"What would it have been like to grow up in a world where the divine was imaged as female?" -- Rev. Shirley Ranck, PhD
“Cakes for the Queen of Heaven” was credited on its introduction 21 years ago with providing women an opportunity of discovery and empowerment within the UUA goddess movement. Now, this revised, multi-session curriculum by Unitarian Universalist Minister Shirley Ranck will bring the break-out feminist theology curriculum in its updated version to those who wish to teach it in their local congregations to the many young and new UUs who have never experienced it. Or to others who want an injection of inspiration. “Cakes: In Ancient Times” is rising again in UU congregations all over the continent.
Would you like to present this curriculum in your congregation? This is an opportunity to receive facilitator training and purchase the curriculum.
CAKES Train-the-Trainer (T3) workshops include:
- Curriculum presentation by experienced district leaders.
- Experiential and interactive sessions.
- Herstory, music, poetry and thoughtful sharing in one day-long workshop.
- Continental breakfast, lunch and babysitting services.
- Curriculum resource materials and inspiration.
- Curriculum can be purchased online at www.uuwr.org.
Trainer workshops offered at a reasonable cost. $30 per person includes continental breakfast and lunch. Curriculum will be available for purchase at $40.
2008
June 14 • St. Joseph, Michigan: Berrien UU Fellowship
June 21 • Chicago area: Unity Temple UU Congregation in Oak Park
July 26 • St. Louis area: Eliot Chapel
November 15 • Peoria, Illinois: Universalist Unitarian Church of Peoria
November 22 • Milwaukee, WI: The First Unitarian Society of Milwaukee, A Unitarian Universalist Congregation
Cakes for the Queen of Heaven Train-the-Trainers workshops are a joint project of
the CMwD Women and Religion Committee and UU Women's Connection (formerly CMwD-UU Women's Federation.)
Online registration
Contact info@uuwr.org
Past Comments:
Janet Nortrom said:
The First Unitarian Society Milwaukee was so fortunate to again have about 25 women participate in the “Cakes” [facilitator training]. So many women were inspired by this goddess history and revealing of the patriarchal practices that continue even today. So many women were anxious to take back this “Cakes” curriculum to their churches and teach. This was an enlightening experience and what a joy to see Janet’s picture up on the web.
Blessed Be and Thanks to the Central Midwest Woman and Religion committee, the UU Women’s Connection and the Unitarian Universalist Women and Religion that provided all the women and opportunities to learn and study this curriculum again in our district.
Pat Goller said:
The training recently at Eliot Chapel in St Louis gave the feel of a “red tent” time that afforded time to share and think about the importance of women having time together. What excites me about the curriculum is it can be completely planned and facilitated with the stand-alone curriculum or it can be personalized around facilitator and participant interests.
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.
It is such a thrill for the UU Women’s Connection to be involved with the introduction of the re-write of this empowering feminist curriculum. We begin with a sneak peek at the program during the 2008 CMw District Assembly in a couple of weeks. Other locations have already been announced and five congregations throughout the whole district are involved. Check the locations to see which is closest to you.
Debbie Cannatella said:
I would love to see a Cakes Training come to the South. I’ve been involved in Cakes for twelve years now and have just completed facilitating the newly revised version. But I am most interested in how the facilitation training is formulated and would have loved to attend this.
Gretchen said:
Berrien UU Fellowship is on the eastern edge of Central Midwest District, and also invites those from churches in Michigan and Indiana (Heartland District) to attend the training day June 14, 2008.
