All are welcome!

A Reconciling in Christ Congregation

Saint Mark Lutheran Church

Faith Dialogues at Saint Mark welcomes Rev. Dr. Barbara Lundblad for a weekend of discussion and learning.

FULL AUDIO OF DR. LUNDBLAD’S PRESENTATIONS

WHEN:

November 16th–18th, 2018

COST:

All events are free and open to the public.

LOCATION:

Saint Mark Lutheran Church
790 Marion Street NE
Salem, Oregon 97301
Map »

EVENT BROCHURE:

Faith Dialogues – Rev. Dr. Barbara Lundblad (pdf)

Schedule

All events are open to the public — All are welcome! 

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 16th
7:00–8:30PM Jesus Would Bake the Cake: A Christian Case for Sexual Justice

Saint Mark Sanctuary
Doors open at 6:30pm

8:30PM Fellowship & Reception

Fireside Lounge

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 17th
9:00AM–10:30AM Preaching in a Polarized Society

Saint Mark Sanctuary

11:00AM–NOON What Do I Expect from a Sermon?

Saint Mark Sanctuary

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18th
9:45–10:45AM Sunday Forum
Fireside Lounge

Session Descriptions

Friday Evening Lecture

Jesus Would Bake the Cake: A Christian Case for Sexual Justice

The Religious Freedom Restoration Act has been used to support the right of businesses to refuse services to same-gender couples. Some fear that a more conservative Supreme Court may overturn the legalization of gay marriage. Many Christian people don’t know what to say when neighbors question their faith on this topic: Haven’t you abandoned the Bible? Aren’t you obeying culture rather than God? How can you even call yourself a Christian if you say gay marriage is good? In our time together we will explore strategies and resources for addressing these questions.

Saturday Workshop

Preaching in a Polarized Society

9:00am — 10:30am

Note: This workshop is directed at clergy but all are welcome.

How do we preach in our divided culture where political allegiance is often more defining than denomination or theology? How do we preach on social issues when listeners don’t want to hear politics from the pulpit? We know some congregations are primarily “liberal” or “conservative” with most members identifying with one label or the other. But many congregations include people who hold very different views. Fred Craddock often reminded us that “what is said is not as important as what is heard.” What strategies can help us bridge the hearing gap? How can we help listeners move into and through resistance? What can we do to help people hear hard words (such as the words often spoken by Jesus?)

What Do I Expect from a Sermon?

11:00am – Noon

This session is especially for lay people and others who usually listen to sermons rather than preach them. We will talk about the following, as well as concerns on your mind: What can help me really listen to a sermon? How can I give feedback to the preacher that is more helpful than “Nice sermon, Pastor”? What do you do with questions that remain when the sermon is over? If you could preach a sermon, what would you say? We’ll look together at one Gospel text for Advent: where do you imagine a sermon on this text could take us?

About Rev. Dr. Barbara Lundblad

Barbara K. Lundblad is the Joe R. Engle Professor of Preaching Emerita at Union Theological Seminary. She received a B.A. from Augustana College and a Master of Divinity degree from Yale Divinity School. She is also the recipient of numerous honorary doctorates, including the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. An ordained pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, she served for sixteen years as pastor of Our Saviour’s Atonement Lutheran Church in New York City. While teaching at Union she also served as Pastoral Associate at Advent Lutheran Church in Manhattan.

A preacher on The Protestant Hour radio program since 1983, Professor Lundblad has appeared on the Chicago Evening Club television series 30 Good Minutes. She has preached in hundreds of congregations and universities; has lectured extensively in this country and internationally; and has given the Beecher Lectures at Yale Divinity School and other major conferences. She is the author of Transforming the Stone: Preaching through Resistance to Change and Marking Time: Preaching Biblical Stories in Present Tense.

Reverend Lundblad has held many leadership positions in the Lutheran church, including the ELCA Church Council, and has been a strong advocate for the inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons in the church.