God and Food in Modern Life
Sundays, 9:30 a.m., in the Assembly Room
unless otherwise noted
Download the September 2019 Brochure (pdf)
for more details and speaker bios
Join us as we hear from those in our community who wrestle with the big concepts and daily practice of food stewardship. We will learn about global projects and local initiatives that plan for the future and feed those who are hungry today, and we will provide hands-on assistance to a local food bank during a special Adult Education Project Day – learning brings forth doing!
September 8 | Nate Stucky
Food. Faith. Bread. Wine.
Does God care what we eat? Does God care how we eat? Do we think of God when eating? Should we? Though food runs like a thread through Scripture, we may or may not typically put God and food in the same conversation. What happens when we do? In this session, we’ll begin finding out.
September 15 | Tessa Desmond
The Spiritual Significance of Seeds
Seeds are ubiquitous. We eat them. We plant them. We blow them in the wind. While we may overlook seeds or think about them mostly as metaphors, God does not. In the Bible, central lessons of faith are taught using the imagery of seeds. Explore how paying attention to these things (that might be thought of as “the least” in nature) can actually help us better understand the grandness of God. Come marvel at seeds!
Beginning September 15 | In-Depth Bible Study with George Hunsinger
Colossians
Sundays, 9:15 a.m.
Maclean House (Garden Entrance)
George Hunsinger continues with a verse-by verse examination of the Letter to the Colossians picking with Chapter 2. In this epistle, the Colossian congregation wrestles with folk beliefs and new age superstitions that are not as strange as they might at first seem. As usual Paul offers compelling good news in his understanding of the cross, the resurrection, worship, and Christian hope.
September 15 | Conversation with International Peacemakers
Xinia María Briceño & Karla Ann Koll
12:15 p.m., Niles Chapel
Come welcome and meet International Peacemaker Xinia María Briceño from Costa Rica. Xinia’s passion and work centers around preserving access to clean water for local Costa Rican communities impacted by industrial agriculture. Her presentation will address contamination of water sources, models of agricultural production, the role of transnational corporations and climate change. Bagels and coffee will be provided.
September 22 | Faith in Action – a Special Adult Education Project Day
All ages are invited to join us as we roll up our sleeves and put our faith into hands-on action! Every year Nassau prepares hundreds of sack lunches for our neighbors during Loaves and Fishes in August and our annual Martin Luther King Jr Day of Service in January. Now, we invite you to a new opportunity for building community during our September series on food and faith.
A variety of tasks and assembly stations, suitable for all abilities, will be available under the leadership of longtime volunteers and coordinators Angie and Allen Olsen. Afterwards, our assembled sack lunches will be delivered to TASK, which provides more than 3,000 free meals per week to people in need in the Trenton area.
September 29 | Sarah Steward, Ria Smit, Ross Wishnick, with Holley Barreto, moderator
‘Til All God’s Children are Fed – The Purpose and Practice of the Hunger Offering
Nassau Presbyterian Church has a decades-long tradition of collecting a freewill offering on the last Sunday of the month to alleviate hunger in our neighborhood, country, and around the world. As Pastor Dave Davis frequently affirms, we are committed to continuing this practice “until all God’s children are fed.” Come meet three representatives of local and international organizations who benefit from this long-standing commitment. Get to know their communities. Learn about their mission. Support their work. This panel discussion will be moderated by Elder and food-justice advocate, Holley Barreto, and will include time for questions.
September 29 | Conversation with International Peacemaker
Monique Ngoie Mukuna Misenga
12:15 p.m., Assembly Room
Come welcome and meet International Peacemaker Monique Ngoie Mukuna Misenga from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Ms. Misenga will talk about how education and income-generating projects help women lift themselves out of extreme poverty. She is an advocate for women’s rights and works to end violence again women, particularly sexual violence used as a weapon of war. Bagels and coffee will be provided.