Facilitated by Rev. Diane Rollert

Each month we gather to seek the sacred in the short stories we read. Sometimes we love what we read, other times we don't — but we always appreciate the conversation. In honour of Black History Month, our story for February is Sonny's Blues by James Baldwin. You can find a PDF of the story here.
Click here to join.
or by phone (438) 809-7799 or (855) 703 8985 Canada Toll-free
Meeting ID: 834 3605 5832
Passcode: 647380

A Faith Worth Failing For
We often talk about Unitarian Universalism as a transformational faith – and yet to be transformed means to take a risk. How is it that we are averse to taking such risks when it comes to widening the circle of who we are as a community? Join Revs. Shana Lynngood and Samaya Oakley for a service that explores mistakes we've made and how we can learn from them to become the transformational faith we proclaim to be.

In 2021, we invite all congregations and people to this national service. The virtual collection taken during the service will be allocated to successful congregational applicants for growth initiatives. The fund consists of these monies, supplemented by a Foundation Fund administered by the First Unitarian Congregation of Toronto.

Free event! No registration is required. Click here to join.

Special time 10:30 a.m.

Join us after Sunday Service for an online gathering to catch-up with friends, old and new.

http://bit.ly/ucmtlsunday
Meeting ID: 824 8169 5864
Password: 317122
or by phone: 438 809 7799 Canada or 855 703 8985 Canada Toll-free

Join this loving and supportive community, which rehearses over Zoom every Thursday from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. Their goal: to learn beautiful, accessible and fun songs from around the world. Free to join, no auditions, all are welcome regardless of musical background!

Click here to join us: bit.ly/ucm_choir

January 26, February 2 and February 9, 2021

2 sessions remaining
7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Workshop: Engaging the Heart
Led by Rev. Diane Rollert

As Unitarians and Universalists, we have the freedom to chart our own spiritual paths, yet we live with a challenging dichotomy. We're often caught in thinking mode. We question and we analyze while our hearts cry out for deeper spiritual experience. In this three-session program, Rev. Diane Rollert will help us to engage the heart in search of a UU spiritual practice.

Click here to register.

After registering, you'll receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. It's recommended that you commit to attending all three sessions to facilitate a more meaningful experience for you and your fellow participants.

"Engaging the Heart" : une série d'ateliers sur la pratique spirituelle de UU

Rév Diane propose un programme de trois semaines, intitulé "Engaging the Heart".

Nous passerons du temps à parler de nos propres voyages spirituels, de l'envie spirituelle, de la spiritualité incarnée et des raisons pour lesquelles il est ou non facile d'avoir une pratique spirituelle. C'est une excellente occasion de d'oublier un peu la pandémie et d'interagir avec les membres de notre communauté à un niveau plus profond. Sessions : Les mardis 26 janvier, 2 février et 9 février, de 19h00 à 20h30.

Join us after Sunday Service for an online gathering to catch-up with friends, old and new.
http://bit.ly/ucmtlsunday
Meeting ID: 824 8169 5864
Password: 317122
or by phone: 438 809 7799 Canada or 855 703 8985 Canada Toll-free

Katharine Childs and the Religious Exploration Team

Renew, repeat. Renew, repeat. What happens when everyday is groundhog day? How do we get out of the rut and back on track? Come find out.

Click here to join.

Join this loving and supportive community, which rehearses over Zoom every Thursday from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. Their goal: to learn beautiful, accessible and fun songs from around the world. Free to join, no auditions, all are welcome regardless of musical background!

Click here to join us.

Workshop: Engaging the Heart

Led by Rev. Diane Rollert

As Unitarians and Universalists, we have the freedom to chart our own spiritual paths, yet we live with a challenging dichotomy. We're often caught in thinking mode. We question and we analyze while our hearts cry out for deeper spiritual experience. In this three-session program, Rev. Diane Rollert will help us to engage the heart in search of a UU spiritual practice.

Click here to register.

After registering, you'll receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. It's recommended that you commit to attending all three sessions to facilitate a more meaningful experience for you and your fellow participants.

"Engaging the Heart" : une série d'ateliers sur la pratique spirituelle de UU

Rév Diane propose un programme de trois semaines, intitulé "Engaging the Heart", qui débutera le mardi 26 janvier de 19 heures à 20 heures 30.

Nous passerons du temps à parler de nos propres voyages spirituels, de l'envie spirituelle, de la spiritualité incarnée et des raisons pour lesquelles il est ou non facile d'avoir une pratique spirituelle. C'est une excellente occasion de d'oublier un peu la pandémie et d'interagir avec les membres de notre communauté à un niveau plus profond. Trois sessions : Les mardis 26 janvier, 2 février et 9 février, de 19h00 à 20h30

Rev. Diane Rollert and Eleuthera Diconca-Lippert

Music by Sandra Hunt and Eleuthera Diconca-Lippert

The natural world is our greatest teacher when it comes to understanding the potential for renewal. Join us this week to marvel in all that nature has to reveal about the value of fallow times and beginning again.

Click here to join.

For a refreshing music break we meet, share conversation and listen to Sandra's choices for our listening pleasure. This Wednesday we have a little tension releaser for the Inauguration Day of the American president, which may or may not turn out to be eventful. We will be listening to 4 beautiful songs by Richard Strauss with orchestra, some of a Poulenc Oboe Sonata and an unaccompanied cello piece.

Click here to join.

Here are some samples of the music we will be listening to:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=l7UjFOUMW_8&feature=share

https://youtube.com/watch?v=O-uUyiA6Dbk&feature=share

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-uUyiA6Dbk

https://live.philharmoniedeparis.fr/concert/1119517/orchestre-de-paris-simone-young-elza-van-den-heever-richard.html?utm_medium=display&utm_source=bachtrack.com&utm_campaign=listinglink

An Ethic of Love or Power?

Rev. Diane Rollert, music by Eleuthera Diconca-Lippert

What does it mean to renew our understanding of history in these challenging times? We gather in memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Junior to consider his teachings on the difference between an ethic of love and an ethic of power and control. Can an ethic of love still lead to freedom?

http://bit.ly/ucmtlsunday
Meeting ID: 824 8169 5864
Password: 317122

Join this loving and supportive community, which rehearses over Zoom every Thursday from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. Their goal: to learn beautiful, accessible and fun songs from around the world. Free to join, no auditions, all are welcome regardless of musical background!

Click here to join us: bit.ly/ucm_choir

Tuesday, January 12
12:30 p.m.

Our monthly, story group, Finding the Sacred in Stories, is moving to the second Tuesday of the month. Our first gathering for 2021 will be on January 12, 2021, at 12:30 p.m. The story for this month can be found here.

Click here to join.

Rev. Diane Rollert and the worship team
Music by Sandra Hunt and Eleuthera Diconca-Lippert

2020 was definitely not our favourite year. So join us on the first Sunday of this New Year to contemplate the healing process of letting go of last year's worries. Our fire communion is when we burn magic paper to symbolize our release. If you can do so safely, bring a flame and a bay leaf to burn at home. Our ritual may be virtual this year, but it will be just as meaningful if not more.

Click here to join.
Meeting ID: 824 8169 5864
Password: 317122
or by phone: 438-809-7799, toll-free 855 703 8985

A Few of Our Favorite Things with some favourite musical recordings with Shoshanna Green and helper elves.

This is our low-key service between the holidays as we give our worship team a break. If you'd like to share a short poem, contact shoshannag@gmail.com.

Click here to join.
Meeting ID: 824 8169 5864
Password: 317122
or by phone: 438-809-7799, toll-free 855 703 8985

While we can’t be together for a meal in Phoenix Hall this year, we can be together in spirit through the internet. Drop in any time from 5:30 p.m. on to enjoy your meal and your favourite holiday beverage while talking and sharing with members and friends of the congregation.

Click here to join.

Meeting ID: 860 0184 4167
Passcode: 027831
or by phone: 438-809-7799, toll-free 855 703 8985

Drop in any time between 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. to hear a Christmas story read by a member of the congregation.

Click here to join.

Rev. Diane Rollert with musicians Sandra Hunt, Eleuthera Diconca-Lippert, Gary and Matthew Russell and others

Join us online as we sing the classic carols and read the Christmas Gospel, all with an open UU spirit that is welcoming to everyone looking to rejoice in the beauty of holiday light. Bring your own candle and prepare to darken your space at the end of the service. Christmas Eve candles will also be available for pick up at the church on Wednesday, December 23, between 3 p.m. and 7:00 p.m..

Cette année, notre célébration sera sur l’internet. Nous chanterons les chants traditionnels et nous partagerons l’esprit des Fêtes dans un contexte unitarien universaliste, qui accueille les gens désirant vivre la joie de Noël dans la splendeur de la lumière du moment. Apportez votre propre bougie et préparez-vous à assombrir votre espace à la fin du service. Les bougies de la veille de Noël seront également disponibles à l'église le mercredi 23 décembre, entre 15 h et 19 h.

Click here to join.

Rev. Diane Rollert with music by Eleuthera Diconca-Lippert

Nous vous invitons à nous rejoindre pour une célébration virtuel du Solstice d’hiver. On this longest night of the year, we’ll welcome the return of the sun in the glow of an online service. Join us to celebrate with songs, readings, and the lighting of candles. Please have your own candle ready at your side. You might also want to have some items for creating a solstice altar to the sun (e.g. greens, fruits, stuffed animals). Veuillez avoir votre propre bougie à portée de main. Vous pouvez également avoir des objets pour créer un autel du solstice au soleil (par exemple, des branches à feuilles de conifères, des fruits, des peluches).

Click here to join.

There’s No Skunk in the Christmas Story: A Virtual Multigenerational Christmas Pageant

Led by Katharine Childs, Rev. Diane Rollert and the worship team
Music by Sandra Hunt and Eleuthera Diconca-Lippert

So, who was really there at the Nativity? The UCM skunk is at it again, trying to jump in where it doesn’t belong! Don’t forget to wear your favourite Christmas pageant costume. On this Sunday, we’ll share in one of our most beloved traditions of singing and acting out the Twelve Days of Christmas together.

http://bit.ly/ucmtlsunday
Meeting ID: 824 8169 5864
Password: 317122
or by phone: 438-809-7799, toll-free 855 703 8985

Join Sandra Hunt, music director of the Unitarian Church of Montreal, and Rev. Diane Rollert for a midday gathering of favourite holiday music. Sandra always brings us wonderful music videos to watch and discuss.

http://bit.ly/ucmtlmusicmidday
Meeting ID: 819 8522 8652
Or by phone: 438-809-7799 or 855-703-8985 Canada Toll-free

Sunday service led by Rev. Diane Rollert and the worship team
Music by Sandra Hunt and Eleuthera Diconca-Lippert

As UUs, we draw from many sources of inspiration. This Sunday, we honour Chanukah, the Jewish festival of lights. The Chanukah story begins at the end of a war when the people return to find their temple destroyed. Picking up the pieces, they start over again — and a miracle happens. This year, there are many pieces we may need to pick up to get us through the season. Join us for an honest and uplifting service, as we revel in music, stories and meditation.

Click here to join.
Meeting ID: 824 8169 5864
Password: 317122
or by phone: 438-809-7799, toll-free 855 703 8985

Join Rev. Diane in her kitchen as she prepares traditional Chanukah latkes, potato pancakes, for her family. To register and receive the link, sign up here.

If you want to cook along with Rev. Diane, here’s what you’ll need:
Ingredients for approximately 2-4 people (multiply as desired)

Four medium potatoes
One egg
Two tablespoons+ flour (any kind works, including gluten free)
Salt
Cooking oil (canola works well)
Sour cream and/or applesauce for serving
Equipment
Potato peeler
Hand grater or food processor
Frying pan
Optional (but preferred) — Cheesecloth or a fine cloth you don’t mind getting full of potato liquid.

This month we’ll explore two holiday stories as we search for the sacred in what we read and in our conversation. “

- "A Burglar’s Christmas” by Willa Cather
- “The Fifth Night,” author unknown

Click here to join.
Meeting ID: 834 3605 5832
Passcode: 647380
or by phone: 438-809-7799, toll-free 855 703 8985

Get into the holiday spirit and reconnect with the community during this virtual Christmas songfest with Sandra and Eleuthera. We’ll sing the carols we usually sing during the Christmas Eve service at the church. All are welcome, no singing experience required — no one will hear you singing on Zoom anyway, so you can belt away to your heart’s content. Holiday-themed outfits are encouraged! The cost to attend is $5. Contact Eleuthera at unspokenplace@gmail.com to receive the link.

Sunday service led by Rev. Diane Rollert and the worship team
Music by Sandra Hunt and Eleuthera Diconca-Lippert

As the old Hungarian Unitarian hymn goes, "Find a stillness, hold a stillness, let the stillness carry me." We begin this unusual holiday season by seeking the calm and stillness we need to weather the challenges we face.

bit.ly/ucmtlsunday
Meeting ID: 824 8169 5864
Password: 317122
or by phone: 438-809-7799, toll-free 855 703 8985

Start the season with some knowledge about our history and traditions. Join Rev. Diane from 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. to learn about Unitarian Universalism, who we are, where we’re going, and why.

To register:

bit.ly/uu_theology

Katharine Childs, Sandra Hunt, Eleuthera Diconca-Lippert, with special guest, CB Beal, M.Div

Join our special guest, UU educator and writer CB Beal, as we explore the positive power inherent in being truly present with one another, and how bearing witness to our diversity is a superpower for healing, resilience and developing trust.

CB Beal (they/them/theirs) specializes in facilitating learning experiences that involve issues of marginalization, oppression, and privilege, helping participants hold the complexities of our lives in perspective, to co-create a safe[r] brave[r] space within which people can be challenged to learn and grow. To learn more about CB, here’s their complete bio: https://www.uua.org/offices/people/cb-beal

Zoom link: http://bit.ly/ucmtlsunday
Meeting ID: 824 8169 5864
Password: 317122