Capital Unitarian Universalist Congregation

Executive Director Kelly Newhook will talk about the work of this enterprising NGO. Which looks at the social factors that help create poverty, the barriers to joining or rejoining mainstream society, and about strategies the society has developed to assist almost a thousand people every year.

Michele will share these steps to improving connection with Self and others.

This Sunday we will share music from the season while contemplating our seven Principles. Join us in Capital’s first celebration of a uniquely Unitarian winter celebration: Chalica!

In his book “The Politics of Blindness – from Charity to Parity”, Graeme explains the reality of being a blind Canadian and solutions to promote people who are blind to full citizenship. Blind people should have R.E.A.L. meaning: R-respect, E-equal opportunity, A-assimilation and L-liberty .

Graeme was born in 1946, in Liverpool, England. Becoming blind at the age of 9 from glaucoma and unsuccessful surgery he attended residential schools for the blind and initially worked as a shorthand typist before going on to train as a physiotherapist. He moved to Canada in 1980 where he now lives with his wife, Christine and their three adult children. Graeme’s message has always been to promote blindness as just an inconvenience not a tragedy.

Music: 295, 121, 327

When someone we love is in emotional pain, we want to fix their hurt, to make it go away, so they don’t suffer. So we look for a solution, and among other things, we sympathize or we share stories of how we have suffered similarly.

There is another far more effective option. And what about people in our lives who might verbalize their disappointment regularly? Is there a way to support them that doesn’t leave us drained? Come listen to Michele outline how we might respond differently, providing the support we yearn to offer.

Music: 360, 134, 324

What does it mean to be a member of this congregation? This service includes a New Members’ Service.

We’ll kick off Canvass with “A Sermon on the Amount”.  Rita will speak on how giving benefits the giver as much as the receivers.  This talk is based on the work of Jamal & McKinnon as well as a sermon on giving, by Peter Friedrichs.

Our first and most challenging principle is; “The inherent worth and dignity of every person”. Is everyone inherently worthy?  Where is dignity lost? How can we follow our first Principle in difficult times?  The first in a series of seven homilies looking at our Unitarian Principles and Sources and our own spiritual practice.

Being different from others is something we all have in common. It can make us feel valued or isolated, truly whole or deeply divided. What does “us being different together” make possible?

Anna Isaacs is nearing a decade as a fervent UU and is rapidly approaching retirement from young adult status. She is a member of both First Unitarian Church of Victoria and the small lay-lead Capital Unitarian Universalist Congregation in downtown Victoria.