Speaker & Worship Leader:- Rachel Mackintosh

Follow this shortcut to the bottom of the page for the various readings, videos, etc. shared in the service.

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Rachel Mackintosh © 3 November 2024

Barbara Kingsolver, in her novel Demon Copperhead, has Demon say this:

“… she looked at me in the eyes, and we were sad together for a while. I’ll never forget how that felt. Like not being hungry.”

Like not being hungry.

She looked at me in the eyes, and we were sad together for a while.

I’ll never forget how that felt.

Like not being hungry.

Have you ever been seen like that by another person? Have you ever shared such a deep understanding, be it of sadness or of some other emotion? Do you know that feeling, of not being hungry?

Will you ever forget how that felt?

I will never forget how that felt.

Apologies from the video editor, we’ve had a hiccup with editing recent services, they are recorded, but we haven’t been able to prepare the videos and audio files for publication. That has now changed. From here on – 3rd November – we’ll be adding new services soon after they happen, and catching up with the old ones, listed below, as time allows.

“Music Sunday”, Rachel Mackintosh, 27th October
“Certification of the organ”, Rachel Mackintosh, 20th October
“The importance of ritual”, Barbara Thomborson, 13 October
“Jain wisdom in a pluralistic world”, Claire Butler, 6 October
“A language of reverence”, Ted Zorn, 29 September
“Flower Communion”, Karn Cleary, 22 September
“NZ Suffragette, Annie Jane Schnackenberg (nee Allen)” Randolph Hollingsworth, 15 September

Speaker & Worship Leader:- Barbara Thomborson

Death Café is an event where people discuss their understanding, thoughts, and feelings about death. Barbara Thomborson will facilitate the service to enable small group discussion of questions inspired by Death Café. They include practical considerations, experiences of death, grief and loss, and cultural aspects of death.

This service follows on from last month’s End-of-Life Choice service with a brief talk on cultural aspects of death.

Here are the Questions used in the small discussion groups:-

• What does it mean to have a ‘good death’?
• If you knew you were dying, what would you change about your life?
• What was helpful when you were grieving?
• How easy is it to talk to your family about your funeral wishes?

• What is your earliest memory of death?
• If you knew this was your last day of life, what would you do?
• How would you help a grieving friend?
• If you were planning your funeral, what would you include?

• Have you seen a dead body? How did it affect you? If not, then
• Have you witnessed someone die and how did it affect you?
• Where is your will?
• What would you like your lasting legacy to be?
• What do you think about doing something on the internet to remember someone?

• How old would you like to be when you die?
• How would you like to be remembered?
• What do you think about lighting a candle to remember someone who has died?
• What would you like written on your gravestone?

• What does ‘life after death’ mean to you?
• Have you experienced the death of a pet?
• Are there any written or spoken words about death that you have found helpful?
• If you could choose, where would you like to die?

• What does it mean to die with dignity?
• What was your first experience of grief?
• If it were possible, what 1 question would you of someone you love who has died?
• How would you explain death to a 5-year-old?

Speaker & Worship Leader:- Viv Allen

I’m reading a talk written by Erika Hewitt entitled; The Answer I Wish I’d Given (winner of the 2009 Stewardship Sermon Award). Erika wrote a personal, heartwarming story about ‘giving’ which for her is both a statement and an expression of her faith. This story is very relevant to the old 19th century concept of ‘deserving poor’ where government employees make value judgements about who can receive help and who should be punished by withholding this help. This is very topical as now our government has announced plans for social welfare reform in NZ.

Meditation / Conversation starter

• How do you handle homeless beggars and car beggars?

Links

Chalice Lighting:- “In the Mystery of Life About Us There is Light” by George Kimmich Beach

Reading / Meditation:- words from Kahil Gilbran

Main talk:- “The Answer I Wish I’d Given” by Erika Hewitt

Extinguishing the Chalice:- “Daring Vision” by Maureen Killoran

Closing Words:- “Thank you for the stories” by Lizzie Kingston Harrison

Speaker & Worship Leader:- Alix Geard

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Alix Geard © 18 August 2024

Why do we light a chalice in our services? It’s a strange concept, when you think about it. If it’s a cup, then ceremonial cups are usually for water or wine, not flame. How did it get started?

Today I’m splitting my musing into 2 parts. One, now, is about what we know of the history of the flaming chalice. Later, I’ll talk through an interpretation of the lit chalice, using some of the imagery associated with it. I invite you to explore with me and find what resonates for you. This is a little long, so settle in.

Speaker:- Mary Panko
Worship Leader:- Barbara Thomborson

Mary Panko, immediate past president of New Zealand’s End-of-Life Choice Society, is guest speaker on the End-of-Life Choice Act and its upcoming Parliamentary review.

Barbara Thomborson, service leader, will share Unitarian Universalist background on this controversial topic. This service is a call to action.

Follow this link to download information on how to make a submission to the End-of-Life Choice Act review, closing date 26 September 2024.

Mary’s slides to accompany this talk.

Speakers:- The Macky family
Worship Leader:- Rachel Mackintosh

Meditation / Conversation starter

• What do you make of the whakatauki, “We walk backwards into the future with our eyes fixed on the past”?
• How do you conceive our past and our future?

Links

Chalice Lighting:- “We inherit this free faith from the brave and gentle” by Audette Fulbright Fulson

Reading:- “Good Bones” by Maggie Smith

Speaker & Worship Leader:- Kurt Payne

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Kurt Payne © 28 July 2024

“..you cannot attain spiritual intelligence through numbers..” was mentioned more than once during Barbara Thomborson’s service in May. This week Kurt looks more into this tiny facet while exploring a model of a whole person – no calculators required!

Looking at a painting of a tree

Drawing a picture of a tree we would draw a trunk, add some branches and pop some leaves on.

For an artist the gaps and space between the leaves is more important and can be bigger than the tree itself. The shadow and length of the shadow help give size and weight. Feel the shade and the coolness along the path. Imagine the birds, animals and insects living in it. Hear the sound of rustling, the smell of the sap, of the composting leaves. Source of food, provider of oxygen, of shelter and warmth as wood. A concept for family lineage, unitarians may have even had a phone tree.

This type of lateral thinking is needed when we start to look at the model of a human.

Speaker:- Mal Green
Worship Leader:- Ted Zorn

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Follow this shortcut to the bottom of the page for the various readings, videos, etc. shared in the service.

Mal Green © 21 July 2024

Tēnā koutou katoa

Ko Kōtirana, ko Aerana, ko Ingarangi te whakapaparanga mai

Ko Owairaka to maunga

Engari, ko Titirangi te whenua tupu

I nāianei, ko Te Onewa te kāinga

Nō Tāmaki Makaurau ahau

He Kaiako au i Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa

Ko Penman-Cooney te hapu

Ko Green-Clark te whānau

Ko Mal Green toku ingoa

I am a fifth generation descendant of Scottish, Irish, English immigrants to Aoteroa. I was born in Mt Albert, grew up in Titirangi, live now in Northcote. I teach at Massey University. I come from the Penman-Cooney extended family. My immediate family is Green-Clark. I am Mal Green.

Today I will share a bit of my spiritual whakapapa.

I was born into an evangelical Christian family – a missionary evangelical family that has produced countless missionaries and pastors. The main motif in this spiritual orientation was vindictive – if you did the right things and pleased God, you were blessed; if you did the wrong things and offended God, you were damned. So, God was judgemental; the world is evil; humans are depraved; Jesus is divine. I got involved in youth clubs, performed at and produced concerts, toured with performing arts groups, ended up in church leadership, wrote pamphlets – all to spread the message.