As we head into the season of consumption, we take some time to pause and reflect on what it is we really need. This is a New Member Sunday; join us in welcoming new members to MVUUF.

We often think of gratitude as a response that comes after we receive something to be thankful for. But, what happens when we move gratitude from a secondary response to a first practice?

We live in a time and place where just about any food is available at any time. But should we have everything, just because we can? Throughout the course of history religion has had an effect on what we eat. All over the world many people choose to eat or avoid certain foods according to their religious beliefs. What is this relationship between faith and food? And where do we stand as Unitarian Universalists?

Our culture, unlike others, does not do death well. We often use words like ‘battle,’ ‘lost,’ and ‘surrendered’ to describe our relationship with death. Other cultures talk about death in a more open and accepting manner. We could learn a thing or two from them. Let’s talk about death and what it takes to have a good death.

We live in a country that prides itself on being the 'Home of the Brave.' What do we gain by so much focus on bravery and courage? What do we lose?

September 30 th is the birthdate of celebrated mystic and Sufi poet, Rumi.Who was he? Why do his words resonate so deeply with us? What can we do to honor the love he shared with us?Come, whoever you are to be inspired, to be curious and to be together… our is no caravan of despair.

 

This service is part of our commitment to understanding ourselves in a multicultural world.

Martin Luther King Jr. wrote, “The end is reconciliation; the end is redemption; the end is the creation of the Beloved Community. It is this type of spirit and this type of love that can transform opponents into friends. It is this love which will bring about miracles in the hearts of men.” Our faith and values call upon us to do the work of revealing Beloved Community. How do we take up this work? What are the risks of doing the work? What are the risks of not doing the work? Rev Laura Thompson & Worship Associate Carla Ries. This service is part of our commitment to anti-racism and anti-oppression work.

We often talk about white privilege as an individual embodiment of the racism that exists in our culture. But, what about how racism is embodied in our culture as a whole? Do we live in a white supremacist culture? Laura Thompson and Eve Bergmann reflect on these questions in a quest for honesty and hope.