OUR MISSION: TO WELCOME, CARE FOR, AND INSPIRE
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The next newsletter will be published
Oct 25
. Submit articles to Editor@mvuu.org by
6 pm Oct 23
Articles may not exceed 250 words.
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Sunday, October 13, 1 pm
Sunday Service:
Facing it Together, Rev. Samantha Wilson
Event: Sunday Morning Book Group,
10 am
Event: Antigua de Mexico Visit,
11 am
Tuesday, October 15, 11:30 am
Event: Exploring Flavors
Sunday, October 20, 1 pm
Sunday Service:
Facing Each Other, Rev. Samantha Wilson
Event: Antigua de Mexico Visit,
11 am
Saturday, October 26 - 27, All Day
Event: Issues & Actions Day
Sunday, October 27, 1 pm
Sunday Service:
Facing the Dead: What the Dead Asks of Us
, Rev. Samantha Wilson
Event:
PMT Presentation
Tuesday, October 29, 2 pm
Event:
Bookaholics
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Minister's Column:
In the Interim
I have to be honest with you, I’m not a fan of forgiveness.
I know, you are not supposed to say that as a minister. But it's true: I think we’ve burned out forgiveness and we need to give her a break.
If
forgiveness
were to make an
appointment with me for office hours
, I imagine she would sit down in that big, leather chair in our office and she’d want tea. She’d ask if I want the long version or the short version of her story. I’d tell her I want the long one (I’m a minister, after all). She would tell me lots of long stories about what it is like to be a word that we reach for when we are not sure how to guide ourselves or our loved ones when they are hurting.
“You
have
to forgive!” “Forgiveness will
heal
you.” “Forgiveness is the
right
thing to do.”
When I worked in a re-entry program for people coming out of incarceration in Los Angeles, I worked with a priest who frequently shared my frustration with the overuse of
forgiveness
. Both of us had seen the ways the word
forgiveness
had become a hammer response to anything that looked like harm or conflict: as if
forgiving
the person who hurt you or asking the person you harmed to forgive you was the goal.
For him, he described forgiveness as
“like falling in love, it comes as a surprise… the moment it becomes mandated, it feels more like abuse.
” I tend to agree with him. I think we are actually reaching for something else when we reach for
forgiveness
.
When we ache from relationship that is torn, there is something in us and others that is asking for our attention. You need not rush to the other person. Rather, pause and go inward. Ask yourself: “How can I take what is hurting in me seriously? What is this ache teaching me about what is important to me, what is needed for repair, and how I want to be in relationship going forward?” Rather than moving towards forgiveness as the first step, consider moving towards seeing yourself fully, honestly, lovingly first. Nothing to fix, nothing to mandate. You don’t need to be a
good
person. Just look at yourself. Your skill in seeing yourself with that kind of care will not be far off from your skill in seeing others the same way. Practice a little on yourself first.
This month, we will practice taking our wounds and the possibility of others’ wounds seriously. We will let the hurts we have caused matter to us. We will practice trusting that the hurt we have experienced matters to others. When we take our ability to impact ourselves and each other seriously, we are likely to be very surprised along the way.
See you on Sunday,
Rev. Samantha
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Meet Rev. Samantha Wilson!
Our new minister, Rev. Wilson, would like to get to know her MVUU congregants in an informal home setting. In order to provide this opportunity, several MVUU folks have offered their homes to host
Cottage Gatherings
. You will have a great opportunity to get to know her and give her an opportunity to get to know each of you.
No more than eight persons plus the host(s) will be attending so that Rev. Wilson will have more opportunity to share personally with each of you.
The schedule is as follows:
Saturday, Oct 19, 4-6 pm Hosts: Deborah Roberts & Tom Sawyer
Friday, Nov 22, 3-5 pm Hosts: Kathy Kouzmanoff
Saturday, Nov 23, 4-6 pm Hosts: Anne & Chuck Tatum
Friday, Dec 13, 6:30-8:30 pm Hosts: Tom Bunch & Ruth Grant
Saturday, Dec 14, 3-5 pm Host: Paula Lipsitz
Reserve your spot online, sign up as soon as possible to take advantage of this opportunity to get to know Rev. Wilson in this informal setting. You will not be disappointed!
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Project Management Team Update
Things are moving along well towards the potential purchase of our new home at 3235 W. Orange Grove Rd. The property was professionally inspected on October 5, and a 50+ page report was issued. To read the full report click
Inspection Report
.
While the report does pose a few issues to be negotiated, in general there were no surprises. If you have any questions regarding the report, please contact PMT member Jim Gessaman at
jim.gessaman@gmail.com
. If you contact any retained professional for advice, the cost for that would decrease the funds we have available for this project. We also anticipate special inspections to the roof, plumbing, electrical, HVAC and a termite inspection. In addition, we will have the property surveyed.
The PMT will host
two
viewings of the property on
Sundays,
Oct 13 & Oct 20.
Both viewings begin at
11 am
. This should give enough time to have lunch and attend Practice at 1 pm.
Other Important Dates:
Oct 27 - PMT Presentation to the Congregation
Nov 17 - Congregational Vote
Dec 16 - Closing
Stop by the PMT table during coffee hour to see the floor plan and photos. The Board and PMT are unanimously excited about this pivotal move. We hope you are too!
FYI
- The seller and occupant, Antigua de Mexico, is having a huge sale. Feel free to go in and browse, but please
DO NOT
mention anything that would imply you are there for any reason other than to shop.
Jim Donnelly
,
for the PMT
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Special Board Action - Religious Education Announcement
To make a donation for RE Gifts, please make checks to MVUU and note on the memo line
RE Gifts
. If you are giving online to MVUU, there is a place to indicate RE as recipient.
The RE Committee has several expenses not covered in the budget, annual background checks for staff and volunteers, for one example. The RE Committee said they would also appreciate donations of packaged snacks.
We thank you for your consideration of these gifts!
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MVUU Movies at the Loft
Please join us this fall for a film each month at the Loft. Descriptions of each feature will be sent via email along with the name of chosen restaurant for a before or after treat. If you would like to be included on this email distribution list, please contact
Bonnie Grant Baird
at
BJGRANTB77@gmail.com
.
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Exploring Flavors
Tuesday, October 15, 11:30 am
Join us for Brunch at Ghini's French Cafe
1803 E. Prince Road
Tucson, AZ 85719
Please RSVP to:
Ann Bowling
by phone or text: (815) 209-9413 or
Jan Hatunen
at (520) 245-4377
*Carpooling may be a possibility
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Sunday Morning Book Group
This Sunday, we will complete our discussion of
The Second Mountain
by David Brooks. On October 20, we will begin discussing our new book:
Blowout: Corrupted Democracy, Rogue State Russia, and the Richest, Most Destructive Industry on Earth
by Rachel Maddow. In this book, “
Maddow takes us on a switchback journey around the globe, revealing the greed and incompetence of Big Oil and Gas along the way, and drawing a surprising conclusion about why the Russian government hacked the 2016 U.S. election.” We will be reading and discussing consecutive sections of
Blowout
through Dec 15.
For more information contact John Clark at
alvinjclark@aol.com
.
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Bookaholics
Tuesday, October 29, 2 pm
We are a group of enthusiastic readers who meet the
last Tuesday of the month at 2 pm
. We select a variety of books based on what has intrigued members. The one who suggests the book generally leads the discussion of that book. Our next meeting will be on
Oct 29
.
The book is
Educated
by Tara Westover.
If you
are interested, new to the group and will need directions to the meeting, contact
Anne Leonard
at
anne@alartworks.com
(520) 307-8045
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BACK FOR ANOTHER SEASON...
Cholla Chowtime 2019-2020
...The Interconnected Web of Dining Together...
Cholla Chowtime
provides an opportunity to get to know each other over a simple potluck dinner in a home.
Dinner Dates:
December 7, 2019
January 4, 2020
February 1, 2020
March 7, 2020
The purpose of
Cholla Chowtime
is not about having fancy gourmet meals but rather about getting to know one another. This is a fun way for new folks in a small group setting to meet.
Check your calendars to see if you can
commit
to these dates. Those who can commit to these dates will be
Regulars
. If you
cannot
commit to the dates but want to be invited, sign up to be a
Substitute
.
All
Regulars
will
host one
of the
four
potluck dinners in their homes. They will provide the entrée and beverages. The host will ask each of their guests to bring either an appetizer, salad, or dessert. The guest names will be shown on the
Cholla Chowtime
schedule.
We need Regulars!
The program won’t work if everyone is a Substitute. If there is one date that you can’t host, let the organizer know when you sign up. The schedule can probably be juggled to accommodate this.
Singles
who want to be Regulars will be asked if they can host 7-9 people in their home. If there isn’t space to seat 7-9, you will be paired with another single who is able to host. The singles who can’t host often provide the entrée as a way of sharing the work.
Sign-up sheets
will be available before the Practice on October 20 and before and after the Practice on Oct. 27 (deadline). The
Cholla Chowtime
rotation schedule will be sent to all Regulars in early November - in plenty of time for the December 7 dinner.
If you miss the sign-up sheet, email
Michelle Vedus-Deeney
at
mvedusdeeney@comcast.net
by October 27!
Advise if you wish to be a Regular or a Substitute and if you have any
dietary requirements
. If you’re a Single Regular,
advise if you can or cannot host
.
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Pastoral Care
Life’s not always easy. Know that you are not alone.
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Coffee Baristas - October Signup
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UUJAZ ISSUES + ACTION DAY
Saturday/Sunday, Oct 26-27
Issues + Action Day has SOLD OUT!!
Join UUs from across Arizona for a day or two of sharing in inspiring workshops, worship, music, food and companionship.
Travel with Rev. Samantha
who has volunteered to drive a van (fUUn Bus) coming home the same day.
If you plan to ride in the van please
contact Anne Leonard promptly by
e-mail:
anne@alartworks.com
or catch her at church. Cost will be $20, collectible (hopefully) in exact cash when you get on board. Of course, you can come on your own and leave when you wish. You can stay overnight and enjoy a Sunday service the next morning.
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Interfaith Community Services Food Bank
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Look for the
Interfaith Community Services Basket
most every Sunday on your way into services and drop off your donation.
MOST NEEDED:
- Pop-top cans of SpaghettiOs, chili and ravioli
- Canned meat, tuna and soups (pop-top cans)
- Instant mashed potatoes, rice, dry pasta
- Spaghetti sauce in cans, canned fruits and vegetables
When you drop off food directly to the ICS Food Bank, please mention
MVUU
so we get credit. This ongoing activity supports our Justice Outreach focus.
Contact Bill Casey
at
bill.casey@mvuu.org
for questions.
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October Woven Basket Partner:
PIMA COUNTY INTERFAITH COUNCIL (PCIC)
PCIC is one of our Strategic Change Agents, a non-profit, non-partisan, interfaith association of some 28 religious and civic organizations, affiliated with the Arizona Interfaith Network. PCIC/CEO educates and mobilizes citizens to advocate for systemic change in an inclusive democratic society. They take on local as well as broader issues such as school bonds, Tucson City and Pima County issues and elections.
MVUU members have many opportunities to work through and with this broad based faith, non-profit community to carry forward issues of great concern and to influence their choices on action. Learn how to educate others through
civic academies
and how to support issues, get out the vote and hold public officials accountable.
Issues include the environment, public education, health care and nutrition, immigrant integration, workforce development and economic justice for poor and marginalized people. Currently PCIC and the Arizona Interfaith are focusing on immigrants seeking asylum. They are conducting a campaign to educate the public through civic academies and advocating for immigrants with legislators.
For more information or questions contact
Anne Leonard
,
anne@alartworks.com
or (520) 307 8045.
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MVUU Photo Directory
For Login Directions & Information
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This Newsletter is published via email every other Friday.
Let a Greeter know if you wish to receive it.
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Dialing for Dollars!:
Text to Give
Number (520) 447- 4730
If you are inspired to give for any reason, text the amount (i.e. $25) and a descriptor (i.e.,
Donation
or
Mesquite Madness
or
Wooden Bowl
). The donation will go directly into our Breeze database.
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Sunday Reflections on YouTube
Find Out More...
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