St. Paul's United Church of Christ (UCC) of Birdsboro is sponsoring free Creative Contemplative classes that are free and open to the community. The classes are designed to help participants develop a deeper relationship with God, foster deeper connections with other people and help them find inner peace.
Classes are held at Daniel Boone High School on the second Wednesday of each month from 6:30 to 8 p.m. through May 2020. The next scheduled class will be on Dec. 11. Individuals are welcome to participate in as many or as few sessions as they wish.
Pat Babel, St. Paul's UCC spiritual director, first offered the program at the church, but the classes were moved to Daniel Boone High School in September of 2018. "We wanted to make sure that the public realized that they were invited, and it was not just for church members," said Babel. "You don't have to be Christian (to attend). It's an interfaith program. It is a way of connecting with God and of building a better community because we can connect with each other."
Each session features a time of silence, a reading and an activity that lasts between 20 and 30 minutes. "We usually begin each class by lighting a candle," Babel explained. "Sometimes (the reading) is a prayer, but we try to pick things that will not offend people who do not follow (our denomination) of the Christian religion."
The topic for the Nov. 13 meeting was "Gratitude," and the activity was writing poetry. "We talked about gratitude, and we had a discussion on the part gratitude has played in our lives and how it could have a healing effect. (We also discussed how) to focus on the positive rather than the negative," said Babel.
"I presented different ways you can write a poem. People wrote poems, and they were quite beautiful," she said. "The last part of the class is sharing - when people talk about their experience during the (activity) and how it brought them to reflect on something from their own lives."
On Dec. 11, the topic will be "Winter Solstice." "We are going to talk about the winter solstice in reference to the fact that some people get so busy and preoccupied (with the holidays in December), while some people get depressed," Babel said. "We are looking at winter as a time to look at our lives and get rid of bad things and keep things that are good for us."
Babel noted that each class always features a time of quite meditation and listening. "We do different practices that help us meditate on God and on the good in our lives," she stated. "People can feel free to talk as much or as little as they are inclined. You can just observe it you want to."
Babel stated that the benefits of contemplative practices include improving concentration, increasing a positive mood, relieving anxiety and depression and increasing empathy.
In addition to Babel, the instructors for the series of classes are Janeen Adil, St. Paul's UCC minister of Christian spirituality and spiritual director, and Dawnita Smith, art teacher and art therapist. "Dawnita created a program called COPE - Creative Outlets for Positive Energy. She does more (art-related) activities," noted Babel.
For more details about the program, readers may visit http://www.facebook.com/stpaulsuccbirdsboro or call the church office at 610-582-8461. More information, including the topics of upcoming sessions, can be found on the Facebook page and at http://www.stpaulsbirdsboro.org/creative-contemplative.html.
Daniel Boone High School is located at 501 Chestnut St., Birdsboro. Classes will be held in Room 129. Those who enter the school building can follow signs directing them to the correct classroom.
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