Expanding Horizons

The Baltimore Story

In the context of our search for a replacement minister, Jennie tackles the issue of women in leadership roles - hitherto the domain of men. The example she focusses on in her talk today is the career of Marin Alsop, music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra whose career saw her become a pioneer in what was then - a non-traditional area and rose to be one of the leading figures in classical music around the world.

As a young girl, Marin Alsop decided that she wanted to be a conductor. On being told women were not meant to be orchestral conductors, Marin was even more determined to become one. She became a protégé of Leonard Bernstein and went on to become the Music Director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in 2005, the first female conductor to head a major American orchestra. In 2009 she was named Musical America’s Conductor of the Year. She is just coming to the end of her 14 years as Musical Director.

Jennie raises the following issues:

• How do we feel about women in leadership positions - at work and in the pulpit?
• Do we judge them differently from men?
• What obligations do we have to speak if people criticise their fashion sense?
• How do we handle a mildly worded "it's just not my cup of tea!"

Listen on!

Natural Wisdoms_Refections whilst in lockdown

During the "Lockdown" I've been pondering the causes of the Covid-19 Pandemic and the implications for us all. Today, I briefly look back 200,000 years BCE to our human origins: homo erectus, "morphing" into homo sapiens. Ancient and Natural wisdoms, combined with traditional hunting and gathering, enabled homo sapiens to live in balance with the Natural world. However, the exponential growth in human population following the Agricultural and Industrial Revolutions has resulted in an exponential loss of global biodiversity due to human greed, ignorance and apathy - as to the consequences.

I mention an increasing body of scientific evidence, including the origins of the current pandemic and the emergence of Zoonotic diseases - overseas - and in Australia, that reminds us of an overarching Natural wisdom - that we destroy the "Web of Life" at our own peril.

Homo sapiens faces two challenges that must be addressed urgently:-

• to halt the commercial exploitation that is accelerating the loss of global biodiversity, and -
• to repair what we can - of the web of life that we are destroying.

But there is Hope! Listen on!

The Kingdom to Come

In this address, presented originally on YouTube on 5th April, 2020, Rev. Rob MacPherson, the Minister of the Unitarian Church of SA and Chaplain of Pembroke School reminds us that "Crisis" used in the context of the Covid-19 Pandemic lockdown and social isolation means "Turning Point".

"The land belongs to Us"?- From today's "Story for All Ages" emphatically No! Ancient wisdoms would say that we belong to the Land - to Nature!
In this address, Rob asks what will be the "New Normal"? "What will be the new reality"? Robs looks positively at issues like leadership and the affirmation of positive emotions, such as the compassion and "Loving kindness" that arise during such a crisis. Rob suggests that there is the possibility of a great awakening, a new compassion, new social directions - and a much more inclusive social fabric. Our response as a national - so far - suggests that there is hope ahead. There will certainly be change! Listen On!

[Sound editor's note: We apologise for the quality of the sound in this recording. It has been amplified and bass-treble adjusted for maximum clarity. This has resulted in some minor distortion but it is quite listenable!]

Affirmations for Isolation

In his second pastoral message on March 26th, 2020 - podcast here but originally on YouTube, our Minister, Rev. Rob MacPherson provides some positive affirmations to reflect on during the Covid-19 social isolation and lockdown.
..."Feel the feelings. Emotions are like the weather... They change... They also change faster if you allow them to move through rather than block them...
And- as most News is usually bad news, Rob's advice - when you find yourself developing "News psychosis"- "It's OK to take a break from the news cycle."
"We all deserve to be cared for - and there's nothing wrong with asking."
"Use this time to spend some extra time on yourself....and to do all the things we might not normally have had the time to do: There's hay to be made."

Listen on!

What we are feeling is grief.

A pastoral address given on the 24th March, 2020 by our Minister, Rev. Rob MacPherson and delivered on YouTube. Rob talks about the grieving process that many are experiencing during this time of National and Community social isolation needed to "flatten the curve" and minimise the spread of the Covid-19 virus. As Rob is now the Chaplain at Pembroke School, what he has to say will also be relevant to the students and parents of the Pembroke School community. Listen on!

Syncretic Religion

This is a podcast of an address given on Sunday 29th March by Marcus Hamilton-Smythe, a member of our Church, to an empty church, closed soon after the declaration of the Covid-19 Pandemic.
In this address, under the title "Syncretic Religion", Marcus uses the definition of the Collins Dictionary: "To combine or attempt to combine the characteristics of the teachings, belief and practises of differing systems of religions or philosophy". Marcus explores the commonalities and differences he has found in the world's major religious traditions and how they have influenced each other as well as his own, personal beliefs. Listen on!

Visitors and members are advised by the Committee of Management that our church will remain closed for gatherings in compliance with the Law and until further notice. However the Church Committee will ensure that recordings of addresses will continue to be available each week via this podcasting site, and videos will also be available via YouTube as advised via Facebook and other Social Media links.

A Brief History of Clothing

The service on Sunday March 15th, 2020 was conducted by Dr Victor Squires - a member of our Adelaide congregation. Victor talks about the history of clothing and refers to several hypotheses that help to explain the human transition from human hair/fur to clothing and high fashion through the ages to the modern era. Quoting Mark Twain, Victor asks - Do clothes really "make the Man"?

The Creation Story in Genesis

The service on Sunday February 23rd, 2020 was conducted by Marcus Hamilton-Smythe - a member of the Adelaide congregation. Marcus examines the Creation Story in Genesis and expresses surprise that the mythology is taken as "literal truth" by highly educated people - notwithstanding several anomalies within the creation mythology. Marcus suggests that there is another reason why the Story of Creation in Genesis is included in the Bible and reveals its underlying purpose. He also maintains that the Jewish creation mythology in Genesis extends back even further to the Babylonians. Listen on!

Agriculture, Religion and the Environment

Today's service was led by Jennie Dyster, our Unitarian Church President on February 16th, 2020. The address "Agriculture, Religion and the Environment" was presented by Dr Victor Squires, an Agriculturalist who is also a member of our congregation. Victor commenced with an old Native American saying: “We do not inherit the earth and all its resources from our forebears, we borrow it from our children”. Victor briefly examines environmental wisdoms from various traditional and major religions and contrasts these belief systems with the Judeo - Christian perspective in the Old Testament that viewed the world as unlimited in its capacity to be exploited. Victor challenges us to embrace an 11th Commandment that will ensure sustainable, global, environmental stewardship. Listen on!

Bare (Bear?) Necessities

Today's service and address was conducted by Jennie Dyster, our President and was recorded in the Unitarian Meeting House in Adelaide on Sunday, 9th February, 2020.

In her Address "Bare (or is it "Bear"?) Necessities", Jennie draws inspiration from several of Benjamin Hoff's books - especially "The Te of Piglet" and "Poo Way" for Buddhist wisdoms in managing human conflict. Other highlights of this service include some wonderful and spontaneous insights from one of our youngest members in response to today's "Story for All Ages". Our pianist, Margaret Lambert concludes today's service with a memorable performance of Sergei Rachmaninoff's soulfully romantic "18th Variation on The Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini" (arr. Hermene W Eichhorn). Listen on!