Sunday forums take place at 10:00 A.M. in the Plaza Room of Saint Peter's Church.

Forums feature lively and open discussions about scripture, current issues and other topics of interest. In an effort to build understanding, awareness and appreciation of a variety of ways of speaking about God, forums often take on the perspectives of multiple faiths and traditions.

Conversations are led by a pastor, a person from Saint Peter's Church sharing experience or expertise, and outside speakers, often integrating art and literature.

All are welcome.

About this week's forum:

LENTEN SERIES - TOWARDS A "USABLE PAST": HISTORICAL NARRATIVE IN AFRICAN AMERICAN ART with Dennis Raverty, Ph.D., Art Historian

History painting had held an important place in the work of the old masters but had nearly disappeared with the rise of Modern art. Yet many African American artists embraced this neglected genre during the twentieth century as a strategy for re-inscribing blacks into history, a history from which they had been marginalized and which had largely rendered them as comical, menacing or invisible.

March 31: The Great Depression through Civil Rights: Back at home, African American artists were employed with the Works Progress Administration (WPA) as artists, teachers and muralists and after the war began to organize their own exhibitions, finally achieving widespread recognition in major museums.

It is hoped that these inspiring 20th c. artists might encourage a careful re-examination of our own spiritual journeys during Lent (traditionally a time for reflection), so we can refashion our own personal narrative in a way that reflects our changing and evolving search for truth as we get older and understand more about God, ourselves, and the world.