George Bashian to Address Garden City Community Church

On Sunday, Dec. 18, at 9:15-10:15 a.m., George Bashian will address the Sunday Forum Series at Garden City Community Church (GCCC) on “Tilling the Soil,” designed to help prepare for the message that will be preached in the 10:30 a.m. worship service.

Following the classic four-part practice of spiritual reading, "Lectio Divina," as refined by St. Benedict in the 6th century, participants will read aloud the lectionary text that will be preached (Lectio) during the worship service.

Next, individually, each person will reflect on the text (meditatio), finding connections between the text and where we are in our lives right now. Thirdly, each one will see what prayer response emerges from the encounter with the text (oratio). It may be a prayer of hurt, anger, confession, repentance, thanksgiving and/or praise.

Fourth, George will guide the group find a word, an image or a phrase that carries the message received (contemplatio) and take this into each one’s daily activities and relationships.

Hopefully, as a result of this practice, each person will emerge with more questions than answers about the text for the day, and will be looking forward to hearing the message that will be brought to all by the senior pastor, the Rev. James Adelmann.

Bashian graduated from New York University Law School in 1967. He served as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of New York from 1971-1974. He has served in the U.S. Marines from 1967-1970. In 1998 he graduated from New York Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity degree. He has served as a licensed minister in Garden City Community Church for 12 years. Since 1974 he has served as a principal in a second-generation family business, the Bashian Bros., doing import and wholesale handmade oriental rugs. He enjoys playing the piano and the accordion, exercising and reading.
 
George and his wife, Sue, have been members of GCCC since 1971, where he had spent many years teaching Sunday School, the confirmation class and also doing some adult Bible studies.

The community is invited to attend the forum in the church parlor. Garden City Community Church is part of the United Church of Christ and is an open and affirming congregation. Worship services are Sundays at 8:30 a.m. in the chapel and 10:30 a.m. in the sanctuary, with church school for children and a crib room for infants and toddlers during the latter service. Garden City Community Church is located at Stewart Avenue and Whitehall Blvd. For more information, call 746-1700 or visit the church website.