4:00 PM on the second Thursday of every month,
beginning on June 12, and running through September.
A summer supper, catered by Jane, will be served at 6:00 PM.
Watch the bulletin for reminders each month.

Tickets on Sale two Sunday’s prior, and at the reception desk during the week.

First in the line-up will be Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont, starring Joan Plowright and Rupert Friend.  This is a warm-hearted drama about a lonely old widow who is living out her days in a modest London hotel.  She       befriends a struggling young writer and begins to introduce him to her friends as her grandson.  There are some consequences in this unlikely friendship.  Plowright describes the film as a “lovely mixture of love and humanity and compassion.”

In July, Amazing Grace will be the feature presentation.  This is an inspirational costume drama about an unfamiliar period in British history.  It is about abolitionist William Wilberforce and clergyman, and former slaveholder, John Newton.  The focus is on the politicians who risked their reputations for the greater good versus those who were more concerned with the income the slaves provided their constituents.  The title comes from the familiar hymn written by John Newton.

The feature presentation in August will be Hairspray.  This is an amazingly energetic musical that is set in Baltimore in 1962.  Viewers quickly become enmeshed in the teenage obsessions with television dance shows, big hair and the stigma of being different.  The underlying themes of racism and prejudice linger beneath the humor and dazzling music of this film. Michelle Pfeiffer, John Travolta and Queen Latifah star in the film.

Our September feature will be Second Hand Lions. Michael Caine and Robert Duvall play eccentric old brothers living on a vast farm in Texas. When 14 year old Walter (Haley Joel Osment) comes to spend the summer with his great-uncles, he discovers they have lived lives of great adventure, excitement and mystery. The ending will surprise you. This film is full of enriching lessons and homespun humor. One more plus... No endless previews of upcoming films!

A Summer Education Opportunity

During June, July, and August Pastor Dave Van Arsdale will be leading a discussion, of recent books, on the first and second Tuesdays. The group will be meeting in Iona Room, with cool comfort and an informal setting. One book is fun, one is seriously challenging, and one is a fascinating story about living a faithful life. Come, enjoy some fun conversation and get into several interesting books.

Tuesdays, June 3 and 10 at 10:00 a.m.
Whitebread Protestants, Food and Religion in American Culture
By Daniel Sack,
From Communion services to potluck suppers, food becomes the language of deep faith convictions, revealing complex and shifting understandings of ''ritual, community, hospitality, and justice.' Mr. Sack has chosen to focus on ''mainline Protestantism.'' He devotes a chapter to the Lord's Supper and the proper way to celebrate it. Other chapters focus on building community through church banquets and other food-centered socializing; on soup kitchens; on the ''hunger politics'' of overseas relief and domestic food programs.

Tuesdays, July 1 and 8 at 10:00 a.m.
The Culture of Fear, Why Americans Are Afraid of the Wrong Things
By Barry Glassner
Following the defining moments of 1999 are those of the Columbine massacre. Glassner evaluates life in America. The author contends that the United States is safer and more affluent than ever. Yet our nightmares, embodied by trench-coated outsiders, have overtaken our dreams. We wring our hands and ask: What can we learn from these horrific acts? What can be done about this epidemic of violence?

Tuesdays, August 5 and 12 at 10:00 a.m.
The Year of Living Biblically, One Man’s Humble Quest
to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible
By A. J. Jacobs
Jacobs grew up in a very secular home Jewish family (as he says, “Jewish in the same way the Olive Garden is an Italian restaurant.”). He decided to dive in headfirst and to experience the Bible himself and find out what’s good in it, and what’s maybe not so relevant to the 21st century. The resulting year was fascinating, entertaining and informative.

 

Worship from Easter
through the August