Adult Education – February 2017

Download a copy of the print brochure here: Feb. 2017 (pdf)


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International Conflict Resolution Series

  • Sundays, 9:15 am, in the Assembly Room, unless otherwise noted

As the globe gets smaller, we are drawn into or impacted by political conflicts around the world. As Christians, let’s explore these complicated and nuanced crises, and how what we learn might impact our understanding and our advocacy. Join us as diplomats and experts in conflict resolution share their first-hand experience in resolving conflict and abuse of human rights in Syria, Tajikistan, and other hot spot.

 

February 5

Syria in Crisis

Mazen Adi

  • ​​Music Room

Come and explore the development of the Syrian Crisis from peaceful demonstrations calling for freedom and democracy to the conflict it is today. Examine some external factors that inflamed and perpetuated​ the fighting in Syria, including the role of the international and regional powers, sectarian and religious differences, and the spread of extremist groups, especially ISIS and Nursa front. ​We will pay special attention to the role of the United Nations in the Syrian Crisis, and the effect of this role on the image of the Security Council and the international order.

Mazen Adi is Adjunct Professor of Political Science at Rutgers University. He joined the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1998. Between 2000 and 2005, he worked at the Syrian Embassy in Rome, also serving as an Alternate Permanent Representative to the United Nations agencies working in Rome, FAO, WFP and IFAD. Between 2007 and 2014, he was appointed to the Syrian Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York, where he worked as a Legal Advisor and Sixth Committee expert. Adi has degrees from Damascus University School of Law and St. John’s University Rome Campus (2004) and NY, and a Ph.D. in comparative law from Tor Vergata University (Roma 2) Italy.

 

February 12

The United Nations and Democracy: A Road to Peace?

Roland Rich

Throughout the Cold War years, the issue of democracy was avoided by the UN. In the post-Cold War, the UN became more proactive leading to the establishment in 2005 of the UN Democracy Fund. One justification for the UN’s involvement in promoting democracy is the belief in democratic peace theory. Come and explore this argument and discuss the work of the UN Democracy Fund.

Roland Rich was an Australian diplomat with postings in Paris, Rangoon, Manila and as Ambassador to Laos. At headquarters, he held the positions of Legal Advisor and Assistant Secretary for International Organizations. He was then Foundation Director of the Centre for Democratic Institutions at the Australian National University. In 2007 he was appointed as the Executive Head of the UN Democracy Fund. Dr. Rich now teaches in the UN and Global Policy Studies graduate program at Rutgers University.

 

February 19

The Path to Peace Accord in Tajikistan

Dilafruz Nazarova

In 1992, Tajikistan, a small Central Asian country that just gained its independence, was dragged into the devastating civil war that resulted in fifty thousand deaths and over a million residents seeking refuge. It was not until 1997 that the parties to the conflict, the Government and the United Tajik Opposition, agreed to sign a peace accord under the auspices of the United Nations and with active participation of regional actors such as Iran, Afghanistan and Russia, effectively ending the civil war. Take a closer look into the civil war and explore aspects of the negotiation process that made the settlement possible.  We will assess national reconciliation efforts in light of the current political situation in Tajikistan, including its human rights record.

Dilafruz Nazarova, a human rights lawyer from Tajikistan, is a PhD student in the Political Science Department of Rutgers University. She worked for her government and in a number of international organizations including the International Committee of the Red Cross, Penal Reform International, Rule of Law Initiative of the American Bar Association, British Institute for War and Peace Reporting and the UN Peace-Building Support Mission in Tajikistan. She teaches several courses including International Law, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, Human Rights, and Introduction to the United Nations.


In-Depth Bible Study

Ongoing through May 21

1st Corinthians

George Hunsinger

  • 9:15 am
  • Maclean House

George Hunsinger returns for the 20th year to lead this verse-by-verse examination of the First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians. Bibles are available for use during the class. Find them on the Deacon Desk by the church kitchen. Class meets next door in Maclean House (Garden Entrance).


Special Focus on Mission

February 5

Guatemala Mission and Service Experience

Jonathan Holmquist, Charles Clark, Fredy Estrada, Mea Kaemmerlen, Janet and George Roman, Lorraine Sarhage, Nancy Wilson and Hana Kahn

  • 9:15-10:15 a.m.
  • Niles Chapel

Come and hear about the educational and service components of the 2016 summer trip to Guatemala. See the highlands area of Lake Atitlán and its surrounding Mayan villages and the Mayan archeological site and rain forest at Tikal National Park. Explore the highlands town of Parramos and the New Dawn Trilingual Education Center there. Then hear about the interactive work focusing on music and English with children of all grade levels, the hands-on painting and improvement to classroom lighting and work done in support of the school’s computer program, and the visits with the scholarship children supported by the Princeton/Parramos Partnership. All nine of this past year’s visitors to Guatemala and Parramos will be available to describe their experiences and encourage participation in a 2017 Guatemala mission and service trip.


Violence in Art: Where is the Redemption? Series

Melissa Martin and Chikara Saito

  • Sundays, 9:15 am, in Niles Chapel, unless otherwise noted

The Exodus and the Exile, the Cross and the Resurrection – Themes of violence and redemption are woven throughout the Christian story. Art provides us with a medium to explore these themes. Come and examine portrayals of violence in both film and photography, as we bring them into conversation with the biblical narrative.

Melissa Martin is a third-year student at Princeton Theological seminary. She also works in the church office as the Administrative Assistant for Pastoral Care. She loves to sneak in a good novel, because she finds that through them her big theological questions can be explored in refreshingly human ways.

Chikara Saito is a second year Master of Divinity student at Princeton Theological Seminary. Chikara grew up in Japan and had numerous opportunities to worship and work with Christians throughout East and Southeast Asia. He is very engaged by theology in film and literature.

 

February 12

Violence, Film, and Redemption

Film is the common language of the 21st century. It shapes and sculpts the way we imagine society, politics, and even faith. Together we will see how violence is a thorny theme that films treat with either respect or frivolity. Using Clint Eastwood’s Gran Torino (2008), examine how this portrayal of violence clarifies what is at stake for us as Christians. Then bring this into conversation with biblical resources.

 

February 19

Violence, Poetry, and Redemption

Poetry reveals the tensions in our social imagination, our hopes and hurts. In particular, these creative pieces help us wrestle with the problem of violence in our midst. We see this displayed in modern poets, like Wilfred Owens, W.H. Auden, and Keith Douglas. This class will bring these poets into conversation with older poets, the Prophets of the Old Testament, helping us consider the relationship between art and violence.

 

February 26

Violence, Photography, and Redemption

  • Assembly Room

Photographs define eras by burning their images into our collective conscience. From Nagasaki to Aleppo, Little Rock to Ferguson, photographs confront us with the realities of violence in the world. By examining various photographs and bringing them into conversation with the biblical narrative, consider the questions these photographs prompt us to ask, particularly as they pertain to the relationship between violence and redemption.


Special Thursday Session

Thursday, February 23

The Secret Concentration Camp Diary of Odd Nansen

  • 7:00 pm
  • Sanctuary

Join Timothy Boyce for an evening talk and discussion of the World War II diary From Day to Day, a book hailed by the New Yorker as “among the most compelling documents to come out of the war.” From Day to Day is a World War II concentration camp diary—one of only a handful ever translated into English—secretly written by Odd Nansen, a Norwegian political prisoner.  Having founded an organization in Norway to help refugees fleeing the Nazis in 1936, Nansen was arrested in January 1942 and held captive for the duration of the war in various Nazi camps in Norway and Germany. Nansen’s diary entries detail his palpable longing for his wife and family, his constantly frustrated hopes for release, the quiet strength and sometimes ugly prejudices of his fellow prisoners, and his horror at the especially barbaric treatment reserved for the Jews. The diary brilliantly illuminates Nansen’s daily struggle, not only to survive, but to preserve his sanity and maintain his humanity in a world engulfed by fear and hate.

Timothy Boyce, a retired lawyer, devoted years to getting the book back into print with full annotations.


 

 

 

Hoagies for Youth Mission

Need something to snack on while you watch the big game?!

To raise funds for Youth Mission trips, Nassau’s youth are selling hoagies which will be assembled here at the church on the morning of Sunday, February 5!

The varieties available:

  • Italian
  • Turkey and American Cheese
  • Ham and Swiss
  • Roast Beef and Cheddar

Prices: $6 for one six-inch hoagie or $20 for a family four pack.

Customization can be made for allergies, and with all toppings. Each hoagie will include a quarter pound of meat and cheese, and can be ordered already assembled or unassembled. We will proudly make our hoagies using bread from Italian People’s Bakery baked the morning of February 5th.

Orders will be taken during coffee hour on 1/29 or email your order to Amy Olsen at by Thursday, February 2nd.

Pickup your hoagie the morning of February 5th anytime from 10:30-12:30 in the Assembly Room. Thank you for your support!

Guatemalan Brunch – January 29

Assembly Room at 12:15 PM
Nassau Presbyterian Church

Since 2002, members of the Nassau Church community have found a variety of ways to help the children who attend New Dawn Trilingual Educational Center in Parramos, Guatemala. One is the program that provides nutritious daily breakfasts for approximately 250 primary students.

On January 29, we will once again host an authentic Guatemalan brunch in the Assembly Room after the 11 o’clock service. The menu includes fresh hand-made corn tortillas, fried ripe plantains, black beans, scrambled eggs with Guatemalan “chirmol” sauce, tropical-fruit salad, and Guatemalan sweet bread.  Please join us!

Tickets at $15 per person or $40 per family will be available during the January fellowship hours and at the door to the Assembly Room before the breakfast.  Checks may be made payable to Nassau Presbyterian Church, memo Guatemala Breakfast Fund.

For a donation of $80 you can become a Breakfast Patron and feed an entire class for a month.  And for a donation of $500 you can become a Breakfast Angel, providing every primary student with breakfast for one month.

Our mothers told us that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  Let’s give the Parramos students the benefit of a hot morning meal! For more information contact Jonathan Holmquist ()


 

January Concerts


Conservatory Noontime Recitals Resume on January 19 with the Volanti Flute Quartet

On Thursday, January 19 at 12:15 p.m. Westminster Conservatory at Nassau recitals will resume with a performance by the Volanti Flute Quartet.  Jill Crawford, Ellen Fisher Deerberg, Katherine McClure, and Barbara Highton Williams are all members of the Westminster Conservatory faculty.  The recital will take place in Niles Chapel and is open to the public free of charge.

The program on January 19 comprises Paule Maurice’s Suite, Echoes of the Ancients by Sarah Bassingthwaighte, Cecilia McDowall’s Hotfoot, Variations on Tutú Marambá by Osvaldo Lacerda, and Faustin Jeanjean’s Ski-Symphonie.

On February 16 Westminster Conservatory at Nassau will present Dezheng Ping, violin, and Phyllis Lehrer, piano who will perform music of Johannes Brahms.


 

Mass Incarceration Task Force Brings Focus on Criminal Justice

You can’t understand most of the important things from a distance. You have to get close. — Bryan Stevenson, Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption

At the urging of the Presbyterian Mission Agency, on Sunday, January 22, Presbyterians across the country will focus on the topic of criminal justice. Nassau Church’s Mass Incarceration Task Force has answered the call by inviting Andre Thomas, a local Trenton resident, to share his story of incarceration and new beginnings. He will be preaching during both services of Sunday worship.

There will be a time for Q&A with Mr. Thomas following the services at 12:15 PM in Niles Chapel.

Andre J. Thomas, Sr., lives in Trenton with his wife Angie and children Andre Jr. and Drea. Mr. Thomas was released from prison in 1997 after serving five years of a 15-year sentence. He is the Training Manager for Isles’ Center for Energy and Environmental Training and a member of the Princeton/Trenton chapter of the Campaign to End the New Jim Crow.

Find out more about the Mass Incarceration Task Force under Mission Groups and Initiatives.

 

Small Groups – Bible Readings

Week #1

Download the participant pages here: Session #1 (pdf)

Day Reading
Sunday Philippians 2:1-11
Monday Luke 1:26-38
Tuesday Mark 2:1–12
Wednesday Mark 4:35–41
Thursday Mark 6:1-6
Friday Mark 9:33-37
Saturday Mark 10: 17-31

Week #2

Download the participant pages here: Session #2 (pdf)

Day Reading
Sunday Matthew 5:1-12
Monday Luke 15:11-32
Tuesday Luke 11:1-13
Wednesday Mark 12:28-34
Thursday Matthew 6:25-34
Friday Luke 19:1-10 
Saturday John 13:1-20

Week #3

Download the participant pages here: Session #3 (pdf)

Day Reading
Sunday  Exodus 6:1-36
Monday  John 6:22-59
Tuesday  John 1:1-14
Wednesday  John 8:12-20
Thursday  Ezekiel 34
Friday  John 10:1-20
Saturday  John 15:1-17

Week #4

Download the participant pages here: Session #4 (pdf)


Week #5

Download the participant pages here: Session #5

Day Reading
Sunday  Psalm 8:1–9
Monday  Matthew 3:13–4:11
Tuesday  Mark 10:46–52
Wednesday  Matthew 17:1–13
Thursday  Luke 22:63–23:5
Friday  John 17:1–26
Saturday  John 3:1–16

Week #6

Download the participant pages here: Session #6 (pdf)

Day Reading
Sunday  John 3:1–16
Monday  John 5:19–29
Tuesday  John 11:1–44
Wednesday  John 13:1–35
Thursday  John 14:1–14
Friday  John 20:19–31
Saturday  John 21:1–19

 

Class on Britten’s “Rejoice in the Lamb”

Sunday, January 29
12:15 pm, Music Room

On Sunday, February 5, Nassau Church’s Adult Choir will join forces with the choir of Trinity Episcopal Church for a performance of Benjamin Britten’s “Rejoice in the Lamb” at Trinity Church’s choral evensong. In preparation for this special event, Noel Werner presents an introduction to this inspiring and delightful choral masterwork.

Using the poetry of the 18th-century metaphysical poet Christopher Smart, Britten wrote “Rejoice in the Lamb” as an extended paean, or song of praise. Though he suffered from mental illness, Smart’s poetic genius nonetheless shines through with flashes of mystical insight, and Britten proved to be the ideal composer for integrating Smart’s poetry into a coherent and compelling whole.

Come learn more about this 20th-century choral work, and then join the choirs of Nassau and Trinity on February 5 at 5:00 pm at Trinity Church to enjoy the work during evensong.

Women’s Retreat Asks, Paul, Friend or Foe?

  • February 10-12
  • Kenbrook Retreat Center, Lebanon, PA
  • Featuring speaker Frances Taylor Gench

The Bible is full of embarrassing, offensive, problematic texts that present serious interpretive challenges for contemporary Christian faith and practice. Should they be repudiated? Discarded? Silenced? Or are there perhaps more effective and faithful ways of handling them?

Come and tackle the importance of engaging them directly and publicly, with the expectation that we may encounter the living God in our con­versation with them. Passages in Paul’s letters that have proved oppres­sive in the lives of many Christian women will serve as test cases. Join us as we wrestle with them, consider strategies for engaging them with integrity, and reflect on our understandings of biblical authority.


Registration

The brochure and registration form is available in the literature rack outside the church office or via pdf. Forms are due to Derry Presbyterian Church by January 29.

Questions? Contact Joyce MacKichan Walker ().


About the Speaker

Frances Taylor Gench is Herbert Worth and Annie H. Jackson Professor of Biblical Interpre­tation at Union Presbyterian Seminary in Rich­mond, Virginia. Prior to joining the faculty of her alma mater in 1999, she taught for 13 years at Gettysburg Lutheran Seminary. She is the author of Encountering God in Tyrannical Texts: Reflections on Paul, Women, and the Authority of Scripture (WJKP, 2015), Faithful Disagreement: Wrestling with Scrip­ture in the Midst of Church Conflict (WJKP, 2009); Encounters with Jesus: Studies in the Gospel of John (WJKP, 2007); Back to the Well: Women’s Encounters with Jesus in the Gospels (WJKP, 2004); and Hebrews and James (WJKP, 1996). She is a parish associate at The New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C., where her husband, Roger J. Gench, is the pastor.

Mass Incarceration Task Force Celebrates First Success, Supports M.J. Rountree

  • Our ongoing relationship strives to support Mr. Rountree, a successfully returning citizen after 23 years of incarceration.
  • After months of searching to find a replacement for temporary housing, an apartment was located.
  • NPC congregation met the challenge by donating items and $1,818 in cash to equip this apartment.
  • Mr. Rountree moved into his newly furnished apartment in early December.

A Letter from M.J. Rountree

December 2016M.J. Rountree

Dear Nassau Presbyterian Church:

Today I went to work and returned to my new apartment; I am experiencing freedom in a real way. NPC members should know that the donated gifts leave me nearly speechless. Thank you from the deepest inner place of my being for giving me the opportunity to experience and enjoy life.

“Thank you” is not enough, but it’s all that I can say. I dearly appreciate everyone’s contributions, attempts, gestures, acts, generosity, and hospitality.  Thank you – every single one.

Marshall Justice Rountree

 


Return to Mass Incarceration Task Force

Adult Education – January 2017

Download a copy of the print brochure here: Jan 2017 (pdf)


Cosmos–Colossians–Us

9:15 AM, Assembly Room

Join us in January for our annual all-ages education series in the Assembly Room with warm bagels with choices of spreads (nutella, grape jelly, cream cheese) along with hot beverages. Welcome, Middle School and High School students and adults!

In this series we will explore Paul’s letter to the Colossians, in which, in four short chapters, Paul charts a cosmic course from the creation of the universe to the congregation in Colossae (present-day Turkey). Learn about who these ancient people and the God who redeems them, us, and the whole cosmos.

January 8

Created through Christ
Mark Edwards

Christians often call God the Creator, but in Colossians 1, Paul says Christ is. How can this be? What role does he play? Using an amazing clip from Tree of Life, we’ll explore a cosmic vision of creation in Christ. Mark Edwards is Director of Youth Ministry here at Nassau, teaches at both The College of New Jersey and Princeton Theological Seminary, and is a Nassau parent.

January 15

The Mystery of Christ
Jacq Lapsley

  • Music Room

Paul calls Christ, “God’s mystery” and proceeds to try to solve the greatest problems of the Bible in light of the cross.  How does it all work? Join Jacq Lapsley for a session that collapses the Old and New Testaments into Christ. Jacqueline Lapsley wears many hats at Nassau, and in her spare time teaches Old Testament at Princeton Theological  Seminary. She is a fan of the intergenerational January education series and also
Star Wars.

January 22

Clothed in Christ
Nancy Lammers-Gross

Here Paul says our deaths and lives are “hidden in Christ.” What does this mean? And can the Christian really live in the compassionate way Paul suggests? Nancy Lammers-Gross is Associate Professor of Speech Communication in Ministry at Princeton Theological Seminary and a parent of former Nassau youth.

January 29

Colossians (& Us) in Christ
Eric Barreto

Who were the Colossians anyway?  And what does Paul’s letter to this strange congregation have to say about Christ’s call to our church? Join Eric Barreto as he unpacks the names, places, and meanings in Paul’s closing chapter. Eric Barreto is Weyerhaeuser Associate Professor of New Testament at Princeton Seminary, an ordained Baptist minister, and a Nassau parent.


1st Corinthians In-Depth

George Hunsinger

9:15 AM, Maclean House

  • Ongoing through May 21
  • Class does not meet on January 1 or 8

George Hunsinger returns for the 20th year to lead this verse-by-verse examination of the First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians. Bibles are available for use during the class. Find them on the Deacon Desk by the church kitchen. Class meets next door in Maclean House (Garden Entrance).


Living the Questions

Bill Phillippe

9:15 AM, Niles Chapel

Come and hear and discuss the ideas of a number of progressive contemporary theologians and scholars such as John Dominic Crossan, Amy Jill Levine, and the late Marcus Borg. The overall theme is transformation. During a 20-minute video, which includes conversation, sermon clips, and lecture excerpts by a number of thought-provoking speakers, we will stop the video 4 or 5 times to engage in facilitated discussion led by retired Presbyterian pastor, Bill Phillippe, a Minister of Word and Sacrament who attends Nassau Presbyterian Church.

William R. (Bill) Phillippe is a retired Presbyterian minister and author of The Pastor’s Diary. He says about his book   “….I got involved in the church during high school and college and discovered others had different myths than I did. This expanding awareness gave me the stimulus to take a hard look at my own myth.”  Bill has served a number of churches, was Synod Executive for 10 years, and has served as Acting Executive Director of the General Assembly Mission Council.

January 15

A Kingdom Without Walls

The good news of the gospel tells of a radical hospitality where boundaries, barriers, and walls are overcome by a grace that knows no bounds.

January 22

Social Justice: Realizing God’s vision

Being a person of faith demands balancing spiritual pursuits with action.  In a society which is often unjust and inequitable, we are compelled to pursue social justice as an expression of hope in realizing a better world.

January 29

Incarnation: Divinely Human

The meaning of incarnation has been debated since the beginning of Christianity.  Although often associated with Jesus alone, the notion of incarnation can be understood to also include Jesus’ followers, called, like Jesus, to enflesh the Spirit in divinely human ways.