Capital Unitarian Universalist Congregation

Trees sustain us both material and spiritually and so it’s no surprise that they feature in religion, folklore and mythology from all around the world. Enjoy a morning of stories that explore our relationship with these noble, life-giving beings.

Faye Mogensen is the author of Ancient Stories for Modern Times and has been telling stories professionally for many years; first as a Park Naturalist, later as the Director of Spiritual Exploration at First Unitarian. She continues to love sharing the wisdom of folktales and mythology, and playing with them to enhance personal, historic, scientific and other tales.

Dawn Fizzard will share her journey in discovering the value and importance of Heart-Centered Learning. “How doodling to jazz taught me that ‘learning by heart’ means so much more than ‘committing to memory’.”

Canadian poet PK Page is well-known for her written work. But she also participated in a Sufi spirituality group in Victoria. What can we learn about this ecstatic form of Islam through the eyes & words of PK Page.

Peter Scales is a community sabbaticant at the UVic Centre for Studies of Religion and Society.

Fires are only one of the mysteries surrounding the Gothic cathedrals of France. This talk will highlight some history and reveal interesting aspects of these marvels of architecture.

Looking at Tolerance from a Unitarian ‘religious’ perspective. Acceptance comes from a much more personal viewpoint and looks at how we and I as Unitarians might not be as accepting as we think we are or ought to be.

This talk will reflect Jule’s advocacy for Advance Requests For Medical Assistance In Dying for those diagnosed with Alzheimers when quality of life as defined by the individual becomes painfully compromised. She will draw on personal experience through snapshots of navigating the first year following her husband’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis.

Jule Briese is a a poet living in Qualicum Beach, B.C. Her inspiration is drawn from nature and the guidance and wisdom offered through her Guides. Jule’s most recent book The Hot Chocolate And Decadent Society is a memoir in poetry and prose. Her book advocates for legalization of Advance Requests for Medical Assistance In Dying for those with dementia who have expressed this choice.

Diana will argue that our conscious reality is largely shaped by suggestion and habit, but that conscious reality is not who we are!  From the moment we’re born we are taught how to perceive the world, and from then on our beliefs and assumptions are shaped by family and culture.  Our thoughts directly impact our physiology, hence the placebo effect and related phenomena. The reverse is also true.  The body directly influences the mind. It is possible to change our minds and physiology dramatically.  I shall propose some simple techniques to break damaging habits of thought, feeling and behaviour and provide more useful suggestions for ourselves and others.

Diana writes: “I’ve always thought there’s more to consciousness than brain and yet I was trained as a biochemist and did research in Neurochemistry at a time when the prevailing assumption in science was that mind and brain were indistinguishable. I was a pretty incompetent neurochemist anyway so I left and worked in Environmental Science for several years before moving into complementary therapies, most notably music therapy and entertainment for elderly people and then hypnotherapy. I was a professional hypnotherapist in England for 12 years before emigrating to Canada last year. I still treat clients in the UK by video call and am now starting a practice here in Victoria. My work convinces me that consciousness is infinitely more mysterious and complex than our current understanding.

Mary Oliver instructs us, “Attention is the beginning of devotion.” We will bring our attention to a selection of her poems, and allow her to lead out attention into the realm of prayer. This service is in honor of Mary Oliver’s September 10th birthday.

Michelle Poirier Brown is a poet and photographer who has brought numerous homilies to the pulpit at Capital. For more information, visit www.skyblanket.ca

Dr. John Pullyblank will talk about a selection of strategies to promote withstanding what life throws at us, including considering the responsibilities of the individual for their resiliency, versus society for creating a healthy environment.

John has given homilies on resilience in 2006 and 2014, and now will provide an updated version for 2019.

With over 700 members, they offer a unique neighbourhood food centre model, providing opportunities for people to: prepare and share healthy meals together, access nutritious food, work together to grow food and build gardening skills, and connect with other community resources and become resources for one another. In this talk, you will hear fun and wonderful stories about food and community, and learn how how multiple, diverse faith groups and community organizations joined together to found the organization and the exciting collaborative network that continues to support their work.

Let’s take the taboos out of religion.  How can we begin to approach this immensely significant part of human behaviour in a different way?  We will look at how we can use the tools of science to help us to begin to understand what religion actually is.

Dr. Sara Comish is a Psychologist who has been a Unitarian for so long that makes her feel old, so we won’t say how long.