adult RE: this i believe
Thursdays 8th, 15th and 22nd July 2010 from 7.00-8.45pm
Click here to download a printable A4 poster for 'This I Believe'.
Click here to download a printable flyer for 'This I Believe'.
Have you ever been asked that question when someone discovers that you are Unitarian and they don't quite understand what that means? A few months ago in the newsletter we had a selection of statements that Kensington Unitarians had written about their faith - people sometimes call these statements 'Elevator Speeches' or 'Lift Pitches', with the idea that you might only have a minute or so in a lift to tell someone about Unitarianism. But the question of what you believe is a somewhat different matter. There are all sorts of beliefs that shape the way we are in the world, all sorts of things that we've experienced or learned that affect what we do and how we do it.
Whilst we say that we respect each other's beliefs, and that we are a diverse group of people, we don't often explore those differences. It's not always easy to talk openly about what you believe. And more often than not, when asked what we believe, the answer has to do with God and Jesus, with life after death or the virgin birth. It isn't about those daily moments that truly define what you believe. But our small groups here at Essex Church do give us a chance to explore at a deeper level with one another, to speak and to listen in a way that's different from everyday life. A number of us completed the Building Your Own Theology (BYOT) course at the end of last year and this new 'This I Believe' course is another way for us to explore our beliefs with one another. BYOT did what it said on the packet, or rather the course booklet; it encouraged us to share with one another our theological beliefs. 'This I Believe' is more about the smaller, intensely personal ideas and commitments that you seek to live out and that you hold to when the world gets tough perhaps or when you are making changes that challenge your identity.
You are each and all invited to join in reflecting upon what it is you believe, and to express it in a short essay. I will be leading a three week course at the church on the 8th, 15th and 22nd July where you can come and do some exercises to help clarify what you'd like to say, and where you can share with others in the process. If getting to the church isn't going to work for you, there is a workbook that you can use to create your own statement of belief, and we can email that to you or give you a paper copy.
Let's give it a go and try to say what we believe, and listen to each other that we may strengthen what it is that gives our lives meaning, and that we build the bonds between us. Our hope is that eventually we will put together a collection of statements that people have written for the BYOT course and / or the This I Believe course.
The course is free to attend but we ask people to book a place by ringing Sarah on 0207 221 6514 or emailing sarah@kensington-unitarians.org.uk.
last updated: 16 Jun 2010
