Songer ConsultingDuring our first winter in Florida, Martha and I began attending First United Methodist Church in Kissimmee. Not only did we attend worship services but we also attended an adult Sunday School class with regularity. That was the winter of 2014-15. When we returned for the winter of 2015-16, we returned to FUMC at Kissimmee. During that period I was asked to teach some of the lessons. The following winter I taught even more. This gave the regular teacher of many years, C.O. Arrington, a bit of a sabbatical. From that point on, I took up teaching regularly each winter, something Mr. Arrington encouraged me to do. (This was surely a feat for one who had been a Southern Baptist for more than 60 years. To top that off, I had graduated from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville and served churches in music and/or Christian education capacities for many years.)
Then came the Pandemic powered by COVID-19. With people being discouraged from gathering in groups, I offered to host Zoom sessions so that the class could continue to connect with each other. Since I took on control as the administrator of the sessions, I also took over most of the teaching. Along the way I infused elements of worship we all could share in (singing, prayers, and responsive readings) in addition to studying topics for Christian growth.
This page will grow over time and contain links to some of the study material I have created. All files will be in PDF format and will require the use of a compatible reader on your computer or device.
The Current Study
Vines, Branches, and Fruit: Characteristics of life in the Spirit
Part one – The downloadable PDF covers the Introduction and section entitled “Jesus and His Disciples: The parting words.” This section summarizes chapters 13-16 of the Gospel of John, the private discourse with the disciples prior to the Crucifixion. This will be released in parts. Once the document is complete (at the end of the study), the entire document will be uploaded as one document. Download/read the document.
Previous Study Material
Be Renewed
This document referenced below is an outline of the class conducted via Zoom in February and March of 2021. The sessions were titled:
- Be Renewed and Take Heart
- Be Renewed in Your Thinking
- Be Renewed with a Steadfast Spirit
- Be Renewed in Strength Powered by Hope
- Be Renewed with a Maturing Faith
Download/read the document. 13 pages
Betwixt and Between: Christmas to New Year
Originally created for the first Sunday of Christmastide of 2020 (in the year of the pandemic), this creation follows the general structure of a one-day observance by a class or small group. The content is also useful in a worship setting since it contains the litany, Holding On and Letting Go. Since the content is of short brevity, this is also suitable for personal reflection after the individual has celebrated Christmas and is looking to the year ahead.
Download/read the document. 3 pages
These Ten Words
This is a digitized and reformatted version of a book that is no longer in print or under copyright. It is, however, one of the best books I had ever read on the Ten Commandments. Not because of it’s historical or academic presentation (as in a commentary), but as one that views the commandments from a contemporary, Christian perspective. It was first published in 1966 by Broadman Press in Nashville, Tennessee. At the time of publication, Roy L Honeycutt was teaching a Midwestern Theological Seminary in Kansas City. Later, Dr. Honeycutt became President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville before the denomination took a swing in direction toward a very conservative posture. The book was developed with the lay person in mind. To use in in a study I developed in 2018, I scanned the original cover and then input and formatted the document. By request, a version is available for any eBook reader such as Apple Books.
Download/read the book. 91 pages
A Christmas Carol
During the Christmas season of 2017 I led the class in a “Christianized” analysis/review of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. In searching for a present-day printing of this classic, I could find none that were practical in price. So, from the public source (non-copyright) information I created this digitized version. As with These Ten Words (see above), it had to be reformatted with some good, classic art thrown in.
Download/read the book. 97 pages