Truly a co-creative process, I chose to change one of the activities in session one, “The Sacred Female,” to kneading bread and creating bread sculpture goddesses. This gave an opportunity to not only connect with women though out the centuries who have kneaded bread, but established a context around which we could discuss body issues, sexuality, sexual orientation, and media issues with women’s bodies. The recipe for the Easter Dragon is given in the text of the curriculum; the dough works equally well to make goddess dough figures.

The difficult work of session five, “Reclaiming Women’s Heritage of Peace,” had us kneading clay, discussing violence and munching chocolate kisses. Kisses, chocolate and kneading during a discussion of violence in our times proved a successful way to stage this session.

Finally I want to lift up a favorite passage from Rev. Ranck’s work. This is a most important and possibly overlooked passage in the new curriculum found in her “Statement of Feminist Thealogy.” “Perhaps the most important religious task of the 21st century will be learning to take pluralism seriously…Unitarian Universalists are in a unique position to develop a truly creative feminist thealogy.”

And later, in that statement, “A Shift from Outer to Inner”: “We need to be aware of the world view that emerged in the latter part of the 20th Century…. We are trying to come of age as human beings. Naomi Goldenberg suggests that what is happening is the internalization of religion, the awareness of an immanent God or Goddess within each of us, and an inner spiritual journey toward value and meaning as adults.”

Abraham Lincoln Unitarian Universalist Congregation, Springfield, Illinois, through one of those trained at Eliot Chapel will be introducing the new curriculum beginning in September.

Thanks to planners, Eliot Chapel and participants for an enlightening and uplifting day in the red tent.