Every time a writer turns the page to begin the next chapter, they must face the emptiness of a pure white piece of paper or the empty screen. In that moment there is nothing. There is only the writer, breathing. Many of us, when faced with this formless moment, experience fear. It is common to fear … Continue reading The Next Chapter
Special Guest Musician: Nico Rhodes Patrick’s presentation will include an explanation of urban forestry and the benefits of a healthy urban forest, followed by an overview of the results of a recently conducted Urban Forestry Audit and Benchmarking Study. There should be some time for Q+A. As the Urban Forestry Coordinator for the City of … Continue reading Blessed are Those Who Plant a Tree
Guest Singer: Simon Paterson Will your story be one of abundant possibilities or fearful limitation? Will there be courageous heroes, despicable villains and magical creatures? And what will be the hidden wisdom at the centre of your story? All services are currently hybrid (i.e. both in person and via Zoom)To join services on Zoom, please … Continue reading Writing Our Own Story
What is it that makes our Nanaimo Fellowship special? Yes, we have a wise, Minister, a well-functioning Board, a longstanding major commitment to social justice through our Shelter program. We also have an emerging, actively engaged environmental task force that will continue to challenge us and invite us to action. And, of course, there are numerous … Continue reading Hidden Wisdom Within Our Fellowship
Special Guest: Buwa Everyone deserves to be respected. Everyone deserves to belong. Everyone’s contributions to society deserve to be known. Black Canadians have been part of the fabric of this country for hundreds of years yet their contributions remain barely known. As Black History Month concludes let us celebrate a people who work, sing and … Continue reading Answering the Call of Love
Forgiveness is not a ‘one time and it’s done’ deal. It’s a process. Just as a quilt is stitched together layer upon layer, understanding forgiveness requires deconstruction of the layers we create in our relationships. It takes intention and care and time to carefully and gently pull back each layer. We might encounter knots and … Continue reading Layers of Forgiveness
Thomas Roach taught himself to sew at the age of six because he couldn’t draw. Many years later he is still stitching, dyeing and using cloth as a medium to explore spiritual themes and community stories. He will reflect on his own life with textiles and how they have enriched his spiritual journey. Thomas first … Continue reading Becoming Forgiving: A Reflection On A Lifelong Journey With Textiles
Unitarians and Universalists have been on the forefront of social change and justice seeking for hundreds of years. In November 2021, congregations of the Canadian Unitarian Council once again stepped forward, this time to commit ourselves to dismantling racism and systemic barriers to full inclusion for all people. Be part of celebrating this commitment to … Continue reading National Service – Celebration and Contemplation: The Path of an 8th Principle
Continuing on the theme of discernment in the various arts, Sue Averill will be presenting a talk on how discernment is reflected in the folk music that she has been doing for many years. Folk music has eluded definition, but it does arise from the human psyche, and from the daily lives of people. It … Continue reading Discernment in Music
From rock to opera, Indigenous musicians are much more than Pow Wow Music. In this service, we’ll learn about two diverse Indigenous musicians. Buffy Saint Marie, a Cree from the Qu’Appelle Valley in Saskatchewan, has spent 60 years singing and writing on subjects of love, war, religion, and mysticism. At 80, she can still rock … Continue reading Diversity in Indigenous Music
