Rogue Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (RVUUF) Ashland, OR

Dick Adams, Ph.D., Guest Speaker
Tami Marston, Director of Music; Jane Manning, Pianist

Dr. Adams will be sharing lessons learned in dealing, as a person of all sorts of privilege, with rural Zimbabweans, mostly women, who live close to the edge. He’s the Executive Director of the Zimbabwe Artists Project and he’ll be bringing the work of many of the artists to our gallery walls.

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Rev. Nayer Taheri, Guest Preacher

Rev. Nayer, who was born and raised in Iran, will present and connect an array of readings to the most central mystery of human life -- the story of creation. She’ll examine how these myths relate to our daily life and how we could use sacred scriptures to make deeper meaning in our daily life ordeals.

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Rev. Stephen Ames. Guest Preacher

As a congregation in search for a minister, it may be an especially helpful time to explore theological language, particularly God language in Unitarian Universalism. Rev. Ames will preach on how and why he uses the word, and its meanings in Unitarian Universalism today. All theologies welcome!

Emergency Food Bank Offering

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Rev. Carolyn Colbert, Interim Minister
With guest choir conductor, Brian Kerns & the RVUUF Choir

Brian, former RVUUF Music Director will join us for our annual celebration gifting us with his latest composition, number 11(!), of the twelve astrological signs in Chinese tradition. Carolyn will share a brief homily, then during our social time after the service find out who shares your Chinese Zodiac sign.

Special Collection for Migrant Seasonal Head Start at Briscoe School. This comprehensive program for the most underserved members of our community blends early childhood care and education with family and social services, health and nutrition, mental health and disabilities, and transportation services. Liese Behringer, Community Outreach Director and a member of our congregation, will present. For more information please contact Deloris Nims, Daniel Guy, or Carola Lacy.

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Rev. Carolyn Colbert, Interim Minister
Tamara Marston & The Choir; Jane Manning, pianist.
Deborah Rothschild, Stewardship Moment

We continue the exploration of the practices that Create the Beloved Community (Part I). This morning we’ll look at three essentials to community building; Respect, Openness, and Balancing Justice and Joy. Or, put another way, how do we treat ourselves, the people we live with, and the communities we live in? How does an authentic community braid justice with joy?

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Rev. Carolyn Colbert
The RVUUF Choir, and You!

Everyone is invited to share in the excitement and celebration of the 20th year of being in our very own building, the start of Spring, and our chance to participate in the good feelings of being part of the generosity and joy that supports our Beloved Community. Come, come whoever you are! Come pledge your support for the historic and exciting future of RVUUF. Come enjoy the catered lunch!

May our Roots Hold us Close! And our Wings Set us Free! Stewardship Letter

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Julie Excell, Worship Leader; Louise Pare, Director of Religious Exploration
The Choir, Tamara Marston Director, and Jane Manning, pianist

For the circle, the spiral, the web,
the egg, the orbit, the center, the seed,
the flower, the fruit, the opening, the death,
the release, the seed. Alleluia!

We gather to celebrate the ancient festival of returning life and new hope. There’ll be a special Story for all Ages before our youngsters go to their Easter Program, and the choir will delight us with a variety of Alleluias.

Easter hat-making will precede the service in the Window Room. Come make an Easter bonnet.
After the service there’ll be an egg hunt for the kids in the side yard.

Collection for Ashland Emergency Food Bank: Bring food staples, canned food, particularly proteins, and your financial offerings.

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Rev. Carolyn Colbert, Interim Minister
The Choir, Tamara Marston, Music Director; Jane Manning, piano

Earth Day, 2010. Join in a rich morning honoring (and worrying about) our Mother Earth. She is beautiful. She is wounded. Remember when you first fell in love with the Earth? Was it camping as a child? Was it a special tree you could climb to watch the sky change? What insect caught your eye as it scurried into the grass? Did you gasp when you saw your first whale spouting? These are the miracles that sustain our souls, that reconnect us with the life around us. And, reconnecting, allow us to feel our sadness as we realize how much has been lost. It's time to reconnect.

We’ll plant wildflower seeds after the service in the side yard under the big pine tree.

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Rev. Leslie Becknell Marx, Ministerial Candidate

In this first worship service of Candidating Week, we are eager to get to know one another. In this service, I will share some stories from my life, reflecting on how our challenges and disappointments shape who we become and to what we are committed. My hope is that each of us can consider who we have been and who we are becoming.

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Special Offering: Ashland Emergency Food Bank (canned goods; money)

Rev. Carolyn Colbert, Interim Minister
Tami Marston, Song Leader; Jane Manning, piano

Love is complex, bewitching, bewildering, and essential. But not easy -- even with the people we like. And most of what we know about love we already knew by the time we sent and received our first valentine cards.

Special Offering for CASA: Court Appointed Special Advocate for Jackson County Abused Children

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Rev. Carolyn Colbert

Memorial Day may be one of the most personal of our American holy days. It is born out of the human need to make sense of life and death. To make meaning out of what we have been given and what we will do with it. How we will pass it on to the next generation, and how we are linked — the so- called winners and the so-called losers — by our shared memory of loss.

Our Religious Education Program is in recess, but there is childcare for nursery and preschoolers.

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Rev. Carolyn Colbert & A Cast Of Thousands

An Intergenerational Service of Celebration. As we end our program year and move into our Summer Services we pause to appreciate and applaud all we have accomplished. We’ll install the new Board, we’ll acknowledge each other and we’ll enjoy a “Last Sundae” together as we launch into summer.

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Mary Rexford, Worship leader

Challenging and stressful times can often help us grow in unexpected ways, and bring us surprising gifts.

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Ann Hackett and Deborah Rothschild, Worship leaders

Join us for a heartfelt special Sunday service dedicated to the LGBTQ community. Flyer

Speakers:
Gina DuQuenne - Southern Oregon Pride 2010
John Meenan - RVUUF Member
Lois Pettinger - RVUUF Member

Standing on the Side of Love (standingonthesideoflove.org) is Unitarian Universalist public advocacy campaign that seeks to harness love's power to stop oppression. UUs support full equality for people of all gender identities and sexual orientations.

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Special Collection for the Ashland Emergency Food Bank

Roy Kindell, Les Jensen, Bev Barber will explore the meaning of "skepticism," its history, value, and relevance to Humanism and Unitarian Universalism as well as it's importance in politics and in fostering critical thinking in education. There will be ample time for questions after the presentation.

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Louise Paré, Worship Leader

In today's global community, women face greater challenges than ever before, which they are transforming into new opportunities which offer hope to us all.

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Special Guest Speaker Jean Houston

In her usual high-minded if hilarious manner, Jean Houston will offer her thoughts on how you are not a dependent. “You are a partner with the Divine Purpose, the Universal Planner. You are, therefore, the lensing of God-stuff on Earth, the focalization of Eternity in time.”

“What this means for thought and action is that we no longer fall into serial monotony, interrupted by episodes of trouble, panic and loss.”

“The powers of Second Genesis lie within us, and we must agree to attune and orchestrate our thoughts and emotions toward higher purposes and creative ends. In this we have help, for Spirit assures that the lure of becoming is always calling, as is the incendiary vision of what we may be.”

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Roger Howe
Tamara Marston, Director of Music; Jane Manning, Pianist

This will be a thought-provoking exploration of scientific theories that point toward a greater intelligence.
Roger is a longtime UU, recently moved here from Little Rock, and is a new member of RVUUF.

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Ashland Emergency Food Bank Collection

Rev. Leslie Becknell Marx
Tamara Marston, Director of Music; Jane Manning, Pianist

This summer our Unitarian Universalist sisters and brothers have been literally standing on the side of love in Arizona as a response to new legislation targeting immigrants. We will learn about the summer’s activities and imagine how we are called to stand together.

(Families w/children begin in service, then are sung out to attend “Family Religious Exploration Kickoff Events”)
Special Offering for Winter Emergency Shelter Program

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Rev. Leslie Becknell Marx
Jane Manning, Pianist; Chas Barnard, Cellist

Unitarian Universalism has been a leading denomination in supporting bisexual, gay, lesbian and transgender (BGLT) rights. Our congregation is a proud sponsor of Southern Oregon PRIDE and their mission of promoting equality, peace, and basic rights for all (SO Pride Festival). Together we will celebrate achievements and acknowledge the work still to be done.

Special Offering for Ashland Emergency Food Bank

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Sermon (PDF)

Carola Lacy and Friends
Tamara Marston, Director of Music; Jane Manning, Pianist

We live in volatile times where there seems to be a great polarization. Our Unitarian Universalist religion offers a message with broad appeal, relevance, and hope. How do we ensure that more people know about us? How do we support other UU congregations? It’s been fifty years since the merger of the Unitarian and Universalist denominations. Come hear how we want to make an impact in the next 50 years.

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Rev. Leslie Becknell Marx
Tamara Marston, Director of Music; Jane Manning, Pianist

In many cultures, All Hallow’s Eve (Halloween) is not about ghosts and goblins, but about honoring people who have died by remembering them. We will participate in a ritual that will allow us to acknowledge and honor the many beloved members of our congregation and others in our lives who have died in the past year.

We will celebrate a ritual for Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead. This multi-generational service (our children and youth will join us) gives us the opportunity to remember and honor those loved ones who have died and whose memory we carry in our hearts. Loved ones may include people and/or pets. You are invited to bring a photo or memento of your loved one to place on the altar. (You will retrieve it after the service.)

Part of the beauty of this service is the way it mixes celebration and mourning. Like a good UU memorial service, it both affirms life and gives us a chance to share our grief. Ultimately, this service is about celebrating life!

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Rev. Leslie Becknell Marx
The RVUUF Choir, Tamara Marston; Director Jane Manning, Pianist

The journey toward finding our authentic self is full of twists and turns. We are often called to migrate to new lands. Some of these lands are planned destinations. Sometimes we end up in a land we never imagined because an unexpected turn sends us in a completely new direction.

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Rev. Leslie Becknell Marx
The RVUUF Choir, Tamara Marston; Director Jane Manning, Pianist

As we finish Thanksgiving weekend full of feasting, we gather to consider the nature of feast and famine, literally and metaphorically. Let us consider how to live our compassion and care in the face of the hunger of the world. In this service, we will distribute the Guest at Your Table boxes from the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee.

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Rev. Leslie Becknell Marx
The RVUUF Choir, Tamara Marston, Director; Jane Manning, Pianist

Our children will lead us in celebrating the varied holidays and holy days in this festive season. Please join us for a joyful time with familiar songs and some celebrations which might be new. This is a service for all ages!

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Rev. Leslie Becknell Marx
Tamara Marston, Director of Music; Jane Manning, Pianist; Jackie Rosen, Flautist

Bring friends and family to this joyful celebration of Christmas Eve where we’ll sing favorite carols, hear beloved stories and insightful reflections, and consider the gift of baby Jesus that arrived as the spark of divinity in swaddling clothes. We’ll close with the magic of glowing candles lit while we sing Silent Night.

Childcare is available for young children and infants.

Our collection will be to benefit the Minister's Discretionary Fund, which Rev. Leslie uses to help people in dire circumstances where a little financial support meets an urgent need. Please plan to give generously, maybe even bring your checkbook.

Need a last minute gift? You can still give a teal hymnal in someone's name and put the gift card under the tree!
Our mitten tree is still available to be adorned with your donations of scarves, hats and mittens.

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