Here's an idea that works! Over a year ago, I started an adult Sunday school class called "Hot Off the Press." The idea was to engage in discussion of world and national events from a faith perspective. My agenda has been to model and teach "ordinary" Christians how to think, in a world that often values feelings more than rationality.

Each week I bring a news story that begs for a Christian response. We read it together and brainstorm the issues it raises. We then consider what God might say about the situation and what actions we might take in response. We've talked about the Palestinian/Israeli question, human cloning, religion in political life, parenting issues, just war, and "What would Jesus drive?" I have been encouraged by the development of these folks, who are revealing fewer unsubstantiated biases, asking better questions, turning to the Bible appropriately, and loving each other better.

As teacher (referee?) of this class, I've found myself growing in:

• The ability to judge the discussion potential of a particular news item;
• The ability to ask open-ended, thought-provoking questions;
• My willingness to follow a method that gets facts straight first, then dives in to our reaction;
• The ability to manage the diverse opinions and feelings of the class members, demonstrating Christian love and discernment; and
• My commitment to remain thoroughly and faithfully biblical, while messing with the grey areas of modern culture.
• Some benefits that have fueled my participation this year:
• The preparation is somewhat easier than a content-oriented class, for someone who has just preached the previous hour.
• It has turned out to be a marvelous forum for getting to know each other, although I have studiously avoided revealing my political loyalties.
• It has required me to stay in touch with the news, especially the print media.
• It is enormously fun and stimulating.

My favorite discussion revolved around the case of a young boy attending a church nursery school, and his mother was an exotic dancer at a local club. The four-year-old boy was expelled from the school three weeks before classes ended in June, because his mother's occupation was discovered by a church member browsing the web. Did we have fun with that one!

Barth modeled preaching with the Bible in one hand, and the newspaper in the other. This is what we have tried to do, and the engagement of faith with real life has stretched us. Most people in the class would probably say they are more in touch than ever before with the world around them and the Lord of All.

Mary Holder Naegeli teaches "Hot Off the Press" at First Presbyterian Church of Concord, California, where she is senior pastor.