Expanding Horizons

Islam Dreaming

Jennie's address today, "Islam Dreaming" coincides with NAIDOC Week, 2022. She describes the historic connections between Islam and the northern, coastal Aboriginal nations that extend back to the arrival in the 1600's of Islamic Macassan Trepang (Beche-de-mare) fishermen from South Sulawesi, Indonesia, to our northern shores - almost two centuries before European settlement and the influence of Christian missionaries. Jennie uses this historical context to explain the recent upsurge in conversions of aboriginal people to Islam. Listen on for Jennie's informative address on a largely ignored aspect of our history.

Questions without Notice

Our Unitarian Community were indeed blessed this morning to have Kris Hanna as our guest worship leader. At the outset of today's service, Kris bravely invited us to write down any questions we might be harbouring about religious belief/faith, spirituality or issues of wider spiritual concern and he would do his best to respond. These were the four questions that time allowed us:
1. Can the Unitarian Principles and Sources be a blueprint for organising society?
2. How can we see and feel the presence of the Divine?
3. What are the limits to tolerance?
4. Is coincidence the manifestation of destiny?
Listen on for Kris's responses to each of these four questions - each entirely without notice.

In Praise of Habits

Jennie, our Lay Leader maintains that cravings/habituations are behind every habit - good or bad and motivate our actions. However what we're craving isn't the habit itself, but the relief or reinforcement we get from these habits. Listen on to Jennie's Unitarian and reasoned perspective on those good - and bad - habits to be found within us all.

The Children are not ok!

Before we open the Pandora's box of current global issues - climate change, covid, the war in Ukraine, school shootings in the USA, Jennie asks us to consider its effect on our young children as well as ourselves.
- Are these events keeping us - and our children - in a state of high anxiety?
- How should we manage it to prevent loss of hope and the onset of despair and depression - both within ourselves and within our children?
In today's address, Jennie provides us with some useful suggestions on how we might form a healthier perspective and get the balance right for the children.

Why you should not be a Unitarian!

In her address today, Jennie Dyster, our Lay Leader questions the misconception that Unitarian Universalists are non-creedal and are free to believe whatever they like. In providing an answer to the question - "What do Unitarians believe in?" Jennie draws on our seven Unitarian Universalist Principles to ask rhetorically, why some would not want to be Unitarians and why we - as Unitarians might not want them to join us! Listen on for Jennie's inspiring address.

Change

While Jennie Dyster leads our service of worship this morning, today's address is by our President, John Hall. It is about Change and how we react to it.  John draws on personal (travel) anecdotes to point to truths in the old Chinese proverb that every crisis also brings opportunity: that the challenges brought by Change and Transition will also bring opportunities for spiritual transformation - from within ourselves and within our Church community.

When is a phobia not a phobia?

In today's service - Sunday 29th May, we briefly discussed the many fears identified by psychologists as phobias. Jennie probes one "phobia" that isn't really a phobia at all  - homophobia.
Jennie's address is a memorable and penetrating look at a topic that is both a taboo and potentially divisive within many communities  - and especially Church communities who should be  - in the words of one of the hymns we sang today - "standing on the side of Love".

The Spiritual Entrepreneur

The Rev. David Clements's address to our church community, was delivered via Zoom from West Lake, Ohio where the time was 9.01 pm - 10.30 am our time! In Dave's first address, he challenges us to become "spiritual entrepreneurs". Dave commences with Richard Branson's definition of an entrepreneur: -  "Being someone who wants to make a difference to other people's lives". What Dave loves about this definition is that you don't have to own or run a business to be an entrepreneur. Mother Teresa, by Branson's definition was also an entrepreneur. Listen on for Dave's challenge to us all - to be "spiritual entrepreneurs" and how this will benefit us a Unitarian Universalist community seeking to grow from where we are today.

On Stupidity

Today's address is given by Aaron Poeze, a member of our congregation. The music is provided by pianist, Robyn Filmer who is playing for the first time at our Church.
As election day looms, it is appropriate and timely that Aaron's address is about individual and collective stupidity. But this is only one side of what Aaron refers to as the stupidity-intelligence binary. Intelligence is so often oversimplified by attempts to measure or quantify it  - such as IQ. And there are the assumptions we might all make about letters that appear before (Prof. Dr.)  - or after someone's name (such as academic qualifications). Aaron observes that in living our lives, there will be many opportunities for us all to act wisely and intelligently  - with insight but also to display individual and collective stupidity. Listen on for Aaron's penetrating insights into the "Stupidity-Intelligence binary" that we all find ourselves on -  lurching somewhere between these two extremes.

Edvard Grieg, Unitarian

In this Mother's Day service, our lay leader, Jennie Dyster focuses on the life, philosophy and music of the Unitarian composer, Edvard Grieg and his wife, the famous soprano, Nina Grieg. Jennie describes Edvard as a man "who never lost the common touch". An inclusive humanism under girded his world view and convictions. Grieg interacted with kings, queens, kaisers and musical geniuses on the same scale of respect and enjoyment as he did with peasants, shepherds, shop-keepers, sailors, farmers and fiddlers. His life and music was concerned with speaking to, uplifting and protecting the precious human spark he recognised within each person. Grieg, the Unitarian  - was a man shaped by his quest for spirituality.
Jennie is supported musically by Margaret Lambert whose inspired playing of some of Grieg's best known music also includes the less-well-known but very beautiful "Reflections" that she uncovered whilst preparing the music for this service. Listen on to Jennie's unfolding of the story behind this remarkable Norwegian musician and Unitarian and excerpts from Margaret Lambert's musical tribute to Grieg.