The Monteagle Sunday School Assembly in Monteagle opens its 143rd summer season of enrichment with an interdenominational worship service at 11 a.m., in the Assembly’s Warren Chapel. The eight-week season will continue through Sunday, Aug. 3, featuring numerous visiting lecturers who will present morning and evening programs that are open free of charge to the public; unless otherwise noted, morning lectures begin at 10:45 a.m., and evening lectures at 7:45 p.m., all taking place in Warren Chapel. Anyone interested in a full schedule of the Monteagle Assembly’s 2025 program is welcome to pick one up at the Assembly Office (tel. 931-924-2286), or to peruse the schedule on the Assembly’s website at <www.monteaglesundayschoolassembly.org>.

Thursday’s program includes two opportunities to learn from Dr. David McMillan, an author and clinical psychologist from Nashville whose work aims to provide healing and compassion to his clients and their families. His books include “Create Your Own Love Story,” based on what he’s learned through his 35+ years of marriage to former Second Circuit Court (of Tennessee) judge Marietta Shipley. In a Thursday morning lecture, McMillan will speak about “Defining the Sacred: A study of finding happiness and why it is important.” In the afternoon, he will facilitate a journaling workshop at the Pulliam Center on “The Power of Gratitude.” The workshop takes place from 2:30-4:30 p.m. Participation in the workshop is limited and requires advance registration through the MSSA office.

Former Vanderbilt University chief investment officer Bill Spitz knows a thing or two about what wealth can do (and not do) for institutions and individuals. He served in his role at Vanderbilt from 1985-2006, a time during which the University saw a ten-fold increase in the school’s endowment. He will lecture Thursday evening about “The Power of Money.”

Journalist and historian Marc Leepson has written about a number of American historical events and places, including a biography of Francis Scott Key, author of the poem that became the United States’s national anthem, and a book about the lowest-ranking American prisoner of war captured during the Vietnam War. He joins MSSA on Friday morning to lecture about, “Saving Monticello: The story of the Levy family and how they restored a crumbling Monticello,” based on his book of the same name. As the book’s publisher writes, “Saving Monticello offers the first complete post-Jefferson history of this American icon and reveals the amazing story of how one Jewish family saved the house that became a family home to them for 89 years — longer than it ever was to the Jeffersons. With a dramatic narrative sweep across generations, Marc Leepson vividly recounts the turbulent saga of this fabled estate. Twice the house came to the brink of ruin, and twice it was saved, by two different generations of the Levy family.”

Finally, the MSSA Auditorium will transform on Saturday evening into a southern branch of the fabled Bluebird Café in Nashville with a musical performance, “A Night at the Bluebird with Amy Kurland.” Attendees will hear stories about the legendary café from the founder. Songwriters Don Henry and Victoria Shaw will also tell stories and share music from the iconic venue. The program begins at 8 p.m.

Additional events the first week of the Monteagle Assembly’s 2025 season include the following:

Tuesday, June 10, 10:45 a.m., Warren Chapel — Bill Haltom lectures on “A Summons to Monteagle: The Assembly’s great writers.”

Tuesday, June 10, 2:30 p.m., meet at North Gate — Rev. Sara-Scott Wingo leads a Sacred Hike.

Wednesday, June 11, 10:45 a.m., Warren Chapel — Stephanie Sabbe lectures on “Storytelling Interiors.”

Friday, June 13, 2:30 p.m., Writers’ Grove — Caroline Vogel reads from her book, “God Spark,” and Rev. Sara-Scott Wingo reads from her essay, “Made of You, Made of God.”