The January talk by David Saetre will focus on the theme of “hope.” This is the third and last
in his series on spiritual virtues. You may have heard the popular saying, “hope is not a plan,”
and the dismissive tone of that phrase sums up a cynical side to modern society. Indeed, hope
is often synonymous with magical thinking or unrealistic expectations that avoid personal
responsibility and the hard work of building a better world. Yet, while hope is not a plan, no
one can plan without it. Because the future always includes ambiguity and surprise – things
rarely turn out exactly how we plan them – all plans require some level of risk. Hope is the
way in which we launch our dreams and visions into actions. All good plans have their roots
in hope. But, hope in what? That’s what we will explore at our gathering on the second
Sunday in January. The topic seems right as we begin a new year, filled with our own
resolutions, dreams and expectations for our families and community. And, the topic of hope
carries particular importance in the wake of the Sandy Hook school shootings, and our
national sense of vulnerability and sorrow.
Join David and the faculty, staff and students of Northland as we begin a new year of worship,
thoughtful reflection and building community together around the theme of “Hope!”
Listen thru iTunes or download at http://dl.dropbox.com/u/16150915/uu/2013W/1-13-13m.mp3
On the evening of December 16 we will celebrate our annual holiday service. The Religious
Education program has prepared a holiday play of the folk-story "The Wolf and the Good
Woodsman." Campus Minister David Saetre will share reflections of the season. In addition, there
will be congregational singing of traditional carols and special music by pianist Joni Chapman. The
CUUF string ensemble will accompany our traditional walk through the spiral of greenery. The
service will close with a candlelight carol followed by fellowship and refreshments. We hope you
will join us for this special service.
Listen on iTunes or download from http://dl.dropbox.com/u/16150915/uu/2012F/12-16-12m.mp3
James E. Pete, whose Anishinaabe name is Guyaushk (Seagull) is a member of the Red Cliff Band
of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin, is from the Eagle Clan, has two sons, and seven
grandchildren. He currently serves as the Director of the Native American and Indigenous Culture
Center for Northland College.
Jim will share teachings he learned from Tribal Elders about the relationship between spirituality and
the natural settings of the four seasons. Within a traditional sense of many Tribal Communities, the
teachings from Tribal Elders has been such an importance aspect, to the survival from many
challenges for thousands of years.
Jim has a Doctorate in Business Administration and his doctoral project utilized these teachings, in
the concentration and encouragement on the integration of traditional beliefs and philosophies, into
the modern day Tribal Organization.
Listen via iTunes or download from http://dl.dropbox.com/u/16150915/uu/2012F/12-09-12m.mp3
The next three talks will focus on the "theological virtues": faith, hope and charity. Western and Christian philosophy and theology posed the moral life as fulfilled in these three spiritual virtues. "The Meaning of Charity" is the theme for October. Charity, today, almost has a negative connotation. It is understood as a private virtue - privileged individuals giving monetary donations. But, a deeper look at the old idea of charity reveals a social meaning to the word. Charity is the necessary virtue for democracy, and should be understood as fundamentally social in character. It's about our commitment and generosity to one another - the way we care for one another in community. Charity is not about private giving of the privileged; it's the virtue that links our common lot together as one body. The presence or absence of "charity" defines the quality and character of any community more than it defines the character of an individual.
The Virtue of Hospitality: Becoming and Being a Welcoming Community By David Saetre
Speaker: David Saetre "The Meaning of Salvation"
Easter Sunday Service, speaker David Saetre, Northland College Chaplain and Humanities professor. David will offer an inter-faith exploration on themes of new life and renewal. This will also be the last in his year-long series on "reconstructing theology": essential themes from the Judeo-Christian traditions. In David's own words, the series has been a theology for skeptics, exploring some of the difficult ideas from the Western religious traditions.
The Easter service will focus on the idea of salvation. Noting that salvation derives from the Latin root, salus, meaning to be safe and sound, this meditation will explore what that might mean not only in the context of Easter, but in the everyday world of our lives. The world often seems unyielding and dangerous. Here, one finds a word of hope and encouragement. Finally, we look to the Universalist side of the UU heritage, which defined salvation in terms of a final acceptance and healing for all humankind.
David W. Saetre
College Chaplain and Assistant Professor of Religion, Northland College
"The opposite of faith is certainty, not doubt." David
Paul Schue will speak on the question morality, modernity, and the Holocaust. He will address what the Holocaust has to say about morality in modern industrial societies, and how we can change the way we think about morality to better respond to future crises in the modern world.
Prof. Schue has a Ph.D. in modern European history from the University of California, Irvine, and has been teaching history, including courses on the Holocaust, at Northland College since 2001.
