Expanding Horizons

A Month of Discernment: Judge Not - "Judge poverty - not the poor".

An address by the Minister, Rev. Rob MacPherson - recorded on Sunday, 24th June, 2018 in the Unitarian Meeting House in Adelaide. This week we are encouraged towards a more compassionate narrative for those we are frequently urged to judge. Rob examines how a consumer-oriented society frequently blames the poor and unemployed for their poverty. Rob is supported by guest speakers, Pas Forgione of the Anti-Poverty Network of SA and Tracey who advocate an increase in the Newstart Allowance which has been 'flat-lined' by successive Australian governments since 1994. Together, they provide eloquent testimony about what it is like to try to live on the Newstart Allowance - well below the poverty line. Tracey also describes from personal experience what it's like to be blamed by others for being poor.

Month of Discernment: Judge Not - Shifting from Judgement to Compassion

An address by the Minister, Rev. Rob MacPherson - recorded on Sunday, 17th June, 2018 in the Unitarian Meeting House in Adelaide. In the third of our Month of Discernment addresses: "Judge Not - Shifting from Judgement to Compassion", Rob explores the chasm that so often exists between judgement and compassion - between the humane values we espouse and our actions which seem to fall well short of these values. This included a buzz session on how our (pre-) judgements of certain "others" may get in the way of living a fully compassionate life.

Judge Not - Noticing Our Inner Judge

An address by the Minister, Rev. Rob MacPherson - recorded on Sunday, 10th June, 2018 in the Unitarian Meeting House in Adelaide. Rob emphasises the importance of free-will and self-determination as preconditions for spiritual growth. Spiritual practice is grounded in Metacognition - "thinking about our thinking" - and Neuroplasticity where spiritual practice can quickly become ingrained neural pathways leading to change. Bigotry and  prejudice can be overcome once people have an opportunity to share each other's life stories/experiences - to "walk awhile in each other's mocassins". Rob cites the unlikely alliance and friendship that formed between Iain Paisley, head of the Ulster Unionists and Martin McGuinness the head of Sinn Féin - once they had shared each other's stories.
Listeners to this podcast will also have glimpses of the hymns, music, sharing of joys and concerns and spiritual practices that comprise a Unitarian Universalist Service - including a buzz session where we share the things that we are most judgmental about - which point to our vulnerabilities but also point the way towards spritual growth within ourselves and within our spiritual community.

Judge Not - Sanctimony and the Soul

An address by the Minister, Rev. Rob MacPherson - recorded on Sunday, 3rd June, 2018 in the Unitarian Meeting House in Adelaide.
Drawing on the Muslim month of Ramadan and the Christian Lent, Rob challenges us to consider a Unitarian Month of "mindful discernment", to share our individual jouneys with each other - and - in so doing, collectively grow as a spiritual community.
We commence this journey with an exploration of the reasons for the superficial judgments that we so readily make of others - drawing our conclusions ahead of our understandings and what this judgmentalism reveals about ourselves.

Combating Cynicism

An address by the President of the Unitarian Church of SA, Jennie Dyster, recorded on Sunday, 27th May, 2018 in the Unitarian Meeting House in Adelaide. With irreverent input from Schrödinger's Cats, Jennie draws on social commentator, Hugh McKay's exploration of the ways in which we may find spiritual fulfilment in a secular age in his recent book, "Beyond Belief" - and what constitutes "a good life".
In this address, Jennie identifies the strategies suggested in "Beyond Belief" for combating the all-pervading cynicism arising from the prevailing negativity of an informational age - but which - if we are not careful - is but one step away from anomie, powerlessness and alienation.

Why We Preach.

An address by the Minister, Rev. Rob MacPherson recorded on Sunday, 20th May, 2018 in the Unitarian Meeting House in Adelaide. In the context of Pentecost Sunday and the "tongues - as of fire" it inspired amongst the disciples, Rob reflects on the opportunity costs and benefits of preparing a sermon and invites - even challenges - members of the congregation to reflect on their unique life-experiences and the wisdoms they might offer our Unitarian community.

The Point of the Sword

An address by the Minister, Rev. Rob MacPherson recorded on Sunday, 1st April, 2018 in the Unitarian Meeting House in Adelaide. On Mothers Day, Rob reflects on the cognitive disonnance between our instinct to nurture and our acquiescence when leaders - through fear and/or profit - encourage the production of weapons of war.

Millenial Madness

An address by Jennie Dyster recorded on Sunday, 29th April, 2018 in the Unitarian Meeting House in Adelaide. Jennie reflects whimsically on the generalisations and stereotypes prevailing about generational differences and conflicts evident in the USA between Baby boomers - GenX - GenY and Millenials (and GenZ?) and listeners are invited to consider the extent to which these differences apply to Australia.

Beatrix Potter - "The hero who eats carrots".

An address by Barbara Clifford recorded on Sunday, 22nd April, 2018 in the Unitarian Meeting House in Adelaide. Barbara reflects on the contributions of the famous female Unitarian, Beatrix Potter under the title - "The hero who eats carrots". We discover that Beatrix was more than a writer of children's books. Barbara also refers to the lives of two other noted female Unitarians: Elizabeth Gaskell and Sylvia Plath.

Reflections on Religious Tolerance and our Unitarian role in fostering it.

An address by The Rev. John Clifford recorded on Sunday, 15th April, 2018 in the Unitarian Meeting House in Adelaide. John reflects on the history of religious tolerance and the contributions of Torda, Cordoba and Ashoka in fostering it.