Sunday Talks / Random Musings

Keep Calm and Carry On

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By Rev. Clay Nelson

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Rev. Clay Nelson © 6 December 2015

Sometimes the beginning of a sermon has an unlikely beginning. At the Living Wage Office where I work three mornings a week, in the break room there is a sign with a familiar look. It is red with a white crown at the top. Underneath it says “Keep Calm. Fill the dishwasher, not the sink.” It made me think about the original sign of which it is a parody, “Keep Calm and Carry On.” We see it everywhere these days affixed to signs, greeting cards, tea towels, coffee mugs, and the like. Over my morning tea I wondered where it came from and why. Continue reading Keep Calm and Carry On →

Does the Kingdom of God need God?

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By Rev. Clay Nelson

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Rev. Clay Nelson © 29 November 2015

Making sense of the world is not easy. Psychologists explain that to do so it is necessary to organise incoming sensations into information that is meaningful. They think we do this by perceiving individual sensory stimuli as a meaningful whole. The brain creates a whole image from individual stimuli.

Optical illusion - duck or rabbit?

Sometimes what we see is really there but we see different things like the optical illusion of a duck that also can be a rabbit. Continue reading Does the Kingdom of God need God? →

Peace and Social Justice : Walking the Talk

Peace & Social Justice, Sunday Talks / Random Musings
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The Peace and Social Justice Committee, represented today by Henri van Roon and Paul Henriques.

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Henri van Roon and Paul Henriques © 22 November 2015

For more about the projects mentioned here, see our Social Justice and Action page.

Also

Follen Community Church, Lexington, MA, USA.

Shady Hill School, Cambridge, MA, USA.

Vicki Soto Memorial

The Wider Unitarian World

Sunday Talks / Random Musings
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By Henri van Roon

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Henri van Roon © 15 November 2015

Text to come.

Follow this link to learn more about the other Unitarian Universalist organisations mentioned in this talk.

Follow this link to learn more about Wealth and New Zealand by Max Rashbrooke mentioned in an unrecorded comment from Sally, responded to by Henri near the end of the talk.

What Would the Goddess Do?

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By Rev. Clay Nelson

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Rev. Clay Nelson © 8 November 2015

I have to confess that like many of us I am left daunted by the scope of the problems being created by global climate change. Other than an occasional reference to the fact that there is a problem, I have never devoted an entire sermon to the eco-disaster we face. I can feel myself retreat into uncertainty about how to proceed even as I begin. What can I say that will make a difference? What can any of us do to save the planet? Continue reading What Would the Goddess Do? →

The Communion of Unitarian Saints

Sunday Talks / Random Musings
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By Rev. Clay Nelson

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Rev. Clay Nelson © 1 November 2015

Today is All Saints Day. There is a phrase in the Apostles Creed,  which is possibly the only phrase I really like – the Communion of Saints – what does the Communion of Saints mean? Well it essentially means that when a Christian receives Communion, they are not just having Communion with people in that congregation, they’re having Communion with everybody else in the world who is having Communion,  and having Communion with everybody who has ever had Communion in the history of the church, and they’re having communion with everybody who will ever come to receive Communion. To me it is a symbol of the interdependent web of existence of which we are a part, It reminds us we didn’t get here out of nothing, we are connected to those who came before, and others in the future will be connected to us, a reminder of our oneness.

So I thought today for our new members it would be good to give them a family tree, so that they know what they are being grafted to. I’m going to give you a whirlwind tour of some of the people who have gone before in this congregation. Continue reading The Communion of Unitarian Saints →

“You have Stept Out of Your Place” – Challenging Patriarchy

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By Rev. Clay Nelson

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Rev. Clay Nelson © 25 October 2015

The title of this sermon comes with a story told by the Revd Dr Stephanie Mayi:

“It all began in January of 1637 when Anne Hutchinson went on trial in Boston for her role in creating theological discord within the fledgling Massachusetts colony. Since arriving in the new born Boston a few years earlier, Hutchinson had been holding meetings, leading discussions, and in many other ways expressing her own religious viewpoints—including her opinions about the various clergy in Boston and surrounding towns. Continue reading “You have Stept Out of Your Place” – Challenging Patriarchy →

How might Unitarians respond to the Syrian refugee crisis?

Sunday Talks / Random Musings
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By Viv Allen

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Viv Allen © 18 October 2015

Lately I’ve been watching the world news about the Syrian refugee crisis with a mix of emotions including surprise, pity, empathy, horror and fear ……..

It has got me thinking about how we Auckland Unitarians might respond. We will have time after my talk for a short discussion.

Consider the comments of Continue reading How might Unitarians respond to the Syrian refugee crisis? →

What’s Wrong with the Living Wage?

Living Wage Aotearoa New Zealand, Sunday Talks / Random Musings, , , , , , , , ,
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By Rev. Clay Nelson

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Rev. Clay Nelson © 4 October 2015

Before tackling what is wrong with the Living Wage I should make a full disclosure as we often hear journalists do when they have a connection to the story on which they are reporting. In early 2012 I attended the second meeting of unions, churches, and community NGOs exploring the initiation of a Living Wage Movement in Aotearoa New Zealand. I attended its kick-off later that year on May 21st. I became active in a faith network to support the movement and later became its convenor. Continue reading What’s Wrong with the Living Wage? →