Sunday Services
Sundays at 10:30 am September through June
Where Spaghetti Meets Spirit
September 28 at 10:30 am
In-person and online
Speaker: Rev Anne Barker
Service Leader: Cori Smithen
Our congregations, our cultures, our communities, our world … all are in the midst of profound transition. We are being challenged to innovate, to try on small experiments, to toss ideas like spaghetti against the wall to see what sticks. How do we bring the spirit of our Unitarian Universalist faith into this process? How can it help us to collectively imagine, to discern our next right actions, and to meet the challenges of global and personal uncertainty? Rev Anne Barker is the Canadian Unitarian Council Congregational Life Lead and Transitional Executive Director. After the service, you are invited to join us for a dicussion with Anne.
I Am A Jewish Anti-Zionist: Ask Me Anything
October 5 at 10:30am
In-person and online
Speaker: Ethan Klein
Service Leader: Nazeem Muhajarine
Ethan Klein was raised and educated to love and support the State of Israel, but over the last decade his ideas have slowly changed–not only about the State of Israel, but about the plight of Jewish community and education, the stickiness of “anti-semitism”, and the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people. At this service, attendees will hear a little about Ethan’s ideological journey, but are mainly invited to ask him personal and difficult questions about his ideas and how he navigates his relationship to Judaism and Israel in today’s political climate.
In anticipation of this service, you may wish to read some of Ethan’s writing on these topics: “Lacking Context Where it Matters: StandWithUS Comes to the Prairies” (June 2025); “We Are Their Weather” (Sept 2024); “Echo Chambers of Our Own Making” (June 2024); “Where the Palestinian People Fit Into My Jewish Education” (July 2021).
Thanksgiving
October 12 at 10:30 am
In-person and online
Speaker: Ulrich Teucher
Thanksgiving, with its traditional focus on celebrating the harvest, reminds us of all the gifts of the earth that make our lives possible. This Thanksgiving, we may want to reflect on what we have worked for, what we have endeavoured for, and what we may be thankful for – be it money, time, energy, political action, art, science, education, planting, community action, restoration, acts of care, large and small. All are needed in these urgent times. This is what Indigenous plant scientist Robin Wall Kimmerer puts to us in her new book The Serviceberry, about the contrasts between gift economy and market economy. This morning, Ulrich will share some thoughts about the practice of reciprocity with life within and around us and how it changes the ways we live.
We invite you to please bring non-perishable food items to our service. We will collect them and take them to the Saskatoon Food Bank. Here is a list of items that the Food Bank needs most.
About Sunday Services
All our programs are run by volunteers, with the support of our part-time paid administrator. Most of our Sunday services are created and led by teams from within our congregation, each with its own focus. These teams include:
- Cultivating Caring Communities: Learning about values and caring practices that help us be effective community members
- Green Sanctuary: Celebrating and caring for the interdependent web of life
- Widening the Circle: Developing our understanding of racism/anti-racism and other forms of discrimination and oppression
- Earth-Based Spirituality: Celebrating the sacredness of nature through the seasonal cycle of the year, in story, music and ritual
In addition, we are offering a series of eight services developed by Unitarian Universalist ministers across Canada, “Meaning Making in Liminal Times – Roots of Resilience,” which addresses themes from Intentional Rest to Cultivating Joy.
While every service has some consistent elements, the content and style vary from one Sunday to the next. Some services are informal and conversational; others are explorations of ideas or reflections on how to live life well. While there are often opportunities for participation, it’s never required; we trust everyone will take part as they feel comfortable. The general format of most services involves lighting our chalice (symbol of Unitarianism), sharing milestones, usually music and/or singing, and a brief talk by a member of the congregation or a guest speaker.
After the service ends (around 11:30 am), coffee, tea, and treats are provided in the foyer and everyone is invited to stay and chat. On some Sundays, there is an opportunity to return to the sanctuary to discuss the service topic or engage in a related activity.
Those who attend online are welcome to connect via Zoom a little ahead of the service to get to know other online attendees. We encourage but don’t require you to keep your camera on. After the service, you are welcome to stay online to visit, too.
Missed a service? You can request a recording. We only record the speaker (if they have agreed).