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.…
Gerta Moray, Mei Jia Lam, Jeannie Corsi, Carol Siebert, and Eva Mai Allan Download the Order of Service Related Reading Weekly services We gather every Sunday morning at 11am in our Sanctuary at 49th and Oak and online at vanu.ca/live. Worship creates connections within, among, and beyond us, calling us…
Reclaiming Deathcare Reclaiming deathcare is about returning death and dying to the hands of families, communities, and individuals. It honours ancient wisdom, cultural practices, and personal choice, offering care that is intimate, authentic, and rooted in love. Ngaio Davis, founder and principal owner of KORU Cremation is a deathcare practitioner…
Remembering Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and 80 Years of Nuclear Violence Hisako Masaki, Cecilia Gruber, Huguette Hayden, Yvonne Marcus and Chihiro Honma An atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, and on Nagasaki on August 9, 1945. Nuclear violence continues to harm lives through nuclear weapons, their production, testing, and…
Casey Stainsby Can't go over it. Can't go under it. Can't go around it. Gotta go through it! It's good advice for those who are going on a bear hunt (or at least singing about doing so while sitting around a campfire). It's also good advice for those who feel things...…
Rev. Shawn Gauthier The poet Marge Piercy says in her marvelous poem, “To Be of Use,” that a person yearns for “work that is real.” She’s not talking so much about a job, a career, or profession, as much as she is talking about finding one’s purpose in life. In…
