B.U.U.F. Adult Education

We will explore Unitarian Universalism, its histories, present state and future possibilities. The course will provide a thumbnail sketch of our tradition, look at our changing character as a faith and our developing role in the world, and discuss future prospects for both, including a celebration of a remarkable experiment in bringing together two profound spiritualities into a diverse, vibrant stream.

• Week 1: Unitarian History: Brief Overview
• Week 2: Universalist History: Brief Overview
• Week 3: Bringing Unitarians and Universalists Together: Challenges, Merger, Results
• Week 4: The State of Unitarian Universalism Today
• Week 5: Where Are We Going? Possibilities and Destiny

Leaders: Rev. Elizabeth Greene, Prof. Elton Hall

Schedule and location: 5 sessions, Tuesdays, 7-9 p.m., November 6, 13, 20, 27; December 4 (class will decide whether to meet Nov. 20 before Thanksgiving or on Dec. 11 as the alternative date). Junior High Room

Registration fee: $10

Maximum enrollment: 20

Drew Dellinger is a spoken word poet, teacher and activist, and founder of the non-profit Poets for Global Justice. He has presented and performed at hundreds of conferences, colleges, churches, and events across the country, speaking on social and environmental justice, cosmology and ecology, and grassroots democracy. The website, http://www.drewdellinger.com, provides information about his current writings, performances, workshops, and activism.

On Saturday, November 3, Drew will be at BUUF for the following special events:

The Poetic Cosmos Workshop: The poetic imagination flows from the depths of the universe itself. This workshop will explore the joys of the spoken word, awakening the playful poet and wordsmith within. Through writing, reciting, and listening to poetry, participants will celebrate the sacred cosmos of language while reflecting on the ecological and social challenges of our time.

The Poetic Cosmos Spoken Word Performance: Drew will perform spoken word poetry in the sanctuary, inviting us to stretch our minds around the 13 billion year history of the universe and the current movements for global justice and earth democracy.

Leader: Drew Dellinger

Schedule and location:
Saturday workshop, Nov. 3, 10:00am – 12:30pm, North Wing classrooms;
Saturday evening performance, Nov. 3, 7:00 – 9:00pm; Sanctuary

Registration fee: $15 for Saturday workshop (includes pizza/salad lunch and conversation following the workshop); $15 for Saturday evening performance (followed by refreshments and a book signing). Please note: There will be a reduced $25 registration fee for those who wish to attend both the workshop and evening performance.

If life has you wandering aimlessly in circles, come discover a secret that's stood the test of time for thousands of years. A labyrinth is a single walking path that leads to the center in a spiraling, circling pattern. It is used as a walking meditation for calming the mind and deepening the contemplative side of human nature. Emerging from Pagan, Christian, Jewish, and Islamic faith traditions, walking the Labyrinth is a spiritual practice adopted by a growing number of UU congregations.

This three-hour workshop includes:

• The history and significance of the Labyrinth;
• Guidelines for consciously walking the Labyrinth
• How to design your own labyrinth
• Time spent outside walking BUUF's newly constructed rock labyrinth

Leaders: Jay and Carol Wechselberger

Schedule and location: Saturday, October 13, 9 am to 12 noon; North Wing classrooms

Registration fee: $5 (bring a sack lunch; drinks and cookies will be provided)

Maximum enrollment: 30

Physicist David Bohm was interested in consciousness and why our human behaviors are so often self-destructive. He pioneered using dialogue in such a way as to expand our awareness of shared meaning (not necessarily agreement) and promote greater understanding of our selves and each other.

The point of Bohmian Dialogue is not the content, but the process. Whatever the subject, we all have unconscious assumptions about it. When these assumptions are challenged, especially if they are important to us, we will experience some emotion, such as anger or defensiveness.

The task, then, is to notice the reaction, discover the assumption causing it, and "suspend" that assumption. Suspending does not mean judging, or denying, or rejecting the assumption. It just means we all get to share our assumptions together and be aware of them. Thus we find common ground in discourse and relationships.

This four-session class will introduce Bohmian Dialogue as a dynamic yet purposefully unstructured group process, with no set topic. Following the class, interested participants may form an ongoing Bohmian Dialogue group, meeting on a regular basis to be agreed upon by the members.

Leader: Lynne Tolk

Schedule and location: 4 sessions, Thursdays, 7-9 pm; October 18, 25; November 1, 8; Junior High Room

Registration fee: $10

Maximum enrollment: 12

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: Friday, November 9, 7-9 pm; Senior High Room

Registration fee: $5

Maximum enrollment: 20

Bill McKibben's new book, Deep Economy, challenges our "business as usual" economic system. For the first time in human history, "more" is no longer synonymous with "better"—indeed, for many of us, they have become almost opposites. McKibben wants us to think in new ways about the things we buy, the food we eat, the energy we use, and the money that pays for it all. Our purchases need not be at odds with the things we truly value.

This five-session class will discuss the pursuit of prosperity in a more local direction—with cities, suburbs, and regions producing more of their own food, generating more of their own energy, and even creating more of their own culture and entertainment. This concept is already blossoming around the world with striking results, from the burgeoning economies of India and China to the more mature societies of Europe and New England. For those who wonder if there isn't something more to life than consumption, McKibben's book offers a realistic, if challenging, scenario for a hopeful future in which we nurture the essential humanity of our economy.

Leader: Mike Philley

Schedule and location: 6 sessions; Sundays, 5-6:30 p.m.; November 4, 11, 18, 25; December 2, 9; Junior High Room.

Registration fee: $10 (Participants should purchase their own copy of Deep Economy, available at local bookstores and Amazon.com)

Maximum enrollment: 12