Desert Notes September 25, 2025

Rev. Sarah Oglesby-Dunegan Desert Notes September 25, 2025 | 0

This weekend was another busy one! Katie Hurstwicker trained several VUU folks who serve in the nursery and faith formation in CPR, as well as a member interested in the training. We appreciate the donation of her time which saved us money. We currently don’t have an AED on either side of campus, and we are going to look at using this savings to purchase at least one (but hopefully two!) As I continue to learn about safety and security, I am aware that we need to be prepared for medical emergencies, weather emergencies, and security emergencies. We have a team working on improvements to our campus, but I also need a team working on improvements to our procedures. If you are interested in helping me think about and plan for these, please let me know!

On Sunday, we had a fun All Community worship with 125 people in attendance and 30 online for a total of 155! The music and art projects were fun and inspiring, and the stories you all shared definitely helped build a bridge of belonging. In the afternoon, I enjoyed leading a New to VUU class with some other VUU members. After class I drove to Surprise to participate in the installation of their new pastor and teacher, Karen Richter. With other UU and UCC colleagues we celebrated her installation and their 50th anniversary as a congregation. Working with other UU congregations is important to me. I’ve also recently re-convened the religious professionals gathering for our cluster. Next week I will be attending a regional UU ministerial retreat in CA as a way to renew and develop deeper connections for myself. Ministry is a complex network of people and organizations and ideas–and I am grateful for all of the ways we create a robust experience of Unitarian Universalism for each other.

Something I listened to this week that I wanted to share with you all. The podcast “Pod Save America” had a really interesting interview with a professor who studies political violence. I wanted to share it with you because it was thought provoking for me.

…Rev. Sarah