Episodes
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Sunday, March 1st, 2020 - Sunday Sermon by Rev. Patricia Guthmann Haresch -
So often we use the term “Christian” in a monolithic way, suggesting it refers to a uniform set of beliefs and practices. A few years ago when Rev. Pat searched the internet asking the question, “how many different kinds of Christians are there?”, the answer was 33,820. The most recent study from the Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon Conwell puts the number of Christian denominations and sects at 43,000. What is a "good" definition for the word Christian and where might Unitarians and Universalists fit into the spectrum? -
Sunday, February 23rd, 2020 - CUC Sharing Our Faith "Drops Making Waves" Sermon by Rev. Patricia Guthmann Haresch -
"Because he knew that, although he was just a drop in the bucket, enough drops in the bucket make a bucketful." From A Drop with a Dream by Rev Christopher Buice. Annually the Canadian Unitarian Council (CUC) encourages congregations to take up a special offering for the CUC Sharing Our Faith Fund, part of a program that provides funds for congregational initiatives. Last year such grants helped support UU summer camps, website development, accessibility renovations, increases in social media and outreach. Rev. Pat will reflect on the theme of one drop in the bucket making a difference, making waves you can say, when joined by other drops. -
Episodes manquant?
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Sunday, February 16th, 2020 - by Rev. Patricia Guthmann Haresch -
“Although our theological beliefs can be diverse, our covenant with one another and the love we bring to it tie us together in a common bond. . .We embrace our responsibility toward one another and the world at large. We encourage one another's search for truth and meaning.” (from Love Connects Us by UU Curriculum authors, Michelle Richards and Lynn Ungar) Rev. Pat will reflect on our Unitarian Universalist heritage of love. -
Sunday, February 9th, 2020 - "Coming of Age Credo Service: Respect" by FirstU COA Youth with Rev. Patricia Guthmann Haresch
Since the Fall of 2018, two of our FirstU youth have been following a UU Coming of Age (COA) that will culminate in today's service. They have planned the service with Rev. Pat and here we hear one of their credo statements. A credo is defined as "a statement of beliefs or aims which guide someone's actions." -
Sunday, February 2nd, 2020 - by Rev. Patricia Guthmann Haresch -
As a little UU girl, Rev. Pat was taught that everyone was part of the human family, that all should be respected. How can it be that we separate out certain people from the rest of the pack, the rest of the human family, and call them "other." Who after all is a “they” and not an “us”? As Black History month commences this February, Rev. Pat considers the idea of "the other." -
Sunday, January 26th, 2020 - by Rev. Patricia Guthmann Haresch -
Rev. Pat recalls being asked once, “Why do Unitarian Universalists pray?” Interesting question... How would you respond? Do you pray or meditate? What sort of meaning does this practice hold for you? Join Rev. Pat as she explores a UU understanding of prayer. -
January 19, 2020 - Sunday Sermon by Rev. Patricia Guthmann Haresch and The Right Relations Team -
We acknowledge that our campus is located on unceded, traditional Algonquin Territory and that all Canadians have treaty responsibilities -
January 12, 2020 - Sunday Sermon by Rev. Patricia Guthmann Haresch -
Over the next few months, Rev. Pat will present a series exploring traditions of spirituality and mysticism across many different traditions. Before looking to other traditions, why not start with Unitarian Universalist Mysticism? In 1937, the President of the American Unitarian Association, Louis Cornish, declared that "We belong among the mystics." Agree? Disagree? Come find out what Rev. Pat has to say. -
January 5th, 2019 - Sunday Message by Deirdre Kellerman -
Drawing on a sermon given at the 2006 General Assembly by Rev. Gail R. Geisenhainer, this service will allow us to acknowledge the messy nature of learning and working together. How do we keep moving forward in community and covenant? -
December 29, 2019 - Sunday Sermon by Rev. Ellen Bell -
A new year is celebrated in many different ways and at many different times around the world. What's it all about and where is the spirituality? -
December 22, 2019 - Sunday Sermon by Rev. Patricia Guthmann Haresch -
For the ancients in the Northern Hemisphere, winter was a time of mystery, magic, and fear of what the future might hold. What creatures were out there shrouded by snow and darkness? Will the sun return and the storehouses be replenished? In their myths, there is evidence they were aware of sun depravation's effects on mental health. Yet, winter was also a time of festivals and feasts. At this time of the Winter Solstice, "the longest night," how might we in this age cultivate a spirit for weathering the winter? -
December 15, 2019 - Sunday Sermon by Rev. Patricia Guthmann Haresch -
"Give me the strength to walk the soft earth, a relative to all that is." (Black Elk/Heȟáka Sápa, b.1863-d.1950, an Ogala Lakota holy man from the U.S.)
"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeing new landscapes but in seeing with new eyes." (Marcel Proust, b.1871-d.1922, writer)
As the children will be walking the Advent Spiral downstairs in the NOW Room during the service, let us reflect upon the ancient contemplative and healing practice of walking the path of a labyrinth. -
December 8th, 2019 - Remembering Polytechnique - Sunday Message by Rev. Patricia Haresch and members of the Men's Breakfast Group
This Sunday we celebrate our FirstU tradition of the Mitten Tree, "decorating the tree" with donations to the Snowsuit Fund. We also recognized members who have joined recently. And here our Rev. Patrician Guthmann Haresch is joined by members of the Men's Breakfast Group to name and recognize the lives of the 15 female victims of the École Polytechnique massacre, 30 years ago on December 6th, 1989. -
December 1st, 2019 - Advent Sunday: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Renew Holiday Giving - Sunday Sermon by Rev. Patricia Guthmann Haresch
Years ago there was a book called, "Unplug the Christmas Machine." Ever feel that way - that you just want to dial down the holiday season? This holiday season, let us consider some other ways of giving that may be friendlier to the Earth, ourselves, and our loved ones. -
November 24th, 2019 - Don't Wait for the Woodcutter: On Being Your Own Hero/Heroine - Sunday Sermon by Rev. Patricia Gutmann Haresch
During a ministers' retreat years ago, Rev. Pat with a small group of colleagues were given the task of together weaving the story of Little Red Riding Hood into a homily that could be used in a Sunday morning service. A series of three sermons resulted, each focusing on different characters/personalities in the story. Are we waiting for a Woodcutter to bring us a happy ending to our own story, or might we have it within to be our own hero/heroine? -
November 17th, 2019 - Experts tell us music is as old as humanity itself and found in every culture on earth. Somehow music is hardwired into the core of our being and essential to our existence. We instinctively know how music and song lyrics make us feel, but how does music and particularly song make a difference as we put our UU principles into practice? Using historical and recent examples, this talk explores how the power of song can unite minds and spirits to help influence and inspire hope in our quest for justice and societal change.
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November 10th, 2019 - Imagine it is 2024. Imagine what it will be like at First U in 5 years. Will we be feeling effects of climate change? How will changes in technology and transportation be impacting our society? What will "church" look like in 2024? During this Sunday's service we will share together our hopes for the future. To prepare for this special service, please take the time to consider even write a description of a peak moment you have experienced at First U that make a difference in your life. A time when you felt particularly alive, involved, connected, engaged. A time when you felt affirmed about your decision to be at First U. When did it occur? What were you doing? Who was involved and how? How did it start and end? What happened? What factors in you and/or others made this experience possible? We will begin our appreciative inquiry with these reflections.
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November 3rd, 2019 - The story of David and Goliath, of the small young man subduing the giant, can be found in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim sacred writings. Many a sermon has centered on the metaphoric meaning of the five smooth stones David brought in his shepherd's pouch along with his staff and slingshot to overtake the almost 10-foot Goliath. Our Rev. Patricia Guthmann Haresch explores: What are the five smooth stones that we as UU's have in our back pockets to confront the larger-than-life challenges in our own world and society?
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October 27th, 2019 - "Man's Search for Meaning" is a 1946 book by Viktor Frankl chronicling both his Nazi concentration camp experiences as well as his psychotherapeutic method based on the premise that finding meaning is a primary motivational force in our lives. As we approach All Souls' Eve (Halloween) and All Souls' Day, let us reflect upon those we have lost and loved and the meaning of our own lives.
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October 20th, 2019 - The story of Adam and Eve has been ubiquitous over the years in art, literature, comedy, and theatre where women are portrayed as wily temptresses rendering men defenceless (and blameless). Our Rev. Patricia Guthmann Haresch asks: What might the original author(s) of the story intended? What innovations did the author(s) make to the older underlying stories and why? What inferences did the people of the time make when they heard these stories? What new understandings might we gain about the story's message about humanity's "proper place" in Creation?
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