News and Announcements

Sept. 26-27, in Hope Chapel — A labyrinth is a meditation and prayer tool where one mindfully walks a circular path into to the center, then back out again, so it focuses the mind on the twists and turns of your life journey. Adults, teens and older children (with parental supervision) will find this valuable.

Come to Hope Chapel on Saturday Sept. 26 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sunday Sept. 27 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dress comfortably. We’ll walk in socks, not shoes. Gentle music will help guide you. Everyone will keep silence. Information on site will give you more tips on making the experience meaningful. For those who cannot walk because of mobility, there will be a lap finger labyrinth provided which replicates the experience.

With its surprising curves and feeling of being drawn forward into something promising but not yet fully known, it is a good spiritual practice for our upcoming year of transitional ministry.

Tags: Spirituality by admin

Saturday, Oct. 10 — Please join our First U Habitat for Humanity Work Crew on Saturday, Oct. 10. No experience needed, although skilled workers are always welcome. Meet at the church parking lot at 7:15 a.m. so we can be at the worksite by 7:45. Volunteers must commit to work until 4 p.m. (Sorry, no half-day shifts.) Volunteers must be at least 16 and everyone must sign a Habitat for Humanity Release and Waiver of Liability form.
A sign-up sheet and waiver forms will be available in Fellowship Hall. For more information, contact Sidney at habitat@firstuustlouis.org.

Tags: Habitat for Humanity, Social Responsibility by admin

A Sunday morning lecture-discussion class on Emerson, Thoreau and the Transcendentalists will begin on Sept. 20 in the former minister’s study, off the sanctuary, at 9 a.m.

Few movements in American history have been as influential as the cluster of ideas we call Transcendentalism and it was largely a movement of Unitarians. Their ideas remain contemporary for modern spiritual seekers. In this 24-session series we’ll explore the richness of their legacy, from Emerson to Walt Whitman, with time spent with William Ellery Channing and Theodore Parker, notable Unitarian ministers of the era.

Each class features a 30-minute DVD lecture by Professor Ashton Nichols of Dickinson College followed by discussion led by Rev. Samuel Schaal.

Even if you can’t make all 24 sessions, you’ll find these of interest as we discover how part of our tradition’s legacy has had so much influence in our culture.

For more information, contact the church office.

Tags: Adult Education by admin

Bible Study Class begins on Sundays starting Sept. 20, 9 a.m. in the Clark Room.

Our Bible study focuses on our Judeo-Christian roots. On Sept. 20, we will begin reading the New Testament and discuss the text from a UU perspective. Our goal is to gain an understanding of the text by using relevant external sources and group discussion. Everybody who is interested can participate. No prior study or Bible knowledge is necessary. No advance sign-up is necessary.

For more information, contact Margaret at genesis@firstuustlouis.org.

Tags: Adult Education by admin

The Great Books Discussion group begins its sixth year on September 20, 2009.

The upcoming year’s topic is “Love and Marriage” with readings from Isaac Bashevis Singer, Soren Kierke-gaard, Josef Skvorecky, Flora Annie Steel, Yukio Mishima, Plato, William Shakespeare, Sylvia Plath, Gregory Corso, and Gwendolyn Brooks.

This group meets the third Sunday of each month from 1-3 p.m. at Coffee Cartel, though the location may change. The months go from September to April, with no meeting in December.

If interested, email Richard at greatbooks@firstuustlouis.org.

Tags: Adult Education by admin