Archives: Services

National Service – Celebration and Contemplation: The Path of an 8th Principle

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

Discernment in Music

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

Diversity in Indigenous 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

Music as Medicine

When you have a headache, you take Tylenol. When you have a stomach bug, perhaps you reach for the Pepto Bismol. A cut – best grab a Band-Aid, or a tensor bandage for your sprained ankle. But what of the pain of loneliness? Hopelessness? Uncertainty and Boredom? The Pandemic that we are still weathering, has … Continue reading Music as Medicine

The Rest Between Notes

As we begin another planetary circle around the sun, there is something we need to add to our list of new year resolutions. Our lives have become so very busy and stressed. It seems as if time is speeding up, and the more we do to catch up, the less we are able. This year, we … Continue reading The Rest Between Notes

Song of Believing: A Service of Music and the Spoken Word

For over a decade, our congregation has marked the end of the holiday season with a ‘Mirth and Music Service’ that departs from our standard Sunday format, and offers listeners an hour to ‘decompress from holiday stress.’ Our theme is drawn from the words of award-winning Oregon writer, Brian Doyle, who wrote ‘I sing a song … Continue reading Song of Believing: A Service of Music and the Spoken Word

Class and Money

What is it like to live “below” middle class? What is it like to be at a church with a middle class culture for those “below” middle class? Socioeconomic class identity is about both culture and finances and is a topic we rarely talk openly and directly about. Let’s start a conversation. Anna Isaacs is … Continue reading Class and Money