The Unitarian Church of Edmonton
is a Welcoming
Congregation, which
means our community is open to all, without regard to sexual orientation,
race,
gender,
age,
ability, or income. It's nice to have you with us.
The Edmonton Unitarian
Vol 45. No. 4
Published Monthly by the
Unitarian Church Of Edmonton
12530 - 110 Avenue
Edmonton AB T5M 2L5
Tel (780) 454-8073
Fax (780) 452-1641
Email chadmin@uce.ca
Web Site www.uce.ca
Sunday Services at the Unitarian Church of Edmonton — Services
begin at 10:30 a.m.
June 6 Rev. Brian J. Kiely
"
Blessing the Pets"
This is becoming a traditional Spring service. Bring your cats, dogs, gerbils,
rabbits, goldfish, budgies and any other critters to a service celebrating our
connection to the interdependent web.
June 13 Rev. Brian J. Kiely and Karen Mills
"Flower Communion"
In another longstanding tradition we hold a flower communion at our last formal
service of the church year. Everyone is encouraged to bring a flower of some
kind to be collected at the beginning of the service. Later we will share out
the flowers as a symbol of our community of giving and receiving. Chorealis
will sing this morning and we will recognize the contributions of volunteers
in the religious education program and other parts of church life.
June 20 Rev. Brian J. Kiely
"Picnic Service"
This year we will have our annual picnic in the park across the street from
our new church (10804 119th Street). Bring food for yourself or to share, lawn
chairs and blankets and whatever balls, toys etc., you think are appropriate.
Brian will lead a brief service and then we'll dine and play. If it rains,
we'll head inside the "Church of the
Renovation".
June 27 Summer Services begin
Please sign up on the sheet beside the office door.
Come to Services at The Church of the Renovation — Services
begin at 9:30 a.m.
Come to our new building at 10804 119 Street on Saturdays at
9:30 a.m. for a 20 minute service before work begins. Everyone
is most welcome whether you are part of the Sweat Equity team
or not.
They have been impossible to avoid, those unsettling pictures from Iraq. I
am not a media junkie, but thanks to Canadian newspapers and both Canadian
and American television, it’s been impossible to not glimpse at least
a few of them flashing by.
And having glimpsed them, it’s equally impossible to avoid thinking
about them. They haunt. Why is that? There have been horrible pictures of the
dead
and injured coming out of Iraq for a year now. They don’t seem to be
as powerful or as disgusting. But then we have been seeing dead bodies since
Matthew
Brady photographed the American Civil War.
Perhaps corpses are less upsetting
because we never see the dead in the act
of dying, or being killed. We seldom know exactly how it happened or who
specifically did this harm. We tend to distance ourselves from the dead.
But
here we have living, breathing human beings - fathers, sons, brothers.
We can’t ignore their humanity or their humiliation. What’s
worse we can also see their torturers gloating triumphantly, proud at having
crushed
another human being.
Bombs and bullets kill bodies. That’s terrible.
But in these photos we witness the murder of souls. Somehow that seems
much worse. It is impossible
to affirm the inherent worth and dignity of another person and commit
such an
atrocity. These are acts that kill two souls, those of captor and captive
both. It is impossible to affirm our first principle and not be horrified.
The
majority of Canadians have opposed this war from the outset. No one had any
special affection for Saddam, but there was widespread
disbelief
that this
war was about anything more than oil, profit and perhaps presidential
grudges. I suppose there has even been the odd outburst of malicious
glee watching
Mr. Bush’s house of cards crumble as lies were revealed.
But
aside from general expressions of horror and disgust, there has
been very
little Canadian America-bashing over the prison scandal. Several
years ago there was a smaller scale but similar incident of torture
involving
Canadian “peacekeepers” in
Somalia. A young man died, much to our shame and discredit. And
leading Canadian bestseller lists a few months ago was a book by
our former top military leader
in Rwanda. Gen. Romeo D’Allaire had a breakdown over the
U.N.’s inability
to prevent the genocide. We can’t point fingers.
Both stories
bring awareness that the idea of a good or moral war is patently
absurd. War is nothing less than the failure of evolution and civilization.
Soldiers giving candy to local children cannot hide the essential
immorality of war. It
debases victor and vanquished equally exacting a terrible physical
and spiritual price from those who fight and from those around
whom it is
fought.
The only thing that will be sadder than those haunting images
will be
allowing the blame to stop with the torturers and their military
superiors. It is the institution and culture of war that is to
blame, along with
the political masters who “let slip the dogs of war”.
Planning and
hosting the CanUUdle Youth Conference was definitely the focus
of May for me. From May 21 to 24, 60 youth and 14 advisors ate (a
lot), slept
(very little), danced, talked, and enjoyed being in community at
our church.
I am happy to say that the weekend went off without
a hitch. I must point out that this is because so many people pitched
in to
make it a success. Thanks go
to our youth group members Ella Henry, Meredith Swytink-Binnema, and Nigel
Swytink-Binnema for putting so much effort into the weekend and
being such fine representatives
of UCE. Thanks also to Jan McMillan and our youth advisors Audrey Brooks
and John Pryor for their help with food prep, planning, and organization
- and a
special mention to Audrey for staying with the youth all weekend. And,
last but certainly not least, thanks to the countless people who
helped
prepare and serve
meals, drive to and from the hotel and airport, donate costumes, music,
and other necessities, and who offered encouragement.
The UCE RE community
also provided child care for the conference. Corinthé Stolee,
Margaret Swytink-Binnema, and Elizabeth Seale made sure that the "under
six" crowd had a great conference experience. Thank you to these
creative and generous women for their time.
The quilt wall hanging created
by Linda Stolee, Joan Davison, and the
children of UCE was also a big hit. It served as the main decoration
in the ingathering
room of the hotel and provided a beautiful backdrop for meetings and
services over the weekend. Congregations were thrilled to be able to
take a square
home. It’s heartening to know that we are part of a wider connection
across the country.
The weekend truly was a case of many hands making
light work. I think we should be very proud of our efforts.
What’s
next?
All June services are intergenerational. Together,
we will enjoy the pet service, flower communion and family picnic.
On June 13, we will recognize RE participants and volunteers.
Please come and show your support for the children who attend our
church
and for those
people
who give of their time to nurture them.
Hello everyone! My name is Vivian Lieu and I’m currently
a third year accounting student at the University of Alberta. I will
be the office administrator for the Unitarian church this summer.
Hopefully all of you will see me around.
During the summer months while the staff is on leave of various sorts, members
volunteer to take responsibility for Sunday Services. Anyone can offer a service
on virtually any topic. All you need do is sign up on the sheet beside the
office and then prepare a service that is as formal or informal as you like.
The eclectic nature of summer services is an important dimension of our congregational
life, so consider attending and perhaps even offering a service.
At the CUC meetings Ruth Patrick was presented with the most significant award
that organization has to offer. The Nancy and Victor Knight award recognizes
lifetime contributions to the cause of Unitarianism. Ruth was selected by a
committee of past recipients. They noted her service to the Canadian Unitarian
Council, most notably as the President at the time the Council made the historic
decision to hire its first Executive Director thereby committing itself to
a path of growth. They also mentioned her contributions to Lay Chaplaincy in
Canada and her continuing work on the CUC Nominating Committee.
When CUC Vice-President Brian Kiely read her name at the banquet, Ruth was
stunned and clearly overcome. A few moments later Ruth commented that she
could look
around the room and see at least 40 people more deserving than she. Noted one
observer, "That's why she won the award. She just does her work without
expecting a fuss."
The only other member of UCE to have received this award is Bernie Keeler.
Lt. Governor Lois Hole, a longtime member of this church, gave the keynote
address to the CUC meeting celebrating the work we have done in social justice
over the years and encouraging us to keep being pioneers opening up new fields.
In recognition of her visit, the CUC made a donation to the grounds work of
the new church.
At the Canadian Unitarian Council meeting, the CUC Field Staff lit the chalice
on Saturday morning. Sara McEwan (West), Linda Thomson (East) and Sylvia Bass-West
(Lifespan Learning) shared words they composed when they first met in their
brand new jobs a year or so ago. They chose to share them this year and to
dedicate them to UCE in honour of our building project.
When you are building a foundation
From far away, it looks as if nothing
is happening.
Small figures, without any discernable movement
Gather around a hole in the ground.
From time to time a truck arrives,
Bringing supplies that cannot be made out at a distance.
Wood? Stone? Cement? Something is happening.
But no-one can see what.
They turn away disinterested.
But on that place where the house will stand People are sweating, hauling,
heaving and sweltering in the sun.
Measurements are taken, lines are drawn and digging begins.
For days, nothing is seen above the ground.
But beneath - ground is leveled, tamped, made solid
Pillars and beams plotted, space made, the entire plan envisioned.
Made possible by what lies beneath.
When you are building a foundation.
From far away, it looks as if nothing is happening.
Everything is about to happen.
Our minister Brian Kiley was elected President of the Canadian Unitarian Council
at the recent meetings. He is the fourth member of this church to hold that
position following Elaine Royer, Ruth Patrick and Stan Calder..
We are a group of Unitarian Universalist pagans who meet for fellowship and
worship, as part of the Small Group Ministries program. We draw our inspiration
from the 6th Source of the "6 Sources of Unitarianism" and we are
open to people of pagan and earth-centered spirituality. Meetings are bi-weekly,
on Fridays, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., usually at the Second Cup, Downtown Milner
Library, although locations may vary. (Please phone for details and to confirm
meeting location.)
The next few meetings and topics are as follows:
Friday June 11 - "Living through Loss"
Friday June 25 - "Spiritual Poetry and Literature" (Please bring
a poem or other writing that has influenced you spiritually, in a significant
way.)
Sunday July 11 - Summer Barbecue. Details TBA.
Friday September 10 - Regular bi-weekly meetings resume.
For more information,
please contact John Pryor at 488-4098, tandj@telus.net or johnpryor2000@yahoo.ca
TOP COURT SAYS "I WILL" HEAR UNITARIANS
ON EQUAL MARRIAGE
The Canadian Unitarian Council has been granted intervener status before
the Supreme Court of Canada in the matter of equal marriage rights for
same sex
couples.
"Our participation is in keeping with a long tradition of Canadian Unitarians
seeking equal marriage rights for gays," said J McRee Elrod, of the CUC
Working Group on Equal Marriage Rights.
"Thirty years ago, in 1974," he said, "the Rev. Norm Naylor
read the banns for Chris Vogel and Richard North in the First Unitarian Church
of
Winnipeg. Chris and Richard are still together, and they still continue
to seek legal recognition of their now lengthy union."
The July 2003 British
Columbia court decision legalizing same sex marriage was based on a case
brought by five couples, including Dawn and Elizabeth
Barbeau, members of the Unitarian Church of Vancouver.
Mr Elrod (Mac)
supplied materials for the CUC's Factum. Prepared by CUC's pro bono lawyer
Rob Hughes of Smith and Hughes in Vancouver, the Factum
draws on
US as well as Canadian legal precedents.
"In 1967, the US Supreme Court struck down laws against interracial marriage," said
Mr Elrod, "finding marriage a human civil right. More recently,
the Supreme Court of Canada found in Chamberlain v the Surrey School
Board that law should
not be used to enforce the tenants of a particular religion."
For
Rev Elrod, however, the overriding concern is that, "new truth
makes ancient good uncouth". He argues that, "Law does
neither society nor religion a favor by impeding the necessary
process of rethinking the relevance
of Scripture to new scientific findings."
While the CUC legal
team argues that barring same-sex couples from equal marriage
is blatant discrimination, Rev Elrod will
argue
privately that, "The Supreme
Court of Canada should be on the side of advancing human awareness.
For more information, contact: Elizabeth Bowen, President, CUC Rev. Brian
Kiely, Vice-President, CUC
Regional contacts:
BC - Rev. Mac Elrod - 250-474-3361 I.mac@flc.bc.ca
Ottawa - Rev.
Brian Kopke - 613-725-1066 Brian@kopke.org or Elizabeth Bowen, President, CUC 613-236-4504 elizabeth@cuc.ca
Quebec
- Rev. Ray Drennan - 514-485-7654, raydrennan@ucmtl.ca
Nova Scotia - Rev. John Baros-Johnson - 902-429-5500,
johnbj@ns.sympatico.ca
Alberta - Rev Brian Kiely, Vice-President, CUC - 780-455-9797
brian@cuc.ca
For information about the CUC contact:
Mary Bennett
Executive Director
Canadian Unitarian
Council
502-112 St. Clair Ave. West, Toronto, ON, M4V 2Y3
mary@cuc.ca www.cuc.ca
Phone: 416-489-4121 fax: 416-489-9010
in Vancouver: 604-617-0142
As everyone probably knows by now, our wonderful Director of Religious Education
(DRE) at UCE, Karen Mills, will be leaving that position with us. The RE
Program has had superb direction for the past three years from Karen Mills.
She has
fostered a sense of community and worked on links between the children and
other members of the Church. She has brought creativity, music, art and laughter
to the program and to all of us. How can we begin to express our appreciation
and delight in her leadership and the gifts she has given us? I don’t
know about you, but I will miss her very much, (although we aren’t really
losing her, just her in that position.)
I have been offered and have accepted the position as DRE and am very
excited about working with you on programs and services for children, youth
and
their parents in this congregation.
I spent two wonderful days attending the Renaissance Workshop on service
planning at Westwood and three days attending fantastic workshops at
the Canadian Unitarian
Council (CUC). I came away with my head bursting with knowledge and ideas
and I was excited by all the sharing and caring I encountered. I developed
a deeper
appreciation of what Unitarian/Universalism stands for and what we contribute
to the world. I was especially inspired by the speeches/sermons given
by the Honorable Lois Hole, the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta and one of
our members,
and the Reverend Charles Eddis, the original founder and minister of
the UCE 50 years ago. I am hoping to share these ideas with you and seeing
if you would
be as excited about them as I am.
One of the workshops I attended dealt
with the concept of “Appreciative
Inquiry”. In its simplest form it is sitting down with people individually
and in groups, posing questions that identify the best of what is to
pursue dreams and possibilities of what could be. (See footnote for websites.)
Westwood
shared with us about how they have been developing programs and services
standing in the position of “Holding each other in high regard”,
captures what I would like to bring to this congregation. We are going
to be moving
to a new building. It opens up huge possibilities to us. Any change gives
a mixture of anticipation, anxiety, fear, eagerness, loss, excitement,
joy, wonder
and many other emotions. There are those who say: “If we build
it, they will come”. I want to stand for an “Attitude of
Abundance”.
We are told that what we focus on, increases. I suggest we focus on abundance.
You know that I have often said I have two favorite sayings. The first
is “How
hard can it be?” And I usually follow that with “What was
I thinking?”
I am going to be posing a series of questions to you today, which are
based on two songs in our hymnal. The first is “I seek the spirit of a Child”.
“
I seek the wonder of a child, a child who sees delightfully, now clowns in
cloud, now gold in sun—imaginations true and free.”
The second is my favorite song “This little light of mine”.
“Hide it under a bushel? No! I’m gonna let it shine, let it
shine, let it shine!”
Karen has made great linkages between members of the congregation
and our young members. She has made wonderful initiatives. How
can we continue
and progress
in the directions she has begun?
Our Church has been encouraging our members in the concept
of shared ministry—that
is that each and every one of us participates in the ministry
of this Church. We contribute to the soul of our community
through our care for each other,
for our social conscience, for our quest for truth and justice
and the other Principles we hold dear.
What can the RE Program do to support and encourage everyone
in Shared Ministry, not only for adults but also for the
younger members
of
our community? This
Church is a beacon of hope in the world. It is an oasis of
justice and truth and meaning that many are seeking but do
not know exists
for them.
Many of
us have recounted our stories of why we were drawn to UU.
It is very moving to hear how much it has meant to people
to come
here
and find
out how UU
values and principles support us in our personal and spiritual
quests. How can the
RE Program be a means of attracting more people to our congregation?
Can we be that “Little Light”?
I would like to
engage in a process similar to “Appreciative Inquiry” with
you about what you WANT, and what you want to DO. Anybody
who would like to send me an email or meet with me for coffee
over the summer, I’d
love to hear from you.
I am looking forward to working with
you and the young people of this Church. I know that with
so many wonderful and amazing
people
in our
congregation
and staff, the RE Program cannot be anything except a “loving
miracle”.
Stephanie Madill, who is on the last leg of her Master's
Degree in Rehabilitation Medicine at Queen's University
in Kingston,
has just
been made the new
lay member on the Canadian Regional Subcommittee
on Candidacy
(CRSCC), a committee of UU's who interviews Canadian
ministerial students toward their suitability for
the ministry and
helps to guide their
training and career
plans. Stephanie has been an active member of the
Kingston Unitarian Fellowship for two years.
My recent sermon on Tom Harpur's book drew such a positive response
that I have decided to offer a reading
course on "The Pagan Christ" this
fall. Look for details in the September
newsletter.
Friday May 28 - Clifford E Lee Sanctuary. Lunch in Devon
9:30 at UCE and we’ll car pool. Dorothy not going.
Friday June 4 - Wagner
Bog. Bring mosquito repellent. Lunch at Multicultural Centre in Stony Plain
9:30 at UCE and we’ll car pool again.
Friday June 11 - Kinnaird Ravine (dog friendly)
9:30 at UCE or 10 at playground at 82 St and Jasper Ave.
Friday June 18- Strathcona Wilderness Centre. Lunch at Katie’s
Crossing
9:30 at UCE to car pool or 10 at Wilderness Centre
Friday June 25
- Chickakoo Lake (dog friendly). Bring a picnic lunch.
9:30 at UCE and we’ll car pool
Friday July 2- Mill Creek Ravine
(dog friendly)
9:30 at UCE or at 10 at the Mill Creek pool parking lot
Friday
July 9 - St Albert, Big Lake (dog friendly)
9:30 at UCE or at 10 at St Albert City Hall parking lot
Friday July
16 - Hasse Lake (dog friendly). Bring a picnic lunch
9:30 at UCE and we’ll car pool
Friday July 23 - Emily Murphy
Park to Hawrelak and ...
9:30 at UCE or 10 at Emily Murphy west Parking lot
Friday Aug 6 - McTaggart Sanctuary (and possibly check on progress
of Anthony Henday.
9:30 at UCE or 10 at parking lot beside blue bridge west of 119
St on 23 Ave
Friday Aug 13 - Gold Bar Park
9:30 at UCE or 10 at Gold Bar parking lot east off 50th St, south
of the river but almost at the river
Friday Aug 20 - The Apple
(dog friendly). Lunch somewhere in Sherwood Park.
9:30 at UCE or 10 at
parking lot on RR 231 about 2 miles south of Wye Road
