Open Table Faith

This Saturday is a very special Open Table Faith lecture "THE SOUL OF STORY" featuring mythologist John Bucher, Executive Director of the Joseph Campbell Foundation. The event will take place Saturday, September 12 at 6pm at St. Clare's Episcopal Church in Tyler (new location 3320 Troup Highway right across the parking lot Parry's Pizza). This talk is going to be amazing. Here's a little more info to help you know what to expect...

First of all, if you're not familiar with the work Joseph Campbell, I'd highly recommend checking him out! Joseph Campbell was an American author and teacher best known for his work in the field of comparative mythology. His works include The Power of Myth and The Hero with a Thousand Faces. If you're a fan of Star Wars, you've already been impacted by Campbell's work, as he was a significant influence on George Lucas. You can learn more about Joseph Campbell at www.jcf.org Check out the links in the comments for some clips of Campbell's interviews and a brief explainer about his work.

Our guest this weekend, John Bucher, is a mythologist and story expert who has been featured on the BBC, the History Channel, the LA Times, The Hollywood Reporter, and on numerous other international outlets. He serves as Executive Director for the Joseph Campbell Foundation and is a writer, storyteller, teacher, and speaker. John explores mythology as the stories we use to make sense of the world around us. While the ancients used stories to explain the weather and the seasons, John believes we now use them to explain the areas of our lives that leave us confused, scared, and pondering forces greater than ourselves. To connect with John and explore his work, go to www.tellingabetterstory.com

John Bucher's lecture talk is titled "THE SOUL OF STORY." Thousands of years ago, human beings huddled around campfires to listen to stories. Since that time, we’ve moved indoors and the campfires that we once hovered around have become digital screens. However, stories remain a vital part of the human experience. It’s been said that those that can offer the most compelling story in a society have an edge in advancing their ideas in the world. Our culture has never had more avenues for telling our stories, though few of us have much understanding about what makes one story enchanting and another forgettable. This talk tackles just that.

I hope you'll join us Saturday evening! Let me know if you have any questions.

Three new OTF book clubs starting in September.
Let us know if you want to join one!

PASTRIX
by Nadia Bolz-Weber
Tuesdays 12pm
September 8 - October 27

CHRIST OF THE CELTS
by John Philip Newell
Wednesdays 12pm
September 9 - October 7

DID GOD KILL JESUS?
by Tony Jones
Thursdays 2:30pm
September 10 - November 5

We are excited that the Religious Trauma Recovery Collective is relaunching tonight at 6pm! This group is a partnership between St. Clare's Tyler and Open Table Faith and provides a safe space to name our experiences of religious trauma and spiritual abuse, and to move together toward healing.

Join us tonight as we relaunch The Religious Trauma Recovery Collective. Please enter through the glass door to the right of the main entrance.

Join us for a one-day workshop exploring the rich and transformative traditions of Celtic Christianity.

WHEN: July 11, 2026
WHERE: First Christian Church of Tyler
COST: $10 per person (includes lunch)

REGISTER HERE: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-celtic-way-tickets-1992214526277

ABOUT THE WORKSHOP
There is an ancient stream of Christian faith — rooted in the wild landscapes of Ireland, Scotland, and Wales — that has carried prayers, practices, and a profound sense of the sacred through more than fifteen centuries. This is an invitation to step into that stream.

The day will unfold through four talks, each followed by open conversation:

1. ORIENTATION TO THE CELTIC CHRISTIAN TRADITION: Where did this tradition come from, and why does it still speak?

2. CELTIC CHRISTIAN SPIRITUALITY: How the Celtic imagination held the world as shot through with the presence of God.

3. CELTIC SYMBOLS: The visual language of a people who saw eternity in the ordinary.

4. CELTIC SAINTS & TEACHERS: The guides who walked this way before us.

Woven throughout the day will be time for reflection, prayer, activities and communion together.

ABOUT THE PRESENTER:
Danielle Shroyer (she/her/hers) is a spiritual director, author, speaker, and former pastor. She is the Founding Director of Via Forma (www.via-forma.com), a nonprofit that creates formation resources and experiences rooted in wisdom spirituality. Danielle is a graduate of Baylor University and Princeton Theological Seminary and was a founding member of the emerging church movement. A graduate of the Haden Institute’s Spiritual Direction and Dream Work Training programs, she now serves as a mentor and on the teaching faculty. Danielle is a 2nd degree taekwondo black belt and a yoga enthusiast. She and her husband Dan have two young adult children. They live in Dallas with their two rescue dogs and a patio of feral cats. She is the author of three books; the most recent, Original Blessing: Putting Sin in its Rightful Place.

Interested in Celtic spirituality? Join Open Table Faith and author Danielle Shroyer on Saturday, July 11 for The Celtic Way workshop! Registration and more info at the Eventbrite page: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-celtic-way-tickets-1992214526277?aff=oddtdtcreator

St. Clare's is excited to announce the launch of our newest group. Living in Today - Therapeutic Support In A Small Group Setting. Space is limited for this group so reach out today! The Group will meet once a week on Tuesday evenings at 6pm. Please email Fr. Rob at [email protected] if you are interested in participating or would like more information.

Looking forward to welcoming our friend Jae |📍ETX to First Christian Church this Sunday to kick off a 5-week lecture series on The Gospel of Mark! The series will explore Mark as a Jewish gospel shaped by Roman imperial worldview, the recent Roman-Jewish War, and the crisis surrounding the Jerusalem Temple. It will present a view of Mark before it was framed by the later gospel tradition: an abrupt, urgent, politically charged, and deeply Jewish text.

The lecture schedule is listed in the attached flyer. The lectures will take place on Sunday mornings at 10:45 in the Christian Life Center building at FCC, in the Conference Room, during Sunday school hour. All are welcome!