Taizé Worship Service, Thursday, August 8th , 6:30 to 7:30 pm, at Casas Adobes Congregational
Cool your spirit and calm your soul. Taizé is an alternative form of worship that includes soothing music, spirit-filled readings and silent meditation by candlelight, held on the second Thursday of each month. There is no sermon. This month's Taizé theme is Paths of Peace: Reconciliation in the Spirit. All are welcome to this unique spiritual experience. Feel free to bring a friend!
Several Desert Palm members are in the habit of passing on Richard Rohr’s weekly reflections as a source of deep spiritual inspiration. So why not read one of his books together? His latest book (2019) is, The Universal Christ: How a Forgotten Reality can Change Everything We See, Hope for and Believe. Meetings will be Thursdays at 7pm beginning Aug 8th through Sept. 26th.
At the Rincon Migrant Shelter, they do not know what the future holds, and so planning can be difficult. Nevertheless, they have great hope that the law will prevail and the Remain in Mexico program will be repealed, letting in more vulnerable people. To that end, they are making plans for the future, accepting new interns for the fall, and scheduling a new volunteer training for September. And they are redecorating guest rooms and reorganizing the bodega to make everything ready.
Sharon and Drea Westerhold, members of First Congregational (Albuquerque), will have a wonderful surprise in September! Drea has completed her Air Force basic training and is now at tech school in Gulfport Mississippi. Sharon has been deployed with the Air Force and has left the U.S. Members are collecting items to create a FCUCC care package to send each of them in September with some suggested items like popcorn, coffee (piñon), flavored coffee creamer (dry), gluten free snacks, sour patch kids, twizzlers, beef jerkey, protein bars, fruit snacks, green chile, NM unique items. Members may also include any personal notes, cards, etc. to make this more meaningful.
"B.L.T." stands for "Beatitudes Lunch Together" and it’s Shadow Rock's monthly lunch with their church family at Beatitudes Campus of Care. Their next time together is Tuesday, August 6th at noon. Shadow Rock members and friends who live at Beatitudes love this monthly connection with their church family.
Scottsdale Congregational will host a Pilot Program presented by the League of Women Voters of Metropolitan Phoenix (LWVMP), Ellie Hutchinson of First Church UCC, and Michelle Rose, LWVMP and East Valley NAACP. Program title is The Impact of Incarceration on Women, Families, and Therefore Voting. Please come and be a part of the conversation at this first Conversation Cafe! Small Spaces, Large Conversations on Social (In)Justice Issues That Affect Voting Access and Civic Engagement. Thursday, August 8, 2019, 9:30 am
St Paul's UCC in Rio Rancho, NM is in a season of transition as they prepare and move to a new location: St. Francis Episcopal Church (on the corner of Cabezon and Golf Course). It is a hop down the block physically. But spiritually, emotionally and energetically this is a huge move. They will celebrate their first service in their new location at 1:30 on Sept. 8th.
Rev. Seth Wispelwey has accepted the role of Interim Pastor at Rincon UCC. Rev. Seth will begin on Sunday, August 11th. Please join in providing a warm welcome to Rev. Seth, his wife Rev. Tracy Howe Wispelwey, and their daughter Sasha.
BLUEGRASS MASS FREE CONCERT on Sunday, August 18 at 2:00 p.m. at Church of the Red Rocks. Featuring: The Sedona Academy of Chamber Singers Bluegrass Band Enjoy an afternoon of Bluegrass music as the Sedona Academy of Chamber Singers, along with a Bluegrass Band perform “Come Away to the Skies: A High, Lonesome Mass” by Wes Ramsay and Tim Sharp.
Recently First Congregational of Prescott was presented a unique piece of art, courtesy of Michele McFadden, and Harry and Anne Strong. They had attended a conference in Albuquerque this spring that was truly inspiring and featured (at the Center for Action and Contemplation) Father Richard Rohr, Rev. Jacqui Lewis and John Dominic Crossan. The title of the painting is "Jesus of the People." The artist is Janet McKenzie, renown for her paintings of under-represented or left out of iconic imagery of Christ. Revealed for the first time on the Today Show in New York, the reactions to the painting were swift and viciously negative. The painting, almost 20 years later, is now embraced as a true icon of this era.
Gordon Street III, Minister for Spiritual Connection at Phoenix First Congregational UCC, will present the program, "Recovering From the Hurts of Organized Religion" at the Church of the Palms’ August Fellowship Breakfast at 8:30 am on August 13. All are welcome.
“Creative Child Care Club” at Church of the Red Rocks in Sedona is completing the third week of pilot/summer camp, and will open the after school program August 12. They are still in need of volunteers who can assist: introducing kids to new skills/ideas, sharing music and crafts, reading to the students, helping with homework and even doing a little office work. ALSO, the“wish list” of needed items: Printer ink HP 62 or 63, yoga mats, books, games (for ages 5-12), paper towels, art/craft supplies.