Capital Unitarian Universalist Congregation

The Garden of Eden; Original Sin; the Abrahamic God: like a growing number of people in the world today, we Unitarian Universalists tend to regard these concepts as the product of ancient people trying to explain life’s great mysteries. Though imaginative and compelling, these accounts fall far from the mark, or so it would seem. Today, few among us give serious consideration to these ideas and the stories that birthed them, believing that they have little of value to offer us. But what if there is something of importance to be found in these myths and fables? What if, despite their lack of literal truth, these concepts nevertheless contain revelations that could help us better understand ourselves and the world at large? Join us as we explore these questions.

Ollie Belisle is a spiritual explorer and tour-guide whose goal is to open hearts and blow minds. Whether through his writing, YouTube channel, or daily conversations with friends, family, colleagues, and total strangers, he attempts to introduce new ways of looking at ourselves and our world in order to reveal the life-altering power of perspective.

Why is it that so many of us consider ourselves spiritual but not religious? What does that mean exactly? In this talk I will explore my own forays into Christianity, and how my own search for spiritual truth was at odds with my rational mind’s ultimate inability to accept the dogma of the Christian Church.

What is a ritual? A Jewish Universalist look at the neuroscience of rituals, and their role in community building, health, and grateful, astonished living.

In a world where there are so much is conditional, what we are all really looking for is unconditional love.

Dar is a member of the First Unitarian Church of Victoria and facilitates their Radical Welcome Group. They lead FUCV’s Spiritual Care Team at Our Place.

Long before humans invented religions, we looked with awe at the night sky, the changing seasons, the coming of the rains, and the beasts.  Today some people refer to the pre-religious people as ‘pagan’ and yet many of us hold pagan-inspired beliefs related to ‘Christmas’ trees and ‘Easter’ eggs.  What is paganism, and what is UU paganism?  Come and learn!

Nature educator and earth activist for over four decades, Sarah ponders the challenge of finding joy in the midst of despair – and wonders about making a difference.

Happy Birthday, Capital!  Our congregation’s first service was 24 years ago, on March 3, 1996.  What has changed and what are we still doing the same?  This is also a time to envision the future of our community.  BC historian Peter Scales will share what he has learned.

Rev. Frances Deverell will take a tour through the different waves of feminism seeking what they were about; what we learned; how they helped to develop our vision of a world of mutual respect and equal opportunity; and where we are headed.

Rev. Frances Leigh Deverell served as minister for 3 Unitarian congregations before retiring in 2010. This followed a 25-year career in Management Training and Organizational Development. She is the author of Finding Common Voice, the Canadian congregational handbook for social responsibility. She serves as Past President of the Canadian Unitarians For Social Justice. She is chair of the Criminal Love and Justice Group of the Canadian Unitarian Council working on crime prevention and aboriginal justice issues. You will find her personal website at www.francesdeverell.com. Frances and her husband, Ron Wilson live in cohousing (Pacific Gardens) and attend FUFON in Nanaimo. Her daughter, Karen Abramson, lives in Coquitlam.

The three strategies of deep adaptation address the impending climate crisis: Resilience, Relinquishment, and Restoration. Learn about this theory by Jem Bendell, professor of sustainability at the University of Cumbria in England.