Adult Spiritual Development
Opportunities at USG for Adults of All Ages
This month’s Spirit newsletter
The Adult Spiritual Development (ASD) Committee of USG is committed to offering a variety of programs that deepen and broaden the range of spiritual practices in our congregation. ASD seeks to promote offerings that engage the heart and stimulate the intellect and create opportunities for USG members to share their talents and wisdom, as we strengthen the bonds of our Unitarian Universalist community. We are now offering some things in person, outdoors and indoors, and we are still offering many things on zoom.
Practice based spiritual development: meditation, yoga, conscious dance can be found on the Center for Mindfulness at USG page. This page has discussion based spiritual development.
Exploring Elderhood currently in person, 2nd Fridays, 2-4pm
Elders and others are invited to Exploring Elderhood one Friday a month. Email elderhood@usguu.org with Subject “Join Elders” for more info or to get on the email list. Its purpose is to celebrate the path, with emphasis on the spiritual path, of all who are aging (that’s all of us!) but especially those who consider themselves Elders (or wannabe Elders) and is open USG members, guest and visitors with no minimum age. For more information contact elderhood@usguu.org or visit and join our Facebook page, just search Exploring Elderhood@USG
The Feminist Thealogy Study Group invites all to join them for their next event below. ALL are welcome.
Feminist Thealogy
Sunday, March 19, 12:00-1:30pm
Edna Jones Assembly Rm at USG
THE CAILLEACH:
THE ENERGY THAT DANCED THE UNIVERSE INTO BEING
presented by Justy DeForest
Learn more about this divine figure in Gaelic history, an ancient hag associated with creation, the landscape, and wild weather. Jointly sponsored by The Feminist Thealogy Study Group, EarthSpirit Circle, and Elderhood.
Register with divinefeminine@usguu.org.
Participants may come to one or all Feminist Thealogy sessions (see the Spring 2023 line-up here), as their time and interest dictates. ALL are welcome.
Figurine from the Cucuteni culture of Romania, 4800–3000 BCE
Find ways to stretch your understanding and use your imagination to radically transform your views of Blackness by reading The Darkness Divine. This collection of essays and poems by Rev. Kristen Harper will guide your path forward in discussing your views. Andrea Barsevick and Shobhi Kanal will lead the conversations using the book’s discussion questions.
For March 8: Read pages 27-53; prepare to respond to a discussion question or exercise on pp. 37-38 or 52-53.
Continuing on 2nd Wednesdays, April through June. All at 7:00pm. For more information or to join, email whiteanti-racism@usguu.org.
Unitarian Universalism 101 in person on 3rd Sundays at 12 noon or by appointment on Zoom
An introduction to Unitarian Universalism for visitors and friends, now done by request. Attendees will receive a free copy of The Unitarian Universalist Pocket Guide. Please contact Eric Foster and Charles Gabriel at uu101@usguu.org if you are interested.
Virtual BLUUBox
Usually on Third Sundays
Next: March 26 (4th Sunday) at 2pm
Here is the link to join online: bit.ly/BLUUBox
Questions? Contact endingracism@usguu.org
BLUU Boxes come to us from Black Lives UU and are open to all. They include a reflection on a monthly theme and discussion questions.
Racism Book Study is on hiatus until July, when they will resume meeting on 2nd Mondays from 7:30-9pm on Zoom.
Offered by the Meadville-Lombard UU Seminary Within, the program’s first phase, focuses on the internal work that each of us needs to do as we engage in deeper personal understanding, explorations of race and racism, extracting our souls and spirits from white supremacy culture, and work for racial justice. This work is different for white folks and for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC+) and is done entirely in different courses: Gathering Our Selves for BIPOC+ and Un/Learning for Liberation for white people.
The Within program includes individual Lessons, using videos, music, and readings, accompanied by personal reflection prompts and suggested conversations with a Critical Friend chosen by the participant; bi-weekly small group conversations in a Learning Pod; and larger, monthly, facilitated Meaning Making Sessions on Zoom.
Registration for Within Spring Term 2023 opens on February 1, 2023! Spring Term 2023 will run from March 13 through May 29, 2023. Registration has been extended to March 7. More info: https://www.meadville.edu/light/fahs-collaborative/beloved-conversations/within/
Carla Campbell, Treva Burger and Margaret Thompson have all done at least one session, ask them about it. It’s a great program. No one will be excluded due to inability to pay. Financial support is also available from USG; contact Latifah Griffin-Rogers at dsd@usguu.org if needed.
If you have questions about ASD courses and programs, please contact Director of Spiritual Development Latifah Griffin-Rogers at dsd@usguu.org.