B.U.U.F. Adult Education

In America, liberal religion, including Unitarian Universalism, has always been infused with mysticism. This class will explore American mysticism in the nineteenth, twentieth and twenty-first centuries by reflecting upon some of its major figures and movements. Expect lively discussions and some journaling as we discover the relevance of mysticism in our individual and collective lives today.

• Week 1: Emerson and Thoreau
• Week 2: Whitman and William James
• Week 3: Asian Influences in American Mysticism: Theosophy, Vedanta, Zen and more
• Week 4: Mysticism in Modern and Contemporary American Poets

Leaders: Debra Smith & Elton Hall

Schedule and location: 4 sessions, Tuesdays, 7-9 p.m., March 4, 11, 18, 25; Jr. High Room

Registration fee: $10

This class will include presentations, group discussion, displays of Native American items, some film and music, and will close with a friendship dance. The purpose of the class is not to provide a romantic view of Native Americans. Instead, it will convey a realistic and respectful perspective acknowledging the massive social problems faced by Native American communities, as well as the resiliency, creativity, and spirituality that enables these communities to persevere.

Session 1: 1491 A.D.—A survey of the remarkable civilizations, flora and fauna on the continent before its "discovery." Where did Native Americans come from?

Session 2: The Vanishing American—An overview of the tragic history of our original inhabitants between 1492-1900, causing their numbers to plummet by 95%. What happened to the Native Americans?

Session 3: Indian Giver—A discussion of the great number of contributions of Native Americans; i.e., art, medicine, food, ecology and government, spirituality. What have we learned from them? How are we indebted to them?

Session 4: Living Together—How do we understand our commonalities and live together in light of our treaty obligations and the "invisibility" of Native Americans? How shall we live with our Native American neighbors?

Leaders: Sheryl and Bruce Dowlin have been involved with Native Americans for 20 years in Minnesota and are advocates for Native Americans on the Idaho Indian Education Advisory Board.

For 14 years BUUF has been partnered with the people of a beautiful, historic Unitarian church in the village of Mészkõ in the Transylvanian region of Romania. This partnership calls to mind the following questions: What is liberal religion like today in the birthplace of Unitarianism? What has happened in the past to create the political, ethnic, religious and economic issues our partners are struggling with now? What can we learn from the Mészkõ Unitarian community? What can they learn from us? Can I travel to Mészkõ? What can I do to help them from my home in Idaho? Come increase your understanding of our partners in Mészkõ. Be part of defining this unique and life changing relationship. You may participate in three different course offerings plus a special evening performance:

• 3 Thursday evenings—a facilitated discussion class with panels
• 1 Saturday morning Transylvanian Art Workshop
• 1 Saturday morning Transylvanian Cooking Workshop (includes lunch)
• Performance of Letters from Christine (Debra Smith will present this one-woman play based on letters written by Christine Balazs, depicting her life with her husband, Ferenc Balazs, during his ministry of the congregation of Mészkõ in the 1930s)

Leaders: Partner Church Committee and special resource people

Schedule and location: Discussion class: 3 Thursday evenings, 7-9 p.m., March 6, 13, 20, Jr. High Room; 1 Art Workshop, Saturday, March 1, 10-12 noon, north wing classrooms; 1 Cooking Workshop, Saturday, March 8, 10-12 noon, kitchen/Sanctuary, followed by lunch; Letters from Christine performance—Saturday, March 15, 7-9 p.m., Sanctuary, followed by a dessert reception.

Registration fee: $35 covers 3 evening classes, 2 Saturday workshops, plus admission to Letters from Christine. Or register for each event separately: $10 for three evening classes; $15 for Cooking Workshop; $10 for Art Workshop; and $20 for Letters from Christine (includes a reception with Transylvanian desserts).

Did you know that Boise is a major center for resettlement of refugees from around the world? From January 2000 to the present, nearly 4,000 refugees have come to Idaho to rebuild their lives. Displaced from their home countries by war and political conflict, religious and economic persecution, natural disasters and environmental degradation, individuals and families seek refuge here and an opportunity to become productive members of our community. Often there are hardships and problems of assimilation. BUUF is well positioned to help refugees through our social action program that is concerned with economic and social justice.

To further our understanding of facts and issues involving Boise's burgeoning refugee population, BUUF will host a seminar featuring a panel of speakers who work with refugees on a daily basis. Following the panel presentations, there will be time for Q&A and small group discussion centering on opportunities for volunteerism and social action.

Panel representatives: Keziah Sullivan (International Rescue Committee), Fern VanMaren (BSU Adult Basic Education ESL Program); plus two additional panelists to be determined

Schedule and location: Saturday, March 29, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (with refreshments); Sanctuary

Registration fee: $10 (advance registration is requested, although participants may pay at the door)

Participants in this outdoor activity will help support habitat restoration in the Boise foothills. Each spring, volunteers help the Idaho Department of Fish & Game to restore hundreds of acres of degraded habitat by planting bitterbrush (a favored forage species for elk and deer). In the company of other volunteers, restoration becomes a community and personal experience, as well as an act of faith in the UU 7th principle: respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part. We will travel to the foothills site in a bus with IDFG leaders who will guide and equip the bitterbrush planting. Participants should carry their own sack lunch and water, dress warmly including boots, and be prepared for inclement weather. This is an excellent activity for families with teenage children and any adult who enjoys working outdoors!

Leaders: IDFG habitat restoration staff (Michael Young and others)

Schedule and location: Saturday, March 15, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Meet by 8:45 a.m. at the MK Nature Center parking lot on the south side of IDFG Headquarters at 600 S. Walnut (Municipal Park is on the north side of IDFG Headquarters).

Registration fee: $5

Are you concerned about health hazards and little-known but pervasive toxins that may exist in your home environment? Patricia Bjeke-Koleini will talk about her own experiences with chemical sensitivities and how she regained her health with the help of green/non-toxic remodeling. She will illustrate her talk with slides and a 17-minute DVD about creating a healthy home environment for children. She will also provide information from her recent visit to a San Francisco home featured in Sunset Magazine as one of the first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified remodels in the U.S.

Following the presentation with Q&A and discussion, participants are invited to tour Boise's first Gold-level LEED-certified home in Hidden Springs. We will car-pool from BUUF.

Leader: Patricia Bjerke-Koleini (Environmental Real Estate Consultant)

Schedule and location: Saturday, February 23, 1-2:30 p.m., Jr. High room (with refreshments); followed by the LEED-certified home tour at Hidden Springs, 3-4 p.m.

Registration fee: $10

Al Gore's academy award-winning film, An Inconvenient Truth, ushered in a wave of public discourse and mounting concern about our warming planet and the prospects for a sustainable future. Climate scientists, economists, politicians, and business leaders alike are increasingly in agreement with the following statement by Alan AtKisson, President and CEO of AtKisson Group, a global network of consultants and small firms working on the climate crisis: "We are no longer passive victims of the climate system's slow oscillations; we are now, as a collective, atmospheric engineers."

This four-session course explores the history and science of global warming, our personal values and habits as they relate to climate change, and both individual and community actions to curb the effects of a warming atmosphere. Participants will draw on readings and discussion questions from a course book provided by the Idaho Earth Institute (IEI).

Leader: An IEI-trained course mentor will facilitate the opening session

Schedule and location: 4 sessions, Mondays, 7-9 pm; February 25; March 3, 10, 17; Jr. High Room

Registration fee: $25 (includes $15 cost of IEI course book)

Maximum enrollment: 12

The Idaho Friends of Jung is a not-for-profit group whose goals are to raise public awareness about the pioneering work of psychologist Carl Gustav Jung (1875-1961) and his contributions to understanding ourselves as individuals and as a species. In collaboration with BUUF, the Idaho Friends of Jung is hosting a series of informal "salons" facilitated by analysts, therapists, and students of Jung's psychology. Salons will be held at BUUF each month from January through June, and will start up again in September prior to a culminating lecture and workshop led by the renowned Jungian analyst and author, Dr. James Hollis, on October 24 & 25, 2008. Each salon gathering will enable participants to share in community and refreshments while exploring the Jungian topic of the month.

Leaders: As noted for each event below. For more information, write to Idaho Friends of Jung, P.O. Box 502, Boise ID 83701, or call Mary Clagett Smith, 344-9368.

Schedule and location: 7–9pm, one Friday evening a month (or as noted), check the posted room schedule for the North Wing.

Fee: A donation of $10 is suggested at each salon gathering

February 22: Mind-Body Dynamics & Chinese Medicine. Jean Kuty, M.A., licensed acupuncturist, depth psychotherapist, Pacifica Graduate Institute, Boise, Idaho.

March 14: Slow Food Movement & the Reflective Life: Nourishing Body & Soul. Judy Hall, director of Idaho’s Bounty Co-op; practitioner, Center for Spiritual Living; 20 years experience with Jungian analysis, Ketchum, Idaho.

Saturday, March 15: (Culinary "workshop") Local Foods Luncheon with Dave Krick, Boise restaurateur, The Treasure Valley Food Co-alition, Boise Local First & Idaho’s Bounty. Cost: $25. Downtown location of the workshop will be announced (call 208-727-7250).

April 25: Language of Quantum Physics & Depth Psychology. Dr. LoriLee Critchfield, Ph.D., Psychology and Political Science, Pacifica Graduate Institute, depth psychotherapist, Twin Falls & Oakley, Idaho.

May 16: Jung as Friend: The Creative Spirit As Genius. Susan S. Scott, Ph.D., depth psychotherapist, poet, artist, author Healing with Nature, Seattle, Washington.

Saturday, May 17: Saturday Workshop with Susan Scott: The Creative Spirit, 10 am to 4 pm.

June 22: Finding Meaning In the Second Half of Life by Dr. James Hollis. Scott Hyder & members of Idaho Friends of Jung will lead a discussion of James Hollis’ books and ideas.

Chinese chi kung and tai chi are exercises that allow the practitioner to focus on breathing, relaxation, and balance. Sometimes called "meditation in motion," this ancient art is a form of preventive medicine, building functional strength within the individual that extends to every activity one performs throughout the day. Led by an experienced tai chi instructor associated with the Chinese Shao-Lin Center, the class will provide fundamental skills for continuing the practice on one's own. This class is ideal for continuing students and newcomers alike.

Leader: Nate Poulton

Schedule: 10 sessions, Mondays, 7-8:30 p.m., February 18, 25; March 3, 10, 17, 24, 31; April 7, 16, 23; north wing classrooms

Registration fee: $25 (this is great value for 10 sessions!)

Back by popular demand! Debbie Espen will share her knowledge and love of Asatru, the living ancient folk religion of Northern Europe. No, this is not Wicca! This one session, two-hour class will cover all the basics of Asatru, including historical background, revival and reconstruction, key figures and stories, ethics, runes, and worship. We will end by sampling holy mead poured from a blessed horn.

Leader: Debbie Espen

Schedule and location: Sunday, March 30, 1-3 p.m.; Jr. High Room

Registration fee: $5

Maximum enrollment: 20