First Unitarian Universalist

September 28, 2008 10:30 am
First Unitarian Universalist, 608 Wellington Cresc. Winnipeg
Reverend Frances Dearman

Hokay, so third church in and I'm already branching away from the mainstream Christian churches. For those of you who don't know, Unitarian Universalists are a liberal, 'non-credal' (nobody is expected to follow any particular creed) religion that is open to basically anyone. There are Christian Unitarians just as there are atheist Unitarians. They believe that every person has inherent worth and dignity and has the freedom to search for their own personal truth in whatever manner they chose.

I was welcomed on my way in by a greeter who invited me to sign the guest book and gave me a name-tag, which hasn't happened before. I said 'hi' to a few more people on my way in. The sanctuary is smaller in terms of floor space but big on ceiling, which does their extremely capable choir well. There are stackable (yet comfortable) chairs in lieu of pews. The church is built onto the side of a period home, which is used for offices, youth rooms, meeting rooms and lounges.

An African-sounding tune was played through the speakers to signify the beginning of the service, after which there were announcements. One particularly tall youth made a cheerful, funny announcement about an upcoming young adult group. There was a bit of confusion between the choir, chalice-lighter and Reverend but it all got sorted out lightheartedly. The service was fairly traditional; I would liken it heavily to worship in my home United Church except for the fact that I don't remember hearing the word "God" once. The service was heavily themed on togetherness, peace and harmony with life.

I found Reverend Fran Dearman's sermon a bit confusing. She spoke very well, but basically it was the story of arctic birds and their migratory patterns (every time she said "migratory birds" the Monty Python crew started dancing in my head). She attempted a few times to tie the story of the birds into our own personal migrations but I didn't really get where she was going. She ended with a heartfelt plea to aid in the restoration of wetland ecosystems. A nicely spoken sermon, but I think I somehow missed the point.

After the service a fair portion of the chairs were cleared away and coffee (fair trade) and snacks were served. By my estimate about two-thirds of the 200-some congretation present stayed for coffee. I managed to speak to quite a few people (though I personally know a number of people at this church). I definitely enjoyed myself at the Unitarian Universalist Church, and I certainly agree with the vast majority of their beliefs. It wouldn't meet my Christian worship needs as a regular church, but I would certainly go back if I'm ever in the mood for an uplifting, supportive service.

http://uuwinnipeg.mb.ca/index.shtml