In 2007, Guy Thatcher walked 700 km from Pamplona across Spain to Santiago on the ancient Celt and Christian pilgrimage trail, the Camino de Santiago. In 2012, he went to Le Puy en Velay in France near the Swiss border to join the Chemin de Saint-Jacques, one of the many European feeder routes to the Camino. He walked almost 900 km through France and over the Pyrenees to Pamplona in Spain. He was 75. He will be talking today about the life lessons he learned or relearned as he walked.·
Apr 24, 2016•32 min
A sermon by guest Rev. Linda Goonewardene.
Apr 10, 2016•22 min
Senior's Program, March 2016 Ellen Bell was the service speaker, and the title of her talk was Good for Nothing. - Nadine Keon was the after-service speaker and the title of her talk was Senior Living Options.
Mar 31, 2016•1 hr 8 min
We are permanently imprinted by our relationships and our communities. The search for God, for Love, for Connection, for Community, should not be abandoned if we do not feel it on our first attempt. Each of us brings the form, color, and light of our understanding to our gathered community. This is how we learn to trust and love each other authentically.
Mar 13, 2016•22 min
The ideals at the heart of Buddhism are known as "The Three Jewels”: The Buddha, the one who shows us the way in this life (including our own Buddha nature); the Dharma, the teachings or the path to understanding; and the Sangha, the community that supports our practice. This morning we’ll take a look at the “jewels” at the heart of Unitarian Universalism, especially the role of community in supporting our practice.
Mar 06, 2016•23 min
Can the transforming, generous and self-forgetting love taught by a number of world religions be expanded to include even our opponents? After twelve years serving UU congregations as parish minister in both Canada and the US, Peter Boullata recently began doctoral studies in pastoral care and psychotherapy at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo.
Feb 28, 2016•20 min
Senior's Program, February 2016 "My Heritage" sermon by Joycelyn Loeffelholz-Rea "The Art of Storytelling" presentation by Liz Roper
Feb 24, 2016•1 hr 3 min
Author and activist, the Reverend Fred Cappuccino will speak on the travails of love and other risks of being authentically human.
Feb 21, 2016•18 min
In the world of today, does our old Universalist belief in the saving power of love and our Unitarian faith in the oneness of all still have resonance? On Valentine's Day, a service about the complexities, challenges and triumphs of a life lived well with love. Rev. Allison Barrett first walked through the doors of a Unitarian congregation as a young person in our Ottawa congregation and was mentored early in her ministry by Minister Emeritus Rev. David Pohl. She served as Parish Minister to the...
Feb 14, 2016•29 min
Psalm 71 sings of lamentations, looking back on a long and troubled life. As we age, are we without refuge in the storm? What happens when it is time to "sink or swim"? Our beloved community cannot afford to abandon a single soul.
Jan 31, 2016•18 min
G.K. Chesterton famously declared that a thing worth doing was worth doing badly. Some of his followers have modified it to “doing badly at first”. However, that is not what he said. What he meant was that we should not hand over our lives to experts.
Jan 29, 2016•27 min
Andrea Dykstra shares the story of how Inspire gave her hope for the future, helped her in her education, and influenced her life. She will talk about the importance of role models for First Nation·s Youth and developing tomorrow's leaders.
Jan 10, 2016•14 min
Winter Solstice is the shortest day and the longest night of the year. It is important to both humanists and pagans. It is a time of both foreboding and expectancy: death and the renewal of life.
Dec 30, 2015•21 min
"Find your own epic stories and breath your life in to them. Share your stories, your own beatitudes, in your own languages, knowing that they will be compiled - like the bible and other sacred scriptures - into the story of your family and of this beloved community." AJ Galazen
Dec 27, 2015•20 min
A teacher is criticized by his pupils for always telling stories and never telling the truth. His response: "If I asked you to bring me water, you couldn't bring it without a cup. A story is a cup full of truth." For this year's Mitten Tree service Liz Roper (DLL), offers a homily about the spirit within each story.
Dec 13, 2015•17 min
Prophets don't forecast the future, they confront the contemporary situation with necessary honesty and give voice to truths that can change the world. The prophetic voice is like a vast underground stream, waiting to be discovered. Any one of us can tap into the current.
Nov 29, 2015•22 min
"Mystical Geography", a sermon by AJ Galazen
Nov 26, 2015•15 min
There are many jokes about older couples using selective hearing to ignore each other’s messages. Does anyone really want to live out such stereotypes? How do we change the narrative?
Oct 25, 2015•19 min
Guest Speaker: Irvin Waller speaks and advises worldwide, sharing knowledge about what reduces crime, what meets the needs of crime victims, and what gets this knowledge used. He is the author of "Less Law, More Order: The Truth About Reducing Crime", "Rights for Victims of Crime: Rebalancing Justice", and "Smarter Crime Control: The Guide to Safer Futures for Citizens, Communities, and Politicians"
Oct 18, 2015•19 min
“Life and All that Jazz” - Anne and Phil Nagy will present the livesand music of Kurt Weill, Charlie Chaplin, and Fats Waller. Alex Campbell will lead the worship service.
Sep 29, 2015•1 hr 18 min
There is a rhythm to the spiritual life, alternating between Action and Contemplation, each leading into the other; each needing the other. In his talk, Calogero explores the obstacles to being in the moment and to finding the balance between accomplishment and serenity. Calogero Cumbo has been a Unitarian for almost 20 years, but has been searching all his life long and continues to. A major in the RCAF by day, his passions include creating databases, and thinking about spirituality as a post C...
Sep 06, 2015•29 min
How can gratitude make a difference in our lives and the lives of those around us? Come explore how to develop an "attitude of gratitude". Sharmila Khare has been involved in Unitarian congregations in Canada, the United States and India for many years. She enjoys contributing to worship services.
Aug 30, 2015•22 min
For a long time, First Unitarian has been an official “Welcoming Congregation” to people who identify as Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer. Are we still as welcoming as we want to be? For our newer members, let’s explore what that designation means for both our individual members, for the church, and for the wider community.
Aug 23, 2015•26 min
The British scientist JBS Haldane is credited with saying the universe is not only stranger than we imagine but stranger than we can imagine. Rev. Barnaby Feder, a former technology reporter for The New York Times, explores where such a perspective leads us when we consider the intersection of technology, faith and our UU principles. Rev. Barnaby Feder is a lifelong Unitarian from the San Francisco Bay Area. As a reporter, including 27 years at the New York Times, he often wrote about environmen...
Aug 02, 2015•23 min
While laughter is wonderful medicine, is mirth as a way to enlightenment or to our connection with the mystery? Come and join Amanda as we ponder ways to deepen our spirituality and connection through laughter. Amanda Tarling lives in Victoria and is an active member of Capital Unitarian Universalist Congregation. She is slowly working on courses at Starr King School for the Ministry with the eventual goal of becoming a Unitarian Minister. Amanda is the Lay Minister of the Salt Spring Island Fel...
Jul 26, 2015•20 min
The possibility of using humour as a strategy to confront fear · small and large but particularly in the climate of fear of crime, terrorism promoted by recent events. Fear leads to overwhelm or paralysis and mitigate against rationality. Humour can also be a tool for social justice. Susan Tanner is an environment and social justice advocate, mother of 2 sons, 2 step daughters, 6 step grandchildren and a retired executive, lawyer, tribunal member, mediator, teacher, model, clown and cow hand.
Jul 12, 2015•27 min
Forget what you think you know about climate change - what causes it, and how we will solve it. This sermon tackles a problem so large it may mean the end of humans as a species; with roots so profound that it calls us to question how we live, how we love, and what we are willing to do to save ourselves - and even if we are worth saving at all. But if we are up to the task, climate change could be the opportunity we have been waiting for to change everything and create the world we want! Asha gr...
Jul 05, 2015•26 min
The guest speaker for our annual Sunday service celebrating National Aboriginal Day will be Gilbert Whiteduck, former chief of Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg Nation. Gilbert Whiteduck will speak about the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and on how we can nurture the opportunities that are now presented to all of us.
Jun 14, 2015•16 min
There are many ways to say goodbye and each time we move on in life, more ways are created. Each way implies their own shades of emotion. Sadness, happiness, reluctance, or a mixture of many things. As Jacob prepares to leave the congregation after 3 years there are many goodbyes to be said. Come hear the goodbyes and say goodbye yourself.
Jun 07, 2015•20 min
Caroline is a Quaker, author, poet, celebrator and visual artist. Educated in the USA, she volunteered and married an Englishman in South India, taught in England, and emigrated to Canada in 1973, where Evalyn Parry and Richard Reed Parry, both multi-talented artists themselves, were born. A freelance performer since young adulthood, Caroline emerged from the mid-life crisis of sudden widowhood into new roles, and was the Interim Director of Religious Education [Lifespan] at Ottawa First from 20...
May 31, 2015•28 min
