Expanding Horizons

We Become What We Do - 3

An address by the Minister, Rev. Rob MacPherson - recorded on Sunday, 2nd June, 2019 at The Unitarian Meeting House in Adelaide.
In his third address in our Unitarian Month of Discernment, Rob reflects on the third UU Principle: "acceptance of one another" and "encouragement to spiritual growth". Rob briefly recaps the previous two weeks and reminds us that we are already half way into the time neuroscientists say it takes to embed new habits of mind - to effect neurological change through neuroplasticity which will lead to lasting spiritual growth. Rob then examines the nature of the human "spirit", "soul" or "essence"- "who you truly are in yourself". He outlines the traditional (religious) notion of the human soul as something "ab initio" - separate from the human body and somehow transcending it when we die - as well as a more "nuanced", Unitarian understanding of "soul" as a seed with the potential to grow spiritually. To help in our of spiritual growth, Rob introduces us to the concept of "Metacognition" - "thinking about thinking" - a conceptual tool that that helps us reach beyond ourselves and into the "quiet centre" within each of us where spiritual growth takes root, grows and thrives!

We Become What We Do - 2

An address by the Minister, Rev. Rob MacPherson - recorded on Sunday, 26th May, 2019 at The Unitarian Meeting House in Adelaide. Rob sees the spiritual disciplines exercised during Ramadan and Lent as analogous to the benefits of interval training in developing athletic and sporting skills, or practising scales in developing musical and instrumental skills. After exercising sporting, musical or spiritual discipline for a month, brain neuroplasticity becomes part of our physical, musical or spiritual "metabolism" enabling change in ourselves. While our feelings often prompt us to change how we act, our actions also change how we feel and help us to grow spiritually. "If you Act the way you would like to be, soon you will be the way you Act." All change begins in gesture. We are free to develop the spiritual nature we want - "hacking" our minds by actions we may not feel like - but discipline our minds to do in order to reach our highest spiritual aspirations. This is the challenge facing us in our spiritual growth.
A buzz session enabled us to share in our spiritual aspirations and experiences of our first week of spiritual discernment and growth.

We Become What We Do - 1

An address by the Minister, Rev. Rob MacPherson - recorded on Sunday, 19th May, 2019 at The Unitarian Meeting House in Adelaide.
In this address, Rob uses the examples of the current Muslim observance of Ramadan and the recent Christian observance of the 40 days of Lent - to focus on ways in which we Unitarians might develop a heightened awareness of our individual spirituality. He observes that "we become what we do" - and challenges us - "to become more than what we are".
Rob suggests mindful daily spiritual practices for our Unitarian Universalist "Month of Observance". A buzz session focusses on the many ways in which we might choose a new challenge that might help us to become "more than what we might otherwise be" - in striving to be our" Truest, Best self", thereby helping us to grow, spiritually.

Adani, the Twin Towers and the 7th Principle

An address by our Minister, Rev. Rob MacPherson - recorded on Sunday, 28th April, 2019 at The Unitarian Meeting House in Adelaide.
Tragic and dramatic events like the recent Notre Dame fire, the collapse of its spire - linked by Google - algorithmically - to the 911 collapse of the Twin Towers in New York, distract us from the looming crisis of climate change and loss of biodiversity - far more crucial to the future of life on this planet, and vastly more real and threatening to all life on earth. The Global threat of Climate Change is kept - intentionally - just out of the frame by those with the wealth and power to shape the media and public policy for their own ends. With reference to our Unitarian Universalist 7th Principle: "….Respect for the interdependent web of all life", Rob throws out a challenge. What can we Unitarians do about this? He introduces us to three possibilities for action: Quietism, Activism and a middle path - Voluntarism.

The Flower Communion of Norbert Čapek

We Unitarians celebrate our diversity this Easter Sunday in our annual Flower Communion, held against a backdrop of rising xenophobia within Australia - by Neo Nazis - and also abroad. Ironically - terrorists in Sri Lanka were, on this very day, also seeking to homogenise their society by bombing Sri Lankan Christians attending Easter church services and hotels where tourists were being targeted. The Flower Communion was first held by Unitarian minister, Norbert Čapek in Prague, Czechoslovakia in June 1923. Each person would bring a flower to the church. In today's Flower Communion - our children gathered up all our flowers which were then placed in a large central vase and redistributed by each of us to another during the service so that we, each took home a different flower from the one we brought. This Flower Communion symbolises the uniqueness of each individual, and celebrates our coming together in communion to share and celebrate our uniqueness and diversity.
In 1942, Norbert Čapek was charged with listening to foreign broadcasts, an offence punishable by death. Norbert Čapek was taken to the Dachau concentration camp in 1942, imprisoned, tortured and eventually gassed late in 1942 - a Unitarian martyr who left the Flower Communion to us as his lasting legacy.

"Living Our Authentic Selves - Being True to Who We Are"

Today's theme is "Living Our Authentic Selves - Being True to Who We Are".
Bo asks some hard questions. How would you feel if you discovered that the person that everyone else was seeing was not who you really are? Do we choose to conform to the labels the world superficially ascribes to us? Or do we choose to reach beyond these superficial labels to our authentic selves and thereby grow together in love and with this fuller understanding?

The Wailing Wall

In the context of the Prayer Vigil recently held in St Francis Xavier Cathedral following the massacre in Christchurch, Rob compares the Unitarian practice of prayer with the other faith traditions. He likened the prayers of the church leaders to an antipodian, multi-faith "wailing wall" where the Jewish faithful weep, pray, beseech, bargain with and even berate the Abrahamic, 'omnipotent' God. Despite the "hard theological wall" which divides us, the prayer vigil has nevertheless drawn all the diverse faith traditions together. Rob uses the Vigil and shares his gut reactions to feeling excluded and overlooked to explore the purpose of prayer. For Unitarians - prayer focusses on the how we might reflect on our experiences, what they reveal about our shortcomings and how we might reflect, change and Grow in Grace.

Suffer the Little Children

An address by the Minister, Rev. Rob MacPherson - recorded on Sunday, 31st March, 2019 at The Unitarian Meeting House in Adelaide. Rob explores the phenomenon of recent student-led protests which were supported by many parents and grandparents and criticised by others. These protests were in response to the failure of our leaders to implement effective policies and legislation needed to arrest global warming and secure for our children and grandchildren a liveable and sustainable future within the very short time frame left in which to act.

The Church Beyond Friendship

An address by the Minister, Rev. Rob MacPherson - recorded on Sunday, 24th March, 2019 at The Unitarian Meeting House in Adelaide. Rob asks why people join, attend or affiliate themselves with an intentional community like a church. An intentional community is no longer something given to you e.g. by being born into it - but something its members are seeking - a connectedness to others which is transcends friendship, family and workplace. You have to want it and work to maintain it. Rob explores the benefits but also the dangers, pitfalls and challenges of belonging to a church community. If we are to build a spiritually enriching, supportive and vibrant Church community we need to build and maintain bonds of connectedness that transcend friendship into something like comradeship - the essence of which is - God! The service concludes with a communal musical offering in which "tribal" musical instruments are distributed by Neil and we all celebrate our belonging - our comradeship and our connectedness in a memorable musical finale to wonderful morning of worship.

"Unboxing" day

An address by Aaron Poeze, a member of our congregation - recorded on Sunday, 17th March, 2019 at The Unitarian Meeting House in Adelaide, two days after the massacres at the Al Noor and Linwood mosques, Christchurch. Aaron looks at the dangers of simplistically stereotyping and prejudging others - the beginnings of xenophobia - where differences are seen as deficits. Aaron invites us to reflect on the lables or stereotypes - the "boxes" - we may have been placed in and thereby confined by others. He also invites us to reflect those we may also have placed in boxes and invites us to free them from the boxes in which they have been confined.