Subject: UUCPA announce: 3 Adult RE Offerings on April 16-17!

From: "Jack Owicki" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 1 Apr 2005 19:32:26 -0800

Dear UUCPA folks,

We have three interesting Adult RE offerings coming up in two weeks.

* Dr. Sean O'Riordan talks about how other cultures (particularly Celtic
ones) deal with death
 (Morning of April 16)

* Ann Hill, Neo-Pagan musician and co-author of the acclaimed Pagan book
"Circle Round: Raising Children in Goddess Traditions," will present an
intergenerational workshop on music and ritual in earth-centered
spirituality. (Afternoon of April 16)

* Author Courtney Roberts will talk about how Zoroastrianism, the religion
of ancient Persia, influenced Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.  All three
traditions get much of their good/bad light/dark dualism from
Zoroastrianism, as well as their traditions about the Apocalypse.

PLEASE PRE-REGISTER with the church office by phone or email, or else sign
the pre-registration binder by the Adult RE poster on the church patio on
Sunday morning.  Pre-registration helps us judge the number of people who
will be attending so that we can set up accordingly.

Child care is available with two weeks notice (which pretty much means
requesting it by this coming Monday).

Below are more detailed descriptions of the offerings.

Best regards,
Jack Owicki
for the Adult RE Committee

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How People in Other Cultures Deal with Death
April 16, 9:00 a.m.-noon, Fireside Room
Death is universal, but people in each culture respond to death and express
their grief and mourning in their own characteristic way. The Japanese
remember the dead in the O-Bon festival, the Inuit have the Crossing into
the Aurora Borealis, and people in Celtic countries have the Wake, just to
give a few examples.  During the class death will be Dr. O'Riordan's central
focus; he will then move away from and back to this center as he discusses
such areas as dance, music, language and crops as the connecting forces to
the afterlife.

Sean O'Riordan is a local Licensed Psychologist who was born in Ireland and
raised in the traditional Celtic society there. He will share with us the
insights gained in his extensive study of cultural traditions surrounding
death throughout the world, including Ireland and ethnic sub-cultures within
the United States  
Learning how other peoples deal with one of the most important events in
life is fascinating and moving, and it can enlighten us about our own
traditions.

====================
Music and Ritual in Earth-Based Spirituality, an Intergenerational Workshop 
April 16, 1:00-3:00 p.m., Main Hall
Creating ritual is an innate human activity, one that we practice every time
we celebrate a birthday or seasonal holiday. Even very brief rituals can
take us out of the daily routine and into special time where we are reminded
of the power of Spirit in our lives.  Music plays many roles in Pagan
ritual, from solemn chant to rousing group singing. In this workshop we will
talk about how to design rituals, and explore some of the ways music can be
used in ritual. We will learn chants and songs suitable for many
celebrations, that can be enjoyed by old and young alike. All ages welcome.
Come prepared to sing! Songsheets will be provided.

Anne Hill, D.Min., is a teacher, author, and lifelong musician who has been
a part of the Bay Area Pagan community since the mid-1980s. She is co-author
with Starhawk and Diane Baker of Circle Round: Raising Children in Goddess
Traditions (Bantam, 1998) and has written and produced many albums of Pagan
chant and song.
 
====================
Zoroastrianism: The Common Ground between Christianity and Islam
April 17, 7:30-9:00 p.m., Fireside room.
Zoroaster, a prophet of ancient Persia, had some very original ideas about
God and the devil, heaven and hell, and the ultimate battle between good and
evil at the end of the world; ideas which profoundly influenced the
subsequent development of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. This program
examines the underlying unity of the great monotheisms of the West; a unity
needed now more than ever as Christians, Moslems, and Jews continue to fight
each other over the 'Holy Land.'  
Cost:  Donation will be requested
Lecturer:  Courtney Roberts, M.A., is an author with interests in history
and astrology.

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