Religiosity on Life Support ~ Rev. Shelli Williams

This Sunday we welcome guest speaker, Rev. Shelli Williams, Minister for
Adult Education and Executive Director of St. Paul's Methodist
Foundation of Houston. After a 16-year career in oil & gas accounting,
Rev. Williams entered seminary and is now an ordained United Methodist
Minister. After serving as an intern at First United Methodist Church,
Missouri City, Shelli was appointed to St. Paul's in 2004. She
provides a unique combination of professional expertise as Executive
Director of St. Paul's Methodist Foundation of Houston.

Shelli grew up in Katy, Texas, where she was a fifth-generation
"Katyite" and a fifth-generation United Methodist. While
growing up, Shelli was part of several area United Methodist churches
where her mother served on staff as a Director of Christian Education.
She has combined lessons learned at the "knee of the expert"
with her own seminary training to further establish St. Paul's at
the forefront of Adult Christian Education.

Shelli holds a B.B.A. in Accounting from The University of Texas at
Austin and an M.Div. from Perkins School of Theology at Southern
Methodist University in Dallas, where she graduated magna cum laude.
She currently serves on the Perkins Alumni Council and is a member of
the Texas Conference's Board of Ordained Ministry as well as the
Committee on the Status & Role of Women. Shelli also serves as a mentor
for ministerial candidates in our Conference.

For Sunday, Shelli is speaking about "Religiosity on Life Support". In
this time when so many claim to be "spiritual but not religious", what
does it mean to be religious, to claim that you believe? Can you claim
religiosity and not be forced to relinquish your spirituality? Can they
even exist together? Or, possibly, do they deeply and desperately need
each other to survive?

Be ready to share and discuss your thoughts on this compelling topic!

Be Well,
Susanna

Click here to Download Rev William's outline:  Religiosity on Life Support.pdf

 

Click here to Download audio 20100613.mp3

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Language ~ Dr. Bob Tucker

Dear Folks -

Some time ago I asked my friend and long time colleague, Bob Tucker, if
he would fill in for me this coming week. I was scheduled to do a
wedding at Horseshoe Bay. I'm still going to be out but, as you likely
know by now, not because I'm out of town doing a wedding.

Rather, I am convalescing from having had quadruple bypass surgery this
past Wednesday, May 12. What started out as an attempt to treat allergy
induced asthma, ended up with a diagnosis of coronary artery disease and
four almost completely blocked arteries to my heart. Surgery was the
solution to this problem.

I am happy to report that the surgery was very successful. I was "off
pump" for the procedure which lasted a little over 3 1/2 hours. Didn't
even have to have a transfusion. I came home Monday morning and have had
mostly good days.

Thank you for your prayers and expressions of concern and interest.
Cards and gifts of meals are being most appreciated. I am told that this
recovery process is often more difficult for the care-taker than the
patient. So, keep Sherry in your thoughts and prayers.

The doctor wanted me to take off a month. I am hoping to make it no
longer than that. You'll be kept informed.

In the meantime thanks again for all your support.

You have a rare opportunity to hear Dr. Bob Tucker this week. I hope you
can take advantage of it.

Bob taught in Turkey for five years, was for twenty-eight years Senior
Minister of First Congregational Church in the Memorial area, and for
the past decade has been the Executive Director of the Foundation for
Contemporary Theology. Among its programs, the Foundation brings noted
theologians to Houston for a series of weekend lectures, for example,
Marcus Borg, Bishop Spong and John Dominic Crossan.

We depend on air for physical life; we depend on language for 'human'
life. So immersed are we in both that we go for long periods thinking of
neither, nor the essential role each plays. In the Bible's creation
story, God first created the world, and then in a second creation,
Adam, in a burst of human creativity, festooned it with words, 7,000 to
20,000 words we speak each day by actual count. We will look at the
nature and power of language—and especially the words that make up
our religious beliefs.

Much love,
Bill Kerley

 

 

Click here to Download audio 20100523.mp3

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