Speaker & Worship Leader:- Rachel Mackintosh

Video to come

Audio to come

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Rachel Mackintosh © 7 September 2025

To Tomorrow, 1 September, is the first day of Spring in Aotearoa. Some countries date the seasons to equinox and solstice. We, more prosaically, date our seasons to the beginnings of months. Thus, 1 December is the first day of Summer, 1 March is the first day of Autumn, 1 June is the first day of Winter.

And tomorrow, 1 September, is the first day of Spring.

The first day of spring, whenever we fix it, is one day in the seemingly endlessly repeated revolutions of our planet. We mark the seasons with fixed dates to give our lives a predictable rhythm.

We may steal a branch of apple blossoms in the night, to give ourselves stars and the gift of Spring perfumes.

We may have less criminal rituals that underline our comfort at the repeating rhythm, rituals to mark the transition from one season to the next.

The gospel according to Jubilation Choir is love of the naked voice; love of losing ourselves in a sea of harmony and love of bringing a gospel sensibility to songs from all genres.

Singers:- Jubilation Choir
Worship Leader:- Judy Lightstone

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Judy Lightstone © 24 August 2025

My introduction to the Jubilation Choir occurred while I was teaching a workshop next door here at Studio One. I had just moved to the central city from West Auckland, and was thrilled to hear my favourite music seeping through the window. So I had to follow it- and it led me to this Unitarian Church. I had already joined the Unitarian Church of Berkeley California back when we lived in the US, and was thrilled to discover (albeit mistakenly) that there was not only a Unitarian Church in Auckland, but – wow what a church choir!

The Jubilation Acapella Gospel Choir was founded 25 years ago by Jean McAllister and the late NZ blues legend Rick Bryant and a number of others who are still in the choir. They are 30-odd strong and love their rehearsal space – the Unitarian Church – where they rehearse weekly.
They had a pre-Covid tradition of singing at the church in lieu of a service annually, and so we are so lucky that they are happy to do so again after this hiatus. 

The choir originally sang the Black American Gospel songbook almost exclusively; more recently, thanks to a spirit of innovation, and the talents of key members who do arrangements, they have added more variety to their repertoire. They’re also developing collaborations with NZ performing artists: and on September 13th they have a show with Reggae artist Tigilau Ness in Te Puke Ō Tara Community Centre, Ōtara.

Links

Opening Words:- “Caged Bird” By Maya Angelou

Chalice Lighting:- adapted from “Let Beauty In” By Rebekah Savage

Closing Words:- “In the Rising Sun Today” By Joel Miller

Speaker & Worship Leader:- Maria Hayward

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Maria Hayward © 3 August 2025

Our theme for today is: “Refugees: people like you and me”, and during the korero time I’ll be giving you a slideshow of Te Āhuru Mōwai, the New Zealand Refugee Reception Centre in Mangere. I hope you’ll see from this picture story and commentary, that, colour, race, religion, attire, language and gender are merely superficial attributes – what connects us – is our shared humanity. We’re all human beings – yet some of us are born luckier than others.

As mentioned previously, our theme for today is: “Refugees: people like you and me”. I’d like to introduce this theme by reading the lyrics from the song you heard in the prelude: Dave Dobbyn’s ‘Welcome Home’ song. Dobbyn felt inspired to write this song after an anti-migrant march in Christchurch. He wrote it in 2005 to welcome migrants to this country – but it seems to fit the welcoming of former refugees even better – people who have been forced out of their home countries, mostly due to war, and then they come to a new, safe land.

Link to slideshow

The World Refugee Day Theme in 2025 is Solidarity with Refugees. There are record numbers of people in the world today who have been forcibly displaced. I hope the slideshow today has helped you feel some solidarity for people, who through no fault of their own, have been forced from their homes. They are people like us. The theme of solidarity urges us to move beyond words and take meaningful steps to support those forced to flee. Refugees don’t seek charity, they just want the opportunity to rebuild their lives, to contribute to their communities, and to live with dignity.

We can create change by advocating for lasting solutions to displacement. In listening to and understanding the stories of refugee journeys, we are reminded that welcoming refugees strengthens societies and builds communities where everyone belongs. Finally, to quote from the UN statement on this year’s theme of Solidarity: “Through collective action — from policy change and community engagement to sharing refugee voices — we affirm that refugees are not forgotten, not alone, and not without hope” (https://www.un.org/observances/refugee-day).

Meditation / Conversation starter

• Have you been in a social or other situation where there has been criticism about refugee settlement programmes?
• What have you learned from the recent UU talks that might perhaps help you to respond more confidently should these questions or comments arise again?

Speaker & Worship Leader:- Rachel Mackintosh

An exploration of justice and inclusion.

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Rachel Mackintosh © 27 July 2025

To come In this place, in this community, we covenant to serve humankind in fellowship, that all souls shall grow in harmony.

We face challenges in this endeavour, though we repeat the statement every week.

Certainly, we believe that all souls should grow in harmony.

You may know this story of former Auckland Councillor, the late Efeso Collins. This story takes place at the swearing in when he was first elected to Auckland Council in 2016. I have never been to a swearing in ceremony, but I can imagine a solemn and reverent event. The mayor in robes and chain, the council members dressed in their best, taking on the awesome responsibility of serving their city, with their intentions fresh — intentions of doing their best to make this place somewhere we can all live well. The town hall cleaned and polished to its finest, perhaps some organ music, dignitaries present, VIPs in the audience, there to lend weight to the moment and to pay respect to our elected leaders. A ceremonial occasion.

In 2016, when Efeso Collins was being sworn in, a council usher refused to believe that his wife, children and elders were entitled to sit in the VIP area. Efeso had to persuade the usher to let them take their seats.

Efeso was appalled and embarrassed. His family was humiliated. It was 2016, for goodness’ sake. Weren’t we beyond that kind of racism?

Isaiah speaks against rulers who write laws that crush the poor and enable injustice. In the 1970s, successive New Zealand Governments used such laws to legally justify the racial profiling and persecution of Pasifika peoples, especially through the Dawn Raids.

Speaker:- Rev. Alec Toleafoa
Worship Leader:- Ted Zorn

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Alec Taleafua © 20 July 2025

“Woe to you who legislate evil—
who make laws that make misery for the poor,
that rob destitute people of dignity,
exploiting defenseless widows and taking advantage of homeless children.”

Isaiah 10:1–3 (The Message version)

Let me take you to a moment in time a moment in history.

To a family home in the inner-city suburb of Arch Hill, a group of young Pasifika and Maori gathered for a meeting, a meeting that would ignite a revolution in the way mainstream New Zealand treat Pasifika & Maori. A meeting that would give Pasifika communities a megaphone through which to articulate and amplify our stand against the everyday racial prejudice and discrimination we were experiencing at the time. And so the Polynesian Panther Party was born on 16^th June 1971.

Speaker:- Tenzin Chosang
Worship Leader:- Rachel Mackintosh

The paradox of tolerance suggests that extending tolerance to the intolerant risks enabling the eventual dominance of intolerance. It challenges UUs’ commitment to justice, equity, and compassion. How do we manage the tension between openness and resisting hate in an era of rising divisiveness?

Speaker & Worship Leader:- Ted Zorn

Video to come

Audio to come

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

Ted Zorn © 6 July 2025

Reading

Before my talk, I’d like to read something I wrote for this service. It is a poem in progress. It’s about my topic today,

The Paradox of Tolerance

I believe you can believe what you believe and I can believe what I believe and that we can still live together in community.

Usually.

You can think that what I think is wrong and I can think what you think is wrong, and it’s okay.

Usually.

You deem one thing to be best and I deem another thing to be best, and we can both be redeemed.

Usually.

You value some things, and I value different things, but we both have value.

Always.

But what if what you think is that someone who thinks like me is unacceptable?

What if you believe that someone who believes what I believe has no place in our community?

What if you deem that people like me are less than people like you?

What if you value some people, but not people with my values?

Hmm. Now we have a problem.