Author Archives: magicvalleyuu

July 16: “Freedom”

Posted on by

Presented by: Julie Merrick

Freedom is state of mind. It is an open door; it is wind rushing against canyon walls; it is birds hanging in flight. Freedom is to feel one’s soul dancing inside one’s body as the illusion of the time dissolves into a moment of infinity.
We find freedom by releasing the mental constructs which enslave us, by letting go of all that weighs us down, by being fully present in the now and by loving in a way that causes others to feel free.

Unitarian Universalism honors the differing paths we each travel. Our congregations are places where we celebrate, support, and challenge one another as we continue on our spiritual journeys.

Unitarian Universalists covenant to affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person; justice, equality and compassion in human relations; and acceptance of one another.

Newcomers of all religious paths or none at all are always welcome. We are handicapped accessible. Please park in the rear of the building. Child care is usually available.

July 2: “The Living God”

Posted on by

What do you think about when you hear the word God? Turn on? Turn off? No reaction? And how does our being human make the idea of a God seem to be a necessity?

Theologians have been at this issue for centuries…let’s see what we can do in 30 minutes!

Unitarian Universalism honors the differing paths we each travel. Our congregations are places where we celebrate, support, and challenge one another as we continue on our spiritual journeys.

Unitarian Universalists covenant to affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person; justice, equality and compassion in human relations; and acceptance of one another.

Newcomers of all religious paths or none at all are always welcome. We are handicapped accessible. Please park in the rear of the building. Child care is usually available.

June 25: “Showing Up and Staying Put”

Posted on by

 Presented by Guest Speaker Jen Blair

What does radical love look like for mothers of LGBTQIA children? When religion asks the impossible, what is the answer? How can faith, family, and LGBTQIA communities be celebrated and championed?

Justice and love lead some to leave beloved faith communities and find others where they can be their authentic selves. Others are led to stay and keep showing up on the side of love. No matter what path parents and families choose, there are difficult challenges that love calls them to meet. These challenges do not have to be met alone.

Join us as guest speaker Jen Blair talks about her experiences as an LDS mother and an active member of the Mama Dragons organization. Mama Dragons is an organization that exists to inspire and empower mothers of LGBTQIA children.

Unitarian Universalism honors the differing paths we each travel. Our congregations are places where we celebrate, support, and challenge one another as we continue on our spiritual journeys.

Unitarian Universalists covenant to affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person; justice, equality and compassion in human relations; and acceptance of one another.

Newcomers of all religious paths or none at all are always welcome. We are handicapped accessible. Please park in the rear of the building. Child care is usually available.

IMPORTANT Please Note: June 18 Service is off-site and will NOT BE at VENDOR BLENDER location

Posted on by

Topic: “Living Our Truth”

Presented by: Julie Merrick

PLEASE NOTE!  Our service this Sunday will be at the home of Michael Johnson and Monie Smith, 559 E 300 S, Jerome, Idaho 83338 beginning at 10:30 AM. No service will be held at the Vendor Blender location.

Joy and freedom come to us when we live what we most deeply feel to be true. A path of integrity, where we express and do what is true for us in all situations, is not always easy to follow. We may be fearful of disappointing others or being seen as different. We may be unclear as to what our truth is and how best to live it.

As we tune into our hearts and draw upon courage and kindness, we can embrace a life of honesty and live our truth.

Our service this Sunday will be at the home of Michael Johnson and Monie Smith, 559 E 300 S, Jerome, Idaho 83338 beginning at 10:30 AM.

For information or directions please call Michael Johnson at: 208-420-5567 or Monie at: 208-420-5568.

Unitarian Universalism honors the differing paths we each travel. Our congregations are places where we celebrate, support, and challenge one another as we continue on our spiritual journeys.

Unitarian Universalists covenant to affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person; justice, equality and compassion in human relations; and acceptance of one another.  Newcomers of all religious paths or none at all are always welcome.

May 21: All Things Become New

Posted on by

Presented by Julie Merrick

Spring is a season of beginnings, of renewal and transformation. It reminds us that we exist in an infinite field of potential and possibility.

When we tap into the source of life, a new heart and spirit open to us, shaking loose what is stagnant and allowing a rebirth of wonder.

Unitarian Universalism honors the differing paths we each travel. Our congregations are places where we celebrate, support, and challenge one another as we continue on our spiritual journeys.

Unitarian Universalists covenant to affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person; justice, equality and compassion in human relations; and acceptance of one another.

Newcomers of all religious paths or none at all are always welcome. We are handicapped accessible. Please park in the rear of the building. Child care is usually available.

May 14: Can An Athiest Worship?

Posted on by

Presented by Rev. Elizabeth Greene

Words closely associated with religion can be controversial, especially among people whose theologies vary: theists, mystics, agnostics, atheists, nature spirits, etc. (Yes, congregations do sometimes include atheists! These are people who understand the importance of community, without necessarily participating in theology.)

What does “faith” mean to various people: “Worship?” , “God?”, “Reverence?” Rev. Greene will reflect on how we might understand each other better, even when we may have apparently conflicting views of a religious subject.

Unitarian Universalism honors the differing paths we each travel. Our congregations are places where we celebrate, support, and challenge one another as we continue on our spiritual journeys.

Unitarian Universalists covenant to affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person; justice, equality and compassion in human relations; and acceptance of one another.
Newcomers of all religious paths or none at all are always welcome. We are handicapped accessible. Please park in the rear of the building. Child care is usually available.

May 7: Ethics in a Secular Framework

Posted on by

Presented by guest speaker Jason Carlson

Sunday our guest speaker will be Jason Carlson from the Southern Idaho Humanist Alliance.

Mr. Carlson will lead the discussion of the moral philosophy of Secular Ethics without limits that bind to a theistic or supernatural dogma.

Humanistic perspectives driven by human capacities help us to make ethical decisions during both typical and trying times.

What does a person do with their ethics when they are not in use? Can we stay morally sharp when the world may dull the senses?

Unitarian Universalism honors the differing paths we each travel. Our congregations are places where we celebrate, support, and challenge one another as we continue on our spiritual journeys.

Unitarian Universalists covenant to affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person; justice, equality and compassion in human relations; and acceptance of one another.
Newcomers of all religious paths or none at all are always welcome. We are handicapped accessible. Please park in the rear of the building. Child care is usually available.

April 30 – Lessons Learned from PNWD: Listening to Create Beloved Community

Posted on by

Presented by Karen Fothergill

Increasingly, Unitarian Universalist congregations and communities are acting on a longing to bring their faith to everyday life; to live their values everywhere – at home and with friends, in business and politics, in the public square and the market place.
Living an embodied response to this yearning is the basis of Beloved Community.

Karen Fothergill will be sharing a lesson learned from the PNWD conference on Listening to Create Beloved Community. This lesson comes from the Center for Courage and Renewal and the work of Parker Palmer.

“The people who plant the seeds of movements make a critical decision: they decide to live ‘divided no more.’ They decide no longer to act on the outside in a way that contradicts some truth about themselves that they hold deeply on the inside. They decide to claim authentic self-hood and act it out”.

– Parker Palmer

Unitarian-Universalism honors the differing paths we each travel. Our congregations are places where we celebrate, support, and challenge one another as we continue on our spiritual journeys.

Unitarian-Universalists covenant to affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person; justice, equality and compassion in human relations; and acceptance of one another.

Newcomers of all religious paths or none at all are always welcome. We are handicapped accessible. Please park in the rear of the building. Child care is usually available.

Wednesday April 18, Film: “Where we Stand” @ CSI 7:00pm

Posted on by

On Wednesday there will be a screening of a  short documentary film from Paper Bridge Films and Kristine Stolakis, entitled Where We Stand , about the Ordain Women within the LDS church, at the College of Southern Idaho, with a discussion to follow. Put on by the Southern Idaho Humanist group, in conjunction with the Secular Students Alliance at CSI, this film should be of interest to a wide range of people coming from both religious and humanist perspectives. Please mark your calendar for the screening of this BAFTA nominated documentary film:

Wednesday April 19th, 7:00pm
Hepworth 195 at CSI
College of Southern Idaho

where we stand

April 15- 16: “All Things Become New” & Saturday Workshop

Posted on by

Spring is a season of beginnings, of renewal and transformation. It reminds us that we exist in an infinite field of potential and possibility.

When we tap into the source of life, a new heart and spirit open to us, shaking loose what is stagnant and allowing a rebirth of wonder.

There will be a MVUUF Workshop, on Saturday, April 15, 9:30 to noon, at the Vendor Blender:

Members and Friends, please join a workshop, facilitated by Rev. Tandi Rogers (our Western Region Congregational Life Staff member), to help us decide our fellowship’s future direction!

We will explore questions, such as, “Who are we called to be, and who do we serve?” And “How do we want to be in our community”? If you would like to see MVUUF be more active and engaged in our community, let us discuss your ideas. We will take a look at our current mission statement to see if it applies to us today, as it did in 1994, when it was first developed by our founders. We may brainstorm slogans that could describe us. Another UU fellowship has the slogan “Rooted in Love, Reaching for Justice”.

The workshop will be multi-generational, and kids are welcome. Refreshments will be provided.  If you have questions, please ask any board member.  Thanks!

from Your MVUUF Board,
Dale Bostock, Rick Dykes, Eleanor Miller (Secretary), Kyi Kyi Whiting (Treasurer), & Michelle Richman (President)

Unitarian Universalism honors the differing paths we each travel. Our congregations are places where we celebrate, support, and challenge one another as we continue on our spiritual journeys. Unitarian Universalists covenant to affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person; justice, equality and compassion in human relations; and acceptance of one another.

Please join us Sunday at the Vendor Blender and Event Center, 588 Addison Avenue West in Twin Falls at 10:30 AM. The Vendor Blender is located near the old hospital near the intersection of Martin St. and Addison Avenue West. Newcomers of all religious paths or none at all are always welcome. We are handicapped accessible. Child care is usually available. Parking is available in the parking lot to the north side of the building.