First Unitarian Universalist Church of Winnipeg's Podcast

2023-08-13 - We have the tendency to take ourselves so seriously, because life is serious business. If we don’t have room for laughter, we are missing important moments of connection to our own bodies, to our breath, and to each other.  This week, let us remember the wisdom in the book of Ecclesiastes – that there is a time to laugh – as we learn about a comedian ophthalmologist who is helping to heal his profession, one joke at a time.

2024-09-19 - “I believe that every teacher should realize the dignity of (their) calling,” wrote John Dewey, and I would add that it’s important for society to acknowledge that dignity. Sure, I’ve known a bad teacher or two, but most of my teachers changed my life for the better. Over the summer, I’ve had occasion to reflect on the dignity of teaching.

2023-04-16 - Rev. Stefan Jonasson will discuss the spiritual importance of religious community.

2024-04-07 - This autism awareness month, join Octavia on a journey into her autistic experience of life, and see a whole new world.

2024/02/04 - It is often asserted that stained glass appeared in medieval churches as a means to illustrate the stories of the Bible for a largely illiterate audience, but I’ve never been satisfied with this explanation. It somehow minimizes the value of the art and its meaning. I’ve sometimes heard people express appreciation for this church’s stained- glass windows because they don’t depict religious themes at all, but that’s a mistaken understanding. On Heritage Sunday, we will explore the origin and meaning of these stained-glass treasures.

2024/02/11 -  “I’m just not that interesting.” This phrase, spoken by a patient to whom I was to provide a spiritual care intervention, resonated deeply with me. At 85 years-old, this person, at the twilight of their life, assessed the whole of their 85 years in a simple and dismissive way. Every day, whether it feels like it or not, contains the profound miracle which is life; a profound miracle that too many are robbed of daily, while others live in contented mindlessness. So whether you’ve lived 85 years, or more, or less – we all have a story to tell, and we have a responsibility to ourselves, to our loved ones, and to memories of those who have gone before, to give voice to our own story, and to assume a posture of curiosity that we may provide opportunity for others to tell theirs.

2024/02/25 - “The vocabulary of a religious faith once seemed dead to me,” writes Kathleen Norris, who conceded that, even after returning to church, “I’d run into barriers, words that seemed like mental roadblocks.” This is familiar territory for many of us. Sacred words may scare us, and religious jargon even offend us – or perhaps do nothing for us at all. Why do we react to some religious words the way we do? How do we express the ineffable without them? Is religious vocabulary dead or just sleeping?

2024/03/03 - “But ask the animals, and they will teach you,” Job declared after lamenting that he was a laughingstock to his friends. I find myself increasingly drawn to wild places and the creatures that inhabit them. On World Wildlife Day, we will reflect on how the wildlife that surrounds us enhances our lives and teaches us how to live upon the earth well, if we are paying attention. “I love the wild not less than the good,” affirmed Henry David Thoreau.

2024/03/10 - “Enjoy yourself, it’s later than you think. Enjoy yourself, while you're still in the pink. The years go by, quicker than a wink, enjoy yourself, enjoy yourself, it’s later than you think!” This 1950’s hit by Guy Lombardo & his Royal Canadians was a bit of a hoot to sing years ago. It talked of working so hard to get to be a millionaire and then you’ll have some fun, or putting off going on that trip until ”next year,” but when you finally get around to doing something, it’s too late. Good sentiment, as long as we don’t take enjoyment as pure hedonism (satisfaction of desires). The Danes have a great word for it: “Hygge” (pronounced Hoo-guh), “focusing on what brings a better quality of life. After our basic needs are met, more money doesn’t necessarily lead to more happiness.”

2024/03/24 - In most religious traditions, the purpose of religious education is to transmit the doctrines and practices of the faith from one generation to the next, thereby creating the next generation of the faithful. According to William Ellery Channing, however, the purpose of religious instruction (or exploration, as we would say now) is to inspire a lifelong love of discovery, develop the conscience, and awaken the soul to the wonders of life. Our goal isn’t to create new members – although it’s nice when it happens – but rather to instill wholesome values and grow healthy individuals.