"Strong Families Through Christian Covenant & Community" Presented By Dr. Ray Sutton
August 9, 2008 1:00 pm to 5:30 pm at Saint Francis Episcopal Church

1:00-1:50 -- The Table of the Great King: The Biblical Covenant
In this session Dr Sutton will speak on Biblical Covenant as a Table fellowship by means of a treaty. The table fellowship of the Great King, Jesus, creates kinship, kingdom and cosmos. He will focus our attention in particular on the New Covenant as published at the Last Supper.

2:00-2:50 -- The Marriage Covenant
Dr Sutton establishes that marriage is indeed a covenant. As part of the Biblical covenant, he will explore how marriage is designed to participate in and extend the Table of the Great King. He will concentrate on the Wedding at Cana (John 2) as the model for marriage as a communion at the Table of the Great King.

3:00-3:50 – Psalms and Hymn Singing

4:00-5:00 -- The Covenantal Family
The Christian family is a part of God's covenant. Given the definition of the covenant offered in the previous talks, the Biblical family draws its life from the Table of the Great King. As it is fed by Christ, it fuels the kingdom of God. It becomes a kindergarten for the kingdom of God as well as the cosmos, the world around the kingdom. Finally, since the family in general is foundational to the sociology of the world, the kingdom of God is to be extended and built on a family model.

5:30 – Supper provided by the sponsoring churches

For additional information contact:
Rev Robert Himes - 817-374-3368
Pastor Patrick Hurd – 817-401-9155
Father Jay Adams – 817-441-9156

Dr. Ray Sutton grew up in Dallas and graduated from Southern Methodist University. He received his Masters of Theology from Dallas Theology Seminary and Doctor of Philosophy from Oxford University, Wycliffe Hall.

He presently pastors Church of the Holy Communion in Dallas and is an Assistant Bishop for the Reformed Episcopal Church in the DFW area. In addition to his pastoral ministry, he teaches scripture and theology at Cranmer Theological House in Houston Texas. Bishop Sutton has authored such books as Signed Sealed & Delivered, a study of Holy Baptism and Second Chance, Biblical Principles of Divorce and Remarriage.

He is married to Susan, who also grew up in Dallas, graduated with her Bachelor’s degree from Southern Methodist University/Masters degree from Dallas Baptist University in Educational Counseling, and is currently a counselor at the Shelton School in Dallas Texas. Married for thirty-six years, they have seven children and two grandchildren.