Capital Unitarian Universalist Congregation

Traditionally Unitarians hold a water communion in the fall. Since the beginning of the summer Amanda has found a new way to commune with water. Join us as we dive into the meditative experience of cold ocean swimming.

The words, “I’m sorry” can roll out so easily. But a true, sincere apology requires more than the words. In this season of apology and atonement in the Jewish year (between Rosh Hoshana and last week’s Yom Kippur), we’ll explore what makes a good, sincere apology and the role of making things right (atonement), the final step. What does this look like on a larger, community or national scale?

Lora Powell-Haney served for nine years as Director of Religious Education (DRE) at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Frederick (UUCF). She graduated from Meadville Lombard Theological School in May 2020 with a Master of Divinity; her study included a part-time ministerial internship at Towson Unitarian Universalist Church in Lutherville, Maryland, and a year-long chaplain residency in Hagerstown, Maryland. Lora loves reading, drinking tea, telling imaginative stories, building Beloved Community, communing with her cat, and standing barefoot on the earth.

This Homily is a light-hearted look at what our pets can tell us about mindfulness and the people around us.

John Pullyblank is a long-standing member of Capital who has seen some things over the years and sometimes does homilies about them.

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When the world is full of fear and anxiety, division and misinformation, what can any of us do to rise above the daily assault upon our hearts and minds? How can we find and remain rooted in a place of love when everything around us seems to be pushing us deeper into anger and disappointment? How can we think clearly and do what we feel in our hearts is right when so many contradictory forces compete for our loyalty? And finally, what do these grim and somber questions have to do with Thanksgiving? Tune in on Sunday, October 10th, and find out for yourself!

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Our congregation’s first service was on Mar 3, 1996 . What has changed and what are we still doing the same? As the Board contemplates returning to in-person services after a break of 18 months, this is a time to envision the future of our community.

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A High Holiday for Wiccans Samhain is a time to honour our ancestors. Join us as Amanda takes us on a journey to discover how Wiccans celebrate this very special day.

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How can we align our politics and economy with what the science says we must do to address the climate crisis? Seth Klein brings an original and uniquely hopeful take to this challenge. His book A Good War: Mobilizing Canada for the Climate Emergency is structured around lessons from the Second World War – the last time Canada faced an existential threat. Others have said we need a “wartime approach” to climate change but this is the first book to delve into what that could actually look like.

Seth Klein served for 22 years (1996-2018) as the founding B.C. Director of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, a public policy research institute committed to social, economic and environmental justice. He is now the Team Lead and Director of Strategy of the Climate Emergency Unit (a 5-year project of the David Suzuki Institute that Seth launched in early 2021).

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Over the last several years there has been heightened attention and awareness about systemic racism and colonialism. The headlines continue to proclaim rampant inequality in major societal systems and treatment of Indigenous People and People of Colour. This is true as well in our UU communities. Our values and our principles call us to treat all people as inherently (and equally) full of worth and dignity. The reality is our congregations and communities are not yet the beloved, radically inclusive communities we yearn for. How can we get there? What barriers are in the way?

Rev. Shana Lynngood has been Co-Minister of the First Unitarian Church of Victoria with her wife Melora since September 2010. When not immersed in ministry Rev. Shana is busy with her two kids, 9 and 15, and likely being nourished by poetry, jazz, and dear friends and family—or all of the above.

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Darwin (1809-1882) was an English naturalist, geologist and biologist, best known for his contributions to the science of evolution. What kind of a man was Darwin, what was his family like and how did he come to be on the Royal Navy survey ship Beagle?

Barrie Webster is the past president of the Victoria Secular Humanist Association.  He has also held leadership positions with the Memorial Society of BC.

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At every juncture in our lives, we are asked to be attentive to that still small voice inside that guides us on our way. This is the journey of discernment which is revealed to us slowly over time and it is our responsibility to stay curious about how these callings will play out. Nicole will share how she has come to discern her call to ministry as a Unitarian Universalist military chaplain and how your own life’s journey is helping you bring your gifts and talents in service to the wider world.

Nicole is a member of First Unitarian Congregation of Toronto and a Canadian seminarian studying at the University of Toronto. She joined the Canadian Armed Forces and has served in a variety of roles. Nicole is drawn to the contemplative and mystical traditions of finding wisdom in the quiet whether that is out in nature, on her yoga mat, and in the silence of her own heart.

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