Miami Valley 

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship

8690 Yankee St.  Dayton, OH  45458

 

937-436-3628  www.mvuuf.org 

 

 

 

 

MVUUF's Forum         August, 2015

Service Topics for August 2015

 

                         August 2

Wizards, Muggles, Elves, Oh My!

               Rev. Greg Martin

 

Do you identify with any of these characters? 

Unitarian Universalism offers a place for us all, 

especially for those who have always felt a little 

different. Rev. Greg's sermon this morning 

confirms the worth and dignity of us all.

 

                                                                                                                                                                                        August 9

The One That Must Be Named

                        Rev. Greg Martin

  

You Know Who. The One Who Should Not Be Named plays a significant role in the Harry Potter stories. But silence often helps  systemic evil perpetuate itself. As we particularly remember the lives of John Crawford III and Michael Brown in this first anniversary week of their deaths and the many others that have come before and since, it is important to name the evil of racism that still pervades our nation. It is by naming it that we challenge its power and render it less able to control our lives. Today's sermon affirms the pursuit of justice, equity and compassion in human relations. 

 

                       August 16

Hogwarts: The House of Belonging

                Rev. Greg Martin

 

 Hogwarts School for Wizardry has a number of houses, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, 
Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. The Sorting Hat assigns each student to one when they arrive at the school. UUs often sort themselves into various categories as well, Humanists, Theists,  Mystics, Naturalists, among others. The challenge and genius of our 
movement is that we seek to encourage each person on their quest for truth and meaning while encouraging each other on their own spiritual 
path in the midst of community. Today we explore the rub between the two. 

                                                                             August 23

Forbidden Forest or Original Blessing?

                                             Rev. Greg Martin 

   

One of the myths of western culture 

is that nature is a dangerous and wasteful place that needs to be corralled and developed by human beings to give it value if not to be outright avoided. Yet there is 

another, older, tradition that values 

"the interdependent web of life 

of which we are all a part." Members of the Tree of Life UU Fellowship join with MVUUFers this morning to honor the web and our common ministry and to welcome Rev. Greg to Dayton.

 

August 30

(information regarding this service was not available at time of publication; updates will be posted when possible)

 

 

A Few Words From Our Minister

 

Moving to a new community is always a challenging adventure. I've made enough moves over the years to ensure that I've developed some expertise in packing and organizing for the effort. Nevertheless, the actual process usually doesn't unfold entirely as planned. Everything takes longer than you imagine. Unforeseen things arise. So it was not a surprise to find myself behind schedule and needing to make up some time last week on moving day to Dayton.

 

Fortunately, a wonderful array of flexible Fellowship volunteers were assembled on the receiving end willing to make for a smooth transition with unloading. The manager of my apartment building , however, was concerned that I would be arriving after the 6 p.m. office closing time. No matter how fast or slow I drove the GPS was unrelenting in saying I would not arrive until 6:11 p.m. And so when I dashed into the office and saw the amazing welcoming crowd assembled in the   community room I was gratefully overwhelmed. I also knew there was no cause for concern. Even the manager seemed to have caught on to the festive spirit exhibited by this gathering of UUs! What a gift it was to have so many able helpers organized by Alice Diebel. The move into the  apartment and office went quickly, a process that could have been long and arduous on an already exhausting day.

 

The welcome continued to unfold in many wonderful ways, though, since then:  Phil Wise and Joe Law graciously and generously outfitted my kitchen, Ria & Adam Megnin's dinner invitation and  Adam's additional moving assistance when I procured some new furniture, to name just a few. On the second day in Dayton, I walked into the downtown public library. The man at the information desk greeted me with, "Hello, Rev. Greg!" It was only the first of several such encounters in the first week, however, both attesting to your welcoming spirit and the sense of "small townishness" that a city like Dayton affords. It did take me a moment to recover as I was trying to figure out how this man who looked vaguely familiar in a new place could possibly know who I was. It was Mike Nelson from MVUUF, of course. Somehow, that encounter and others since have made me feel at home already. You have truly extended your hospitality, and I am grateful. I look forward to serving in your midst as your minister as our life together unfolds.

 

Rev. Greg

 

Life Around the Fellowship...

 

 

A WORD FROM THE BOARD PRESIDENT

Here we are on our long-awaited ministerial cusp. As this issue of The Forum appears in our inboxes, we are stepping over the threshold of a new era in the life of the Fellowship.

 

We have said our goodbyes to Rev. Mary Moore and wish her well as she begins her work with the UU congregation in Columbus, Indiana. We are grateful for her time with us, for the work we did together and for the lens she brought to our self-exploration during our Interim Period. We are a different congregation in many ways because of Mary Moore, and we will continue to benefit from her insights, her deep caring and her nudging. Once more, "Thank you, Mary!"

 

We are about to say our hellos to Rev. Greg Martin. Those of us who heard him and met with him during Candidating Week are excited and eager to begin our time together. Although Greg will bring his own ideas and insights, he will build on the work of Mary and of all our former ministers. He will also need our input, our ideas and our energy as we grow together into the community we dream about. Each of us has a part to play as we say, "Welcome, Greg!"

 

Greg's first Sunday will be August 2, so plan to come welcome him in the next few weeks. It will take some time for us to get used to each other, but this time of discovery brings us opportunities we may not even anticipate. Come be part of the future as we develop it.

 

Finally, it is a time of deep gratitude to the members of our Ministerial Search Committee. It is their hard and intense work that has enabled us to connect with Greg. None of us will ever know how much each of them gave in making this happen, but we do know theirs was an immense task. Their contribution to the life of the Fellowship will be lasting. We will benefit from their wisdom, dedication, and perseverance for generations to come. And so we say "Thank You" to each one.

 

And so, let us step boldly over that threshold. Let us welcome our next phase. And let us wach do our part to make the future all that we hope it will be.

 

Barb Weber, Board President


 

 

MANY HANDS MAKE LIGHT WORK 

And that can definitely be said of the great group of MVUUF members that worked so hard by helping our new settled Minister, Rev. Greg Martin, move into his new apartment and office on Monday, July 20th. As Rev. Greg mentioned in his column in this month's Forum, "The move into the apartment and office went quickly, a process that could have been long and arduous on an already exhausting day."

 

Take a look at a few photos from that evening!

  

 

 

 

RECEPTION AFTER REV. GREG'S FIRST SERVICE

Don't forget! We will be having a Reception in the Gathering Space immediately following Rev. Greg Martin's first Sunday Worship Service as our new settled Minister, on Sunday, August 2!

 

This will also be a time to thank the Ministerial Search Committee for all of their hard work to bring Rev. Greg and MVUUF together...what a wonderful job they did!

 

Please bring bite-sized desserts to share, and if you can help with the set-up or clean-up, please let Dawn Bellinger know. We look forward to celebrating with you!


 

 

ICE CREAM CONTEST & SOCIAL ON AUGUST 9th!

Come one, come all, to the MVUUF Ice Cream Contest & Social! Who will win the coveted Silver Spoon this year? Dust off your ice cream recipe and get ready for some stiff competition! If you choose the mechanical route for your creation, MVUUF has two ice cream makers-get your reservation in EARLY to use one!

 

The Ice Cream Contest & Social will also be held in conjunction with a bake sale by the 6th-12th grade RE students, to raise funds to see the movie Jerusalem at the IMAX Theatre at Cincinnati's Museum Center; please bring some dollars and loose change with you to fill their coffers! And please bring your quarters to vote for your favorite ice cream-one quarter equals one vote! Proceeds from the Ice Cream Contest will also help the students afford their movie trip. For more information regarding the movie,    contact Garlene Hamilton.

 

 

 

LOOKING FOR ARTWORK FROM MVUUF MEMBERS & FRIENDS

Do you own a piece of artwork created by a MVUUF member or friend? Would you be interested in sharing it with others at the Fellowship? We're going to try something a little different for the Chalicelight Gallery during the months of September and October. Everyone who owns a piece of artwork made by an MVUUF member or friend is invited to hang their piece in a Special Members Art Exhibit. These works of art could have been created at any point in MVUUF's history-over 50 years ago, or quite recently. The identification tags will state the title of the piece, the artist's name, and the name of the owner who is loaning it for exhibition. We are mainly limited to wall-hung artwork, but may be able to accommodate a few small sculptural pieces or ceramic items.

 

If you would like to participate in this special show, please send an email to Kathleen Pennington at [email protected]; include a description of the piece in the email, including its dimensions. A photo would also be great.


 

 

WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

The West Dayton Action Group has been invited by LEAD Dayton to support their tutoring program at Westwood School. Tutoring takes place weekdays throughout the school year, between 7:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., tutoring children through grade 3 on reading skills. You'll work with the school's Literacy Specialist and be placed according to your skill and comfort level. The tutors from LEAD who served last year felt that it was very worthwhile and rewarding for all involved!

  

If you're interested, you must complete the Dayton Public Schools' Volunteer Application before August 13, so that the program will be ready to begin the first week of September; you can find the application HERE.
       

When applying, make sure to also contact:

Marie Geisel (coordinating volunteers for LEAD) 

at (937) 371-4852 or [email protected]; 

 

also, please contact 

Bob Lewis at [email protected] or 

Julie Stone at [email protected] 

so that the West Dayton Action Group can keep track 

of those who have signed up.

   


 

DON'T FORGET!

Our Social Justice Committee will continue to present movies with a
social action theme on two Friday evenings in August:


 August 7th--Chasing Ice--a documentary regarding climate change

August 21st--Raising of America (parts 1 & 2)--a film about early childhood development

 

Both movies begin at 7:00 p.m. in the Founder's Room at the Fellowship. Snacks will be available, and there should be some good discussion following the movie. Please plan to attend!

 


 

THE EVENING BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP

The Evening Book Discussion Group meets on the second Tuesday of the month, 7:00 p.m. at Christopher's Restaurant on East Dorothy Lane. New participants are welcome! Please contact Ann Snively for more information. The titles that have been selected for the next few months are:

August 11 -- Keep the Ends Loose, by Molly D. Campbell; Ms. Campbell will be joining us at this meeting to discuss her book!

September 8 -- At Home: A Short History of Private Life, by Bill Bryson

October 13 -- Still Life with Bread Crumbs, by Anna Quindlen 

November 10 -- Clara and Mr. Tiffany, by Susan Vreeland

 


  

ENVIRONMENTAL BOOK CLUB

The Environmental Book Club meets monthly on the third Monday, from 7-8:30 p.m., in the  Founder's Room at the Fellowship. Upcoming selections are:

  • August 17 - The Twenty-Ninth Day, by Lester Brown
  • September 21 - Walden, by Henry David Thoreau
  • October 19 - Moral Ground:  Ethical Action for a Planet in Peril, by Kathleen Dean Moore
  • November 16 - Earth in The Balance, by Al Gore
  • December 21 - Pope Francis' Encyclical, On The Care of Our Common Home (you can read the Encyclical on the Vatican's website)

 

 

DAYTIME BOOK CLUB

The Daytime Book Club meets monthly on Wednesday mornings, 10:30 a.m., in the Founder's Room at the Fellowship.  Here's an update on the Daytime Book Club's coming selections for the next eight months. Please note that the book chosen for August has CHANGED.

  •   August 19  All The Light We Cannot See:  A Novel, by Anthony Doerr
  •  September 16  Deep Down Dark:  The Untold Stories of 33 Men Buried in a Chilean Mine, and the Miracle That Set Them Free, by Hector Tobar
  •  October 21   The Shell Seekers, by Rosamunde Pilcher
  •  November 18  Altered Genes, Twisted Truth, by Steven Drucker
  •  December 16  A Child's Christmas in Wales, by Dylan Thomas. (This book is very short, for our annual party.)
  • January tba  The Goldfinch, by Donna Tartt. This book has 784 pages in paperback; we chose it for January so we could begin reading it in December or earlier.

 

 

SMART CHOICES BIRTHDAY LUNCHEON

The June gathering of this fun group will take place on Thursday, August 27th, 11:30 a.m., at the MCL Cafeteria (private room). Everyone is invited to join them! Please RSVP to Allie Petersen at:

                   [email protected]

 

 

  

ST. VINCENT DE PAUL LUNCH

Please join us in our long-standing 2nd Saturday ministry of serving lunch to the homeless and/or low-income women and families. Sign-up sheets are on the counter by the windows in the Gathering Space. Thanks to all who donated food and helped serve in July, when we served fewer single adults but more families than usual. If you would like a bit more information on volunteering, please pick up one of the information half-sheets near the sign-up sheet.

  

August 8th menu:  This is the fourth month of our spring/summer menu -- hot sandwich filling (pulled BBQ chicken/pork, or sloppy joes),  vegetable dish (pasta salad with LOTS of vegetables, cole slaw, or other vegetable), green salad, fresh fruit/fruit salad, 100% juice and reduced fat milk (we will use buns from St. V pantry for the  sandwiches). We need several donations of each item, with each    donation serving 15-20. Please bring all items-heated if applicable-to 120 West Apple Street in Dayton (St. Vincent de Paul Hotel) by 10:30 a.m. Sign up to serve or donate menu items on the sign-up sheet, or contact Lynn Buffington at (937) 657-0426 or [email protected]. You can also contact Lynn, Shirley Gezinski, or Iris Mirelez if you would like to help with menu planning and organizing. 

 

 

   

DON'T FORGET!

You can keep up-to-date with all the happenings at MVUUF by viewing the Fellowship's calendar online, from a link on our website:  

 

www.mvuuf.org

The calendar is updated daily, so it's always the best place to check and see what's going on!


     

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We are a liberal religious community that embraces diversity and respects the inherent worth and dignity of every person.  ALL are welcome here, no matter their race, sex, sexual/affectional orientation, gender expression, or ability.

 

Please visit us on Sunday mornings at 11 a.m. for our worship service---

we'd love to see you!