Calendar of events
Here you will find all of our congregation’s Sunday Services, Board and Committee meetings and other events. Use the calendar controls to see events for past or future dates. For a quick look at recent Sunday Services, click here!
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
In 2010 Amos became the official biographer of E. J. Hughes, one of Canada’s most highly-regarded painters. Since that time he has published three books on Hughes: E. J. Hughes Paints Vancouver Island (2017), E. J. Hughes Paints British Columbia (2018), and now The E. J. Hughes Book of Boats. These volumes have been a constant feature of the B. C. Bestsellers’ List and the first one was a finalist for the B. C Book Prize and the Butler/City of Victoria Book Award.
As an artist Robert Amos has become known as “the man who paints Victoria”, and his paintings of the city have entered the permanent collections of the City of Victoria, the Municipality of Oak Bay, the University of Victoria and the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria. Most important to him are the commissioned paintings he creates of some of our most interesting homes and gardens. Working in close collaboration with his clients, he creates these “heirlooms of the future”, which are images rich in evocative context and telling detail which become unforgettable gifts and superb presentations to celebrate landmarks in the life of a family or corporation.
When not at work painting or writing, Amos enjoys studying the literature of James Joyce and gardening at his Oak Bay home. You can discover more about his activities at www.robertamos.com
Musician and UU Rev. Erin Walter lifts up one small but key detail in that story of the Israelites’ exodus from slavery toward a promised land: the women bring tambourines. Join us as we explore practices for keeping joy, music, and community in our lives even as we continue pandemic precautions.
Rev. Erin J. Walter (she/her/hers) is a UU minister and musician based in Austin, Texas. Winner of the UU Women’s Federation Sermon Award in 2017, Rev. Erin leads the indie group Parker Woodland, whose music you’ll hear in the service, and plays bass in the queer rock band Butch County. A former YMCA director, she serves as a board member for the Texas UU Justice Ministry and as the Affiliated Community Minister of Wildflower (Unitarian Universalist) Church in Austin. You can find more about Rev. Erin’s music and ministry at ErinWalter.com.
For Zoom link please contact Amanda at tarling@shaw.ca
Most of us know about near-death experiences, but there is much more to learn than the events. We will briefly cover the death experience, and go on to explain the deeper learning that is being brought back. We will look at why I consider NDEs to be real and how they relate to each one of us.
Lynn has over sixty-five years of studying various religions and spiritual philosophies. She researched near-death experiences for Dr. Jeffery Long, of NDERF. After studying 2500 cases, Lynn became fascinated with the profound underlying spiritual knowledge brought back. The second edition of her book, The Wonder of You: What the Near-Death Experiences Tells You About Yourself, is about that knowledge and your reality. Her interest in science has helped to add profound understandings of the link between science and spirituality.
Website: https://lynnkrussell.com/
For Zoom link please contact Amanda at tarling@shaw.ca
We all leave and inherit many legacies: family, culture, faith movement. This personal reflection on the specifics of one inheritance invite us all to look at what we inherit and what type of legacies we are building each day through our choices and actions.
Anna Isaacs is a dual citizen as a member of both Capital and First Unitarian. She has inherited the phrase “well there you go” as a neutral conversational response.
For Zoom link please contact Amanda at tarling@shaw.ca
It’s well known that mind can help heal or harm physical health, although the mechanism is mysterious. How can we optimize the placebo element in treatment and prevention? I will be looking at the evidence and practical measures we can all take.
Di was originally trained in Biochemistry and did research in Neurochemistry, studying brain, but for many years now Di has worked with mind and – broadly – the placebo effect in music therapy and hypnotherapy.
For Zoom link please contact Amanda tarling@shaw.ca
We often talk about Unitarian Universalism as a transformational faith – and yet to be transformed means to take a risk. How is it that we are averse to taking such risks when it comes to widening the circle of who we are as a community? Join Revs. Shana Lynngood and Samaya Oakley for a service that explores mistakes we’ve made and how we can learn from them to become the transformational faith we aspire to be.
In 2021, we invite all congregations and people to this national service. The virtual collection taken during the service will be allocated to successful congregational applicants for growth initiatives. The fund consists of these monies, supplemented by a Foundation Fund administered by the First Unitarian Congregation of Toronto.
Free event! No registration is required. 10 am PT
Zoom link: http://bit.ly/SOF_2021
The service will also be viewable on the CUC YouTube channel.
It’s St Valentine’s Day, what better day to talk about love, all sorts of love. As UUs we talk about inclusion in our Congregations but often we don’t walk the talk. As a congregation we took a pledge to be a LGBTQ2S Welcoming Congregation over two decades ago. Talking about how we can be a place of safety and support for our Trans folks helps us to be a healthier and better community. As Maya Angelou says “Do the best you can, until you know better, and when you know better, do better.”
For Zoom link please email contact.capital@unitariancongregation.org