Giving back to our church community is just one thing we do keep our Fellowship healthy and vibrant. Don Morishita will lead a service to reflect on what is important to our Fellowship, and then time to clean the inside and outside of the church, and then time to celebrate with a potluck gathering.

There will be no regular Zoom service.

From the earliest ‘anti-trinitarian’ opinions and universal salvation on to desegregation of Unitarian Universalist congregations and support of Freedom to Marry, where our ancestors raised reverent doubt, pushed the envelope and sometimes were martyred, so go our contemporaries today.

This Sunday, Rev. Jenny Peek, our visiting minister from Pocatello will join us in person. Rev. Jenny’s reflection is timely, offered ahead of General Assembly, where our delegates will vote on the proposed Article 2 revision.

Being creative is just one way to expand your spirituality. As Martha Alderson, author of “Boundless Creativity” states, “Creativity offers you opportunities to step away from your everyday reality and develop your inner spiritual life.” Create something out of nothing but your imagination, and you gain a new sense of yourself. Creativity awakens in us the power of now and brings value and meaning to every aspect of our lives. Join Betsy Morishita and Pam Blankenheim for an interactive discussion and service on being creative.

Don Morishita is the Worship Associate

Flower Service Communion

The Flower Ceremony, sometimes referred to as Flower Communion or Flower Festival, is an annual ritual that celebrates beauty, human uniqueness, diversity, and community. Originally created in 1923 by Norbert Capek of Czechoslovakia, the Flower Ceremony was introduced to the United States by Rev. Maya Capek, Norbert’s widow.

All are welcome to this ceremony, where everyone is asked to bring a flower to share if they are able. After a blessing of the flowers that have been placed in a shared vase, each person will take home a different flower than the one they brought to honor the diversity found in our faith community.

Presented by Don Morishita.

Jen Okelberry is the Worship Associate

Our intern minister, Timothy Ellis, will explore creative courage. We’ll reflect on the specific possibilities that arise in moments of uncertainty.

By cultivating a willingness to be in the unknown, we open ourselves up to new opportunities and possibilities. In withstanding the discomfort, we grow our ability to explore new paths forward. This will be Timothy’s last Sunday at MVUUF as our intern minister.

Perri Gardner is the Worship Associate

Long time activist and spiritual seeker, Bill Chisholm, will share some of the insights from years of resistance on social and environmental issues, which include sitting through endless public hearings where there was very little listening, arrests and court appearances for direct action, including jail time. He will also share some of what he learned over 16 some runs for public office.

But these are different times, laws have changed, there is more fear and hate being spewed across the political landscape. There has always been risk in resistance, but we now live in an era where “reason” seems to have gone out the window and that will influence the outcome of any resistance, but it shouldn’t deter it. It should only go to expand our abilities.

Melody Lenkner is the Worship Associate

Reverend Jenny will be here from Pocatello.

Early recorded history shows older adults complaining about children, youth, and young adults. It might be ironic that oftentimes the perceived offense is about disrespect. How is ageism showing up in shared spaces today? April is Child Abuse Prevention Awareness month, and here we are smack dab in a state of anti-trans youth, anti-reproductive health care, and no end in sight to the vitriol. Our visiting minister from Pocatello, the Rev. Jenny Peek, joins us in person this Sunday April 23rd with her reflection “Kids These Days.”

Don Morishita is the Worship Associate.

Michael Becerra will lead a discussion of Resistance. While there are many kinds of resistance, we will concentrate on resistance to actions and words that threaten peace and inclusion in our society.

There are many actions locally and nationally based on fear, misinformation, and hate that threaten a major portion of our society. Sometimes, careful changing of words in the discussion can have a profound effect. Other times, more direct action is needed. What we cannot do is sit back and watch the decline of society, hoping that someone else will do something.

What is it about Unitarian Universalism that fits into our beliefs and in our lives? For each of us who embraces Unitarian Universalism, the Seven Principles serve as a guide in our lives. Unitarian Universalists have many common values that we share in community. Yet, it is incumbent on us to make our own free and responsible search for truth and meaning. Join us this Sunday as several MVUUF members share what Unitarian Universalism and our Fellowship means to each of them. Presented by Don Morishita.

Timothy Ellis will deliver a sermon and Jen Okelberry will be the Worship Associate.

Buddy Gharring, pastor of the Twin Falls First United Methodist Church, has invited us to celebrate Palm Sunday and community. Buddy will bring an item, perhaps chicken, and others are invited to bring a covered dish or a salad or other food item.

Paula Dodd will be leading a drum circle. That’s an amazing thing, not to be missed. And games will be set up for children and families.

The potluck will begin at approximately noon in the Twin Falls City Park.