Journey into Our Shared History: Celebrating Indigenous Peoples’ Day on Oct 1st at MVUUF!
As autumn heralds a time of reflection and gratitude, we at the Magic Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (MVUUF) are thrilled to invite you to an enlightening Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebration on Sunday, October 1, 2023.
This day beckons us to honor the resilience, cultures, and wisdom of Indigenous communities whose legacies flow inseparably with this beautiful land’s rivers, mountains, and skies.
Here’s a glimpse of what we have curated for you:
 Special Sermon Our service will explore the intricate tapestry of indigenous traditions, cultural resilience, and the common threads with Unitarian Universalism. As seekers of a profound interconnected truth, this is a journey into acknowledging our shared history.
 Guest Speaker: Denyée Matthews We are honored to have Assistant Professor Denyée Matthews, an anthropologist from the College of Southern Idaho, in the community with us, sharing her insights. Specializing in ethnography, her narrative will guide us through a deeper understanding of indigenous cultures and their indelible imprints on our lives and landscapes.
 Musical Celebrations Immerse in the soulful rhythms of indigenous melodies as we celebrate the rich tapestry of spiritual expressions. Ojibwe Blessing of the Water, Grandmothers’ Gift.
 Community Circle Join us as we form a dialogue, understanding, and hope circle. Share your thoughts, learn from others, and envision how to foster a community of inclusivity, respect, and shared growth.
Let’s honor the legacy, live the present, and dream a shared future filled with understanding, love, and respect. Your presence will add a unique hue to this multicolored mosaic of celebration.

Feel free to spread the word and bring along friends and family. We move towards a more enlightened and harmonious existence through collective acknowledgment, celebration, and learning.

Worship Associate is Perri Gardner

Our soul is the means through which we connect to the transcendent. Mysterious, difficult to define, yet clearly connects us with the interdependent web of life. We spend so much of our resources – time, dollars, energy – into identifying imperfections, seeking self-improvement. What if we took all that focus and turned it toward that sacred connection instead? Reverend Jenny Peek joins us from Pocatello to share her reflection, “Owning our Strengths for Good.”

Presented by the Rev. Jenny Peek.

Perri Gardner is the Worship Associate

On September 17^th, 1787, the Framers of the Constitution concluded their work in Philadelphia by signing the document that would soon bind us together in common enterprise and community. Then, as now, there is still much work to be done to build and strengthen our union. In 2004, the US Congress passed a law providing for a recognition of Constitution Day and Citizenship Day every September 17^th. This occasion gives us the opportunity to reflect on our progress toward “a more perfect union”.

Join congregant and CSI Associate Professor Perri Gardner for a discussion of our shared values and principles as enshrined in the US Constitution. This service will take a special focus on our 1^st Amendment freedoms of expression and speech. Pocket Constitutions will be distributed to all members, friends, and visitors! 

Worship Associate is Jonathan Thompson

We all have moments in our lives when we see someone, stranger or friend, who could use a helping hand. Reaching out and touching someone was a marketing slogan used many years ago, but this really apply to helping someone in need of assistance. How many times have we stopped and helped a stranger or friend in need? How many times have we not stopped and helped a stranger or friend in need? Opportunities for helping others as well as being helped can provide positive benefits in out lives. When we miss or decline the opportunity to help someone in need is a failure of kindness.

Presenter is Don Morishita

Our service Sunday will be both in person at our location 160 9th Avenue East in Twin Falls as well as on ZOOM beginning at 10:30 AM Mountain Time. 

Jack Hartley Memorial Service

Join us Sunday September 10^th for an informal memorial service in honor of former MVUUF member, Jack Hartley. For those of you who knew Jack, he was a long time member who moved away to Tennessee several years ago. Jack passed away on February 24, 2023 at the age of 98. His ashes have been sent to Idaho so they can be scattered in the mountains that he loved.

We plan to meet for lunch at 12 pm, at a location yet to be determined and following that, we will drive to Porcupine Springs in the south hills for distribution of his ashes. Everyone will have an opportunity to share a story or words related to Jack.