This Lent we will undertake as a community a conversation about issues surrounding immigration and refugee resettlement, “Seeking Refuge, Finding Home: A Community Exploration of Immigration and Refugee Resettlement,” focusing specifically on our call as Christians to respond to the needs of the world, to love our neighbors as ourselves and to be open to new possibilities of how God is moving in our lives and communities. This year there will be many ways to take part in this important conversation, as well as other offerings to help us explore our faith and how God is calling us to respond to our own needs and the needs of others.
The first way to get involved is to attend the Lenten forum series, “The Community of the Seeker,” which will include a variety of speakers who will explore various aspects of immigration and refugee resettlement in our community and culture. Speakers will include Dean Penny Bridges, Consul General Marcela Celorio, SDSU Immigration Economics professor Dr. Enrico Marcelli, Imam Taha Hassane from the Islamic Center of San Diego, as well as Katherine Bom from Episcopal Refugee Net and St. Paul’s member Irving Hernandez who will share from their own experiences.
The second way to get involved is by signing up for one of three Wednesday night class offerings, starting on February 14th and ending on March 28th. Each Wednesday gathering will begin with dinner at 6:00 pm and then classes from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm. The first class is “Finding Our Spiritual Home: Adult Preparation for Baptism and Confirmation,” which is open to all those interested in being either baptized, confirmed or reaffirmed at the Easter Vigil on Saturday, March 31st. This class will focus on the main teachings of the Episcopal Church, as well as on cultivating ways to continue to connect our faith with our everyday lives.
The second class offering is for those looking to delve deeper into an exploration of their own understandings of faith with, “Living the Questions,” which offers participants weekly opportunities to explore some of the most profound questions of our faith, and creates a safe space to openly discuss our faith with one another while also continuing to learn how to embody our faith in our daily lives.
Finally, for those interested in focusing even more on the theme of global refugee resettlement, there is a book study of Michael Soerens, “Seeking Refuge: On The Shores of the Global Refugee Crisis,” which offers a Christian exploration of and reflection on the global refugee crisis. Whether you take part in one of these offerings, or in both, please know that you are being invited to go deeper, to take a journey with you fellow community members of silent and honest introspection and learning in safe and open spaces.
