The Office of Adult Formation for the Diocese of Nashville has launched several programs this fall for people across the diocese.
The office has released its third Bible Study for use by parish small faith groups or by individuals. Its title is “Encountering Christ” and examines Scripture stories of people who encountered Christ, how Christ changed them, and how people today can apply that experience in their own life, said Joan Watson, director of adult formation.
“A lot of time we read the Scripture and see it as happening back then,” Watson said. “What I hope the study does is put us in the story. What would we do if we were one of these people?”
Each lesson includes the Scripture story; some background about the story such as information about the time and place; and questions for group discussion, Watson explained. The answers to the questions are included so group leaders can have help in guiding the discussion, she added.
The study is available from Watson’s office in book form or it can be downloaded as a PDF from the office’s website, she said.
For parishes that want to use the Bible Study for small faith groups, Watson is available to teach group leaders on how to use the study, she said.
Earlier in September, Watson launched the Highway 70 W Speaker Series, which will feature three more speakers at venues in Dickson and McEwen.
“That’s an effort to get out to more parishes,” Watson said.
It’s difficult for people in some areas of the diocese to get to Nashville for the adult formation programs, Watson explained. By holding the talks outside Nashville, she hopes to bring the program to people who are interested in adult formation programs.
The next speaker will be Father Kevin McGoldrick, the chaplain at St. Cecilia Academy, who will speak on Divine Mercy on Thursday, Oct. 25, at St. Christopher Church in Dickson.
The other speakers will be held at St. Patrick Church in McEwen on Nov. 15 and Dec. 13 at the Bethany Retreat House in Dickson. All the talks begin at 6:30 p.m.
“We have a talk but we also have some prayer time,” Watson said. “Then there is fellowship at the end.”
The Catholic Imagination Book Club meets every other month to discuss different pieces of literature. “The goal is finding Catholic themes in literature … and using that to evangelize,” Watson said.
The next meeting will feature Merideth Ochs, an English teacher at St. Cecilia Academy, talking about the short story “The Hint of an Explanation” by Graham Greene. It will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 18, at the Catholic Pastoral Center, 2800 McGavock Pike in Nashville.
Other meetings will be: Wednesday, Dec. 5, “Leaf by Niggle,” a short story by J. R. R. Tolkien; Thursday, Feb. 21, “Isabella’s Libretto” by Kimberly Cross Teter; and Monday, April 22, “Brideshead Revisited” by Evelyn Waugh.
The theme for this year’s Fall Speaker Series is “Papal Documents: Why Should I Care?” The series will examine four documents that are having significant anniversaries this year.
“They’ve been around a while,” Watson said. “Do they matter to us? Should the average Catholic care? Who are they written for? … They really are written for us.”
The speakers will talk about “what do these documents say to the culture and to us,” Watson said.
Though the series shares a theme, each talk can stand alone for people who can’t attend all the talks.
The first talk, “The Good News of Humanae Vitae: The Cure for a Culture With a Broken Heart,” will be by Jenny Uebbing of Denver, who blogs about motherhood and trying to be a faithful Catholic. It is scheduled for Oct. 22.
This year is the 50th anniversary of “Humanae Vitae,” the encyclical by Pope Paul VI.
Other talks will include:
- Oct. 29, St. John Paul II’s “Fides et Ratio: The False Divorce of Faith and Reason” (20 year anniversary) by Brian Thomas
- Nov. 5, Pope Pius XII’s “Mystici Corporis Christi: Paving the Way for Vatican II” (75 year anniversary) by Joan Watson
- Nov 12, St. John Paul II’s “Dies Domini: Why Sunday is the Most Important Day of the Week” (20 year annivesary) by Father John Hammond.
The talks are held at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. at the Catholic Pastoral Center.
For more information about any of the programs, email Watson at
Joan.watson@dioceseofnashville.com.
