Science as a Belief System
August 29 – October 3
Sundays, 10:30 a.m. – noon
Fireside Room
This class, led by Lauren and Mike Kohut, seeks to thoughtfully reflect on what it means to draw on “reason and the results of science” as a source for our faith. For these sessions, we will look critically at the “New Atheists,” a group of scholars whose popular books have used science and philosophy to attack religion. On September 5th and 12th, we will look at excerpts from Daniel Dennett’s book Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon. We encourage everyone to take a look at the readings before each meeting, but there are always opportunities for those who do not have time to read to contribute and participate in the discussion! Suggested readings and other links of interest are available on our Facebook page, which can be accessed by clicking the icon below. (You do not need to be member to view the page).
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Sermon Talk-Back
September 12
Sunday, 10:30 a.m. – noon
Susan B. Anthony Room
Join others who attended the early service for a discussion on the sermon’s themes. The September 12th sermon topic will be the Jewish holiday Yom Kippur and themes of blame, responsibility, and forgiveness. The discussion will be facilitated by David Zald.

Genesis as a Spiritual Text
September 8 – 22
Wednesdays, 7- 8:30 p.m.
Fireside Room
Many of us already know that the book of Genesis contains some of the Bible’s “greatest hits,” including the stories of the Creation, the Great Flood, the Tower of Babel, and Sodom and Gomorrah, but what do these stories have to do with the lives of contemporary Unitarian Universalists? And what spiritual wisdom can they impart? Join Cindi Brown for an exploration of these questions.

All are welcome at 6 p.m. in the FUUN social area. $7 per person; $15 family maximum.  No reservations needed.

September 8: Post-Labor Day Labor Day Menu: Lemony roast chicken or vegetarian cassoulet; zucchini, tomato and basil gratin; peperonata with toasts; fresh fruit

September 15: Still Summer, but Just: Stuffed cabbage (omni and veg versions) with late summer vegetable sauce, cucumber salad, herbed orzo salad, and chocolate pudding with mix & match toppings

September 20: TBA

September 27: TBA

October 6: Fall’s First Flush: Gypsy Soup with optional chicken dumplings, autumn salad, corn muffins and pumpkin-pecan pie

October 13: Autumn Farm Bounty: Roast beef or tempeh stir-fried with yams and apples, potato gratin, roast beet & arugula salad and spice cake.

October 20: Falling Leaf Colors: Chicken braised in red wine vinegar or oven-baked “chicken-fried” tofu and gravy, butternut squash with black beans, radicchio salad, and roasted autumn fruits with torched sabayon

October 27: TBA

Science as a Belief System
August 29 – October 3
Sundays, 10:30 a.m. – noon
Fireside Room
This class, led by Lauren and Mike Kohut, seeks to thoughtfully reflect on what it means to draw on “reason and the results of science” as a source for our faith. For these sessions, we will look critically at the “New Atheists,” a group of scholars whose popular books have used science and philosophy to attack religion. On September 5th and 12th, we will look at excerpts from Daniel Dennett’s book Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon. We encourage everyone to take a look at the readings before each meeting, but there are always opportunities for those who do not have time to read to contribute and participate in the discussion! Suggested readings and other links of interest are available on our Facebook page, which can be accessed by clicking the icon below. You do not need to be member to view the page.
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Covenant grops are composed of five to ten people and a facilitator who meet twice a month to support each others spritual growth. We are forming new groups to start in September that will meet through May. You can sign up on church this Sunday, contact the church office or download the form on the church website. Please turn completed application in to the church office.

The class Science as a Belief System, led by Lauren and Mike Kohut, seeks to thoughtfully reflect on what it means to draw on reason and the results of science as a source for our faith. In the upcoming second session of the serie,s we will look critically at the New Atheists, a group of scholars whose popular books have used science and philosophy to attack religion. Week 1 will be an introductory meeting where we will discuss the historical and contemporary contexts of atheism and the role we see it playing in the religion/science debate. During weeks 2 and 3 we will look at excerpts from Daniel Dennett’s book Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon. We will spend weeks 4 and 5 examining sections of Richard Dawkins’ book The God Delusion. Finally, in week 6 we will look at some critical responses to the New Atheists. We encourage everyone to take a look at the readings before each meeting, but there are always opportunities for those who do not have time to read to contribute and participate in the discussion! Suggested readings and other links of interest are available on our Facebook page. Click the icon below to view it. You do not need to be a Facebook member.
FUUN Science

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It’s time again for the all-church retreat at Bethany Hills campground in Kingston Springs. Be sure to mark your calendar for  October 22-24. Something new this year will be a nature talk at Montgomery Bell State Park featuring raptors and other cool stuff. The Fellowship Committee is looking for meal captains, an activity coordinator, and help with registration. Please contact us at fellowship@firstuunashville.org to find out how you can help.

Sheryl, Margy and Shari

The FUUN Leadership Development Committee is offering two workshops on August 11 and 18 as Adult Religious Education programs. The purpose is to gain a deeper understanding of leadership and to explore conflict and methods of responding to it in a congregation. Both workshops are based on the Harvest the Power curriculum provided by the Unitarian Universalist Association. They offer opportunities for both new and experienced leaders to enrich the skills they bring to their leadership and to experience their leadership journey as a Unitarian Universalist faith journey. The Committee is offering these workshops in response to requests from FUUN lay leaders who participated in past Leadership Development retreats, but all who are interested are invited and encouraged to attend.

August 11, 2010 Topic: Integrity
7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
Facilitator: Carleen Dowell

This workshop invites participants into challenging territory. Drawing on the work of Edwin H. Friedman, the activities explore a deeper understanding of the chronically anxious society that surrounds and invades our congregational life. Participants name and embrace that which sustains and grounds them and learn how this self-knowledge can help them lead from a place of creativity and imagination, rather than reactivity. The workshop offers models to help individuals and leadership teams support and reinforce the integrity of those entrusted with leadership positions in our congregations.

August 18, 2010 Topic: Keeping Distress Productive
7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
Facilitator: Ginger Brown

This workshop explores conflict and difficult behavior as signs that a congregation has a deeper issue to bring forth. Participants will learn tools to discern and address the emotions and concerns that feed a congregational conflict. They will learn strategies for responding to difficult behavior and resources for managing and transforming high level or intractable congregational conflict. With a focus on deeply understanding and faithfully addressing conflict, participants explore ways adaptive leaders can give the work back to the people.

We are excited to share the following information about Nashville Stand for Children’s Education Book Club and Study Group. This project is sponsored by the the FUUN Social Justice Committee and made possible by a grant from the FUUN Endowment Trust.

We hope you can join us this summer as we gather as a community to study and reflect on some of the issues affecting education today.

• What? Summer Education Book Club and Study Group
• When and Where? Choose either Wednesday, June 16 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the FUUN, 1808 Woodmont Blvd., Nashville, TN 37215
  OR
  Sunday, June 20 from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at Rumours Wine and Art Bar, 2304 12th Ave. South, Nashville, TN 37204
• July and August dates tba

The first book we’ll be reading is The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice are Undermining Education by Diane Ravitch. It is available at the Nashville Public Library, although there are a number of holds on every copy. Here’s a summary of the book from Booklist: “As an education historian and former assistant secretary of education, Ravitch has witnessed the trends in public education over the past 40 years and has herself swung from public-school advocate to market-driven accountability and choice supporter back to public-school advocate. With passion and insight, she analyzes research and draws on interviews with educators, philanthropists, and business executives to question the current direction of reform of public education. In the mid-1990s, the movement to boost educational standards failed on political concerns; next came the emphasis on accountability with its reliance on standardized testing. Now educators are worried that the No Child Left Behind mandate that all students meet proficiency standards by 2014 will result in the dismantling of public schools across the nation. Ravitch analyzes the impact of choice on public schools, attempts to quantify quality teaching, and describes the data wars with advocates for charter and traditional public schools. Ravitch also critiques the continued reliance on a corporate model for school reform and the continued failure of such efforts to emphasize curriculum. Conceding that there is no single solution, Ravitch concludes by advocating for strong educational values and revival of strong neighborhood public schools. For readers on all sides of the school-reform debate, this is a very important book.”

RSVP to kwingate@stand.org. We look forward to seeing you this summer!