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10:30 am
Children & Youth
Religious Education
10:30 am
Minister
Rev. Joy Atkinson
262-8480
Office Hours:
9 am - 2 pm, T, W, Th
Director of
Religious Education
Donna Pratt
Choir Director
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Congregational
Administrator
Dorothy Fausey
579-7094
Newsletter Editors
John and Margaret Fleming
888-7059
Deadlines: 12th & 24th |
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Board of Trustees
President:
Conrad Paul
1st Vice President:
Betty Meikle
2nd Vice President:
Chuck Tatum
Secretary:
Debbie Gessaman
Treasurer:
Bill Casey
Membership Auditor:
Charlotte Engvall
Trustees:
Ann Ellsworth
Keith MacLoughlin
Lisa Ponder-Gilby |
Circle of Life
Our thoughts and prayers are with the following:
* Elaine Harris, on the death of her sister, Frieda Skinner, August 2
* Faith Matievich
* Ruth Knittel, who is in Northwest Hospital with pneumonia. She has requested no calls and no visitors at this time.
* Betty Meikle, whose Aunt Fay is now in hospice care
* Jayne Ann Pillman
* Leah Brown
* Juliannah James
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Last Week for TIHAN Green Basket Collection!
Tucson Interfaith HIV-AIDS Action Network (TIHAN) thanks UUCNWT members for their generous contributions during August. The money will be used to provide a food and toiletries for HIV-AIDS care partners at the Sept 16 POZ CAFE.
We still need disposable razors, paper towels and skin lotion. Put these supplies in the TIHAN box in Goldblatt.
Pat Desai (577-9642, csdesai@comcast.net )
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It's Back! Café Justo--The Coffee for Social Justice and Ethical Drinking, Too!
On September 12, after services, you can again buy a pound or two Café Justo--the coffee with a conscience. That's when we kick-off this year's Social Action/Justice project that supports a small co-op of Mexican coffee growers and roasters. Through your support and that of many other congregations, these folks are now earning a livable wage from Café Justo. This coffee is fair traded plus shade and organically grown. You can learn more about Café Justo at http://justcoffee.org/.
The most popular coffees are always available at the Second Sunday sales each month. A few types are available by "special order" only. You can choose from regular, decaffeinated or a mixture; beans or ground; medium or robust. The coffee comes in dated, sealed 1-pound bags. Regular costs $9; decaffeinated and 50/50 blends cost $10. A very special coffee--Marago--is special order only and costs $14 a pound. Mountain Vista UU does earn almost $1 per pound sold.
Come by the coffee table on September 12. Bill Casey & Elizabeth Reed will be the sellers that day. Want more info or to make a special order? Contact Elizabeth at 520-269-3414 or reedeliz@gmail.com.
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Santa Fe--Synonymous with Art, History, Native American Culture!
Explore it all with UUCT on the Nov. 1-7 TUUR.
What is your secret, or not so secret, passion? If it is art, it is nearly impossible to turn a corner in the downtown area of Santa Fe without running into an art gallery. One gallery that our UU TUUR group walked past numerous times last year to and from our hotel was actually exhibiting art by a former UUCT member! The Railyard District, Santa Fe's newest art district, is also with walking distance of the Sage Inn, our destination hotel again on this year's TUUR. And, of course, there is always the Georgia O'Keeffe museum to delight the art lover.
History? Then you will LOVE the New Mexico History Museum that blends the old, the Spanish Governor's Palace, with a beautiful, modern new wing that houses the fascinating story of New Mexico's history. Or what about a visit to the Martinez Hacienda, one of the few remaining "Great Houses" of the Spanish Colonial period built in 1804? You can also visit the adobe San Francisco de Asis Church, a World Heritage site, begun in 1772.
Are you fascinated by the Native American culture? Then Acoma Pueblo and Taos Pueblo will add to you understanding and appreciation of the unique Native American history in the southwest. Perhaps you are a scientist--then why not visit the Bradbury Science Museum in Los Alamos with a group of friends from UUCT?
How could one trip meet the interests of so many different groups of people? Yet, the UUCT Santa Fe TUUR 2010 does just that, and at a reasonable and affordable price of only $799 per person in a double room. Single rooms cost $999. This includes transportation, guides, hotels in Albuquerque and Santa Fe, and 7 breakfasts.
You only have until Sep. 15 to sign up for this exciting trip. Registration forms and complete itineraries are online at www.uctucson.org. Contact Carolyn Saunders, 299-3854, for more information. |
They're Here-- Entertainment 2011
Beginning immediately, the books will be for sale after the service any day that I'm there. Again at the low price of $30, this year's books have some new and improved features. There are more restaurants and more entertainment coupons including the Symphony and Desert Museum.
Some coupons can be used more than once by going to the computer and printing extra copies.There are coupons that don't have a minimum purchase required for Black Angus, The Melting Pot and 4 other restaurants. Get your book while they last. Alberta
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RE Supplies
This is the time for buying school supplies. If you happen to see any good bargains, remember that RE is always in need of
ˇ Pens
ˇ Pencils
ˇ Scissors
ˇ Glue Sticks
ˇ Markers
ˇ Notebooks
ˇ Poster Boards
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A Free Community Sing for Labor's Day
Sunday September 5
2:30-4:30 pm
Sonora Cohousing - Common Room*
501 E. Roger Road
People who work have always sung to keep their spirits up to keep on keeping on.
When mounting struggles for their basic rights their songs have especially shone brightly.
Consider joining us in a song circle to bring these songs to life.
It's free for all. All are welcome. Refreshments provided.
*For directions or more info: Ted <its@theriver.com> or 623 1688
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WANTED: A Few Good Men
For OWL training
The Chandler UU Church is offering a training session for junior high and high school OWL the weekend of Oct. 3, 2010. This is a great opportunity for us since it's so close. We especially need male facilitators since all but one of those in our congregation who have been trained are women. But women are welcome too. It's a wonderful chance for meeting and bonding with other UUs, preparing yourself to help our youth, and brushing up on your own knowledge of sexuality
We are probably going to collaborate with our sister congregation at 22nd St. to do OWL for high school kids (grades 10-12) during the spring semester. Please contact Donna (867-1400 or mklo@earthlink.net ) or Margaret (888-7059 or margefleming@earthlink.net ) if you are interested.
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Interim Minister's Column
Words of Joy
I have arrived in beautiful, sunny and HOT (so far), Tucson! It will take some time to adjust my body, which is used to the cool and often overcast San Francisco Bay Area, to this new climate. I am enjoying the surprising variety of plant life in the desert, and the mountain ranges around the city make such striking silhouettes. At sunrise one day I took a stroll beside the great wash that runs through the property of the apartment complex I am living in, and saw several white-tailed rabbits, a variety of birds, and many lizards scuttling across the sand. I was told by the apartment manager that sometimes bobcats come to the wash to romp, and even coyotes have been spotted there. This desert is so alive!
This congregation too is alive with activity, much of it, I understand, ramping up for a new "church year" from a somewhat slower-paced summer. I am looking forward to plunging into many of the activities you engage in, as I get to know you all in a variety of settings. As your interim minister, I expect to be visiting many of your committee and group meetings, as a way to get an overview of how this congregation runs itself. If there is a group, committee or activity that you would especially like me to attend, please don't hesitate to let me know.
I am ready for this interim adventure with you, and I look forward to partnering with you as we navigate the changes that are an inevitable part of times of transition such as this.
Blessings, Joy |
| Campus Ministry Begins August 29
Lincoln Statler, Coordinator of the UU Campus Ministry, will host the first meeting of the group Sunday, August 29, at the Little Chapel of All Nations on the University of Arizona campus, 1052 N. Highland Ave.
 There will be a free meal at 7:00 and a short service at 7:30, followed by a question-and-answer period. The service is open to all, but this ministry is particularly aimed at college students and other young adults.
Our Gateway Project, funded by a UUA grant, will be working with Lincoln to use technology effectively as a presentation tool and an eventual link to UU congregations in the PSWD.
For more information, contact Lincoln at 409-6916 (texting is preferable).
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Prickly Pear Products Processing Sessions
September 1st, 10:00am at Meikles' home (directions will be provided).
September 11th 10:00 am at Meikles' home
Besides your participation...
The response to a call for jars and lids to be used for canning was extremely successful last year. There is no need for additional jars unless this year's pick and processing is triple last year's output. If you have been saving jars, hold on to them. We may need them and certainly will next year. I don't have any more storage space for jars!
If you have some paraffin or wish to donate some, we could use it.
Please join this effort to support the Community Garden. We will get our name out into the community and will build lasting relationships through working together. Betty 990-4663 |
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Activities and Events
Tai Chi Classes Start September 9
Come join a tai chi class on Thursday, September 9. Beginners at 3:30 pm and continuing students at 4:30 pm in the Fireside Room. If you're a beginner and not sure whether tai chi is for you, try out one complimentary class to be sure. Tai chi is an ancient Chinese movement art--often called meditation in motion. The gentle movements increase flexibility, improve balance, and promote general health. No special clothes are necessary, just comfortable attire that allows movement. $75 for the eleven sessions. For more information, contact Elizabeth Reed at 520-269-3414 or reedeliz@gmail.com .
Movie Night September 11
"Sweetgrass," 7 pm, Saturday, September 11, at John and Helen Wilcox's, 2008 W. Scarlet Rose Place, Oro Valley. This is a beautiful documentary about driving 3000 sheep up a mountain in Montana/Wyoming for summer pasture. The New York Times calls it "wonderful" and the first essential movie of 2010. Please bring a snack to share. See the poster, review, directions and a signup at UUCNWT. jgwilcox@comcast.net 531-1413
Bookaholics Unanimous September 29
Good Holocaust stories keep coming, and Sarah's Key by Tatianna de Rosnay is a fresh one. In 1942 French police, not Nazis, arrest Jews living in a Paris neighborhood. As the family is rushed to leave, the young daughter hides her younger brother in a cupboard, promising to return to him soon. The story which follows is emotional and compelling. Be with us when we discuss this remarkable story in the Fireside Room at 6:45 pm on September 29th. Coming reads: October 27th--Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke; November 17--Little Bee by Chris Cleave. We don't meet in December.
Contact: Elaine Harris azbooklover@comcast.net 290-1026
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Fund-Raising Lunch September 12
Join us for lunch after the service on September 12.
The water communion service traditionally is our unofficial ingathering after the summer. This year plan on staying after that wonderful service and spend some more time with your UU friends, while having lunch in the Fireside room. We'll serve spaghetti with a selection of sauces, salad and dessert. There will be something for everyone, whether omnivore, vegan, or glutenfree!
There is a suggested donation of $5 per person, but no one will be turned away!
This lunch is provided by your friendly Camp de Benneville Pines Scholarship Fundraisers. |
Annual Teacher Workshop Sept. 18
Saturday, Sept. 18, 2010, 8:30 - Noon, Goldblatt Building
- Coffee and Refreshments
- Sharing backgrounds and concerns
- Introduction and sharing by our new minister, Rev. Joy Atkinson
- Scavenger hunt for important items
- Discussion of policies and guidelines
- Logistical questions and answers
- Curriculum planning
Everyone is welcome! teachers, parents, students, ministers, DREs, anyone interested in religious education
If you will need childcare during the workshop, please let Donna know by Sept. 8th
Please save this date and plan to come.
Please RSVP to Donna at mklo@earthlink.net or 867-1400
Upcoming RE Dates
August 29- Safety Sunday
September 5- Labor Day Weekend (end-of-summer classroom party)
September 12- Water Communion (kids in service entire time)
September 18 (Saturday)- Annual Teacher Workshop (Parents are encouraged to attend)
September 19- Kick-off of 2010-2011 RE YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please see Donna for an RE registration and permission form for the upcoming school year.
1. The Tigers and the TAMS will be studying social justice issues this year. More details will be sent out via emails in the upcoming weeks.
2. Also, back by popular demand,,the Tigers and Tams will have a "Connection Sunday" on the second Sunday of each month. New ideas are appreciated.
Upcoming "Connection Sunday" Dates
September 12- "Connecting to the Congregation"- Water Communion Service, and Luncheon to raise scholarship funds for Camp de Benneville Pines.
October 10- "Connecting to the Community"- Singing at the Mountain View Care Center (La Canada and Magee).
3. We still need teachers and "2nd Adults in the Classroom," especially for the extra-large middle school class. No experience is necessary, and you don't have to be a parent to be a teacher. PLEASE help if you can, even if only once in a while. Please contact Donna if interested.
If you have any questions or suggestions for the RE Department, please call Donna at 867-1400 or email her at mklo@earthlink.net Thank you!
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About Finding Heart Ministries
 If you are new to Mountain Vista UU and were in a "Covenant group" in another UU congregation, you have already participated in what we at Mountain Vista UU call Finding Heart Groups. FH Groups help our members and friends connect with one another in meaningful ways in a small group setting. You will have the opportunity to share with the other group members (about 10), what you care most deeply about. You will support others as they support you finding the courage, or the heart, to work to bring that special area of caring more in focus in your life and spread it through out the world. When that happens, you are engaging in your ministry of the heart.
It's time to volunteer to facilitate or co-facilitate a FH Group-training will be offered. The FH member and facilitator booklet has been revised this summer, so contact Elizabeth Reed for a copy. She will send it via e-mail to you. The basic concepts are contained in the brochure at the back of the sanctuary. October is drawing near-so, contact Bill (wcaseyiii@yahoo.com ) or Elizabeth (reedeliz@gmail.com ) or findingheart@uucnwt.org for more information.
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Coming Soon! Hold the Date!!
It's almost that time again! Time to get together for a night of fun and frolic to benefit our congregation. Please make plans now to come to our largest fundraiser.
WHAT: A Luau Evening and Auction
WHEN: Saturday, November 6, 2010
WHERE: UUCNWT
TIME: 5:00 pm Appetizers/Silent
Auction Begins 6:00 pm Dinner Served 7:00 pm Live Auction Begins Help is needed in the form of donations of food, labor, auction items, cashiers, etc.  Donation forms are available online, please give to Jan Hatunen or Clare Toth. Contact Jan at 62-2812 or Clare at 887-6240 for more information. Next auction planning meeting: Brown bag lunch in the Fireside room at 12:30 pm on September 2, 2010. All are welcome! |
Exploring the Tao--A Brief Early History of Taoism and the Tao Te Ching
Taoism-usually spelled with a "T" but pronounced as a "d"--Daoism, a philosophy and a religion that has existed in China since the fifth century before the common era, 500 BCE.
This book, the Tao Te Ching, is the most important text of Taoist philosophy, and the man Li, who became known as Lao-Tze--the Old Master--is considered the author. The collection is most likely the result of three centuries of oral composition of various philosophers who traveled from state to state within the disintegrating Chinese empire from about 650 to 350 BCE. They were looking for a king who would put their ideas into practice. The book was completed by the end of the third century BCE.
The Tao Te Ching comprises 81 short chapters or verses that describe a gentle philosophy encompassing the concepts of being and nonbeing, virtue, tranquility, simplicity, government, humanity, knowledge, weakness, good and evil to name a few.
You can find a couple of translations in our library on the Eastern Thought shelf. Also found there are some other books about Taoism. The translations vary greatly and often reflect the bias of the author. I've come across more than 25 translations, and no two are alike. Also in the library is The Tao of Pooh--a light-hearted way of explaining the basic concepts of Taoism. Next month, I'll explore the concept of wu wei or non-ado--the underlying principle of the Taoist way.
Tao never makes any ado, and yet it does everything. Chap. 37, Tao Te Ching
If you have questions or comments about Taoism that I could address here, please e-mail me at reedeliz@gmail.com .
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Standing on the Side of Love
 Recently, I was called to bear witness to my faith's ideals of compassion and the inherent worth and dignity of all people in Phoenix, AZ. Wearing a bright yellow Standing on the Side of Love t-shirt, I prayed, walked, marched, and was even arrested with many Unitarian Universalists and other individuals who share our values. They, too, were called and compelled to stand with people of color in Phoenix who are targeted and terrorized by local police everyday.
Upon my release and return to my faith community, I feel more energized than ever about our Standing on the Side of Love work. I was overwhelmed with a feeling of fellowship, compassion, and connectedness with all who share our values.
Our Standing on the Side of Love work has just begun and I call on you now to stand with us for justice, equality, and peace. You can do this by making a generous gift today. Your gift will help us support local congregations that call on us to organize, mobilize, and energize local Unitarian Universalists to raise our moral voices on the most pressing social justice issues of our time including human rights, environmental justice, and full equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. We must be tireless practitioners of hope, knowledge, and love. Together, we can help create a new reality where the law of our land reflects the highest moral ideals of our people. Stand with us. Donate today. Thank you.
In faith,
Rev. Peter Morales
UUA President
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| 4th Sunday Green Lunches and Speakers
Continuing last year's successful lecture series on green topics, the 4th Sunday of each month following the worship service will be devoted to learning more about living green. Luncheon will be served - suggested donation is $5. Circle these dates on your calendar. Specific speakers and topics will be announced in September.
September 26: Luncheon - Bake Sale - Produce Sale - Speaker
October 24: Luncheon - Bake Sale - Produce Sale - Speaker - Tour of Community Garden
Please bring your homegrown produce to the Sunday Green Lectures to share with our collective ministry initiatives. Price your produce consistent with prices in our local supermarkets and plan to donate the proceeds to the Collective Ministry initiatives.
All proceeds of 4th Sunday Green Lectures will benefit the Collective Ministry initiatives, which offer opportunities to volunteer your support (as you are able) for one or more of seven initiatives that are ongoing. They have real impact on our local community and are effective ways to support our Seventh Principle: Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part. The Collective Ministries are:
. Community Garden
. The Gleaning Project
. Ethical Eating Task Force
. Green Neighborhood Improvement Projects
. Water Collection and Erosion
. Win-Win Ecology (Reconciliation Ecology)
. Standing on the Side of Love
Our website has more about each initiative and also lists contact points.
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