THE first u jam sessionS

the uu writing group

book club with riva

regular thursday meet-ups

First Thursdays - First U Movie Discussion Night

Second Thursdays with James - An Intro to Religions

Third Thursdays - Covenant Group

Last Thursdays - The First U Transcendental Study Group

FIRST U
JAM SESSIONS

Day: Every other Wednesdays
Dates: September 8th, September 22nd, October 6th, TBD beyond this point
Time: 7:30-9pm PST
Location: Channing Hall at the church

While the choir is on hiatus, we’re excited to introduce an instrumental jam group that will meet Wednesdays, 7:30pm, at the church, with the first meeting held Wednesday, September 8th!

We welcome anyone who would like to make music and improve on their instrument in a light and social setting. Any instrument that is bowed, plucked, strummed, or hit is allowed, while anything blown will have to wait until cases die down (apologies to our many bassoonists and bagpipers).

We will be in touch with more details, but in the meantime we encourage you to sign up to the left so we can get an idea on numbers and instruments. We hope to see you there!

THE UU
WRITING GROUP

Day: Every Monday
Time: 7pm PST
Location: Online on our Zoom FUN channel

Join our resident poets and writers for a relaxed writing exercise every Monday. Our writing group participates in 2 25-minute silent writing sessions and offers you an opportunity so share your writing. There is no need to share or to have any writing experience. Consider this a safe space to try something new!

No need to sign up! Just show up at 7pm on the church Zoom channel to introduce yourself and start your writing escape with the group!

If you have any questions, please contact host Matthew Sherling

BOOK CLUB

Day: Every Third Tuesday
Time: 1pm PST
Location: Possibly in-person or online on our Zoom FUN channel

Community members read an assigned book for the month either on Zoom or at a designated location. If you would like to join, please email church member Riva for more details on the book and meet-up.

FIRST THURSDAYS

THE FIRST U MOVIE DISCUSSION NIGHT

Dates: See below
Time: 7-10pm PST
Location: Channing Hall at the church

Every first Thursday at 7pm in Channing Hall, the community is invited to screen a film with social, cultural, political, and spiritual import. An hour-long conversation will be conducted by a member of the church after the screening to expand on the themes and understanding of the film.

• October 7th - The Motorcycle Diaries (Rated R) and discussion with our consulting minister Rev. Ignacio Castuera and church members about the Indigenous peoples of Latin America

• November 4th - Network (Rated R) and discussion with screenwriter and playwright Jonathan Edwards

• December 2nd - Little Women (Rated PG) and discussion about UU’s connection to Louisa May Alcott and the story

To get an idea of how many people will attend, please sign up to the left!

SECOND THURSDAYS WITH JAMES

An INtro to religions

Dates: See below
Time: 7-8:30pm PST
Location: Hybrid event - Held both in-person at First Unitarian Church of Los Angeles on the Zoom FUN channel

For October through June, we will be exploring the religions and other related topics that have particularly caught our consulting minister Rev. James Ishmael Ford’s imagination over the years. It is not meant to be comprehensive, but lightly touching some of the world’s great traditions, along with a digging into whether there are currents common to all religions.

Dates and Curriculum:

• October 14th  - BEFORE RELIGION

• November 11th - HINDUISM & the Rise of Dharmic Religions

• December 8th - BUDDHISM Origins & the Three Schools

• January 13th - TAOISM & CONFUCIANISM Also noting the Buddhist Missions

• February 10th - ZEN, Or, Buddhism after China

• March 10th - JUDAISM & ISLAM (With a quick glance at the Sikh tradition)

• April 8th - CHRISTIANITY The First Thousand Years

• May 12th - CHRISTIANITY The Second Thousand Years

• June 9th - AFTER RELIGIONS

To get an idea of how many people will attend, please sign up to the left!

third thursdays

covenant group

Dates: September 16th, October 21st, November 18th, December 16th
Time: 8pm PST
Location: The First Unitarian Church of Los Angeles

Much like a salon, the community is invited to socialize and discuss a topic relating to spirituality, philosophy, or personal growth.

LAST THURSDAYS

THE FIRST U TRANSCENDENTAlIST STUDY GROUP WITH MATTHEW SHERLING

Dates: September 30th, October 28th, November 23rd (Tuesday)
Time: 8pm PST
Location: The First Unitarian Church of Los Angeles

Cooked up in the residual excitement of Rev. James’s History of UU series, our new Transcendental Study Group (inspired by the original Transcendental Club founded in 1836 - a forum for Unitarians & other freethinkers to discuss relevant social & spiritual matters) will meet on the last Thursday of each month at 8pm. We will have open discussions about texts that influenced, were written by, or were inspired by these original members. 

In the spirit of freethinking, we will surely have our qualms with some of what’s written in these texts. Let’s discuss what resonates & what doesn’t! 

Topics and Readings

First Meeting, September 30th: Brief history of Transcendentalism and Unitarian Universalism

Second Meeting, October 28th: Discussing Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “The Over-Soul”. The essay can be found here:  http://digitalemerson.wsulibs.wsu.edu/exhibits/show/text/first-series/over-soul