Some of our talks are given in full on our blog and are available for use by others. Please acknowledge the author and our Fellowship.
2025
20th July, Martin Horlacher, “Learning to Hope”
Living with despair is hard. Learning to hope again can be even harder. But it can be done.
6th July, Rev Geoff Usher, “Why Go To Church?”
Polls indicate that fewer than half the population have any affiliation with any particular church or chapel. And in many cases, that affiliation with a particular church or chapel is of the most flimsy and tenuous kind. Too many people who avoid any church commitment choose the short cut and easy road to the materialist goals they have set up for themselves. Going to church helps to give people a higher conception of their place in the universe; it gives a sense of purpose to their lives; it develops respect and kindly feelings for their “fellows”.
29th June, Rev Daniel Jantos, “Laughter Rarely Creates Dogmas”
The words that make up the title of this reflection are from the Russian philosopher and literary critic M.M. Bakhtin. He knew a thing or two about living under authoritarianism. His insights about “the common” offer some insight into something that tends to repeat itself with sad regularity. “This is why I have spontaneously distrusted too much seriousness,” he writes. Through his writings we will explore the healing balm of not taking things/ourselves too seriously.
22nd June, Susan Ackroyd , “Some Origins of Nursery Rhymes ”
15th June, Rev Geoff Usher, “David Copperfield: A Dicken’s Talk”
1st June, Martin Horlacher, “Paradigm Shift”
Traditional religious beliefs have served a purpose throughout human history, but what could a religion for Humanity’s future be?
25th May, Jonathan Drew , “A short History of the World Through the Lens of Myths, Ideology and Ideas of the Divine”
18th May, Graham Spindler , “Background to Pachebel’s Canon”
4th May, Martin Horlacher, “Paradigm Shift”( This talk did not take place)
Traditional religious beliefs have served a purpose throughout human history, but what could a religion for Humanity’s future be?
6th April, Ginna Hastings, “The Importance of Separation Between Church and State, a Rethink for These Times.”
This talk will discuss the importance of freedom of religious thought, a long-held Unitarian principle, and look into it with respect to our country and current events in the United States and why separation of church and state is so essential to this end.
30th March, (This meeting was cancelled)
Rev Geoff Usher, “A Safe Place to Fail”
There is a difference between failing and being a failure; but all too often they are linked in our minds. There is a temptation in our culture to use the labels “success” and “failure” in general ways rather than in specific ways. If we believe that good things come about through our own efforts, then what are we to believe if things turn out badly?
23rd March, Rev Geoff Usher, “Still Re-Writing the Story”
In our Unitarian tradition, we do not seek – or claim – the assurance of an exclusive truth based on miraculous events. Rather, we have the assurance of a deeper truth that men and women will continue to live now, as they have always lived, with hope. We have the faith that the hope with which men and women will continue to live is a hope that they may have a divine origin; that their lives mean something; that their ties to one anonther are important; that understanding and compassion still count; that they were not just intended to be slaves to either power or pragmatism.
16th March, Rev Geoff Usher, “Beliefs Matter”
Many active supporters of organised religion in our Western Christian culture see their unity in uniformity of belief, and their strength in all accepting the same fixed creeds. Unitarians delberately avoid fixed or compulsory creeds, on principle. To become a member or minister, no-one is required to affirm or deny any particular theological belief. for Unitarians, the spirit matters more than the letter. However, what we believe does matter. Unitarians do have beliefs, and they believe a great deal.
2 March, Matin Horlacher, “Not Everybody Gets a Pen”
We’ve all heard about how the pen is mightier than the sword (at least, according to English author Edward Bulwer-Lytton). But what happens when you don’t even have a pen? Does violence – sword or otherwise – become the only remaining option?
23rd February, Rev Geoff Usher, “Fresh Surprise of Love”
Mahatma Gandhi was an intensely human saint; intensely human because he experimented with life, felt all its deep contradictions and simple, profound joys; intensely human because he wrestled with himself and the world as he tried to work out his own salvation. He was a saint because his allegiance to Truth and Non-violence spilled over into the world. He was human because he was a product of his culture, a saint because he transcended it.
Saints like Gandhi have their purpose for the rest of us. Their lives challenge us to focus upon that within ourselves which truly is holy – which truly is the spark of the divine within our humanity. Their lives serve as examples of what human flesh and blood – and human energy and faith and commitment – are capable of doing and achieving.
16th February, Phillip Seale, “Solar Prosperity: Its Begun”
2nd February, Frances Grey, “Climate Catastrophe: It’s Begun”
19th January, Rev Geoff Usher, “There is a Spirit”
Our Unitarian perspective on religion is often misrepresented as negative, as simply focusing on the creeds and the doctrines which we do NOT affirm, which we do NOT share with other Christian denominations. The quest for meaning in our religious journeys is accomplished in a distinctive manner in our Unitarian tradition. One of the themes of Unitarian history has been the preservation, the reinforcement, and the extension of a pattern of values which is genuinely ours.
2024
15th December, Rev Geoff Usher, “Some Christmas Gifts”
The whole story of Christmas is a mixture of symbol and fact. there is almost universal agreement that jesus was a real person, not just a romantic fiction. Hidden within the symbolism and beauty of the Christmas story, there is the idea that all life has meaning, and that a sense of purpose runs through history. Truth, manifestation, meaning, hope and love are gifts of Christmas.
1st December, Carolyn Donnelly, “The Unitarian Thinking About Christmas”
24th November, Professor Shirlry Scott, “Antarctica: Government, Geopolitical Tensions and the Ethical Question of Tourism.”
Deputy President of the Academic Board of UNSW Sydney and a Professor of International Law and International Relations at UNSW Canberra.
Forthcoming books include Geopolitical Change and the Antarctic Treaty System: Historical Lessons, Current Challenges, edited with Jeffrey McGee and Timothy Stephens (Springer 2024 forthcoming) and The Law of the Sea and the Planetary Crisis, edited with Nengye Liu (Routledge 2025 forthcoming).
17th November, Rev Daniel Jantos, “Creating Space”
This reflection comes from being asked about who are/have been inspiring figures in my life. This is part of my answer to that question. And it has everything to do with someone who created space for something/someone else. We will explore what principles might be involved in the creating of spaces where good and positive things can happen.
3rd November, Gabrielle Donovan, “The Effects of Music on Mind, Mood, and Body”
27th October, “Life in Iran”
20th Ocober, Rev Geoff Usher, “People On The Move”
Throughout the world today there are people on the move. Some people are on the move because they are among the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people. Some have been driven from their homes by lack of food. Some are refugees from war and violence. Some people are on the move because they want to do something to make the world a better and fairer place.
29th September, Rev Rex A E Hunt, ” The Lanscape is Australia’s Natural Wonder” ( Part 2)
“We are locked in a dance with landscapes, moulding the contours as they shape our souls”. The capacity of the natural world to inspire a religious response from humans has long been recognised. And I shared some of that thinking in Part I of this Address last year, which was titled ” Looking to Nature: Landscape, Plants and Beauty”.
If we can go to special places, built by humans, which are designated as sacred, surely we can go to special places, shaped naturally, which are recognised as sacred.
22nd September, Martin Horlacher, “The Anger Epidemic”
1st September, Rev Geoff Usher, “Skin Deep”
As Kamala Harris campaigns to become the first woman of colour to be the President of the USA, she faces the twin obstacles of her gender and her colour, and the misogynist supremacists in Donald Trump’s MAGA movement.
In the early 1950s, in his book The nature of Prejudice, Gordon Allport claimed that we are all born into a complex and subtle web of prejudice. They are perpetuated by our culture, by our families, by our friends, by our schools; certainly by radio, television, newspapers. He warns that these prejudices into which we are born are highly resistant to change.
25th August, Gina Hastings, “Living with Wonder and Awe”
We get so busy with the events and details of our lives that we so easily get frustrated, emotionally strained and stressed. I’d like to suggest that we have lost track with “Wonder and Awe” which is one of our most healing of human qualities.
18th August, Rev Geoff Usher, “Haida Gwaii and the Jade Canoe.”
In the Arrivals Lounge of the Vancouver International Air Terminal there is a sculpture by the award-winning Canadian artist Bill Rice (born 1920). Called, The Spirit of Haida Gwaii, the Jade Canoe, it was completed in 1994 and placed in the new Air Terminal to provide a focal point to the entrance and a welcome to visitors from around the world. It is a representation of an ancient Haida dugout canoe. Haida Gwaii means Islands of the Haida People, and the dugout canoe bears 13 supernatural creatures, each of which is related in some way to the mythical past of the Haida people.
28th July, No Meeting at Kirribilli, “Climate Change”
ANZUUA zoom service 1 pm – Ralph Catts and Rex Hunt – Zoom link to be advised. Topic “ climate change.”
21st July, Rev Geoff Usher, “Love at the Root of Comfort”
Is there any one of us who has never been in need of comfort? Most of us will have known times – perhaps many times – when we have been sorely in need of comfort. In these times of distress, we become deeply aware of those who comfort us.
7th July, Martin Horlacher, “IQ or Not to IQ?: Intelligence Squared…or Halved?”
Since when did being intelligent – and I mean genuinely intelligent – become such a taboo in modern society? Has it always been so, or is it simply more visible in the world of mass media? And either way, what does the future hold?
30th June, Rev Daniel Jantos, “What liberation theology might say about the inequalities of the private education system.”
23rd June, Rev Geoff Usher, “Admitting Uncertainty”
In our Unitarian tradition, theology is important, but our Unitarian study is natural theology. It is “the study of God by the light of human reason”. It is a continuing study which brings about change of theological understanding in every generation.
16th June, Gina Hastings, “The Trouble with Narcissists ” (Part 2)
Ginna will discuss what havoc narcissists can create in any situation and how we can handle their destructive games.
2nd June, Rev Geoff usher, “Hard Times and Religion”
Geoff is Treasurer of the NSW Dickens Society, whose Book of the Year for 2024 is Hard Times.Our service on 2 June will commemorate the anniversary of the death of Charles Dickens on 9 June, 1870.
19th May. This talked is cancelled
Rev Dan Jantos, “What liberation theology might say about the inequalities of the private education system.”
5th May, Ginna Hastings, “The Trouble with Narcissists”
What’s a narcissist? What do they do? Why are they so difficult? What can we do when we encounter them in our lives? I’ll be attempting to answer a few of these questions in this talk – but time doesn’t permit a complete academic thesis!
28th April, Rev Geoff Usher, “Socrates”
Socrates was born in 469 BCE and died in 399BCE. He lived about midway between the great Old Testament prophet Isaiah and jesus. Famous as the man who said he knew nothing, he devoted the second half of his life to teaching other people – anyone who would listen. His method of teaching always took the form of a discussion, conversation, questions. Among his disciples were the young men of Athens who were to become the leading philosophers of the next generation.
21st April, Martin Horlacher, “Rational Mysticism: A Contradiction in Terms, or a Tenable Position?”
7th April, Rev Rex A E Hunt , “It Took Jesus a Thousand Years to Die!”
An examination of Saving Paradise, a book published in 2008 by Rita Nakashima Brock – born in Japan and raised in a Buddhist family, and Rebecca Ann Parker – an ordained United Methodist clergy person who also holds dual fellowship with the Unitarian Universalist Association, on the timing and place of the crucifix in Christian art and history.
And its not what we have been previously told!
24th March, Ginna Hastings, “What I Learned About Life by Downsizing”
Last year I moved from a big old, FULL house to a small retirement flat. In shedding my possessions I learned a lot about myself, life and what’s really important in life. I will share those observations in this talk.
25th February, Martin Horlacher, “Fathers of the Renaissance: Francesco Petrarch”
Francesco Petrarch was a 14th century scholar and poet of the early Italian Renaissance, as well as one of the earliest humanists. He holds an important place in intellectual and artistic history, one this talk will examine.
18th February, Rev Geoff Usher, “Return and Rest”
There is a deep human need to find a private place – whether physical or psychological – to which we can retreat when we are troubled, or confused, or needing a time of solitude in which to think things out.
4th February, Martin Horlacher, “Born To Rule”
An examination of the culture of elitism, its psychological underpinnings, and its deleterious effects upon society.
28th January, Martin Horlacher, “Fear”
Fear – we’ve all felt it, experienced it, suffered it. It’s a natural human instinct, and a necessary part of human life. And yet, it can also be used as a deadly weapon – particularly when politics and interpersonal relationships are involved
21st January, Rev Geoff Usher, “I have a dream”
We have inherited the faith and traditions of those who have lived before us. We have inherited their struggle and their suffering, as well as all that these have won. We have inherited the fruits of their courage and their generous sacrifice; and the afterglow of their vision.
We inherit as a unity the mingling of their diversity. We inherit the Spirit that brings all things to be, moulding purpose out of chaos through the power of creative love. As we give thanks for all that we have received, we know we must pass it on, refined and enlarged and improved.
2023
17 December, Gabrielle Donovan, “The History and Significance of Carol Singing”
One can hardly image Christmas without music, song and plays. The wide varied range of customs connected with this time, date back earlier than Christianity. This explains how many pagan echoes and symbols have mingled with the
customs of the Christmas season.
The original Christmas carols were not Christian hymns; they were pagan seasonal songs, sung many thousands of years ago all over Europe to drive away evil spirits. They were sung at Winter Solstice celebrations, the shortest day of the year,
as people danced around stone circles. The word “Carol” means a dance or a song of praise and joy. Carols used to be written and sung during all four seasons, but the only tradition of singing them at Christmas has really survived.
The origins of carols lie firmly in agricultural superstition, performed during the summer, at harvest time as well as midwinter. Country people sang them as they went about the village, offering good wishes and blessings on individual
households in return for food and drink. Often at midwinter, the carollers provided a wassail bowl full of ale in addition to their songs and blessings. Alternatively, carollers sang as they passed through the fields. Whether they sang at households or the crops, the intention was the same: to drive away evil spirits with their singing.
3rd December, Rev Geoff Usher, “Light”
Only by the light of learning, which at the same time represents the spark of our own life, can we overcome the darkness of ignorance, superstition, despair, in our own lives and in our society’s effects on our lives. And when it has helped us to achieve wisdom and goodness in our own lives, we have a responsibility to do what we can to help others to find their way out of the darkness.
19th Novenber, Rev Daniel Jantos, “Reflection on Rumi”
What can a 13th century Afghan mystic have to say that might be relevant or beneficial to contemporary people? Well, for starters, he was a dancer and was the founder of a dance company. That could be refreshing in the religious realm. And he liked taverns. That might cautiously suggest a willingness to not take things too seriously which, especially in the milieu of devoted Islam and maleness, might be promising . And maybe some other things too. This reflection will be an exploration of the writings and the life of Jalaludin Rumi and what it may have to say to us.
5th November, Martin Horlacher, “Fear” ( This meeting was dancelled)
We’ve all felt it – and still feel it, much more often than we’d like. It can set us back by days, months, years, even a lifetime – or, it can spur us on to action and accomplishment, and convince us to change our circumstances for the better. But where does one draw the line between toxicity and necessity?
29th October, Rev Geoff Usher, “His Clear Voice Soundeth”
Religion is not just an intellectual proposition, nor is it just a theory about God. Religion is a consciousness of what some people want to call ultimate reality. It has been said that the aim of all religion is the practical realisation of the highest truth. Whatever our theology about him, Jesus is the central figure of our Unitarian faith. He remains unique among the great religious leaders and teachers. What is needed is the religion of Jesus, not the religion about him. What is needed is a religion inspired by him as a compelling force for the good, not doctrines of sin and punishment, of persecution and fear.
22nd October, Rev Rex A E Hunt, ” Looking to Nature: Landscape, Plants and Beauty”
Everywhere we look, from the dirt under our feet, to butterfly wings, to the edges of the expanding ‘James Webb’ cosmos, and on every scale from atoms to galaxies, the universe appears to be saturated with beauty. Irish philosopher and poet John O’Donohue reminds us: Landscape is the first born of creation. No two places in a landscape are the same, and the landscape viewed or experienced from each place is different. Envisaging the wider reaches of reality not only enlarges the scope of living, but it sensitises our feel for life and beautifies its quality.
15th October, Martin Horlacher, “Fear”
We’ve all felt it – and still feel it, much more often than we’d like. It can set us back by days, months, years, even a lifetime – or, it can spur us on to action and accomplishment, and convince us to change our circumstances for the better. But where does one draw the line between toxicity and necessity?
17th September, Rev Geoff Usher, “The Personal and the Planetary” Part 2
3rd September, Rev Geoff Usher, “The Personal and the Planetary” Part 1
The Lawrence Lectures on Religion and Society were established to inquire into the nature and relevance of religion as it relates to personal meaning and fulfilment, to formulation of values and ethical commitment. On 17 October 1980, Theodore Roszak gave the Lawrence Lecture entitled “The Personal and the Planetary”, at the First Unitarian Church of Berkeley, California. These two sermons are based on that Lecture, for which Roszak took as a text a couple of lines from Gerard Manley Hopkins:
And what is Earth’s eye, tongue, or heart else, where
Else but in dear and dogged man?
27th August, Rev Geoff Usher, “A Religious Adventure in Science”
If you were to seek an outstanding example of the polymath philosopher of the Enlightenment, Joseph Priestley should come immediately to mind. He saw himself not as an expert in any discipline, but as an ‘adventurer in science’. The extent of his thought, the range of his interests,the simple clarity of his writing: all compare favourably with most of his better remembered contemporaries.
20th August, Martin Horlacher, “America’s – and the World’s – Problem with Science”
From America’s inception, there has always been a rebellious, anti-establishment mentality amongst its population. But that way of thinking has become more and more reckless, now that the entire world is interconnected and there are added layers of verification (or repudiation) of facts. It has also become more and more prevalent outside of America, and, spurred on by various voices on both sides of the political and cultural divide, now poses a genuine existential risk to human civilisation.
30th July, Colin Whatmough, “Early Christian Communities up to the 4th century AD and the following conflicts that arose between them”
23rd July, Martin Horlacher, “Use Well the Days”
The saying may well be a simple one – “carpe diem”, or seize the day. Nothing could be more true, more universal. But what is so simple to express in sentiment, is not necessarily so easy to put into practice.
16th July, Gerald Christmas, ” My Life experiences particularly those involved with Christianity and Religion.”
2nd July, Rev Dan Jantos, “Makarrata: a uniquely Australian process of reconciliation or an unrealistic idea from another time?”
The talk will look at the little known practice of Makarrata in comparison to other truth and reconciliation efforts in other parts of the post-colonial world.
25th June, Gabrielle Donovan, “The Spirit of Life, the life of the composer Carolyn McDade”
18th June, Rev Geoff Usher, ” A Celebration of Ralph Waldo Emerson”
A service that will consist largely of readings from Emerson’s own writings, celebrating the 220th anniversary of his birth.
4th June, Martin Horlacher, ”Weasel Word Salad: Why We Are in Need of a Rhetoric Renaissance”
It seems to many, there used to be a certain amount of dignity inherent in the rhetoric used – politically or otherwise – in public discourse. Indeed, the art of rhetoric has a long and proud history, going as far back as Plato and Aristotle. But when the state of modern day rhetoric succumbs to the kind of name-calling and anti-intellectual insults that it has in the past few years – not least of all, with the meaningless term “woke” – then it appears a reinvigoration of critical thinking is in order
28th, May, Carolyn Donnelly, “The life and works of philanthropist, and activist Caroline Chisholm the first woman to appear on an Australian banknote.”
21st May, Rev Geoff Usher, “Renewal and the essence of identity”.
The good news that we Unitarians offer the world is that there is the greatest of hope in the face of all opinions and aspirations. It is not a contingent hope. It is not bound to blind, unchanging stories that ignore the evolution of all creation. It is not a hope rootes in fixed unchanging forms. Its great strength lies in what seems to be its vulnerability, its weakness. throughout our history, Unitarians have borne witness to the power of inclusivity.
7th May, Martin Horlacher, “’Ode to Aesthetics’ – the historical intersection of ethics and beauty”
It’s quite alarming when you consider the degree of human suffering that went into the construction of so many works of beautiful art throughout human history, and doubly so when you consider the ideology behind so many of those creations. But that doesn’t mean we can’t still appreciate the aesthetic achievements of those artworks and their makers, and consider what deeper truths they might stand for.
30th April. Grabrielle Donovan, “Music and the First World War”
The outbreak of war in 1914 was an inspiration for many songwriters, lyricists, professional singers and musicians, resulting in a huge body of works devoted to wartime themes. Popular wartime music reveals the relationships and experiences of those who served and those who remained behind. Music stirred feelings of loss, longing, nostalgia and sometimes hope, and touched many in a powerful and emotional way.
23rd April, Rev Geoff Usher, “St George and the Dragon”
16th April, Rev Geoff Usher, “Some Post-Easter Reflections”
The Tenebrae+ service held in some Christian churches during Holy Week acts as a reminder that Easter hope arises from real pain, and that life’s affirmations are often made in the context of difficulty and sorrow. The resurrection stories are a reminder that through times of personal despair and hopelessness there is a light at the end of the tunnel and rebirth for the soul.
2nd April, Martin Horlacher, “Ode to Aesthetics: The Historical Intersection of Ethics and Beauty”
It’s quite alarming when you consider the degree of human suffering that went into the construction of so many works of beautiful art throughout human history, and doubly so when you consider the ideology behind so many of those creations. But that doesn’t mean we can’t still appreciate the aesthetic achievements of those artworks and their makers, and consider what deeper truths they might stand for.
26th March, Rev Geoff Usher, “Reason and Religion”
The history of religion indicates that there is an area of knowledge which is different from ordinary reasoning. Emerson called it intuition or the “Oversoul”, and said that reason is a tool – the tool by which we can fashion our intuition into truth which we can communicate to other people.
There are both rational and mystic elements in religion. we need to find the balance between the elements based on reason and the elements based on faith or intuition. And both kinds of elements need to be tested in the appropriate ways.
19th March, Rev Geoff Usher, “Gospel Values and Political Attitudes”
Some questions to consider as we prepare for the coming elections. How do we reconcile our faith with the decisions we make in daily life? What determines the way we feel about the body politic? Do we think about our consumer choices and the impact these may have on third-world producers? What determines our attitude towards conflict in all its forms
26th February, Rev Geoff Usher, “God, Mammon and Unitarians.”
Whenever a prophet threatens the status quo, the economic core is also threatened. That has often led to elaborate, often fatal, efforts to end the prophet’s influence. And yet prophets throughout the ages have simply posed the questions: What motivates our actions? Where do we honour relationship? How do we feel secure? How do we live with money?
19th February, Rev Geoff Usher, “What do we mean by Religion?”
What do we understand by the word “religion”? This is a question much more easily asked than answered. Many writers on comparative religion show a distinct reluctance to give a definition. In the Department of Religious Studies at Sydney University in the 1980s the subject was often raised, but no definition was formally agreed or adopted.
5th February, This talk has been postponed to a future date
Martin Horlacher, “Ode to Aesthetics: The Historical Intersection of Ethics and Beauty”
It’s quite alarming when you consider the degree of human suffering that went into the construction of so many works of beautiful art throughout human history, and doubly so when you consider the ideology behind so many of those creations. But that doesn’t mean we can’t still appreciate the aesthetic achievements of those artworks and their makers, and consider what deeper truths they might stand for.
29th January, Ginna Hastings, “Reflections on a book by Mary Trump ( niece of Donald Trump) about her notorious uncle and his disastrous presidency.”
Reviewing Donald Trump as president and leader upon rereading Mary Trump’s book. What we do not need in our political leaders.
22nd January, Rev Geoff Usher, “Quality rather than Quantity”
If we feel essentially incomplete, an easy way to prove our connection with reality/life/the world, and to prove our sense of personal worth, is by conspicuous consumption. Our measures of abstract value are often related to concrete objects; our measures of personal worth tend to be quantitative rather than qualitative.
2022
18th December, Rev Geoff Usher, “Some Christmas Gifts,”
Behind the Christmas story are truths of great significance for humanity. The whole story of Christmas is a mixture of symbol and fact, of imagery and truth – literal truth and prophetic or spiritual truth. The prophetic dreams, the wandering star, the song of the angels: we may find it difficult to accept such elements of the story as historically true. We may be unable to regard the Biblical narrative as a complete and accurate account of what happened two thousand years ago. And yet, they are more than simply a flight into fantasy. There is a truth in such elements, and through them great truths are being communicated; and communicated in depth, not merely superficially.
4th December, Rev Rex A E Hunt , “Eureka! The Politics of Power verses Gold”
Eureka Day is celebrated/remembered on 3 December each year.
At around 3.52am on the Sunday morning of 3 December 1854, 276 troopers of the 12th Regiment, leave the Government Camp and attack the stockade (in Ballarat) at dawn.The attack starts when a digger fires the first shot at 4.35 am.The battles finished by 4.55am.
In a letter to The Age following the uprising, Peter Lalor, leader of the miners, wrote asking why “nothing had been done to fix affairs before this bloody tragedy took place.”He continued: “Is it to prove to us that a British government can never bring forth a measure of reform without having first prepared a font of human blood in which to baptise that offspring of their generous love?… Or is it to convince the world that where a large standing army exists, the Demon of Despotism will have frequently offered at his shrine the mangled bodies of murdered men.”
After the Eureka uprising, most of the miners’ grievances were redressed.
27th November, Martin Horlacher, “Ode to Aesthetics: The Historical Intersection of Ethics and Beauty”
It’s quite alarming when you consider the degree of human suffering that went into the construction of so many works of beautiful art throughout human history, and doubly so when you consider the ideology behind so many of those creations. But that doesn’t mean we can’t still appreciate the aesthetic achievements of those artworks and their makers, and consider what deeper truths they might stand for.
20th November, Rev Geoff Usher, “Humility”
Humility is the orphaned virtue of our age. Charles Dickens dealt it a mortal blow in his portrayal of the unctious Uriah Heep. True humility is one of the most expansive and life-enhancing of all virtues. It does not need to advertise itself, but is a glorious revelation of the human spirit.
6th November, Martin Horlacher, “Cynicism: A Short History”
An examination of cynicism through the ages, from Ancient Greece to today…as well as whether or not it’s a healthy state of mind.
30th October, Rev . Dan Jantos : “There is a thread you follow. It goes among things that change. But it doesn’t change.”
The title of this talk comes from William Stafford’s poem “Way It Is.” Recently I invited a group of 6 men, some of whom, I have not seen or heard from in 50 years to meet in Gerringong for a catch up. The long weekend of conversation and reflection provided for much more ongoing introspection. This talk is a form of journaling. It takes the opportunity to clarify some of the reflections that emerge from that encounter. 50 years is, at least, a half of a lifetime. It turned out to be a rare milestone. We stopped and looked back and asked ourselves what has transpired in the interim and what trajectory are we on?
16th October, Gabrielle Donovan, “How does singing together affirm and promote the seven Principles of each Unitarian Universal member?”
Unitarian Universalist congregations affirm and promote seven Principles, which we hold as strong values and moral guides. We live out these Principles within a “living tradition” of wisdom and spirituality, drawn from sources as diverse as science, poetry, scripture, and personal experience. “The Principles are not dogma or doctrine, but rather a guide for those of us who choose to join and participate in Unitarian Universalist religious communities.”
25th September, Rev Rex A E Hunt, “Norbert Capek and the Story of the Flower Communion” (Part 2)
In Celebration of the Life of Norbert Capek (1870-1942) – Part Two – and in the spirit of his unique Flower Communion.The Flower Communion service had its origins in 1923 when Norbert Capek, a former Baptist and later founder of the Unitarian Church in Czechoslovakia, introduced it to his congregation…A congregation that was made up of former Roman Catholics, former orthodox Protestants and former liberal Jews.In all the colours and scents and tastes and sounds of the world, we see the beauty of the universe.In this season of spring it is fitting we should celebrate the renewal of life and hope, using the symbols of spreads and biscuits, of coffee, tea, and flowers.Flowers do not bloom for us. They do not care whether or not we see them. They grow and bloom because they are full of life
18th September, Ren Geoff Usher, “Norbert Capek and the Story of the Flower Communion” (Part 1)
The Czech Unitarian minister Norbert Capek created the Flower Communion as a way of providing a ritual which would be acceptable to a congregation that included people from a variety of religious backgrounds. He was murdered by the nazis in 1942. Marking the 80th anniversary of his death, Geoff Usher will tell his story on the 18th September and the following Sunday (25th) Rex Hunt will lead a Flower Communion.
4th September, Rev Geoff Usher, “Reflections on the pool of Bethesda”
The Pool of Bethesda is in Jerusalem. This famous pool was so important to several empires that it was called “the house of healing”. People believed that “at a certain seasons” an angel went down, stepped into the pool and disturbed the water. They believed that when the surface of the pool was disturbed by the angel the water had acquired special powers of healing. The first person to get into the pool would be healed of his/her ailment.
21st August, Rev Geoff Usher, ” The Empty Space in the Middle “
The ancient Hebrews had an absolute taboo on the use of the word “God”. This taboo was expressed in the third of the Ten Commandments: “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.” The sharing of silence is an important part of our worship services, and in the services of many Unitarian congregations around the world. We can’t avoid words altogether, but we do well to remember that our words are no more than nets which we cast into the vast ocean of life in our attempts to capture meaning.
7th August, Martin Horlacher, ” Bite the Hand -the moral necessity of the Arts”
31st July, Rev Geoff Usher, “The Great Sin”
The Genesis concept of having “dominion” over all that lives and moves on earth has created problems. It is of course a human concept, based on human words which tried to express an answer to the question of the origin of human existence. However, it has helped to foster the attitude that “dominion” includes a right to exploit the earth’s resources with no thoughts for the future; to take all we can get, now, because we are entitled to it. In this attitude the exploiters succumb to the “Great Sin” of pride.
24th July, Rev Geoff Usher, ” Faith”
The word ‘faith” occurs frequently in the Bible and in hymns, but it is frequently misunderstood and mis-used. It is the cause of much confusion in religion and life, particularly in Biblical interpretation. All too often it is used as a synonym for “belief”. Many people seem to confuse the two words and use them interchangeably. Although belief is a pre-requisite for faith, to believe something and to have faith in something involve quite different approaches to it. What do we mean when we use the word ‘faith”?
17th July, Rev Geoff Usher, “Holy Spirit, Truth Divine.”
Our Unitarian faith is bound to Freedom, Reason and Tolerance. Its freedom means that Unitarian beliefs have ranged widely: they have included the “Free Christianity” preached by James Martineau in England and the “Free Religion” preached by Samuel Longfellow in New England. Longfellow was one of our more prolific hymn writers. If you read his hymns carefully you will notice that he rarely addressed them to God the Father or to Jesus the Son of God; rather, he wrote to the Universal Spirit, and sought to write hymns that could provide a bridge between the Biblical tradition and the Transcendentalism of the 19th century.
3rd July, (This talk was cancelled)
Daniel Jantos, “There is a thread you follow. It goes among things that change. But it doesn’t change.”
The title of this talk comes from William Stafford’s poem “Way It Is.” Recently I invited a group of 6 men, some of whom, I have not seen or heard from in 50 years to meet in Gerringong for a catch up. The long weekend of conversation and reflection provided for much more ongoing introspection. This talk is a form of journaling. It takes the opportunity to clarify some of the reflections that emerge from that encounter. 50 years is, at least, a half of a lifetime. It turned out to be a rare milestone. We stopped and looked back and asked ourselves what has transpired in the interim and what trajectory are we on?
26th June, Carolyn Donnelly, “Julia Ward Howe”
A review of this Unitarian poet, writer, lecturer, pacifist and suffragist, and also co- founder of the American Woman Suffrage Association in 1869.
19th June, Rev Geoff Usher, “The Great Sin”
The Genesis concept of having “dominion” over all that lives and moves on earth has created problems. It is of course a human concept, based on human words which tried to express an answer to the question of the origin of human existence. However, it has helped to foster the attitude that “dominion” includes a right to exploit the earth’s resources with no thoughts for the future; to take all we can get, now, because we are entitled to it. In this attitude the exploiters succumb to the “Great Sin” of pride.
5th June, Martin Horlacher, “The Thoughts of Master Mo”
When people think of philosophers and intellectuals from Ancient China, it’s usually names like Confucius and Lao Tzu who spring to mind. And yet, so often overlooked is their contemporary, the sage, teacher and statesman known as Mozi, who taught that everyone is equal in the eyes of heaven, and that only those who are worthy of power should ever wield it. Although the strength of his influence has waned over the last two millennia, there is still much that can be learned from his ideas.
22nd May, Rev Geoff Usher, “Truth: Variation, Deviation, Interpretation”
British Unitarian minister Francis Terry often felt drawn to see how much of religion he could sum up in a single phrase. The attempt may help to bring some matters into a clearer light by the very attempt to focus on something specific and essential. One such phrase which appealed to him was that: religion is a journey, taken in trust, towards an unknown destination.
Religion is a process of learning. It is – or it should be – an active, dynamic process. If it is dynamic, rather than static, then it will be a continuing and a changing thing, so attempts to provide a rigid, immutable definition must always fail.
15th May, Rev Geoff Usher, “What a Piece of Work Is?”
Some women feel excluded by language of worship which portrays God only as father and people only as men.
The issue of exclusive, sexist language is important. It is not trivial. So, what are we to do?
1st May, Rev Geoff Usher, “Fourteen Decades after Darwin”
Charles Darwin died on the 19th of Aril, 1882. He did not invent the concept of evolution. There were many people before him, Christians and Non-Chistians, who held ideas of evolution in some form. What Darwin did was to present a theory explaining evolution through natural selection, and to present it on the basis of a solid sub-structure of observed fact.
The great philosopher of Darwinism was Herbert Spencer ( 1820 – 1903) who defined evolution as “a transformation of an indefinite incoherent homogeneity into a definite coherent heterogeneity, this being accomplished through a long series of differentiations and integrations.”
3rd April, Martin Horlacher , “A Sensitivity to Ephemera”
In the Japanese literary tradition, there exists a concept known as “mono no aware” – which can be translated as “an empathy toward things”, or, perhaps more appropriately, “a sensitivity to ephemera”. It is essentially an idiom for the impermanence of things, as well as both a transient wistfulness at their passing, and a longer, deeper, gentle sadness about this state being the reality of life…and it is a concept all of us would do well to meditate on, and learn from.
27th March, Gabrielle Donovan, “Bela Bartok – Hungarian composer and lover of nature who converted from a Catholic to a Unitarian”
20th March, Rev Rex A. E. Hunt, “Autumn: The Season of Festivals, Harvest… and Leaves”
• Autumn invites us to look for more daily experiences of awe. That feeling of being in the presence of something vast that transcends one’s understanding of the world. Philosopher Sam Keen coined the term ‘wonderosity’ to describe the combination of wonder and curiosity. Wonder is a natural response to the reports of our senses; we are dazzled by something in the world around us. Curiosity helps us stay open to new experiences, and it takes us to places where we can be amazed.
• To nurture the joy of wonder is to be attuned to the simple beauty of the unexpected.
• In Autumn the shedding of leaves from deciduous trees is a significant feature. Albert Camus wrote: “Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.”
6th March, Martin Horlacher , “The Obscenity of Authority”
Authority is typically defined as the legitimate power that one person or group of people hold over others – at least, in the fields of sociology and political science. But, even this definition of the concept is fraught with problems…and it becomes even more problematic in a world in which the very notion of “legitimate power” is arguably more tenuous than ever before in human history.
27th February, Colin Whatmough, “Early Unitarian Transcendentalist scholars: Thoreau”
20th February, Rev Geoff Usher, “Climbing Up the Slippery Slope”
Unitarianism is a religion with its authority grounded in caring relationships – in the reality of life, and not the fantasy of an irrelevant myth; it is a religion which would outwit the torturing demons before they gain ascendance to agonise our souls; a religion that raises life to a living affirmation of creative love. (C.W.McGehee)
6th February, Rev Daniel Jantos, “We are all in this together”
Could it really be that the pandemic has honed our sense of equality and fairness? Some of those who thought the rules didn’t apply to them seem to have not fared well lately. Is this a newish trend? Has the pandemic “levelled the playing field”? Have recent cultural and societal movements built a momentum for equality – even amidst growing inequities? Where is religion in all this? Are the architecture, the rituals and the doctrines of “exception” finding themselves exposed and relegated to spheres of irrelevance in this contemporary imperative of “we are all in this together”?
30th January, Martin Horlacher, “The Shadow Generation”
We all want to live long, full lives. We all want to be happy. We all want to achieve and live out our hopes and dreams and ambitions. And in a country like Australia, though we might not realise it, many of us actually have a chance to do just that, or at least the closest thing possible to it. And yet, what about those of us who don’t have that opportunity…be it in Australia, or elsewhere?
16th January, Rev Geoff Usher, “Morality for Our Time”
Too often faith – the Christian faith – is taken over by fundamentalists and extremists who claim to speak for God, to speak for Jesus, but whose actions are anything but Christian.
We hear a lot about moral values but what ARE moral values? We don’t make them up as we go along – not if we are people of faith. We have an inherited tradition of right and wrong, but we need to ensure that it is appropriate to our time.