Sunday, April 28, 2024 Online AND In Person Starts at 10:30am
Passover Prayers With Dr Diana Ralph and Reverend Eric Meter
The ancient story of the Jew’s flight from slavery to freedom takes on additional nuance given the awful situation in Gaza. This morning, Dr. Diana Ralph, the Learning Coordinator at Or Haneshamah, joins Rev. Eric in offering reflections upon how things got the way they are and where we might go from here.
Join us for Coffee Hour in Fellowship Hall following the service.
In the Rainbow Room, this week's focus is on celebrating growth. Our 2-6 year-olds will engage in activities centered on their height and reflecting on how much they’ve grown.
In the Chalice Room this week, E is for equity. With the help of J.E.T.P.I.G, our 7-12 year-olds will discover what the difference is between being equal and being equitable.
Hear Ye, Hear Ye! The 2024 Annual General Meeting will be held next Sunday May 5th at 12:30pm in Worship Hall. Notice of the AGM was sent by email this week to all members and AGM Materials are available to download from our Members' Page.
The agenda includes election of board members, approval of our financial statements, and a motion to repudiate the Doctrine of Discovery.
This meeting will be hybrid - in-person and via Zoom - and non-members are welcome, but only members physically present will be able to vote. To attend remotely, click HERE to register for a Zoom link, and be sure to arrange a proxy for your vote by downloading and filling out the proxy form available on the Members' Page.
For those attending in-person: Lunch will be available in Fellowship Hall after the Sunday service, before the AGM; childcare will be available during the AGM; and voter registration will be available before and after service from 10:00am until the AGM starts at 12:30. We hope to see you there next Sunday!
~*~
FirstU Finances In-Depth
During the AGM, there will be a brief overview of the 2023 audit and the new Long-Term Financial Plan. If you want a more in-depth discussion of these there are two additional zoom meetings in the week before the AGM:
We all know that Ajashki means "Soil" in Algonquin, that Kitigan Zibi means "Garden River", and "Gichi Zibi" means "Great River". Now let's learn some more words in Algonquin language.
This week's Algonquin Word of the Week is:
Ininìwindibìgegan
Ininìwindibìgegan means "Trillium" in Algonquin. Have you spotted any trilliums yet this spring?
Elevator Operators Needed
There are currently four Designated Elevator Operators and we are seeking two additional volunteers to act as Designated Elevator Operators for Sunday services to assist our fellow congregants with mobility issues in using the elevator. For more information, contact Stan Pope.
We are all interconnected, interdependent and minister to each other in many ways. Our monthly Caring Contacts take your phone calls and emails when you wish to alert us to a need or a concern or have a joy to celebrate. We try to ensure no one is forgotten and that appropriate help is provided when requested.
Celebration of Life for Jane Perry
A service for Jane will be held in Calgary, on Saturday May 11, 2024. It will be livestreamed at 4:00pm Eastern Time.
Mystery Pals Revealed!
A Reminder to all Mystery Muuffin participants. Our Muffin Social will be next Sunday May 5th at 9:30am in Fellowship hall. Your pal’s identity will be revealed.
Women’s Recycled Jeans Sale: A FirstU Fundraiser
FirstU is holding a fundraiser! We're hosting a recycled jeans sale on May 11. If you have clean, women's jeans in good condition that you'd like to donate to our cause, please drop them off at the FirstU office by Thursday May 9.
Possible Support Group for Parents of Adult Trans Children
Do you have child, university-age or older, who recently came out as trans? Would you like to talk to other parents of gender-diverse adults? Contact Lisa if this is something you'd find helpful.
A Message from the Parkway Spire Team
In just over two weeks submissions are due for the summer edition of the Parkway Spire. We’re looking for personal essays, newsy articles, poetry and photos. If you have editorial content you would like to share with the congregation, please email your submissions (max 450 words) to spire@firstuinitarianottawa.caby May 15. We look forward to hearing from you! And don’t forget, if you have a longer piece (max. 700 words) that we might use as a Feature Article, do send it along!
Introducing Ourselves - Postponed
The Introducing Ourselves session for newcomers originally scheduled for May 7 has been postponed to the fall. Watch for a date to be announced in late summer.
Final Collection of Eclipse Glasses THIS Sunday
Make sure you bring in your used Eclipse Glasses for reuse by students in South America during the "Ring of Fire" annular solar eclipse in Chile and Argentina in October. The box is in the office foyer. Also: Check out photos from last Sunday's "March to End the Plastic Era" on the Climate Action Page!
Ajashki is Hiring!
The Ajashki project is hiring a part-time Program Developer for their Makerspace! Please share this job description (click to read and download) with anyone you know who may be interested in this position with Ajashki.
Red Dress Day 2024
Thank you to members who donated a dress last year for our Red Dress Day to honour missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls and two-spirit people. Meditation Gardens volunteers will be displaying the stored collection and are hoping to expand this symbol of respect into the upper garden.If you can donate (or loan) a red garment for this year's display, please drop it off in the office by April 30. Questions? Contact Susan Mellor.
Upcoming Events
FirstU Spring Concert
Sunday, April 28 - 7:00pm in Worship Hall
By Donation - Reception to Follow
The choirs of FirstU present a concert on the many forms that love takes in our lives, celebrating family ties, friendship, partnership, self-love, and community. There will be singalongs and a guest appearance by the FirstU House Band!
FirstU Finances In-Depth - Session 1
Tuesday, April 30 - 10:00am on Zoom
AND Wednesday, May 1 - 7:00pm on Zoom
If you want a more in-depth discussion of, and a chance to ask questions about, the 2023 audit and the new Long-Term Financial Plan, please attend this meeting OR Session 2 by clicking HERE.
Taoist Tai Chi
Tuesday, April 30 - 1:00pm in Fellowship Hall
Led by Friends of Taoist Tai Chi, Ottawa
Tai Chi is a series of gentle movements that improves circulation, strengthens the bones, and develops good balance. Many have found their health greatly improved by regular practice. Master Moy first developed Taoist Tai Chi to improve his own health, and later dedicated his life to enabling others to do the same. We welcome anyone to participate, beginners included. Each two-hour session will be led by experienced instructors from "Friends of Tai Chi" and will include a break for tea. No advance registration needed just drop in. There is no fixed fee for these classes, a free-will donation basket will be available. Email adultlearning@firstunitarianottawa.ca with any questions.
Trans Inclusive Women's Pagan Circle Celebrates Beltane
Tuesday, April 30 - 7:00pm in Fellowship Hall
Trans women, cis women, and nonbinary folks (if this is a fit for you): Come celebrate Beltane by making flower crowns as we welcome the return of our green friends. We’ll have some supplies, but please bring more artificial flowers, leaves, florists wire, and ribbons to share, along with finger food for after the ritual. Bring personal trinkets to add to your own wreath. We welcome cash donations to cover supplies and to give to the FirstU for hosting us.
Online Meditation Group
Wednesday, May 1 - 7:00pm on Zoom
Join us on Wednesday evenings for online meditation plus readings from teachers like Thich Nhat Hanh. Let Colleen know if you would like to receive a friendly email reminder on Tuesday. Click HERE to join the meditation session Meeting ID: 880 7343 6250 Passcode: 259109
FirstU Virtual Discussion Circle
Thursday, May 2 - 1:30pm on Zoom
Discussion circles are held weekly, with a different topic each week. No pre-registration is required, just drop in by clicking on the link. We look forward to seeing you! This week, our topic is "The Good Life". ZOOM LINKMeeting ID: 847 7145 7780 Password: 350030
Friday Reading For Growth
Friday, May 3 - 1:30pm on Zoom
Please join us for a discussion of Cobalt: Cradle of the Demon Metals, Birth of a Mining Superpower, by Charlie Angus. This is the harrowing history and damaging legacy of resource extraction in Canada and the consequences of the increasing demand for cobalt - a key ingredient for a 'green' economy. Copies available at public libraries. Please note the date change. To get the zoom link, contact Clea Derwent.
Mystery mUUffins "Meet Your Pals" Breakfast
Sunday, May 5 - 9:30am
Mystery mUUffins participants are invited to enjoy some muffins and meet your Mystery Pals on Sunday, May 5 in Fellowship Hall!
FirstU AGM
Sunday, May 5 - 12:30pm
Our 2024 Annual General Meeting will be held on Sunday May 5 at 12:30. Lunch will be available in Fellowship Hall before the AGM. Meeting materials are available on the Members' Page of the FirstU Website. The meeting will be hybrid - in-person and online - but only those in person will be able to vote. To attend online, click HERE to register for the Zoom link.
Friday, April 26
8:30am
Men's Breakfast 7:30pm
Grassroots Festival: Charlie A'court
Saturday, April 27
11:00am
Grassroots Festival Workshops (all day event) 7:30pm
Grassroots Festival: Connie Kaldor
Sunday, April 28 10:25am
Mystery Pals! 10:30am
Sunday Service Online AND In-Person 11:30am
In-Person Coffee Hour 7:00pm
FirstU Spring Concert: Love Call Me Home
Save the Date
Evening Reading for Growth
Thursday, May 9 - 7:00pm on Zoom
For May, we'll be reading The Last Doctor: Lessons in Living from the Front Lines of Medical Assistance in Dying, by Jean Marmoreo. We hope you'll join us for our lively discussion of this book. ZOOM LINKMeeting ID: 890 6025 2628 Password: 845374
Unitarian GoGos 2024 Plant Sale
May 10-12 (full weekend event)
Join the Unitarian GoGos for their annual pay-what-you-wish plant sale in support of the Stephen Lewis Foundation. Peruse a variety of perennials plus home-baking, preserves, honey, and jewelry while helping to raise money for people effected by HIV/AIDS in north Africa. Click HERE for all the details.
Women’s Recycled Jeans Sale
Saturday May 11 - 9:00am-1:00pm - in the NOW Room
Come find a bargain, try it on for size and leave happy! Plus: shop for plants and baking in the Go-Go Grannies’ sale. Please leave donations of jeans in FirstU office by Thursday May 9.
Trivia Quiz Night Monday, May 13 - 7:00pm on Zoom
Join us for our Trivia Quiz! Questions are diverse, fun, and taken from several sources, and there is no need to feel embarrassed about getting an incorrect answer: players score themselves! All you need is a pen or pencil, paper and your "thinking cap". Play alone or team up with friends! For more information, email Andrew. ZOOM LINKMeeting ID: 868 6409 2724 Passcode: 038258
yUUth Group
Friday, May 17 - 6:30pm
Youth ages 11 to 17 are invited to join us, on the third Friday of every month, for yUUth Group. For information contact our Director of Religious Exploration at dre@firstunitarianottawa.ca.
FirstU In-Person Bridge
Sunday, May 19 - 2:00pm in Room 3
Join us in Room 3, on the third Sunday of every month, from 2:00pm to 4:00pm, for a fun game of bridge. RSVP by emailing bridgehost@firstunitarianottawa.ca so we can set up before you arrive. We're looking forward to seeing you!
Mah Jongg
Monday, May 20 - 10:00am - Room 3
We will play American Mah Jongg with 3-4 people per table on the third Monday of every month. We are currently using the 2023 game card. Please bring your card. If you can bring a game, please let Barb know when you RSVP. A follow-up email will be sent to players who RSVP to confirm their spot. It is important that you know how to play the game.
Unitarian Universalist nUUs
Unitarians Seeking Rooms (Ottawa Peace Caravan)
Dear members and friends of FirstU,
I am a member of the Vancouver Unitarians and I will be travelling with the On to Ottawa Peace Caravan, arriving in Ottawa on May 27th. The Caravan is organized by the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom and the Canadian Voice of Women for Peace. The attached letter details our broad purpose. We will be a party of six, one couple and four singles - singles will very gratefully and happily share a room with twin beds - all in need of places to stay. We recognize this is a very big ask. Our travels and scheduled events will have us needing billets in Ottawa for May 27-30.
Please contact me - Debra - at debrasutherland8@gmail.com or 778-322-5921, if you can offer a room or two. Many thanks for any assistance you are able to provide.
An International Evening with Pete Seeger
Thursday, May 2 – 7:00pm
UUFO (400 McArthur Ave)
UUFO invites you to an evening with Pete Seeger, where we’ll explore Pete’s international repertoire with a few classics from American folklore but many other songs from different cultures. Come and sing-along with us.
International Convocation of UU Women's
Fourth International Convocation
September 5-8, 2024
Cluj-Napoca/Kolozsvár, Romania
The International Convocation of Unitarian Universalist Women would like to invite your members to attend our 4th International Convocation in the historic UU region of Transylvania! The theme is "Weaving a Tapestry of Peace and New Perspectives". Click HERE for all the details!
Canadian Unitarians for Social Justice present:
Israel/Palestine/Gaza/Hamas – What Next?
Saturday, April 27 - 1:00pm - Online
Peter Larson, Chair of Ottawa Forum on Israel/Palestine (OFIP), is an experienced expert in Middle Eastern affairs. He visits and lectures on the region, focusing on Canada-Arab relations and the Israel/Palestine conflict. Larson's balanced approach, seen in his writings and lectures at Carleton University, has earned him recognition, including The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal. He might have a solution! Register HERE to get the zoom link.
CUC Congregational Conversations Series
FirstU's UU Connections Team encourages everyone to participate in one or more of the upcoming conversations hosted by the Canadian Unitarian Council:
Ministry Options - Types, Availability, & Creative Alternatives: Wednesday May 1 or Friday May 10
Financial Planning & Income Streams: Monday May 27
Worship Programming & Leadership Development: Saturday June 1
Children & Youth - Presence & Programming: Saturday June 1
Information about events and activities at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Ottawa can be found by reading the latest UUFO Friday Notes.
Canadian Unitarian Council Information about upcoming CUC events can be found on their Events Page.
News From Our Friends
Show Tune Showdown
TOMORROW - Saturday, April 27 at 7:30pm
Centrepointe Theatre
If you, or someone you know, enjoys Broadway performances, this is THE Ottawa event to attend!
It's musical, it's fun and super entertaining, and supports of Tone Cluster (quite a queer choir) and their 30th anniversary season! This year's competing teams are from Orpheus Musical Theatre, Suzart Productions, and Broadway Nights Ottawa, and comedian and radio host Jesse Reynolds will be our MC. The judging panel this year is singer/songwriter, Lynn Miles, CBC radio All in a Day host Alan Neal, and Ottawa city councilor Jeff Leiper. Tickets are $35 and available HERE.
If you want to learn more about Show Tune Showdown, check out this recent interview.
News on Dr Hassan Diab and a Parliamentary Petition
On 21 April 2023, the Special Court of Assize in Paris unjustly declared Canadian citizen Dr. Hassan Diab guilty, based on unfounded allegations and flawed intelligence. This, while his case was thrown out by the two assigned French judges who worked on his case for three years! He was sentenced in absentia to life in prison for the 1980 bombing outside a Paris synagogue. Our Congregation has been very supportive of Hassan. Please sign the parliamentary petition calling upon the Government of Canada to formally declare that Canada will neither accept nor agree to any second request from the French Government for the extradition of Dr. Hassan Diab in connection with the 1980 Paris attack.
Ontario Ministry of Transportation: Safety for Vulnerable Road Users
Thursday, May 2 - 1:30pm - $10
FirstUnitarian members and friends are invited to join Unitarian House residents and others for a two-hour workshop on Thursday, May 2, at 1:30pm.
A representative from the Ontario Ministry of Transportation will address two topics – the shared responsibility of safety for vulnerable road users (pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists), plus everything you wanted to know about the senior license renewal process for 80+.
Come for the information and stay for the refreshments! $10 fee. Contact Louise at schwartzla@rogers.com or 613-762-1429.
Chez FirstU
Ottawa Grassroots Festival
THIS WEEKEND - April 25-28
The Ottawa Grassroots Festival is coming to FirstU! Swing by our place to hear artists like Charlie A'Court (April 26) and Connie Caldor (April 27). More information, including how to get tickets, available HERE.
Gil's Hootenanny
Wednesday, May 1 - 7:00pm - $20
Gil’s Hootenanny, Ottawa’s annual community singalong, celebrates songs of hope and protest with exuberant audience participation. While the word “hootenanny” may not be in everyone’s lexicon, Gil’s Hootenanny is hell-bent on reviving this form of entertainment for folks of all ages. Click HERE for details and tickets.
Harmony Concerts Present:
Martyn Joseph
Friday, May 3 - 7:30pm
Hailed as a raconteur weaving tales on topical concerns, as well as stories on the fragility of love, Martyn Joseph has a magical ability to reach out to his listeners through his passion and humour. For one man and a guitar he creates a performance with a huge far-reaching sound that is energetic, compelling and passionate. Get tickets HERE.
Intercultural Dialogue Institute Seminar
May 7 - 5:30pm
Join the Intercultural Dialogue Institute (IDI) Ottawa on May 7, 2024, for a seminar featuring key panel discussions on "Interfaith and Intercultural Dialogue" and "Identity and Integration." These panels, led by experts including Scott Alexander, aim to foster mutual understanding among diverse faiths and cultures and address the integration challenges faced by young people. Open to academics, community leaders, and all interested individuals, the event will combine moderated discussions and interactive Q&A sessions. Don't miss this opportunity to engage in important conversations that promote inclusivity and understanding. Click HERE for more information and to register.
Evenchick and Hucul
Sunday, June 2 - 3:30pm - $25
Local singer/songwriters Evenchick and Hucul will be releasing their juicy new album at the First Unitarian Congregation of Ottawa, Sunday June 2, in an effort to muster community support, raise funds and celebrate 40 years of The Ottawa Foodbank. Click HERE for tickets.
Share the eUU with your friends
by using the share buttons below
If you would like an announcement made during the livestreamed Sunday Service, please send an email, by Friday at 10am, to boardannouncements@firstunitarianottawa.ca.
Do allow for time in case there are questions with regard to the announcement. Also note that announcements may need to be edited
for length and that time-sensitive announcements may be prioritized.
eUU Submissions
Submit your eUU messages for consideration to publications@firstunitarianottawa.ca no later than Wednesday at noon of the week you want your announcement or event to appear. Submissions may be edited for length.
80 words or fewer, please. Allison, our Communications Coordinator, works Thursdays and Fridays.