This is a continuing program patterned on our popular Classics in Religion programs begun in 2014. Informal discussions explore a tapestry of diverse topics with deeply spiritual threads.

Everyone is invited to attend one or many sessions; registration is not required. Free-will offering benefits sponsor, Cobblestone Springs Retreat Center. One-hour presentations and discussions cover a variety of topics, in partnership with the Penn Yan Public Library. Currently being presented via Zoom.

Please contact us (cobblestonespringsrc@gmail.com) to receive the Zoom links. If sessions were recorded, videos are available here.

Note: now meeting the first two Mondays of each month (shifted for holidays). Meets Monday mornings, 11:00 a.m. to Noon via Zoom. Classics scheduling ends in June and resumes in September.

Upcoming Topics, Fall 2022:

• December 5: Susanna, with Rev. Columba Salamony,
  St. Mark’s Episcopal Church
  A glimpse into one of scripture’s under-told stories. The study will explore what Susanna and her accusation teach us about the Bible and gender. [The story, from the Book of Daniel, of what happens when a young woman refuses the advances of lecherous elders.]
• December 12: Tower Time: Perspective on Challenging Times, with Alex Andrasik
  Few would deny that the past few years have felt like especially trying ones.  Some practitioners of magickal spiritual systems –among them Druids and Witches– believe we’ve been living in a period called Tower Time, named after the Tarot card that denotes challenge, destruction, and change.  In this session, Alex Andrasik, an initiate of the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids, will present more on what Tower Time portends, why it’s not the (literal) end of the world, and how we can better prepare ourselves to grapple with the chaos and opportunities it brings.

Past Topics this year:

• November 14: Syncretic Liberation Theology in the Americas, with Dr. Henry Thomas
• November 7: Cemetery Reflections, with Jane Hopkins
• September 19: Overview of the 1619 Project, with Peter Gamba
• September 12: The Path of Love and Selfless Service, with Paul W. Jacob (video)
• May 9: Teachings from Ganondagan Seneca Art & Culture Center (video)
• May 2: Praying the Psalms, with Rev. Lori Nickoloff
• April 11: Gifts of the Land, with Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer (video)
• April 4: Born on the Water, with Sarah Crevelling
• March 14: Remembering Thich Nhat Hanh (1926-2022)
• March 7:  Seeing Spirituality within a Jail Setting, with Sr Judy Greene
• February 14: Sustainable Food Systems, video and discussion