Capital Unitarian Universalist Congregation

Our 1st principal states we believe in the worth and dignity of every human being. Can this include convicted felons? Susan will take us on an exploration of what it was like to work with Federal incarcerated inmates, our parole system and life after prison. Her message encourages us to open ourselves to the possibility of Healing and Hope in an otherwise lost and forgotten segment of our society.

Due to the EGM, the “Homecoming” service planned for Sept 11 will be postponed to October 30.  In its place, Dana Lynn Seaborn will present a service on UU Water Communion.  DLS spent over a decade living on the water, and has more recently taken up surfing.  Even as a child, she was known in her family for being the one who, at every summer park visit, always managed to fall into the duck pond!  Share her enthusiasm for water!  Come & explore with her the origin and meaning of our UU Water Communion.

Unitarian head and Universalist heart is a common shorthand for describing these two streams of our history. For just over a year I’ve worn a chalice necklace. What have I learned about how l live my faith with my head and my heart during this time?

Our 4th principle affirms and promotes a free and responsible search for truth and meaning. When we say that the search is free and responsible, UUs have a duty to learn and apply reason.

Uganda is recovering from a de-colonialization process that has disrupted traditional cultural governance and brought about a series of wars which were marked by extraordinary brutality. But wars end and stolen children return from battle. Can they find a home?

Based on a day long experiential workshop this is a unique and powerful service in which Amanda will lead us in re-creating an ancient First Nations community and then allow history to unfold around us.  Come join us for an extraordinary and moving Sunday Service.

Janet Vickers will read from her second trade book of poems – Infinite Power (Ekstasis 2016). Infinite power, in her eyes “is not a zero sum game but a journey / a stone thrown in a lake”. The danger of our age is that we have lost contact with that power, made it something to possess like a personal bank account. In writing these poems she hopes for a reconnection to that sacred universal relationship.

Raincoast Conservation Foundation was our September Capital Connects recipient. Hear about their work on salmon conservation and how salmon are a foundation species for BC’s coastal ecosystems. Helping to conserve them fits into Raincoast’s big picture goals to protect the magnificent predator-prey relationships that exist on BC’s coast, especially regarding grizzly bears.

The start of church year is traditionally ‘Homecoming Sunday’ in Unitarian-Universalist churches. As we age, we come closer to what’s been called the final homecoming. How do we as UUs deal with the challenges of old age? Can we view death with equanimity? Dana Lynn Seaborn will share the wisdom of our predecessors, as well as some entertaining stories and irreverent thoughts.

His private thoughts, both simple and sincere, are still a goldmine for modern humanity.

From time to time, we reflect on where we stand and where we want to go. But right away we run into a common obstacle: if a new path were obvious, we would have chosen it long ago. Ben Dolf will attempt to bring some new perspectives in the hope of opening new horizons. These may enable us to take a fresh look at how people and organisations of goodwill can support each other and the community in the coming years of upheaval and uncertainty.

The Conversation Project helps people talk about their wishes for end-of-life care. Too many people are dying in a way they wouldn’t choose, and too many of their loved ones are left feeling bereaved, guilty and uncertain. It’s time to transform our culture so we shift from not talking about dying to talking about it. It’s time to share the way we want to live at the end of our lives. And it’s time to communicate about the kind of care we want and don’t want for ourselves. The place for this to begin is at the kitchen table—not in the intensive care unit—with the people we love, before it’s too late.