Adult Religious Education

PATHWAYS

ADULT PROGRAMS PROMOTING COMMUNITY & SPIRITUAL GROWTH FOR ADULTS

You need not be a member of First Unitarian Church of Omaha to participate in these programs and classes. All are welcome to attend! Childcare is available for some classes. Please let us know of your needs when you register.

Please call the Church at 345-3039 to register or inquire about classes.

Soul-Full Thursdays

are offered three time each year and usually run for about six weeks. These evenings combine a blend of food, fellowship, spiritual reflection, and education into an enriching experience that the whole family can enjoy.

Each Soul-Full Thursday the church offers adult religious education, a vespers or other spiritual time, an affordable family meal, and appropriate activities for youngsters. You can participate in all of the activities or pick and choose. Or, you can just come for the meal and hang out with your friends. Reservations are required for both meals and classes.

Please visit our Soul-Full Thursday page for more complete information.

CONTINUING OFFERINGS

THE WOMEN’S RELIGIOUS STUDIES GROUP – A Study of the KORAN

After more than 2 years, the Women’s Bible Study Group has finished reading and discussing both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. Now the group is studying the Koran on Thursdays from 1-2:30 pm at the church in the Merritt Lounge. If you have ever wondered what the Koran really says, and if you want to get to know some fine UU women, meet us at the church on Thursdays at 1 pm in the Merritt Lounge. New members are welcome.

FIRST UNITARIAN BOOK CLUB

Meets on the fourth Monday of each month from 7-9 p.m. Watch The Flame for the current selection or contact Dave Richardson for more information.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ADULT RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Here are some articles to whet your appetite. Follow the links given to read more about each item:

Faith Reduced to Three Questions

by Judith A. Frediani

Director of Lifespan Faith Development

UUA, Boston

Theologian Paul Tillich wrote, "There is hardly a word in the religious language – both theological and popular – which is subject to more misunderstandings, distortions, and questionable definitions than the word, faith."

Faith is one of those religious terms that not all UUs can use comfortably in daily discourse. This is unfortunate, because Unitarian Universalism has always used faith language.

One problem is that "faith" is confused with the word, "creed" – a set of specific, often unchanging, even mandatory, beliefs. Faith and creed are not synonyms.......

To read the entire article, please click below:

http://www.uua.org/re/faithworks/fall05/admin_essay.html

Families and Faith: What Does a Unitarian Universalist Home Look Like?

by Reverend Phillip Lund

Lifespan Program Director

Prairie Star District, UUA

Keeping a majority of the children who are currently in our congregations as lifelong Unitarian Universalists is an explicit goal of the Prairie Star District. I've looked into what it takes to keep children and youth in a denomination and found that the family is the place to start if we want to keep more of our children in our tradition. So, how is faith integrated into a family's identity and practice? What does a Unitarian Universalist home look like?

To read the entire article, please click below:

http://www.uua.org/re/faithworks/fall05/comm_families.html

The Red and Yellow Stones: An Original Story in a Buddhist Tradition, with discussion questions

by Karol Crosbie

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship

Ames, IA

Two boys, Ramid and Anwar, from the Indian village of Punjabi, sat playing together. They were both eight years old and best friends. On this particular hot summer afternoon, they had a new game. Before them in the dust they had drawn two large circles. And between the boys were piled two heaps of pebbles – a pile of yellow pebbles and a pile of red pebbles. "The yellow pebbles," said Ramid, "represent the good people in our town of Punjabi. We will name them, and put them in our good circle."

To read the entire article please click below:

http://www.uua.org/re/faithworks/fall05/sj_stones.html

Pop Quiz

by Donna Gloff

Coordinator of Membership Involvements

Birmingham Unitarian Church, Bloomfield Hills, MI

1. Universal Unitarianism is organized around

A. a set of shared beliefs.

B. a covenant or "contract" among equals.

C. a rich heritage and traditions.

D. the teachings of revered elders.

2. Unitarian Universalists believe that Jesus was

A. in a miraculous way the son of God.

B. a caring man who lived an extraordinary life.

C. an itinerant rabbi who preached that the world was coming to an end.

D. any of the above, and/or other things.

3. The most sacred book(s) to UUs are

A. the Torah and the Christian Bible.

B. The Origin of Species.

C. Their datebooks and checkbooks.

D. The Unitarian Universalist Pocket Guide.

4. Ralph Waldo Emerson

A. brought an increased emphasis of spirituality to Unitarianism.

B. resigned from the Unitarian ministry because he was required to serve communion.

C. had an interest in Eastern religions.

D. all of the above.

5. Unitarian Universalists believe

A. that people are inherently good.

B. in science.

C. that people have dominion over all the creatures of the earth.

D. that because of Adam we must strive to overcome our flawed nature.

For answers, please click below:

http://www.uua.org/re/reach/fall01/curriculum/pop_quiz.html

Updated Sept 13, 2008 wfr