"Love is My Guide" 

(modeled from the 23rd Psalm)

by Rev. Melissa Jeter

Love is my guide; I shall not falter

Love calls me to rest when I feel disconnected

Beloveds lead me to deep waters

Where I sit to think in solitude;

My mind and heart reshape and adapt

Love allows my ego to slowly sink

Though I move through the valley of chaos and inequity

I shall keep my heart open

For there is Elegance in patterns seen over time

Love is my breath of Breath

And just as long as I have Breath

I will keep steadfast on a moral path.

In this remodeling of the 23rd Psalm, Rev. Melissa directs us to the Elegance of time witnessed patterns. Through September inspired by Labor Day, we will be witnessing Labor and Rest as those Elegant patterns of birthing and letting go. As we engage in our open mic ceremony to honor our joys and sorrows, we'll have the opportunity to communally remake this pattern. And at the end of the month, we will be learning from Rev. Matthew about his study of the past and future of entheogens.

Here at MVUU as we move through valleys of chaos and inequity in our world, we've chosen to be guided by Love into a future of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Sept 7, "The Future Is Labor"

Labor is the work to bring something new, something only you can bring to life in our world. This Sunday we will explore Labor as midwifing in our future.

Rev. Matthew & Samar Adi

Sept 14, "The Future Is Rest"

Many faith traditions tell us that Rest is a divine pause, a sacred sabbath, the letting go of what's been, and a welcomed end. Rest, then, can be our hospicing out the past to make way for the future.

Rev. Matthew & Maria Menconi

Sept 21, "All Our Joys & Sorrows"

Our Pastoral Associates and Pastoral Care Committee lead us through our bi-monthly ceremony of our individual sharing of joy and sorrow, so that all may be held in the embrace of community celebration and comfort. 

Sept 28, "The Future Is Weird"

Entheogens are ceremonial plants and fungi with a long history of altered states, mystic experiences, and healing within religious traditions. If they are a part of our future as they were our past, then things might just get weird.

Rev. Matthew



FAQs

One of the things I promised to do when I became president was to develop a document that answers frequently asked questions. I’ve completed the initial version and if you would like a copy, just ask one of the greeters on Sunday morning. If you attend via Zoom, please send me an email (deborah.roberts@mvuu.org) and I will forward one to you. Please keep in mind that this is the first iteration of what is intended to be a dynamic document. I will be turning this over to Vice President Jane Paul who is planning on starting a communication center with this and other information. If there is something you think should be part of this document that is not included, please let me know and I’ll do my best to add it.

I also want to remind you that Board meetings are held on the third Thursday of the month (October 23 is the exception) at 6:00 in the Peace Room upstairs at MVUU. These meetings are open to all. If you have something you would like to bring up for discussion, please let me know by the second Wednesday of the month, keeping in mind that the Board deals with matters of policy and finance.

Deborah Roberts

MVUU Board President

FINDING HEARTS IS BACK!

Starting this Fall we will revive a favorite MVUU activity….Small groups led by members and friends of our community. The aim of this Small Group Ministry is to provide a welcoming space for people to get to know each other while exploring a favorite or intriguing topic. Anyone can offer to facilitate or co-facilitate a group. You get to select the topic, when it will be offered and where! 

All you need to do is fill out a MVUU Small Group Ministry Submission Form by the deadline, and our team, the Finding Heart Honchos, will help you in any way you may need! Sound like fun? We hope so! Dig deep….what would you really love to explore with some new friends? 

Fall Groups start October 12 for 4 weeks only. Submission to lead a group is needed by September 15^th. 

Groups already signed up for the Fall session:

Fairy Tales for Elders, 4 wks, facilitated by Rev Matthew F Crary

Exploring the Poet Within, 4wks,  facilitated by Alice Hutchison and Anne Bowling

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Winter Groups for 2026 start January 12 for 4 or 6 weeks. Submission to lead a group is needed by December 12, 2025.

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Interested: Contact: Cheri D May, 612-750-6747 or cheri@desmondmay.com  Or

Alice Hutchison 520-329-8090 or ahutchison87@gmail.com 

MVUU Art Group meets on the 2nd Saturday of each month from 10am - noon. We learn, create and visit Art.

              No experience or talent necessary! For more information, please contact Ginny Stack at (630) 841-8705 or tellginnycounseling@gmail.com.

Leading into the Future

MVUU is a mission driven organization that requires leadership to have a shared vision that promotes collaboration and participation. We often speak of “time, talent and treasure” as our responsibilities to the mission of MVUU. I have often thought that many of you have rich experience in your professional lives; talents acquired over many years of leading organizations, classrooms, or individuals to achieve their goals. MVUU is no different in that we need leaders to heip us achieve our goals. As part of the Nominating Committee, we strive to identify and assist future leaders of MVUU to help achieve our mission of welcoming, loving and engaging. In that effort, we will be hosting a second Leadership discussion on Saturday, September 27 from 9:30 – 11:30 AM. We continue to invite anyone interested in a future leadership position or simply interested in leadership at MVUU to attend and participate in discussion as to how we can make leadership at MVUU a purposeful and rewarding experience. Our committee continues to seek your input as to how best to make leadership at MVUU a positive and satisfying experience in support of our responsibility to use our time and talents as well as our treasure.

Peer Grief Group

The Peer Grief Group will meet at 12:15 p.m. in MVUU's Loft on these Sundays in September: 7, 14, 21, 28.

Questions: contact Ann at abowling.mvuu.org

Bookaholics Unanimous

We are a group of enthusiastic readers who meet the last Tuesday of the month at 2 pm. Our next meeting will be on September 30.The book will be:  Beautyland by Marie Helene Bertino.  Maria Menconi will be leading the conversation. We meet by ZOOM. If you are interested and would be new to the group contact Pi Irwin at drpirwin@gmail.com or call (520)254-9615.  

What's percolating with the coffee crew? First of all, Donna Bougie is now the lead person for this social justice effort, and she is, like her predecessor, looking for a partner to assist. It's a fun and rewarding and minimal commitment job, so reach out if this is you! Secondly, we'd like to remind you that we sell coffee on the 1st and 3rd Sunday of every month. Finally, remember that this delicious coffee is a great host/hostess gift!

OWL- Sexual Education Classes at MVUU

Honest, accurate information about sexuality changes lives. It dismantles stereotypes and assumptions, builds self-acceptance and self-esteem, fosters healthy relationships, improves decision making, and has the potential to save lives. For these reasons and more, we are proud to offer Our Whole Lives (OWL) at MVUU, a comprehensive, lifespan sexuality education curricula for all ages.

Elf OWLs

August 31st- November 9th| 12:30-1:30pm | MVUU

Children in Kinder and 1st Grade

For more information and to regsiter check out our website.

https://mvuu.org/our-whole-lives/

Attention book people!

Since we now have a Little Free Library, it behooves us to keep it stocked with good children's books. Stacie Sosa and I are teaming up to help with that: check out the spiffed up laundry basket in the Oasis Room by the library. The children have decorated it to remind us to bring our children's book donations to the Little Free Library. Stacie will make sure that our LFL is replenished often enough to encourage repeat book-lookers. 

Yours in community reading, 

Melody Luepke and Stacie Sosa