SUNDAY SERVICES

10:30 am
Children & Youth

Religious Education

10:30 am

Minister

Rev. Joy Atkinson

revjoy@aol.com

262-8480

Office Hours:

10 am - 3 pm, T, W, Th

Director of

Religious Education

Donna Pratt

867-1400, 575-1992

mklo@earthlink.net

 Choir Director

Lyle Brown

610-2953

lbrownvh@yahoo.com

Congregational

Administrator

Board of Trustees

President:

1st Vice President:

Treasurer:

Trustees:

Ann Ellsworth

Circle of Life
 

University of Arizona Science Lecture Series

Every year the world-renown UA Science Department presents outstanding lectures.  This year's series, Cosmic Origins, begins February 1 at 7 p.m. and continues for five consecutive Tuesdays. There are usually 1,000 people in the audience.  Check it out on COS.arizona.edu.

A group from Mountain Vista attends every year.  We'll meet at the Pei Wei restaurant (one block from UA Centennial Hall) 845 E University Blvd, at 5:30 pm to enjoy dinner together before the lecture.  Park in the Tyndall Avenue Garage http://parking.arizona.edu/

parkingmap/

Join us!  All are welcome.  If you have questions, call Jane or Conrad Paul, 572-2011.

Citrus Gleaning

Once again it is time to get organized and offer our surplus citrus to help those in need in our local community. For the third consecutive year, our congregation is partnering with the Iskashitaa Refugee Harvesting Network. Iskashitaa is an inter-generational group of refugees from Africa, Asia, and the Middle East who work with local Tucson volunteers to harvest approximately 75,000 lbs. of fruits and vegetables each year from backyards and local farms. These nutritious foods are then redistributed to refugee families from many countries and other Tucson organizations that assist families in need.

Citrus harvesting is one of our Mountain Vista Congregation's continuing Green Sanctuary Projects. Two members of our congregation, Jim Gessaman and Keith MacLoughlin, have already enthusiastically volunteered to pick and transport fruit, but we need you too. Please let us know if you can help in any of the following ways:

• You have surplus citrus that you can bring to the Goldblatt Building at the church.
• You (or your friend or neighbor) have citrus trees with fruit that you/they would be happy to donate if someone will come and pick it.
• You would like to volunteer to help to pick or transport fruit to the Iskashitaa collection center.

Contact: Meg Kidwell at mgkaz@comcast.net or (520) 490-3199.

Adult R.E.

The first two classes are now in session, but newcomers are always welcome. The Voluntary Simplicity class has a textbook, which needs to be ordered in advance, so if you intend to sign up, do it now. See Sybelle, or sign up on the yellow sheet posted near the coffee table.

UU History and Polity

Led by Karla Brockie

January 2, 9, 23, 30, February 6 and 13 at 4 pm  [Sanctuary]

Bible Stories for UU Adults

Led by Margaret Fleming

Jan.  14, 21, 28, Feb. 4, 11, 18 at 1 pm   [small RE room]

Voluntary Simplicity

Led by Sybelle vanErven

March 22, 29, April 5, 12, 19 at 7 pm  [Fireside Room]

American Transcendentalism

Led by Rev. Joy Atkinson

April  20, 27, May 4, 11, 18  [large RE room]

 Interim Minister's Column

Words of Joy

On the morning of January 8^th, our community in Tucson, and the larger community throughout the country, was shocked and stunned by the senseless shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and 18 other people at the Safeway in the shopping center on Oracle and Ina-a busy place where many of us might easily have found ourselves on that Saturday morning. As you know, six Tucsonans lost their lives, 13 others were wounded, and Congresswoman Giffords continues to struggle back, making remarkable progress but with a long road
still ahead of her.

The mix of feelings we have all experienced in the wake of this tragedy, running the gamut from shock, pain and grief to fear, helplessness and anger, are all normal reactions to such an event. But for a time as we experience this complex of feelings, we may have a sense of unreality, as if we have been dreaming or sleepwalking. This too is a normal reaction to a profoundly abnormal event.

There is much to think about in the aftermath of this devastating event, and there are many questions that flood into our minds: Had the recent climate of uncivil behavior and hate speech in the shooter's action? Why didn't he get the mental health services he so desperately needed? How could he have purchased an automatic pistol so easily? Why are such weapons available to the public in the first place? Will an event like this result in such fear that we lose the opportunity to meet our legislators face-to-face, as Gabrielle Giffords was making possible on that fateful day?

One important question is being answered daily by the efforts of many people here: "How can a community respond in a healthy way to such an event?" There have been many ways that the Tucson community has already responded and has come together to heal and create positive change, from vigils and religious services, to offering counseling for the community and support for the victims, to many conversations about the need for civility and respect in political discourse, to renewed advocacy for improved mental health services and stricter gun control laws.

If there is any bright spot in this tragedy, it shines forth through these community responses, which remind us of our common humanity across political lines, and above the forces that would separate us from one another. As we continue to heal, may we bear in mind the words of President Obama, spoken at the memorial event on the University campus four days after the tragedy:

We may not be able to stop all evil in the world, but I know that how we treat one another is entirely up to us. I believe that for all our imperfections, we are full of decency and goodness, and that the forces that divide us are not as
strong as those that unite us.

In Peace and Hope,

 Joy

P.S.  If you would like to sign the statement
mentioned at the service on January 23^rd, titled A Call to
America For Civility, from Tucsonans For Civility, a non-partisan organization of concerned citizens, you will find it at http://tucsonansforcivility.com/ Also, there are several funds that have been established to help the victims,
including: 

The Tucson Tragedy Victim Fund
c/o Homicide Survivors, Inc.,  32 N.Stone Ave., Ste. 1408, Tucson, AZ 85701 

Activities and Events

RE News

TIGERS:  (pre-school -4th grade)  A big, warm Thank You to the wonderful 2nd Semester teachers, Peter Becskehazy, Margaret Fleming, Gwen Goodman, and Anne Tatum for their tireless and kind dedication in the classroom. Thank you to Alberta Gunther for her behind-the-scenes classroom support.

TAMS:  (The Awesome Middle Schoolers) A HUGE Thank You to Lara Brennan, Romy Fouad, Jim Gessaman, Clinton Ponder-Gilby and Morgan Riddle!!!!  We put out the word that we needed teachers for the 2nd semester, and these wonderful people answered our call for help.  The semester kicked-off on January 16th, and will continue through May. Teachers will be using a brand new curriculum guide from the UUA, "Heeding the Call: Qualities of a Justice Maker."

YRUU:  (Young Religious Unitarian Universalists, for students in grades 9-12), meets the 2^nd and 4^th Sundays of the month, 10:30-11:45, in the Goldblatt Building. 

Substitute Teachers:  We occasionally need substitute teachers in our RE classes.  It is a fun and valuable way to contribute your time and knowledge to the children of our congregation.  No experience is necessary.  If you would like to be added to the Substitute Roster, please see Donna.  A special thank you to recent substitute teachers, Terri Hartman, Valerie Marsh, and Lincoln Statler.   

Story For All Ages:  On the 1st and 3rd Sundays of each month, the RE Students will start off in the sanctuary and be present for the first part of the service, including a Story for All Ages.  Following the story, students will file out and convene in their classrooms in the  Goldblatt Building.

RE Landscaping Project:  Final landscape designs should be submitted to Donna no later than Sunday, January 30th. Designs will be displayed in the Goldblatt Building in February. Planting will begin in the Spring.

 OWL: (Our Whole Lives--a series of sexuality education curricula).  OWL classes will begin at UUCT, on 22nd Street, in March.  The scheduled classes are for grades 10-12, and *grades 7-9.  (*Please note that UUCNWT will be hosting our own OWL 7-9 class in Fall, 2011.)  For registration information, please contact Donna, 867-1400.

RE Committee Meeting:  Wednesday, February 9th, 6:00-7:30 pm in the Goldblatt Building. Everyone is welcome.

 Lost and Found:   In the Large RE Room, at the end of the ramp, there is a plastic box overflowing with lost and found items.  Please take a moment to sift through to see if any of the items belong to your family.

Wish List: We need scissors for the RE Department.  All sizes, for all ages.  Used scissors are fine.  Thanks!

If you have any questions or suggestions for the RE Department, please contact Donna anytime at mklo@earthlink.net  or 867-1400.

Important Dates

Get out your personal and home calendars and mark these dates.

Saturday, April 2, 2011, 7 am to 1 pm - UU Yard [Barn, Parking Lot, Garage] Sale.  This is our annual de-clutter your house and donate stuff to the church sale.

We want to change things up this year and welcome any and all suggestions.  One suggestion is to move the light stuff down to the parking lot and leave the heavy stuff in the barn.  We have been told that there is a psychological effect when people see how much we have as soon as they drive up.  Good to know.  We will also have left over books to sell.  Call Catalina, 572-1881.

Drop off your donations at the church on Sundays beginning the first Sunday in February, the 6th.  Catalina and Robert will have a sign out on Sundays where to leave them.  If you cannot come Sundays, call Catalina to arrange a drop off.  We are sorry but unless there are special circumstances we cannot pick up donations.

We will need volunteer help for this sale to sort, set up, sell and take down.  Call Catalina, 572-1881.

-AND-

Sunday, April 10, 2011, 9 am to 1 pm - UU Book Sale, open to the public before during and after church.  We will set up the ten folding white tables outside by the parking lot and display all the books right there.  

We will need volunteer help for this sale to sort, set up, sell and take down.  Call Catalina, 572-1881. 

Drop off your donations of all kinds of books at the church on Sundays beginning the first Sunday in February, the 6th.  Catalina and Robert will have a sign out on Sundays where to leave them.  If you cannot come Sundays, call Catalina to arrange a drop off.  We are sorry but unless there are special circumstances we cannot pick up books.

"Imagination X Two," a new exhibit featuring works by Marie Miller and Doreen Graber  will be shown at the Kaleidoscope Gallery from February 20 to March 3, 2011.  The opening reception will be Sunday, February 20^th from noon to 2:00 p.m.

Marie has been a professional artist for over 30 years.  Her European background is reflected in many of her works. She works primarily in watercolor and mixed media and says, "I like to hike in the desert, explore ancient ruins and paint what I see and feel in that moment.  I feel passionate about my life experiences and express it in my art.  My approach is loose and reflective."  She says many viewers have described her work as "spiritual."

Doreen is noted for her stunning compositions in collage and assemblage which include the use of unique items such as avocado and orange skins.  "In my collages," she states, "I use found objects, discarded items, painted and printed papers.  I let my imagination and materials take me where they will.  Often the finished work is different than I envisioned in the beginning.  My paintings tell a story or convey an idea."

Marie's work has been exhibited throughout the United States and is currently on exhibit at the Grand Lake Gallery in Colorado and the Feminine Mystique in Tubac, Arizona.  Doreen has exhibited and received awards for her works.  Both artists are members of CASA (Contemporary Artists of Southern Arizona) and the SaddleBrooke Fine Arts Guild.

Contact Person:  Fran Dorr 825-2052 or frandorr@comcast.net

or Anne Leonard 825-3449