Sunday August 30, 2009

BOOKS THAT SHAPED OUR LIVES
Craig Beam, Mavis Kerr, Tui Torrie, Jane Bell
Service Leader: Craig Beam
Music: Tom Nagy

In honour of the 10th anniversary of Craig's PhD thesis defence, he is organizing a second Book Service, this time with a focus on books that inspired us in our formative years. The focus will be autobiographical - why did that book speak to me at that particular time? Speakers Craig, Mavis, Tui, and Jane will include "Why I am Not a Christian" (Bertrand Russell), "Man's Search for Meaning" (Victor Frankl), "The Diary of Anne Frank" and one to be announced.

Sunday August 23, 2009

I STAND IN THE RIVER
Sky Dasey
Service leader: Mavis Kerr
Music: Lindsay and Jon Rivard

An agnostic questions the nature of miracles, and the wonders of an engaged life. This is an invitation to roll up the slacks and wade in... mud in the toes is just the first pleasure.

Sunday August 16, 2009

DIVERSITY
Lucia Harrison
Service Leader: Marc Xuereb
Music: To be announced

Our UU congregation is a fairly homogeneous group, and not very reflective of the diverse population of Waterloo Region. Today's service will challenge Unitarian notions of diversity and explore ways we might work in partnership with people from some of the many cultures in our region. Guest speaker Lucia Harrison is the Executive Director of the K-W Multicultural Centre.

Sunday August 9, 2009

COMFORT FOOD
Jim Moir
Music: Tom Nagy

Jim Moir is a fellow classmate of Rev. Jess's who is currently studying for the ministry at Meadville Lombard Theological School. Working as a college librarian in Florida for twenty years, Jim was also a lay leader at two UU congregations and the Florida District UU Association. Of today's sermon Mr. Moir says: "We turn to comfort food ... to help us celebrate, or help us through a tough situation. Our church home can also be a comfort to us.” This sermon explores how to get the most out of our comfort food and our comfort faith. Service leader: Mag Horman.

Sunday August 2, 2009

Do-It-Yourself Liturgy
Rev. Jessica Rodela
Music: Boyd Donald

There is an interesting and useful tension in Unitarian Universalist congregations between honouring tradition and embracing innovation. Our Sunday morning liturgy is a kind of historical map of the relationship of this congregation to its faith and its ministers. For some, it is boring to do the same thing week after week; for others, it’s anathema to change a single word. I wonder what would happen if we subjected the entire Sunday process to our other time-honoured tradition – democracy! Come enjoy a light-hearted and potentially revealing experiment as we co-create this morning’s service and sermon by putting each element to the vote.

Sunday July 26, 2009

ON BEING BORN AGAIN . . . AND AGAIN
Rev. Jessica Rodela
Music: Special guest!

On the occasion of my 46th birthday, I ponder several theories of personality in light of our Unitarian Universalist theologies, and whether our identity is bound by our bodies, assumed by our five senses, determined by our minds, or maintained by our memories.

Sunday July 19, 2009

SUMMER TIME AND BEING
Fiona Heath
Service Leader: Marc Xuereb
Music: Boyd McDonald

It’s summer time and the living is easy. How do we let go of our busy, cluttered ways of living and move towards simply being part of the world and all its wonders? Fiona Heath, member and UU seminary student, will share some ideas.

Sunday July 12, 2009

MEMORIES, HOPES AND CONVERSATIONS:
A DIALOGUE ABOUT OUR NATIONAL IDENTITY
Jessica Bayne
Service Leader: Rhoda Riemer
Music: Bruce Torrie

Identity can have many dimensions: history, values, actions, principles, purpose, mission. Every organization is an identity in motion, moving through the world, trying to make a difference. Let us join together to share our congregational memories, to give voice to the work we hope to do as Unitarians, and to explore the yearning for a Canadian UU identity.

Sunday July 5, 2009

IDEAS: BIG AND LITTLE
Steve Higgins
Service Leader: Craig Beam
Music: Mag Horman

The Pharisees live in a realm of Little Ideas. They have erected a black and white doctrinal structure based on certain social conventions. The Big Ideas world is the realm of Faith, Love, and Compassion - a simple and frightening place that requires us to embrace complexity. In Buddhist terms, this is the real of Tantra.

Sunday June 28, 2009

Flowering Faith
Rev. Jessica P. Rodela
Music: Clara Hilts.

The Flower Communion is a unique Unitarian ceremony created by Rev. Norbert Capek as a celebration of our faith’s founding on diversity. It customarily marks the end of the regular liturgical year. This is a day marking our comings and goings, our endings and beginnings, all represented by the fleeting fierce beauty of summer sun. Let’s celebrate together with special music and ceremony. Congregants are asked to bring flowers to lay on the altar for this special Unitarian communion, a rich tradition unique to our Unitarian faith.

Sunday June 21, 2009

Father’s Day. “Please. . . Sorry . . .Thank you.”
Rev. Jessica P. Rodela
Music: Clara Hilts.

At the recent Installation Ceremony, the Reverend Wayne Walder charged me with using these three phrases generously. I think of them as humanist “prayers”, worth saying every day. Come reflect on the meaning of our daily “rites of passage” in our relationships, as well as observing two rites of passage on this day: a New Member Sunday and the Youth Bridging Ceremony.

Sunday June 14, 2009

Valuing Myth
Peggy Hagen
Service Leader: Marc Xuereb.
Music: Stephen Preece.

There is unfortunate confusion between the secular use of the term "myth" and its scholarly intentions. This confusion prevents us from benefiting from the values inherent in the metaphorical language that cloaks great wisdom. We are a symbol-making species who searches for meaning, and we have evolved myths to engage with the mysterious planes we tread. Myths point toward the energies which run the cosmos and course through our being. When this engagement is conscious we are not enslaved to the gods, our creative mental constructs. Ideas on how personal mythology develops will be explored.

Sunday June 7, 2009

UU LETS THE PETS IN
UU Whatevers
Music: Clara Hilts and Eric Schildroth.

The UU Whatevers youth group invites you to let the pets in for an animal blessing. Together we seek a deeper understanding of the gifts of unconditional love shared with our pets. You are welcome to bring your pet, or a picture or memento of a beloved pet. You may remember the memorable pet service of several years ago.

Instructions: Bring any equipment you need to safely accommodate your pet during the service, such as cage, leash, water bowl, etc.

Sunday May 31, 2009

TRY PRIDE
Rev. Jessica P. Rodela
Music: Stephen Preece

This year’s theme for tri-Pride week is “Unity in Diversity,” a theme resonating with our Unitarian values. But why “Pride”? Labour activist Cesar Chavez said, “Once social change begins, it cannot be reversed. You cannot un-educate the person who has learned to read. You cannot humiliate the person who feels pride. You cannot oppress the people who are not afraid anymore. We have seen the future, and the future is ours.”

Sunday May 24, 2009

AS CANADIAN AS POSSIBLE (UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES)
Rev. Jessica P. Rodela
Music: Clara Hilts

Upon moving to Canada, I received a number of books for a new section in my home library: How to Move to Canada, Hockey for Dummies, Only in Canada You Say, and What Is a Canadian? But my favourite gift was a beautiful book called Exploring Canada’s Spectacular National Parks. The woman who handed it to me explained, “this is not a going away gift; it’s a going toward gift.” So, what have I moved toward in this busy year of learning how to speak, spell, and think “Canadian”?

Sunday May 17, 2009

IMAGING WAYS OF KNOWING
Carolyn Arnason
Music: Boyd McDonald

There are ways of knowing that embrace the creative, emotional, sensory, imaginative and intellectual. Might there be ways to access our inner wisdom through imagery and music listening? Come explore a musical approach that can nourish our soul.

Sunday May 10, 2009

THE EDUCATION OF GOD: ABRAHAM
Reverends Beverly and David Bumbaugh
Music: Clara Hilts

The three religions of the book are often referred to as the Abrahamic Religions. Islam, Judaism, and Christianity all celebrate Abraham and tell and retell the story of his willingness to sacrifice his own son as evidence of his faithfulness. Have you ever wondered whether, in fact, Abraham failed the essential test of his humanity? This sermon takes a new look at the old tale to see what message it might carry when viewed from a contrarian perspective.

Sunday May 3, 2009

BELTANE SERVICE AND MAYPOLE DANCE
Melissa Rockenfield
Music: Boyd McDonald

Spring is here! Today we celebrate Beltane and our seventh principle, reminding ourselves that we are part of the web of all beings on this earth. Our service will be multi-generational and interactive: bring your dancing shoes for our maypole dance - we will begin upstairs and proceed downstairs for the dancing. All ages are invited to participate in the service.

Sunday April 26, 2009

A Unitarian Mythos
Rev. Fred Cappuccino
Music: Clara Hilts.

Our guest from Childhaven International will reflect on growing Unitarianism in Canada, with help from Aung San Suu Kyi, the late Kurt Vonnegut, and the late Episcopal Bishop James A Pike.

Sunday April 19, 2009

The Spirituality of Sustainability
Rev. Jessica Purple Rodela
Music: Clara Hilts

Are you suffering from “Nature Deficit Disorder”? The parallel paths of spirituality and sustainability suggest that increasing environmental consciousness is one way of re-awakening our sense of place and awareness of an interconnectivity that transcends both distance and time.

(inspired and informed by David Roewade of the Green Sanctuary Committee)