This talk is not an examination of anyone’s sleeping habits.  Nor am I concerned whether or not some of us occasionally doze off at UU.  Rather, we will consider whether our lives “bring us to the point where we become part of creation rather than merely observers of it.”  The Benedictine abbess, Joan Chittister, an internationally known author and lecturer, will be our guide as we examine five eternal questions assisted by insights from five major religious traditions.

Dick Smythe is an entomologist retired from the research division of the US Forest Service. Throughout his life he has maintained two dominant interests: first, his fascination with the natural world – our non-human environment and endless source of wonder; second, his abiding interest in religion/theology – a subject of continuing education and challenge.