Capital Unitarian Universalist Congregation

Let’s take the taboos out of religion.  How can we begin to approach this immensely significant part of human behaviour in a different way?  We will look at how we can use the tools of science to help us to begin to understand what religion actually is.

Dr. Sara Comish is a Psychologist who has been a Unitarian for so long that makes her feel old, so we won’t say how long.

Learn about the work of the organization CRFAIR (Capital Region Food and Agriculture Initiatives Roundtable) that serves as the Capital Region Food Security Hub. Our speaker will discuss food advocacy and their personal journey that drew them to be involved in this work.

Em Bellinger is Communications and Engagement Coordinator at CRFAIR. In their spare time Em gardens and volunteers on a farm, leads a queer bike club, plays roller derby and explores by bike.

“Who Rescued Who?’ Is a common bumper stickers among folks who have adopted pets from various rescue centres. It highlights that the ‘rescue’ is often a two-way street, with the animal offering as much or more than the human! This Thanksgiving weekend come and explore the myriad of ways animals can be allies in our liberation.

Send your favorite photos of yourself or loved ones with pets or other animals by Oct 5th to contact.capital@unitariancongregation.org to be included in a slide show shown during the service.”

Arran moved to Victoria from Toronto (though he is Scottish) with his partner, Gen, to be​ near​ the ocean and the trees. Arran is the Director of Spiritual Exploration and Learning at First Unitarian Church of Victoria and is doing a Masters of Divinity, focussing on earth-based spiritualities, at Cherry Hill Seminary. Arran is a member of Capital and one of our Lay Chaplains.

“Hold fast to dreams”, said the poet. Unitarians dream of building a land where we bind up the broken. Let’s look at the ways we can inspire one another to action on this celebration of Louis Riel’s 175th birthday Oct 22nd!

Dana Lynn Seaborn is a Métis elder. This homily is adapted from a sermon by Rod Richards of the San Luis Obispo Unitarian Universalist Fellowship.

Our Unitarian principles lead us to work for social justice in many ways. One way is to sponsor refugees fleeing war and destruction in their former homeland. Members of the First Unitarian Church of Victoria’s Refugee Resettlement Committee, of which Capital’s Colin Nelson is a member, will describe their recent experiences sponsoring refugees from Syria. Inshallah, one of the people we’ve sponsored will tell of his own experiences, and will talk about the difficult plight of his parents and brother, who fled their home for refuge in Jordan, and whom we hope to sponsor next year. We will also acknowledge and thank members of Capital, without whose donations and support the resettlement efforts would not have been possible.

There is a growing body of evidence which links the experience of awe or wonder to an increased sense of purpose and meaning in one’s life, as well as improved health and well-being. In this short talk, storyteller and mindfulness teacher Margo McLoughlin will present a number of pathways for awakening a sense of wonder in our daily lives.

Margo McLoughlin is a Community Dharma Leader with the Victoria Insight Meditation Society. She is also a board member of the BC Association for Living Mindfully. For more about Margo, please visit margostoryteller.net

Remembrance Day is a time to remember those who died in wartime, and to consider the Big Questions surrounding war and peace.

Comedy and religion are polar opposites in terms of tone, but often serve the same fundamental purpose: to help us deal with the parts of life that are horrible. This will be a serious discussion of comedy, a light-hearted look at religion, and an exploration of the many ways the two overlap.

Ryan Guenther started attending the First Unitarian Church of Victoria at age 10, and he’s sung in the choir, edited the newsletter, managed the website, and is currently serving as a Sunday Service Associate and on the Board at North Shore Unitarian Church in Vancouver.  He is an award-winning comedian and has appeared in the Just For Laughs Northwest Comedy Festival and Comedy Waste Festival. He has toured a five-star show to fringe festivals across North America and was runner-up for Best Comedy at the Victoria Fringe.

Part of our human condition is a longing for belonging. What does it mean to belong to a group, to a community or to this congregation? How do we derive purpose and greater meaning from life by joining a group?

Learn about the work of the Vancouver Island Counselling Centre for Immigrants and Refugees (VICCIR) that provides mental health services to any refugee and immigrants in Southern Vancouver Island that are survivors of extreme trauma.

Adrienne Carter is one of the founders of the Vancouver Island Counselling Centre for Immigrants and Refugees. She was born in Hungary and together with her parents escaped during the Hungarian Revolution in 1956. Having spent months in various refugee camps, they arrived to Canada in 1957. Adrienne completed her education at McGill University with a Masters in Social Work. She worked for many years in various parts of the Ministry both in Montreal and in Victoria. In 1999 she began working with Medecins Sans Frontier in addition to her job with Child/Youth Mental Health in Victoria. With MSF she completed 15 missions in various parts of the world. Then she joined the Centre for Victims of Torture where she was sent to Kenya to work with a Human Rights organization for one year and Jordan for 2.5 years to work as psychotherapist trainer to local Jordanian counsellors who in turn provided direct mental health work to thousands of Syrian and Iraqi refugees.

We have an ethical duty to future generations and to other species to leave the Earth in a better state than it is now. We also have an ethical duty to the rest of humanity to take no more than our fair share of the Earth’s biocapacity and resources. How do we re-establish a sense of reverence for nature, and once again see the spirit in nature? What does this mean for the place where we live, and what is the role of faith communities in bringing this about?

Trevor Hancock is a public health physician and a retired professor of public health. He was the first leader of the Green Party of Canada in the 1980s, and co-founded the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. Locally he is leading the Conversations for a One Planer Region and writes a weekly column for the Times Colonist.

Jack of the Green is a figure in British folklore who is both male and female and who represents rebirth and the cycle of growth and is considered the keeper of the forest.

Jennifer Ferris, has been active as a storyteller for 30 years. She has performed in schools, community events, senior’s facilities, nature sanctuaries at festivals in Canada and USA. She gives workshops to adults, children, families and businesses.