“Enunciate, Norma. Speak to the back of the church.” Those words stayed with her for a lifetime. In this heartfelt and personal reflection, Linda Drosdowech shares the story of her mother, Norma, who was a lay chaplain here at the UU church, and is known by many as someone who married them, grieved with them, and celebrated life alongside them.
She was a woman who, born in 1935, found her voice in a time when few women were invited to speak, and who used it to advocate, lead, challenge norms, and build community with both strength and warmth in every space she entered. As her mother’s voice began to fade in the final years of her life, something unexpected and powerful happened: Linda’s began to rise. She found her voice as her mother’s quieted.
Through stories of loss, memory, and finding herself standing once again at the pulpit her mother loved, this talk explores the meaningful ways a life continues: through influence, through memory, and through the courage to carry someone we love forward.
Because a voice doesn’t disappear. A life lived fully does not disappear.
It echoes. It shapes. It transforms. It endures. It lives on in us. It leaves behind a legacy.
Service Leader: Linda Drosdowech
Service Coordinator: Steve Lennon
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Centering Thought
Love all the people you can. The sufferings from love are not to be compared to the sorrows of loneliness. ~ Susan Hale
Fanfare
The Prince of Denmark’s March (Trumpet Voluntary), by Jeremiah Clarke
Kelvin Seifert, with nature video by Ashlyn Noble
Centering Music
Summertime, by George Gershwin
Kelvin Seifert
Welcome and Land Acknowledgement
Steve Lennon
Gathering Hymn
#121 We’ll Build a Land
Chalice Lighting
by Rev. Dr. Cynthia Landrum
Linda Drosdowech
Opening Words
Being Present, by Kathy A. Huff
Steve Lennon
Affirmation
Love Is the Spirit
Love is the spirit of this church, the quest for truth its sacrament, and service is its law.
This is our great covenant: to dwell together in peace, to seek truth in love, and to help one another to the end that all souls shall grow into harmony with life.
Joys and Concerns
Steve Lennon
Pastoral Hymn
#1031 Filled With Loving Kindness (sung seated)
Meditation
Hold On, by Nancy Wood
Steve Lennon
Reading
From Norma Drosdowech’s article on Harriet Dick, from Extraordinary Ordinary Women: Manitoba Women and Their Stories, which Norma also edited
Offering
Our Share the Plate Partner for June is the Spence Neighbourhood Association.
The offering will be gratefully received, during or after the service. Donation options are at this link.
Offertory
Someone to Watch Over Me, by George Gershwin
Kelvin Seifert
Hymn
#110 Come, Children of Tomorrow
Reflection
The Legacy of Voice: Carrying Her Love Forward, by Linda Drosdowech
Closing Hymn
#324 Where My Free Spirit Onward Leads
Announcements
Steve Lennon and others
Closing Words
by Loreena McKennitt
Steve Lennon
Chalice Extinguishing
Linda Drosdowech
Carry the Flame
Carry the flame of peace and love until we meet again (x2)
Then we shall see a world of light and a world of joy
Carry the flame of peace and love until we meet again.
Gratitude
Gratitude to all who made this service happen, including
- Leader: Linda Drosdowech
- Coordinator: Steve Lennon
- Music Director: Shannon Unger
- Music: Kelvin Seifert (piano)
- Coordinator Lifespan Religious Exploration (CLRE): Ana G.Castañeda Aguilera
- Childcare Provider: Paulina Hernandez
- RE Volunteers: Carl von Baeyer, Debby Lake
- Tech Team: Arthur Burstow, Olivia Velazquez, Theo Hawley
- Centering/fanfare videos: Ashlyn Noble
- This service’s ushers, greeters, and hospitality volunteers, including Joan Carolyn, Ken Nicholson, Marian Siemens, Kathie Beach Nelson, Olivia Velazquez, Paula Keirstead, Michael Thiessen
- Maintenance and set up: Jessica Hamm and Olivia Velazquez
- Music for Affirmation: P.J. Buchan
- Chalice Sculptor & Banner Designer: Jo’Anne Kelly
- Chalice Logo Designer: Nancy Gilbert
- Pastoral Care: Rev Stefan Jonasson
- Lay Chaplain: Christina Swindells-Nader
- Website, Office Support, and Rentals: Nathalie Waite
To contact SunServ (Sunday Services Team) with feedback or ideas for future services, please email worship@uuwinnipeg.mb.ca
Want to help on Sunday mornings? You can sign up for a hospitality setup or cleanup shift. Please contact the Volunteer Resources Committee for other ways to help.
To welcome and include all in our beloved community, please
- limit fragrances and scented products as much as you are able,
- turn off or mute electronic devices during the service,
- refrain from taking photographs or recording unless you have the express permission of everyone involved, and
- keep aisles clear for people with mobility challenges.
Thank you!
Topics: History, Learning, UU Winnipeg Church History