"Spirit of Life" - a new spirituality curriculum for UUs
From the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations ...
The Lifespan Faith Development Staff Group of the Unitarian Universalist
Association is pleased to announce the online publication of "Spirit of
Life," a nine-workshop curriculum for adults written by renowned
minister and author Barbara Hamilton-Holway. The nine workshops of
"Spirit of Life" explore spirituality for Unitarian Universalists, using
the lyrics of Carolyn McDade's song "Spirit of Life" as a starting point
and framework.
"Spirit of Life" is the first electronically published curriculum in the
Tapestry of Faith lifespan faith development series. The online
publication can be found at
http://www.uua.org/religiouseducation/curricula/tapestryfaith/spiritlife
/index.shtml or http://tinyurl.com/yrlwd3.
More than 200 congregational leaders expressed interest in field testing
the "Spirit of Life" program. Fifty congregations have been invited to
implement "Spirit of Life" beginning in September, 2007 and provide
detailed feedback on both its content and the usability of the new
online curriculum. All other congregations are welcome to use the
program and submit informal feedback in the 2007-2008 church year. The
UUA will revise "Spirit of Life" in 2008 based on this year's feedback.
"With the debut of "Spirit of Life" online, we're now able to offer
congregations something they have been asking for and need," said Judith
Frediani, Director of Lifespan Faith Development for the Unitarian
Universalist Association. "As the Tapestry of Faith series grows,
religious educators will find expanded offerings of free, flexible, and
very adaptable programs to fit a variety of congregational settings and
needs."
With "Spirit of Life," congregations can tailor the workshop length,
format, and enrollment to suit their needs and preferences. The online
curriculum provides all the background reading, handouts, and other
resources a professional religious educator, minister, or congregational
volunteer will need to implement any and all of the activities
presented.
As with the online curricula for adults, youth, and children in the
Tapestry of Faith series that are forthcoming in 2008, congregations may
download, customize, print, and duplicate any portion of the "Spirit of
Life" programs without paying a fee.
The online launch of "Spirit of Life" represents a pioneering
interdisciplinary effort between curriculum and software developers to
foster spiritual growth and religious identity in our congregations by
providing accessible, integrated, and easy-to-use religious education
programs for all ages.
The Shape Of Wal-Mart’s Environmental Leadership
Think what you will about Wal-Mart, but this article followed by commentary in
Morning News Beat is worth reading. Morning News Beat is a free newsletter about retailing, primarily food retailing.
Wal-Mart announced yesterday that by May 2008 it plans to only sell concentrated products in the liquid laundry detergent category in its U.S. Wal-Mart Stores and Sam's Clubs.
According to a statement released by the company, “The commitment will save more than 400 million gallons of water, more than 95 million pounds of plastic resin and more than 125 million pounds of cardboard. For water alone, this is the equivalent of 100 million individual showers. Since approximately 25 percent of the liquid laundry detergent sold in the United States is sold through Wal-Mart stores, the potential savings in natural resources through the entire retail industry could be four times as much. ...
Our Moral Footprint
In an
opinion piece in the New York Times, Vaclav Havel, former president of the Czech Republic, wonders if "we should start considering our sojourn on earth as a loan".
Over the past few years the questions have been asked ever more forcefully whether global climate changes occur in natural cycles or not, to what degree we humans contribute to them, what threats stem from them and what can be done to prevent them. Scientific studies demonstrate that any changes in temperature and energy cycles on a planetary scale could mean danger for all people on all continents.
It is also obvious from published research that human activity is a cause of change; we just don’t know how big its contribution is. Is it necessary to know that to the last percentage point, though? By waiting for incontrovertible precision, aren’t we simply wasting time when we could be taking measures that are relatively painless compared to those we would have to adopt after further delays? ...
Iraq and the Betrayal of Trust
George Lakoff
writes about the MoveOn "General Betray Us?" ad.
MoveOn's "General Betray Us?" ad has raised vital questions that need open discussion.
MoveOn hit a nerve. In the face of truth, the right-wing has been forced to change the subject — away from the administration’s betrayal of trust and the escalating tragedy of the occupation to of all things, an ad! To take the focus off maiming and death and the breaking of our military, they talk about etiquette. The truth has reduced them to whining: MoveOn was impolite. Rather than face the truth, they use character assassination against an organization whose three million members stand for the highest patriotic principles of this country, the first of which is a commitment to truth. ...
Labels: betrayal, Lakoff, MoveOn
UUA National Marketing Campaign
A Unitarian Universalist Association
National Marketing Campaign is scheduled to start in October, 2007.
Folly Beach, SC
This past Saturday, we returned from a vacation at Folly Beach, SC - right outside of Charleston.
Charleston's a terrific and charming small city - well worth a visit. It was our 4th trip to the area in 2 years - we do seem to be drawn there. What's fascinating is the number of northerners who have moved to the area. We keep running into people from the Boston metro area every time we visit. When we were leaving, for example, and returning our car, the man who processed the paperwork told us he had been a banker in the Boston area and had lived In Hingham, MA, less than 1/2 hour from where we live. He retired to a climate where, in his words, he could wear shorts in February. Gotta like it.
The Unitarian Church in Charleston is, according to them, the largest UU charge in the South.
We rented an intimate place in Folly Beach called Pelican Alley. (All of the rental places have names.) Just 50 feet or so from the ocean. The owners of the property live upstairs, and very graciously provided us with a bottle of wine. They're coming up to Maine for their vacation!
