Forest Bathing In this year’s Earth Day service, Tamiko Suzuki, longtime Environment Team member, will talk about Shinrin Yoku, or Forest Bathing, and her journey to becoming a Forest Therapy Guide. The walks she leads aim to reconnect participants with themselves and with Nature. In this Earth Day service, she…
Flower Communion We return to this beloved, ritual-based service to celebrate both the unique gifts of every person and the rich diversity of our congregation. Rev. Shawn, Kiersten Moore, and Laureen Stokes will lead us in the ritual, while we welcome Brent-Alan Huffman to the piano. All are invited to…
Rev. Shawn Gauthier & Gerta Moray We celebrate Asian Heritage Month with a series of three services focussed on the many connections between Unitarianism/Unitarian Universalism and various Asian religions. Rev. Shawn and a small group of VanU members have spent the past year exploring our fascinating but sometimes neglected history to better…
Rev. Mwibutsawineza Ndagijimana, Rev. Shawn Gauthier Every day can be an opportunity to start anew, to be true to our values and build an identity that helps us deal with the challenges we face on our human journey. This Sunday, Rev. Mwibutsawineza Ndagijimana (formerly Fulgence Ndagijimana) will speak about the importance of constant new beginnings…
Mei Jia Lam, Hisako Masaki and Rev. Shawn Gauthier We continue our celebration of Asian Heritage Month with the second of three services focused on the many connections between Unitarianism/Unitarian Universalism and various Asian religions. Rev. Shawn and a small group of VanU members have been exploring our fascinating but…
Rev. Shawn Gauthier We conclude our celebration of Asian Heritage Month with the last of three services focussed on the many connections between Unitarianism/Unitarian Universalism and various Asian religions. Rev. Shawn and a small group of VanU members have been exploring our fascinating but sometimes neglected history to better understand how our…
Kiersten Moore & Rev. Shawn Gauthier As the end of the school and congregational year approaches, we celebrate our children who are bridging into youth group and our teens who are bridging into young adulthood. All are welcome to mark these special milestones in the life of our congregation. Download…
Rev. Shawn Gauthier Almost twenty years ago, the American comedian and television host Stephen Colbert coined the term “truthiness” to describe our culture’s deepening disagreement over what is true, and what is not. Rev. Shawn’s sermon, the last before his summer break, will explore how we can better navigate a…
Rev. Christopher Wulff As we gather on the Summer Solstice we’ll rejoice in the blessings of the season, celebrating the sweetness of life. Beauty and joy are so often the animating forces that keep us moving forward in difficult times, and remaining connected to them is an important spiritual skill.…
James Chamberlain James Chamberlain will speak about how a few key points from that precedent setting court case are being recycled or have shifted for continued use against the 2SLGBTQIA+ community by the extreme right. Also, he’ll suggest three strategies that you might proactively use to counter the spread of…
Diane Brown VanU member Diane Brown, speaking from the perspective of a long time theatre professional, explores some of what she calls Theatre’s Superpowers and how, when employed in life and not just art, may help us overcome adversity and move forward together. Diane is a multi-award-winning director and actor,…
Laureen Stokes The Camino de Santiago from Porto to Santiago de Compostella brings pilgrims from church to church through diverse ecosystems, alongside diverse other pilgrims including a surprising number of nuclear physicists. She will share stories of her journey, including how her relationship with the earth, life, and prayer changed.…
