I enjoyed my retreat with colleagues in Rancho Palos Verdes and also camping with my family. I am catching up on emails and other administrative tasks. I enjoyed the AZCEND Gala last week, and I am looking forward to the Valley Interfaith Event next week. I am also officiating a wedding for Alison Cantley and Rick D’Andrea. This weekend…
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I will be attending a retreat with other UU clergy beginning Sunday, September 29 through Thursday, October 3, and then I will be joining my family on Fall Break for a camping trip. I will not be available by email during this time and will be available only for emergencies. You can contact the pastoral care team or our Congregational…
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After returning from the Dallas area late Monday night, I came to VUU Tuesday morning to host a press conference for Corazon AZ that highlighted the problems with Proposition 314. With partner faith communities, we talked about how this proposition targets immigrants in ways that could dangerously compromise our communities and our neighbors. Here are my remarks. We had…
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On September 21 I’ll be attending an ordination for a new UU colleague in Tucson, Jamili Omar. She has been working in Faith Formation with the UU congregations south of us, and will continue to do so as an ordained minister. I love going to these services; I get to see my UU colleagues, meet members at…
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This coming Sunday I will have the rare opportunity to be at VUU on Sunday but not in the pulpit! I look forward to being in a support role and seeing VUU from a different vantage point. The next weekend I will be attending a memorial service in Dallas for a close friend who died in May. …
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This weekend’s multi generation service was so full of joy for me! Watching our kids make pictures on the river (which will hang in the Sanctuary for a week) and dance, sing, light the chalice, make the sounds of rainstorm–all of it felt so open hearted and inclusive. As each of you added water to the…
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Last weekend our service focused on what it means to do interim work together and what liminal time offers us. If you missed it, take some time to go back and listen. Adjusting our expectations and learning together, taking risks and discerning together–these are the hallmarks of a productive interim period. The ideas, commitments and changes that emerge from this…
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New Office Mate!You’re probably thinking this post is about Sara Sautter, our new Interim Director of Lifespan Faith Formation, but it’s about our new mascot and office ESA (emotional support animal)! Milo is Todd’s new companion, and he comes to the office to make sure we have some joy and to oversee our work. He doesn’t bark…
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Rev. Sarah visits Friendship Village! Last week I took half a day and visited Friendship Village. It was a wonderful opportunity to see ten of our VUU’ers, take a tour of the facilities, enjoy lunch, and talk about end of life planning as well as enjoying life while we can! I got to see Gaylee Fretz, Jayne…
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This weekend John and I celebrate 16 years of marriage. For both of us, this is a second marriage–one which we came to wiser because of what we learned the first time around. We never expected John to already be teaching this early when we got married in 2008, but it has happened. So while we both have…
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