In 2021, I took a three-month sabbatical. In the early part of that time, I did a twelve-day solo meditation retreat in an apartment above a pandemic-closed meditation center. My focus was to deepen the heart of my spiritual practice: befriending death. I did not know what would come out of that period of time or the practice to which I was committing myself.

One of the many things that did emerge was the vision for a curriculum that would create space for people to explore our mortality in community. The irreverent title of “Date with Death Club” announced itself, as did an outline for what has become a multi-session, largely secular curriculum. In 2021-22, Date with Death Club launched a pilot year where it is being provided at five Unitarian Universalist congregations, one public library, and one online setting for Unitarian Universalists (but not bound by congregational affiliation). After the pilot year, the curriculum will be made available free of charge.

For more information, go to the Date with Death Club website.