Judy and her husband Michael joined UCV in 2006. You’ve probably met Judy at the coffee service, the foyer welcoming table or seen her quilted fabric artwork on display. She has had two exhibitions in the sanctuary: Rainbow Wrapt and Cherry Blossom Suite, as well as displays in the Fireside Room.
The Little White Welcoming Church
Judy first discovered Unitarianism in 2003 when she lived in Edmonton. She noticed a “little white church” (Westwood Unitarian) and set off one Sunday morning to meet some people. She went intending to connect with neighbours after recently separating from her husband of 27 years. She discovered that it wasn’t a group of local people, most had driven in. However, she did indeed find “her people”. She experienced instant “relief and revelation”, she says. ”I knew that very first day – this is where I belong. I can breathe and think at the same time.”
This entry into church felt radical for Judy who hadn’t attended a church in 30 years after she stopped going to the Catholic church she was raised in as a teenager. She recalls arguing in catechism class. When she later became enraged at a funeral service, she decided that was the end of church going for her. “I was hissing by the time it was done.”
Earth Spirituality
That said, she didn’t abandon a spiritual quest. She attended religious studies classes in native religion and philosophy at university workshops, which included attending a sweat lodge where elders came in and spoke to the group. Growing up on the prairies, she found that a religion that honoured the earth was important to her. The combination of symbols and logic was appealing.
Judy has practiced Tai Chi for over 20 years. She enjoys the meditative moving and also “can’t help but get into the philosophy.” She’s had some interest in Taoist and Buddhist approaches and other philosophies that are based on earth-centered principles where nature and cycles are important.
Welcome to Our Church
If you’re new to the church, you’ve met Judy at the Welcoming table in the foyer of the sanctuary. She recalls her first day at Westwood in Edmonton, “They gave me a name tag,” she beamed.
Welcoming is clearly an important value for Judy – and she appreciates it and gives back. When Judy and Michael lived in Hawaii for a year, they attended the UU church in Honolulu. “In that church, every visitor is greeted with a lei and a hug.” In Hawaii, the “Aloha” spirit is everywhere and the church lives that principle as well. Judy, with husband Michael, considers it their mission to make every visitor and newcomer comfortable coming in the door. “It’s a confusing building. We point and make sure they see where things are. We can provide them with a map and, for families, explain how the story time works.”
Rainbow name badges
Did you know that the temporary name badges are a different colour each month? Judy, who teaches colour theory, designed the system and managed to get rainbow strings as well. She can tell when someone first started attending by the colour of their name tag. She loves it when people come to the Welcome table to return their temporary name badges, proudly saying, “You might want to re-use this. I have a permanent one now.”
Hospitality Ministry
Judy encourages people (this means you!) to participate in the hospitality ministry of the church. “I like to do the coffee service. I’m a kitchen person. I like to have something to do with food and connect with people on that elemental level. As a new member, it was one of the best things I did. I highly recommend it to any newcomer.”
A Unitarian Love Story
Michael and Judy had known each other for a long time and when they reconnected, he was in the UCV church choir. Michael grew up as a Unitarian in San Francisco and received help from our church during the draft. Judy flew out to Vancouver for one of the choir concerts and the love story with each other and with involvement in Unitarianism moved quite quickly after that. Laura Friedman, our community minister, married them at UCV earlier this year. They got quite involved in advising Laura when she went to Honolulu to do her internship. “We knew she’d love it there.” And then when Laura returned, Michael helped with promoting her ordination service, attaining a full cover story in the Courier. Judy made the stole that the church presented to Laura at her ordination.
They borrowed ideas from the ordination for the wedding service, including the laying on of hands. Laura wore the stole that Judy made. Having her artwork hanging in the sanctuary on the date of the wedding was a total coincidence and a welcome blessing.
Increasing Confidence as an Artist
I asked if being a Unitarian had affected her art. “Definitely,” she said immediately. “My work has a stronger spiritual focus. Quilting is a slow process, you’re handling the fabric, but you have to have something to do with your mind while you’re working. It has become more of a meditation. …I’ve also been producing more and in a stronger, very positive way. I’ve been working more in series and sequencing pieces, rather than doing single pieces. …I’ve always worked from a heart connection, but I’m even more open to spirit, heart and passion because of connecting with kindred spirits at the church.”
Judy has designed art for the space and appreciates how much people have appreciated it. She likes that the church celebrates the arts and feels, “My art suits the place so much. It’s given me a boost to see it exhibited here – my art fits the space so well.”
Ideas on the Future
I asked Judy what she could imagine for the future of our church. The first thing she thought of was, “An update on the décor. …I’d like to see us find a way to modernize our textile hangings and make the décor a little more contemporary.”
She also feels (as many of us do) that more people need to know how contemporary and relevant our religion is. “Why have we not got more membership?” she asks and then answers: “We need a higher public profile. There’s such a lack of understanding about what and who we are.”
