Category: UU Connections

Unitarian regional and national (CUC) news; news from metro Vancouver congregations; news from other UU organizations such as ICUU etc.

Talking About Trans and the UU World Article

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You may have come across through email or facebook the responses to an article included in the most recent issue of UU World called “After L, G and B”.

Posted here are various statements in pdf form that you can download and read. We’ve also made some hard copies that will be available on Sunday morning on the bulletin board.

The UCV Genders & Sexualities Alliance (GSA) will be discussing further educational and awareness gatherings we might sponsor, such as the Transforming Hearts Collective six-session program called Transgender Inclusion in Congregations.

In the meantime, do consider how we as a congregation might mark March 31, the Transgender Day of Visibility, and save the date of May 3 for the film screening of “She’s A Boy I Knew” at UCV. 

Resources

UU World Article: After L, G and B

Tips for Talking About the Article

UU World Apology from Editor

CUC Statement on behalf of CUC, UU Ministers of Canada and Religious Educators: In Solidarity with Trans and Nonbinary UUs

Trans Day of Visibility Guide from City of Vancouver

Trans Style Guide by Zr. Alex Kapitan

Chalice Choir in Bellingham

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Notes by Leslie Hill, Pictures by Keith Wilkinson

On Sunday, February 24, 2019, Choir Director Donna Brown and twenty members of the Unitarian Church of Vancouver’s Chalice Choir met at the Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship at the invitation of BUF’s choir director, Kevin Allen-Schmid. During the service we sang ‘I Dreamed of Rain’ and with the BUF choir sang ‘One Day’, an anthem to peace. In the afternoon we attended an Interfaith Coalition Music Festival. We joined choirs from eleven other faith communities, from Jewish to Catholic, Methodist to Muslim. The UCV Chalice Choir’s reprise of ‘I Dreamed of Rain’ was sandwiched between singers from the Unity Spiritual Center and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

The Interfaith Coalition Music Festival was raising money to help house the homeless in Bellingham. After every group had sung, we had a rousing sing-along with the audience, a brief and stirring address by Rev. Seth Thomas of St. James Presbyterian Church and concluded with a grand massed choir plus audience finale of ‘One Day’, featuring solos in Hebrew and Arabic.

It was an inspiring musical day and with any luck the UCV congregation will notice an additional spiritual shine on the faces of the Chalice Choir the next time we sing.

Massed choir and guests, First Congregational Church, Bellingham, WA

Chalice Choir on deck

Market Green, Fairhaven, WA

Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship Sanctuary

“It’s happening @ BUF”

Whisk away to a relaxing June weekend!

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Camp Sasamat is 45 minutes away from UCV set on acres of forest at Sasamat Lake in Port Moody.
Come for an afternoon float, campfire sing-a-long, choral workshop, trail walk or fellowship by the water. All meals provided. Accommodations include accessible cabins and showers. All ages welcome and many bring friends and family.
This year’s choral workshop will be led by Kathryn Nicholson (music director for the Helena Choir).
Gabriella Harvey, Jazzfly Video Productions
www.jazzfly.com
Our guest speaker will be Gabi Harvey with a talk entitled:  “Tale of a South American Traveller: A Happy Journey of Exploration”.
https://tricitieschamber.com/ambassador-gabriella-harvey/
Jazzfly Video Productions
www.jazzfly.com
May 31 – June 2, 2019
Sponsored by Beacon Unitarian Church

Solidarity with Christchurch

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Dear UCV members and friends:

Most of us know by now that there was a deadly assault on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand.  We cannot imagine the grief and loss.  I feel devastated and angry.

I urge all of us to think, with gratitude, of the relative peace and safety we enjoy gathering and worshipping together.  May we also be mindful that Muslim children, men and women are our sisters and brothers.  An attack on them at worship for Friday prayers, is very much an attack on us and all people of good will who value a diverse and free society.

I attended Friday prayers at the Jamia Mosque on 8th Avenue to witness and extend our solidarity with our Muslim brothers and sisters.

Rev. Steven Epperson

There will be a prayer vigil tonight, Friday, March 15th, 7:30 pm at the Al-Jamia Mosque in Vancouver. All UU’s are encouraged to participate in solidarity and support.

From the Canadian Unitarian Council

The world weeps with the news of senseless violence and death, and hold in our hearts the victims and families of the New Zealand mosque shooting. Violence of this kind fueled by hatred and fear cannot be allowed to exist. We choose to respond with love and refuse to respond with more violence.

In the face of our grief, we pledge ourselves anew to act with compassion. Holding true to the inherent worth and dignity of each being, we are moved to respond with kindness and empathy when faced with ignorance and bigotry.

Unitarians will show up beside our Muslim colleagues and siblings. We embrace expressions of religion which champion inclusion and cooperation among all faiths. We will continue to work towards a world where our interdependence is manifested through love and justice.

To demonstrate solidarity and support, we encourage UUs across Canada to participate in vigils in their local communities.

– From the CUC Board President and Vice President, CUC Executive Director and the UU Ministers of Canada

Canadian Unitarian Universalist Women’s Association – CUUWA

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The Canadian Unitarian Universalist Women’s Association (CUUWA) cuuwa.org

Among the programs is a Meditative Poetry group that meets Saturdays and Sundays between 9 and 9:15 am Pacific time online.

We read a poem 3 times with some silence and sharing in between.

Sign in here: https://meet.google.com/jka-jkoh-cpi or through this shortlink: https://tinyurl.com/uu-poetry

 

 

Here is the 29-page package of writings and images to help women’s groups celebrate International Women’s Day. Of course the readings might be used at any other time as well.

The focus is on Journey and includes some “before and after” images and writing of the members of the CUUWA. You might like to write your own or share your stories in your women’s group.

Announcing the 2019 International Women’s Day Service Packet

Canadian Unitarians on Wikipedia

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During March some of our members are learning to edit wikipedia and searching for relevant pages where Canadian Unitarian and Universalist women may be under-reported or nonexistent.

We are starting with a seminar with an an experienced wikipedia editor, on March 2 4-5pm before Messy Church. Please note there is no age restriction for wikipedia editors so our youth might be interested in coming early and becoming an editor.

We will check to see if women mentioned in the Concise Portraits and Invisible Influence books have pages. If so, we may find additional information or corrections to make. If not, we can consider whether to propose a page. We will learn about the rather stringent requirements for this.

We can also look over this page and see what we might add:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Unitarians,_Universalists,_and_Unitarian_Universalists

Wikipedia notes: This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by expanding it with reliably sourced entries.

Here’s another resource to check out: https://www.thoughtco.com/unitarian-and-universalist-women-3530635

March 3 – At the monthly CompuTech session, Galen and John will help you sign up as a wikipedia editor.

During the month, we’ll compare notes on a google document about our findings and by the end of March decide how to proceed.

With the renewed interest in women’s groups in our congregation, we are setting up various ways to celebrate International Women’s Day this year and hope these projects will become a tradition.

Along the way we’ll likely find other wikipedia references to Unitarians we’d like to have changed or added.

Join me for this adventure?

Some things we (and other Unitarians) might consider:

Unitarianism is not listed on this Religion Portal:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Contents/Portals#Religion_and_belief_systems

Where would you put us?

Unitarian Church of Vancouver Wiki Page

Our UCV page had been deleted. It’s been restored. Let’s update it and do what would be necessary to ensure it won’t be removed again

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unitarian_Church_of_Vancouver

Canadian Unitarian Council

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Unitarian_Council

There’s a note that says: This article may rely excessively on sources too closely associated with the subject, potentially preventing the article from being verifiable and neutral. Please help improve it by replacing them with more appropriate citations to reliable, independent, third-party sources.

 

 

Wanted: Delegates for the CUC AGM 11 May 2019

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UCV FORUM: 17 Feb 2019 – 12:30 – 2:00 pm in Fireside Room.  Come to discuss feedback to send to Canadian Unitarian Council (CUC) on motions proposed for the 2019 AGM:
1) study group for a possible 8th principle on racism, based on a UUA draft motion;
2) bylaw amendment to facilitate regional representation;
3) bylaw amendment to clarify ministers’ eligibility to participate;
4) CUC strategic priorities for 2019-20;
5) application of CPI to Annual Program Contribution (APC);
6) new basis for APC using membership numbers and annual revenue.
And—discuss UCV’s process for picking delegates for the CUC AGM.

Discussion facilitated by Keith Wilkinson, Chair, UU Connections Committee and former CUC Board member.

About the CUC AGM

Vancouver Unitarians are entitled to 7 voting delegates at the Canadian Unitarian Council Annual General Meeting to be held online from UCV 9:30 AM – 1:00 PM Saturday 11 May 2019. The UCV board approves delegates from amongst members who express interest. Delegates are entrusted to study the proposed resolutions, consider the arguments presented, and then vote in whatever way they believe would be in the interests of UCV.

If you plan to be in Toronto on 11 May you can attend the AGM in person, whether a delegate or not, at the CUC’s office at the Centre for Social Innovation 192 Spadina Ave.

An orientation for UCV delegates will be arranged between February and May 2019. If you’re a UCV member and are interested in serving the church as a delegate to the meeting of our national body, please contact
Keith Wilkinson, Chair of the UCV UU Connections Committee  or
Leonie Armstrong, UCV Board President.

Here is more information regarding the CUC AGM.

About the 2019 CUC AGM

Specific information for being a delegate

Six resolutions/motions are scheduled for debate. The UCV Forum on 17 Feb 2019 (12:45 – 2:00 pm) will provide an opportunity for members to provide feedback on these resolutions which include:

  1. Study group to review the appropriateness of an eighth CUC principle on racial justice;
  2. New method of calculating the annual program contribution (APC) for the CUC.
    The proposed method would be based on membership numbers and annual church revenue.
  3. Four other motions including approval of strategic priorities for 2019-20.

Feedback from UCV members will be submitted to the motion originators before 28 Feb 2019.

Information about 2019 resolutions here.

There will be an online Plenary Session the evening prior to the CUC AGM. Plenaries are informal ways to discuss forthcoming resolutions or other issues of interest to members across Canada. They’re typically quite fun and relaxed. The 2019 Plenary is scheduled for 4-6 pm Pacific Time, Friday 10 May 2019 via zoom in a UCV room TBA, and possibly online from any location.

8 Feb 2019 Update 

Asha Philar, CUC Congregational Life Team – Youth and Young Adult Ministry Specialist advises as follows:

“After consultation and discussion with religious professionals, advisors, youth and parents, we have decided to change the age range of our national youth conference, CanUUdle, from 14-20 to 13-19. We feel that this is more in line with the age range of youth groups in our congregations and will allow more youth to participate. 2019 will be a pilot year, so we will evaluate the change after CanUUdle in May.

CanUUdle registration is open from February 15 to April 30 on the CUC website We hope you will promote this wonderful event to youth in your congregation!”

(This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC and made available courtesy of UUYO Youngstown Ohio and used with thanks!)

 

Inspiration and Resistance for Global Citizens in 2019 and Beyond

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The seventh Unitarian Universalist principle calls us to affirm and promote respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part. When human and other life is so critically threatened by human-induced climate change and kleptocracy as it is now, it is even more important that we find ways to affirm life. Following are some links to a few inspiring books, films, and podcasts to help us remember that our efforts toward environmental protection, climate change mitigation, and opposition to tyranny matter, and, collectively will make a difference. (All of the podcasts are accessible through iTunes and the Apple podcast app.)

CBC Tapestry podcast: “Finding Hope in the Climate Crisis”- 4 Jan 2019. Link. Excerpts from the 2018 Parliament of the World’s Religions in Toronto. The podcast features comments by Margaret Atwood and Vandana Shiva. Host: Mary Hynes. Related Film: The Seeds of Vandana Shiva. Trailer.

CBC Front Burner podcast: “China’s plans to dominate space” – 7 Jan 2019. Features comments by Namrata Goswami about China’s very long range plans to secure resources from beyond the earth to sustain their culture. Host Jayme Poisson. Link.

Slate’s Live at Politics and Prose – podcast link: YouTube Video.

“Timothy Snyder, On Tyranny: Twenty lessons from the twentieth century.” 9 Mar 2017 – Published just after the election of Donald Trump as 45th President of the USA, Snyder succinctly alerts readers and listeners on strategies for resisting tyranny. Two years old now, this book and podcast ring truer than ever. The Youtube version shows the lively nature of this bookstore and we get to see the people asking the questions. Snyder also has a more recent book “The Road to Unfreedom”. Both books are available from the Vancouver Public Library.

Slate’s Live at Politics and Prose – podcast – Sarah Kendzior “The View From Flyover Country.”

A series of essays originally published in Al Jazeera English on the rise of oligarchy in the USA and globally based on Kendzior’s experience as a reporter and scholar on Western Asian autocracies.

Gaslit Nation – podcast – Sarah Kendzior and Andrea Chalupa host a very hard-hitting, no holds barred commentary against oligarchies.

 And…Gaslit Nation has one of the best-ever graphic images. Image source.

The UrbanDictionary defines “Gaslighting” as “A form of intimidation or psychological abuse, sometimes called Ambient Abuse where false information is presented to the victim, making them doubt their own memory, perception and quite often, their sanity.”

USC Canada – Like Vandana Shiva, USC Canada (formerly the Unitarian Service Committee) is a Canadian Charity that is strategically focusing its work on building resilience through ecological agriculture, and especially through global seed security and diversity. Link.

Volunteer Roles for Annual Women’s Gathering

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Update: The event was very successful thanks to so many women who stepped up to help.

 

—post from January below—

You can still register to attend our annual Women’s Gathering. Scroll down for link to register.

And we’re still looking for some help to ensure the evening goes smoothly. Many of the volunteer roles are for a 15-minute shift. Many hands make light work and all that. If lots of people sign up then everyone can have lots of free time as well.

Below are descriptions of some of the needs at this point.

Want to be a Lamp Lighter?

If you like sparkly, shiny things (like twinkle lights and lanterns with live flames), and you’re coming to the annual Women’s gathering, I’m looking for 2-4 people available at 5 pm to put out the lanterns and lights around the property and indoors. Kinga is coordinating this endeavour. She likes sparkly, shiny things.

Night Owls?

We have a good crew ready to come early and help set up the decor and food arrangements for the potluck. And now need to have a few stalwarts who will be the last to leave: do a final cleanup; move furniture back to where it belongs; do a final dishwasher load; check on lights and locked doors etc.  And of course to bring IN and store the twinkle lights and lanterns! With many hands we’ll be done by 9:30 pm.

Collage Space

An extra set of hands (or two) to help Coral and Laurie arrange things for the drop-in Collage Space 7-9 pm so they can enjoy other aspects of the evening. Perhaps some of you registered for the afternoon workshop would drop in now and again and offer some support to rookie collage makers.

Divination/Meditation Room

Jodie will set up the Meditation room with runes and some handouts but we’d like to make sure there’s a volunteer in the space from 7-9 pm to answer questions and just welcome people into the space. You don’t need to know a lot about runes, but knowing a little bit would be helpful. Probably some of the people who have attended Jodie’s recent workshops will be available. There will be posters up giving the meaning of each of the 24 runes and some suggestions for a “reading”.

Mathom Mashup

Biddle Room will be set up for our yearly swap meet. Kinga needs a few more people to check in every half hour or so and make sure the wares are looking tidy. She may need help at the end to box up the stuff left and make sure the box(es) are labeled for the Refugee Committee to get the following Sunday. Arrange with the caretaker Igor or a keyholder to put boxes into the office. (Bringing plastic bags or shopping bags and perhaps even bubble wrap would help the items get to the right place!)

Women’s Groups Panel

We are inviting women who would like to be in a women’s group to come to the Fireside Room from 6:30-7 pm (with their dessert). Sheila Resels will facilitate a discussion. If you are currently (or have been) in a women’s group, through UCV or elsewhere, we hope you’d join a panel to share different kinds of women’s groups. We feel that would help those who would like to be in a group form an idea of what they would want in a group. They might then join together and put the word out through UCV to invite other women to join or express interest.

Make Posters for the Women’s March

If you can bring some poster making supplies for the 7:30 – 8:30 pm workshop with Cayla, it would be appreciated. Cardboard, sharpies, markers, glue gun, glue sticks…

Click here for details on the gathering and how to register.

 

 

 

We Are an Inclusive Community

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Our congregation includes and values members who identify as

  • lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, asexual, queer, straight
  • many different ages, genders, ethnicities, abilities
  • single, married, common-law, divorced
  • having various roles within a diversity of family structures
  • Pagan, Hindu, Sikh, Jewish, Buddhist, Christian, Muslim, Agnostic, Humanist, Atheist

 

and intersecting combinations

creating a diverse community of

unique individuals with shared values

Click here to download our Genders and Sexualities Alliance Brochure