Sunday Talks / Random Musings

The Trumpocalypse: How did we get here?

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By Rev. Clay Nelson

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Rev. Clay Nelson © 17 April 2016

UK prime minister Harold Wilson famously said, “A week is a long time in politics.” Well, it has been two weeks since I expressed my concern that Donald Trump was not being taken seriously enough and that IF he got the nomination his particular set of gifts and the current mood of the electorate could possibly end with him winning in a landslide against Hillary Clinton.

One news site that sends me a daily email has been measuring the likelihood of Trump becoming president in terms of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Two weeks ago they were giving it one and a half horsemen. Today they are giving it only one. What has changed? Continue reading The Trumpocalypse: How did we get here? →

The Future of Work

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By Rachel Mackintosh

Vice President of the NZ Council of Trade Unions and National Director of Organising for E tū, NZ’s largest private union.

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Rachel Mackintosh © 10 April 2016

When I was 10, I saw a terrifying programme on TV. I recall a scene outside a secondary school, kids milling around, in school uniform, jumpers, schoolbags, looking normal, waiting for their buses … kids living their lives, friendships, fears, jealousies, exams, misunderstandings, understandings, learning, growing up.

The programme was about how these kids, unlike their parents — who would have been in a scene pretty much the same at the same age — could expect to have trouble finding work when they left school. It was predicting unemployment. Continue reading The Future of Work →

Is New Zealand Safe From Trumpism?

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By Rev. Clay Nelson

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Rev. Clay Nelson © 3 April 2016

Sixteen years ago there was an episode of The Simpsons where Bart is shown his life 30 years in the future. Not surprisingly he learns he will become a beer-swilling bum. On the other hand Lisa is shown behind the desk in the Oval Office as the “first straight female President” telling her staff “As you know, we’ve inherited quite a budget crunch from President Trump. How bad is it? The country is broke.”

It turns out that Dan Greaney who wrote the episode may have only been about six years off in his prediction. Continue reading Is New Zealand Safe From Trumpism? →

Reality versus Illusion: How do we know which is which?

Easter, Sunday Talks / Random Musings, , , , , , ,
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By Rev. Clay Nelson

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Rev. Clay Nelson © 27 March 2016

One of the few difficulties I’ve had as a refugee from the Northern Hemisphere is celebrating Easter with autumn’s chrysanthemums and not spring’s lilies. It was ingrained into me that Easter had to be a spring holiday. After all, Easter takes its name from the Saxon Mother Goddess, Eostre, which means spring. But recently I read about the northern autumn festival celebrated by Hindus, Divali. It changed my perspective. As with Easter, Divali’s date is determined by the moon. It is a great festival of light—burning candles set floating out on the water along the banks of rivers and candles in people’s homes and in temples, dazzling fireworks, gaily coloured greeting cards, family visits, the giving of gifts. On Divali Eve, Laksmi, the goddess of wealth and fortune is said to ride across the land astride a giant owl just at dusk, scattering her gifts to all who deserve them. To us Divali seems to be a strange admixture of Christmas (lights and gifts), Guy Fawkes (fireworks), and Halloween (flying witches and owls). To the Hindu it is a celebration of the victory of good over evil, light over darkness, of humanity’s never ceasing effort to achieve a true and harmonious relationship to ultimate reality.

Continue reading Reality versus Illusion: How do we know which is which? →

Mark Twain visits Auckland Unitarians

Sunday Talks / Random Musings
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Mark Twain toured New Zealand in 1895 as part of his world speaking tour. At that time, he was one of the most readily recognized personalities on the world stage. His programmes brought his social comment to audiences using wit, sarcasm, irony and straight humor. This Sunday, member David Rohe reprises his role as Samuel Clemens sharing some of Twain’s observations of the human condition that speak to us today.

This monologue is an edited version of Hal Holbrook’s “Mark Twain tonight.”

Are You a Mystic?

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By Rev. Clay Nelson

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Rev. Clay Nelson © 13 March 2016

The title of this sermon is really a ruse. I’m not really asking you if you are a mystic. I’m really asking if I am. I’m not sure yet why it would matter if I am or not. How is it possible to really know? Is it even desirable, especially if you are a minister to a group of Unitarians, many of whom are humanist in their perspective? Is being a mystic something that you are born to be or is it something you can become? What difference would discovering I am a mystic make for others or me? Continue reading Are You a Mystic? →

Creeds and Deeds: Mixing Religion and Politics

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By Rev. Clay Nelson

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https://aucklandunitarian.org.nz/podcast/20160306RevClayNelson_CreedsAndDeeds.mp3″]

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Rev. Clay Nelson © 6 March 2016

Recently Rachel and I were at a wedding breakfast as compensation for my officiating at the wedding. This wasn’t a particularly new experience. I have pronounced at least 500 couples to be husband and wife or wife and wife or husband and husband. The reception is not the most comfortable part of a wedding for me as an introvert. Most of the time the only people I know are the bride and groom and they are a little busy on such occasions to spend time chatting with me. Such occasions are even more challenging for Rachel, also an introvert, who usually only knows me, but ever the supportive partner, she goes so I have someone to talk to. Continue reading Creeds and Deeds: Mixing Religion and Politics →

From Lisa to Elijah: Transition & Transcendence

Standing on the Side of Love, Sunday Talks / Random Musings
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The second of 2 Sundays this month devoted to Gender Identity and Transgender Issues.

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Speakers

Rev. Clay Nelson.

Elijah Luke Michel is a face-to-face Counsellor at OUTLine NZ and is a qualified Chaplain of no fixed faith.

Clay concluded with a meditation from Lenore Lux – What is Transgender?

This is your life – Noel Blyth

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By Wayne Facer

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Wayne Facer © 21 February 2016

Noel Blyth
Noel Blyth (b. 1916)
  • Noel attended at Kings College between 1930 and 1931 and then went to Ruakura College, Hamilton where he completed a Diploma in Agriculture. He worked on farms for a few years around the Hamilton area.
  • When the pull of the city took hold and he returned to Auckland. He studied accountancy for Auckland University College and he worked and owned some milk bars which he later sold; he then worked at the State Advances Corporation, the government loan agency.
  • By now he had started dancing and began teaching ball room dancing, but found he needed regular income so he got a job at Inland Revenue while continuing to teach dance. In 1947 he completed his diploma for the National Association of Teachers of Dance.

Continue reading This is your life – Noel Blyth →

Gender Identity and Transgender Issues 1

Standing on the Side of Love, Sunday Talks / Random Musings
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The first of 2 Sundays this month devoted to these issues.

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Speakers

Rev. Clay Nelson.

Adam Rohe.

Briar Collard – giving a talk based on a piece by John Oliver from Last Week Tonight.

Cole Meyers began with a quote from Junot Díaz and followed up with some words of his own.

Lexie Matheson shared some of her story.

Adam closed the session with a reading of Andrew by Andrea Gibson.