WINTER PROGRAM 101

Program Description:

Chanting has played an important role in many religious and spiritual traditions throughout history. What role does it play in our society today? Join on January 17 (zoom) for a cursory exploration of the history of chanting, and the psycho-physiological research that has offered new insight into the effect of chanting.

Attend the in-person workshop on January 24 (First Church, Belmont) to dive more deeply into the theory and practice, and the different ways we can approach chanting in UU communities and make it part of our personal spiritual practice. You do not have to attend both classes, each stands alone.

Wednesday, January 17, 7:30 - 9pm, Online
Wednesday, January 24, 7:30 - 9pm

(In person at First Church Belmont, Library)

Sophia Doescher graduated from Harvard Divinity School, May 2023, and currently serves as Intern Minister at First Church Belmont.

WINTER PROGRAM 102

Program Description:

We will explore the nature of this fast-paced world we are living in. Then, we will consider and try out some different spiritual practices fit for a fast-paced world. Did you know that different personality types thrive with certain types of spiritual practices, over others? A part of this course will be exploring an ancient personality system called The Enneagram, including what your "number" is. From
there, we will consider different spiritual practices suitable for each of us.

Because of the pace of the world around us, we'll try to make this space a "slow" space itself - integrating different centering and spiritual practices as we go. Participation in this course will involve ordering and reading one text before our first meeting.

Following Mondays, 7:15pm - 8:45pm

February 2nd, February 12th,

March 4th, and March 18th

Rev. Jenna Crawford attended Boston University School of Theology and currently serves as the minister at the UU Church of Marblehead.

WINTER PROGRAM 103

Program Description:

Our Unitarian Universalist faith encompasses a wide range of theologies and belief systems. So, what is it that holds us all together? What is our shared theology? Over five weeks, participants will learn the basics of “systematic theology,” discuss core texts of Unitarian Universalism, explore their own religious history, then craft a personal “credo.” We’ll then work together to uncover the common elements that bring those individual statements into a single, shared experience of Unitarian
Universalism.

Tuesdays, February 20 - March 19,

7 - 8:30pm, Online

Rev. Norman Allen (he/him) is the newly settled minister at First Parish in Portland, Maine. He served the Davies Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Maryland for six years, and was Consulting Minister
for Adult Spiritual Development at All Souls Unitarian in DC, where he was ordained. He’s also an award-winning writer whose plays have been produced throughout the United States, Asia, and Europe.

WINTER PROGRAM 104

Rev. Rali Weaver

Program Description:

Do you enjoy writing? Have a project you have been working on for years but never finished. Or do you just love literature? Join a group of like-minded writers and readers to share your own writing or your favorite literature written by someone else. Themes and ideas will be offered for every class and can be taken or ignored. Feedback will be respectfully offered by the collective. Come when you can.

Thursdays, January 5 - February 29, 5 - 6:30pm,

Online

WINTER PROGRAM 105

February 4 - Human Flow (2017)
February 11 - Double Feature:

Out of Many One: The Immigrants Story (2019)
The Other Side of Immigration (2009)
February 18 - A Thousand Pines (2023)
February 25 - New Immigrant and Refugee Visions: Films by and about Immigrants.

*View and discuss at First Church and Parish in Dedham*

Sundays, 2 - 5:30pm (In person)

Immigration Nation is a 2020 documentary streaming television miniseries. The series consists of footage filmed from 2017 to 2020 of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency's work during the Trump era.

Living Undocumented is a 2019 Netflix documentary series co-directed by Aaron Saidman and Anna Chai.

*Online discussion @ 7pm - more info after signing up*

Tuesdays, 7pm, Watch on Netflix (Online)

WINTER PROGRAM 106

Program Description

Have you been tired of listening to the Religious Right describe Jesus in a way that seems antithetical to you? In this class, we will draw from Theodore Parker’s essay
“The Transient and Permanent in Christianity”, and John Buehren's book, Understanding the Bible: An Introduction for Skeptics, Seekers, and Religious Liberals. We’ll also take a closer look at the Book of John from the Christian Scriptures and redefine Christianity away from dogma and creed.

Wednesdays, March 6 - April 3, 7:30 - 9pm, (Online)

)

Rev. Kim Crawford Harvie attended Harvard Divinity school and has served as senior minister at Arlington Street Church in Boston Massachusetts since 1989.

WINTER PROGRAM 107

Program Description

Bring your evening meal into your Hollywood Square and join Chris and Kim to discuss beloved Buddhist teacher Pema Chödrön's anointed When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times. For our first meeting, please read through Chapter 11 -- the first half of the book. All are welcome!

Mondays, Feb. 13 and March 6, 7pm - 8:30pm

Program Description:

Let’s explore together the long legacy of slavery in our churches. Our UU Churches in Cambridge and Belmont have been recently wrestling with questions of our complicity with slavery. What does this legacy mean for our churches today? What does repair and repentance look like? We will hear from clergy and lay people from both congregations and explore the good work underway in learning from this legacy. This panel discussion will be in person in Belmont and live streamed as well.

February 8, 7:30 - 9pm, (In person)

The First Church in Belmont and live-streamed

WINTER PROGRAM 108

Rev. Dr. Rob Hardies began his tenure as Contract Senior Minister of First Parish in Cambridge, Massachusetts in August 2022. Rev. Hardies is an experienced preacher, teacher, counselor and activist. From 2001 to 2020, he was Senior Minister of All Souls Church, Unitarian in Washington, DC, a large, dynamic multiracial congregation.

Rev. Chris Jablonski is the senior minister of the First Church in Belmont Unitarian Universalist as well as the co-creator of the Community Collaborative. He is the father of three wonderful kids and husband to a wonderful UU Minister named Lauren Smith.