Standing on One Foot: 3,000 years in 20 minutes

David Seigler presents, "Standing on One Foot: 3,000 years in 20 minutes." What can be said in twenty minutes about the world's oldest monotheistic religion? Plenty, and in using twenty minutes to do so David Siegler will take at least nineteen minutes more than one of Judaism's greatest rabbi's thought necessary.

The Great and the Small

In our society, bigger is usually seen as better. We've got big business, big boxes and big portions. I'm reflecting on the role of the small congregation in the life of the church. What does it mean to be a small group working for social justice? How can we nurture this still, small voice?

A.J. Galazen is a queer, nonsectarian, vegetarian, Aquarian, Buddhist, Taoist, Humanist, Unitarian Universalist theologian. He has spoken for over twenty years on issues of social equality and religious freedom, and is currently pursuing the Unitarian Universalist ministry at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities.

What About God?

As part of the year-long series on "Reconstructing Religious Thought," it's time to take on the big topic, "What About God?" In the January talk I will explore recent developments in popular culture and the philosophy of religion around the question of God. The writings of Richard Dawkins (The God Delusion), and the recently deceased Christopher Hitchens created something of a movement, called the "new atheism." But, this was really part of a longer process of reexamining what the Western religious tradition means when it refers to "God." 

Holiday Special: Baboushka

On Sunday, December 18th at 6 pm in the Alvord Theater, Northland College, the CUUF will present our annual holiday service. Children, youth, and parents of the Religious Education program have prepared a holiday play of the Russian folk-story, "Baboushka." As the tale goes, Baboushka searches still for the Christ Child she learned of once long ago from the traveling sages. As she searches, she leaves gifts of toys and baubles in the homes of children the world over. Northland College Campus Minister David Saetre will reflect on the poignant tale of Baboushka - what might we learn from her journey?

In addition to the play and David's reflection, there will be congregational singing of traditional carols and special music by pianist Joni Chapman and soloist Amanda Shuga. The CUUF string ensemble will accompany our traditional walk through the spiral of greens. The service will close with a candlelight carol followed by fellowship and refreshments. We hope you will join us for this special service. 

Incarnation-The Sacred is in the Profane by David Saetre

This talk is the third in the year-long series, “Reconstructing Religious Thought:  Classical Themes Reconsidered.”  This month we explore the idea of the divine or sacred taking on earthly form.  The idea of incarnation is central to the Christian celebration of Christmas.  A 19th century English hymn ends each verse with the line, “God in flesh made manifest.”  That’s the idea behind the incarnation:  that the sacred, the transcendent, have entered into the immanent world of flesh and blood.

The idea of incarnation is not unique to Christianity.  The Hindu figure of Krishna is an incarnation of the deity Vishnu, for example.  What might we discover for our lives today in considering this classical idea from the world’s great religions?  How does the search for the transcendent find its way into our own lives today?  These are some of the questions and ideas we will explore together as we gather for the first Sunday in December.

Peeling Back the Layers

In 2008 and 2009 Alan and Stacy Craig moved into and renovated a turn-of-the-century Finnish settlers' cabin. In this presentation we will explore the origins of Scandinavian dove-tailed log construction, take a look at some of the remaining dove-tailed structures in the area, and explain why, amongst the others, there is a single red chair at our dinner table.

Perhaps more importantly we will discuss the way the process has affected our views on place, and our own relationship to it, and how, as we peeled back the layers of particle board, wall paper, and siding, we gained a new appreciation for craft, continuity, and the power of a dream.

Alan and Stacy Craig are both alumni of Northland College. Stacy is currently the Coordinator of Applied Learning at Northland College, a volunteer with the Mason Area Ambulance, and on the board of the Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters Institute. Alan is the Curator at the WI Canoe Heritage Museum in Spooner and serves as a board member for the Town of Kelly Planning Commission. With their birddog Hope, they reside in Mason. 

Grace and Mercy by David Saetre

David Saetre, Speaker: “Grace and Mercy”

Dear UU Friends: I plan to dedicate my talks with you this year to the classical themes and ideas that have animated the western spiritual traditions for centuries. These great themes include core ideas like “grace”, “redemption”, “atonement”, “charity”, even the meaning of a word like “faith”. These words have also become loaded with historical baggage of church dogma. It’s occurred to me that we risk losing the power of these ideas as we move away from the traditions associated with the terms. How might these classical themes inform a lively spirituality today? Can we rediscover or recover the power and meaning these words once conveyed?

In my talk on September 11, “The End(s) of Religion” I suggested that ideas like redemption and love were the proper and sometimes forgotten goals of religious imagination and spirituality.

And, I suggested that religious communities like ours would do well to reconsider the worldhealing power contained in these classical ideas. So, my first talk in the series is simply titled, “Grace and Mercy.” What does the word “grace” mean; what is there in that core idea of the western tradition that might animate our sense of well-being in everyday experience? That seems like a good place to begin.
Future talks will include some of the other ideas mentioned above. I hope our explorations of these ideas will be meaningful contributions to deepening our spiritual lives as individuals and as a progressive, living and liberal spiritual community.