Announcements

Please join us on Sunday (8 December 2019) at 9:15 AM for our adult religious education classes.  For this Sunday, you have choices:

• The New UU –Bennett Upton, Facilitator
  New and not-so-new Unitarian Universalists will benefit from this comprehensive introduction to our faith tradition and our congregation. Hear stories from our history, and learn more about our covenantal Living Tradition in the here and now.  This Sunday — Session 5 — “How Are Decisions Made?  Governance and Polity.”  This workshop explores the workings of a free congregation and the history of our movement behind it.
• Understanding the Bible — Susan Caldwell, Facilitator
  Understanding the Bible provides an opportunity to engage with the scriptures and read them “against the grain.”  As our very tradition was born because our forebears took the initiative to do exactly that, often at the risk of their reputations and even their lives, it’s only right that we take on for ourselves the right and privilege of doing so.  This week — Session 3 — “Generations” — The story of Abraham (including the Akedah, The Binding of Isaac).  This is a story that horrifies many of us but what value did the story have to the people who told and heard it?

Please join us on Sunday (1 December 2019) at 9:15 AM for our adult religious education classes.  For this Sunday, you have choices:

• The New UU –Bennett Upton, Facilitator
  New and not-so-new Unitarian Universalists will benefit from this comprehensive introduction to our faith tradition and our congregation. Hear stories from our history, and learn more about our covenantal Living Tradition in the here and now.  For this Sunday — Session 4 –“Social Justice Philosophy and Practice.”  This workshop explores the philosophy and practice of social justice in a Unitarian Universalist context, and will include a panel of youth and adults who are active on various fronts of the quest for “peace, liberty, and justice for all.”
• Understanding the Bible — Susan Caldwell, Facilitator
  Understanding the Bible provides an opportunity to engage with the scriptures and read them “against the grain.”  As our very tradition was born because our forebears took the initiative to do exactly that, often at the risk of their reputations and even their lives, it’s only right that we take on for ourselves the right and privilege of doing so.  This week — Session 2 — “Creations and Generations – Genesis.”

Please join us on Sunday (24 November 2019) at 9:15 AM for our adult religious education class — “The New UU” with facilitator Bennett Upton.

New and not-so-new Unitarian Universalists will benefit from this comprehensive introduction to our faith tradition and our congregation.

Hear stories from our history, and learn more about our covenantal Living Tradition in the here and now.

For this Sunday — Session 3 – “Philosophy of Religious Education.”
This workshop introduces the philosophy of Unitarian Universalist religious education, especially the concept of lifespan faith development as the search for truth and meaning that goes on throughout our lives. Activities emphasize the role of narrative and the need for religious education to provide ways to respond to all that life presents. This session will feature a guest panel including  Susan Caldwell (Director of Lifespan Religious Education) as well as a longtime teacher in our religious education program (Eric First) and a teacher who has also grown up in the program (Noah Wagstaff).

The “Understanding the Bible” class is on a one-week break and will return next week (1 December 2019) at 9:15 AM with facilitator Susan Caldwell.

Please join us on Sunday (17 November 2019) at 9:15 AM for our adult religious education classes.  For this Sunday, you have choices:

• The New UU –Bennett Upton, Facilitator
  New and not-so-new Unitarian Universalists will benefit from this comprehensive introduction to our faith tradition and our congregation. Hear stories from our history, and learn more about our covenantal Living Tradition in the here and now.  For this Sunday — Session 2 –“Where Do We Come From?  Unitarian Universalist Roots.”
• Understanding the Bible — Susan Caldwell, Facilitator
  Centuries ago, those we consider our Unitarian and Universalist forebears read the Hebrew and Christian scriptures for themselves and found there markedly different messages from those of the established Church. Several years ago, the Rev. Megan Dalby-Jones said in our pulpit “If you want to know who the Unitarian Universalists are, look at the history of the early Christian church, follow the heretics all the way down, and you find us.”  Indeed, we are proud to teach our children the words “heresy” and “heretic,” in a positive light, as they come from the Greek “hairetikos,” meaning “to choose.”  However, we dishonor our history if we don’t continue to read the Bible for ourselves and to consider the meaning the stories might hold for us.  To quote the Rev. Aaron White, “We take the Bible seriously, not literally.”  We will be using a curriculum based on the book Understanding the Bible by former UUA President John Buehrens.  I am happy to order copies for anyone who would like one. However, our group time will largely be spent engaging directly with the scriptures themselves, and buying the book is optional for the course.  If you have a Bible at home, bring it.  We’re interested in looking at multiple versions and translations.