First Unitarian Congregation Of Ottawa

"Here we sit, with our souls tucked away in this marvelous luggage, mostly insensible to the ways in which every spiritual practice begins with the body." - Barbara Brown Taylor

Rev. Patricia Guthmann Haresch reflects uplon lessons learned with regard to hope related to an incident found in The World of Pooh, "In Which Piglet Is Entirely Surrounded by Water"

November 16th was the UNESCO International Day for Tolerance. In thinking of this day, Rev. Pat recalled a Unitarian historian once noting, "widespread aversion to Servetus' death has been taken as signalling the birth in Europe of religious tolerance". Serviettes (1509-1553) could have simply lived his life as a doctor. Instead he chose to critique the doctrine of the trinity and other orthodox Christian notions which in his time cost him his life. Learn more about Servetus' remarkable life and why his death mattered then and now.

On this Sunday, Rev. Pat Haresch enlightens us on the meaning and the value of the jewish tradition of Shabbat.

On this Sunday, Rev. Pat Haresch delivers a special short homily for All Souls Day about love and death.

On this Sunday, Rev. Pat Haresch talks about giving and how it can be of as much benefit to the well being of the giver as it is the receiver and the world at large.

Rev. Pat reflects on "The Love Ethic" that winds its way through many religions and faiths. Not a corny greeting card kind of love, but a wholehearted tender caring that feeds the hungry, welcomes the stranger, cares for the vulnerable.

The Latin roots of the word "companion" come from "com-" for "together with" and "panis" for "bread." At one time, companion meant someone you would break bread with. On this Sunday before Thanksgiving, let us break bread together and reflect on the meaning of bread for us and our families. We are companions/compagnons on life's journey together here at First U.

Have you ever needed to deliver "the elevator speech" on Unitarianism? You know, when someone on the first floor asks you, "What do Unitarians believe?" and you try to give a clear and concise response by, let's say, floor 14. Perhaps this morning's message from Rev. Pat Haresch will be of some help, based on the ideas that went into the development of the book of the same name by former Unitarian Universalist Association President, the Rev. John Buerhens and former President of the UU Starr King School of Ministry, the Rev. Dr. Rebecca Parker.

Although often misattributed to a Unitarian, John Wesley, the English cleric who founded Methodism and was eventually ordained an Anglican priest, raised the questions “Though we cannot think alike, may we not love alike? May we not be of one heart, though we are not of one opinion? Rev. Pat will explore these questions this morning.

Our inextricable connections with each other are precious and complete us making our congregation and the world better and stronger. Each of us has unique gifts to bring to the greater circle.

The Honorable John Reid will talk about the emotional and physical journey through his recent cancer. He will talk about the series of random events that led to his successful operation, the problems afterward, and the difficulties of adapting after treatment.

The Role of The Sage: The Young Person as Hero and The Quest for Self-Truth - Whether we are family, friends or members of hte same community, our collective responsibility is to ensure that our next generation is prepared for our shared future. Guest Homily delivered by Scott Herbert-Daly

Guy Belleperche will examine privilege as "unearned advantage", expanding beyond the big 4 (white, male, cis-gendered, straight) to include family background, economic health, education, access to and understanding of technology, language skills, culture, and religion.

Our First UU principle calls us to respect each person as unique, with inherent worth and dignity. Accordingly, we seek to welcome diversity... something easier said than done. Being friendly helps but, as Jane Lindsay continues to learn, behaving in a truly welcoming, accepting, and respectful manner can be more challenging.

Many references point to the likelihood that Jesus was a real person who grew up in Nazareth with 5 or 6 siblings and was appalled at the corruption in the Jerusalem Temple and by the Roman Occupation of Israel. Despite a non-violent message of love and acceptance, Christianity has much more complicated associations for many, FUCO member Doug MacDonald relates his own experiences in this guest Sunday Homily.

Inspired by Monty Python, Mitch Albom, Charlie Brown, Lucy, and Mary Oliver, Rev. Linda Goonewardene will explore how facing death reminds us of how to live.

In the recent congregational survey, many members expressed an interest in humanism, while others felt that a focus on humanism is at the expense of spirituality. Phil Nagy proposes that humanism and spirituality are instrinsically related.

James Bartleman, a member of the Chippewas of Rama First Nation, was Foreign Service Officer for thirty-five years in Global Affairs Canada, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario 2002 to 2007, has 15 Honorary doctorates, is a former chancellor of the Order of Ontario, Officer of the Order of Canada and author of eight books including four social justice novels on Indigenous issues. Jim will address the issue of why so many Indigenous children take their lives and what he has been doing to address the ongoing tragedy.

Father’s Day is a great time to look at how we connect with children. As we get older we may feel we are no longer relevant and we struggle to connect with the new generation. However, as the silver screen is telling us this year with new Winnie the Pooh and Mary Poppins movies, stories can help us pass on our own history and values. This will be Liz’s final service after serving three years at FirstU, before she departs in late summer. Stories have flowed through Liz's life and will continue to serve her in her next position in Morristown, NJ.