Sunday Services: 11:00 am949 West 49th Ave, Vancouver, BC V5Z 2T1Office: 604-261-7204 |  |
For services to continue to be virtual, we need to train some more members to learn how to produce and broadcast Sunday services and support our current incredible, over-worked team.
Anyone interested in helping with technology, send your details here: https://ucv.im/
Mary Bennett is also looking for zoom hosts for the various Connect and Engage zoom gatherings. Training and coaching provided.
by Paula Vander
Did your heart do a little gasp when you heard the libraries were closed? Did the locked door of your own library, with all those lonely books behind it, convince you that we were really and truly locked down?
If you are someone who loves to read, you will enjoy the book sharing zoom meetings. You will find your peeps.
Everyone shares a bit about the books they are reading and sometimes films they have seen on Netflix too. This way you can start to assemble a good dream list of books to take out when we finally, finally can get back into our libraries!
from Mary: Bruce and Phaedra are regulars, as are Paula and myself. We welcome others of all ages.
Bruce helped Phaedra put her book review on a video.
If you love kids and young adult books, please have one ready to share according to who’s on the call.
You can also ask some questions or for recommendations.
This past week I asked for some discussion related to Jane Eyre so I’m ready to watch the National Theatre broadcast. I got a great context-setting and additional reading (or re-reading) of various 19th century novels. I’ve now posted a request for Middlemarch on my Buy Nothing Group. Confession: Although I owned a copy and it was required reading, I no longer have it and (oops) never did finish reading it.
Are you missing our circle dance gatherings? Our good friends Darlene and Frances put together a playlist of dances that are familiar to many in their Ladner Circle Dance Group. I danced “with” them on Friday night (as I do usually on the last Friday of each month).
My contribution was putting together a youtube playlist. Dance instruction is (when available) put before the music. If you’re not familiar with the dance, maybe just improvise some of the steps. We always say, “There are no wrong steps, only variations” so this is a good time to do your own variations.
www.youtube.com/playlist?list=
Here’s what Darlene and Frances sent out.
Hello Ladner Dancers,
Frances and Darlene have prepared a “Blossom!” Spring dance program for those who wish to listen or move to dances and music familiar to the Ladner Dance Circle. Some of the music videos have beautiful images to enjoy too.
The world situation is challenging and affecting us in many ways. Dance is our connection to each other, to community, to other places/other people, to our precious earth and beyond. Dance is grounding and healing. Please join the Ladner Dance Circle in your own home with your heart, intentions and prayers whenever you have the time and energy to connect with these suggested dances/songs (or your own favourites!).
Grab a scarf or two (for Winds on the Tor) and a candle (for My Prayer and Sending You Light) before you begin to dance…
Blessings in the dance of life,
Frances and Darlene
PS It would be lovely to know if you dance or listen along with us.
Breathe deeply! enJOY
Here Now Lyrics (excerpts):
This spiral dance of joy and grief
Here now, the body breathes
Here now, the laughing, crying
Here now, the birds and dying
Here now, this tale unfolding
Here now, the circle holding
Here now, blessed be
These hands that form a sacred ring
Here now, blessed be
These feet that dance, these hearts that sing
Here now, blessed be
The flowering of the living tree
Here now, blessed be
This light that flows through you and me
Here now, be here now,
We’re here now
Here Now
Choreographer: Paul Boizot, UK
Album: Invocation
Artist: Jaiya, BC, Canada
Listen: www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5vf0YrPmw4
Dance: www.youtube.com/watch?v=slkD2QcfJRw
Heartbeat Drum Song
Choreographer: Ciann and Manitoulin Island Sacred Circle Dance Group
Music Origin: Native American. The song is in a compilation of Tutelo and Saponi languages, now extinct dialects of the Sioux nation
Music Title: Mahk Jchi
Artist: Ulali
Listen: youtu.be/bOn4vIybDU8
Steps: Dance can travel to the right or left. If traveling to the right:
R side, L together (to the right) X3, L side (going left), R touch. Repeat.
Lyrics:
Lyrics translation:
Our hearts are full and our minds are good
Our ancestors come and give us strength
Stand tall, sing, dance and never forget who you are
Or where you come from
Healing Waters
Choreographer: S. Raschke
Music Title: Song to the Mother
Album: Fire Prayer
Artist: Denean
Listen: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ue3BH2GLV08
Dance: www.youtube.com/watch?v=SM358HFD8HY
Suvetar (Goddess of Spring)
Choreographer: Kevin Meyers – USA
Album: Sjofn
Artist: Gjallarhorn – Sweden
Listen: www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJ4sqv7OHrg
Dance: www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIp7R6VgBVM
Irish Dance (Honouring St Patrick’s Day)
Music: your choice of Irish music
Steps: skip and have fun like the children in this video www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCRzuMPzk4E
Or if you want more of a challenge, then enjoy dancing this dance…
Music: Irish Tipple
Choreographer: Barbara Driscoll
Dance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d999sixJneo
Winds on the Tor (Fresh Spring winds)
Choreographer: Glastonbury Wed. eve dance group
Music Title: Young Brown Cow (traditional)
Artist: unknown
Listen: www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRVDOktkCVI
Dance: www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFVVmPqxB4k
Suggestion: dance Winds on the Tor with a scarf or two and be playful
Pachelbel In the Garden (sounds of Spring)
Choreographer: Sun Meditation steps by Bernard Wosien matched to this music by Frances Rose, BC, Canada
Album: Dan Gibson’s Solitudes, Exploring Nature With Music, Pachelbel in the Garden
Artist: Dan Gibson
Listen: www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzDVZzIIcy8
Dance: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2xGiqPDaq0 (Sun Meditation steps)
Sun Meditation (Equinox ~ balance of light and dark and connection to Findhorn)
Choreographer: Bernard Wosien, Findhorn
Music Title: Arioso from Cantata BWV 156 J.S.Bach
Listen: www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeaSfoTnz0o
Dance: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2xGiqPDaq0
Bells of Norwich (A dance of hope ~ all will be well again)
Choreographer: Collin Harrison, UK
Artist: Sydney Carter
Listen: www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUnMnpFQ0Wo
Dance: (See step notes at bottom of this email)
Offering Govand (Traditional dance steps to celebrate love and life)
Choreographer: Traditional steps matched to this music by Shakeh Major Tchilingirian
Origin: Western Armenia
Music Title: Offering
Album: Treasures
Artist: Night Ark
From World Circle Dance Day 2019 globalcircledance.com/2019
Music:drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ev7ACSAS57YjpU8SLh_njnTLRk8Wld6a
Dance video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9CfzqG5Qlc
Notes: drive.google.com/file/d/1fS6UfjEMfyYKOk2oyw-MUCA0w4XpKzGI/view
My Prayer (candle dance)
Music: Greek
Music title: Prosefhi
Album: Odos Nefelis’88
Artist: Haris Alexiou, Greece
Listen: www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UNQ7Il8wG0
Dance steps: 3 forward steps, 1 sway back, candle in left hand toward centre, right hand on left back heart space of person in front or when dancing alone put right hand on your heart.
Lyrics:
Translation of the lyrics to My Prayer (Prosefhi)
Prayer
Give me a line so that I can walk
Give me a name so I won’t get lost
Give me a dream, a dream to hold on to
Give me a vision to help me resist.
Give me a child to make my confessions to
Give me a kiss to wash away the evil
Wake me in the morning with a song
which would bless my life.
Hold your own prayer in your heart as you dance ”My Prayer”…
When you have finished dancing, face centre
Sending You Light (candle meditation)
Artist: Ana Hernández & Fran McKendree
Album: Sending You Light
Listen: open.spotify.com/album/1mrHsXaltDPY8WbkiOamIV
Movement: stand still or move your candle or move your body….
As the music plays, meditate with your candle
Lyrics:
I am sending you light to heal you, to hold you. I am sending you light to hold you in love.
————
BELLS OF NORWICH STEP NOTES
Our UCV Communications Team is looking for someone to post web links to our facebook page. We’d like to post, on average, 5 links per week, preferably spread out over the week including posting the link for the Sunday morning service on Friday. Each post would only take you a couple of minutes if you regularly sign into facebook anyways.
You would be made an admin for the page and post as UCV (not as yourself). You would be welcome to get more involved than that such as adding photos, updating the cover photo more often, but that’s not required for the basic role.
Thanks to a growing team of volunteers, we have been able to increase our social media and web outreach over the past months and years.
Our Communications Team meets two or three times a year. You would be encouraged to attend to find out what else is happening and contribute your ideas. A lot goes on between meetings with individuals and sub-groups taking on tasks. Our meetings are mainly a check-in for individuals and small groups to report on what they’re doing and get feedback from others on their projects.
Our youtube channel has been mobilized. Here’s the link for Rev. Phillip Hewett’s Memorial Service and memories shared after the service.
People from across Canada and beyond have been so appreciative of being able to attend Phillip Hewett’s memorial service through youtube.
Among the notes I’ve received is one from Patricia Pavey (previously Yates) who attended UCV some time ago and is the composer of our “Carry the Flame” benediction. (And in case you’re wondering about the extra part that some congregations sing, that part was added by Louise Taylor who was music director at the Victoria congregation.)
Click here to find the most recent three sermons–and check back regularly.
On advice from other congregations, we set up a Facebook Group (for community communications) that complements our Facebook page (for external/outreach communication). Our page has over 900 Likes (up from 800 in March, 2018).
You must have a facebook profile to join Members and Friends of Vancouver Unitarians.
Note: you can see what’s on our Facebook page even if you’re not on Facebook. If you are on Facebook – please go there regularly and like, comment and share. That’s how we increase our outreach.
We need more help to continue to expand this work.
Some tasks, like posting links to our facebook page, take only a few minutes to do and don’t require much learning.
Most committees now have someone to post events and articles (“posts”) on the web but others need help getting their message out. Training is available and if you’ve used wordpress it will be easy to learn about our system.
We’d like more photos posted on instagram, facebook and the web, especially (with permission) of our many events and our beautiful campus (with people shown). If you like to take photos, we’d like to have you on board.
Other tasks such as editing videos (adding title pages, tweaking sound and light) take a lot of time. We need at least two more people if we’re to do video-recording, some of our events. Some ongoing tasks would only take about 15-30 minutes each week. Congregational consultant Peter Bowden says if he could suggest one thing it would be to do a very short video about the upcoming Sunday programs. Rev. Samaya Oakley of South Fraser Unitarians has been doing this.
Are you interested in how Unitarian congregations can use social media well? I liked this article by Peter Bowden, emphasizing how much research visitors do before showing up in person and how important it is to respond very quickly to them.
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