Sunday, August 4, 2024 – Finding Joy Amidst the Noise

Sunday, August 4, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. – Finding Joy Amidst the Noise – Every day brings the news of the latest catastrophe. Each day we must decide what we choose to listen to and how it will challenge us and change us. Icelandic Festival weekend invites us to explore the deeper joys that live alongside life's challenges. We will reflect on the life-giving role of joy in our lives and how we can learn to practice it on a daily basis. – Rev. Wayne Arnason & Rev. Kathleen Rolenz

Services are in the Gimli Unitarian Church's landmark building at 76 Second Avenue, near Centre Street. Dress is casual – after all, it's summer!

Sunday, July 21, 2024 – Dressed in Nature, Crowned in Lore

Sunday, July 21, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. – Dressed in Nature, Crowned in Lore – A century has passed since the first Fjallkona, Sigrun Lindal, presided over the Icelandic Festival when it was still held in Winnipeg. Iceland wasn’t the first country to personify the nation in the shape of a woman, but this symbol and its origins are unique and deeply spiritual. – Rev. Stefan Jonasson

Services are in the Gimli Unitarian Church's landmark building at 76 Second Avenue, near Centre Street. Dress is casual – after all, it's summer!

Sunday, July 7, 2024 – The Idolatry of the Far Right

Sunday, July 7, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. – The Idolatry of the Far Right – Alabama has mandated the Ten Commandments in schools, and Oklahoma will require teaching the Bible in theirs, injecting fundamentalism into the classroom. This isn’t piety, it isn’t education – it’s idolatry. The Ten Commandments have morphed into a golden calf. Rev. Stefan Jonasson

Services are in the Gimli Unitarian Church's landmark building at 76 Second Avenue, near Centre Street. Dress is casual – after all, it's summer!

Summer Services at Gimli Unitarian Church – 2024

Summer Sundays at the Gimli Unitarian Church Second Avenue near Centre Street – 11:00 a.m. – Everyone Welcome!

July 7 – The Idolatry of the Far Right – Alabama has mandated the Ten Commandments in schools, and Oklahoma will require teaching the Bible in theirs, injecting fundamentalism into the classroom. This isn’t piety, it isn’t education – it’s idolatry. The Ten Commandments have morphed into a golden calf. Rev. Stefan Jonasson

July 21 – Dressed in Nature, Crowned in Lore – A century has passed since the first Fjallkona, Sigrun Lindal, presided over the Icelandic Festival when it was still held in Winnipeg. Iceland wasn’t the first country to personify the nation in the shape of a woman, but this symbol and its origins are unique and deeply spiritual. Rev. Stefan Jonasson

August 4 – Finding Joy Amidst the Noise – Every day brings the news of the latest catastrophe. Each day we must decide what we choose to listen to and how it will challenge us and change us. Icelandic Festival weekend invites us to explore the deeper joys that live alongside life's challenges. We will reflect on the life-giving role of joy in our lives and how we can learn to practice it on a daily basis. Rev. Kathleen Rolenz & Rev. Wayne Arnason

August 18 – Martyrs and Mayhem – I am generally unmoved by protests, vigils, and acts of civil disobedience. They often seem like feel-good exercises more than effective strategies for social change. And they too often magnify the voices of extremism at the expense of reasonable voices advocating for constructive change. Rev. Stefan Jonasson

September 1 – Enough is Enough – Many complain about overregulation, but overdevelopment and overconsumption are greater threats to our wellbeing. When is enough enough? And why can’t we seem to regulate our appetites for more? Our human footprint threatens the sustainability of both our species and the planet. Rev. Stefan Jonasson

Services are in the Gimli Unitarian Church's landmark building at 76 Second Avenue, near Centre Street. Dress is casual – after all, it's summer!

Sunday, September 3, 2023 – Kodak Moments

September 3 – Kodak Moments – Photography has lost most of its magic since its invention, and the camera of old has been supplanted by the smartphone, but it’s impossible to overstate how the photograph has changed our lives in countless ways. Rev. Stefan Jonasson

Services are in the Gimli Unitarian Church's landmark building at 76 Second Avenue, near Centre Street. Dress is casual – after all, it's summer!

Sunday, August 20, 2023 – Our Ground of Being

Sunday, August 20, at 11:00 a.m. – Our Ground of Being – Paul Tillich defined God as “the ground of being” or “being itself.” Such a philosophical understanding of divinity stands in contrast to the personal God or gods that many believe in. What is it that commands your ultimate commitment in life? Rev. Stefan Jonasson

Services are in the Gimli Unitarian Church's landmark building at 76 Second Avenue, near Centre Street. Dress is casual – after all, it's summer!

Sunday, August 6, 2023 – Restless and Rooted

Sunday, August 6, at 11:00 a.m. – Restless and Rooted – So often in life we find ourselves torn between two equally compelling desires: to stay put and to venture forth. During COVID, we were forced to stay put! If you’ve travelled this year, you have witnessed a massive outbreak of restlessness! On Icelandic Festival weekend, we’ll honour the restlessness of our ancestors and, at the same time, celebrate the many generations who have called this community home. – Rev. Wayne Arnason and Rev. Kathleen Rolenz

Services are in the Gimli Unitarian Church's landmark building at 76 Second Avenue, near Centre Street. Dress is casual – after all, it's summer!