Capital Unitarian Universalist Congregation Victoria BC
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Capital Unitarian Universalist Congregation
James Bay, Victoria, BC

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Unitarian Sunday Services


June 22, 2008
Catherine Boies Parker
"The Right to Rest"

Catherine practices constitutional law in Victoria. She currently represents a number of homeless people who are challenging a City of Victoria By-Law which prohibits sleeping or providing shelter for oneself in public spaces. The challenge is based on the argument that when there are insufficient shelter opportunities for the homeless, they must be able to provide shelter for themselves in order to maintain their own safety, security and dignity. Catherine will provide a history of the case and summary of the arguments regarding the constitutionality of the Bylaws, and will comment on the challenges associated with protecting the rights of the homeless in the judicial forum.


June 29, 2008
Carol McIntyre & Marjorie MacDonald
"Celebrating our spiritual lives as lesbians"

Carol and Marjorie are a couple, both nurses and professors at the University of Victoria, where their area of interest is lesbian health. Their talk will reflect on their understandings of lesbian experiences of disclosure drawing on both their work and their personal lives. For each of us, our spiritual lives have intersected with our sexual orientation (and other peoples thoughts about it) in ways that have brought both great joy and suffering. We look forward to celebrating Gay Pride with you.


July 6, 2008
Vanessa Hammond
"Looking at the sacredness of all creation from the Celtic spirituality perspective."


July 13, 2008
Rev. Frances Dearman
"Pilgrim Trails: Walking the Way to Santiago."

Fran reflects on a six-week pilgrimage, walking the Camino route in Northern Spain last fall.
The Rev. Fran Dearman was born and raised on Vancouver Island, and likes to think of herself as a founding toddler at First Unitarian Church of Victoria.


July 20, 2008
Muriel Buchner
"Music & Memories"

Music can be very evocative of our childhood, old friends, or places far away. We have asked 5 members of our congregation to tell us their favourite song, with a brief description of the memory that goes along with it. Some of the songs are the "sing along" type where we can all join in.
Muriel is a long-standing member of Capital.


July 27, 2008
Richard Leblanc
"From nowhere to go, to somewhere to grow."

Richard will talk about the need for a Therapeutic Work Community (TWC). His dream is to apply the TWC model to help the hundreds of people who now call the streets of Victoria "home" and his inspiration comes from an idea generated in Italy three decades ago.
Richard Leblanc is working to turn Woodwynn Farm into a therapeutic community.


August 3, 2008
Ben Dolf
"The 2008 CUUC Summer Games."

The first CUUC Summer Games present us with an unusual challenge. What is more instructive, community building games for all ages or a boring presentation? Come and help us solve this conundrum!
Ben has been a member of Capital for many years.


August 10, 2008
Nancy Waters
"Chanting."

Using ancient and contemporary healing chants Nancy has a gift for helping people get in touch with their own unique heart's song. Come and hear about chanting and participate too!
Nancy started the Sacred World Song project and runs the Victoria Chant Circle.


August 17, 2008
Elsie Farr
"A Morning of Summer Poetry."

There is a poet in all of us. Poetry was born under a dancing star - it is with us in childhood as simple rhyme, progressing to adulthood as "poetry". The charm of poetry lies in our imagination. We use it to enrich our lives, giving it meaning. Poetry helps us to express our deepest emotions and it can be beauty to our ears.
Elsie has been a member of Capital for many years.


August 24, 2008
Gita John
"The Power of Hope Youth"

Gita will share insights from her own childhood in India, as well as being a mom in Canada and her work with The Power of Hope. The Power of Hope unleashes the positive potential of youth through arts-centered intergenerational and multicultural learning programs that value self-awareness, leadership and community.
Gita is the Power of Hope's Victoria Program Manager. She was raised in a Gandhian Christian center begun by her parents during India's freedom movement and is passionate about working with and for children and youth.


August 31, 2008
"Homecoming"

Each year at this time we explore the meaning of "home." This service will include one family's celebration of coming home to a new beginning.

All Services Sundays, 10:00 am


Every Sunday we have a Childrens Program.





About Our Sunday Services

Sunday Service at CUUC

Although we are a small congregation which meets in a community centre, we offer spiritually and intellectually inspiring weekly services and a wide range of Ceremonies in the Unitarian Universalist tradition.

 

One of the best features of these Unitarian services is who you will meet there. People find their way to UU'ism along a vast array of paths: the congregation is likely to have secular humanists; people with backgrounds in Judaism, Christianity, Islam, or any other religion; atheists; and pagans.

The Capital congregation is lay-led. Without a resident minister but with 2 lay chaplains, services are organized and run by congregation members.

Children are read a story near the beginning of the service and the congregation sings to them as they leave to go to the education centre.

Singing the Children to their program

A range of crafts and topics to do with Unitarian values and world religions are offered. Children's program

Symbolic of the Unitarian tradition is the lighting of a chalice as the
service starts. Later in the service, people may come forward to light
candles of joy and candles of concern from the chalice flame and set
them to stand in a bowl of sand. Anyone lighting a candle is free to
speak to the congregation about their joy or concern.

Sermons are given by a variety of speakers on topics ranging from
ethical investing to the Mystics. The passages read or sung during
services are inspiring and empowering along secular and spiritual
lines.

A collection is taken after the talk.

Speaker at service with candles of joy and concern

At the end of the service, the congregation joins hands and sings a Linking Song such as:

Singing a Linking Song Spirit of Life, Come unto me
Sing in my heart all the stirrings of compassion.
Blow in the wind, Rise in the sea, Move in the hand,
Giving life the shape of justice.
Roots hold me close, Wings set me free,
Spirit of life, Come to me, come to me.

Coffee follows for half an hour and then the forum.

Forum
After most services there is a moderated forum discussion, usually on the topic presented in the sermon.

 


the light of Life & Spirit

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