Author: Mary Bennett

Advent: Science and Religion Sermons

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Science and Religion Sermon

Rev. Epperson has preached a sermon on science and its insights that challenge and nourish our religion for the first Sunday in Advent. Always well-researched and thought-provoking, here are some examples.

First Advent Sunday Services 2002-17

2002 Evolution

2003 Birth of the Moon

2004 Life from the Seas

2005 Plate Tectonics

2006 Size of the Universe/Sea of Knowledge

2007 Cell: Smallest Living Thing

2008 The Astonishing Atom

2009 Photosynthesis

2010 The Feeling Brain

2011 Teenage Brain

2012 View from the Center of the Universe

2013 The Advent of Us: How We Became Human

2014 On Human Consciousness and Goodness

2015 A Dangerous “Advent?”

2016 The Important Stuff is Invisible

2017 The Invention of Air

Rental Discount for Not for Profit Groups

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We have a variety of room sizes and arrangements available for rent when the congregation is not using them.

We offer a special discount of 10% for not-for-profit groups. Contact Marcus.  More details here.

Some of the organizations who rent space with us are:

 

Note: to be eligible for discount, the organization must have a charity number or registered society number.

Choir Sings Gjeilo – Plus Lots More

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Here’s some background on the choir concert. This year, the Chalice Choir’s Advent Concert features two pieces by the young (40) Norwegian-born composer Ola Gjeilo (pronounced Yay-lo). Dark Night of the Soul and Luminous Night of the Soul are both based on poetry by St. John of the Cross, a sixteenth century Spanish mystic, a contemporary of Teresa of Avila. St. John is considered one of the foremost poets in the Spanish language. These exquisitely layered pieces involve both piano and string accompaniment. They have been a delight to learn and we look forward to sharing them with you.

But that is not all we have for you. Anne Duranceau and Edgar Bridwell, along with a few of their friends, will present some lovely string music. The ensemble and the choir have prepared several beautiful songs and Lyndon Ladeur, our tenor lead, will dazzle you with an aria from his upcoming performance in Opera Mariposa’s production of Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutte (Nov 30, Dec, 1, 7, 8 at Marpole United.)

After our annual singalong, you will be invited to join us for a reception in Hewett Centre.

Want a preview? You can listen to Dark Night of the Soul and Luminous Night of the Soul here:

An evening to warm your heart and jump-start your holiday spirit. Please join us!

Tickets: $20 (or pay what you can) available at the door.

Bios below

Lyndon Ladeur, tenor | Ferrando

Lyndon Ladeur’s favourite roles to date include Marco in Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Gondoliers and Tamino in Mozart’s The Magic Flute. His major concert repertoire as a soloist consists of Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass and Gounod’s Messe solennelle en l’honneur de Sainte-Cécile. He made his international debut as part of the International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival to a sold-out crowd at the Royal Hall in Harrogate, UK where he performed Marco in The Gondoliers. For this portrayal he was named the winner of the Best Male Vocalist award, as well as being nominated for Best Male Actor. He was given a 2018 Vancouver Academy of Music Emerging Artist Grant to contribute to this experience. He is also the reigning winner of both the Senior Classical Voice and Vocal Variety competitions at the BC Provincial Performing Arts Festival. After that, Lyndon was named a winner of the BC Provincial Concerto Competition.

dgar Bridwell was born in Illinois but has lived in BC and Montreal most of his life. He started violin when he was five years old. He later played, recorded and toured internationally with several Swing and Rockabilly bands, but came back to classical music a few years ago.

nne Duranceau was born in Montreal but lived mostly in Quebec City. After a career as a classically-trained dancer, she studied the contrabass at Laval University and obtained her Master’s Degree in Music at the University of Arizona, also travelling to participate in many workshops and festivals where she had the opportunity to work with several masters of international renown. She plays with several ensembles, among which Sinfonia, and the Klezmer group Mad Nomad.

Moon Phases Are Delicious

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Oreo Cookies illustrate the moon phases around the container for symbols of what we’re letting go of during the dark moon ritual.

In Neo-Paganism the moon cycles are often seen as a way to think about planting/growing/nurturing (during the waxing moon) and letting go/banishing/decreasing (during the waning moon).

Folklore certainly has lots of advice on planting and harvesting related to moon phases.

The full moon is full power. And the new moon is a time for spell casting–what do you want to bring into your life over the next month.

The dark moon is one to three days prior to the new moon being visible and is a time for banishing. (Makes sense–since the moon itself has “vanished”.)

In the Paganism 101 curriculum, we learn about the phases of the moon and correlation to pagan rituals and practices in session 9. The 2018-19 group is now full and in progress. You can join a wait list for next year’s group by sending an email.

The Earth Spirit Circle meets monthly and honours the turning of the seasons and cycles of the moon.

Here’s a fun activity to do with pagans and/or kids.

Photo from: https://4thgradefrolics.blogspot.com/2012/05/howling-at-moon-and-happy-happy-joy.html

Nature Mandalas and Hangings

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Sandy taught us how to make rope from day lily leaves and then weave in a colourful fall mix of natural plants. If you’d like to do more nature art with Sandy, please contact her on Sundays or through earthspiritucv@gmail.com 

 

Mary’s nature mandala at the centre of the Courtyard Labyrinth
Sheila making rope.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We enjoyed a herbal workshop with Angela and Kathleen from Gaia Gardens.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mary led a session on creating nature mandalas from plants around the church gardens.

We did these at GLAD – Gathering for Labyrinth, Art and Dance. Every 3rd Thursday we get together for labyrinth walking, art-making and circle dance.

 

When tea is an art form!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We’re a Welcoming Home for Many Artists, Musicians and Creatives

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For many years, UCV has been a welcoming home and refuge to a wide variety of artists, musicians, and creatives of all disciplines and backgrounds.

Our beautiful Sanctuary, with its wonderful architecture, ambiance, and acoustics, has become a favoured venue for local concerts, piano recitals, music festivals and plays. It has been the home of the Vancouver Kiwanis Music Festival for many years, and regularly hosts the Vivaldi Chamber Choir, Jubilate Vocal Ensemble, Vancouver Chinese Choir, West Coast Chamber Music, Highs and Lows Choir, and of course our own Chalice Choir. The Chor Leoni Men’s Choir and Elektra Women’s Choir even have their office spaces on the UCV campus!

Other regular rental clients of ours include the Pacific International Youth Music Society and the BC Registered Music Teachers’ Association, among many others.

Elaine Joe at our grand piano playing for the Highs and Lows choir who practise every week in our sanctuary.

Each month, our Arts Committee curates a new exhibition in our Sanctuary and Fireside Room, giving local artists the opportunity to have their work seen by hundreds if not thousands of congregants and visitors.

The Vancouver Modern Quilt Guild meets in the Hewett Hall monthly, and provides its members an opportunity to have a ‘show and tell’ of their latest creations.

Another UCV tenant, the Multifaith Action Society, produces a Multifaith Calendar each year that features beautiful community-sourced artwork from around the world as a means of promoting interfaith harmony and cross-cultural dialogue. Over 30,000 copies of the calendar are distributed across North America and beyond annually.

We have hosted book launches and readings from a number of renowned authors, and the UCV campus’ many unique and storied spaces have also been featured in a wide variety of television shows, movies, and amateur films. Most recently, the Hewett Hall and Fireside Room were transformed into courtroom sets for the Johnny Depp film “Richard Says Goodbye”.

Marcus Hynes is the person to contact about booking space at the Unitarian Centre.

We are proud of UCV’s commitment to and embodiment of the arts and look forward to many more years of serving Vancouver’s creative community!

To inquire about booking a space for your creative event, please contact Marcus at 604-261-7204, extension 0, or by email.

Nature Art Workshop with Sandy October 21 1 – 3 pm

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You will take some dried day lily leaves to learn the art of rope-making. Once you have made a short piece of rope you will be able to turn into a piece of natural art by adding berries, feathers, sprigs of herbs or flowers.

Once your piece is completed you can hang it inside or find a place for it outside and leave it to return to nature.

Sandy made this decorative piece from dried day lily leaves and various organic objects tied into the braid.

On October 21, Sandy will provide the materials and instruction for you to make your own as a fall decor piece.

Decorating your home with seasonal craft projects can make you more mindful of the changing seasons.

 

Families–Welcome! A New Program Year

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Subject: Welcome! A new program year at UCV begins…

Hello Families,

Welcome to a new program year at the Unitarian Church of Vancouver! I had a very full summer, but I’m actually happy to fall back into routines this month. I hope you are all able to find moments of calm and connection amid the hustle and bustle of life. Church should be a component that feeds our spirit and strengthens connections, a place for both giving and receiving.  For that to be true, we busy families pick and choose what to be involved with and how often–we must set our priorities. I do notice that the children who attend Sunday mornings regularly are forming some truly significant friendships–thank you parents for supporting them in this community. I hope you also find connection and food for your soul.

Here are some dates and opportunities to be aware of:

Sunday Children’s Religious Education 11:15 am to 12:15 pm; Youth Group 11:15 to 12:30 pm

1st Sunday of each month: Whole Congregation Worship (all ages together in the sanctuary). In response to parent feedback, the nursery playroom will be staffed for childcare on 1st Sundays for any children that find an hour in the Sanctuary too much.

Messy Church Potluck Dinners:

1st Saturday of each month 5-8 pm–open to all ages, all family sizes. Next date is October 6th.

Winter Pageant will perform on December 23rd this year. Dress rehearsal on December 22nd.

Our Whole Lives for ages 13-15 will run this winter beginning in January–dates TBD

For adult connections you may be interested in checking out the Earth Spirit Council (hosts Earth based pagan gatherings, rituals, and events open to all-ages); or to connect with either your Neighborhood Group (all-ages inclusive)–or one of the many Small Group circles.

A note about Children’s Program Goals and Choices:

Spirit Play and Jams will be designed by monthly Themes with different developmental stages in mind, but the children are free to choose which focus area they want to join that morning.  This freedom of choice encourages them to take agency within the children’s learning community and it acknowledges that age is not always the best indicator of developmental stages, needs, and learning.

Our main goals are to create a welcoming community modeled on family structure; to foster wonder, awe, and truth seeking; model ethical action, and instill a sense of home in the larger church community. As teachers and leaders, we let the children bring their whole selves on Sunday by modeling living, leading, and teaching with our whole selves.

We now have Buttons for RE volunteers! 

Green “Children’s Program” buttons, Orange “Toddler Watch” buttons, and Yellow “Youth Adviser” buttons so we can be easily identified on Sunday morning.

The Flow of Sunday Morning:

  1. After the Story for All Ages: Children and Youth exit Sanctuary with lantern lit from the Chalice flame.
  2. Everyone gathers in Lindsey-Priestly for Reflection words and Chalice Lighting from the Lantern
  3. The lantern is passed to the Youth who carry on to Hitschmanova.
  4. Opening continues with a mindfulness practice and check-in.
  5. Jams (activity choices) and Leaders are introduced and chosen
  6. Spirit Play story or Wonder Box + games/art/play time.
    Toddler Watch     will be connected with this stream.
  7. Two Activities designed with middle and upper elementary in mind–Spirit Jams: a Focus Activity followed by exploration of our theme in various forms–garden, games, art or craft, music, special project.

With Joy,

Kiersten E. Moore

Director of Religious Exploration, Unitarian Church of Vancouver
dre@vancouverunitarians.ca

UCV Children and Youth on Facebook
604.446.9359 (cell)

604.261.7204 x225 (UCV office)

Rainbow Refugee

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Outreach Opportunities Fund Recipient

The Outreach Opportunities Fund will be collecting for the Rainbow Refugee Society from October to January, 2019.

A portion of the Sunday service offering goes to an organization selected by the OOF committee.

About Rainbow Refugee

  • Founded in 2000, Rainbow Refugee is a Vancouver based community group that supports people seeking refugee protection in Canada because of persecution based on sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression (SOGIE) or HIV status.

Thanks for the Neighbourhood Small Grant

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Thanks to a Neighbourhood Small Grant from the Vancouver Foundation administered by the South Vancouver Neighbourhood House, Sandy and Marge have worked with others at UCV to improve the labyrinths and invite people to free events with refreshments and supplies for art projects.

So far we have added five lavender plants, several varieties of thyme, a sage and rosemary to the courtyard labyrinth and plants representing the four directions (East: lavender; South: rosemary; West: thyme (lemon and red creeping); and North: sage (golden and pineapple sage) to the Garden Path labyrinth.

Mac Sports Collapsible Folding Outdoor Utility Wagon, BlueYet to be done, is improve signage and purchase a cart or storage box for events.

We’ve hosted several events and our final event is Sunday October 21 including a workshop with Gaia Gardens.

We also want to invite neighbours to join our Labyrinth Team. Contact unitarianlabyrinth@gmail.com if you’d like to be part of the group who organize events and tend the labyrinths.