[cuc-uumoc] CUC - UUMOC Message from Mary Bennett for March, 2007

[Mary Bennett]

Hello, 
 
I send a message once a month (around the 5th of the month) to all
professional ministers in Canada - and a "cc" to CUC board and staff. 
 
I select information that I think will be of particular interest to
ministers. However, you are free to forward it to anyone you feel would be
interested.
 
 
MINISTERIAL TRANSITIONS 
 
The Toronto First Search Committee have announced that Shawn Newton will be
candidating for their congregation April 14 to April 22 . 
http://www.firstunitariantoronto.org/newton.htm
 
Rev. Wendy McNiven has  begun a consulting ministry with South Fraser
Unitarian Congregation. She continues her ministry with the UU Fellowship of
Kamloops. 
 
Rev. Jane Bramadat, Ministerial Settlement Representative for BC & Western
regions, recently met with the Search committee for First UU Winnipeg.  They
are in search for an interim minister starting September, 2007 and a settled
minister to start September, 2008.  
 
Rev. Frances Deverell has been called to a part-time ministry with UU
Fellowship of Ottawa.
 
Rev. Debra Faulk was installed as minister of Don Heights Unitarian
Congregation in February. 
 
Rev. Diane Rollert was installed as the 11th minister and first woman
minister to Unitarian Church of Montreal in February.
 
Peterborough and North Shore are expecting to announce their candidate soon.
Stay tuned.
 
UU Halifax, UCSaskatoon and UU Winnipeg are all currently lay-led
congregations.
 
 
CUC ANNUAL CONFERENCE & MEETING UPDATES
Ecstatic Naturalism: Nature, God, and the New Cosmology  led by Dr. Robert
Corrington will be the Tuesday-Thursday prior to the CUC ACM. This course is
available for credit through the Vancouver School of Theology (contact
registrar/contact) or for audit through registering through the Canadian
Unitarian Council. For those registering for the whole CUC conference,
there's a reduced fee of $180 before April 1. For others, and everyone after
April 1, the audit registration fee is $200.  Dr. Corrington comes to us on
the high recommendation of Rev. Dr. Steven Epperson. 
 
I hope you will consider recommending this to members of your congregation
who want an in-depth educational experience.  
 
Here's a description from Dr. Corrington.  

In this course we will rethink the complex relationships between God and
nature using the both ancient and modern sources.  We will begin with the
rich cosmology of Plato as expressed in his highly influential dialogue the
"Timeaus," where he introduces his rich idea of the "chora" (the womb or wet
nurse) that has been used so creatively by the contemporary psychoanalyst
Julia Kristeva (about whom we will also speak).  Then we will enter into the
stunning and brilliant mystical world of the neo-Platonist thinker Plotinus
(204-270 C.E.)  We will detail his theory of emmanation from out of the One
as it unfolds downward into nature and the reincarnating human soul.  On the
second day we will explore the tradition of nineteenth century German
Romanticism as embodied in the later thought of Schelling (who greatly
influenced Tillich).  Schelling's 'upward' cosmology will be contrasted with
the 'downward' cosmology of Plotinus.  Tillich's concept of the sacredness
of art and nature will be correlated with the similar ideas found in
Schelling.  On the third day we will briefly examine (via handouts) the
world of contemporary astronomy as a kind of stretching exercise to remind
us of the utter vastness of nature.  This will be followed with a detailed
study of ecstatic naturalism with its conceptions of: nature naturing vs.
nature natured, sacred folds, spirits, signs and meanings, evolution,
anti-monotheism, four modes of the infinite, and the potencies.

Throughout we will pay attention to contemporary psychoanalysis,
evolutionary psychology, theories of the self and the soul, pantheism vs.
panentheism, and the sense of nature as encompassing even God.

 

Linda Thomson will be "course host" through Vancouver School of Theology. If
you have questions that you would like to ask about the course, please
direct your questions to linda at cuc.ca

 

COME EARLY & SING

If you've ever sung with Brian Tate, you'll want to come early and join in
the Friday workshop. If you've never sung with Brian Tate, you'll REALLY
want to come early and sing with him!

 

Other preconference events during Shared Ministry Days are listed at the
website and include:

Renaissance Module: Multicultural Religious Education

Human Resources Workshop (credit on the Canadian UU Leadership Program)

Welcoming & Celebrating Congregational Diversity by Rev. Keith Kron

 

VANCOUVER SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY - HOTEL

As well as the accommodation listed at
http://cuc.ca/conference/2007/accommodation.htm

VST have one-bedroom suites available at approximately $75/night. 

 

VANCOUVER SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY - SUMMER PROGRAM

Each summer, VST bring in a wide range of leaders for weeklong courses
(every morning or every afternoon- so you can take two in a week.) 

Last year there were several of us Unitarians in the course on Popular
Culture and Theology.

This year, among the speakers that may be of interest to you or other
colleagues and congregants are:

Rosemary Ruether

Matthew Fox

John Cobb

Arthur Paul Boers

Michael Higgins

Thomas Keating

Alan Jones

Lauren Artress

 

Details at: 

http://www.vst.edu/chalmers/2007ss/index.php

 

Take care,
 
Mary Bennett, Executive Director  mary at cuc.ca  
CANADIAN UNITARIAN COUNCIL 
www.cuc.ca <http://www.cuc.ca/>    Toll-free: 1-888-568-5723  Fax:
416-489-9010
Toronto: 416-489-4121 Vancouver: 604-264-0088 
018-1179A King Street West, Toronto ON M6K 3C5 
949 West 49th Avenue, Vancouver BC V6K 1T2 
www.cuc.ca/conference/2007