Speaker:- Maria Hayward
Worship Leader:- Rachel Mackintosh

A more in-depth look at sexist and racist language and a brief examination of affirming language for other minority groups such as refugees, neuro diverse and disabled communities. Reference to UU values will be made (again!)..

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Maria Hayward © 11 May 2025

This is part 2 of the conversation on the language of reverence. You may recall from my first talk on this topic, I suggested that reverence may exist both in the feeling of respect that we have towards others, as well as in the language we choose to adopt. I also suggested that reverence might include the welcoming of Te Reo in our kōrero and in the acceptance of changes in language – such as the change to non-sexist or non-racist terms. And I mentioned that learning about reverence in language needs to mostly be about minority and marginalised groups such as the rainbow community – (they are the most vulnerable and anyway, the majority already know how to revere their own group or tribe).

Speaker & Worship Leader:- Rachel Mackintosh

Violence and harassment in the world of work affects us all.
What is the spiritual moment we need to address it?

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Rachel Mackintosh © 4 May 2025

I begin this talk by reciting a speech I gave at the International Labour Organisation’s 2019 Conference in Geneva, when I was the Worker Representative for New Zealand and when a new international labour convention was passed, creating a new human right – the right to be free from violence and harassment in the world of work:

In this convention, we have a vision of a different and better world for all people.

Speaker:- Maria Hayward
Worship Leader:- Rachel Mackintosh

This talk will discuss the language of reverence – what this means and what non-racist, non-sexist and queer-friendly language might look like. Connections are made to the UU values of transformation, plurality, interdependence, generosity and of course, love.

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Maria Hayward © 13 April 2025

Our values and the language of reverence

I’d like to start with the UU value of transformation or change. Language changes or transforms. We invent new words all the time, or we use words differently. A simple example of a word used differently is the word ‘cool’, which mostly doesn’t have anything to do with temperature. ‘Cool’ has stayed in fashion for a long time, but apparently even this word now is dated, and teenagers instead might use: ‘slay’, ‘rizz’ (short for charisma), and there’s the kiwi ‘chur’ which means something like: ok or thank you. Society, too, changes: our understandings may grow – as Unitarians they should, with our continuous search for truth and transformation. As part of this growth process, changes in attitudes occur and language that might once have been acceptable – might become unacceptable.

About 50 years ago, feminism changed language; and so did increasing social diversity in its many forms – but especially with respect to ethnicity and gender identity or orientation. In the 1990’s, this new language was labelled politically correct, or PC, then that was criticised (“PC gone mad” became the catchphrase of people not wanting to be PC). Later, we became ‘woke’, then suddenly it was “too woke to give sushi to kids for school lunches” (as the Hon David Seymour said). And now, Winston Peters – like Donald Trump, is fighting a “war on woke”. Actually, being PC or being woke – and let’s be absolutely clear about this – both were just about being respectful. Woke comes from the African American: “be awake to social injustice, racism and bigotry”. And being politically correct or being woke is being respectful in our thinking and speaking about and to minority or marginalised groups in particular, although obviously not exclusively so. Language can include or exclude people; it can be affirming or hurtful. We choose our words.

Speaker & Worship Leader:- Ruby Johnson

The ocean is an object of both wonder and fear. Its rhythm clears the mind and soothes jangled nerves. But underneath its glassy surface, whole ecosystems go about the business of eating and being eaten. What can this contradiction tell us about the nature of being human

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Worship Leader:- Barbara Thomborson
Leader for Dances of Universal Peace:- Laurie Ross

Autumn equinox marks a day or two of equal amounts of daylight before nights are longer. What are the implications for us? What does ‘neopagan’ mean? An interactive Service. Laurie Ross to lead in 2 Dances of Universal Peace.

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Barbara Thomborson © 23 March 2025

Merry meet and blessed be! This is how many neopagans greet each other. Before getting into neopaganism, let’s look at some basics of autumn equinox.

Speaker & Worship Leader:- Ruby Johnson

Today’s service is an introduction to the works of Alan Watts, a British-American writer and philosopher who worked to interpret Hinduism, Buddhism, and Daoism for Western audiences. I first encountered Watts’ completely by accident. I was listening to a selection of calming, meditative music on youtube and a compelling voice came on and began talking very matter-of-factly about some very strange but intriguing spiritual ideas. I wasn’t quite sure what to think. It always pays to be suspicious of people who talk a load of pseudo-mystical nonsense in a very confident fashion – it’s the perfect recipe for a cult leader. It turned out that Alan Watts wasn’t a cult leader, but did get up to all the mischief you might expect of a mid-20th century Californian hippie. He lived for some time in a commune, had three wives (though not all at once), fathered seven children, and used psychedelic drugs. So all in all, exactly my kind of person. I’ve enjoyed Alan’s spiritual insights, and I hope you will too.

No recording this week.

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