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9185 Monte Vista Avenue
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Monte Vista UU Congregation
invites you to join our hybrid Sunday Service
We invite you to participate in our nourishing weekly Worship in our Sanctuary or online via Zoom.
Our Sunday morning worship is open for you as we value and maintain a connection to all of our Community whether in-person or from our online gathering place that we keep deeply engaged.
Each Sunday at 10:30am, We bring our celebrations & compassions together as one into our shared sacred space.
All are welcome, wherever your life journey is taking you now… Please contact our office for the Link and Password to connect online.
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Submit your Question:
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Post-Pandemic Update:
With both compassion and wisdom for the best care of our Congregation, and in response to directives from the latest Science & Healthcare experts and the UUA, the MVUUC Board and Rev Maggie invite your participation in our In-person and online gatherings for Sunday Worship, Religious Exploration, and Group Meetings.
Our Minister Rev Maggie, our DLRE Robert, our Lay Leaders, and our Music Director Lily Popova will continue to create ways we can stay closely connected and care for the Spirit of Life within us all during this time of re-imagining congregational life.
Brynda Jones, MVUUC Office Administrator is in during regular hours and is available to respond to your calls, and forward your messages.
email: officeadmin @ montevistauu.org
call: 909.626.0520
RevMaggie:
email: minister @ montevistauu.org
text or call: 626.205.4458
Upcoming Sunday Services
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Sun23Feb2020
The encouraging future of UU congregations as witnessed through the eyes of a former UU High School district youth leader.
Speaker: Paula Campbell
Lay Leader: Catherine Rowlee
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Sun01Mar2020
Finding a spiritual community where we can sense our place of belonging is a treasure that many people are searching for. Those of us here at MVUUC claim that very sense of belonging as a gift we’ve found here. We are indeed fortunate that from our youngest children to our wisest elders, our covenantal relationships with one another provide our souls with a place to call home. Let’s celebrate how our roots in this congregation can bring about that sense of belonging for ourselves, for each other, and for those who may come to belong among us in the future.
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Sun08Mar2020
In honor of International Women's Day, Professor Dengu-Zvobgo, daughter of Zimbabwe, will share her experience and insights about women's engagement in education, mentoring, restoration and micro-credit programs in Africa. Kebokile also teaches classes in Gender and Feminist Studies. Her research interests are in women and the law especially human rights.
Julie Steinbach, Lay Leader
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Sun15Mar2020
When we think about who we are as individuals in community we take a certain amount of liberty to define who we’ve been in the past and who we have become in both our personal lives and in the life of our Congregation. Celebrating that and co-creating an even more vibrant becoming will keep us in forward motion as we keep in-step with the process of growing into our best selves. Let’s see how we can continue “Becoming.”
Also! Plan to stay for a "Chalice-side Chat" after Worship.
RevMaggie will facilitate a friendly "Moment With the Minister" about 15 minutes after the close of the Service. We will sit together in the Sanctuary and talk about our reflections on the Sermon Message and other things that are important to us all.
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Sun22Mar2020
As we prepare to enter Spring, let us pause for a moment to contemplate that which we wish to leave behind. Stepping through the portal, let us choose to cast off all we are ready to let go of... and pass joyously into the promise of Springtime renewal.
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Sun29Mar2020
"From my perspective, liberal religion is very much alive and as an apologist for liberal religion and process philosophy, I am finding more and more allies in various religions especially in the lives of people who consider themselves "spiritually fluid people.” - John Fahey
Get to know our Presenters:
-
Sun05Apr2020
In this hailstorm we’ve named “Covid-19” we all might be finding that our sense of normal (that place of grounding and centering) is difficult to tap in to. Join in our virtual Spirit Space on Zoom as we explore the ways that we can help ourselves and one another to find our way toward the heart, and center there in these uncertain times.
-
Sun12Apr2020
Our best visions for how our lives will unfold after this 'Shelter-at-Home' order is lifted are clouded and uncertain. Although we've never been through times like this before, we have a long history of overcoming together. As we imagine our way forward on this Easter Sunday, we know our strength is in community and we know we will Rise and Shine!
"Sermon on the Mount" reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiEpS4mh9bA&feature=youtu.be
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Sun19Apr2020
Rituals are tools that tie us to our heritage and to each other. Join us in the most widely-celebrated ritual in Unitarian Universalist congregations today, the Flower Communion, as we celebrate our community. Bring a flower to share (virtually). It can be a real one from your garden, an artificial one, a picture of a flower, or any floral representation that you may have handy. (t-shirt, mug, etc.)
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Sun26Apr2020
"Current Issues in the Philippines and Immigration Law" - Jed Leano, Claremont City Councilman, Immigration Lawyer of Filipino heritage.
Our annual focus on MVUUC's 13-year relationship with the Calapayan UU Congregation on Negros Island will include the call for educational funding continuation for our 24 sponsored elementary and high school students.
Julie Steinbach, Lay Leader.
Lily Popova, Glorious Music.
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Sun03May2020
The Oxford Dictionary defines Stewardship as “the job of supervising or taking care of something, such as an organization or property.” Let’s look at the meaningful ways that the good stewardship of our beloved MVUUC is both the job and the joy we all share. Caring and tending is important to all of us, and doing it well will help us heal and grow strong as we navigate the tender times we are in.
-
Sun10May2020
On this Mother's Day MVUUC is fortunate to have Tahil Sharma at the online pulpit.
Tahil is an interfaith activist based in Los Angeles who was born to a Hindu father and a Sikh mother. He is the Regional Coordinator of North America for the United Religions Initiative (URI), the world's largest grassroots interfaith network. Following the Oak Creek, WI shooting of a Sikh temple in 2012, Tahil became involved in efforts for interfaith literacy and social justice and has been doing this work professionally for the past seven years.
Tahil serves as one of three Interfaith Ministers in Residence for the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles and as the Los Angeles Coordinator for Sadhana: A Coalition of Progressive Hindus. Tahil also serves various organizations in different capacities to educate, engage, and serve various communities that promote interfaith cooperation and ethical pluralism and social and productive norms in society. The organizations include the Interfaith Youth Core, the Parliament of the World's Religions, The Guibord Center, and The Interreligious Council of Southern California.
He is also a contributing author to books including Co-Human Harmony: Using Our Shared Humanity To Bridge Divides, Hindu Approaches to Spiritual Care: Chaplaincy in Theory and Practice, and Acting on Faith: Stories of Courage, Activism, and Hope Across Religions.
-
Sun17May2020
Since the moment that we first heard the name "Covid-19" our lives have become a dance. Learning new steps forward (and back) have been a daily exercise for each of us as our lives open and change according to the directive of our Leaders and the ways we are learning to care for our own wellness and the well being of those we love. Dancing our best way forward as we wonder at the changes still coming our way will be a waltz at best.
Let's enjoy time together as we Waltz With Wonder.
-
Sun24May2020
As Unitarian Universalists, we believe in a "free and responsible search for truth and meaning" and support each other in our individual quests to that end.
At MVUUC we value this so much that we adopted the slogan "Many Beliefs. One Community."
Join us this Sunday, as three members of the congregation share what they believe.
-
Sun31May2020
With many of us staying inside right now, it sometimes feels like we're walking in circles.
I know that I've probably circled my 1-bedroom apartment dozens of times over these last few weeks, whether out of curiosity or boredom. But wisdom from Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh teaches us that perhaps there is more than meets the eye with this particular practice. Perhaps, if we take an extra moment to intentionally take in each step, whether inside our homes, out in our yards, or rounding the corner in our cars, we might find something more wondrous than expected.
Join us this Sunday as we reimagine what it means to find ourselves now "walking in circles."
Liz Murphy, MDiv is a 2020 graduate of the Claremont School of Theology and a candidate for ministry with the Unitarian Universalist Association. She's currently the intern minister at Throop Unitarian Universalist Church in Pasadena, CA. Liz previously worked as a chaplain intern at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and as the Interfaith Programs Assistant at the University of Southern California's Office of Religious Life. Originally from Pittsburgh, she moved to Los Angeles in 2017 with her wife, Hilary.
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Sun07Jun2020
This past year the Religious Exploration program examined Our UU Identity by learning about historical people and doing social action projects. We will recap the classes as we celebrate our children, adults, and programs. We will also honor our graduating high-school seniors. Come celebrate with us!
Led by Amy Randall, DLRE, Children's RE Council, and Adult RE Committee
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Sun14Jun2020
Rev Ellen Livingston - Rev Maggie Yenoki, Worship Associate
A Buddhist nun’s bucket is broken and will not hold water or reflect the moon. While that leaking bucket is a metaphor, it stands for the profound losses we all experience at some time in our lives. We know too well these are bottom-falling-out times we are in now. Rev Ellen Livingston will share with you some of her life experiences, what she has learned from her Buddhist studies, and the journey we humans are all on together, learning and suffering with one another.
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Sun21Jun2020
On this Father's Day, we come together to honor those Ancestors who have gifted us with their guidance, grounding us in the identities we claim as foundational to who we are in these tender times. But what does it mean to be "the breath of our ancestors" while Covid19 is taking away the breath of its victims and protesters are crying out, "We Can't Breathe!"
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Sun28Jun2020
We will gather at 9:45am for a time together before we join with thousands of our UU siblings around the Earth for an Online Worship Service!
learn more here: https://www.uua.org/ga
From the UUA Website:
Join us for the largest annual gathering of UUs joining in worship. This powerful, communal worship experience is open to the public. Rev. Joan Javier-Duval will deliver the sermon at the 2020 General Assembly Sunday Morning Worship. She serves as Minister of the Unitarian Church of Montpelier, VT. She is the daughter of immigrants from the Philippines, mother of a kindergartener, and spouse of a proud Vermonter. Beauty, gratitude, and love are at the heart of her faithful striving for collective liberation and a thriving planet.
The worship service will include a collection for the Tomaquag Museum, an indigenous museum featuring an extensive collection and archive of Southern New England tribal communities.
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Sun05Jul2020
Join our Online Sunday Service on July 5th at 10:30am on Zoom as our Minister Rev Maggie leads us on a hike through the foothills in search of "Healing Hope"
You might be surprised by the treasures we discover!
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Sun12Jul2020
Hurtful words are often thought of as just that: words. However, when we begin to use certain words to generalize and "other" entire groups of people, words create divisions, policies, ideologies, and stereotypes that cause real harm. How does this happen? and how can we challenge this?
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Sun19Jul2020
Join Lay Leader Rita Salama as we welcome guest speaker Lawrence Ingalls, who will be talking about communicating with the dead.
Lawrence has held the position of Finance Manager of the Technology Transfer Office at Caltech for almost 11 years. He has an MBA from Pepperdine University, and he has been the guest speaker or guest musician at 21 UU congregations in multiple states.
In California he has been the guest speaker at our Costa Mesa, Laguna Beach, Anaheim, Sepulveda, and Fullerton congregations. He is a native of California and is of Mexican and Irish descent. Lawrence is married to a UU minister and is a member of the UU Congregation in Fullerton, CA.
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Sun26Jul2020
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Sun02Aug2020
Whenever we are forced by circumstances to endure any difficulty, we usually come through with new perspectives and a sense of growth we hadn’t planned on. Traversing through trauma can be an entirely new experience when we consciously choose to change the way we see things.
Join Rev Maggie as we wonder together, looking at ways we can bring positive change by making a choice to look with fresh eyes!
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Sun09Aug2020
Opening a conversation on any topic can take courage these days. This week We will take a brave look deep within our culture’s resistance to conversation on loss, death, and dying and how that minimizes both our education and our engagement with this topic we encounter daily during this Pandemic.
Let’s enjoy our time together transcending a topic we’ve ignored far too long - a 4th Principle peek into the free and responsible search for the truth and meaning at life's end.
Brave conversations can be empowering!
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Sun16Aug2020
Delores Burris, long time member of this congregation and of our UU book group, will speak on the topic of "the book that has yet to be written" - the story that has been unfolding before us as the United States and the world confront the injustices and brutality of systemic racism and the unspoken caste system it has created. Catherine Rowlee will be the lay leader and our Music Director Lily Popova will be the pianist.
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Sun23Aug2020
In 2017, discussion began about adding an 8th Principle:
"We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, covenant to affirm and promote: journeying toward spiritual wholeness by working to build a diverse multicultural Beloved Community by our actions that accountably dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions."
Since that time, many events have happened both in our denomination and in our country. Join us as we look at what prompted this proposal, and how we can move forward to build a Beloved Community that dismantles racism.
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Sun30Aug2020
At MVUUC we adopted the slogan "Many Beliefs. One Community."
Join us this Sunday, as three members of our congregation share what they believe.
Rita Salama, Lay Leader
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Sun06Sep2020
Finding our center in days such as these often requires that we search inward to ground ourselves in the heart, the center of what makes us tick.
Come join Rev Maggie in our time together as we look into the center of our core values, and find grounding in these stormy times of change.
We extend a warm invite for new participants to email us for Zoom Access: officeadmin@montevistauu.org
.
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Sun13Sep2020
Our annual Ingathering Service is a UU tradition we treasure.
Sharing our welcome with one another as we begin a new church year in our beloved congregation will bring us home to our place of belonging. We will gather online and share our Water Communion despite how it will seem different this year in this time of pandemic and unprecedented change.
Finding our way home will feel so good!
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Sun20Sep2020
Moving together through these challenging times, we find ourselves, perhaps on a daily basis, reassessing our priorities.
UCLA Oncology Chaplain and popular guest speaker, Michael Eselun will share reflections on the question, "What Matters?"
Catherine Rowlee, Lay Leader
Lily Popova, Pianist
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Sun27Sep2020
Our 5th Principle states, "We covenant to affirm and promote the right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large." Some may wonder why UU's have enshrined the value of Democracy as an important religious value. When seen in the context of all our beloved seven principles it will be clear why this is so.
Everyone is welcome!
INVITE YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY
(Share the Zoom Connect and OOS to be sent out by email on Saturday)
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Sun04Oct2020
Robbie Dunlop sifted through the wildfire’s ash, poking through the cremains of their beloved home in Talent, Oregon. Among the ashes, Robbie was relieved to find a kitchen utensil that had belonged to Grandmother many, many years before... a spoon she used often - no matter what she cooked. It didn’t matter if it was ham or spaghetti, as long as you had that spoon, it all came out right.
Grandmother told Robbie the story over and again: "Don't fret if you're not a very good cook, it's the spoon that makes everything turn out so good."
What might that "Grandmother’s Spoon" be for us... that unique utensil that'll make it all come out right?
Join Rev Maggie as we sift out the treasures that remain magic and meaningful after great loss.
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Sun11Oct2020
Celebrating our beloved animal companions online
will be a new experience...
Please bring your pets into our
Virtual Sanctuary as we gather for
The Blessing of the Animals
Sunday, October 11 at 10:30am on ZOOM
(connection info coming by email on Saturday)
Please bring a small bowl of water
with you for the blessing.
For those who would like to participate in a Remembrance of those beloved companions who are no longer with us,
please bring a memento of them to share.
(picture, leash, dish, etc.)
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Sun18Oct2020
Lay Leader, Catherine Rowlee
Pianist, Lily Popova
Unitarian Universalism is a liberal religion, not because of our progressive politics but because of our commitment to the ideals of liberalism. Liberalism is a method for resolving conflict, gaining knowledge, and advancing toward truth. Our liberal approach to religion and to all that concerns us as religious people is a precious inheritance. Abandoning the principles of liberalism would mean losing an essential part of who we are.
Rev. Hoyt-McDaniels has served Unitarian Universalist churches in the Los Angeles area for 22 years. He most recently completed an interim ministry with the Unitarian Universalist Church of Long Beach. He lives in downtown Los Angeles.
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Sun25Oct2020
"Working Behind the Scenes: Employment Conflict Resolution in the U.N." with guest speaker Tamar Gur
Celebrate UN Sunday
Catherine Rowlee, Lay Leader
Lily Popova, Music Director
Working in the Office of the Ombudsman for the United Nations Funds and Programmes often means being with International Civil Servants when they perceive incompatibilities between the aspirational values as described in the UN Charter, and the realities of working in hierarchical organizations with flawed humans. The work of the Office supports these colleagues through informal means as they navigate how to make decisions in this context. Tamar Gur will share about how she came to work in the United Nations, the work that she has been doing for the past couple of years, and how working in the United Nations has helped her grow as a conflict resolution practitioner.
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Sun01Nov2020
The Dark Time of the year us upon us, and we invite you to join in exploring its beauty and significance with Dr. Margaret (Maggie) Froelich as she speaks to us on "Embracing the Dark."
Maggie has been a polytheist and a Pagan for two decades. She was a regular face at MVUUC CUUPs for eight years, while she worked on a PhD in New Testament and Christian Origins at the Claremont School of Theology. She's a druid in the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids, and she writes academic research (which has been published) and fiction (which hasn't yet).
Maggie brings a unique and clear-eyed perspective on these challenging but potentially meaningful times.
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Sun08Nov2020
Our shared experience of life in these most unusual days has us doing all that we can to safely bring a post-election outcome filled with positive change.
We are more than ready to turn the tide.
As we gather this week, we’ll reflect on our sure-footed path through the times ahead of us. Together, we are stronger, more passionate peacemakers.
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Sun15Nov2020
Join us on Sunday, November 15th as three members of our congregation share what they believe.
Rita Salama, Worship Leader
Speakers:
Joe Belk, Mary Darrow, Marlene Terrazas
Video removed because of copyright: "Carrie Newcomer - Room at the Table"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92OM5...
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Sun22Nov2020
Thanksgiving time is filled with reminders to be grateful and offer thanks for the gifts life offers. Remembering to give thanks can also give back to us, even during a year that has been filled with many difficult events. Join RevMaggie as we 'Give thanks, with a grateful heart!'
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Sun29Nov2020
Guest Speaker, Kathryn Urell, MSW, CHT
Lay Leader, Catherine Rowlee
Pianist, Lily Popova
You can choose to focus your attention and thoughts on the positive in yourSELF and in LIFE. Through visualization, allow yourself to be guided through an experience of GRATITUDE, resulting in a state of relaxation, peace, connection and love.
Kathryn Urell is a Social Worker by degree and a College Counselor by profession; whose passion lies in holistic wellness and personal empowerment. She is a life-long learner and teacher who stretches outside of her comfort zone to GROW. She expands consciousness by empowering people to remember that they are Already WORTHY, Enough, and LOVED.
She is living her purpose with JOY and so much GRATITUDE for this experience.
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Sun06Dec2020
As we welcome December and open toward the Holiday Spirit we've been longing for, we also wonder at all of the ways this year has opened us to new (and complicated!) perspectives on the traditions we treasure.
Being required to "Stay Safer at Home" for most of 2020, we have an entirely new way to make meaning from the phrase, "Home for the Holidays."
Join Rev Maggie and Lily Popova for our online gathering as we celebrate together!
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Sun13Dec2020
As our daylight hours grow short and the night beckons our attention, we can embrace the dark and its gifts to us as we enter the Holiday Season.
Join Rev Maggie and Lily Popova as we stand in awe with a sigh of relief that exclaims, "Oh, Holy Night!"
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Sun20Dec2020
.
Join us as we celebrate the Unitarian Universalist holiday of Chalica, Amy Randall's Retirement, and Robert Tidwell's welcome.
Leatha Comstock, Lay Leader
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Thu24Dec2020
Let's all get together online for this beautiful service!
Please bring a taper candle and matches with you for our virtual Candle Lighting Ceremony
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Sun27Dec2020
Join us as we feast on verse served up by the Poetry Appreciators Lounge-at-Home participants as well as yummy offerings by others.
If you would like to share a short poem (200 words or less) from a favorite poet, or one of your own, email Rita Salama by 10:00am on December 24th and include the poem. An open mic will follow if time permits.
This annual service is in honor of all past, present and future MVUUC poets.
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Sun23Feb2020
The encouraging future of UU congregations as witnessed through the eyes of a former UU High School district youth leader.
Speaker: Paula Campbell
Lay Leader: Catherine Rowlee -
Sun01Mar2020
Finding a spiritual community where we can sense our place of belonging is a treasure that many people are searching for. Those of us here at MVUUC claim that very sense of belonging as a gift we’ve found here. We are indeed fortunate that from our youngest children to our wisest elders, our covenantal relationships with one another provide our souls with a place to call home. Let’s celebrate how our roots in this congregation can bring about that sense of belonging for ourselves, for each other, and for those who may come to belong among us in the future.
-
Sun08Mar2020
In honor of International Women's Day, Professor Dengu-Zvobgo, daughter of Zimbabwe, will share her experience and insights about women's engagement in education, mentoring, restoration and micro-credit programs in Africa. Kebokile also teaches classes in Gender and Feminist Studies. Her research interests are in women and the law especially human rights.
Julie Steinbach, Lay Leader
-
Sun15Mar2020
When we think about who we are as individuals in community we take a certain amount of liberty to define who we’ve been in the past and who we have become in both our personal lives and in the life of our Congregation. Celebrating that and co-creating an even more vibrant becoming will keep us in forward motion as we keep in-step with the process of growing into our best selves. Let’s see how we can continue “Becoming.”
Also! Plan to stay for a "Chalice-side Chat" after Worship.
RevMaggie will facilitate a friendly "Moment With the Minister" about 15 minutes after the close of the Service. We will sit together in the Sanctuary and talk about our reflections on the Sermon Message and other things that are important to us all. -
Sun22Mar2020
As we prepare to enter Spring, let us pause for a moment to contemplate that which we wish to leave behind. Stepping through the portal, let us choose to cast off all we are ready to let go of... and pass joyously into the promise of Springtime renewal.
-
Sun29Mar2020
"From my perspective, liberal religion is very much alive and as an apologist for liberal religion and process philosophy, I am finding more and more allies in various religions especially in the lives of people who consider themselves "spiritually fluid people.” - John Fahey
Get to know our Presenters:
-
Sun05Apr2020
In this hailstorm we’ve named “Covid-19” we all might be finding that our sense of normal (that place of grounding and centering) is difficult to tap in to. Join in our virtual Spirit Space on Zoom as we explore the ways that we can help ourselves and one another to find our way toward the heart, and center there in these uncertain times.
-
Sun12Apr2020
Our best visions for how our lives will unfold after this 'Shelter-at-Home' order is lifted are clouded and uncertain. Although we've never been through times like this before, we have a long history of overcoming together. As we imagine our way forward on this Easter Sunday, we know our strength is in community and we know we will Rise and Shine!
"Sermon on the Mount" reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiEpS4mh9bA&feature=youtu.be
-
Sun19Apr2020
Rituals are tools that tie us to our heritage and to each other. Join us in the most widely-celebrated ritual in Unitarian Universalist congregations today, the Flower Communion, as we celebrate our community. Bring a flower to share (virtually). It can be a real one from your garden, an artificial one, a picture of a flower, or any floral representation that you may have handy. (t-shirt, mug, etc.)
-
Sun26Apr2020"Current Issues in the Philippines and Immigration Law" - Jed Leano, Claremont City Councilman, Immigration Lawyer of Filipino heritage.Our annual focus on MVUUC's 13-year relationship with the Calapayan UU Congregation on Negros Island will include the call for educational funding continuation for our 24 sponsored elementary and high school students.Julie Steinbach, Lay Leader.
Lily Popova, Glorious Music. -
Sun03May2020
The Oxford Dictionary defines Stewardship as “the job of supervising or taking care of something, such as an organization or property.” Let’s look at the meaningful ways that the good stewardship of our beloved MVUUC is both the job and the joy we all share. Caring and tending is important to all of us, and doing it well will help us heal and grow strong as we navigate the tender
times we are in.
-
Sun10May2020
On this Mother's Day MVUUC is fortunate to have Tahil Sharma at the online pulpit.
Tahil is an interfaith activist based in Los Angeles who was born to a Hindu father and a Sikh mother. He is the Regional Coordinator of North America for the United Religions Initiative (URI), the world's largest grassroots interfaith network. Following the Oak Creek, WI shooting of a Sikh temple in 2012, Tahil became involved in efforts for interfaith literacy and social justice and has been doing this work professionally for the past seven years.
Tahil serves as one of three Interfaith Ministers in Residence for the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles and as the Los Angeles Coordinator for Sadhana: A Coalition of Progressive Hindus. Tahil also serves various organizations in different capacities to educate, engage, and serve various communities that promote interfaith cooperation and ethical pluralism and social and productive norms in society. The organizations include the Interfaith Youth Core, the Parliament of the World's Religions, The Guibord Center, and The Interreligious Council of Southern California.
He is also a contributing author to books including Co-Human Harmony: Using Our Shared Humanity To Bridge Divides, Hindu Approaches to Spiritual Care: Chaplaincy in Theory and Practice, and Acting on Faith: Stories of Courage, Activism, and Hope Across Religions.
-
Sun17May2020
Since the moment that we first heard the name "Covid-19" our lives have become a dance. Learning new steps forward (and back) have been a daily exercise for each of us as our lives open and change according to the directive of our Leaders and the ways we are learning to care for our own wellness and the well being of those we love. Dancing our best way forward as we wonder at the changes still coming our way will be a waltz at best.Let's enjoy time together as we Waltz With Wonder.
-
Sun24May2020
As Unitarian Universalists, we believe in a "free and responsible search for truth and meaning" and support each other in our individual quests to that end.
At MVUUC we value this so much that we adopted the slogan "Many Beliefs. One Community."
Join us this Sunday, as three members of the congregation share what they believe.
-
Sun31May2020
With many of us staying inside right now, it sometimes feels like we're walking in circles.
I know that I've probably circled my 1-bedroom apartment dozens of times over these last few weeks, whether out of curiosity or boredom. But wisdom from Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh teaches us that perhaps there is more than meets the eye with this particular practice. Perhaps, if we take an extra moment to intentionally take in each step, whether inside our homes, out in our yards, or rounding the corner in our cars, we might find something more wondrous than expected.Join us this Sunday as we reimagine what it means to find ourselves now "walking in circles."
Liz Murphy, MDiv is a 2020 graduate of the Claremont School of Theology and a candidate for ministry with the Unitarian Universalist Association. She's currently the intern minister at Throop Unitarian Universalist Church in Pasadena, CA. Liz previously worked as a chaplain intern at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and as the Interfaith Programs Assistant at the University of Southern California's Office of Religious Life. Originally from Pittsburgh, she moved to Los Angeles in 2017 with her wife, Hilary.
-
Sun07Jun2020
This past year the Religious Exploration program examined Our UU Identity by learning about historical people and doing social action projects. We will recap the classes as we celebrate our children, adults, and programs. We will also honor our graduating high-school seniors. Come celebrate with us!
Led by Amy Randall, DLRE, Children's RE Council, and Adult RE Committee
-
Sun14Jun2020
Rev Ellen Livingston - Rev Maggie Yenoki, Worship Associate
A Buddhist nun’s bucket is broken and will not hold water or reflect the moon. While that leaking bucket is a metaphor, it stands for the profound losses we all experience at some time in our lives. We know too well these are bottom-falling-out times we are in now. Rev Ellen Livingston will share with you some of her life experiences, what she has learned from her Buddhist studies, and the journey we humans are all on together, learning and suffering with one another.
-
Sun21Jun2020
On this Father's Day, we come together to honor those Ancestors who have gifted us with their guidance, grounding us in the identities we claim as foundational to who we are in these tender times. But what does it mean to be "the breath of our ancestors" while Covid19 is taking away the breath of its victims and protesters are crying out, "We Can't Breathe!"
-
Sun28Jun2020
We will gather at 9:45am for a time together before we join with thousands of our UU siblings around the Earth for an Online Worship Service!
learn more here: https://www.uua.org/gaFrom the UUA Website:
Join us for the largest annual gathering of UUs joining in worship. This powerful, communal worship experience is open to the public. Rev. Joan Javier-Duval will deliver the sermon at the 2020 General Assembly Sunday Morning Worship. She serves as Minister of the Unitarian Church of Montpelier, VT. She is the daughter of immigrants from the Philippines, mother of a kindergartener, and spouse of a proud Vermonter. Beauty, gratitude, and love are at the heart of her faithful striving for collective liberation and a thriving planet.
The worship service will include a collection for the Tomaquag Museum, an indigenous museum featuring an extensive collection and archive of Southern New England tribal communities.
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Sun05Jul2020
Join our Online Sunday Service on July 5th at 10:30am on Zoom as our Minister Rev Maggie leads us on a hike through the foothills in search of "Healing Hope"
You might be surprised by the treasures we discover! -
Sun12Jul2020Hurtful words are often thought of as just that: words. However, when we begin to use certain words to generalize and "other" entire groups of people, words create divisions, policies, ideologies, and stereotypes that cause real harm. How does this happen? and how can we challenge this?
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Sun19Jul2020
Join Lay Leader Rita Salama as we welcome guest speaker Lawrence Ingalls, who will be talking about communicating with the dead.
Lawrence has held the position of Finance Manager of the Technology Transfer Office at Caltech for almost 11 years. He has an MBA from Pepperdine University, and he has been the guest speaker or guest musician at 21 UU congregations in multiple states.
In California he has been the guest speaker at our Costa Mesa, Laguna Beach, Anaheim, Sepulveda, and Fullerton congregations. He is a native of California and is of Mexican and Irish descent. Lawrence is married to a UU minister and is a member of the UU Congregation in Fullerton, CA.
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Sun26Jul2020
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Sun02Aug2020
Whenever we are forced by circumstances to endure any difficulty, we usually come through with new perspectives and a sense of growth we hadn’t planned on. Traversing through trauma can be an entirely new experience when we consciously choose to change the way we see things.
Join Rev Maggie as we wonder together, looking at ways we can bring positive change by making a choice to look with fresh eyes!
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Sun09Aug2020
Opening a conversation on any topic can take courage these days. This week We will take a brave look deep within our culture’s resistance to conversation on loss, death, and dying and how that minimizes both our education and our engagement with this topic we encounter daily during this Pandemic.
Let’s enjoy our time together transcending a topic we’ve ignored far too long - a 4th Principle peek into the free and responsible search for the truth and meaning at life's end.
Brave conversations can be empowering!
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Sun16Aug2020
Delores Burris, long time member of this congregation and of our UU book group, will speak on the topic of "the book that has yet to be written" - the story that has been unfolding before us as the United States and the world confront the injustices and brutality of systemic racism and the unspoken caste system it has created. Catherine Rowlee will be the lay leader and our Music Director Lily Popova will be the pianist.
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Sun23Aug2020
In 2017, discussion began about adding an 8th Principle:
"We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, covenant to affirm and promote: journeying toward spiritual wholeness by working to build a diverse multicultural Beloved Community by our actions that accountably dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions."
Since that time, many events have happened both in our denomination and in our country. Join us as we look at what prompted this proposal, and how we can move forward to build a Beloved Community that dismantles racism.
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Sun30Aug2020
At MVUUC we adopted the slogan "Many Beliefs. One Community."
Join us this Sunday, as three members of our congregation share what they believe.
Rita Salama, Lay Leader
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Sun06Sep2020
Finding our center in days such as these often requires that we search inward to ground ourselves in the heart, the center of what makes us tick.
Come join Rev Maggie in our time together as we look into the center of our core values, and find grounding in these stormy times of change.
We extend a warm invite for new participants to email us for Zoom Access: officeadmin@montevistauu.org
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Sun13Sep2020
Our annual Ingathering Service is a UU tradition we treasure.
Sharing our welcome with one another as we begin a new church year in our beloved congregation will bring us home to our place of belonging. We will gather online and share our Water Communion despite how it will seem different this year in this time of pandemic and unprecedented change.
Finding our way home will feel so good!
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Sun20Sep2020Moving together through these challenging times, we find ourselves, perhaps on a daily basis, reassessing our priorities.UCLA Oncology Chaplain and popular guest speaker, Michael Eselun will share reflections on the question, "What Matters?"Catherine Rowlee, Lay Leader
Lily Popova, Pianist -
Sun27Sep2020
Our 5th Principle states, "We covenant to affirm and promote the right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large." Some may wonder why UU's have enshrined the value of Democracy as an important religious value. When seen in the context of all our beloved seven principles it will be clear why this is so.
Everyone is welcome!
INVITE YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY
(Share the Zoom Connect and OOS to be sent out by email on Saturday) -
Sun04Oct2020
Robbie Dunlop sifted through the wildfire’s ash, poking through the cremains of their beloved home in Talent, Oregon. Among the ashes, Robbie was relieved to find a kitchen utensil that had belonged to Grandmother many, many years before... a spoon she used often - no matter what she cooked. It didn’t matter if it was ham or spaghetti, as long as you had that spoon, it all came out right.
Grandmother told Robbie the story over and again: "Don't fret if you're not a very good cook, it's the spoon that makes everything turn out so good."
What might that "Grandmother’s Spoon" be for us... that unique utensil that'll make it all come out right?
Join Rev Maggie as we sift out the treasures that remain magic and meaningful after great loss.
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Sun11Oct2020
Celebrating our beloved animal companions online
will be a new experience...Please bring your pets into our
Virtual Sanctuary as we gather for
The Blessing of the AnimalsSunday, October 11 at 10:30am on ZOOM
(connection info coming by email on Saturday)Please bring a small bowl of water
with you for the blessing.For those who would like to participate in a Remembrance of those beloved companions who are no longer with us,
please bring a memento of them to share.
(picture, leash, dish, etc.) -
Sun18Oct2020
Lay Leader, Catherine Rowlee
Pianist, Lily Popova
Unitarian Universalism is a liberal religion, not because of our progressive politics but because of our commitment to the ideals of liberalism. Liberalism is a method for resolving conflict, gaining knowledge, and advancing toward truth. Our liberal approach to religion and to all that concerns us as religious people is a precious inheritance. Abandoning the principles of liberalism would mean losing an essential part of who we are.
Rev. Hoyt-McDaniels has served Unitarian Universalist churches in the Los Angeles area for 22 years. He most recently completed an interim ministry with the Unitarian Universalist Church of Long Beach. He lives in downtown Los Angeles.
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Sun25Oct2020
"Working Behind the Scenes: Employment Conflict Resolution in the U.N." with guest speaker Tamar Gur
Celebrate UN SundayCatherine Rowlee, Lay Leader
Lily Popova, Music DirectorWorking in the Office of the Ombudsman for the United Nations Funds and Programmes often means being with International Civil Servants when they perceive incompatibilities between the aspirational values as described in the UN Charter, and the realities of working in hierarchical organizations with flawed humans. The work of the Office supports these colleagues through informal means as they navigate how to make decisions in this context. Tamar Gur will share about how she came to work in the United Nations, the work that she has been doing for the past couple of years, and how working in the United Nations has helped her grow as a conflict resolution practitioner. -
Sun01Nov2020The Dark Time of the year us upon us, and we invite you to join in exploring its beauty and significance with Dr. Margaret (Maggie) Froelich as she speaks to us on "Embracing the Dark."Maggie has been a polytheist and a Pagan for two decades. She was a regular face at MVUUC CUUPs for eight years, while she worked on a PhD in New Testament and Christian Origins at the Claremont School of Theology. She's a druid in the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids, and she writes academic research (which has been published) and fiction (which hasn't yet).Maggie brings a unique and clear-eyed perspective on these challenging but potentially meaningful times.
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Sun08Nov2020
Our shared experience of life in these most unusual days has us doing all that we can to safely bring a post-election outcome filled with positive change.
We are more than ready to turn the tide.
As we gather this week, we’ll reflect on our sure-footed path through the times ahead of us. Together, we are stronger, more passionate peacemakers.
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Sun15Nov2020Join us on Sunday, November 15th as three members of our congregation share what they believe.Rita Salama, Worship Leader
Speakers:
Joe Belk, Mary Darrow, Marlene TerrazasVideo removed because of copyright: "Carrie Newcomer - Room at the Table"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92OM5... -
Sun22Nov2020
Thanksgiving time is filled with reminders to be grateful and offer thanks for the gifts life offers. Remembering to give thanks can also give back to us, even during a year that has been filled with many difficult events. Join RevMaggie as we 'Give thanks, with a grateful heart!'
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Sun29Nov2020
Guest Speaker, Kathryn Urell, MSW, CHT
Lay Leader, Catherine Rowlee
Pianist, Lily PopovaYou can choose to focus your attention and thoughts on the positive in yourSELF and in LIFE. Through visualization, allow yourself to be guided through an experience of GRATITUDE, resulting in a state of relaxation, peace, connection and love.
Kathryn Urell is a Social Worker by degree and a College Counselor by profession; whose passion lies in holistic wellness and personal empowerment. She is a life-long learner and teacher who stretches outside of her comfort zone to GROW. She expands consciousness by empowering people to remember that they are Already WORTHY, Enough, and LOVED.
She is living her purpose with JOY and so much GRATITUDE for this experience.
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Sun06Dec2020
As we welcome December and open toward the Holiday Spirit we've been longing for, we also wonder at all of the ways this year has opened us to new (and complicated!) perspectives on the traditions we treasure.
Being required to "Stay Safer at Home" for most of 2020, we have an entirely new way to make meaning from the phrase, "Home for the Holidays."
Join Rev Maggie and Lily Popova for our online gathering as we celebrate together!
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Sun13Dec2020
As our daylight hours grow short and the night beckons our attention, we can embrace the dark and its gifts to us as we enter the Holiday Season.
Join Rev Maggie and Lily Popova as we stand in awe with a sigh of relief that exclaims, "Oh, Holy Night!"
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Sun20Dec2020.
Join us as we celebrate the Unitarian Universalist holiday of Chalica, Amy Randall's Retirement, and Robert Tidwell's welcome.
Leatha Comstock, Lay Leader -
Thu24Dec2020
Let's all get together online for this beautiful service!
Please bring a taper candle and matches with you for our virtual Candle Lighting Ceremony
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Sun27Dec2020
Join us as we feast on verse served up by the Poetry Appreciators Lounge-at-Home participants as well as yummy offerings by others.
If you would like to share a short poem (200 words or less) from a favorite poet, or one of your own, email Rita Salama by 10:00am on December 24th and include the poem. An open mic will follow if time permits.
This annual service is in honor of all past, present and future MVUUC poets.
We look forward to welcoming you and meeting together both in our Sanctuary (masked please) and online via Zoom.
As our journey forward from the pandemic unfolds, we continue to connect by mail, phone, online technology, and in our hearts…