The Center and SU team up for Dr. Pheme Perkins presentation

Mark your calendars for these exciting programs!
Fall into fashion at the Hand to Hand Gift Shop
Now is the perfect time to stop by
the Hand to Hand Gift Shop and
update your look for the fall! New
merchandise, including stunning
jewerly pieces and gorgeous scarves,
are now on display. These one-of-akind pieces sell fast, so stop by soon
before they are gone!
This fall, join the Center for these upcoming workshops and seminars. All programs are held at our 1342 Lancaster Avenue location in
Syracuse, unless noted otherwise. Please register online at spiritualrenewalcenter.com or call the Center at 315-472-6546.
REGISTER TODAY! The Spiritual Exercises of St.
Ignatius Loyola | Tuesdays, Sept. 16 – May 12 |
$600 + $40 application fee
Enhance your spiritual sensitivity and find God in all
aspects of your life with The Spiritual Exercises of St.
Ignatius Loyola. Led by Sister Marise May and a team of
dedicated prayer guides, this in-the-home retreat will lead
you on a transformational experience of personal renewal.
The Spiritual Exercises are a highly-structured program
involving daily prayer time with specific materials, weekly
meetings, group presentations and one-on-one sessions
with a prayer guide.
Contact Sister Marise May at 315-472-6546 for more
information.
Fee may be paid weekly.
Becoming the Body of Christ: The Acts of
Apostles | Sept 18, 25 & Oct. 9, 16 at 7 - 9 pm
The Acts of Apostles holds a unique place in the New
Testament as the only narrative record of the church’s
history in its infancy. Learn how these early experiences
of the church teach us about being the Body of Christ in
every age and place. This course will take place on Sept.
18, 25 and Oct. 9, 16 from 7 to 9 pm. We ask for $42 to
attend or whatever you can afford.
Led by Rev. Dr. Mark Lawson, who is a pastor at United
Church of Christ in Bayberry and an adjunct professor in
the Religious Studies department at LeMoyne College.
Gospel of Mark | Sept. 24 & Oct. 1, 8, 15 at 6:30 –
8:30 pm | Held at St. Joseph the Worker Parish
Center, 1001 Tulip St. in Liverpool
As the earliest of the four gospels to be written, the
Gospel of Mark paints a striking picture of Jesus and the
impact his ministry had on those he encountered. Explore
the historical and cultural background of these writings as
well as their historical and cultural significance for today’s
believers.
This engaging course will be led by Jim Krisher, director of
the Spiritual Renewal Center and adjunct faculty member
in the Religious Studies department at LeMoyne College.
It will be hosted by St. Joseph the Worker and Immaculate
Heart of Mary. To register or receive more information,
please contact Micki Bliss, St. Joseph the Worker Parish,
315-451-2452.
5
Envisioning What It Means to be Church with
Thomas Merton | Oct. 2 at 7 pm
This presentation will discuss the vision of Thomas Merton
and how he summoned us to picture the Church – “as
a mystery that is beyond the reach of bureaucracy,” “a
community in which truth is shared,” and “a Church of
friends.” This event is $20 to attend or whatever you can
afford.
Dr. Christine M. Bochen, professor of Religious Studies
at Nazareth College will be the presenter. She is an
internationally prominent Merton scholar, who has edited
several volumes of his writings. She co-edited Thomas
Merton: A Life and Letters with William Shannon and coauthored The Thomas Merton Encyclopedia.
Want the latest information on sales
and specials? SIgn up for our e-news
at spiritualrenewalcenter.com and
join the Center’s Facebook page to
get exclusive deals!
Get a headstart on the holiday
shopping season by bringing the gift
shop to you! Hand to Hand Gift Shop
will bring its fair-trade products to
any church, business or organization.
To learn more about outside sales,
please contact Judy Carr at
315-472-6546.
This issue was made
possible by generous
support from The James J.
Dwyer Jr. Memorial Fund
and a member of our
Board of Trustees.
UPCOMING EVENTS
What Comes Next? | 2nd Wednesday of each
month beginning on Oct. 8 at 7 - 9 pm
For those who have completed The Spiritual Exercises
of St. Ignatius, the usual question is, “What’s next?”
Graduates of the Exercises are invited begin a year-long
journey into the deeper graces of life. This group will
meet on the second Wednesday of each month at 7 pm
beginning on October 8 through May. Please join us as we
mine the riches of this time-honored approach to prayer.
There is a suggested free will offering of $20 per session.
This program will be led by Father Lou Sogliuzzo, SJ, a
Ignatian spirituality practitioner and one of the Center’s
spiritual directors.
Grace Sufficient? Living in Christ with Chronic
Pain | Oct. 23 at 7 - 9 pm
If you or a loved one has been touched by chronic pain or
illness, this evening of renewal is for you. This workshop
on Oct. 23 will reflect on the spiritual challenges facing
individuals with chronic illness or pain and discuss various
Christian understandings of God’s role in human suffering.
We ask for $20 to attend or whatever you can afford.
Kathy Faber-Langendoen, MD, will present this insightful
workshop. She is an oncologist and bioethicist who has
lived with chronic pain. Kathy also directs adult education
programs at Onondaga Hill Presbyterian Church and is a
longtime friend of the Center.
COMING THIS NOVEMBER! The Problem of Evil: Job’s
Dilemma and Ours | Nov. 13 at 7 pm | Presenter: Dr.
Joseph Kelly
Connect with the Spiritual Renewal Center
Get social with the Spirtual Renewal Center and find us on
Facebook and Twitter today. You can also share your email
address with us at spiritualrenewalcenter.com and get the
latest information sent right to your inbox.
facebook.com/spiritualrenewalcenter
twitter.com/spiritualrencnter
REGISTER TODAY! The
Spiritual Exercises of St.
Ignatius Loyola | Tuesdays,
Sept. 16 – May 12 | $600 + $40
application fee
Becoming the Body of Christ:
The Acts of Apostles | Sept
18, 25 & Oct. 9, 16 at 7 pm
Gospel of Mark | Sept. 24 &
Oct. 1, 8, 15 at 6:30 pm | Held
at St. Joseph the Worker
Parish Center, 1001 Tulip St.
in Liverpool
Envisioning What It Means
to be Church with Thomas
Merton | Oct. 2 at 7 pm
What Comes Next? | 2nd
Wednesday of each month
beginning on Oct. 8 at 7 pm
Grace Sufficient?: Living in
Christ with Chronic Pain | Oct.
23 at 7 pm
Register online at
spiritualrenewalcenter.com
or call the Center at
315-472-6546.
Details about our fall
programs is on page 5.
September / October 2014
Volume 1 • Issue 2
The Center and SU team up for
Dr. Pheme Perkins presentation
The Spiritual Renewal Center
has partnered with Syracuse
University to bring renowned
Biblical scholar, Dr. Pheme
Perkins, to the area.
Dr. Perkins will give two
presentations during her time in
the Syracuse area.
ABOUT US
Spiritual Renewal Center is a
Christian ministry that provides
spiritual direction and renewal
opportunities to all members of
the community.
Learn more about us at
spiritualrenewalcenter.com.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Dr. Pheme Perkins
Paul, The Prisoner | Oct. 29 at 7 pm | Held at Spiritual
Renewal Center, 1342 Lancaster Avenue, Syracuse 13210
Jim Krisher, chairperson
Kathy Papa, vice chairperson
Ann Derr, secretary
This fascinating lecture will investigate Paul’s prison
experiences and his relationship to Christ in the Pauline
letters. We ask for $20 to attend this presentation or
whatever you can afford. Please reserve your spot by
contacting the Center at 315-472-6546 or
[email protected]. You can also register
online at spiritualrenewalcenter.com.
Dave Babcock
Chris Bart
Kathy Faber-Langendoen
Pattye Hubbard
Rev. Don Kirby, SJ
Rev. Joe Neville, SJ
Chris Porter
Matt Shuff
Scott Wincheck
How We Got Four Gospels | Oct. 30 at 3 pm | Held at the
Noble Room at SU’s Hendricks Chapel
EDITOR
Co-Sponsored by Hendricks Chapel, SU’s Religious Studies
Department and the Spiritual Renewal Center
Dr. Perkins will describe the emergence of the four gospel
canon during the 2nd century. The public is invited to attend
this event.
Dr. Perkins is a professor at Boston College, where she
teaches New Testament. She is the author of more than
25 books on early Christianity, including commentaries
and academic works on the Johannine writings, Pauline
theology and the Gnostic contribution to 2nd century
Christianity. Dr. Perkins was the first female president of
the Catholic Biblical Association. She is an associate editor
of the New Oxford Annotated Bible. She is an active
member of Good Shepherd Parish in Wayland, MA, where
she is engaged in adult faith formation projects.
Allison M. Bowman
The Spiritual Renewal Center is
located at 1342 Lancaster Avenue
in Syracuse. You can reach us at
315-472-6546.
HOURS OF OPERATION
Monday - Wednesday
& Friday: 9 am - 5 pm
Thursdays: 9am - 7:30 pm
HOLIDAY HOURS
Spiritual Renewal Center will be
closed on Monday, October 13, in
observance of Columbus Day.
1
Save the Date!
Blessing of the new
Center on
September 17
Mike Lonie
Novice joins Center this fall
The Society of Jesus has assigned a novice to the Spiritual
Renewal Center. Mike Lonie will begin his work at the Center
on Tuesdays and Thursdays in September. He is starting his
second year at the Jesuit Novitiate of St. Andrew Hall.
Mike is originally from New Jersey. He graduated from
Georgetown University in 2011, where he majored in Middle
Eastern History and minored in Arabic. He holds a master’s
degree in Education from The College of New Jersey. Mike
was attracted to the Jesuits for their sense of community and
their idea of finding God in all things.
Mike will lead Catch the Spirit – our Tuesday morning Bible
study – through December, assist within our prison ministry,
and share his gifts with the Center.
Friends and staff of the Spiritual
Renewal Center are invited to gather
on Wednesday, September 17, to pray
God’s blessing on our new home at
1342 Lancaster Avenue. Together, we
will celebrate God’s Providence and
the ongoing work of our ministry. The
blessing begins at 7 p.m. with a prayer
procession and song from room to room.
Light refreshments and socializing will
follow the service.
Please join us for this
momentous occasion!
RSVP to the Center at 315-472-6546 or
[email protected].
UPCOMING MEETINGS
The Spiritual Renewal Center invites you to attend our weekly meetings held at our new location, 1342
Lancaster Avenue in Syracuse. For more information, please contact the Center at 315-472-6546 or
[email protected].
Catch the Spirit
Catch the Spirit will meet on Tuesdays at 10 am beginning
on September 2 for a weekly Bible study. Registration is not
required and there is no fee to attend.
NEW NAME! Women’s Faith-Sharing Group
The Women’s Faith-Sharing Group – formerly known as
Women’s Spiritual Direction Group – will meet on September
18 and October 16, 7 to 8:30 pm. The new name of this
monthly discussion better reflects the spirit of this group.
Spiritual Director Kathy Papa guides this gathering of Christian
women. We ask for $15 per session.
Contemplative Prayer Group
Bring only yourself to our Contemplative Prayer Group on
Wednesdays at 5:30 pm. Registration is not required and there
is no fee to attend.
2
Bridges to Contemplative Living
Bridges to Contemplative Living is a small group dialogue,
reflection, and prayer group intended for anyone seeking to
be more thoughtful in their day-to-day lives. It is based on the
series of writings by Trappist monk Thomas Merton and other
prominent spiritual guides. The group will start with the book,
Entering the School of Your Experience. This weekly program
will meet on Wednesdays for nine weeks beginning on
September 24, 10 to 11:30 am. It will be led by Kay Satterfield,
an experienced group facilitator and certified spiritual director
who holds a master’s degree in Pastoral Care from Fordham
University. Registration is not required and there is no fee to
attend. A free will offering to the Center is suggested along
with $7 for the cost of the book.
Jim Krisher, Director of
the Spiritual Renewal Center
Grace Abundant
If you’ve spent any time at all in Christian circles, you know
that word “grace” is one of the most important words in
our religious vocabulary. It’s all over the place in the New
Testament, and all over the place in our hymns and prayers.
Indeed, that word is omnipresent in Christianity because
what it refers to is so central to Christian revelation and the
ongoing life of the Christian.
In the scriptures, the Greek word that is translated as
“grace” in our English bibles is this wonderful word xaris –
from it we get English words like “charisma”, and “charism.”
We can start to get a flavor of xaris by looking at what it
means in secular Greek usage, even before it was adopted
into Christian scripture. Here are just a few of its meanings
in secular usage: delight, beauty, attractiveness, charm,
kindness, goodwill, gratitude, favor, boon.
Already we get the clear sense that xaris is something really
good!
The word and forms of it appear in many places in the
gospels – for example, Lk. 1:28 uses a verb form of xaris
when Mary is addressed as “highly favored one,” or “full of
grace,” and it appears again two verses later where Mary is
said to have found favor with God. I love how, near the end
of the prologue in the gospel of John, the evangelist uses
that word to tell us that through Jesus we have all received
“grace upon grace” – superabundant, piled up, outpouring
favor from God!
Grace Abundant, continued
But St. Paul is the real apostle of grace – see how frequently
he opens or closes his letters with the wish for grace, or
“grace and peace.” For Paul and the other apostolic writers,
that word “xaris” seems to sum up the profound mercy,
tenderness, and faithfulness of God that was experienced
in Old Testament times and that is now made even more
manifest in Jesus.
It is a word that
emphasizes
and even more
deeply reveals
the character of
our God as Giver,
as self-giving, as
overflowing Love,
as pure generosity.
And Paul is so
emphatic that
grace is free – absolutely, totally free, total gift! We can’t
ever earn it! It’s so hard for us, isn’t it, to grasp this – to
believe that something so astonishingly good can be true.
Often I hear people who’ve been touched by grace saying
things like “But I don’t deserve this” or “I’m so unworthy
of it.” But that’s exactly the point – it doesn’t matter that
we don’t deserve it and that we’re not worthy of it – IT’S
GRACE! If we deserved it, it wouldn’t be grace; it would be a
paycheck!
continued on page 4
The fact is that God’s grace is always and only sent to
people who don’t deserve it, because no one deserves it.
Divine grace is poured out into our lives not because we are
good but because God is good!
And we have, all of us,
known that goodness, that
grace in our lives. Even
though we’re not always
aware of it, God’s grace is
always with us – we live in an
ocean of grace!
“May the grace
of our Lord Jesus
Christ be with you,
brothers and sisters.
Amen.” - Gal. 6:18
Sometimes, grace is very
subtle – God is busy, as
it were, behind scenes,
just below the level of our
conscious awareness, bringing about goodness and growth
for us without our even realizing it. We may not even see
what God has done until the divine purpose is accomplished.
At other times, the working of grace is more apparent in
the moment. Something happens within or without and
we recognize at once the hand of God; our spirit knows
that this is God’s grace at work though maybe no one else
around us would pick up on it. I’m referring to those strange
coincidences, those unplanned encounters, that unexpected
interruption, that article or book that just happened to fall
into your hands at this moment, that dream that woke you
up with it’s striking imagery, that idea that just popped
into your head in the shower, that sudden awareness that
a particular person you haven’t seen in ages has been
very much in your mind lately. Grace can – and does – use
anything, and everything to get through to us. Our God who
so delights in giving gifts is a determined lover, and seeks
any and every opportunity to love us some more.
I’m sure my ministerial colleagues around the world would
agree that one of the great joys of ministry is witnessing
God’s grace at work in the lives of those we serve, and
doing spiritual direction offers a particularly clear window
into the ways of God’s grace in people’s experience, and in
the human soul.
As a way of celebrating God’s grace and seeking to make all
of us more aware of the abundance of grace, this newsletter
will begin running a small column called What Does Grace
Look Like? In it, I and other members of our spiritual
direction staff will share brief true accounts of the workings
of grace as we have known it in our own or other people’s
lives. I hope these short testimonies will themselves be a
grace for our readers.
Send your grace-testimony to the
Spiritual Renewal Center at
[email protected].
What Does Grace Look Like? is a series of reflections about God’s grace from staff at the Spiritual Renewal Center.
This month’s submission comes from Jim Krisher, the Center’s director.
Your support keeps our doors open.
During the past 30 years, the Spiritual Renewal Center has been blessed with so many wonderful things.
Now, we are poised to make a huge impact on adult Christians across New York State and enter a new era in
our history. But, we need your support! Your gifts keep our ministry thriving and our doors open.
You can support the Spiritual Renewal Center by
• Sending a check payable to the Spiritual Renewal Center at
1342 Lancaster Avenue, Syracuse, NY 13219
What Does Grace Look Like?
I was visiting my dear friend Bob, who at age 80 was dying of Lou Gehrig’s
disease in a nursing home bed. During the previous months, I had watched
him lose control of every part of his body, which was now curled into a
permanent fetal position with tubes coming out everywhere. All that was still
functional was his face.
When I walked into the room on this day, I found him smiling – he was
absolutely radiant. “I’ve just been looking at that tree outside my window,”
he managed to say to me. “It’s so beautiful! God just keeps blessing me and
blessing me!”
• Making a donation securely through our website,
spiritualrenewalcenter.com
“God just keeps blessing me and blessing me!,” said the man dying of Lou
Gehrig’s disease, curled up in a nursing home bed.
• Contributing a gift of cash at the Center during one of your visits
That’s what Grace looks like.
Invest in us today so we are here tomorrow!
3
4
Save the Date!
Blessing of the new
Center on
September 17
Mike Lonie
Novice joins Center this fall
The Society of Jesus has assigned a novice to the Spiritual
Renewal Center. Mike Lonie will begin his work at the Center
on Tuesdays and Thursdays in September. He is starting his
second year at the Jesuit Novitiate of St. Andrew Hall.
Mike is originally from New Jersey. He graduated from
Georgetown University in 2011, where he majored in Middle
Eastern History and minored in Arabic. He holds a master’s
degree in Education from The College of New Jersey. Mike
was attracted to the Jesuits for their sense of community and
their idea of finding God in all things.
Mike will lead Catch the Spirit – our Tuesday morning Bible
study – through December, assist within our prison ministry,
and share his gifts with the Center.
Friends and staff of the Spiritual
Renewal Center are invited to gather
on Wednesday, September 17, to pray
God’s blessing on our new home at
1342 Lancaster Avenue. Together, we
will celebrate God’s Providence and
the ongoing work of our ministry. The
blessing begins at 7 p.m. with a prayer
procession and song from room to room.
Light refreshments and socializing will
follow the service.
Please join us for this
momentous occasion!
RSVP to the Center at 315-472-6546 or
[email protected].
UPCOMING MEETINGS
The Spiritual Renewal Center invites you to attend our weekly meetings held at our new location, 1342
Lancaster Avenue in Syracuse. For more information, please contact the Center at 315-472-6546 or
[email protected].
Catch the Spirit
Catch the Spirit will meet on Tuesdays at 10 am beginning
on September 2 for a weekly Bible study. Registration is not
required and there is no fee to attend.
NEW NAME! Women’s Faith-Sharing Group
The Women’s Faith-Sharing Group – formerly known as
Women’s Spiritual Direction Group – will meet on September
18 and October 16, 7 to 8:30 pm. The new name of this
monthly discussion better reflects the spirit of this group.
Spiritual Director Kathy Papa guides this gathering of Christian
women. We ask for $15 per session.
Contemplative Prayer Group
Bring only yourself to our Contemplative Prayer Group on
Wednesdays at 5:30 pm. Registration is not required and there
is no fee to attend.
2
Bridges to Contemplative Living
Bridges to Contemplative Living is a small group dialogue,
reflection, and prayer group intended for anyone seeking to
be more thoughtful in their day-to-day lives. It is based on the
series of writings by Trappist monk Thomas Merton and other
prominent spiritual guides. The group will start with the book,
Entering the School of Your Experience. This weekly program
will meet on Wednesdays for nine weeks beginning on
September 24, 10 to 11:30 am. It will be led by Kay Satterfield,
an experienced group facilitator and certified spiritual director
who holds a master’s degree in Pastoral Care from Fordham
University. Registration is not required and there is no fee to
attend. A free will offering to the Center is suggested along
with $7 for the cost of the book.
Jim Krisher, Director of
the Spiritual Renewal Center
Grace Abundant
If you’ve spent any time at all in Christian circles, you know
that word “grace” is one of the most important words in
our religious vocabulary. It’s all over the place in the New
Testament, and all over the place in our hymns and prayers.
Indeed, that word is omnipresent in Christianity because
what it refers to is so central to Christian revelation and the
ongoing life of the Christian.
In the scriptures, the Greek word that is translated as
“grace” in our English bibles is this wonderful word xaris –
from it we get English words like “charisma”, and “charism.”
We can start to get a flavor of xaris by looking at what it
means in secular Greek usage, even before it was adopted
into Christian scripture. Here are just a few of its meanings
in secular usage: delight, beauty, attractiveness, charm,
kindness, goodwill, gratitude, favor, boon.
Already we get the clear sense that xaris is something really
good!
The word and forms of it appear in many places in the
gospels – for example, Lk. 1:28 uses a verb form of xaris
when Mary is addressed as “highly favored one,” or “full of
grace,” and it appears again two verses later where Mary is
said to have found favor with God. I love how, near the end
of the prologue in the gospel of John, the evangelist uses
that word to tell us that through Jesus we have all received
“grace upon grace” – superabundant, piled up, outpouring
favor from God!
Grace Abundant, continued
But St. Paul is the real apostle of grace – see how frequently
he opens or closes his letters with the wish for grace, or
“grace and peace.” For Paul and the other apostolic writers,
that word “xaris” seems to sum up the profound mercy,
tenderness, and faithfulness of God that was experienced
in Old Testament times and that is now made even more
manifest in Jesus.
It is a word that
emphasizes
and even more
deeply reveals
the character of
our God as Giver,
as self-giving, as
overflowing Love,
as pure generosity.
And Paul is so
emphatic that
grace is free – absolutely, totally free, total gift! We can’t
ever earn it! It’s so hard for us, isn’t it, to grasp this – to
believe that something so astonishingly good can be true.
Often I hear people who’ve been touched by grace saying
things like “But I don’t deserve this” or “I’m so unworthy
of it.” But that’s exactly the point – it doesn’t matter that
we don’t deserve it and that we’re not worthy of it – IT’S
GRACE! If we deserved it, it wouldn’t be grace; it would be a
paycheck!
continued on page 4
The fact is that God’s grace is always and only sent to
people who don’t deserve it, because no one deserves it.
Divine grace is poured out into our lives not because we are
good but because God is good!
And we have, all of us,
known that goodness, that
grace in our lives. Even
though we’re not always
aware of it, God’s grace is
always with us – we live in an
ocean of grace!
“May the grace
of our Lord Jesus
Christ be with you,
brothers and sisters.
Amen.” - Gal. 6:18
Sometimes, grace is very
subtle – God is busy, as
it were, behind scenes,
just below the level of our
conscious awareness, bringing about goodness and growth
for us without our even realizing it. We may not even see
what God has done until the divine purpose is accomplished.
At other times, the working of grace is more apparent in
the moment. Something happens within or without and
we recognize at once the hand of God; our spirit knows
that this is God’s grace at work though maybe no one else
around us would pick up on it. I’m referring to those strange
coincidences, those unplanned encounters, that unexpected
interruption, that article or book that just happened to fall
into your hands at this moment, that dream that woke you
up with it’s striking imagery, that idea that just popped
into your head in the shower, that sudden awareness that
a particular person you haven’t seen in ages has been
very much in your mind lately. Grace can – and does – use
anything, and everything to get through to us. Our God who
so delights in giving gifts is a determined lover, and seeks
any and every opportunity to love us some more.
I’m sure my ministerial colleagues around the world would
agree that one of the great joys of ministry is witnessing
God’s grace at work in the lives of those we serve, and
doing spiritual direction offers a particularly clear window
into the ways of God’s grace in people’s experience, and in
the human soul.
As a way of celebrating God’s grace and seeking to make all
of us more aware of the abundance of grace, this newsletter
will begin running a small column called What Does Grace
Look Like? In it, I and other members of our spiritual
direction staff will share brief true accounts of the workings
of grace as we have known it in our own or other people’s
lives. I hope these short testimonies will themselves be a
grace for our readers.
Send your grace-testimony to the
Spiritual Renewal Center at
[email protected].
What Does Grace Look Like? is a series of reflections about God’s grace from staff at the Spiritual Renewal Center.
This month’s submission comes from Jim Krisher, the Center’s director.
Your support keeps our doors open.
During the past 30 years, the Spiritual Renewal Center has been blessed with so many wonderful things.
Now, we are poised to make a huge impact on adult Christians across New York State and enter a new era in
our history. But, we need your support! Your gifts keep our ministry thriving and our doors open.
You can support the Spiritual Renewal Center by
• Sending a check payable to the Spiritual Renewal Center at
1342 Lancaster Avenue, Syracuse, NY 13219
What Does Grace Look Like?
I was visiting my dear friend Bob, who at age 80 was dying of Lou Gehrig’s
disease in a nursing home bed. During the previous months, I had watched
him lose control of every part of his body, which was now curled into a
permanent fetal position with tubes coming out everywhere. All that was still
functional was his face.
When I walked into the room on this day, I found him smiling – he was
absolutely radiant. “I’ve just been looking at that tree outside my window,”
he managed to say to me. “It’s so beautiful! God just keeps blessing me and
blessing me!”
• Making a donation securely through our website,
spiritualrenewalcenter.com
“God just keeps blessing me and blessing me!,” said the man dying of Lou
Gehrig’s disease, curled up in a nursing home bed.
• Contributing a gift of cash at the Center during one of your visits
That’s what Grace looks like.
Invest in us today so we are here tomorrow!
3
4
Save the Date!
Blessing of the new
Center on
September 17
Mike Lonie
Novice joins Center this fall
The Society of Jesus has assigned a novice to the Spiritual
Renewal Center. Mike Lonie will begin his work at the Center
on Tuesdays and Thursdays in September. He is starting his
second year at the Jesuit Novitiate of St. Andrew Hall.
Mike is originally from New Jersey. He graduated from
Georgetown University in 2011, where he majored in Middle
Eastern History and minored in Arabic. He holds a master’s
degree in Education from The College of New Jersey. Mike
was attracted to the Jesuits for their sense of community and
their idea of finding God in all things.
Mike will lead Catch the Spirit – our Tuesday morning Bible
study – through December, assist within our prison ministry,
and share his gifts with the Center.
Friends and staff of the Spiritual
Renewal Center are invited to gather
on Wednesday, September 17, to pray
God’s blessing on our new home at
1342 Lancaster Avenue. Together, we
will celebrate God’s Providence and
the ongoing work of our ministry. The
blessing begins at 7 p.m. with a prayer
procession and song from room to room.
Light refreshments and socializing will
follow the service.
Please join us for this
momentous occasion!
RSVP to the Center at 315-472-6546 or
[email protected].
UPCOMING MEETINGS
The Spiritual Renewal Center invites you to attend our weekly meetings held at our new location, 1342
Lancaster Avenue in Syracuse. For more information, please contact the Center at 315-472-6546 or
[email protected].
Catch the Spirit
Catch the Spirit will meet on Tuesdays at 10 am beginning
on September 2 for a weekly Bible study. Registration is not
required and there is no fee to attend.
NEW NAME! Women’s Faith-Sharing Group
The Women’s Faith-Sharing Group – formerly known as
Women’s Spiritual Direction Group – will meet on September
18 and October 16, 7 to 8:30 pm. The new name of this
monthly discussion better reflects the spirit of this group.
Spiritual Director Kathy Papa guides this gathering of Christian
women. We ask for $15 per session.
Contemplative Prayer Group
Bring only yourself to our Contemplative Prayer Group on
Wednesdays at 5:30 pm. Registration is not required and there
is no fee to attend.
2
Bridges to Contemplative Living
Bridges to Contemplative Living is a small group dialogue,
reflection, and prayer group intended for anyone seeking to
be more thoughtful in their day-to-day lives. It is based on the
series of writings by Trappist monk Thomas Merton and other
prominent spiritual guides. The group will start with the book,
Entering the School of Your Experience. This weekly program
will meet on Wednesdays for nine weeks beginning on
September 24, 10 to 11:30 am. It will be led by Kay Satterfield,
an experienced group facilitator and certified spiritual director
who holds a master’s degree in Pastoral Care from Fordham
University. Registration is not required and there is no fee to
attend. A free will offering to the Center is suggested along
with $7 for the cost of the book.
Jim Krisher, Director of
the Spiritual Renewal Center
Grace Abundant
If you’ve spent any time at all in Christian circles, you know
that word “grace” is one of the most important words in
our religious vocabulary. It’s all over the place in the New
Testament, and all over the place in our hymns and prayers.
Indeed, that word is omnipresent in Christianity because
what it refers to is so central to Christian revelation and the
ongoing life of the Christian.
In the scriptures, the Greek word that is translated as
“grace” in our English bibles is this wonderful word xaris –
from it we get English words like “charisma”, and “charism.”
We can start to get a flavor of xaris by looking at what it
means in secular Greek usage, even before it was adopted
into Christian scripture. Here are just a few of its meanings
in secular usage: delight, beauty, attractiveness, charm,
kindness, goodwill, gratitude, favor, boon.
Already we get the clear sense that xaris is something really
good!
The word and forms of it appear in many places in the
gospels – for example, Lk. 1:28 uses a verb form of xaris
when Mary is addressed as “highly favored one,” or “full of
grace,” and it appears again two verses later where Mary is
said to have found favor with God. I love how, near the end
of the prologue in the gospel of John, the evangelist uses
that word to tell us that through Jesus we have all received
“grace upon grace” – superabundant, piled up, outpouring
favor from God!
Grace Abundant, continued
But St. Paul is the real apostle of grace – see how frequently
he opens or closes his letters with the wish for grace, or
“grace and peace.” For Paul and the other apostolic writers,
that word “xaris” seems to sum up the profound mercy,
tenderness, and faithfulness of God that was experienced
in Old Testament times and that is now made even more
manifest in Jesus.
It is a word that
emphasizes
and even more
deeply reveals
the character of
our God as Giver,
as self-giving, as
overflowing Love,
as pure generosity.
And Paul is so
emphatic that
grace is free – absolutely, totally free, total gift! We can’t
ever earn it! It’s so hard for us, isn’t it, to grasp this – to
believe that something so astonishingly good can be true.
Often I hear people who’ve been touched by grace saying
things like “But I don’t deserve this” or “I’m so unworthy
of it.” But that’s exactly the point – it doesn’t matter that
we don’t deserve it and that we’re not worthy of it – IT’S
GRACE! If we deserved it, it wouldn’t be grace; it would be a
paycheck!
continued on page 4
The fact is that God’s grace is always and only sent to
people who don’t deserve it, because no one deserves it.
Divine grace is poured out into our lives not because we are
good but because God is good!
And we have, all of us,
known that goodness, that
grace in our lives. Even
though we’re not always
aware of it, God’s grace is
always with us – we live in an
ocean of grace!
“May the grace
of our Lord Jesus
Christ be with you,
brothers and sisters.
Amen.” - Gal. 6:18
Sometimes, grace is very
subtle – God is busy, as
it were, behind scenes,
just below the level of our
conscious awareness, bringing about goodness and growth
for us without our even realizing it. We may not even see
what God has done until the divine purpose is accomplished.
At other times, the working of grace is more apparent in
the moment. Something happens within or without and
we recognize at once the hand of God; our spirit knows
that this is God’s grace at work though maybe no one else
around us would pick up on it. I’m referring to those strange
coincidences, those unplanned encounters, that unexpected
interruption, that article or book that just happened to fall
into your hands at this moment, that dream that woke you
up with it’s striking imagery, that idea that just popped
into your head in the shower, that sudden awareness that
a particular person you haven’t seen in ages has been
very much in your mind lately. Grace can – and does – use
anything, and everything to get through to us. Our God who
so delights in giving gifts is a determined lover, and seeks
any and every opportunity to love us some more.
I’m sure my ministerial colleagues around the world would
agree that one of the great joys of ministry is witnessing
God’s grace at work in the lives of those we serve, and
doing spiritual direction offers a particularly clear window
into the ways of God’s grace in people’s experience, and in
the human soul.
As a way of celebrating God’s grace and seeking to make all
of us more aware of the abundance of grace, this newsletter
will begin running a small column called What Does Grace
Look Like? In it, I and other members of our spiritual
direction staff will share brief true accounts of the workings
of grace as we have known it in our own or other people’s
lives. I hope these short testimonies will themselves be a
grace for our readers.
Send your grace-testimony to the
Spiritual Renewal Center at
[email protected].
What Does Grace Look Like? is a series of reflections about God’s grace from staff at the Spiritual Renewal Center.
This month’s submission comes from Jim Krisher, the Center’s director.
Your support keeps our doors open.
During the past 30 years, the Spiritual Renewal Center has been blessed with so many wonderful things.
Now, we are poised to make a huge impact on adult Christians across New York State and enter a new era in
our history. But, we need your support! Your gifts keep our ministry thriving and our doors open.
You can support the Spiritual Renewal Center by
• Sending a check payable to the Spiritual Renewal Center at
1342 Lancaster Avenue, Syracuse, NY 13219
What Does Grace Look Like?
I was visiting my dear friend Bob, who at age 80 was dying of Lou Gehrig’s
disease in a nursing home bed. During the previous months, I had watched
him lose control of every part of his body, which was now curled into a
permanent fetal position with tubes coming out everywhere. All that was still
functional was his face.
When I walked into the room on this day, I found him smiling – he was
absolutely radiant. “I’ve just been looking at that tree outside my window,”
he managed to say to me. “It’s so beautiful! God just keeps blessing me and
blessing me!”
• Making a donation securely through our website,
spiritualrenewalcenter.com
“God just keeps blessing me and blessing me!,” said the man dying of Lou
Gehrig’s disease, curled up in a nursing home bed.
• Contributing a gift of cash at the Center during one of your visits
That’s what Grace looks like.
Invest in us today so we are here tomorrow!
3
4
Mark your calendars for these exciting programs!
Fall into fashion at the Hand to Hand Gift Shop
Now is the perfect time to stop by
the Hand to Hand Gift Shop and
update your look for the fall! New
merchandise, including stunning
jewerly pieces and gorgeous scarves,
are now on display. These one-of-akind pieces sell fast, so stop by soon
before they are gone!
This fall, join the Center for these upcoming workshops and seminars. All programs are held at our 1342 Lancaster Avenue location in
Syracuse, unless noted otherwise. Please register online at spiritualrenewalcenter.com or call the Center at 315-472-6546.
REGISTER TODAY! The Spiritual Exercises of St.
Ignatius Loyola | Tuesdays, Sept. 16 – May 12 |
$600 + $40 application fee
Enhance your spiritual sensitivity and find God in all
aspects of your life with The Spiritual Exercises of St.
Ignatius Loyola. Led by Sister Marise May and a team of
dedicated prayer guides, this in-the-home retreat will lead
you on a transformational experience of personal renewal.
The Spiritual Exercises are a highly-structured program
involving daily prayer time with specific materials, weekly
meetings, group presentations and one-on-one sessions
with a prayer guide.
Contact Sister Marise May at 315-472-6546 for more
information.
Fee may be paid weekly.
Becoming the Body of Christ: The Acts of
Apostles | Sept 18, 25 & Oct. 9, 16 at 7 - 9 pm
The Acts of Apostles holds a unique place in the New
Testament as the only narrative record of the church’s
history in its infancy. Learn how these early experiences
of the church teach us about being the Body of Christ in
every age and place. This course will take place on Sept.
18, 25 and Oct. 9, 16 from 7 to 9 pm. We ask for $42 to
attend or whatever you can afford.
Led by Rev. Dr. Mark Lawson, who is a pastor at United
Church of Christ in Bayberry and an adjunct professor in
the Religious Studies department at LeMoyne College.
Gospel of Mark | Sept. 24 & Oct. 1, 8, 15 at 6:30 –
8:30 pm | Held at St. Joseph the Worker Parish
Center, 1001 Tulip St. in Liverpool
As the earliest of the four gospels to be written, the
Gospel of Mark paints a striking picture of Jesus and the
impact his ministry had on those he encountered. Explore
the historical and cultural background of these writings as
well as their historical and cultural significance for today’s
believers.
This engaging course will be led by Jim Krisher, director of
the Spiritual Renewal Center and adjunct faculty member
in the Religious Studies department at LeMoyne College.
It will be hosted by St. Joseph the Worker and Immaculate
Heart of Mary. To register or receive more information,
please contact Micki Bliss, St. Joseph the Worker Parish,
315-451-2452.
5
Envisioning What It Means to be Church with
Thomas Merton | Oct. 2 at 7 pm
This presentation will discuss the vision of Thomas Merton
and how he summoned us to picture the Church – “as
a mystery that is beyond the reach of bureaucracy,” “a
community in which truth is shared,” and “a Church of
friends.” This event is $20 to attend or whatever you can
afford.
Dr. Christine M. Bochen, professor of Religious Studies
at Nazareth College will be the presenter. She is an
internationally prominent Merton scholar, who has edited
several volumes of his writings. She co-edited Thomas
Merton: A Life and Letters with William Shannon and coauthored The Thomas Merton Encyclopedia.
Want the latest information on sales
and specials? SIgn up for our e-news
at spiritualrenewalcenter.com and
join the Center’s Facebook page to
get exclusive deals!
Get a headstart on the holiday
shopping season by bringing the gift
shop to you! Hand to Hand Gift Shop
will bring its fair-trade products to
any church, business or organization.
To learn more about outside sales,
please contact Judy Carr at
315-472-6546.
This issue was made
possible by generous
support from The James J.
Dwyer Jr. Memorial Fund
and a member of our
Board of Trustees.
UPCOMING EVENTS
What Comes Next? | 2nd Wednesday of each
month beginning on Oct. 8 at 7 - 9 pm
For those who have completed The Spiritual Exercises
of St. Ignatius, the usual question is, “What’s next?”
Graduates of the Exercises are invited begin a year-long
journey into the deeper graces of life. This group will
meet on the second Wednesday of each month at 7 pm
beginning on October 8 through May. Please join us as we
mine the riches of this time-honored approach to prayer.
There is a suggested free will offering of $20 per session.
This program will be led by Father Lou Sogliuzzo, SJ, a
Ignatian spirituality practitioner and one of the Center’s
spiritual directors.
Grace Sufficient? Living in Christ with Chronic
Pain | Oct. 23 at 7 - 9 pm
If you or a loved one has been touched by chronic pain or
illness, this evening of renewal is for you. This workshop
on Oct. 23 will reflect on the spiritual challenges facing
individuals with chronic illness or pain and discuss various
Christian understandings of God’s role in human suffering.
We ask for $20 to attend or whatever you can afford.
Kathy Faber-Langendoen, MD, will present this insightful
workshop. She is an oncologist and bioethicist who has
lived with chronic pain. Kathy also directs adult education
programs at Onondaga Hill Presbyterian Church and is a
longtime friend of the Center.
COMING THIS NOVEMBER! The Problem of Evil: Job’s
Dilemma and Ours | Nov. 13 at 7 pm | Presenter: Dr.
Joseph Kelly
Connect with the Spiritual Renewal Center
Get social with the Spirtual Renewal Center and find us on
Facebook and Twitter today. You can also share your email
address with us at spiritualrenewalcenter.com and get the
latest information sent right to your inbox.
facebook.com/spiritualrenewalcenter
twitter.com/spiritualrencnter
REGISTER TODAY! The
Spiritual Exercises of St.
Ignatius Loyola | Tuesdays,
Sept. 16 – May 12 | $600 + $40
application fee
Becoming the Body of Christ:
The Acts of Apostles | Sept
18, 25 & Oct. 9, 16 at 7 pm
Gospel of Mark | Sept. 24 &
Oct. 1, 8, 15 at 6:30 pm | Held
at St. Joseph the Worker
Parish Center, 1001 Tulip St.
in Liverpool
Envisioning What It Means
to be Church with Thomas
Merton | Oct. 2 at 7 pm
What Comes Next? | 2nd
Wednesday of each month
beginning on Oct. 8 at 7 pm
Grace Sufficient?: Living in
Christ with Chronic Pain | Oct.
23 at 7 pm
Register online at
spiritualrenewalcenter.com
or call the Center at
315-472-6546.
Details about our fall
programs is on page 5.
September / October 2014
Volume 1 • Issue 2
The Center and SU team up for
Dr. Pheme Perkins presentation
The Spiritual Renewal Center
has partnered with Syracuse
University to bring renowned
Biblical scholar, Dr. Pheme
Perkins, to the area.
Dr. Perkins will give two
presentations during her time in
the Syracuse area.
ABOUT US
Spiritual Renewal Center is a
Christian ministry that provides
spiritual direction and renewal
opportunities to all members of
the community.
Learn more about us at
spiritualrenewalcenter.com.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Dr. Pheme Perkins
Paul, The Prisoner | Oct. 29 at 7 pm | Held at Spiritual
Renewal Center, 1342 Lancaster Avenue, Syracuse 13210
Jim Krisher, chairperson
Kathy Papa, vice chairperson
Ann Derr, secretary
This fascinating lecture will investigate Paul’s prison
experiences and his relationship to Christ in the Pauline
letters. We ask for $20 to attend this presentation or
whatever you can afford. Please reserve your spot by
contacting the Center at 315-472-6546 or
[email protected]. You can also register
online at spiritualrenewalcenter.com.
Dave Babcock
Chris Bart
Kathy Faber-Langendoen
Pattye Hubbard
Rev. Don Kirby, SJ
Rev. Joe Neville, SJ
Chris Porter
Matt Shuff
Scott Wincheck
How We Got Four Gospels | Oct. 30 at 3 pm | Held at the
Noble Room at SU’s Hendricks Chapel
EDITOR
Co-Sponsored by Hendricks Chapel, SU’s Religious Studies
Department and the Spiritual Renewal Center
Dr. Perkins will describe the emergence of the four gospel
canon during the 2nd century. The public is invited to attend
this event.
Dr. Perkins is a professor at Boston College, where she
teaches New Testament. She is the author of more than
25 books on early Christianity, including commentaries
and academic works on the Johannine writings, Pauline
theology and the Gnostic contribution to 2nd century
Christianity. Dr. Perkins was the first female president of
the Catholic Biblical Association. She is an associate editor
of the New Oxford Annotated Bible. She is an active
member of Good Shepherd Parish in Wayland, MA, where
she is engaged in adult faith formation projects.
Allison M. Bowman
The Spiritual Renewal Center is
located at 1342 Lancaster Avenue
in Syracuse. You can reach us at
315-472-6546.
HOURS OF OPERATION
Monday - Wednesday
& Friday: 9 am - 5 pm
Thursdays: 9am - 7:30 pm
HOLIDAY HOURS
Spiritual Renewal Center will be
closed on Monday, October 13, in
observance of Columbus Day.
1
Mark your calendars for these exciting programs!
Fall into fashion at the Hand to Hand Gift Shop
Now is the perfect time to stop by
the Hand to Hand Gift Shop and
update your look for the fall! New
merchandise, including stunning
jewerly pieces and gorgeous scarves,
are now on display. These one-of-akind pieces sell fast, so stop by soon
before they are gone!
This fall, join the Center for these upcoming workshops and seminars. All programs are held at our 1342 Lancaster Avenue location in
Syracuse, unless noted otherwise. Please register online at spiritualrenewalcenter.com or call the Center at 315-472-6546.
REGISTER TODAY! The Spiritual Exercises of St.
Ignatius Loyola | Tuesdays, Sept. 16 – May 12 |
$600 + $40 application fee
Enhance your spiritual sensitivity and find God in all
aspects of your life with The Spiritual Exercises of St.
Ignatius Loyola. Led by Sister Marise May and a team of
dedicated prayer guides, this in-the-home retreat will lead
you on a transformational experience of personal renewal.
The Spiritual Exercises are a highly-structured program
involving daily prayer time with specific materials, weekly
meetings, group presentations and one-on-one sessions
with a prayer guide.
Contact Sister Marise May at 315-472-6546 for more
information.
Fee may be paid weekly.
Becoming the Body of Christ: The Acts of
Apostles | Sept 18, 25 & Oct. 9, 16 at 7 - 9 pm
The Acts of Apostles holds a unique place in the New
Testament as the only narrative record of the church’s
history in its infancy. Learn how these early experiences
of the church teach us about being the Body of Christ in
every age and place. This course will take place on Sept.
18, 25 and Oct. 9, 16 from 7 to 9 pm. We ask for $42 to
attend or whatever you can afford.
Led by Rev. Dr. Mark Lawson, who is a pastor at United
Church of Christ in Bayberry and an adjunct professor in
the Religious Studies department at LeMoyne College.
Gospel of Mark | Sept. 24 & Oct. 1, 8, 15 at 6:30 –
8:30 pm | Held at St. Joseph the Worker Parish
Center, 1001 Tulip St. in Liverpool
As the earliest of the four gospels to be written, the
Gospel of Mark paints a striking picture of Jesus and the
impact his ministry had on those he encountered. Explore
the historical and cultural background of these writings as
well as their historical and cultural significance for today’s
believers.
This engaging course will be led by Jim Krisher, director of
the Spiritual Renewal Center and adjunct faculty member
in the Religious Studies department at LeMoyne College.
It will be hosted by St. Joseph the Worker and Immaculate
Heart of Mary. To register or receive more information,
please contact Micki Bliss, St. Joseph the Worker Parish,
315-451-2452.
5
Envisioning What It Means to be Church with
Thomas Merton | Oct. 2 at 7 pm
This presentation will discuss the vision of Thomas Merton
and how he summoned us to picture the Church – “as
a mystery that is beyond the reach of bureaucracy,” “a
community in which truth is shared,” and “a Church of
friends.” This event is $20 to attend or whatever you can
afford.
Dr. Christine M. Bochen, professor of Religious Studies
at Nazareth College will be the presenter. She is an
internationally prominent Merton scholar, who has edited
several volumes of his writings. She co-edited Thomas
Merton: A Life and Letters with William Shannon and coauthored The Thomas Merton Encyclopedia.
Want the latest information on sales
and specials? SIgn up for our e-news
at spiritualrenewalcenter.com and
join the Center’s Facebook page to
get exclusive deals!
Get a headstart on the holiday
shopping season by bringing the gift
shop to you! Hand to Hand Gift Shop
will bring its fair-trade products to
any church, business or organization.
To learn more about outside sales,
please contact Judy Carr at
315-472-6546.
This issue was made
possible by generous
support from The James J.
Dwyer Jr. Memorial Fund
and a member of our
Board of Trustees.
UPCOMING EVENTS
What Comes Next? | 2nd Wednesday of each
month beginning on Oct. 8 at 7 - 9 pm
For those who have completed The Spiritual Exercises
of St. Ignatius, the usual question is, “What’s next?”
Graduates of the Exercises are invited begin a year-long
journey into the deeper graces of life. This group will
meet on the second Wednesday of each month at 7 pm
beginning on October 8 through May. Please join us as we
mine the riches of this time-honored approach to prayer.
There is a suggested free will offering of $20 per session.
This program will be led by Father Lou Sogliuzzo, SJ, a
Ignatian spirituality practitioner and one of the Center’s
spiritual directors.
Grace Sufficient? Living in Christ with Chronic
Pain | Oct. 23 at 7 - 9 pm
If you or a loved one has been touched by chronic pain or
illness, this evening of renewal is for you. This workshop
on Oct. 23 will reflect on the spiritual challenges facing
individuals with chronic illness or pain and discuss various
Christian understandings of God’s role in human suffering.
We ask for $20 to attend or whatever you can afford.
Kathy Faber-Langendoen, MD, will present this insightful
workshop. She is an oncologist and bioethicist who has
lived with chronic pain. Kathy also directs adult education
programs at Onondaga Hill Presbyterian Church and is a
longtime friend of the Center.
COMING THIS NOVEMBER! The Problem of Evil: Job’s
Dilemma and Ours | Nov. 13 at 7 pm | Presenter: Dr.
Joseph Kelly
Connect with the Spiritual Renewal Center
Get social with the Spirtual Renewal Center and find us on
Facebook and Twitter today. You can also share your email
address with us at spiritualrenewalcenter.com and get the
latest information sent right to your inbox.
facebook.com/spiritualrenewalcenter
twitter.com/spiritualrencnter
REGISTER TODAY! The
Spiritual Exercises of St.
Ignatius Loyola | Tuesdays,
Sept. 16 – May 12 | $600 + $40
application fee
Becoming the Body of Christ:
The Acts of Apostles | Sept
18, 25 & Oct. 9, 16 at 7 pm
Gospel of Mark | Sept. 24 &
Oct. 1, 8, 15 at 6:30 pm | Held
at St. Joseph the Worker
Parish Center, 1001 Tulip St.
in Liverpool
Envisioning What It Means
to be Church with Thomas
Merton | Oct. 2 at 7 pm
What Comes Next? | 2nd
Wednesday of each month
beginning on Oct. 8 at 7 pm
Grace Sufficient?: Living in
Christ with Chronic Pain | Oct.
23 at 7 pm
Register online at
spiritualrenewalcenter.com
or call the Center at
315-472-6546.
Details about our fall
programs is on page 5.
September / October 2014
Volume 1 • Issue 2
The Center and SU team up for
Dr. Pheme Perkins presentation
The Spiritual Renewal Center
has partnered with Syracuse
University to bring renowned
Biblical scholar, Dr. Pheme
Perkins, to the area.
Dr. Perkins will give two
presentations during her time in
the Syracuse area.
ABOUT US
Spiritual Renewal Center is a
Christian ministry that provides
spiritual direction and renewal
opportunities to all members of
the community.
Learn more about us at
spiritualrenewalcenter.com.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Dr. Pheme Perkins
Paul, The Prisoner | Oct. 29 at 7 pm | Held at Spiritual
Renewal Center, 1342 Lancaster Avenue, Syracuse 13210
Jim Krisher, chairperson
Kathy Papa, vice chairperson
Ann Derr, secretary
This fascinating lecture will investigate Paul’s prison
experiences and his relationship to Christ in the Pauline
letters. We ask for $20 to attend this presentation or
whatever you can afford. Please reserve your spot by
contacting the Center at 315-472-6546 or
[email protected]. You can also register
online at spiritualrenewalcenter.com.
Dave Babcock
Chris Bart
Kathy Faber-Langendoen
Pattye Hubbard
Rev. Don Kirby, SJ
Rev. Joe Neville, SJ
Chris Porter
Matt Shuff
Scott Wincheck
How We Got Four Gospels | Oct. 30 at 3 pm | Held at the
Noble Room at SU’s Hendricks Chapel
EDITOR
Co-Sponsored by Hendricks Chapel, SU’s Religious Studies
Department and the Spiritual Renewal Center
Dr. Perkins will describe the emergence of the four gospel
canon during the 2nd century. The public is invited to attend
this event.
Dr. Perkins is a professor at Boston College, where she
teaches New Testament. She is the author of more than
25 books on early Christianity, including commentaries
and academic works on the Johannine writings, Pauline
theology and the Gnostic contribution to 2nd century
Christianity. Dr. Perkins was the first female president of
the Catholic Biblical Association. She is an associate editor
of the New Oxford Annotated Bible. She is an active
member of Good Shepherd Parish in Wayland, MA, where
she is engaged in adult faith formation projects.
Allison M. Bowman
The Spiritual Renewal Center is
located at 1342 Lancaster Avenue
in Syracuse. You can reach us at
315-472-6546.
HOURS OF OPERATION
Monday - Wednesday
& Friday: 9 am - 5 pm
Thursdays: 9am - 7:30 pm
HOLIDAY HOURS
Spiritual Renewal Center will be
closed on Monday, October 13, in
observance of Columbus Day.
1