OUR MISSION: TO WELCOME, CARE FOR, AND INSPIRE |
|
MVUU Connected: Gather in Spirit |
|
Click video above for a message from Rev. Samantha and an evening,
candle reflection of words from last week's Fellowship Hour.
|
|
Newsletter deadlines: The next newsletter will be published Sept 18. Submit articles to editor@mvuu.org by 12 pm, Monday, Sept 14. No Exceptions. Articles may not exceed 250 words. Thank you.
|
|
Weekly Online Calendar
Stay Connected this Week...
Sunday, Sept 13 Update book title
-
Sunday Book Group Online: Hosted by John Clark - 8:15 am - 9:50 am How to be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi. For the Zoom link, email John at alvinclark@aol.com.
-
Sunday Service Online: "Gather in Spirit: Sky Island" with the Baja 4, 10 am - led by the Baja 4 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MVUUCongregation.
-
Fellowship Hour Online: Fellowship Hour, 11 am Join Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87417804295. You can also join by phone: dial (253) 215-8782 and enter the Meeting ID# 874 1780 4295 when prompted.
-
2ND Hour with UUCT: 12:15 pm Join the once a month afternoon workshops! Visit https://uuctucson.org/ for more details!
Monday, Sept 14, 7:30 pm
|
|
President's Column: A Time to Focus
It has definitely been a long, hot summer, and with September here, we can all look forward to cooler mornings and more time outdoors! Rev. Samantha has returned from parental leave and is among us, inspiring us forward with our plans made during leader meetings last spring!
In her video last Friday, Rev. Sam reminded us of the questions we agreed to ask as we put our plans into action throughout our committees, teams and programs. These are: Who are we? Who are our neighbors? What are we called, as Unitarian Universalists, to do in this world? These questions can help us set priorities in choosing how we carry out MVUU’s mission. If you attended, notes from the spring meetings may help as leaders plan ingathering zoom meetings to lay out activity for the months ahead.
Yes, we have a beautiful new building, and we will have to wait some time to use it, as it gets finished in the next weeks with Covid-19 restrictions still in place. These restrictions will be reviewed periodically. Your Board, with staff and congregant representation, are working on safety policies for future activity in the building and within our covenant. If you want to join the meetings, please let me know, anne.tatum@mvuu.org. We still have room for another congregant or two on the team.
Our next Board meeting will be Thursday, September 17, at 5:30 p.m. on Zoom. Please let Anne Tatum know if you plan to attend. Let us remind you, once again, that we need notice of agenda items one week before the meeting, and supporting materials to be mailed to the President for distribution to the Board by the Monday noon before each meeting (third Thursday of the month, except May, second Thursday).
Anne Tatum, Board President
|
|
A Special Gift from Jane and Conrad Paul
Jane and Conrad Paul have been generous Capital Campaign donors for our new building, yet there is one special dream that they wanted to give us---a top quality grand piano! A Steinway designed grand piano, manufactured by Kawai, and weighing 832 pounds, our gift will reside on the stage area, available for congregants, staff and outside programs to use! The piano is a 10-year-old Boston, Model GP-193, which has had very little use and is “like new.” Nino Bakradze, professor at the Fred Fox School of Music at the University of Arizona, selected it for us after trying out other contenders at Hachenberg and Sons in Tucson.
“We are thrilled that MVUU now has an instrument worthy of our new building. The sound will easily fill our large sanctuary,” said Jane. On many occasions over the years, Jane has accompanied Sunday services for MVUU. Jane started piano lessons at the age of five, she said, and continued through high school when she was the Senior Class Soloist for Graduation. When she was 30, she took private lessons for four years with a professor at Oakland University, Rochester, Mich., where she finished a degree in liberal arts. Conrad is also a life-long Unitarian Universalist, and appreciates the role music plays during the church service. To him, just listening to a solo piece played on the piano creates a meditative space.
“I have been wanting to give MVUU a good piano for years,” Jane said. Serving on MVUU’s Music Committee with Dorothy Jacobs years ago, they traded in an organ, an older grand piano and a spinet piano, all donated over time by generous MVUU members, for the Yamaha electronic keyboard that was more recently used during services. The Yamaha keyboard is now in the MVUU first floor meeting room. The choir will be able to warm up there while the sanctuary is being set up for Sunday services in the future.
We are grateful to Conrad and Jane for their love and care of our congregation!
|
|
UU the Vote
The MVUU Democracy Team acts to implement the UUA Statement of Conscience adopted at General Assembly in 2019: “Our Democracy Uncorrupted.”
At that time, Rev. Barbara Pescan expressed both our debt and our ongoing responsibility to preceding generations:
“Because of those who came before, we are; in spite of their failings, we believe; because of, and in spite of the horizons of their vision, we, too, dream.The Nation’s founders pointed in the direction of a horizon they themselves could not see. It falls now to us to make real the dream of democracy un-corrupted, a government truly of the people, by the people, and for the people.”
Direct actions for us to take are given in “Our Democracy Un-corrupted”. Such as: Participate in interfaith and multiracial coalitions and other social justice groups that work toward achieving democratic reforms.
We continue to work with UUtheVOTE. And this month we will write “Postcards
to Swing States” to remind first-time and some-time voters to turn their ballots in
early, or at the polls on Elections Day.
You can still join us for this campaign. Call Richard Kopp at (520) 342-6633
|
|
Wherever you are, there is a Caring Hearts Circle for you!
It is September and time for Caring Hearts Circle Assessment!
Caring Hearts Circles began in April with the commitment to re-examine our mission and process in September. In keeping with our earlier commitment, we will assess again now that it is September.
We encourage all Caring Hearts Circle leaders and members and those who may be interested, to reflect on how Caring Hearts may best meet our needs at this time.
We will discuss, reflect and create during this month of September.
Meeting weekly or bi-weekly, the Circles provide a caring support system committed to strengthen and expand ties within our community during this Covid-19 experience!
Pi Irwin and Julie Slayton Frank, Co-coordinators
|
|
UUCT 2ND Hour Workshops
Sept 13, 12:15 pm
Thank you for letting me invite you and your congregations to an hour of adult faith development at UUCT-- all Baja 4 members are welcome!
Please join UUCT for 2nd Hour! It is a once-per-month afternoon of a variety of educational, spiritual, interesting, and fun workshops. Please join us in September to kick off the learning year.
Day: Sept 13 and 2nd Sundays through the year
Time: 12:15-1:15pm
Where: Zoom, of course!
This Month Pick From:
- UU 101: Theology and Ethics with Rev. Bethany
- Beloved Conversations with Steve Kraynak.
- Game Time! With Jamili Omar
- Ask a Pagan with SAZCUUPS
Rev. Jamili Omar, UUCT
|
|
Join the Baja 4 for Beloved Conversations!
Registration closes September 20
Beloved Conversations: Meditations on Race and Ethnicity is a virtual curriculum hosted this Fall by Meadville Lombard Theological School. Featuring the best of multicultural and arts-based education, the curriculum explores racial identity and supports each of us in our racial justice journey in spiritually-grounded ways. The program begins in mid-October and runs to mid-December with multiple timing options.
All Baja 4 congregations are encouraged to participate-- Rev. Samantha and over 12 people from MVUU have already signed up! Join us. Reach out to Tom Bunch (tom.bunch@mvuu.org) for more information or to register before September 20. Full and partial scholarships are available. More information about the program is available on the Meadville website-- click here to learn more!
|
|
Sunday Book Group
Sunday, Sept 13, 8:15 am
On Sunday we will continue discussing our new book: How to be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi (NOTE.This is NOT the workbook by the same name). In this book, “Kendi is on a mission to push those of us who believe we are not racists to become something else: anti-racists, who support ideas and policies affirming that ‘the racial groups are equals in all their apparent differences — that there is nothing right or wrong with any racial group’. What emerges from these insights is the most courageous book to date on the problem of race in the Western mind, a confessional of self-examination that may, in fact, be our best chance to free ourselves from our national nightmare.”
We’ll be reading this book through early to mid-October. For more information Contact John Clark at alvinjclark@aol.com
|
|
Movie Night: Musings on Race, Culture and Alternatives to Policing
Friday, Sept 25, 5 pm
The Younger Folx Hangout is hosting a movie night on the last Friday of each month, along with discussion! This month's feature will be The Last Black Man In San Francisco. We will be playing the movie via Zoom and watching it together in real time (everyone muted) and have time to reflect and discuss following the movie. Movie starts 5:15PM, discussion starts around 7:30PM or when the movie ends. Other viewing options may be available for those wanting to watch the movie in advance. The idea is that many of the selected movies tie into larger conversations of systemic racism, capitalism, alternatives to policing and other nuanced or critical themes.
Meeting ID: 885 8421 2253
For more information please Contact Ricky Tutaan at ricky.tutaan@mvuu.org or Moira Poje at moira.poje@gmail.com
|
|
Book-a-Holics Unanimous
Tuesday, Sept 29
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. The next meeting will be on Tuesday, September 29 and the book is The Darwin Affair by Tim Mason. We are currently meeting by ZOOM. If you are interested in learning more about the group and perhaps new to ZOOM, Contact Anne Leonard at anne@alartworks.com or call (520) 307-8045.
|
|
September's Woven Basket Partner:
Interfaith Community Services
ICS has been helping people in need in the Tucson area achieve stable, healthy, and independent lives since 1985. These are the folks giving invaluable direct, every day services, one on one, to those in need. Their services include: supplying food through their food bank; financial assistance; assisting seniors and people with disabilities with mobile meals, rides to medical appointments, friendly visits and home repairs; helping people find employment; helping with tax filing-- and much more including special help during the current COVID crisis. They operate in both English and Spanish.
MVUU is a longtime supporter of its work and members of our congregation have volunteered their services to ICS. They are in special need of volunteers during the pandemic crisis. Check their website www.icstucson.org where there is detailed information about volunteering. If you have questions call their volunteer resource manager at (520) 526-9308. You can also contact our MVUU ICS liaison, Avery Gentle, who is very familiar with how they work at avery517@gmail.com or (575) 519-0981. Please give generously and consider volunteering your services if you are able.
How to Donate: You can make your donations online at http://mvuu.org/donate/ or by sending check to the Church Office. The mailing address is: MVUU, P. O. Box 91080, Tucson AZ 85752. Please indicate that this donation is for the "Woven Basket".
|
|
MVUU's Pastoral Care Team (PCT): We Are Here For You! Reach Out, Be Loved!
All contacts are handled in a confidential manner. We are here when support is needed to help you. We are here to care about your pain, grief, uncertainty and even to help find additional support.
Reach out. Be loved. Contact Pastoral Care today to share how you are.
|
|
MVUU Photo Directory
For Login Directions & Information
|
|
The "MVUU Connected" Newsletter is published via email every Friday. |
|
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.
|
|
Newsletter deadlines: The next newsletter will be published Sept 18. Submit articles to editor@mvuu.org by 12 pm, Monday, Sept. 14. No Exceptions. Articles may not exceed 250 words. Thank you.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
