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Adult Education
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Current and Upcoming Courses and Events
- Being a UU Parent with Rebecca Keller-Scholl
- Applied Zen: Creating the World Around Us
- A People So Bold
- Roots and Branches: The Free Church Tradition
Adult Education offers many Sunday morning programs before services that do not appear here. See the Upcoming Services page for details. Click here to see a list of recent Adult Education programs.
Being a Unitarian Universalist Parent, w/Rebecca Keller-Scholl
Sundays, February 21, March 21, April 18, May 16, June 20
4:30 – 6:30 pm in Parlor,
Every child asks questions — many, many questions. “Can I have a snack?“ is a simple one to answer, “Where does God live?” is a little tougher. And as the kids grow, the questions become more challenging. When I was growing up in the Unitarian Universalist Church in Westport, CT we talked in Sunday School about how ours was a religion of questions not answers. Children, however, expect and deserve answers from their parents. When my 12-year-old son Jackson was 5, he asked me “What happens when we die?” This year he asked me, “Is Unitarian Universalism a religion or a philosophy?” As parents it is impossible to avoid the tough questions.
Being a Unitarian Universalist Parent is a five-session workshop, designed by ministers and religious educators to help address these questions, together, in community. We will also discuss UU history, how to combine religion and family life and how to live out our faith at home. It is open to parents with children of all ages. Childcare will be provided for the younger ones, and older kids are welcome to come and do craft projects or help with the younger kids. There will be a potluck dinner from 4:30 to 5:15 and the workshops will last from 5:15 to 6:30. We will meet in Parish Hall the third Sunday of the month, from February to June.
If you have any questions about the course, please email me at RKScholl@gmail.com. Please sign up with Sue King in the Parish office. There will be a fee of $5.00 per person to cover the cost of materials. I hope that parents of preschoolers through teenagers will come and join in the discussion.
Applied Zen: Creating the World Around Us
Five Tuesdays, 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm
Tuesdays, June 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
... This popular course, first offered in Spring '10,
is back for another run .... Every thought affects the world around us. In the thirteenth century, Zen Master Dogen wrote about this using the metaphor of water: "Some see water as the seven treasures or a wish-granting jewel; some see water as a forest or a wall." In what we choose to see and how we frame it, we create the world around us. By choosing to focus on mindful awareness, we can respond to stimuli rather than react, and thus develop resiliency and create positive outcomes. This is tangible; it begins with ordinary people and their own mindfulness practice, through which we return to our original luminous awareness, like clear water. This course combines Zen practice with creative approaches that support mind/body health to discover inner resources and create positive outcomes in everyday life. Please bring a yoga mat and cushions, an open and curious mind, and wear loose-fitting clothing. Donations of $25 for the series are requested but not required. Register in advance by calling 781-444-0823.
A PEOPLE SO BOLD:
Theology and Ministry for Unitarian Universalists
A People So Bold is a series of 22 short essays by prominent Unitarian Universalist clergy and scholars explories issues of faith and social issues. The book was edited by John Gibb Millspaugh, husband of our former intern Sarah. Over the course of the summer we will gather to discuss this book on Sunday mornings. We will take turns being group leaders. The course is open to adults and interested young adults. You may come to as many or as few sessions as you wish or are able. If you are interested in attending, please call 781-444-0823. If you would be willing to facilitate a session, please contact Tom Lake.
Schedule
(All meetings on Sundays in the Parlor)
- June 27, 10 am: Essays 1–3 on Theology
(emphasis on the Paul Rasor essay) - No meeting on July 4
- July 11, 10 am: Essays 4–6 on Theology (emphasis on the Rebecca Ann Parker essay)
- July 18, 9:15 am: Essays 1–3 on Context.
(Note different time—Worship at 10:30 am) - July 25, 10 am: Essays 4–6 on Context
- Aug. 1, 10 am: Essays 1–4 on Ministry
- Aug. 8, 10 am: Essays 4–7 on Ministry
- Aug. 15, 10 am: Essays 8–10 on Ministry
Roots and Branches: The Free Church Tradition
With John Buehrens
October 30, 2010, 9 am - noon
Bagels, fruit, coffee, and juice at 8:30 am
First offiered in Spring 2010, this program offers an overview of of Unitarian Universalist history, theology, and social values, and an introduction to First Parish — the free church in Needham. The course is intended to appeal both to newcomers and to members and friends looking to “fill in the gaps”. Over time, we hope that Roots and Branches will become a shared experience for many members over time. Donations will be accepted to offset breakfast costs.
Ongoing Programs
Cakes for the Queen of Heaven
With Intern Minister Molly Housh
Alternating Wednesdays in the Parlor
Cakes for the Queen of Heaven, the adult religious education class in feminist theology that was offered in the fall, will continue in the winter. We'll start again January 13th, when we'll meet from 7:30 to 9:30pm in the parlor to discuss and brainstorm plans for the new 'term.' The class is capped at 12 participants, but we do have a few open slots. Please register with Sue in the office if you are interested.
Recent Programs
The Healing Power of “Yes: Communicating Effectively and Connecting Deeply with Persons with Alzheimer’s
Presented by the Healing Momemts Alzheimer's Ministry
Saturday, April 10 - Sign up for one or both sessions
A two-part program run by Rev. Jade Angelica, Founder and President of Healing Moments, and Lindsay Brennan, LSW and manager of Helpline service for the Alzheimer’s Association. This workshop was for families, friends and professional caregivers who are learning about the illness, as well as seasoned professionals, health care providers, community supporters such as chaplains, pastors, seminarians, counselors, and counseling students. The morning program was geared towards people wanting to find out more about Alzheimer’s, while the afternoon workshop was geared more towards care givers and focused on being present in and saying yes to the moment — noticing and accepting what is and responding in a way that promotes self-esteem and dignity for all — as a means of meeting our loved ones with Alzheimer’s in their current reality. Participants engaged in exercises designed to enhance their awareness and understanding of, openness to, and skill in navigating the improvisational reality of Alzheimer’s, while experiencing, embracing and expressing joy.
Fuller Craft museum outing (Spring '10)
The Fuller Craft Museum in Brockton is a true gem in the New England arts scene. First Parish member and former Fuller board member Mark Delguidice led a trip that included display of quilts by Nancy Crow, an installation by textile artist John Garrett, and a furniture exhibit curated by Mark.
So Help Me God!
A Three-Session Course led by Ed Lane (Winter '10)
The years from 1797 to 1825, encompassing the presidencies of Adams, Jefferson Madison and Monroe, were a time of religious and political ferment in America in which Unitarians played a prominent role — often on opposing sides. This was a struggle between Adams' Federalist, New England, Puritan philosophy and Jefferson's and Madison's Democratic-Republican, Virginia Enlightenment philosophy. Much of America’s religious perspective (including the birth of the separation of church and state) was shaped by that struggle. The three sessions will focus mainly on events during the presidencies of Adams, Jefferson, and Madison.
Recommended for those who wish to do some reading:
- Church, Forest, So Help Me God, 2007, Harcourt. An excellent work on American religion from 1789-1825 (Washington to Madison) – emphasis on Church & State.
- Ellis, Joseph J., Founding Brothers, 2001, Alfred A. Knopf. A secular history of the 1790’s which provides the context in which religious values were shaped.
- Waldman, Steven, Founding Faith: Providence, Politics, and the Birth of Religious Freedom in America, Random House. How and why America’s founders took a new approach to the place of religion in the new nation.
The First Parish 2010 Book-of-the-Year:
The Post-American World by Fareed Zakaria
Every year, First Parish selects a "First Parish Book of the Year" as the basis for informal and programmatic discussions, sermons, and other events. in 2009-10, we continued the tradition with The Post-American World by Fareed Zakaria, selected in 2008 by the Christian Science Monitor as the Best Nonfiction Book, by The Seattle Times as the Best Book, and by The NY Times as a Notable Book. The Times went on to say that The Post-American World opens “a big picture window on the closing of the first American century and the advent of a new world.”
Book-of-the-Year events included book discussions and a Needham Lyceum where Wellesley College Professor of Political Science Doctor Robert Paarlberg addressed the question "Are We Living in a Post-American World?". The Lyceum was preceded by a dinner with Dr. Paarlberg at Masala Art.
Cakes for the Queen of Heaven: In Ancient Times
Molly Housh (Fall '09)
Adult Education is pleased to offer Cakes for the Queen of Heaven, a recently updated version of the classic Unitarian Universalist course on feminist theology. The first part of the course, In Ancient Times, introduces participants to ancient Goddesses, weaving their stories together with major concerns of women today. The themes of the five session plans are: The Sacred Female, In the Name of the Mother and the Daughter, Womanpower, The First Turning — From Goddess to God, and Reclaiming Women's Heritage of Peace.
Love and Death: Five Conversations
about
Aging with Dignity and the End of Life (Fall '09)
..• Five Wishes: Talking About and Planning for End of Life Care.
..• My Wish for the Kind of Medical Treatment I Want or Don't Want
..• Commemorations: Anticipating Grief, Loss, and Decisions.
..• You Can't Take It With You: Money and the Latter Part of Life.
..• When I Need Help With Daily Living: Alternatives and Choices.
Natural Dharma Meditation with Bob Morrison and Jane Moss (Fall '09)
Living By Heart: Meditation and Reflection as Daily Practice
“Living by Heart” is a spiritual practice for Unitarian Universalists and others based on the devotional practice of Harry Schloefield and introduced to larger audiences by Laurel Hallman.