Capital Unitarian Universalist Congregation

COVID 19 has brought with it many challenges and opportunities and UUs around the world have been seeking to connect and respond. We welcome you to join Joan Carolyn, our CUC Congregational Life Team lead as she reflects on some of the doors which have opened for Canadian UUs as well as hurdles we are still seeking to address. Given our Zoom capacity to gather, there will be time to share some of your experiences on that spectrum of opportunity to challenge, both in break out conversations as well as in chat!

If you would like to join us on Zoom please email our Administrator Amanda Tarling at tarling@shaw.ca for the link

Samhain is an ancient celebration of the New Year.  It is based in the idea of new beginnings emerging from dark times.  Many of our Halloween celebrations are rooted in these old customs and beliefs.

We will also take time to honour the members and friends of the congregation who we have lost over the years. Join us for a poignant reminder of our ancestors and a joyful celebration .

To attend please email our Administrator at tarling@shaw.ca

Remembrance Day (Nov 11) is a time to remember those who died in wartime, to consider why humans go to war, and to discuss how to strive for peace. Today’s homily will explore why humans go to war, and what Unitarian-Universalists can do for peace. There will be a place in the service for sharing the names of loved ones who served in the military in peacetime and wartime.

Peter Scales is a member of Capital UU, and an Air Force veteran of the Cold War.

To attend please email our Administrator at tarling@shaw.ca

Remembrance Day is a time to remember those who died in wartime, to consider why humans go to war, and to discuss how to strive for peace. Our November 11th ceremony includes Unitarians who have served in the Canadian Forces, and speaks to all who never want to see war again. Today we welcome Capital UU Congregation and Salt Spring Island Unitarians.

Inspired by Robin Wall Kimmerer’s book “Braiding Sweetgrass,” join us for a morning of Indigenous Wisdom.

To attend please email our Administrator at tarling@shaw.ca

‘Mindfulness’ is a term that encompasses numerous practices, found in many secular and religious traditions, devoted to stilling the mind and focusing on the present moment. The benefits of mindfulness often tend to emphasize personal outcomes, such as inner calm, reduced stress and enhanced well-being. But there can be broader benefits as well. Mindfulness can also be a practice that helps unhook or ‘decolonize’ our minds from the dominant western attitudes of acquisition, control and domination that have led to so much environmental destruction and indigenous trauma.

Jane Dawson is a writer, educator, and spiritual director based in Victoria, but currently working in Ottawa, Ontario. In 2021, she will be teaching an online graduate course on “Mindfulness, Health Care, and Adult Learning” at St. Francis Xavier University, located in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. With this regional diversity, ‘live local, work national’ is her new vocational mantra.

To attend please email our Administrator at tarling@shaw.ca

Between the light of day and the dark of night lies the twilight, that mysterious time that defies dualistic categorization. There is so much wisdom held in the twilight hours. Join guest speaker Ilara Stefaniuk-Gaudet as they dive into an explorative narrative of gender spectrums, art, dreaming, and those misty liminal spaces within themself.

To attend please email our Administrator at tarling@shaw.ca

As we approach that wonderful moment when we will finally put 2020 in hindsight where it belongs, our usual holiday celebrations are going to be a bit… strange. I mean, holidays are never simple, but this year will be especially complex. How do we navigate this season?

Liz James is a speaker and author, whose work can be found in UU World, Brave Wiser, and on CBC. She is the founder of the UU Hysterical Society on Facebook, and the not for profit Mirth and Dignity. She also co-hosts the monthly UU Podcast “The Cracked Cup” with Rev Anne Barker.

Please contact Amanda for zoom link tarling@shaw.ca

In “The Hero with a Thousand Faces,” Joseph Campbell outlines a radical hypothesis: that the world’s best-known myths, fables, and legends adhere to a single story-telling formula, which he called the Hero’s Journey. This formula yields compelling and memorable stories, stories that remain lodged in the public imagination, while also serving as a map to the human psyche and a guide to the wondrous and sometimes frightening adventure we call life. Join us this Sunday as we follow the Hero’s Thread through Campbell’s life and work, and explore their significance for us. In these uncertain times, we are all called to adventure; with a bit of guidance from Campbell, we can answer that call with hope and face an uncertain future together, along with the heroes of all times.

For Zoom link please contact Amanda at tarling@shaw.ca

This morning we will have a Unitarian version of the traditional Christian service of “Lessons and Carols.” Join us for season stories, both poignant and humorous and some festive songs. Including singing the Huron Carol with words written by Dana Seaborn to honour the real history of the Wendat and the Missionaries.
(Photo credit: John Pullyblank)

For Zoom link please contact Amanda at tarling@shaw.ca

Join us at 7pm for a delightful hour of caroling and some social time.  We will meet on Zoom and if you would like the link please email our Administrator Amanda and she would be delighted to send it to you.

At mid-winter, the veil between worlds is said to be at its thinnest. This is of special significance in Iceland, where the whereabouts of fairies and elves continues to influence urban planning. The long dark nights encourage cozying up by the fire to share stories – often with a cast of otherworldly characters.

In today’s service, Faye offers traditional Icelandic tales to celebrate this special time of year – a tried and true way of fending off the gloom.

For several years Faye Mogensen ran the Children and Youth Program at the First Unitarian Church of Victoria, where she used the lens of traditional folktale to inspire generosity and hope, and to spark explorations of our relationship with nature, with one another and with ourselves. Her first book, Ancient Stories for Modern Times: 50 Wisdom Tales for All Ages was released by Skinner House Press in June 2016.

For Zoom link please contact Amanda at tarling@shaw.ca