Zephyr Point

God Does Not Punish

by Herman Waetjen (First Period)

Science and the Christian Faith

by Greg Love (Second Period)

Is there a difference between “righteousness” and “justice?” Is the former a private matter in our relationship to God? And is “justice” that which we pursue in our American civil society? How then do we interpret Romans 1:17, The righteousness/justice of God is being revealed in it (the Gospel)? Both “righteousness” and “justice” are based on law: the law of God and the law of our American constitution. But the widespread differentiation between God’s laws and our society’s laws is not biblical. The Ten Commandments of the Sinai Covenant, for example, were directed toward social and economic justice in Israelite society for the common good. So it would appear that all law, God’s laws and our society’s laws are directed toward justice in our human relationships in society. But the surprise that Paul confronts us with is that law does not produce justice, neither God’s law of the Sinai Covenant nor our society’s laws. How, then, do we interpret Romans 1:17? And as we pursue our thinking on this issue, we must confront ourselves with Paul’s statement in Galatians 3:19 that God is not the author of the Sinai law. As he says, “It was constituted by angels.” What then do we do with the law? And how does the Gospel enable us to do justice in our society? These are the central issues that will be discussed in this course, culminating in the decisive determination that “God does not punish.”

Herman C. Waetjen, Doctor of theology (Eberhard-Karls University of Tübingen, Germany) taught in the School of Religion of the University of Southern California, and subsequently as the Robert S. Dollar Professor of New Testament at San Francisco Theological Seminary in San Anselmo and the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley. He retired in 1996, after 34 years of teaching, but he has continued to teach right into the present time. He is the author of books on the gospels of Matthew, Mark and John and now also on Pauls Letter to the Romans (2011). He is married to Mary Suzanne Struyk, who retired from teaching English and art at a continuation high school in San Rafael. They have three children.

Do scientific and religious views of the world conflict, or cohere with one another? For example, how can God act in a world which science understands as ruled by natural laws, chance, and human free will? And does the Christian belief that God created the world clash with scientific understandings of the world’s beginnings in the Big Bang and Evolution? Further, what can we expect of God when we pray? This course investigates whether you can be a Christian and have a scientific view of the world at the same time. We first trace the root of the perceived inconsistency between science and religion to a 17th century misunderstanding of God’s transcendence, and to misunderstandings of Genesis 1-2. We then look at how it is possible for God to act in the same world described by scientists. We end by seeing how our Christian faith challenges ethics rooted only in science, by asking about the ethical implications of genetic engineering.

The Rev. Gregory Anderson Love, Ph. D., is Associate Professor of Systematic Theology at San Francisco Theological Seminary. Prior to teaching seminarians, Dr. Love taught college students at St. Olaf College. Also a Presbyterian pastor, Dr. Love brings together the best of contemporary Christian theology with the issues of Christians in the pews.

The Necessary Miracle

by Julie Love (First Period)

At the Crossroads: What Path? Which Way? Why now?

with SoulCollage(R) Prayer Cards: A Visual Journey of the Soul

by Marjorie Hoyer-Smith (Second Period)

We pray almost every week, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Does that mean that God’s forgiveness of us is somehow contingent on our willingness to forgive each other? And what does it mean, really, to forgive? Do we then need to forget? I am convinced that forgiveness is at the core of our faith, yet is something we rarely talk about in the church. This week, we will contemplate the event of forgiveness, both gift and act. This week, we will discover the freedom and joy of this necessary miracle.

Julie grew up in the Seattle area, so loves a good cup of coffee and rainy days. She earned her BA in English from Pacific Lutheran University, her Master’s of Divinity from Princeton Seminary and her MFA in creative writing from USF. She followed her professorial husband, working in churches in New Jersey, Oregon, Minnesota and California. Currently, she lives with her family in San Anselmo, California and is working on her second book, tentatively called The Necessary Miracle, contemplating the imperative and gift of forgiveness. Her daughter is eight and 1/2: her hearing dog Corin and short-haired cat, Monkey, keep her on her toes.

O my people, your leaders mislead you, and confuse the course of your paths. Isaiah 3:12b We live in Crossroad times. Perhaps a crossroad moment exists every time we ask a question of spiritual depth and meaning, whether making an ordinary life decision or discerning a major challenge for the future. This class will give focus to our own personal crossroads as we respond to the questions: What Path? Which Way? Why Now? Through image and prayer, reflection and sharing we will explore these crossroads in relation to the Mystery of God, others, and the world. Each SoulCollage Prayer Card we make expresses a portion of our life-story; the themes, colors, symbol all reveal layers of meaning, both known and unknown. Perhaps the question, Why now? might be the one that awakens us to something More. Guided exercises, prayer and reflection, card making, journaling, and sharing.

Rev. Marjorie Hoyer Smith is a spiritual director, supervisor, and retreat leader who often integrates artistic expressions into her personal faith journey as well as her professional work. She received SoulCollage Facilitator Traing through Seen B. Frost, author and creator of SoulCollage(R).

Ethics at the Edges of Life

by Lisa Fullam (First Period)

World Religions – Soteriology and Spiritual Guidance

by John Mabry (Second Period)

Many of the most vexing ethical problems today concern the beginning and the end of life. When does human life begin? What degree of respect is due to the early embryo, and why? How do these questions help us navigate issues like stem cell research and elective abortion? At the other end of our journey, new questions arise. How do we make medical decisions in the face of serious illness? We’ll talk about advance care directives, organ donation, and assisted suicide and euthanasia. Finally, we’ll take stock of the spiritual resources Christian tradition offers those approaching death: we’ll look at the ars moriendi, and, if the class wishes, we’ll explore Christian funeral and mourning practices, what works, what doesn’t, and what we might want for ourselves. By looking at the edges of life, we’ll be working toward a response to one of the most basic and enduring questions of human life: what makes our lives worthwhile? The specific issues we’ll discuss are negotiable at the beginning of the class, so come with a sense of what you’d like to talk about!

Lisa Fullam, ThD, is assistant professor of moral theology at the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley where she teaches classes including Virtue Ethics, Sexual Ethics, and Fundamental Moral Theology. She is a 2001 graduate of Harvard Divinity School, and her dissertation was entitled “The Virtue of Humility: A Reconstruction Based in Thomas Aquinas.” Lisa has taught classes related to ethics and moral decision-making at three previous Zephyr Experiences.

What do we mean when we say “salvation”? What do other religions mean by it? In this class we’ll do a whirlwind tour through the religions of the world, focusing on the theory of salvation in each tradition. Since how we see salvation relates to spiritual growth, this will also give us insight into how to offer effective spiritual guidance to people of various faiths when we have opportunity or necessity to do so.

John R. Mabry is professor of interfaith theology and spiritual direction at the Chaplaincy Institue for Arts and Interfaith Ministry in Berkeley, CA, and assistant director of the Master’s Program in Interfaith Spiritual Guidance at the Institue of Transpersonal Psychology in Palo Alto. He has served as associate pastor – and later pastor – at Grace North Church (Congregational) for nearly twenty years. He has written numerous books on spirituality, spiritual guidance, and world religions. He sings for two progressive rock bands in the South Bay, Metaphor and Mind Furniture. He lives in Oakland, CA, with his wife and dog.