2010
‘Speaking of God: Unitarian Adventures in Theology’
Learning how to speak of God is one of the hardest tasks for modern Unitarians. In this series of theme talks we will have the opportunity to hear five perspectives on what it means to 'speak of God'. Using their own experience and theological training our speakers will take us on a guided tour of some features of contemporary Unitarian theology. Challenging us to engage with heart and soul in the adventure of theology, the theme talks will give us the opportunity to explore our own 'speaking of God' in loving community.
Staff Team
Coordinator: Alison Thursfield
Minister for the Week: Michael Dadson
Theme Speakers: Mel Prideaux (with contributions from David Darling, Yvonne Aburrow, Michael Dadson, Nancy Crumbine, Maud Robinson)
Panel: Jane Blackall (convenor), Caroline Blair, Lindy Latham, Mel Prideaux, Alison Thursfield
Recordings
Engagement Groups
A: ‘Experiencing God’ with Margaret Kirk and Winnie Gordon
God be in mine eyes and in my looking; God be in my mouth, and in my speaking; God be in my heart, and in my thinking.
Can we speak of God without using our eyes, our ears, our sense of touch and the voices of our heart and our conscience? Our engagement group will provide the opportunity to explore how our experience shapes the words we use when we speak of God. We will explore the impact of nature, creative art, our experience of love and the call of justice and caring through a variety of stimuli: our natural environment, a creative activity, film/audio material, music and the experience of our shared stories.
B: ‘Exploring Prayer’ with Jane Blackall and Mel Prideaux
This group will be partly based on the book ‘Simply Pray’ by UU minister Erik Walker Wikstrom. During the sessions, we will focus on four types of traditional prayer, which are shared by all the major world religions: naming, knowing, listening, and loving. It is our intention that the group will provide the opportunity to learn about practices from other faith traditions and also to directly experience various different forms of prayer. There will be plenty of time for your own personal reflection on the theme and chances to share your views and experiences of prayer with others. We hope that the course will help each participant to find a way to pray that is authentic to them and their sense of the Holy.
C: ‘Icons: Windows to the Divine’ with Linda Hart and Caroline Blair
Icons have been used for centuries to offer individuals an image of the divine. We will explore a variety of ways to create images that help us see God in all: from nature, in objects, through symbols and our own creations. This course will centre around visual expressions, and include time for reflection and writing, as well as other creative activities. No special artistic skills are required, just an openness to explore in a variety of media.
D: ‘Building Your Own Theology’ with Joyce Ashworth and Maud Robinson
“Theology comes out of the tough and tender experiences of life”
– Richard S Gilbert
An opportunity to explore the well-regarded Unitarian RE programme, “Building Your Own Theology”, designed to help individuals understand, develop and express their inner journey and values for life. Through varied activities there will be opportunities to share important real-life experiences and reflect on their significance and effect on the formation of our personal religious viewpoints. We aim to provide the tools to enable participants to clarify and articulate their own personal beliefs and values.
E: Children’s Programme with Peter Teets and Jim Blair