

The Rev. Carla Thompson is an Episcopal priest who presently serves as Hospice Chaplain for Capital Caring at Sibley Hospital. Previous careers include work with the State Department Intelligence Services, and as a police officer for 10 years, with expertise in hostage negotiations, EOD, and homicide investigations. Last year Carla led the Via Media retreat for the 40-50s of the Cathedral Congregation, and she co-facilitated A Lenten Journey from Ashes to Resurrection discussion for Take on Lent.

Dr. Jayne Osgood is an Episcopalian, educator, facilitator, and consultant. She has her PhD from the University of Virginia, but is now back in school as a student at EDS@Union in its Anglicanism and Social Justice program. Jayne is known in the Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Washington for her work with Sacred Ground and racial justice. Last year she co-facilitated A Lenten Journey from Ashes to Resurrection discussion for Take on Lent.

Note: this course is online only.

As we fast from rushing, planning, being strong, holding it all together, seeking certainty, and control, we can softly reorient ourselves toward that fulfills us, during the Lenten season and beyond. Join us as we engage in a Lenten book study to nourish your soul, with A Different Kind of Fast: Feeding Our True Hungers in Lent to guide us in letting go and making more internal space to listen to the sacred whispers of our lives.

Details

Location: Online via Zoom
Required Reading:  A Different Kind of Fast by Christine Valters Paintner. Participants are encouraged to purchase the book for this study, but please note, it is currently only available in ebook format.
Facilitator: the Rev. Jo Nygard Owens, Pastor for Digital Ministry