Learning from Ancestors

Rev. Lynn Harrison (video recording)

Many of our ancestors lived through times of great upheaval. What can the practice of learning from our ancestor’s experiences offer us right now? Lynn speaks to us by video in this year’s Meaning Making series, “Meeting this moment with love and justice.”

Lynn Harrison was ordained at Neighbourhood UU Congregation in 2015 after receiving her Master of Divinity degree from Emmanuel College at the University of Toronto. She served on the ministry team of First Unitarian Congregation of Toronto from 2016 to 2023, and currently provides guest ministry for Unitarian congregations in the Toronto area. Lynn is also a performing songwriter with deep roots in the Canadian folk music tradition and has composed numerous songs for UU communities.

Pre-service Sing-along (10:10 am)
With Dominique Mamisao, Laura Redmond, Peg Hinkley and Susan Tarras
Songs: Look for the Good in Everything (Jason Mraz); Imagine (John Lennon); Teach Your Children (Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young); We all need for kindness in this world (Guy Davis)
“On the Road from Greed to Giving”
Guest Minister: Rev. Christopher Wulff
 

On this final Pledge Drive Sunday, we explore some of the many feelings we might have about money, whether good or bad. We all have those feelings and they can be so difficult to talk about sometimes. But as Lynne Twist writes in her book, The Soul of Money, “money is only useful when it is moving and flowing, contributed and shared, directed and invested in that which is life affirming.” What ways have you found to use money that are life-affirming and meaningful?

Pre-service Sing-along (10:10 am) With Kate and Bill  Living Interdependence With My Climate Plan Co-founder and Ministerial Candidate Reilly Yeo “Shared pain is lessened; shared joy increased. Thus do we refute entropy.” ~ Spider Robinson. What would it mean to live in a culture where we truly focused on sharing each others’ pains and joys? As social isolation continues to rise, we come together as UUs to imagine and to try to practice that culture. With our commitments to interdependence and to encouraging each others’ spiritual growth, we remain a countercultural faith. Join Reilly to explore the unique gifts we have to offer a world in crisis. Join us for Envirobee after the service.

Singing it Back Special Musical Guest: Patti Powell Music is a universal language that unites us across cultures, beliefs, and backgrounds. By singing together we weave our individual lives into a powerful tapestry of community, each voice unique and yet united. Join us as we welcome Patti Powell, singing instigator extraordinaire. Come with an open heart and be uplifted. Join us for Thanksgiving Lunch after the service.

Paddling In Uncertain Waters Rev. Karen Fraser Gitlitz (video recording) Online only this week - no service at Sapperton Hall How are we to live – and thrive – when so much is changing around us? When the achievements of the past turn out to be precarious, what, if anything, we can count on? And is “embracing change” always so exhausting?! Karen speaks to us by video in this year’s Meaning Making series, “Meeting this moment with love and justice.” Food Bank Sunday: The first Sunday of every month is traditionally when Beacon used to collect donations. Please donate this Sunday or anytime using this link for the SHARE website.

Summer Singing Service
Service Coordinator: Peggy Lunderville
 

All ages and all levels of musical ability are welcome to join us for a morning of singing/playing at Peggy Lunderville’s home (8892 Armstrong Avenue, Burnaby. Call or text Peggy at 604-812-5939 if more information is needed). This gathering is a wonderful opportunity to connect as a community in the summer as we sing our favourite hymns from the charcoal and teal hymnbooks, as well as the “Joyce Poley” songbooks. Bring musical instruments if you wish to accompany. If you have a hymn you would like to be included, please contact Peggy Lunderville ahead of time. There will also be room for some requests at the service itself. Potluck lunch to follow (tea, coffee, juice and water will be provided). Our home is wheelchair accessible.

Join Us for a Joyful Summer Service

Marilyn Medén, Kate Smith, Bill Marshall
 

This cheerful and uplifting service will take place at 5:00 pm on Sunday, July 13, in the vibrant setting of John Hagen’s backyard (1834 London Street, New Westminster).

Together, we’ll explore how joy opens us to giving and receiving in ways that lift our spirits, touch others, and send ripples of goodness out into the world. The service will include a fun, interactive element.  Kate Smith and Bill Marshall will provide their lively and heartfelt music to enrich our time together.

After the service, we invite you to stay for some relaxed social time. If you’re able, please bring a plate of finger-food appetizers or desserts to share. Rose Matovich will show you the table to put them on.  Tea,  coffee, and water will be available, but you may wish to bring your own beverage. If it’s easy to do, bring a lawn chair.  For more details, please contact Marilyn Medén (see the online Breeze directory for contact information).

Summer Service in Sapperton Park
Service Coordinators: David Kristjanson and Glenn Wootton
 

Come join us for song and celebration under the trees. Bring your own lawn chair and perhaps snacks or a picnic lunch for afterwards. We will meet in Sapperton Park across the street from the Royal Columbian Hospital. Please invite a friend or neighbour. There is a playground and spray park for anyone who would like to bring kids and/or grandkids. Look for the Beacon Banner.

“Transitions”
With Special Guests Rev. Meg Roberts and Rev. Karen Fraser Gitlitz

As our church year comes to a close, we gather to mark this moment of transition with gratitude. This special service will include a ceremony to welcome our newest members, the presentation of our annual gift to our Sharing the Plate partner, and a ritual of leave-taking for Rev. Meg Roberts as we move into a time of community-led shared ministry. Join us as we celebrate new beginnings, hold space for the tenderness of goodbyes, and honour the enduring spirit of our congregation.

Beacon’s End of the Year Picnic will take place after the service on June 15th. Bring food to share and a drink of your choice. We will provide hotdogs (meat and vegetarian). If good weather is predicted for that day, we will meet in Sapperton Park playground (corner of Sherbrooke St. and East Columbia in New Westminster). If the weather is rainy, we have booked the lower level of Sapperton Hall and can gather there instead. It is a wonderful way to finish off our Sunday services program for the year. Then we take a break from Sapperton services until September 7 (the Sunday after Labour Day). We hope you can join us!

10:10 am: Pre-service Sing-along

Inca Medicine Wheel
Rose Matovich

Rose Matovich has been a member of Beacon for over 30 years. She trained in the Inca Medicine Wheel practice through the Four Winds Society, led and founded by Alberto Villoldo. During her training, she traveled to Peru and was initiated into two of the nine Munay Ki rites by shamans in the high Andes near Cusco.

When one accepts the Munay Ki rites, they take on the role of earth keeper and accept stewardship of the Earth.

In this service, Rose will open sacred space according to the tradition of the Inca shamans. During the opening words and lighting of the candles, she will call on the winds of the archetypes and the four directions. She will also share some of the core teachings she learned in her training and explain the concepts behind them.

10:10 am: Pre-service Sing-along
10:30 am: “How We Can Learn to Be Brave – The Spiritual Practice of Courage”
Guest Speaker: Mary Bennett

Inspired by Mariann Budde, “the woman who stood up to Trump,” Mary Bennett will share her reflections on how we learn to be brave. We all encounter opportunities to “step up to the plate”—situations that call forth a bravery we might not have known we were capable of. We learn to be brave enough to live our best lives by practising courage throughout our lives in various ways, from our own version of the hero’s journey to quieter, more private acts of courage, like accepting what we hadn’t asked for. While physical courage often comes to mind when we think of bravery, psychologists now identify five other kinds of courage that help us respond to the challenges life presents. With practice, we can learn to be courageous in many ways.

Food Bank Sunday: The 1st Sunday of every month is when Beacon collects donations for SHARE’s food bank program.

Close Enough to Tell
Guest minister: Rev. Christopher Wulff

When Bryan Stevenson spoke to UUs at General Assembly in 2017, he offered Four Steps to Change the World, the first of which was to get proximate — to marginalized people, to folks different from ourselves, to challenging situations. We’ll use stories from UU history, from Our Whole Lives, and other parts of life to explore what it means to get proximate, how to handle the discomfort we sometimes find beyond our familiar, and the ways in which this teaching is expressed in numerous faiths.

Rev. Christopher Wulff is an ordained Minister who grew up in Unitarian community and last served as Minister of Westside UU Congregation in West Seattle. Currently a stay-at-home parent to his sons Rowan and Benjamin, and partner to his wife Ariel, he remains deeply involved in UU collegial communities continentally. A trainer of trainers for the OWL program, Rev. Christopher is passionate about comprehensive sex education, reproductive justice and LGBTQ rights. 

After the service: Join us for a soup lunch. A suggested donation of $5 is appreciated, but pay what you can. Newcomers are warmly invited to be our guests.

10:10 am: Pre-service Sing-along with Kate and Bill  

10:30 am: What’s Going On?
Guest minister: Rev. Christopher Wulff

Knowing that Berry Gordy, head of Motown Records, told Marvin Gaye that What’s Going On was maybe “the worst song I’d ever heard,” it’s hard to believe that they would be releasing the song just a few months later and that it would become the fastest selling single that Motown, also known as Hitsville USA, ever released. Built into their process and practice was an acknowledgment that innovation and transformation comes in unexpected and sometimes uncomfortable ways, and that more than anything, they needed to cultivate a culture of experimentation. What does that process and practice have to offer to those of us in religious communities, seeking that middle way of preserving what we love of our spiritual homes, while being open to what they could become?

Rev. Christopher Wulff is an ordained Minister who grew up in Unitarian community and last served as Minister of Westside UU Congregation in West Seattle. Currently a stay-at-home parent to his sons Rowan and Benjamin, and partner to his wife Ariel, he remains deeply involved in UU collegial communities continentally. A trainer of trainers for the OWL program, Rev. Christopher is passionate about comprehensive sex education, reproductive justice and LGBTQ rights.

Love Your Mother. Love Peace. Love Friendship.
Guest Speaker: Mary Bennett
 

Arise, and come to Beacon to celebrate mothers, peace and friendship. You may know that Mothers Day was first proposed as a day for women to gather together and speak of peace. While researching this evolution of Mother’s Day as we see it promoted, Mary Bennett encountered some twists and turns along with new knowledge and insight. Today there are several womens’ organizations focused on peace and we’ll ask the question: Are women more capable of peacemaking than men?

Mary Bennett is a mother of two sons, grandmother to two young adults and a second wave feminist. She honours Julia Ward Howe and Ann Jarvis who fought for women’s right to vote and also those who identify as feminists of a different wave. Best Mother’s Day gift? This year it was having her grandkids assure her they voted in the federal election for the first time.

You Are Contagious – A Celebration of Joy
Special Musical Guests ‘Quayside Voices’

Join us on Sunday for a joyful and inspiring service with a lively and engaging TEDx talk called “You Are Contagious” by Vanessa Van Edwards, exploring how our emotions and energy affect those around us—and how joy truly is contagious! Adding to the celebration, we welcome guest performers Quayside Voices, an a cappella quintet from New Westminster. With uplifting pop songs and opportunities to sing along, they’ll help us tap into the spirit of joy through music and community. Whether you’re a regular or a first-time visitor, we invite you to bring your voice, your curiosity, and your smile as we share in this unique experience together.

Food Bank Sunday: The 1st Sunday of every month is when Beacon collects donations for SHARE’s food bank program.

Living Our Faith Out Loud
Rev. Shawn Gauthier

As Unitarians, we often take a bit of pride in our aversion to proselytizing. But why is that? And is our aversion actually something to be proud of? On Sunday, Rev. Shawn Gauthier, from the Vancouver Unitarians, will be speaking about why it’s important that we live our faith out loud, especially in these complicated times.

Rev. Shawn Gauthier is the settled minister of the Vancouver Unitarians. Before moving to Vancouver with his husband Bob in 2023, Shawn served for sixteen years as senior minister of the First Unitarian Congregation of Toronto. Originally from the U.S., Shawn began his undergraduate studies in the Conservatory of Music at Oberlin College, completed a bachelor’s degree in religious studies at Harvard’s Extension School, and later received a Master of Divinity from Harvard Divinity School. He completed additional graduate studies in ritual, worship, and preaching at the University of Toronto.

After the service: Join us for a soup lunch. A suggested donation of $5 is appreciated, but pay what you can. Newcomers are warmly invited to be our guests.

10:10 am: Pre-service Sing-along with Kate and Bill  
 

10:30: Lovin’ this Planet
Beacon member Teresa Morton

For Earth Day 2025 we will have music by Kate & Bill, and Ming-Xuan. Teresa will share her latest learnings about loving this planet with hope and passion. The service will conclude with a community dance, Little Pieces of the Sun, led by Laura Redmond.

After the service: Please join Teresa Morton for her Monthly Envirobee.

Metaphors, Models and Meaning
Beacon member Phil Campbell

The ways we understand the world are not linear and logical. Models and metaphors are effective to the extent that they have emotional resonance. Our emotions tell us what is important to us and they drive what we do. They do not necessarily describe the real world but do determine how we respond to it. Perhaps wisdom comes when we listen to both our rational and emotional selves.

Beacon AGM after the service.

10:10 am: Pre-service Sing-along
Here Comes The Sun, Teach Your Children Well, Turn! Turn! Turn!
 

Choosing Hope
Rev. Wayne Walder (video recording)
A Roots of Reliance Service

In the bottom of Pandora’s Box was hope. It was what saved her and Prometheus from all the challenges life throws at us. Hope allows us to dream, to plan and to imagine a future we might never be part of.

Rev. Wayne (Wayne) is recently retired from the Neighbourhood Congregation in Toronto. He helped start that congregation and initiated many interesting programs. Rev. Wayne cleared the land to build a family home and now lives there 4 months of the year with his wife Joan. They have 3 grown children and no pets.

Food Bank Sunday: The 1st Sunday of every month is when Beacon collects donations for SHARE’s food bank program.

Peace, Not War
Marilyn Medén, Beacon member
 

This is possible. From the history of non-violent protests, to possibilities in the present,  Marilyn Medén will present the results of her research on the prevention of wars.  Kate Smith and Bill Marshall will contribute their uplifting music.

A Theology of Play
Guest Speaker: Janet Pivnick
We are living in serious times. As Unitarians, we take seriously the responsibility to improve conditions in the world. Yet research tells us that an attitude of play is not only important for our own well-being, but also increases the effectiveness of social change movements. Injecting silliness into our lives can be a spiritual practice. We will contemplate an attitude of play – and maybe even share some laughter and fun.

10:10: Pre-Service Sing-along

In Times Such as These
With Song Leader Patti Powell and Michael Scales

Join Patti and Michael for this very interactive and very musical service as they explore how love, hope, and song can help us survive “in times such as these”. When Patti was at our service last year, she and Michael broke into a spontaneous rendition of Sarina Partridge’s song, “In Times Such as These”.  At this service, the whole song will be presented along with several other songs, led by Patti. For his part, Michael will say a few words that will also help you to cut through the despair and to think about loving, hoping, and singing more deeply.

Join us for a soup lunch following the service. A suggested donation of $5 is appreciated, but pay what you can. Newcomers are warmly invited to be our guests.

Movement and Spiritual Growth
Lay chaplain Laura Redmond, Judy Villett, Glenn Wootton, Ming-Xuan Chung, Bette Goode

Movement is defined as the “change of place or position or posture.” Please join Beaconites and friends as we reflect on how movement supports our spiritual growth. And yes, there will be opportunities to move in the service!

10:10: Pre-Service Sing-along
After the service: Please join Teresa Morton for her Monthly Envirobee.

Be Here Now
A Roots of Resilience Service
Rev. Jonipher Kūpono Kwong (Rev. J) (video recording)

In a constantly shifting world, what are the spiritual practices that allow us to be present to ourselves and be committed to our spiritual community? What resources and wisdom can we draw from to achieve equanimity in our lives and become more resilient?

Bio: Rev J. (he/they) is the Lead Minister of First Unitarian Congregation of Toronto. Dr. Kwong obtained his Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degrees from Claremont School of Theology in California and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in film studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Born and raised in the Philippines (of Chinese descent), most of RevJ’s adult life was spent in California and Hawai’i. He served several congregations during his more than decade-long ministry including First Unitarian Church of Honolulu, Sepulveda UU Society, Temecula Valley UU Community, Ohana Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) in Honolulu and Resurrection Beach MCC in Orange County, CA.

Food Bank Sunday: The 1st Sunday of every month is when Beacon collects donations for SHARE’s food bank program.

Whose Belonging?
Rev. Karen Fraser Gitlitz (Video Recording)
Annual Sharing our Faith collection will be taken*
 

The moment I am asked about belonging, immediately a whole bunch of stories come to mind about times when I felt I didn’t belong. I am sure I’m not alone in this, it’s one of the challenges of trying to talk about belonging, how it creates complicated connections between our inner landscape, the world we find ourselves in, and the worlds we are attempting to bring about.

Bio: Karen Fraser Gitlitz (she/her) is a white, cis-gendered woman of northern European ancestry. Karen has served as a Unitarian Universalist minister since 2008 and a professional Art Therapist since 2023. Karen and her partner, musician and composer Paul Gitlitz, now make their home on the Saanich peninsula, the traditional territory of the W̱SÁNEĆ people.

*Sharing Our Faith Service: Instead of our usual offering, we are holding a special collection for the Sharing our Faith fund. Each year, the Sharing our Faith fund is renewed with money collected by congregations, and from a Foundation Fund administered by the First Unitarian Congregation of Toronto. These donations are sent to the CUC to be distributed as grants to congregations and UU communities applying for projects they may not otherwise afford.

Won’t You Be My Valentine?
Beacon member John Hagen and Friends

Yes, with that call, you are invited to participate in and enjoy a Valentine service at Beacon on Sunday February 16th. There will be poems, songs, and humorous readings about the path of love. You will have an opportunity to exchange Valentine greetings.

Join us for a soup lunch following the service. A suggested donation of $5 is appreciated, but pay what you can. Newcomers are warmly invited to be our guests.

When Hope is Hard to Find
Guest speaker: Rev. Christopher Wulff

Amidst current political realities and the seemingly constant stream of news that is an affront to our Principles, it is easy to find oneself in a state of despair. Whether it is news from our neighbour to the south or from any number of conflicts around the globe, we are living in difficult times for so many. And truly, painful though it is, despairing leads us nowhere. What then can we do to renew hope, both individually and collectively? What are you called to? What are we called to?

Bio: Rev. Christopher Wulff is an ordained Minister who grew up in Unitarian community and last served as Minister of Westside UU Congregation in West Seattle. Currently a stay-at-home parent to his sons Rowan and Benjamin, and partner to his wife Ariel, he remains deeply involved in UU collegial communities continentally. A trainer of trainers for the OWL program, Rev. Christopher is passionate about comprehensive sex education, reproductive justice and LGBTQ rights.

Please join Teresa Morton after the service for her Monthly Envirobee.

Beacon of Light
A Roots of Resilience service with Rev. Fiona Heath (video recording)

With the light of the chalice guiding the way, we explore our aspiration to be theologically alive: seeking to be ever-evolving in our understanding, open to new knowledge. How does our theology respond to the present moment and where might it go in the future? This pre-recorded sermon is part of the Meaning Makingseries.

Bio: Rev. Fiona Heath (she/her) spent nine years as the settled minister at the Unitarian Congregation in Mississauga, as well as two years as the part time minister of the UU Congregation of Durham. Now retired, she lives in the countryside north of Kingston, focusing on fiction and poetry writing, local climate crisis response, and how to be a UU at home.

Food Bank Sunday: The 1st Sunday of every month is when Beacon collects donations for SHARE’s food bank program.

Wake Now OUR Vision of Ministry Clear
Guest Speaker: Mary Bennett

As we make a start with the new year, let’s consider how we each can “mingle my calling with
all who will share.” These phrases from hymn #298 (Wake Now My Senses) are our “text” for
this Sunday as Beacon steps into 2025.

We tend to use the words “minister” and “ministry” interchangeably. Mary will offer some insights as to how those two terms connect. The 2013 UUA report Fulfilling the Call struggled with the expectations placed on professional ministers and came up with nine duties with a description of four levels of competence to help a congregation and minister navigate expectations. What if we used this template to also help discern members’ ministry along with goals and the support needed?

Bio: Mary Bennett was the CUC Executive Director when a Shared Ministry task force report
affirmed that all of us have a calling, a ministry, and that together we can “work for a planet transformed by our care.”

Catching a ride with hope
Guest Speaker: Rev. Karen Fraser Gitlitz

When life feels complicated, uncertain or painful, it can be difficult to hold on to the vision or
positive outlook that seemed so obvious in better days. How is it that hope re-enters our lives?

Bio: Karen Fraser Gitlitz (she/her) is a Unitarian Universalist minister and a professional Art
Therapist. After serving UU congregations in BC and Saskatchewan, Karen and her partner Paul
Gitlitz relocated to the Saanich peninsula on southern Vancouver Island, BC, the traditional
territory of the W̱SÁNEĆ people, which includes the W̱JOȽEȽP (Tsartlip) and SȾÁUTW̱ (Tsawout)
First Nations. Karen continues to support Canadian UU congregations as the Coordinator of the
Meaning Making Project while developing her private practice as an Art Therapist through
Creative upWelling Art Therapy. Karen delights in making connections between spirituality, the
arts, and social justice and providing offerings to support and uplift those who are doing the
hard work of bringing justice, equity and compassion into their daily lives.

Join us for a soup lunch following the service. A suggested donation of $5 is appreciated, but pay what you can. Newcomers are warmly invited to be our guests.

Embrace the Journey Forward
Service Leaders: Glenn Wootton & David Kristjanson

Join us as we honour the past and prepare our hearts for the year to come. As the new year invites us into its mysteries, we will take a moment to reflect on the year gone by — its joys, its sorrows, and all that it has shaped in us. Then through a reflective ritual we will relinquish what no longer serves us — obstacles, burdens, or limiting beliefs — creating space for renewal and transformation, freeing us to embrace the journey forward.

Please join Teresa Morton after the service next Sunday for her Monthly Envirobee.

Prophets of Love: Active Engagement in a Time of Polycrisis
A Roots of Resilience Service
Guest Speaker: Reilly Yeo (video recording)

We’re called in this time of climate crisis not just to change our world, but to transform it. In the process, we will need to transform ourselves. Climate change is a wake-up call that heralds the urgency of our third principle as Unitarian Universalists – spiritual growth. Join Reilly Yeo, Candidate for Ministry with the Unitarian Universalist Association and Co-Founder of Climate Plan, for this exploration of the spiritual dimensions of the climate crisis.

Food Bank Sunday: The 1st Sunday of every month is when Beacon collects donations for SHARE’s food bank program.