Capital Unitarian Universalist Congregation

Unitarian Universalism has always been a welcoming faith. We spread the word that diversity is more than welcome in our church. But now that those doors have opened and we are being taken up on our offer, how well are we doing at integrating those differences? Sometimes it’s easier to be accepting of those who are very different from ourselves than those we call our own people, simply because these other people’s lives don’t overlap much with ours.

Join us as we explore how we can make that transition from ‘Radical Hospitality’, to ‘Radical Acceptance’ with the least amount of collateral damage.

Dar grew up in Ketch Harbour, a small rural town in Nova Scotia. Got a Bachelor of Fine Art at the Nova Scotia College of Art & Design, and lived for 8 years in Wittenburg Nova Scotia with her partner, raising sheep and growing their own organic veggies. While in Nova Scotia, Dar worked in a fish plant, in an auto body shop, in a restaurant kitchen, as a chambermaid, and as a light-table artist for a small printing company.Here in Victoria Dar created her own business, Get It Done Yard Maintenance and Odd Jobs, where she finally got to put into practice her own principle of fair and honest work for honest pay without the middle man.

Dar writes: I’m no stranger to the stigma of difference and the difficulty of fitting in. As a non-binary transgender, a lesbian, an educated person from a working class background, and someone who is highly emotionally sensitive, I’ve had plenty of opportunity to think deeply about these things, and from the moment I stepped into a UU church and heard the message of love and acceptance I knew I had a purpose in life.

** Tickets for the play “What does reconciliation mean to YOU? – šxʷʔam̓ət (home)” will be available for sale this Sunday for $15. For more details, or to purchase tickets online for $17, visit theatreforliving.com/present_work/sxwPamet/itinerary.html. This Victoria production is sponsored in part by First Unitarian Church of Victoria.

Stonehenge has endured for 5,000 years. For centuries mankind has marveled at its
creation and wondered about its purpose. Only recently have some of the mysteries that
have shrouded these sites begun to be unravelled. Come, hear about these latest
findings as we attempt to look at this unique creation through the eyes of our Neolithic
ancestors and consider the relevance of their beliefs in our present world.

Brought up in the Anglican tradition Amanda loved the Lessons and Carols Christmas services of her youth.  This morning Amanda will create a service in which the magic of storytelling is woven with songs from many winter traditions.  Come and celebrate the joy of the season through stories and music.

New Year’s Eve is traditionally the time of making resolutions that we just can not end up keeping.  Come and join us as we think about new ways to begin the year.

This homily explores the ‘new’ spirituality of the 21st century in the context of the threads of our lineage, exploring through both personal story and reflective analysis, what we don’t ever let go of in the face of the demands and distractions of our contemporary lives, where we turn to for support and inspiration, and who we choose to be for these times.

** Tickets for the play “What does reconciliation mean to YOU? – šxʷʔam̓ət (home)“, showing on the evenings of Jan. 19 and 20, will be available for sale this Sunday for $15. For more details, or to purchase tickets online for $17, visit theatreforliving.com/present_work/sxwPamet/itinerary.html. This Victoria production is sponsored in part by First Unitarian Church of Victoria.

Curran Dobbs, an autistic comedian, discusses working in stand-up with a developmental disability.

Night dreams, daydreams and future dreams. These are the stuff of the imagination, the subconscious, the collective unconscious and, many would argue, the unknown mystical realms. Whatever they are, dreams connect us with the right side of our brain, the intuitive illogical side that plays in amorphous shapes and fantastical non-realities. What you notice in your sleeping and waking dreams can impact your decisions, your relationships and your spirituality. Come on a journey into the Dreamtime, engage with dream symbology, and learn how you can use your dream life to wake up your sense of wonder, connection and meaning.

Penelope Hagan is an intuitive healer, writer, artist and musician living in Victoria. She enjoys nature, dancing, dreaming, singing, yoga, motherhood, and good cooking.

While some look at nature in and around BC as simply beautiful, others routinely describe this place in deeply spiritual terms. It turns out that there are some distinctive features associated with the “bio-region” we inhabit. Join us today for a partly poetic and partly sociological reflection on space, place, and the sacred.

Paul Bramadat is Professor and Director of the Centre for Studies in Religion and Society at the University of Victoria, and specializes in religion and public discourse, public policy, and public health.

In March of 2015, 500 UU’s attended the Marching in the Arc of Justice Conference in Birmingham, AL as a part of the 50th anniversary commemoration of the Selma Voting Rights action – the crossing of the Edmund Pettus Bridge and subsequent march to Montgomery. Two UU’s, James Reeb and Viola Liuzzo, lost their lives there in 1965, defining our commitment to social justice then and challenging UU’s today to carry our principles beyond the walls of our churches. In addition to discussing his experience in Birmingham, Greg will perform some of his music. Many of his songs include race and love as common themes.

Greg Greenway is an accomplished singer-songwriter from the U.S. whose passion for social justice frequently brings his words and music to UU congregations. He has been part of the musical trio Brother Sun with another friend of Capital UU, Joe Jencks.

Learn more about the upcoming fall 2018 referendum on proportional representation from Fair Voting BC, a non-partisan society which works for fair voting systems for all elections held in BC. They support improvements in operating practices of elected bodies aimed at making government more representative, inclusive, transparent and accountable.

Peter Scales was near his mother before, during and after her medically-assisted death (MAiD). MAiD presents families with blessings and burdens, some of which may surprise you.

Staying deeply connected is in under threat! Technology is both a blessing and a curse; both linking us to the world while simultaneously reprogramming our brains. How do we navigate our digital lives and deepen our spirituality?