More information about Signs of Life
Lifelong Learning at Virginia Theological Seminary recognizes the power and potential of small group ministry for the Episcopal Church. When done well, small groups can foster holy conversations, build up disciples, and form strong communities. To build up small groups in Episcopal congregations, we are creating resources to help your community get small groups going.
These resources are available:
- Small Group Facilitator Guide
- Weekly Discussion Guide (for large and small groups)
- Lenten Calendar of daily practices
For more resources on each of these signs, here is a short list of book, websites and podcast that might be of interest to you
- Rachel Held Evans, Searching for Sunday: Loving, Leaving and Finding the Church, (Nelson Books, 2015)
- Gordon Lathrop, Holy Things: A Liturgical Theology, (Fortress Press, 1993)
- George Guiver, Pursuing the Mystery: Worship and Daily Life as Presences of God, (SPCK, 1996)
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together (HarperOne, 2009)
Light:
When we see by the light of Christ, everything that is close to us, the manifestly everyday experience of living, things as simple and as vital as light and water and food and shelter and community – everything – is transformed into a vehicle of grace. These ordinary, existential, elemental pieces of life become imbued with the golden hue of love.
Water:
Baptism is learning how to float. Baptism is a sacrament of surrender, the sacramental act of letting go of fear and control, making friends with the unknown, and beginning to trust that God will sustain you, even in the midst of chaos and death.
Food:
When we remember food is life, we gain a better understanding of what it means to ask God to give us our daily bread . . . But most importantly, when we remember that food is life, we discover what it means when Jesus says, “I am the Bread of Life.” Jesus is the food that will feed us.
Shelter:
The liturgy itself shelters us, the same patterns unfolding, again and again, day by day, week by week, year by year. With the familiarity earned by time, scriptures and hymns and prayers become dear friends.
Community:
Being in loving relationship means that the truth of our very selves will be revealed. When we have chosen to love, no matter what, there is no place for us to hide from ourselves. We learn that not only do we need to love others for who they are, we need to love our selves for who we are. Vows are impossible, apart from God.
Worship engages our deepest human needs and has the power to transform our lives. Join the Brothers of SSJE in exploring the signs and symbols at the heart of Christian worship.
This free 5-week offering encourages individuals and groups to explore the riches of our worship traditions, liturgy and sacraments, and the art and architecture of our worship spaces, revealing the full meaning of these signs, deepening our experience of Christian vocation and guiding us toward ongoing conversion.