Rev. Debra Thorne; Sharon Reeves; Wiley Fargen Archives - First Unitarian Fellowship of Nanaimo

Wow! and Oops! – The 8th Principle and the Way Forward

Crystal Ironside — Fri, 23 Apr 2021 00:16:14 +0000

Rev. Debra, and delegates Sharon Reeves and Wiley Fargen, share their perceptions of this year’s CUC AGM surrounding the receipt of the Dismantling Racism Task Force report and the subsequent motion from the floor to ratify a new Dismantling Racism 8th Principle.

To consider the motion, it was necessary to suspend the meeting rules.

Both the motions to suspend the meeting rules and to ratify the Principle itself were passed by large majorities. After the AGM, it was discovered that the CUC Bylaws supersede the meeting rules, and therefore the motions were void. The CUC has proposed a process for us to rise above this misstep and resolve these issues, beginning in June and wrapping up prior to a new vote on November 27th. This process includes work we must do in our own congregation.

Rev. Debra, Sharon and Wiley share their different perspectives of the meeting itself, where we are now, and what our obligations are in order to set things right.

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Moon Ways

Crystal Ironside — Fri, 23 Apr 2021 00:09:26 +0000

The moon exerts her silvery influence on the earth by drawing down the tides and slowing time. We watch her face dissolving and reforming, a trustworthy cycle to follow time. It is the Lunar calendar that marks feast days and holy days for many religions. Muhammad said that ‘Paradise lies at the feet of your mother.” Today we recognize the conclusion of Ramadan and weave in the story of Amna bint Wahb, the mother of the Prophet.

To join any of our upcoming services on Zoom, please click on this SERVICE LINK a few minutes before 11 a.m.

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Encountering Awe in Unlikely Places

Crystal Ironside — Fri, 23 Apr 2021 00:03:01 +0000

Have you ever encountered a world beyond your imaginings where light and sound and shape pull you out of your preconceived ideas, transporting you into a new understanding of your world? Environmental artists can take you to the most unexpected places. They have transformed war zones and forests and the underside of urban bridges, shapeshifting your senses and your expectations of time and nature; opening you to the forces which create and uphold life, moving you to awe and renewing our spirits.

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This Sacred World

Crystal Ironside — Tue, 23 Mar 2021 20:32:08 +0000

Many indigenous people live in balance with their environment because they hold sacred all that sustains them. The indigenous religion of Japan, Shintoism, is based on a deep respect for the environment, drawing wisdom and inspiration from the natural world for over 2,000 years. It has no founder, no dogma and no sacred text. Shinto is a way of life, based on relationships of balance and harmony with the sacred world. Can the ancient religions save our modern world, so hellbent of self-destruction?

To join any of our online services, use this Zoom SERVICE LINK before 11 a.m. Sunday

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Not Dead Yet!

Crystal Ironside — Tue, 23 Mar 2021 00:24:55 +0000

We knew the sun would return. We knew that the colour of spring would explode into life again. What’s the big deal about resurrection? Does life triumph over death? Why not the other way round, that death triumphs over life? Is it taboo to say that we are all going to die and that’s ok? Some folks are looking forward to the next adventure.

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Spring Fever

Crystal Ironside — Sun, 21 Feb 2021 20:12:01 +0000

It’s the time to hear the earth’s song rising from cold depths. Time to welcome back from the underground lover of darkness, the goddess Persephone cloaked in fragile green. It is the time to honour the planting and rising of innocent seeds. Today we celebrate potent beginnings, the Spring Equinox.

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This Deep-Rooted Faith

Crystal Ironside — Sun, 21 Feb 2021 20:06:07 +0000

This isn’t a social club. This is a faith reaching back 500 years. A tradition that calls us, through our interdependence, to love and justice. Once called we ask, ‘How do we open our hearts and our community to all who need a place of courage and resilience? What inspires us to be a community of radical inclusiveness? Of Universal love? Are we worthy of this vision held by our tradition since the first Universalist stepped onto the shores of North America? Are we ready?

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Broken Hearts Dance Club

Crystal Ironside — Tue, 26 Jan 2021 19:14:04 +0000

The gods of love and heart break are inviting you to an intoxicating revelry. They promise there will be dancing and laughter, and perhaps some tears of release. They will touch on the many forms of love that we have available to us; the affectionate, the enduring, self and selfless. From the romantic to the transcendent, from the torments to the ecstasies, secrets from the path of love will be revealed!

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Serenity & Ferocity: Aging as Spiritual Maturity

Crystal Ironside — Wed, 23 Dec 2020 03:38:46 +0000

Aging is inevitable and unpredictable. It is an act of hope and optimism, laced with fear and dread. A mystery. When did you first realize that you were aging? Was it at 10 or at 50? At every stage there are opportunities and lessons to be learned. It’s thought that the last third of life – an elder’s life – is a gateway into a deeper spiritual life. Because whether we are graceful or raging, we pay closer attention into things that really matter.

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We Have Come To Be Danced

Crystal Ironside — Wed, 23 Dec 2020 03:37:02 +0000

Energy flows through matter, animating the lump of clay we call our home. Our tender strong bodies are moved by breath to stretch and bounce and tap and swirl. We are ignited by taste and smell and touch into realms of pleasure. Our creative bodies call us into lands of ecstasy. What embodied spiritual practice moves you? What have we asked to move us?

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