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. 10
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
Deadline for the November newsletter is November 19, 2004
Sunday Services at the Unitarian Church of Edmonton — Services
begin at 10:30 a.m.
November 7: Rev. Brian J. Kiely
“Life’s Ending”
My mother died on Remembrance Day, so this time of year has long held significance
for me. I have recently been sharing letters with an 88-year-old member of my
former congregation. She has been candidly discussing the approach of life’s
end. Today I’ll share some of her views.
November 14: Rev. Brian J. Kiely
“Politics and Liberal Religion”
As we go into our third election this year it’s a good thing for Unitarians
to ponder the connection between their politics and the world of liberal religion.
Liberal politics and liberal religion do not always go hand in hand.
November 21: Rev. Brian J. Kiely
“…but I am Spiritual”
I bet you have heard this sentence…you may have even said it. “I’m
not a religious person, but I am spiritual.” Today I will share some
correspondence I had with a man who turned out to be a seeker. The Chalice
Circle groups will after the service for a discussion of the topic.
November 28: Worship Committee
“Playing Ball on Running Water”
Reflections on coping with change and uncertainty.
Saturday Services at The Church of the Renovation
Saturday services at our new building (10804 119th Street) have
been suspended for the time being while our contractor has control
of the building. Thanks to all who helped plan and
carry out these services and to those who attended.
The last six weeks of a pregnancy are an uncertain time. I noticed
this before Lily’s birth. I am feeling the same anxiety again
as we await the late November arrival of Lily’s “br-ister”.
(We still don’t know the gender).
I am generally an optimistic person, but I do have this dark, brooding
Irish bit bred into me. It’s the inner voice that whispers, “You
know this can still go wrong…”, and then lays out the
many dangers real or imagined.
It’s the part that finds the cloud in every silver lining.
I have wrestled with this voice off an on for my whole life. Now
and then it takes charge and I find myself frozen in inaction, feeling
helpless and fearing the worst.
Years ago a kindly older gentleman of the theatre gave me a great
piece of advice – you know the kind – the one you hear
just at the moment you most need it. I was stage manager at a particularly
awful dress rehearsal, overstressed and trying (unsuccessfully) to
keep the peace among the squabbling artistic types. As I was running
from hither to yon Michael stopped me, made me sit for a moment and
then earnestly asked, “Will any of this matter the day after
opening?”
Of course, the answer was no. I began to giggle, the weight lifted,
the inner voice silenced. The show turned out to be a great success
in spite of it all.
I have often reflected on Michael’s simple lesson. Life is
going to happen in it’s own way. There is often very little
we can do to affect it. And even when we can influence it in some
way, we are far less likely to have a positive effect when we are
highly stressed. As the Taoists say, you can’t push the river.
So I’m doing my best, with Teilya, to enjoy the last few weeks
of pregnancy, just watching it all unfold. All we can do is have
faith together in the miracle of life and live in spite of the uncertainty.
We’re in the last few weeks and months in our transition to
the new church, too. It has the potential for being a highly stressful
time in our congregation. Attendance has been down somewhat this
fall. Perhaps that’s the result of the great weekend weather
we had until October 17. But perhaps it also had something to do
with the anxiety of uncertainty. Will I be asked to do something
I can’t do? Will I be asked for more money? Is this project
actually going to work? Can we get this done without a fight?
I wish I could promise perfect answers to all those questions. I
can’t. Certainly there is a potential for conflict in the congregation,
but mostly this adventure has brought out the best in people.
In the end we have to remember that the congregation isn’t
the building old or new. The congregation is the people, you, me
and those other folks over there. If we don’t have each other,
we don’t have anything worthwhile, just bricks and cement.
If we lose touch with one another, if we forget why we are doing
this, then all the hard work will be for naught.
So my question for anyone feeling that uncertainty is this: Will
any of this matter a year from now? I don’t think so. By then
we will be moving on to whatever comes next in our lives together.
My invitation to you follows from that: I invite you to live in this
community in spite of the uncertainty. Risk having faith that it
will come out right. Risk having faith in the people of UCE. Sure,
bad things can happen, but they probably won’t. And even if
they do, we will all come through them better if we come through
then together.
And then in one, five or ten years we will look back and remember,
most likely with fondness, the start of this new chapter of our church
story.
Can you believe that it looks like winter out there? Thanksgiving is over,
Halloween is upon us and some are preparing for Christmas. Since the beginning
of September,
the children have been returning to our religious education program. We are
starting to get into the swing of things and have been learning the Principles.
As this is a process we will be working on all year, I hope that all of us
are learning them as well.
The children have participated in several intergenerational services, including
the Thanksgiving service. The play about the Ugly Turkey was written by Erin
VanderMolen-Pater and acted by all the children who came that Sunday, and
a number of courageous adult turkeys. Erin VanderMolen was the Ugly Turkey,
Nathan VanderMolen
was the farmer and Hannah Jackson was the Mother Turkey. We enjoyed how beautifully
Erin sang the song about the ugly turkey. At the same service, we welcomed
a new member into the congregation, baby Benjamin.
Upcoming activities and programs in
November are exciting. As there are so many babies currently in the congregation,
some of the parents are getting together to talk baby and support each other
as parents of new little ones. The RE Program is wondering if there are parents
in other age groups who would like to do the same? An informal get together,
talk about our children, our hopes and dreams for them, and build a UU parent
community. Call me and I’ll do the initial work to set it up. (I’ll
make the cookies.)
We are planning to do come craft activities,
to make gifts for Christmas. If you are arty, have a palm sander, or would
just like to be there, watch for upcoming dates and times. We would love
to have people
of all ages come. In addition, many wonderful adult members of the congregation
are volunteering in the Children’s program. We will be having a guest
who knows about astronomy, someone who has been to South Africa and has so
much to
share with us, and an opportunity to explore photography (perhaps surprise
gifts will come out of these things as well.)
Thanks again to all the people who have
generously contributed to the Children’s Program so far. I am eagerly
awaiting the wonderful ideas and suggestions from the Congregation about how
the year
will unfurl.
The Builders have started on the renovations, the sale of the present building
is just weeks away, and we had a very quick congregational meeting. The
Aesthetics Committee is choosing colors, etc. so our new premises will
be warm and inviting.
There is still some work being done by the more experienced members of
the Sweat Equity group. Soon we will be looking at packing up and moving
on.
So trucks and maybe some vans for boxes will be needed as well as experienced
and inexperienced packers.
The committee to celebrate the move will also be getting into the action.
All this is very exciting and awe-inspiring as I watch all those involved.
It also
has me somewhat melancholy as I look around at what we will be leaving
behind. So if you see me teary sometimes, it's because I am sad. And I
also look
forward to what we will have and how warm and comfortable we will make
it.
The CUC is looking for volunteers for two
vital task forces. If you are skilled in the areas of technology or have experience
in the human services field, consider volunteering for one of the following:
The CUC’s Technological Policy Advisory
Task Force
The CUC currently makes widespread and
growing use of computer technology to share news and information, and to
link Unitarians and Universalists across the country. In planning its future,
the
CUC will need to be increasingly conversant with technological advancements.
This advisory task force to the Board will consider current usage and issues
associated with it, as well as future innovations. The task force will then
work to develop a vision and long-term plan.
You are destined for this task force if you:
have computer-oriented or technological expertise;
are able to examine current technology in use, identify gaps and explore
options;
can envision technological use for the future, and make practical
recommendations for implementation; and
can estimate costs and recognize financial implications of technological
applications.
The CUC’s Crisis Response Team
The CUC upholds the principle of belief in
the inherent worth and dignity of all persons, and has a duty to ensure that
all its gatherings and events are safe places for all Unitarians and Universalists
to gather in community and fellowship. To this end, the CUC has an Abuse Prevention
policy, has instituted procedures to minimize such risks, and written an Abuse
Response Protocol to enable us to respond quickly and effectively to any allegations
of abuse that might ever arise.
The CUC is looking for a team of 4-6
members, whose mandate will be to respond to any allegations of harassment
or abuse arising out of CUC or CUC-sponsored events, such as the Annual
Conference and Meeting, Regional Gatherings, CUUL School, and youth gatherings
under the
leadership of the Director of Lifespan Learning. The team will also respond
to
incidents or allegations involving staff or volunteers while they are
attending to CUC business. The team will be representative of the 4 regions,
and will
have one person who is a member of the legal profession conversant with
abuse issues.
You will be a valuable member of this team if you are:
experienced in dealing with issues of abuse in both children and adults,
with all its implications;
able to stand ready to respond at any time that a CUC event takes place;
able to consult with fellow team members over geographical distances
via telephone and e-mail, and if required, travel to the site
of the allegation; and
willing to provide follow-up support over a period of time, should it
be necessary.
If you are strongly inspired to volunteer for either of these tasks,
please contact Board liaison, Vyda Ng-Cornish, Trustee for Atlantic
Canada, at vyda@cuc.ca.
Shelley and Robert Twerdoclib are a unique couple (for almost 25 years).
I had the privilege to interview them for their membership profile. They both come from Regina and moved to Alberta in 1986. They are now living in
Stony Plain with their three daughters, Carley 16 years old, Arden 15, and
Mieka 13.
Shelley started her profession as a nurse and worked at the U of A Hospital.
She very much enjoyed the nurturing aspect of being a nurse; she simply loved
it. Unfortunately she had to give up her job seven years ago, because MS is
affecting her ability to continue her work. That is so tragic. It was a
difficult but a "must" decision
on her part. But Shelley has not stopped caring and her daughters now have
a full-time mom. She never misses a sporting activity they are involved
in, and
Robert says that she is spoiling her family, since she is an "excellent
cook". Shelley spends a lot of time
reading books by Canadian authors and fiction of all sorts. She is also doing
water color and acrylic painting of birds, flowers and plants. I admire her determination to not give up and find new ways of making her life meaningful.
Robert is a half-time junior high school teacher and simply loves it.
The other half of his time and talent is spent with the Alberta Teachers' Association
as he is the President of the Parkland Teachers' Local. Two half-time jobs?
Not
really, he says, more like two full-time. But he is very passionate about
it.
Robert is also a Teacher Consultant with the National Geographic Society.
What he learns there he turns into lessons, does public speaking, and holds
workshops
for the professional development of teachers towards geographic literacy. Robert
is an avid runner, and has run 3 to 4 times per week for the past 25 years.
Does
he
have time for his family? You bet he does: his passion for being with Shelley
and his daughters puts a big smile on his face when he talks about it.
The highlight for the family is their traveling. They have spent 8 weeks
with their motor home crossing Canada and getting to know each province
and each
other better. You will not find them at home on the Remembrance Day weekend:
they will
be in Arizona checking out the Grand Canyon.
So what motivated this
family to join our Church? Years ago Shelley was visiting a friend in Winnipeg
who took her to a Unitarian Church. That's
when the
spark started to enlighten her spiritual search for all the questions
she had, since
her background is more of a traditional religion, while her father had
always challenged her to be a realist, a real thinker. By the way, the
Unitarian
minister in Winnipeg was Jane Bramadat, who I also "blame" for
getting my Unitarian journey going. So both Robert and Shelly checked out
UCE in the early 90's, as
they were looking for a new community, getting to know new people. They
feel now very much at home here and they are equally pleased to see how
often their
daughters are choosing to attend along with them.
At the end of my interview I asked the question how they would challenge
our church to take important steps into our future? Robert envisions
an outreach into the surrounding communities of Edmonton, like Sherwood
Park,
Stony Plain,
Spruce Grove and St. Albert. Over one hundred and fifty thousand people
live within the reach of a 20 minute drive to the city's boundaries.
He suggests
that these areas could be visited by Unitarians, perhaps hold a service
there and
invite people to ask questions. How about that?
We are happy to welcome the Twerdoclib family, Robert, Shelley, Carley,
Arden and Mieka as members of our church.
The actual physical move from our current
home to our new home will involve considerable support (time, technology, tools,
boxes, muscle, transportation, trucks & trailers, commitment and likely temporary
storage space).
The Board is requesting people to come forward with both ideas and personal
commitment, in order to facilitate the actual move. The idea of dividing
the Church facility
into separate departments and managing each with "teams" is also being
considered.
Please notify the Church Office (Linda
Stolee) and/or one of the Board Members at your earliest convenience.
We're starting a new session of circles and would like to invite you to join.
Chalice circles are groups of 6 to 10 people who meet regularly to explore
some of life's bigger questions. They are a wonderful way to develop deeper
relationships than we normally have the opportunity to do on a Sunday morning.
In past, we have discussed topics such as learning from failure, a sense of
gratitude, and what makes a sacred place.
This year we are looking at the U*U
Principles, along with some "own choice" topics. Each group explores
these topics in their own way. Some groups meet at the church while others
go to group members' homes.
We have groups that meet:
Tuesday evenings (every two weeks)
Wednesday afternoons (every two weeks - this in an art-based group)
Thursday mornings (every two weeks)
Thursday evenings (every two weeks)
Friday evenings (every two weeks - this is a pagan group)
Sunday afternoons (once a month, with a potluck)
This year, we will also have a circle following the service on the third
Sunday of each month. The discussion will be based on the sermon topic.
If you want
to see what Chalice Circles are all about before joining one or can't commit
to a regularly scheduled group, these are your chance.
For people who are already members of a group, we are holding a special "compare
notes" party following the service on November 7. Come and satisfy your
curiosity about how other groups work and find out what has drawn others to join
Chalice Circles.
If you would like to join a group, or are interested in finding out more,
please contact Karen Mills through chadmin@uce.ca or
454-8073.
RETIRED AND SEMI-RETIRED
CHRISTMAS FRIENDSHIP
LUNCHEON
The Retired and Semi-Retired Christmas Friendship Luncheon takes place at
the Unitarian Church of Edmonton (12530 110 Avenue) on Friday, November 26,
2004 at 12 noon.
For more information, contact the church administrator at chadmin@uce.ca or
454-8073.
The 2004 Edmonton "Jesus Seminar on the Road" will include a lecture
on Friday, Nov. 6th, 7:30--9 p.m. by Anne Primavesi, a systematic theologian
focusing on ecological issues. Her topic: the Emergence of Ecological Consciousness.
Her latest books are Gaia's Gift (2003) and Making God Laugh (2004). She is
a Fellow of the Interdisciplinary Study of Religion, Birkbeck College, University
of London, England. Saturday morning workshop from 9:30am--noon, will include
both Anne Primavesi and Jack Hill. They will examine the way churches must
change if we wish to sustain the earth, share the wealth, and make peace--learning
from our neighbours in Africa, the Caribbean and the South Seas.
The afternoon session, 1:30--4 p.m. will have the same presenters speaking
on Ethics and Moral Leadership for Tomorrow followed by a lively discussion.
One
question asked will be: Can we relate the wisdom of the historical Jesus to
the issues of our day, such as same-sex marriage, euthanasia, and stem-cell
research?
Jack A. Hill is Associate Professor of Religion at Texas Christian University
and a specialist in social ethics. He is the author of two books: I-Sight:
The World of Rastafari (1995) and Seeds of Transformation: Discerning the
Ethics of a New Generation (1998).
Single session fees: Friday evening lecture, $15; Saturday workshops $40
each, or all three events $75 (additional family member $60.) Contact Robertson-Wesley
United Church 482-1587, Fax 780-482-1580.
A UCE member, I have attended three prior "Jesus Seminars on the Road" and
gained considerable valuable information and insight!
The Multifaith Calendars are available again
for $15.00. All proceeds from the sale goes to support the Edmonton Interfaith
Centre for Education & Action.
To purchase please contact Jim Logan
before or after Sunday services between now and December 12, 2004.
We're off to a rollicking start this year. We have welcomed some new singers,
participated in our first service on October 17, and have already planned our
first field trip. On November 4, we will be going to hear musica
intima,
an awe-inspiring 12-voice, self-conducted choir from Vancouver. Tickets are
$15.00.
We practice on Monday evenings from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. New singers are
always welcome. Our next performance will be on November 14 with songs
around a Remembrance
Day theme.
For tickets to musica intima, or for more information
about the choir, contact Karen through the Chorealis website at http://www.chorealis.com/
Do you know someone who is coping with a life-threatening illness, giving
care to an ailing loved one or grieving the loss of a family member? If so,
tell them about a new website recently launched by Pilgrims Hospice Society.
By logging onto www.pilgrimshospice.ca they can find information about programs
and services that help Edmonton families when illness strikes.
On the site, they will find tips and referral information for: Care and Respite
Programs, Home Visiting, Caregiver Education and Bereavement Support.
Pilgrims Hospice is pleased to bring this new service on-line as it celebrates
its 10th anniversary as Edmonton’s only free-standing voluntary Hospice.
For more information, call Mike Campbell, Manager, Fund Development and Public
Relations, Pilgrims Hospice Society. Phone 413-9801 Email at pilgrimshospice@shaw.ca.
UCE WALKING SCHEDULE
Check your Entertainment Books for the lunch component of these walks
Friday Nov 5 - Riverbend walk around new community
9:30 at UCE or 10 at Sobey’s at 142 St and 23 Ave
Friday Nov 12 - Spruce Grove - Bee Maid honey tour
Friday Nov 19 - Whitemud from under Campbell Bridge
9:30 at UCE or at parking lot south and below the Campbell Bridge on Fox Drive
just east of Whitemud - turn into the Equine Centre and keep left
Friday Nov 26 - Mill Creek from Mill Creek pool south
9:30 at UCE or 10 at the parking lot
Friday Dec 3 - Queen Elizabeth Park with lunch at Kinsmen Field House
9:30 at UCE or from the End of the Rail park
Friday Dec 10 - Muttart Conservatory to Riverside - lunch and visit to Christmas
display
9:30 at UCE or Muttart Parking lot
Friday Dec 17 - Ada Boulevard Christmas Lights
9:30 at UCE
Friday Dec 24 - a holiday from walking (Merry Christmas)
Friday Dec 31 - a holiday from walking (Happy New Year)
