First Presbyterian Church Starting Faith & Science Series

Science or faith? A battle often heats up when some see religious world views as primary, others question the relevance of faith & religion, and others value science as the only valid approach to understanding the world. However, for many people, science and faith are not mutually exclusive. They can, in fact, be mutually enriching and complementary, once their domains are explored and respected. The First Presbyterian Church of San Rafael invites the community to attend the upcoming series on Faith and Science and engage in conversations seeking to bridge the often antagonistic perspectives.

The series will include both weekly sermons on Sundays and adult education classes immediately following the services at 11:15 am. The primary resource is from the Episcopal Church, “Faith and Science in the 21st Century,” edited by Peter M. Wallace and staff from the Day1 podcast and website ministry. Each week the Senior Pastor of First Presbyterian Church, the Rev. Cynthia Cochran-Carney, will explore a topic of faith and science in her sermon. Then following the worship service, members of the Adult Education Committee will facilitate a discussion of the topic using supplemental audio and videos of scientists and faith leaders.

“There are many people of faith like me who accept scientific explanations of the origins of and facts about the universe while simultaneously affirming their religious faith,” according to Rev. Cochran-Carney. “That is because science and religion have two different functions. Science explores the how of life. It utilizes the scientific method of observation to understand the mechanism by which things are as they are. Faith explores the why of life — not how things are, but why things are. Each faith searches for meaning, not mechanics, in life, death and our relationship to others and the world. Science cannot tell us why, only how. Religion cannot tell us how, only why. I am excited about this series and hope people from the community will come to be part of the discussions of these challenging topics.”

The weekly topics are:

September 19: God and the Cosmos

September 26: Quantum Physics and Eternity

October 3: Imago Dei and Science (The Image of God in All People)

October 10: Science and Mortality

First Presbyterian Church of San Rafael

The church has both in-person worship and online options available every Sunday. Masks are required for indoor services. The 8:30 am service is a contemplative service in the chapel. The 10:00 am service in the sanctuary features choirs and guest musicians. Live Streaming is available on FPCSR YouTube channel The Adult Education series begins at 11:10 am in the sanctuary and will end at 12:00.

For more information about the church live stream links, programs and community service opportunities, see the church website www.fpcsr.org or call the office 415-456-6760. First Presbyterian Church is located at 1510 Fifth Ave in San Rafael across from the library.