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Apr-2-2017: The Power of Compassion

The Power of Compassion Sandy Burpee Compassion is a powerful emotion, but does it always lead us in the right direction? Today we will explore the nature of compassion and consider its intersection with the ethical treatment of others. A long time Beacon member, Sandy has chaired the Tri-Cities Homelessness & Housing Task Group since […]

Mar-19-2017: Failing at Simplicity

Failing at Simplicity Rev. Debra Thorne As a country and as a culture, Canadians are the most wasteful, indulgent and neglectful in the world. We have been called environmental laggards. Knowing this doesn’t seem to make a difference. How do we encourage a sea-change in our relationship with earth and technological resources? I suggest our […]

Mar-12-2017: To Live Deliberately

To Live Deliberately Rev. Samaya Oakley We live in an age where we are constantly bombarded with messages about how to dress, what to eat, what to drive, what to listen to, and how to live. How do we, as Unitarian Universalists, maneuver ourselves through the quagmire of these messages? This service looks at the […]

Mar-5-2017: The Cost of Our Arising

The Cost of Our Arising Rev. Debra Thorne In this season of Lent the Christian tradition begins its journey of delving deeply into the meaning of death and the renewal of life. On a similar theme, we turn our focus to discerning that which is essential from what is not. From the mystic Gurdjieff to […]

Feb-26-2017: Joy and Justice in Climate Action

Guy Dauncey If we don’t have a pretty firm idea of where we are going, how are we going to get there? Guy Dauncey, eco-futurist and author of 101 Solutions to Global Warming and Cancer: 101 Solutions to a Preventable Epidemic and Journey to the Future, will speak of joy and justice in climate action. […]

Feb-19-2017: Our Interdependence Calls

Rev. Debra Thorne Listen. We are not alone. Breathe. We are connected to every person and every plant and every star. There is a humming rising from this connection, it is a song of joy and a song of love. It is a truth more powerful than a bushel of doubts, more real than your […]

Feb-12-2017: The Syrian Conflict: A Personal Perspective

Mohamad Kebbewar Mohamad has been a volunteer translator for the Settlement Team since last summer, after serendipitously meeting Susan Millar at a poetry reading in which he was presenting. Mohamad, a native of Syria, will be speaking about the Syrian conflict and sharing some of his original writing. Mohamad Kebbewar was born and raised in […]

Jan-29-2017: Disability, Radical Inclusion, and Attitude Shifts

Disability, Radical Inclusion, and Attitude Shifts Dave Symington This talk will explore various issues concerning disability, societal attitudes, and some radical ideas about sexuality and inclusion. Through personal experience of living with a disability for over 40 years, as well as 20 years of living without a disability, the speaker will explore systemic and social […]