Circle of Life

Our thoughts and wishes go to:  

Diane Szollosi, whose husband Glen died Feb. 4.

Roy Powley, who is battling cancer and is now recovering from pneumonia at Health South. 

New Office Hours

Pastor Phares' office hours are changing. He will be in the office Friday afternoons and taking his day off on Mondays. All else remains unchanged.

Office Hours: T, TH, Fri 1:30-4:30

Writing Day: Wed

Day Off: Monday

Religious Education News 

Sunday, March 31

Tuesday, April 2

RE Committee Meeting, 4:30 PM

Sunday, April 7

Regular RE Classes

YRUU Meeting, noon

Thursday, April 11

YRUU Meeting, 6:00 PM

Sunday, April 14

Regular RE Classes

RE Fundraiser Lunch after the service

Sunday, April 21

Regular RE Classes

Sunday, April 28

Regular RE Classes

Please note:

If you know of a child , (grades K through 2nd), who might be interested in attending an OWL Session at MVUU this Summer, please let Donna know. The child does not have to belong to MVUU. For more info on the OWL (Our Whole Lives) sexuality curriculum, please visit:  

http://www.uua.org/re/owl/ 

Wednesdays, 9:30 am, Writers' Workshop

Minister's Column

One newsletter. Two points.

First point.  During the sermon about the Unitarian Universalist Matrix, I suggested (with a little help from my friends) that Unitarian Universalism is an open source religion. I would like to return to that point for a moment. In the sermon, this notion was a one thread of a larger weave. In this space I would like to investigate it in a bit more depth.

The idea first occurred to me some years ago. There was an article about open source design in The Atlantic Monthly. One thing I love about The Atlantic Monthly is that writing is always so solid that a story on something that holds no interest for me is still a pleasure to read. Such was the case with this piece on open source. I'm not a computer guy. I use them. Other people work on them. So what was of interest to me in the article? Nothing. But it was The Atlantic. So I gave it a shot.

Well, it was clearly not the intention of the writer, but I emerged from that reading with a beautiful metaphor for Unitarian Universalism. Open source software (it really is a design paradigm, but most of the design done under its banner is for software, I think) speaks to the way that the program was developed and how it is accessed. It was not developed by a company for profit. It was developed by a wide group of people contributing to a project to be distributed in the commons and accessed for free.

Now, in order for the project to have any reality, it needs cohesion. To that effect there is usually an agreement (cough cough covenant) which is often moderated by a person or a group. So for instance, a word processing project would not allow a race car game to be inserted into its design. As long as the participation was to the refining of the intended design, anyone was allowed to contribute to the design.

That sounds very similar to Unitarian Universalism to me. I think it is a good model that keeps us all accountable while indulging in our talents and perspectives. This means that what we bring to the design of our church on the hill as well as to the larger tradition is immediately and tremendously important, valuable, and used, so far as it is presented in keeping with the broad agreements we have promised ourselves to. This means that our sense of how things are and how things ought to be matter. It does not mean that our sense of how things are and how they ought to be will become the design. Rather, the conversation as a whole, influences the shape of the outcome. Occasionally, I suppose, ideas come along that are so dazzling that they reconfigure and revolutionize the "program" all by themselves. That is rare. It can happen though. However, it is always in conversation with other "designers."

It is often said that Open Source software is free. It is free to download and use (though donations are sometimes suggested). However, it was not free to design. It requires an investment of time and ingenuity and money on the front end. The metaphor loosens up here a little bit. But there is a similarity here too. Unitarian Universalism exists only because of the investment of ingenuity, integrity, time, and money that we all bring to it. With that in mind, I must commend you all on the recently completed stewardship campaign. Not only did we make an encouraging financial leap, we got to know one another better. We invested time and interest into each other and, while money is a measure of many things, money can not account for how valuable it is to know one another.

This brings me to my second point. In conversation with some of you recently (open source), we wound up discussing how what really matters in our diversity is that we understand each other as much as possible. We don't have to agree. We don't have to disagree. I'm sure we will do both. What is of a more profound order of relating is our struggle to understand where the other is coming from, whether we are in agreement or not. Understanding increases sensitivity, empathy, and identity and decreases isolation, narcissism, and fear.

I cannot emphasize this enough. It is absolutely a spiritual endeavor, if you understand what I mean when I use that kind of language. It is an exercise of getting beyond our ego and will naturally (usually) yield a more copacetic relationship, a community ever increasing its quotient of love, and individuals within it who are just plain happier. So that is one project in our open source tradition that I invite you to contribute to: the project of seeking to understand where the other is coming from whether you are in agreement or not. What fun!

Blessing to you and your loved ones,

Pastor Ron

Betty's Blog

Incredible how quickly this church year is going by. Feelings of thankfulness and amazement fill my body and mind when I consider the changes that have happened in such a short time. Since last August we have had Pastor Ron in the pulpit. He has made us think. He has challenged us. He doesn't let us off the hook. He makes us laugh and sometimes shout. And, we as a congregation have responded and been transformed: encouraged to use energy some of us didn't know we had, reminded to lift up the value of diversity, and inspired to create beauty and strength.

Think of the creative energy displayed by the Ambiance Team - what a transformation our sanctuary has gone through. Now, we are in the process of upgrading the sound system. We can't have a beautiful sanctuary experience without a great sound system. And, speaking of sound, LB has transformed the choir. It now has more members than ever in the life of the congregation.  

Wednesday evenings have been transformed into Adult Religious Education nights and are now involving a significant portion of our adult population in timely and interesting topics. Stewardship instigated a new way of celebrating our connections and made knowing one another the focus of our financial commitments drive. Finance has been working for several months to learn to use QuickBooks better and become more transparent in its operations. This list goes on and on. Thanks to all who have made these changes, committees, teams, task forces, informal groups and individuals made important strides that contribute to our transformation.

MVUU has been revitalized. We have much to celebrate. So, take a moment and think of the people who are important to you at MVUU. Be grateful and send peace to them. We may still be looking for that "burning coal" at our center (as was queried in the 2011 Ministerial Search Committee Survey), but we are getting very close to it, together.

This month, to honor our pledge of transparency, important topics of the next Board Meeting will be published in the eBlast on the Friday prior to the Board Meeting (which now is the 3rd Tuesday of the Month). You may wish to attend the meeting to hear the deliberations. If you have input to the topic, please relay it to me, Betty Meikle at the contact points listed in the following paragraph. All input (ideas, discussion points, etc.) should be made by the Sunday prior to the Board Meeting.

Next year will include a Long Range Planning Group (LRP), which will be instituted by the Board prior to June 30th. This committee will research, deliberate and recommend actions on an ongoing basis to assist the congregation in, of course, its long range planning--getting closer still to the "burning coal." If you have the desire and skills to be a part of this group or if you are curious and want additional information, please contact me at 990-4663 or via email at bettymeikle@yahoo.com.

Thank you for all you do to help Mountain Vista UU move forward into its bright future.

From MVUU Friends of Animals Ministry

The following is from a 2007 Easter address by the President of Slovenia.

"The Easter Holidays are near. Let's spend them in peace and good company. You can also renounce the ham. Chocolate eggs should be sufficient for an Easter atmosphere.

"Would it not be more harmonious if we did not associate religious celebrations directly with ham and other non-spiritual symbols? Do really so many animals have to die when we celebrate higher consciousness and try to develop spiritually? The answer is clear: of course not.

Introduction to MVUU and Unitarian Universalism Begins Apr. 1 

This class will be held for three consecutive Monday evenings: April 1, 8 and 15, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at  

9922 N. Sumter Creek Place, Contact Jane Paul, Chair of Membership, at janerpaul47@gmail.com. Full text in March Newsletter. 

The Force is with us for another year! Let's celebrate our financial (& other) generosity and brighter future now that this year's Financial Commitment Drive is almost concluded. Our Commitment Celebration will be April 13, 6 pm at MVUU.

1st & 3rd Mondays, 6:30 pm, MVUU Growth Group 

Hope to see you April 1 as we begin discussion of the book It's Not What You Sell, It's What You Stand For: Why Every Extraordinary Business Is Driven By Purpose by Roy M. Spence Jr. and Haley Rushing. See full text in March issue. 

This hike will explore an alternate entrance to Catalina State Park. The first part of the trail is broad and sandy, but before long it narrows as it enters a canyon with beautiful stands of saguaro and then zigzags back and forth across a dry wash. There is no significant elevation gain, just little ups and downs. There are some rocks and roots on the trail, but in general the footing is good. Last spring I found 22 different kinds of wildflowers along this trail in a single day.

Directions: If you are heading north on Oracle, go through the light at 1st Ave. and then 2 more lights before you take a right onto Ram's Pass (just past the storage place with a lighthouse). If you get to the light for the turn into Oro Valley Marketplace you have gone too far. Take your second left onto E. Stone Stable Dr. and look for #2438 (12th house) on the right. Park on the street near this house.  

If you heading south on Oracle, take the first left (turning lane) after the light at Oro Valley Marketplace onto Ram's Pass . Follow directions as above.  

If you bring a bag lunch, you are welcome to enjoy it at my house after the hike. I'll have some cold drinks and maybe some cookies!                                Hobie Denny 

BOARD HIGHLIGHTS--Keeping Everyone Up To Date

Mountain Vista UU BOARD OF TRUSTEES

March 19, 2013

NOTE: These Highlights are from the draft minutes. Final minutes in their entirety will be posted outside the Office

after approval and include all reports submitted.

• Statements of Giving will be ready for members at the end of the quarter.

• Our funding is looking positive this year. Our income is running overbudget while our expenses are under what was budgeted. Detailed reports are available in the office with the monthly Board minutes.

• A new copier will be coming soon. Passwords for using the copier will be available from Donna. We will now be able to track use and determine methods to cut down on paper.

• Building & Grounds: The concrete pads at the single-door entrances of the Sanctuary will be replaced soon, improving the safety of the building. Work on safety doors for the Goldblatt building is being estimated.

• The Communications Task Force being led by Kaaren Boothroyd has met several times since December to review all congregation communications. A Communications Committee will be formed with various teams, including Facebook, Newsletter, Marketing and Messaging, and Website.

• MVUU will be honored to ordain Christiane Heyde in the fall 2013 or spring 2014.

Adult Religious Education

Wednesday evenings are designated for Adult Religious Education. But some courses are offered at other times. 

2nd Wednesday of the month 6:30-8:00 pm: "Race and Ethnicity," facilitated by Chuck Tatum and Ron Phares.

4th Wednesday of the month and 2nd Tuesday 7:00-8:30 pm: "Sacred Poetry as Spiritual Practice," facilitated by Bob Wallace and Ron Phares. bob@robertmwallace.com

Any of these classes or groups can be joined at any time, once or every month. All adult classes are open to anyone age 14 and older.  Childcare will be provided for any class or meeting, as long as Donna in the MVUU office is notified a week ahead of time.  

Sybelle van Erven. UUSybelle@gmail.com (520) 471-3557  

Race and Ethnicity Series

Inspired by the theme of justice featured at last summer's GA, a group of us met afterwards to discuss how we could continue at MVUU the momentum and excitement experienced in Phoenix. GA culminated for many of us in joining hundreds of sisters and brothers at Sheriff Joe Arpaio's "tent city" to protest inhumane conditions in which inmates are barely protected from summer heat and winter cold.  

A "Race and Ethnicity" Adult RE course was developed that meets on the second Wednesday of each month, co-facilitated by Ron Phares and Chuck Tatum.

The course began with a documentary series, "Race: The Power of an Illusion," shown on PBS several years ago. Episode 1 demonstrates how genetic findings have toppled our assumption that humans come bundled into distinct groups. A dozen students sequence and compare their own DNA, discovering that their closest genetic matches are often with people who have been identified as belonging to other "races." Episode 2, "The Story We Tell," traces the race concept to the European conquest of the Americas, including the development of the first labor system when all slaves shared a physical trait: dark skin. Ironically, it wasn't until slavery was challenged on moral grounds that prejudices crystallized into an ideology of white superiority. Episode 3, "The House We Live In," reveals how institutions give race meaning and power by advantaging the "unmarked" race, and why, more than forty years after the Civil Rights Movement, so-called "colorblind" policies perpetuate these inequities.

Topics for April, May, and, after a summer break, September:

• history and evolution of the concept of the "savage" in Western civilization
• Doctrine of Discovery, identified as a study topic for UU congregations
• popular-and erroneous-- myths about the New World before colonization
• Monroe Doctrine and the concept of Manifest Destiny
• racial and ethnic prejudice against undocumented immigrants
• rise of the privatized prison industry in Arizona and elsewhere

Come and invite your friends to any second Wednesday session. Readings available: ctatum@email.arizona.edu 

"Easter Sunday"

Ron Phares