Class Outline:

Come to see how the Gospel of Jesus’ Love and Justice is impacted by Empire Culture and to discover ways we may resist Empires and follow Jesus

Purpose:

To raise awareness of the Empire Culture we are enmeshed in, and to see that it is not the Gospel of Creation/Jesus. · To clarify our own dependence on Empire thinking, to clarify the Gospel that Jesus taught, and to understand how he resisted Empire Culture in his day. · To consider ways we might resist the empire, knowing we cannot totally separate ourselves from the Empire Culture.

Four-Week Study:

• Week 1: What is the Gospel of worshipping the Empire? Define. How does it relate to people

• Week 2: To begin to see how enmeshed we are in Empire Culture

• Week 3: How did Jesus resist the Empire (Roman and Temple) in scripture; how did he relate to people

• Week 4: Class discussion on ways we might be able to engage and to move farther from the Gospel of Empire toward the Gospel of Jesus (Creation)

This class is about our unknown complicity in the Empire and finding ways to follow Creation and Jesus.

It is about truth over lies, unlearning and new learning, rejecting hierarchy and embracing kinship.

It is about appreciating the truths found in paradox and leaving dualistic thinking behind.

It affirms our worth as children of God, not by how much we produce. It rejects devaluing the old, · children, the sick, the marginalized and persons of color.

It embraces a life that includes rest, slowing down, and not being in constant production mode to prove our value.

We are to embrace who God meant us to be and our kinship with all of Creation