Religious Exploration on January 20th

Posted by Michele Barkhauer on Jan 15, 2019 in General News, Religious Exploration

Religious Exploration- This Sunday marks our third week in Religious Exploration Studying our neighboring faith Judaism. This week the children will continue to discuss the significance of several Jewish rituals and holidays including the building of a sukkah, Passover, Yom Kippur, and Hanukkah. Each week we will study several Hebrew words, talk about the Torah, and this week’s special class will include trying new or familiar foods from the Jewish culture!

About Neighboring Faiths: This month we will begin to explore the concepts of Judaism in preparation for a Neighboring Faith’s visit later in the Spring. The children will be learning about this monotheistic religion during the month of Grace, gaining a better understanding of this Abrahamic religion with the Torah as it’s foundational text. Our exploration will include the philosophy, religion, language, and culture of the Jewish people. Later months in 2019 will include lessons in Islam, and Catholicism as well as trips to meet groups of their peers from our neighboring places of gathering. If your children are interested in participating in the visit portion of Neighboring Faiths in the Spring must attend at least Two Sundays of learning to prepare for the visit. If for some reason they are unable to meet this requirement please contact Michele Barkhauer, Director of Religious Education at First Parish of Sudbury to make alternate arrangements for learning opportunities!

1/20 Bohm Dialogue — Death, Loss and Transition

Posted by Thomas Yelton on Jan 3, 2019 in General News, Religious Exploration, Salon - Bohm Dialogue

For January our topic will be Death, Loss and Transition.

In 2015 we dialogued twice on the topic of death, first with Being Mortal, which turned into a practical, medical, end-of-life information session, and with the second (Death) we got back to our more intellectual/philosophical/spiritual charter.

All transition and loss is stressful and for most of us Death seems like the ultimate transition – we may dread it or welcome it, but why? For materialists it is simply the end of consciousness and thus suffering, and that thought can be a great comfort to the living. For others it is simply a gateway we must pass through to who-knows-what. The continuance of consciousness may be consoling but the prospect of the unknown and possible further suffering — maybe not so much.

Join us to listen to what others think and to share what you think.  The Religious Exploration Salon is a group that meets 3rd Sundays to discuss various topics in the format called Bohm Dialogue which emphasizes respectful listening and balanced, synergistic sharing. For more details about how Dialogue works, please see this intro.

Everyone is welcome. You are welcome to think about the topic beforehand but no preparation is required or expected — come as you are with whatever thoughts/intuitions you have, ready to listen, learn and contribute.  We next meet Sunday January 20 at 7pm in the Brackett Room.

Contact Paul Reising, Tom Yelton or Jan Hardenbergh for more information.

Spirituality Book Group Saturday Jan. 19, 10am – Blavatsky!

Posted by Thomas Yelton on Jan 3, 2019 in General News, Religious Exploration, Spirituality Book Club

All who are interested are welcome to come on Saturday, Jan. 19 at 10am the Spirituality Book Group is meeting to discuss “Madame Blavatsky : the mother of modern spirituality” by Gary Lachman.

“A thoughtful biography of one of the most polarizing pioneers of alternative spirituality, the occult-mystic Helena Petrovna Blavatsky.

Pioneer. Visionary. Provocateur. Madame Helena Petrovna Blavatsky—mystic, occult writer, child of Russian aristocrats, spiritual seeker who traveled five continents, and founder (with Henry Steel Olcott) of the Theosophical Society—is still being hailed as an icon and scorned as a fraud more than 120 years after her death. But despite perennial interest in her life, writings, and philosophy, no single biography has examined the controversy and legacy of this influential thinker who helped define modern alternative spirituality—until now.

Gary Lachman, the acclaimed spiritual biographer behind volumes such as Rudolf Steiner and Jung the Mystic, brings us an in-depth look at Blavatsky, objectively exploring her unique and singular contributions toward introducing Eastern and esoteric spiritual ideas to the West during the nineteenth century, as well as the controversies that continue to color the discussions of her life and work.”

Interestingly, Lachman was an original member of the rock band Blondie.

We hope to see you Jan. 19, in the Brackett room at 10am.

For more information, contact Tom Yelton or Leslie Lowe.

Religious Exploration in January 2019!

Posted by Michele Barkhauer on Jan 2, 2019 in General News, Religious Exploration

Religious Exploration- Welcome everyone to a brand new year! 2019 brings with it new themes in learning and exploration for the children of First Parish. January heralds in a month of Grace, but what exactly is Grace? Defined, it is to do honor or credit to something by your presence, it is free and unmerited favor or the simple elegance or refinement of one’s movement. This month we will begin to explore the concepts of Judaism in preparation for a Neighboring Faith’s visit later in the Spring. The children will be learning about this monotheistic religion during the month of Grace, gaining a better understanding of this Abrahamic religion with the Torah as it’s foundational text. Our exploration will include the philosophy, religion, language, and culture of the Jewish people. Later months in 2019 will include lessons in Islam, and Catholicism as well as trips to meet groups of their peers from our neighboring places of gathering. If your children are interested in participating in the visit portion of Neighboring Faiths in the Spring must attend at least Two Sunday’s of learning to prepare for the visit. If for some reason they are unable to meet this requirement please contact Michele Barkhauer, Director of Religious Education at First Parish of Sudbury to make alternate arrangements for learning opportunities!

12/16 Bohm Dialogue — The Value of Community

Posted by Thomas Yelton on Dec 4, 2018 in General News, Religious Exploration, Salon - Bohm Dialogue

For December our topic will be The Value of Community.

18 years ago the first incarnation of the FPS Salon read and discussed the book Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community by Robert Putnam. In 2003 he wrote Better Together: Restoring the American Community, but by most accounts, the overall failure of American communities that Putnam was lamenting in 2000 has continued to this day. A recent article from Alternet.org lists “5 ways American policies and attitudes make us lonely, anxious and antisocial” and claims that “At each stage of life, we are being stunted as human beings.”

Why is community valuable to humans? If it is then why do people seem to have trouble finding it, building it, and supporting it? Have we somehow moved beyond community, or are communities thriving in unexpected places? Is an online community the real thing or a poor substitute? What would make a real community thrive in America today?

Join us to listen to what others think and to share what you think.  The Religious Exploration Salon is a group that meets 3rd Sundays to discuss various topics in the format called Bohm Dialogue which emphasizes respectful listening and balanced, synergistic sharing. For more details about how Dialogue works, please see this intro.

Everyone is welcome. You are welcome to think about the topic beforehand but no preparation is required or expected — come as you are with whatever thoughts/intuitions you have, ready to listen, learn and contribute.  We next meet Sunday December 16 at 7pm in the Brackett Room.

Contact Paul Reising, Tom Yelton or Jan Hardenbergh for more information.

Religious Exploration in December

Posted by Michele Barkhauer on Dec 4, 2018 in General News, Religious Exploration

Religious Exploration & Spirit Play – The month of December brings with it a theme of peace and the planning of the annual children and families Christmas Eve service! This month, the children have begun to choose which roles they would like to fill that evening from casting characters to costume fittings and everything in between! If you are interested in attending, participating, or helping out with the Christmas Eve service please be sure to attend as many Sunday’s as possible this month! So far we have Mary, Joseph, a plethora of angels, animals, and two wise people; if your children would like a specific part please email the Director of Religious Exploration: Michele Barkhauer at to sign them up for the part they prefer. All of the children of First Parish are invited to participate, even the youngest among us in the nursery; there’s a place for everyone.