Welcome
Visitors, young and old, are welcome at our Sunday morning services. These services are a time for us to grow together as a community; a time for personal reflection and meditation; and a time to think about issues that are significant in seeking peace, justice, equity and compassion in our personal lives and in our relationships with our community and the broader world.
Our Unitarian Universalist principles encourage free and responsible inquiry in our spiritual journey and respect, caring and tolerance in our relationships. Sunday morning talks are one source of inspiration for this “freedom of inquiry”. Services are led by members of the Fellowship and talks may be given by our half-time Minister, an invited guest speaker, or a member of the Fellowship. Sometimes we have an informal discussion following the service. Always, we have coffee and conversation.
You are welcome to join us! If you have not been to a UU service before and want more information, take a look at “What to Expect on Sunday Morning.”
Where: École élémentaire publique Séraphin-Marion Public Elementary School, 2147 Loyola Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario. Click here for a map.
When: 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., Sundays, from September to mid-June
Current Services
March 30: "Encounters with the Transcendent in Everyday Life"
Guest Speaker: Dr. Ian Shields
Speaker Dr. Ian Shields, a clinical psychologist who works with adolescents in jail, has had various intense psychotherapeutic encounters that have formed the foundation of his personal spirituality.
April 6: "Embodying Our Ministry"
Speaker: Rev. Frances Deverell, Minister
In this service we will explore possible visions of the kind of Fellowship we could be and the implications these would have for the kind of facilities we would need. Is the space we want a "church?" A "centre" for community? For service? For earning income? Will we share it with others? How? Come and bring your ideas and hopes for our Fellowship.
April 13: "Restoring Justice - Restoring Lives"
Guest Speaker: Michael McIntyre
Martin Luther King Jr. called his followers to work towards that “great day [when] justice will roll down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.” From his Buddhist faith perspective, Mr. McIntyre will discuss restorative justice initiatives in the Ottawa area, and his belief in the transformative and healing nature of personal involvement in such initiatives.
April 20: "All Our Relations"
Speaker: Rev. Frances Deverell, Minister
A celebration of the miracle of life on our beautiful planet. Explore the challenge of balancing our demands on nature with the ultimate requirement of living in respectful harmony with all life. The sermon is based on Martin Buber's classic text, I and Thou. We will celebrate an "Ethnic Bread Communion" – please bring a bread that reflects your heritage.
The choir will sing.
April 27: "Terminator Seeds: Issues of Justice and Sustainability"
Guest Speakers: Kate Green, Omar Gallardo & Nilda Martinez
Speakers from USC Canada, Kate Green (Ottawa), Omar Gallardo and Nilda Martinez (Honduras), will reflect on issues related to the ownership and use of seeds. They will examine challenges to the global moratorium on Terminator Seeds and share stories of how farmers' movements have opposed this technology to preserve their rights to save and plant seeds from their harvests.
This is Hunger Sunday. Bring gifts for the Food Bank.
Children's Fellowship
Information will be posted when it becomes available.
What to Expect on Sunday Morning
Services start at 10:30 a.m. with the Mindfulness Bell, a signal for those gathered to sit quietly and compose themselves for the service. The services usually include:
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Lighting of the Chalice: “The flaming chalice has become a well-known symbol of our denomination. It unites our members in worship and symbolizes the spirit of our work. No one meaning or interpretation of the flaming chalice is official. The flaming chalice, like our faith, stands open to receive new truths that pass the tests of reason, justice, and compassion.” (The Flaming Chalice by Dan Hotchkiss) The lighting is accompanied by a short meditative reading. The chalice is extinguished just prior to the ringing of the Mindfulness Bell at the end of the service.
For a more complete history and explanation of the flaming chalice symbol,
click here.
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Joys and Sorrows: This portion of the service is a chance for any who wish to briefly share a particular joy, concern, or sorrow, either verbally or silently by lighting a candle.
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Offering: Although many members donate through pledges, we also receive an offering during the service in support of the work of the Fellowship. Every Sunday donations of non-perishable items for the Gloucester Food Cupboard are also received.
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Meditations: Our services have meditation readings and often have time for silent meditation. As a non-creedal denomination, we do not rely on readings or prayers that espouse a specific religious set of beliefs. Instead, we draw from various world religious traditions, as well as a variety of philosophical fields and the sciences, to present ideas and concepts to inspire and enlighten, and to enable us to widen our spiritual and intellectual views.
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Address: The topics presented each Sunday vary enormously. Our speakers are not limited by dogma and we encourage free discussion and exploration of divergent views and opinions. Recent topics have included:
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A talk by a Hiroshima survivor;
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A presentation about Deaf-culture, with simultaneous translation into American Sign Language;
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A talk on the Celtic concept of “Thin Places” where the visible and invisible worlds meet;
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The sharing of a variety of personal portraits of Jesus by members of a Fellowship study group looking at the Jesus Enigma;
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The sharing of one person's personal heritage, spiritual practice and creative writing as a Quaker, and an examination of the interface between UUs and the Society of Friends.
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Music: Each service usually includes two or three hymns usually drawn from the UU hymnal “Singing the Living Tradition.” We also use popular songs to enhance the theme of the service. We do not have a regular choir, although we are occasionally graced with the talents of a number of members of the Fellowship. We also have visiting musicians, both vocalists and instrumentalists.
All services are enhanced by recorded music, which reinforces ourbelief that all voices on our planet have a message for us. You may hear classical pieces. Or, you may hear anything from Frank Sinatra to Tuvaan throat-singers, from jazz to
bluegrass.
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What to wear: There is no “dress code” and you will see everything from blue jeans to “Sunday best” worn by your fellow congregants.
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What to bring with you:
- An open mind
- An open heart
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Coffee Hour: After the service we have a coffee and refreshment time. You are welcome to stay and enjoy good “fair trade” coffee and excellent conversation. Some coffee hours include a discussion on the topic of the service.
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Children: Children are welcome to remain in the service or to attend the classes with other children. Parents are also welcome to visit in the Children's Fellowship, if they choose.
Several Sundays a month, children attend the beginning of the service and move to the Children's Fellowship after the Joys and Sorrows portion of the service.
Children may join the adults for coffee hour or remain in the classroom where an adult will supervise them.
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