Adult Faith Formation

Sundays at 10:10am in the SJLC Fellowship Hall

Manna and Mercy

This fall we're continuing to explore Daniel Erlander’s Manna and Mercy: A Brief History of God’s Unfolding Promise to Mend the Entire Universe during Adult Faith Formation.   Erlander, a Lutheran pastor and former Professor at Pacific Lutheran University, wrote the booklet (and did the illustrations) when he was a resident at Holden Village in Washington state.  The booklet is a “vibrant, in-depth exploration of the Bible . . . that focuses on God’s grace and never-ending love for all creation. Manna and Mercy is a book about God--more specifically, the God of the Bible who is present and active in human history and in our lives today.”

The booklet does a quick 16-week survey of the Bible, centering on the theme of God’s love for creation and people (providing them with manna and mercy).  The author’s collaborator Michael Poeller wrote that the Hebrew concept of “tikkun olam” (to repair the world), laid the groundwork for the book’s subtitle— “God’s unfolding promise to mend the entire universe.”

Each week (except for the First Sunday brunches this fall) through November 17 we’ll be considering a single chapter, meeting in the Fellowship Hall at 10:10. For those who don’t have a booklet and would like one, they’re available from Augsburg Fortress Publishing. Just connect to this link. (https://www.augsburgfortress.org/store/product/9781506457017/Manna-and-Mercy).  If you have any questions or would like to look at a sample chapter, contact Chuck Maland (cmaland@utk.edu).

Check each week in the St. John’s Minute what we’ll focus on in the upcoming Sunday.  You don’t need to have read a chapter to benefit from a session.  All are welcome.