Past services

December 9, 2018

Mystery Averse

Rev. Melora Lynngood with Worship Associate Doug McGinnis —

Does the unknown make you wary or uncomfortable? Would you rather know than not know?

Unitarian Universalists are often thought of as people who are comfortable in the ‘grey’ zone, people who embrace the mystery. But that’s not easy for all of us.

In this service, we look at the spiritual challenges presented to those of us who tend to be mystery averse.

December 2, 2018

Poverty: Three Voices

Don Vipond, Kym Hines, Dar Levy with Worship Associate Shelley Motz —

Join the Social Responsibility Coalition as they share three different perspectives on the topic of poverty.

November 25, 2018

The Landscapes of Our Lives

Maureen Gruben, Artist in Residence, and Reverend Shana Lynngood with Worship Associate Samantha Magus —

Inspired by some of the artwork of Maureen Gruben and her home region of Tuktoyaktuk, NT, we will reflect together on the power of place.

How does the landscape of our home shape us? How can we honour the homes of others, especially Indigenous people?

Maureen Gruben

As we reflect on what it means to be a people of memory this Sunday we will explore how we can re-member who and where we are from, and honour those who have been forcibly removed from the landscapes they called home.

Inuvialuk artist Maureen Gruben was born and raised in Tuktoyaktuk, NT; she graduated with a BFA from the University of Victoria in 2012.

Her practice combines industrial, domestic, and land-based techniques and materials to create multidisciplinary works that share intimate perspectives on contemporary life in the Western Arctic, and address broadly relevant cultural and environmental concerns. Prior to her BFA,Gruben studied at Kelowna Okanagan College of Fine Arts (Diploma in Fine Arts, 1990), the Enʼowkin Centre in Penticton (Diploma in Fine Arts and Creative Writing, 2000, and Certificate in Indigenous Political Development & Leadership, 2001).

She has been recognized by Kelownaʼs En’owkin Centre with both their Eliza Jane Maracle Award (1998/99) and their Overall Achievement Award (1999/2000). In 2011 she was awarded the Elizabeth Valentine Prangnell Scholarship Award from the University of Victoria.

Gruben has exhibited in group shows including Blink at University of Victoria (2012), and Custom Made at Kamloops Art Gallery (2015), 150 Acts: Art, Activism, Impact at Art Gallery of Guelph (2017-18), and as part of Landmarks/Reperes2017. She has had recent solo shows at Vancouver’s grunt gallery, UNGALAQ (When Stakes Come Loose) (2017), and at the Libby Leshgold Gallery at Emily Carr University of Art + Design, QULLIQ: In Darkness, Light (2018). View Maureen Gruben’s artwork.

November 18, 2018

Insights of Memory

Reverend Melora Lynngood with Worship Associate Lynne Bonner —

What is your earliest memory? What memories do you most cherish?

We often talk about the spiritual practice of being in the moment.

How might we approach memory as a spiritual practice? What insights might we uncover? How might it help us grow?

Comforting or challenging, how might the practice of memory help us lean into being the kind of people we long to be?

November 11, 2018

Remembrance Day

Reverend Shana Lynngood with Worship Associate Samantha Magus —

In this solemn and contemplative service we offer our sincere gratitude to all who have served in the military and those whose lives were lost in wars and conflicts.

We also lift up our continuing prayers for a peaceful world and hopes that a future may come to pass in which no such future sacrifices are necessary.

A guest trumpeter will play the Last Post and offer special music.

November 4, 2018

When ‘Doing Good’ Doesn’t

Reverend Melora Lynngood with Worship Associate Morgan Reid —

As Unitarian Universalists we want to help heal what is broken in our world – locally and abroad. We want to help people who are hurting.

But, when we consult our collective memory we see that history is full of examples of people trying to “help” who end up doing more harm than good.

The landscape is especially fraught when people of one culture, especially those of a dominant culture, try to “help” people of another culture.

This month’s theme calls us to be ‘a people of memory;’ so, what lessons can we learn from the past? Is there a way to do “helping” work across cultural differences that is actually, genuinely, “helpful?” Is the very paradigm of “helping” flawed?

October 28, 2018

Samhainn

Children and Youth Director Arran Liddel, with Worship Associate Samantha Magus — Samhainn is a Celtic celebration to mark the start of winter. A time to take stock of the resources we have to sustain us through the longest nights, to share the warmth of the sacred fire and to find Sanctuary in community past and present.

This first night of winter is when the ancestors and spirits are closest. Disguises were worn to confuse malevolent spirits when travelling at night. To honour this tradition costumes are most welcome (for folks of all ages).

October 21, 2018

What We Can Build

Rev. Shana Lynngood with Worship Associate Samantha Magnus —

There is something remarkable about a spiritual community.

So many people offer so much to make it all happen.

What have we learned here about what it takes to create and maintain a community for more than 50 years? What new things do we need to learn for the next 50?

October 14, 2018

A People of Sanctuary

Rev. Melora Lynngood with Worship Associate Olivier Belisle —

The world can be a harsh and dispiriting place.

In what ways can we make our Unitarian Universalist community a ‘sanctuary’ for one another – a place where we can find comfort in hard times, strength to help us through our days, and nourishment for our spirits, that we might be better able to go back out into the world and make it less harsh, less dispiriting.

In what ways might we, as Unitarian Universalists, offer the gift of sanctuary to those who need it beyond our walls?

As this is pledge Sunday, we consider as well, what we can do to sustain this work of being sanctuary, within and beyond our walls.

October 7, 2018

Thanksgiving — The Sounds of Gratitude

Rev. Shana Lynngood and Jazz-in-the-Morning musicians with Worship Associate Madelaine Clarke —

This Thanksgiving Sunday we’re exploring what gratitude means in our lives through music, word and silence.

Rev. Shana with David Vest, piano and vocals; Gary Theal, guitar; Bradley Clarke, drums and vocals, and Ryan Tandy, bass; take a musical look at the forms and types of gratitude we experience.

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Rev. Melora Lynngood with Worship Associate Doug McGinnis —

Does the unknown make you wary or uncomfortable? Would you rather know than not know?

Unitarian Universalists are often thought of as people who are comfortable in the ‘grey’ zone, people who embrace the mystery. But that’s not easy for all of us.

In this service, we look at the spiritual challenges presented to those of us who tend to be mystery averse.

Don Vipond, Kym Hines, Dar Levy with Worship Associate Shelley Motz —

Join the Social Responsibility Coalition as they share three different perspectives on the topic of poverty.

Maureen Gruben, Artist in Residence, and Reverend Shana Lynngood with Worship Associate Samantha Magus —

Inspired by some of the artwork of Maureen Gruben and her home region of Tuktoyaktuk, NT, we will reflect together on the power of place.

How does the landscape of our home shape us? How can we honour the homes of others, especially Indigenous people?

As we reflect on what it means to be a people of memory this Sunday we will explore how we can re-member who and where we are from, and honour those who have been forcibly removed from the landscapes they called home.

Inuvialuk artist Maureen Gruben was born and raised in Tuktoyaktuk, NT; she graduated with a BFA from the University of Victoria in 2012.

She has been recognized by Kelownaʼs En’owkin Centre with both their Eliza Jane Maracle Award (1998/99) and their Overall Achievement Award (1999/2000). In 2011 she was awarded the Elizabeth Valentine Prangnell Scholarship Award from the University of Victoria.

Reverend Melora Lynngood with Worship Associate Lynne Bonner —

What is your earliest memory? What memories do you most cherish?

We often talk about the spiritual practice of being in the moment.

How might we approach memory as a spiritual practice? What insights might we uncover? How might it help us grow?

Comforting or challenging, how might the practice of memory help us lean into being the kind of people we long to be?

Reverend Shana Lynngood with Worship Associate Samantha Magus —

In this solemn and contemplative service we offer our sincere gratitude to all who have served in the military and those whose lives were lost in wars and conflicts.

We also lift up our continuing prayers for a peaceful world and hopes that a future may come to pass in which no such future sacrifices are necessary.

A guest trumpeter will play the Last Post and offer special music.

Reverend Melora Lynngood with Worship Associate Morgan Reid —

As Unitarian Universalists we want to help heal what is broken in our world – locally and abroad. We want to help people who are hurting.

But, when we consult our collective memory we see that history is full of examples of people trying to “help” who end up doing more harm than good.

The landscape is especially fraught when people of one culture, especially those of a dominant culture, try to “help” people of another culture.

This month’s theme calls us to be ‘a people of memory;’ so, what lessons can we learn from the past? Is there a way to do “helping” work across cultural differences that is actually, genuinely, “helpful?” Is the very paradigm of “helping” flawed?

This first night of winter is when the ancestors and spirits are closest. Disguises were worn to confuse malevolent spirits when travelling at night. To honour this tradition costumes are most welcome (for folks of all ages).

Rev. Shana Lynngood with Worship Associate Samantha Magnus —

There is something remarkable about a spiritual community.

So many people offer so much to make it all happen.

What have we learned here about what it takes to create and maintain a community for more than 50 years? What new things do we need to learn for the next 50?

Rev. Melora Lynngood with Worship Associate Olivier Belisle —

The world can be a harsh and dispiriting place.

In what ways might we, as Unitarian Universalists, offer the gift of sanctuary to those who need it beyond our walls?

As this is pledge Sunday, we consider as well, what we can do to sustain this work of being sanctuary, within and beyond our walls.

Rev. Shana Lynngood and Jazz-in-the-Morning musicians with Worship Associate Madelaine Clarke —

This Thanksgiving Sunday we’re exploring what gratitude means in our lives through music, word and silence.

Rev. Shana with David Vest, piano and vocals; Gary Theal, guitar; Bradley Clarke, drums and vocals, and Ryan Tandy, bass; take a musical look at the forms and types of gratitude we experience.

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In a spirit of gratitude and respect we acknowledge the traditional land of the WSÁNEĆ First Nations, on whose lands we gather.