Expanding Horizons

”Give us this day...”

Jennie's address today begins with the Lord's Prayer: "Give us this day our daily bread". Jennie then adds some spin! "Bread isn't just food. It's a metaphor, symbol and summation of a larger journey through life". It's part of the Eucharist - which Unitarians don't observe. However we don’t exclude divine and transcendent experiences - and food may provide both! Jennie refers to two of our UU Principles: The 2nd: "Justice, Equity and Compassion in human relations" and the 6th: "The Goal of World Community - with Peace, Liberty and Justice for All". When it is abundant, food is so readily taken for granted. However, the social and global inequities in the distribution of - and access to - food, leads to extremes of obesity and starvation. There is also a growing community ignorance about sources of nutritious, fresh food as distinct from highly processed "junk" food from fast food outlets, insinuated daily into our psyches through TV ads. Fresh, nutritious food, provided directly from the ground - from nature, has a divine and transcendent "spirituality" about it - as does its preparation. It leads to better health outcomes. Listen on for much more "food for thought" (about food) in this thoughtful and provocative address.

Patience

Today's address by our Lay-leader, Jennie Dyster is all about "Patience". She commences with a definition: "Patience is a virtue - a state of high moral excellence". However this is immediately followed by a qualification: "Under what circumstances is patience a virtue and when is it perceived as a weakness? ...When to speak out? ...When to show restraint? This is the dilemma inherent in the virtue of "patience". Listen on for more of Jennie's insights.

Readings for Reflection

Today's service is conducted by our President, John Hall. It's the first Sunday in January - the month in the Roman calendar named after the two-faced god, Janus.  Janus is shown with two faces. One face is looking backwards - in reflection and one face is looking forward - in hope. John forgoes the traditional New Year's Address and offers a selection of inspirational readings for us to reflect on. These readings might even direct us towards new resolutions, new opportunities, new possibilities, ...or even new beginnings!

The Ghosts of a Unitarian Christmas

Today's service is all about the meaning of Christmas. The first part of the service is conducted by the children of the Church.
In the second part of the service, Jennie read us a Christmas story with a difference from the UU Magazine by Doug Muder. It builds tension between his own UU understanding and what Christmas has become for many. Listen on!

A Multi-faith Service

In our multi-faith service today, we welcomed four speakers: - Phillipa, President of the Multi-faith Association - a Buddhist, Michael, a Sukyo Marhikari practioner, (Rev.) Esmond, a retired Uniting Church Minister representing the Progressive Christianity Network and (Rabbi) Shoshana from the Beit Shalom Progressive Synagogue. We also celebrate the religious plurality and diversity to be found within the churches and organisations affiliated with the Multi-faith Association and the commonality of what we all share - spiritually and in our vision for a better world. Listen on!

Art is Fun!

Jennie Dyster's address today is titled "Art Is Fun". She starts with a reading from "Hard Times" the 19th Century novel by the Unitarian novelist and social reformer, Charles Dickens: Mr Gradgrind's lecture to Sissy Jupe on the importance of Facts. It's the antithesis to Jennie's theme today.
Jennie explains how - in creating their art, artists will find spiritual, uplifting, transforming - even transcendant experiences - as will those who enjoy the Arts. The Arts are for everyone - whether we are performers or visual artists - or spectators. Art is Fun!

Democracy

This service and Jennie's address preceded our Church's AGM on Sunday, 28th November. Jennie chose the topic of Democracy - with reference to our UUA 5th and the 2nd Principles. Evolving historically from the "direct democracy" of ancient Greece, the idea of democracy then morphed into monarchies ruling with "divine right" and later, into representative, parliamentary democracy and responsible Government with rule - in theory - "by the People" - ostensibly - "for the People". 
Drawing on issues drawn from contemporary Australian politics, Jenny describes how Australian democracy is being eroded to the extent that we are in danger of losing it.

Jennie sees hope in "direct democracy" and "sortition" - such as citizen "juries" and how these initiatives might be used to restore the democracy we've lost. Jennie concludes by focusing on today's AGM, the impending election of members of our Church to the CoM and how democratic values are being applied within our church governance. 

Coming Out and Inviting In

In their joint address today, titled "Coming Out and Inviting In", members, Miranda and Aaron jointly describe the challenges faced by LGBTQ people and others in "coming out of their closets". They also define the criteria by which inclusivity is measured and the challenges that remain for us as a church in "Inviting In" - welcoming into our midst, those with the courage to throw open the doors of their closets. Only then might we become the fully inclusive and welcoming church we claim to be. This is an address not to be missed!

Charity

Jennie's address today is all about charity. Her aim is for us all to think about what charity is, what the benefits are, what the pitfalls are and why the idea of charity can cause a degree of "irritation, discomfort and agitation  - especially when we find our letterboxes stuffed with glossy brochures, personalised stickers with our names and addresses and a heap of other "stuff" we don't want".
"Is there a way through all these irritations without becoming uncharitable?" Jenny asks.
Jennie maintains that Charity - our 4th Instinct - moves us beyond the tyranny of our atavistic "fight/flight" to the liberation of a practical spirituality that can transform our everyday lives: - "If we choose to "give rein" to this fourth instinct , it will change our lives  - and the world"!
Jenny concludes this inspiring address with a practical example of Charity in Action by someone well-known to many of us.

Reinventing the Wheel

Today's address is given by The Rev. Nicholas Rundle, the Uniting Church Chaplain at the Royal Adelaide Hospital. Nicholas reflects on today - Halloween, marked on the Christian calendar as "All Saints day" - or "All Souls day". As Nicholas's title might suggest, it's all about the "wheels, circles and cycles" of our lives.
Nicholas refers to that cyclic, repetitive wheel marked by "the breath, the tides, the seasons of the Moon and the tides (the highs and lows) of our human lives. He compares it to the outer rim and six spokes of the "wheel" icon our 7 Principles - a "reciprocity" radiating both inwards and outwards from that "sacred centre" of our Unitarian Universalist wheel - the human person, ourselves!
The relationships we have in this life reflect a higher and hidden cosmic order, cyclic in nature - to quote Bernard Kastrup: "a universal consciousness out of which the material world emerges for our comprehension".
It comes at a time when leaders, now meeting in Glasgow - will make globally significant decisions to reduce carbon emissions by "building bridges" that unite - rather than digging trenches that divide. Only this will secure the unifying rim of our wheel of our 7 UU Principles - "the interdependent web of all existence of which we are all a part". Bridges must reign supreme! Listen on for a very insightful address by Nicholas.