8 January, Ginna Hastings: “New year’s Resolutions—a rethink.”
Over the course of human history we seem to have settled upon Jan 1 as the start of a “new year”. Of course why this spot in time is the start of the “new year” is an accident of pagan and Christian history and tradition. Nonetheless, we all like to think of having new beginnings, wiping away the old and starting afresh. Why do we? What can we do differently this year to make it really fresh?
15 January, Rev. Steve Wilson: “Gay Pride, Rights and Diagnoses”
Forty years ago, homosexuality was removed from being classified as a mental illness. Today, we hear the details of the story, the nuances of that moment. Walk with us as we remember the history of how riots led to rights.
22 January, Rev. Steve Wilson: “A Faithless Faith?”
Is Religion without a Supernatural Leap Valid? Is there really religion beyond faith, and if so what? Is faith in God / a Goddess, Jesus or something similar, …something bigger,… essential for an effective, practical, valuable, contemporary religious/spiritual life? Is belief in something bigger,… essential to religion? Is some leap of faith required?
29 January, Martin Horlacher: “Prove It.”
We all have rights, but what about responsibilities? We’re all worthy, but is anyone really special? At least once, every individual must rise to the challenge posed by this life, one that can be expressed in just two words – prove it.
5th February, Rev Dr Ian Ellis-Jones: ” Omar Khayyam: Sufi mystic or hedonist?”
Was the beloved Persian poet and astronomer Omar Khayyám a Sufi mystic or simply an apologist for hedonism? Ian Ellis-Jones discusses the philosophy of the man who wrote, ‘Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life.’
12th February, Dr. Max Lawson: ” The Influence of Ralph Waldo Emerson on Unitarianism”
His influence was enormous, essentially changing the religion forever more.
19 February, Dr. Andrew Usher: ” The Things Which Matter”
A rabbi was known to pray for an hour every morning before starting
work. Someone asked: “What happens when you are really busy? Do you only pray for half or quarter of an hour?”
“No,” was the reply. “When I am really busy, I pray for *two* hours in the morning!”
26 February, Candace Parks: ” The Devil and Martha Stewart”
What’s so great about being perfect?
4th March, Janine Matthews: “Without a Home”.
The state of being ‘homeless’ is not reserved only for the down and outs of society but can in fact be a few lapsed mortgage payments away. Shelter is one of man’s basic needs but does that shelter have to be a 3 bedroom brick home on a quarter acre of land?
11th March, Eric Stevenson: “Are Unitarians open to Change?”
Most of our members have evidenced their commitment to religious change by leaving an orthodox faith and joining a Unitarian Fellowship. What is that experience like? Where does the journey lead? And should it ever come to an end?
18th March, Dr. Andrew Usher: “New Beginnings.”
We have recently had “New Year” in the middle of summer. The ancient Celts considered that the year began at the start of winter (the first frost). Other cultures begin the year at different times. The ideas of renewal and resolution have benefits whatever the season.
25th March, Davy Knittle: “A Free and Responsible Search”.
I’ve spent the past six months traveling between different cities in the interest of studying how residents in each of those cities talk about what it means to live there. In these cities, which have spanned from Toronto, Canada to Quito, Ecuador; Madrid, Spain and Paris, France, I’ve wondered about how people use their cities to help with their livelong processes of engaging with themselves and with their communities. As a lifelong UU, I’ve also wondered how my own explorations in each city might be impacted by my search for truth, and my search for searching itself, to which I am drawn by the UU tradition.
1st April, Morandir Armson: “Indian food spirituality and what Westerners can learn from it”.
Indian food is peculiarly influenced by the religious traditions of that country. Indeed, the cuisine of the subcontinent is seriously saturated with motifs of spirituality and religion, theories of spiritual progression and taboos on certain foods. Indian cuisine is the finest example of how spirituality and food can mesh.
And it can be asked – what can non-Indian people learn from the culinary spirituality of India? At present, the Western world is suffering from various food-related problems, such as childhood obesity and a food crisis amongst people of low socioeconomic status, as well as being involved in a number of food-related debates, focused on animal cruelty in the meat and egg industries, the ethics of vegetarianism and veganism and a feeling that some kind of “food spirituality” has been lost from Western culture.
8th April, Morandir Armson: “Islam for those who haven’t studied it”
Islam is a fascinating religion, the third of the great Monotheistic faiths. Unfortunately, many Western people have developed a mistaken view of Islam, because of the “war on terror” and the fearful attacks that have taken place in New York, London, Madrid and Bali.
In this presentation, I will try to follow the guidelines laid out by Ginna; to help us all understand this religion and see it with an open mind. I hope that the result of this talk will be to foster a discussion of Islam for those who don’t know much about it and to help us all understand it.
15th April, Dr. Andrew Usher: “The Messiah is one of you”.
25th March, Davy Knittle: “A Free and Responsible Search”.
I’ve spent the past six months traveling between different cities in the interest of studying how residents in each of those cities talk about what it means to live there. In these cities, which have spanned from Toronto, Canada to Quito, Ecuador; Madrid, Spain and Paris, France, I’ve wondered about how people use their cities to help with their livelong processes of engaging with themselves and with their communities. As a lifelong UU, I’ve also wondered how my own explorations in each city might be impacted by my search for truth, and my search for searching itself, to which I am drawn by the UU tradition.
1st April, Morandir Armson: “Indian food spirituality and what Westerners can learn from it”.
Indian food is peculiarly influenced by the religious traditions of that country. Indeed, the cuisine of the subcontinent is seriously saturated with motifs of spirituality and religion, theories of spiritual progression and taboos on certain foods. Indian cuisine is the finest example of how spirituality and food can mesh.
And it can be asked – what can non-Indian people learn from the culinary spirituality of India? At present, the Western world is suffering from various food-related problems, such as childhood obesity and a food crisis amongst people of low socioeconomic status, as well as being involved in a number of food-related debates, focused on animal cruelty in the meat and egg industries, the ethics of vegetarianism and veganism and a feeling that some kind of “food spirituality” has been lost from Western culture.
8th April, Morandir Armson: “Islam for those who haven’t studied it”
Islam is a fascinating religion, the third of the great Monotheistic faiths. Unfortunately, many Western people have developed a mistaken view of Islam, because of the “war on terror” and the fearful attacks that have taken place in New York, London, Madrid and Bali.
In this presentation, I will try to follow the guidelines laid out by Ginna; to help us all understand this religion and see it with an open mind. I hope that the result of this talk will be to foster a discussion of Islam for those who don’t know much about it and to help us all understand it.
15th April, Dr. Andrew Usher: TBA
22nd April, Rev. Rex A.E. Hunt: “Eaarth Day and God! Beyond ‘Belief’ to ‘Mystery’ and ‘Creativity’ “.
Earth Day 2012 – marks the 42nd anniversary of what many consider the birth of the modern environment movement in 1970.
Rex is a retired Uniting Church minister, Founding director of The Centre for Progressive Religious Thought, and Chair, Common Dreams Conference for Religious Progressives.
29th April, Laurence Gormley: “Cyberbullying: New ways to Intimidate”.
Some new thoughts on this old, obnoxious behaviour.
6 May, Colin Whatmough: ” The Unitarian Principle – the goal of world community with peace, liberty and Justice. “
Colin will be looking at US foreign policy, survival and stark realities.
13 May, Jan Tendys: “Climate Change—Is there any basis for Optimism? “
Technological innovation has been very impressive but there is more to be tackled.
20 May, Dr Andrew Usher: “Sorrow passes and we remain.”
A response by Henry James to the difficulties of life.
27 May, Warren Simmons (debut talk): “The Farther Reaches of Human Nature?”
This is a very personal account of a visitor to my home, unsolicited and unexpected, invisible, yet more real than anyone I have ever met. I will tell you the “what”, although much of this is ineffable and I must resort to metaphor to communicate it. The “who” and the “why” are much harder to account for, and you will be left to your own judgements , as indeed I have been.
An intensive period of research followed this experience and time allowing, I will share as much as I can. Plotinus is helpful (3rd Cent. AD); the desert fathers (6th Cent. AD) likewise; Rudolph Otto is right on the money; Krishnamurti, Henry Geiger, Abraham Maslow all have contributions to make. It is a very old story really but one observed in a modern context.
3 June, Candace Parks: “The floating life.”
Going with the flow sounds nice, until the river tries to kill you.
10 June, Rev. Geoffey Usher: “David Copperfield and Religion: Dickens commemorative Service.”
This year is the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles dickens, who died on 9 June 1870. Dickens had a strong sense of a social gospel expressed as a continuing and deep conviction of our collective responsibility for the poor and dispossessed.
Geoff Usher has been a member of the Dickens Fellowship for over forty years, first in Adelaide, then in Sheffield (where he became President of the Sheffield Branch), and now in Sydney. He is a Committee member of the NSW Dickens Society, whose book of the year for 2012 is David Copperfield. Some of the religious themes of the novel will be explored in this commemorative service.
17 June, Dr. Andrew Usher: ” Lessons from Kindergarten.”
After Robert Fulghum’s essay “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten”.
24 June, Martin Horlacher: “Not *That* Kind of Doctor!”
Given all the problems we so often face in this world, we can be forgiven for sometimes just wanting to whizz off in time and space and forget about it all. But, doesn’t solving one’s own problems include helping to solve those around us?
1 July, Helen Whatmough: “Another Weapon of Destruction?”
The increasing use of drones as a surreptitious weapon of destruction crossing borders at will.
8 July, Ginna Hastings: “Work”.
What is it about work? It makes us and breaks us. It inspires and defeats us.
It challenges our moral sense. It makes us who we are. This talk will be about how to handle work in our lives.
15 July, Dr Andrew Usher: “Community”.
22 July, Rev. Dr Ian Ellis-Jones: “The Wizard of Oz: Going Beyond Humbug.”
L Frank Baum, author of the much-loved The Wizard of Oz and several other ‘Oz’ books, was a Theosophist and freethinker. He was a deeply spiritual man, and a fearless and tireless fighter against religious orthodoxy and dogmatism (that is, ‘humbug’—his word). Although not a Unitarian as such, Baum’s ‘message’ is very Unitarian. Come and find out why … and what we can learn from the ‘Wizard’.
29 July, Colin Whatmough: “Reviewing Iraq”.
Unitarians are challenged to engage in a free and responsible search for truth and meaning, but with Iraq we find deception and lies which lead to tragedy.
5 August, Candace Parks: “The Ghost in the Machine”.
Some people think they know a god when they see one. But how do we (or would we) recognize God if we saw her? Or saw him? What does God look like? Would we know it if God were sitting beside us in the next pew, or if the Creator panhandled us on the street?
12 August, Eric Stevenson: “Introducing the work of John Dominic Crossan”
What I think Dom thinks other people might have thought about Jesus. A potted version of the Christology of John Dominic Crossan 19th August Dr. Andrew Usher Reflection and Response. A meditative service with space for the congregation to reflect on and respond to the readings.
19th August, Dr. Andrew Usher: “Reflection and Response”.
A meditative service with space for the congregation to reflect on and respond to the readings.
26th August, Morandir Armson: “Kashrut and Dhabiha Halal: An Examination of Religious Food Taboo.”
When examining the intersection of food and spirituality, the food taboos practiced by adherents of both Judaism and Islam come readily to mind. This presentation will discuss both Kashrut and Dhabiha Halal as examples of culinary spirituality.
2nd September, Rev. Geoff Usher: “Our Different Faith”.
When the Fourth of Act of Uniformity came into effect on 24th August, 1662, almost 2000 ministers of the Church of England preached their last services and resigned, or were dismissed, from their positions. Many of these non-conformist, or dissenting, ministers founded new congregations, some of which eventually became Unitarian. This service will mark the 350th anniversary of what became known as The Great Ejection.
9 September, Warren Simmons: “The Life & Works of Frank Lloyd Wright”
16 September, Dr Andrew Usher: “A Sing Song”
A chance to sing some of your favourite songs/hymns and ones not on the cds, with a few readings in between. Let me know if you have any special requests : aero@bluebottle.com
23 September, Rev. Dr. Ian Ellis-Jones: “‘Alice in Wonderland’: The Ancient Wisdom”
Ian will speak about the spiritual wisdom contained in Lewis Carroll’s book “Alice in Wonderland”, especially the advice given as respects the search for one’s “true” self.
30 September, Rev. Geoff Usher: “A Matter of Perspective”
An essential part of being a Unitarian is to be genuinely receptive to new insights and realities. That does not mean cheerfully accepting every new idea or theory that anyone happens to put before us. But it does mean keeping our minds alert, flexible, supple enough to see beyond the old, failing paradigms to new, liberating ones.
7 October, Jan Tendys: “Deeds not Creeds”
Unitarians and Unitarian Universalists have had a reputation throughout their history as people who do things. However, as human population soars to the 9 billion mark and climate change, if unchecked, makes life under the equator intolerable (with consequent millions fleeing to more liveable places) is there anything anybody can do? Which NGOs are most useful at this time? What policies should we be asking our governments to pursue? As a small group, could we specialise in letter-writing to fulfil our Unitarian mission?
14 October, Dr Max Lawson : “Jane Austen : Living the ‘Good Life’ “
Max discusses how Jane Austen’s attitudes as portrayed in her books demonstrates a good, Unitarian way of life.
21 October, Morandir Armson: ‘A Triumph of the Moon: Contemporary Paganism in the Modern World’.
Ever since Gerald Gardner published ‘Witchcraft Today’ in 1954, contemporary Paganism has had some presence in modern Western culture. But what is contemporary Paganism, and what do its adherents believe? This presentation will examine various strands of contemporary Pagan belief and practice and seek to give an answer to these questions.
28 October, Jenny Toisuta (Guest speaker): “The Work of Balmain for Refugees”.
4 November, Martin Horlacher: “In Time”.
Time is of the essence, as they say, and I believe it is still on our side. But will time prove to be the enemy – or, in time, will we be dancing in the streets all night?
11 November, Warren Simmons: “Introduction to the history and beliefs of the Latter Day Saints.”
In 1820 a young boy of 14yrs of age has a visitation and some ten years later is directed to recreate the new-testament church on earth. Thus began the restoration movement which currently consists of some 300 different denominations that trace their beginnings to these events. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the largest of these organisations. The history will be outlined as well as including some of the distinctive beliefs of two of the organisations that operate today.
8 November, Morandir Armson: “J.R.R. Tolkien: Enigma and ‘Sub-Creator’.”
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was something of an enigma; a devout Catholic who created the most staggeringly complex fantasy world yet devised. But was his religion at odds with his fantasy creation? This talk will examine Tolkien’s religion, in the light of his literary creations, and seek to explain the religious aspects of his work.
25 November, Rev. Dr. Ian Ellis-Jones: “William Wordsworth: the Mystic Romantic”.
Ian will speak about the poetry of William Wordsworth, a mystical giant of the Romantic Age who had an incredible insight into the illusory nature of the ‘self’ and who understood reality as a ‘process’ unfolding from one moment to the next.
2 December, Martin Horlacher: “Make Haste to Live”.
Life can be hard, life can be trying…life is life. But, don’t let it pass you by. *Live*…with great haste.
9 December, Cassie Thornley: “The Lady Behind the Lamp”
We know of Florence Nightingale’s contribution to the establishment of modern nursing, but what else did she contribute to her society? A quick look at her busy life.
16 December, Ginna Hastings & Dr Max Lawson: “Some Observations on Christmas”.
This talk is a Christmas service with reflections on T.S.Eliot’s “Journey of the Magi”