UNITARIANCHURCHOFMONTREAL
Gathered Here April 2015
Unitarian Church of MontrealÉglise unitarienne de Montréal
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UNITARIANCHURCHOFMONTREAL
Worship calendar
Sunday services start at 10:30 a.m. except where noted. Child care available.
This month's theme:
What does it mean to seek a life of awakening?
April 5 Awaken My People−Easter Sunday
Rev. Diane Rollert
Music by Sandra Hunt and MSO cellist Gary Russell
How can Moses and the burning bush, Jesus in the desert, Buddha beneath the Bodhi tree, and roses buried beneath the snow offer us a path to becoming fully awake?
11:45 a.m. Optional Communion
April 12 Arise and Face the Day
Rev. Diane Rollert
Music by Sandra Hunt and the Yellow Door Choir led by Roxanne Martel
Music and reflection looking at the many facets of awakening.
April 19 The Trees of the Field
Caroline Balderston Parry, Rev. Diane Rollert, the children and others.
Music by Sandra Hunt with the Parts in Peace Choir
A multigenerational celebration of Earth Day
April 26 Fostering our Awake and Aware World
Led by young adults Katharine Childs, Chloe Hart et al.
Music by Sandra Hunt
May 3 Célébration de la lumière/ Celebration of Light
Programme bilingue/Bilingual service
Diane Rollert, Pascale Frémond, interfaith guests & choirs
Before we embark on May's theme of "Character," we welcome an interfaith gathering to celebrate UNESCO's declaration of 2015 as the international year of light. This service is hosted by Religions pour la paix and our church as the culmination of the conference, Light within Religious and Spiritual Traditions (Le Congrès sur la lumière dans les traditions religieuses et spirituelles), May 1-3.
Diane will also participate in a round table during the conference (Friday, May 1, 1:30-3:30 p.m., Centre de ressources communautaires de Côte-des-Neiges, 6767 Côte-des-Neiges Road). The conference will be in French, but our service at UCM on Sunday will be bilingual. For information about the conference:
Congrès surla lumière dans les traditions religieuses et spirituelles 1-3 mai
Religions pour le Paix Québec et France souhaitent apporter leur contribution sur le rôle de la la lumière dans les traditions religieuses et spirituelles. Au programme: Table ronde, spectacle, ateliers de méditation, présentation d'une iritualité du XXe siècle et lever de soleil. Au Centre de ressources communautaires de Côte-des-Neiges, 6767 Chemin de la Côte-des-Neiges Road Neiges, les 1er et 2 mai et chez l’Église Unitarienne le dimanche 3 mai à 10h30. Inscription au:
l Message from our minister
From Surrender to Awakening
Each day I rise and raise my arms to the sky,
and simply ask to be filled with light,
that each step I take this day
will be on holy ground.
This month I move from surrender to awakening.
From letting go to letting in
whatever it is that comes next,
and fills my senses.
Song phrases drift into my thoughts:
Ours is no caravan of despair!
Arise and face the day!
The melodies wind their way
around my heart.
No one promised that this living would be easy.
We surrender to the winter,
and awake with the spring.
That's enough
to keep me walking forward,
ever hopeful,
ever grateful.
Endings and Beginnings
Each spring, we face the same challenge. Just as we've come to rely on a great leadership team, it's time to start saying goodbye and prepare for the new.
Words cannot possibly express how I feel as our vice president, Amber Dawn Bellemare, prepares for a new journey in her life. We were excited at the prospect of her becoming our next president, but sadly that is not to be. She is moving West to spend part of her time in Vancouver and part in Santa Monica, following her passion for film making. She tells me how sad she feels to have to let go of this place she loves.
Amber has been such an incredible asset to our community as the chair of the worship team, as a leader in worship, serving as a leader among our young adults, chairing our CUC Conference host team in Montreal last year (organizing the best Saturday evening entertainment program ever), and most recently serving on our Exec, to name but a few things. We can be proud because, as she says, we have helped to give her both roots and wings.
Until June 1st, at our Annual General Meeting, we won't know who our next group of leaders on our board of management will be. But for now I am preparing my gratitude to John Inder, our president, who has come to the maximum three years he can serve in that role. I am so grateful he will stay on as past president. He still has projects that he hopes to continue working on. John has created a new model for presidency here, one that brings him to the end of his term feeling energized.
At the end of May, Andrea Reichart steps down as treasurer after having served for three years. She says that it is an experience that she enjoyed and that helped her to grow professionally and personally. I will miss her grounded approach to finance and church life.
Patricia Philip steps down as secretary and I will miss her kind wisdom and counsel. She kept exceptional minutes and always kept us on track. She is a goddess! Carol Cumming Speirs completes her second and final year as member at large and I will miss her caring approach and conscientious concern for the CUC and our connection to the national movement.
Of course, with each day that goes by, we come closer to saying goodbye to our dearest Director of Religious Education, Caroline Balderston Parry. Thankfully, our administrator, Verna Litwack, has agreed to postpone her retirement until the end of December.
We've had a strong team for the past three years. Exec, Board and Council meetings have been productive, inspiring, energizing and yes, fun. That's quite a testament to our current leaders, to those who are staying and to those who are going.
So, now we open ourselves to the new. We celebrate all that our leaders have accomplished, knowing that they have set the groundwork for the next step on this journey together. Our nominations committee is hard at work preparing a new slate for the AGM on June 1. Stay posted, and let Frank Greene or Petrina Lee Poy know if you'd like to be considered for a position.
Thank you all - past, present and future leaders!
Rev. Diane
You'll find this month's resources on our website at . For information: Prue Rains at .
Share the plate…
…in April with Santropol Roulant. This month, half the unidentified cash in the collection baskets will be donated toSantropol Roulant. Santropol Roulant uses food to break isolation between generations and cultures.
The other portion of the unidentified cash will be directed to the operating funds of the Church.
On the first Sunday of each month,non-perishable food items are collected and donated to the NDG Food Depot.
Unsung hero
Alison Hall
Long-time church member Alison Hall was the recent recipient of the "Unsung Hero" Award. Anyone who has been lucky enough to work alongside her knows that she is the very definition of an unsung hero. Alison has been UCM’s "go-to" person in numerous capacities for decades− both for her artistic talent and her practical savoir faire−and she has never sought or even desired recognition. Simply helping and leading us has been all the reward she has wanted.
Alison has served as our Board Vice-president and President, among many other board positions including chairing the committee to restructure our church governance. She was instrumental not only in developing our mission statement but also in creating a visual representation of its tenets which now hangs in the sanctuary. In the vestibule the striking metal plaque stating our principles and sources was designed by Alison. For 15 years her talent for graphics and design could be seen in the monthly church newsletter, which still uses the on-line template she designed. Alison is a gentle, thoughtful, and creative woman. She has brought her personal passion for gardening to the church by being instrumental in turning the back parking lot into a community garden, which has thrived and brought pleasure to so many. Her dedication to helping those in need led her to establish the first ever Empty Bowls event at our church, and to helping us support UNICEF, and the Fair Trade Craft Fair.
We have relied not only on her problem solving abilities but also her capacity get things done. When a neghbouring building development threatened the viability of the church roof, Alison oversaw an extensive project to reinforce the roof.
She participated on several hiring committees over the years, and has been a devoted friend and supporter of our Religious Educationprogram.
Most importantly, Alison did it all with grace and goodwill. She has advocated for open and honest dialogue when issues were tough to sort through and has been a role model for other church leaders. We are proud and blessed to have her among us, and we honour her at this time. With appreciation, Alison, for this well-deserved award and tribute.
First aid
In some cases, before even opening the first aid kit, you may want to open a small black pouch hanging nearby. It contains gloves and a face mask for mouth-to-mouth CPR.
There are first-aid kits in the nursery bathroom on mid-level and beside the RE sink on the lowest level.
Musical notes by Sandra Hunt
I had a wonderful experience receiving a new left hip, both at the hospital and at home, supported by a virtuosic health team, a saintly 10-armed husband, a circle of amazingly generous friends, my music and my yoga. Thanks to all of you for your loving thoughts on the day of my surgery and for your kind wishes for my speedy recuperation.
Parts in Peace
Rehearsals with me at the helm started again on March 26, at my home on Girouard Avenue! We reviewed the Unitarian Universalist Song for the Multigenerational Service then coming up, tackled the Bulgarian song of Light with our own Slavic language expert's help, and began a Wake Up song for April 19.
Music at Midday
The Royal Conservatory has booked a week of exams in mid-April so we will not have a recital following the Midday Meal until May 20 (the week following the CUC conference) Alison Kilgannon will be our featured soloist. Recent feedback from our March guest and her teacher was very complimentary:
Janelle Fung said she thought that "the piano sounded lovely! The sound was warm and full in the room." Emily Felice agreed and commented that she "enjoyed playing it and thought it had lovely qualities…".the action is balanced, not too stiff, not too light" which is important for us princess pianists who have heightened sensibilities! She also " really enjoyed playing for the encouraging and sweet audience members. It was a great opportunity!!"
Thanks to all who hear and support young musicians.
Your Music Director,
Sandra Hunt
A taste of exploration
Are you curious to know what it would be like to join an Exploration Group? Groups of about 10 members, led by a facilitator, meet once a month to talk about that month's theme. New groups will be forming in the fall. This spring, Rev. Diane is offering a series of gatherings to enable you to give the Exploration Group experience a try. Sessions are open (no need to sign up) and will meet on the following dates:
April 19 at 12:30 p.m., Exploring a life of awakening
May 24 at 12:15 p.m., Exploring a life of character
June 7 at 12:15 p.m., Exploring a life of beauty
Religious education
Approaching 70 & Growing Pains
While writing this short DRE blog, I was listening to CBC Radio's inspiring "Canada Reads" debates, and was struck when one panelist mentioned the positive side of "growing pains." That's a phrase we often think of with our young ones - the teething baby of a mum in my Exploration group; the unsure Toddler who tries out the Preschool Room; the many children learning to be cooperative in the whole group/s of which they are a part; the older Grade School child tiptoeing on the edge of becoming a Junior Youth; the Senior Youth trying to discern their next steps.
But I, too, am experiencing growing pains as I look ahead to my June retirement and return to my home in Ottawa. I am actually feeling some physical pain, like that baby, this month, perhaps related to the difficulties inherent in surrendering my role as your DRE. I too am unsure about my next stage of life. Although I know where I will be, back in my beloved Mud Lake area on the Ottawa River, I don't know how I will feel with a less scheduled life, nor whether I will discern my longer-term plans with grace or anxiety. Will my old friends and circles welcome me? What new relationships and which (likely reduced) activities will call to me? How -- or will -- my sense of self shift and grow as I shed this current role?
Those of you who are older than me, and/or are already retired, what are your experiences? What have you surrendered, and what gained? I am wondering about your own stories of both growing pains and elder wisdom! And for April in your life, as well as mine, what is awakening?
As always, I am grateful to be sharing my journey with this UCM community. In our Exploration groups for March, facilitators shared a poem by Robert R. Walsh that was found for us by Rev. Carole Martignacco; it seems to capture all of my current struggle, truth and joys, and I quote the final lines here:
…Trust
more the tensile strands of love that bend
and stretch to hold you in the web of life
that's often torn but always healing. There's
your strength. The shifting plates, the restive earth,
your room, your precious life, they all proceed
from love, the ground on which we walk together.
Multi-gen -plus maypole dancing!
We will have our usual multi-gen in honour of Earth Day on April 19. We are hoping to work with an N.D.G. resident and composer associate of Sarah Albu's, Paul Scriver, to celebrate trees, and will update an installation he originally created in January. A community meal will follow; your contributions will be appreciated.
Furthermore, because maypoles are a variation of the ancient symbol of the sacred tree or world pillar, and CBP loves them, we will feature a special after-church session of Maypole dancing with live music on May 3rd or 10th (depending on the weather and musicians). Stay tuned!
Sock report!
At the beginning of March, our month for the church-wide Exploration theme of "surrender," we had a fierce sock throw during the Time for All Ages. Everybody threw gifts of new socks at the staff, children ran to pick up sock "balls", and much merriment ensued. Over 30 pairs of socks were donated to St Michael's Mission.
Family Choir practice with Phoebe Warren
Sundays April 5 and April 12 at 12:15-12:45 p.m. in the Darwin Room. All welcome. Come practice as often as you can for our Earth Day Multigen service on April 19th. This is an experiment, please support it!
Neighbourhood news
A Celebration of the African-American Spiritual: Saturday, April 18, 12 noon lunch, 1 p.m. lecture and performance at Trinity Memorial Church, 5220 Sherbrooke, Tickets $15, lunch included) 514-484-3102
Fa Xiang and Lin (parents of Annie and Marc), have opened a wonderful sushi shop Check out Sushi Hoshimi at 6573 Somerled, near Cavendish. 514-419-4119
Dulcimer bonanza!
Many UCMers have seen or heard me playing my dulcimer, and some of you may know there are two cardboard dulcimers in the RE office for children to play if they are interested -I will leave one here when I pack up. However, a NEW dulcimer has made its way into the RE office recently -Alain Lefevre bought a beautiful walnut hourglass-shaped dulcimer many years ago and never really used it. Ivy Trudel, helping Alain to downsize and clean out his belongings, dropped this high-quality instrument into my arms, asking if we could use it. I suggested to the BidNite crew we might want to put it up for a silent auction item soon, and then a serendipitous moment occurred: in came Phoebe Warren, our musical Preschool teacher, who noticed the cardboard dulcimers and said she had long wanted to buy one! Well, I of course said we HAD one, just for her, and she has arranged to make a healthy donation for it. Thanks to Alain, Ivy AND Phoebe!
Blessings,
Caroline Balderston Parry,
Director of Religious Education (514-485-9933, most Sundays til 2 p.m., Tues and Wed 1-7 p.m).
Stairwell Art Gallery
April
Images of Surrender and Awakening
Caroline Balderston Parry
In April, the gallery walls will continue to feature collages by Caroline Balderston Parry. You have until April 29th to lighten Caroline's move to Ottawa by acquiring one of her inimitable collages. (Hint: I think she's open to negotiation, and remember that 25% of what is sold goes to the church.)For samples of her work check out