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Jan
3rd, 2010
Peter
Scales
"Peace On
Earth."
At the start of each new year it is
good to reflect on the year just past and to look ahead at what might
be coming. How can we be instruments of peace, individually and
collectively as a religious community?
Jan
10th
Zoe Blunt
“The Courage
to Speak Truth to Power.”
Who are our heroes? What compels ordinary people to stand up against
injustice, even at great personal cost? How do we find the inner
strength to act on our principles and create social change? A local
activist shares inspiring stories about the "little people" making
enormous strides .
For two decades, Zoe Blunt has campaigned for social and environmental
justice, shared skills with young people, and organized grassroots
movements that challenge the status quo. A journalism-school dropout,
Blunt now lives and writes in Langford. The Times Colonist calls her
one of the West Shore's "movers and shakers." Bio: Zoe Blunt is a
writer/activist who lives on Vancouver Island.
Jan
17th
Amanda Tarling
“Eat, Pray,
Love…and more!”
Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert– just about sums up my spiritual
ethos. So when I saw a book by this title I thought someone had
written a sacred text just for me.
Amanda is one of Capital’s Lay Chaplains and the congregation’s
Administrator.
Jan
24th
Mavis Butlin
“My Ethical
Will.”
Jan
31st
Rev Don
Vaughn-Foerster
“Signals of
Transcendence”
Are transcendent and the
supernatural are the same thing? To some minds they are the same but
not to
Don's. He will consider the presence of the transcendent as a natural
part
of the natural world.
Feb 7th
Rev Wendy
McNiven
“Ritual, Rite
and Romance”
The sermon today will explore some of the roles of rituals in our
lives, whether religious, cultural or other, and whether acknowledged
or not. This is in part about weddings and funerals, but it also speaks
to all of us, and how we mark life passages for ourselves and each
other.
Rev. Wendy McNiven has been part of Unitarian churches since 1957 and
was ordained in 1992 by the Unitarian Church of Vancouver. Rev. McNiven
currently serves as a part time as minister of the Unitarian
Universalist Fellowship of Kamloops. Wendy volunteers in the community
as a hospital chaplain, and on the board of the local AIDS resource
centre. Wendy and her husband have two adult daughters.
Feb
14
Barbara Freeman
“A Valentine's
Day Tribute to LGBT people -- and their Straight Allies.”
What we can learn about love from each
other?
Barbara is a member of the First Unitarian Congregation of Ottawa,
where she coordinates the LGBT Welcoming Congregation Group. She is a
winter visitor to Victoria.
Feb 21
Kate Green
“Rice, Beans,
Corn and Rocks”
Kate Green will be takinga fresh look at the work of the USC in
conservation and the environment.
Kate is a Program Manager at USC Canada, an international social
justice and development agency that works with farming communities in
the Global South to secure the local food and seed system and support
sustainable livelihoods. She is currently the Program Manager for Nepal.
Feb 28th
Mathrew Dolf
“Olympic
Footprints?”
What is the ecological footprint of large sports events -- the Olympic
Games for example? How can it be reduced? Who is working on this? Matt
Dolf talks about the collaboration between sports federations,
universities and governments to define, measure and reduce the
ecological impact of sports events.
Matt administers a Masters degree program at the Swiss Institute of
Technology and coordinates an initiative to develop tools to assess and
reduce the impact of sports events.
March
7th
Rev Karen
Fraser Gitlitz
"Re-Imagining
Covenant"
One of our most well-known and beloved Unitarian Universalist documents
begins by stating that we "covenant to affirm and promote ..." a set of
principles. What does it mean, to covenant? Is 'covenanting' a
useful concept for us today? We'll start by taking a look at some
of the strands of our religious heritage, and then move into an
investigation of our current cultural and political reality as
Unitarian Universalists here in Canada.
The Rev. Karen Fraser Gitlitz, Consulting Minister, First Unitarian
Fellowship of Nanaimo
March 14th
Ben Dolf
"How can we
best effect change in the world?"
Join us for one of our popular discussion circles, led by Ben.
March
21
Dick Jackson
"Songs of Renewal and Rebirth"
Many religious and secular traditions of the world mark the changes
seen at this this time of year. Come and join us in singing as we fill
this service with an eclectic mix of songs, familiar and new, that
resonate with the season.
Dick Jackson is having a great time as Music Director of our
music-loving congregation.
March 28th
Jackie MacDonald and Members of Capital
"The Legacy of the Elders"
Elders in our congregation have experienced disturbing events which
many younger people have little or no knowledge of, like living through
war or the Great Depression. We have invited four of them to share one
or two insights that they feel will help younger people cope if similar
trials happen in the future. We hope to tap into their wisdom and draw
on their legacy. Please join us.
April 4th
Alex Campbell
“Easter and our Unitarian Universalist Heretical Faith.”
Our historic Unitarian Universalist movement was born of heresies that
originated in the early Christian community. Since then and over the
centuries we claim various heretics among our UU heroes and heroines.
But that was then. What about today? How do we UU heretics of the
twenty-first century share our faith in the context of the rich
pluralism that marks our liberal religious movement?
Alex Campbell serves as a Worship Associate at the First Unitarian
Universalist Congregation of Ottawa. An avid student of church history,
he completed his studies for the Roman Catholic priesthood at Cedara in
South Africa and has an MA in Spirituality (St. Louis, Missouri) and an
M.Ed. (Ottawa). He and his wife, Marlene, are 'snowbirds' and attend
the Capital congregation while in Victoria for the winter months.
April 11th
Alison Skelton
“Wiccan Perspective on Spring.”
This homily gives a Wiccan perspective on spring and the special days
that are celebrated and observed at this time of the year. Do Easter,
coloured eggs, bunnies and hot cross buns convey meaning to a Wiccan?
Our speaker will place us in the Wiccan Wheel of the Year and relate
current symbols of rebirth and renewal to the ancient practices that
are found in Wiccan traditions.
Alison Skelton is an artist, writer, ritual designer, and teacher of
sacred arts. She has been practicing divination, spiritual healing,
ceremony, and energy work, within the context of Wicca and Shamanism,
for over twenty-five years. She was initiated as a Wiccan priestess in
1984 and co-founded the 13th House Mystery School Tradition in 1993 and
in 2005 created the Oroboros project for facilitating community
connection, mentorship, and planetary healing. Her Eclectic Shamanism
practice combines extensive experience as a Wiccan Priestess with core
Shamanic techniques.
April
18th
Muriel Buchner
“Earth Day - Friends and Other Species.”
An examination of whether we have lost our ancient spiritual link with
animals in these days of factory farming. Also some experiences with
creatures both domestic and wild during some years of country living.
April
25th
Wendy Lum
"Surviving to
Thriving"
Wendy will share how stress impacts our
inner world and what happens externally as a result. By managing our
stress, we become resilient and congruent, and we are more able to move
from surviving to thriving.
Wendy Lum is a Registered Clinical Counsellor and Registered Marriage
and Family Therapist working at UVIC Counselling Services and has a
private practice. Wendy has an interest in relationships, wellness and
growth. She has been a member of the UVIC Speakers Bureau since 2004.
Wendy is a registered Counselor with UVic counseling Services.
May
2nd
Peter Scales,
Dàna Seaborn and Amanda Tarling
"Beginnings
and Endings"
In Canadian UU congregations, lay chaplains marry and
memorialize. Amanda retires this Sunday after six years of
service, and Peter - who continues as a chaplain - will lead the
congregation to install Dàna to start her lay chaplain journey.
May 9th
Konnae
Harresson
"Life: Gifts
and Gratitude"
Reflections of the gifts provided by and the gratitude owed to the
'Greatest Generation' of our time. As their ranks thin, we are reminded
of how much was sacrificed to give us the rich life we experience today.
Konnae will share her experiences and views on the 65th Anniversary of
the end of the war in Europe.
May 16th
Amanda Tarling
“Is Avatar the perfect Unitarian film?”
The most popular movie of all time has a resounding spiritual
theme. What does this say about our society and what are the
ramifications for UUs?
May
23rd
For the first time in 13 years Capital
will
not
have
a
service this Sunday. Instead, everyone is
invited to the Farquhar Auditorium at
UVic from 1pm – 2:30pm
to participate in the Canadian Unitarian Council’s Worship Service:
Reverend Karen
Fraser-Gitlitz
“How Shall We Live?”
To help to answer that question we will explore the human condition;
our yearnings, our vulnerabilities, and our hope for a better world.
Debut of the 'Missa Brevis Pro Serveto', Lyrics: Reverend Fran
Dearman Composer: Tobin Stokes.
Note that this service does not
include a Children's Program. For more info, please see
http://www.cuc.ca/conference/2010/worship.htm
http://www.cuc.ca/conference/2010/registration.htm
May
30th
Rita Wittman
Capital’s
Annual Flower Communion
Bring a flower from your garden, field or roadside. Each flower is
unique, as are we, yet each has a contribution to make. Together the
flowers form a beautiful bouquet. Our bouquet would not be the same
without each individual flower. Thus it is with our community, it would
not be the same without each of us.
June
6th
Dàna
Seaborn presents Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor and
My Stroke of
Insight
Jill is a brain scientist who describes her personal experience of a
massive stroke. Her amazing description of this fascinating event
became the most popular presentation ever given on the US-based TED
talks website. Join us for this enlightening and inspiring, 20-minute
video! "[Dr. Taylor's] message, that people can choose to live a
more peaceful, spiritual life....has resonated widely." --New
York Times
June 13th
Max Zahir
The Partition
of India
Max Zahir experienced the dramatic events of 1947 as a ten-year old
boy. He will tell us about his memories, the background forces that
fashioned the conflict and his reflections on events that influence
world politics to this day. Max Zahir has retired from a distinguished
career as a pathologist and has written a book on the partition of
India and Pakistan.
June 20th
Jackie
MacDonald
People who
made the most impact on your life.”
As we go through life sometimes we are lucky enough to come across
people who for one reason or another have a significant impact on how
we think, feel or behave, creating positive changes that last a
lifetime. This Sunday we will share some of these experiences in a
sharing circle.
June
27th
Dr. Sara
Comish
Tolstoy: A
Russian Unitarian?
His message of love and non-resistance to evil, and his relevance for
us today.
Sara Comish has a PhD from the University of British Columbia and is a
Registered Psychologist. She has been a Unitarian Universalist for 17
years and a member of Capital for 10 years.
July
4th
Dana
Seaborn
“Come Sing a
Song with Me”
Come raise your voice with us in a singing service! We'll reveal, and
revel in, the congregation's three favourite songs!
Dàna Lynn Seaborn is CUUC's newest Lay Chaplain. She's a
pantheist and an autodidact. She holds a Bachelor of Arts
(Ed/Psych) from the University of Oregon, and a Doctor of Divinity from
an extremely prestigious diploma mill.
July
11th
Anna Isaacs
“Mystery
Communion”
Come commune with the mystery and explore the meanings of an empty
chalice. This newly emerging communion balances the existing Unitarian
water, fire and flower communions.
Fiona Heath is a ministerial candidate who shared her innovative ideas
about the chalice at the 2010 Canadian Unitarian conference. Her
workshop inspired this service. Anna Isaacs is a Victoria UU.
July
18th
Stan Evans
“Gurdjieff”
An Introduction to George Gurdjieff, his Life and Works.
Stan is the author of many books and articles and a member of our
congregation.
July
25th
Jackie
MacDonald
“Fear”
How do we overcome our fears so that we may open our hearts to love -
that is, to respect the worth and dignity of every person -
universally, unconditionally?
Jackie has been a member of Capital for many years.
August
1st
Brian
MacDonald
“Summer
Sustenance“
Join the congregation for a summer potluck brunch to celebrate our
community and the bounty of the earth.
August
8th
Steven Baileys
“Our Changing
Community: Welcoming and Embracing Cultural Diversity”
Victoria is becoming more a more diverse community as newcomers from
around the world settle in the Capital Regional District. Are we a
welcoming community?
Steven Lorenzo Baileys is the Coordinator of the Multicultural Programs
Department with the Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria.
Steve specializes in human rights education and mediation.
August
15th
Peter Scales
“The Lay-Led
Church”
Our congregation has no minister, yet we are every bit a spiritual
community. What are the pros and cons?
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