Being the Progressive Christian Voice in Your Community
With Rev. Dr. Robin Meyers
Come discover what the pastor of one of the fastest growing UCCs in the country knows about setting oneself apart as a progressive Christian in a predominantly conservative community!
Saturday, March 5th from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm at The Fountains, a United Methodist Church, 15300 N. Fountain Hills Blvd. in Fountain Hills. Registration (which includes a soup and salad lunch) is $40 per person (or $100 for three people from the same church). Admission is $50 at the door.
Register online at www.robinmeyersinaz.eventbrite.com.
Workshop Schedule:
10:00 am - 12 Noon
Re-Divining the Divine: Quantum Physics and the Future of God
Can we get over the theistic and patriarchal images of the God we grew up with, the judgmental lawgiver who has to be petitioned, bargained with, or even appeased? What if God doesn’t want to be “worshipped” because God is not personal? What if God is not a supernatural parent, made in the image of humans and pulling the strings of human destiny?
Quantum physics is revealing the mysterious interconnectedness of all things, affirming what Paul Tillich and others have hinted at in calling God the “Ground of Being” or “Being Itself.” If you yearn for a reunion of science and religion and are intrigued by the practice of mysticism, then maybe it’s time to graduate from the fear of God to the wisdom of a “Luminous Web.”
Dr. Meyers will explore:
- Why science and religion have so often ended up in divorce court.
- Why Quantum Entanglement is the most profound theological idea since Eden.
- Why “sin” is grounded in the illusion of separation, and why God is not out to get you, but to be what connects you.
Noon – 1:00 pm
LUNCH / Booktable / Conversation
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
THE UNDERGROUND CHURCH: Reclaiming the Subversive Way of Jesus
Suppressing its subversive and radical roots in favor of a non-threatening and prophetically toothless place in American society, the mainline church has been hopelessly compromised. As rumors of the death of the church abound, perhaps its time to acknowledge that we are dying not because we are too radical, but because we are not radical enough. Going to church means many things to many people, but few consider it to be a dangerous or subversive activity. Maybe it’s time to change that.
Discover the consequences of (and alternatives to):
- Believing that “success” in church is purchased at the cost of intellectual honesty.
- Why so many young people choose to find virtual community online as a substitute for authentic human relationships.
- Why making following Jesus too easy and discipleship too comfortable effectively guarantees our own irrelevance.
These workshops are intended to inspire both the bold and the timid, lay and clergy alike. Join us for motivation, practical ideas, and networking with other progressive Christians from around the Southwest!
Dr. Robin Meyers is the senior minister of Mayflower Congregational UCC Church of Oklahoma City, where he has served for 30 years. He is also the Distinguished Professor of Social Justice in the philosophy department at Oklahoma City University. He is the best-selling author of seven books, including bestseller SAVING JESUS FROM THE CHURCH: How to Stop Worshiping Christ and Start Following Jesus (Harper One, 2009), WHY THE CHRISTIAN RIGHT IS WRONG: A Minister’s Manifesto for Taking Back your Faith, your Flag, and your Future (Jossey/Bass, 2006), and THE UNDERGROUND CHURCH: Reclaiming the Subversive Way of Jesus (Jossey Bass, 2012). Dr. Meyers is a fellow of the Westar Institute (home of the Jesus Seminar), a national and international speaker and workshop leader, a frequent guest preacher at church conferences, and an award-winning commentator for National Public Radio.