Capital Unitarian Universalist Congregation

Since the so-called Age of Reason, pundits have been predicting that science would inevitably drive religion and religious thinking to extinction. But as our presence here today demonstrates, religion stubbornly persists and spirituality is alive and well. Is there any cause to think that one will ever conquer the other? Are faith and reason truly in opposition, or could it be that they are in fact “the two faces of one and the same complete act of knowledge”?  If this were so, the implications would be quite revolutionary. No longer in opposition, we might find that the essential spiritual truths of ancient wisdom and faith traditions align with the findings of modern scientists! Join us this Sunday for another adventure through time and space and find out if all roads do indeed lead to Rome.

With a focus on social history, it could cover topics such as cultural and spiritual diversity, as well as social activism. I would also include some of the challenges of researching women’s history, in particular in the fur trade.

Born in London, UK, Vanessa Winn lives in Victoria, BC, where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature. Her latest novel, Trappings, depicts real people and events in 19th century British Columbia, during the aftermath of the gold rushes. It was a course textbook for a Public History seminar at UVic. Her debut novel, The Chief Factor’s Daughter, was a finalist for Monday Magazine’s “Favourite Fiction” award and was also studied in history courses at BC universities. Currently she is completing a chapter contribution for a Métis Matriarchs textbook. She also writes book reviews, and her poetry has appeared in several journals. Beyond her love of the written word and historical research, she finds inspiration in dance and teaches Argentine tango. Please visit her website at vanessawinn.com.

What are the limits of compassion? What prevents us from understanding and connecting with others, from being able to feel with others and see through their eyes? I look at this problem with reference to the experiences of Two-Spirit and transgender people who seek acceptance and inclusion. I seek answers from three gender-diverse authors who have explored the problem in recent coming-of-age novels. In Jonny Appleseed, Joshua Whitehead finds ways of bridging limits of compassion through sex and ceremony. In Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars: A Dangerous Trans Girl’s Confabulous Memoir, Kai Cheng Thom cracks resistance to compassion by feeding hungry ghosts. Vivek Shraya, in She of the Mountains, breaks through limits to compassion through Hindu mythology and the science of evolution. By reflecting on these models, we can feel our way into understanding our own limits to compassion and finding the means to expand those limits.

Sunday, February 5 – 10 am PT Congregations are experiencing a lot of change these days: from ministerial transitions to implementing the 8th Principle, all during a pandemic. Upheaval, loss, uncertainty, pain, aspirations, conflict: cultural shifts within and without are calling us to hold one another gently, despite our differences and difficulties.

Covenanting through Transition is a national worship service that asks us “How do we stay in covenant through all of this in our communities? How do we stay in it in a good way when it is hard and people aren’t always their best selves or are disappointed?”

We encourage you to bring materials to help you participate in a creative ritual to express yourself during the service; art supplies, an instrument, findings from outside, whatever moves you!

Where: Zoom, YouTube Live

Use the bitly link to join the service on Zoom, or watch live on the CUC’s YouTube channel

If you’re phoning in, call 1-855-703-8985 and enter the Meeting ID and password when prompted:

Meeting ID:891 5257 2984

Password:  136347

Covid closed religious houses around the world, and many switched to Zoom.  Now that the pandemic is largely over, church attendance has not recovered.  But declines in church attendance started many years ago.  What happened to Sunday mornings?  Where is everyone?  Will people return to the pews?  Come and hear.

Medical Assistance in Dying has been available to Canadians since June 2016.  It is a very personal and intricate topic. This service will be linked with the Zoom Movie screening on Thursday Feb 23rd at 7pm.

International Women’s Day (IWD) is on March 8th. What does it mean to you? Four women from our Capital UU Congregation will share their thoughts on IWD. They may also link the annual event with some of our Unitarian principles. During the forum, we will give priority to the voices of other women in the room and on Zoom. IWD is this one day of the year specifically for women around the world.

The speakers are Sarah Weaver, Jan Greenwood, Joy Huebert and Di Clift. All participate regularly in Sunday services.

We uphold a living tradition that has had a footing in Victoria since at least 1911.  We have been served by interesting ministers and lay leaders, and been housed in four buildings.  Since our founding in 1996, Capital UU Congregation has been home to ministerial prospects (Ian, David, Rosemary, Arran, Amanda).  Come and learn more!

There will not be a Forum today – instead the AGM will start following a comfort break after the service. In person and on Zoom.

Imagine Halloween, Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving, all at once!  The gift-giving, egg-decorating, Santa Claus, candies, and family time… that describes the holiday that Persians refer to as Nowruz.  Nowruz falls on the vernal equinox; Nowruz means ‘new day’.  Come to learn about Nowruz, the Persian new year.

Is it possible to gain freedom too quickly? In Jewish mysticism, seekers are warned against unbinding the chains of their inner exiles too hastily, lest they fall prey to overwhelm or collapse. In this talk, Rabbi Matthew Ponak will explore the Passover themes of enslavement and redemption and ask us to consider if we need a “suggested speed limit” on the highways to the liberation of the oppressed.

Rabbi Matthew Ponak is a teacher of Jewish mysticism, a spiritual counsellor, and the author of Embodied Kabbalah: Jewish Mysticism for All People. Learn more about his story and his offerings at MatthewPonak.com.

What do you do when the life you’d imagined for yourself is stuck in committee?  Join us for the story of the UU Hysterical Society—a 190,000 person group on Facebook.  It’s a story of feeling lost, finding yourself, and a practical joke gone right.

Liz James comes from a family with a proud tradition of expressing love through practical jokes. She lives in Saskatoon where she writes, preaches, is a member of her congregation, and runs the UU not for profit Mirth and Dignity.