Conference Minister Bill Lyons celebrated Las Posadas this past week with our neighbors at La Casa de Misericordia in Nogales Sonora Mexico! Earlier this month, he spoke at the interfaith press conference supporting Arizona Youth Hunger Strike for Democracy at the Capitol. Read his speech here. Watch it here. Watch the full press conference here. Thank you, Bill, for your faithful involvement in our communities.
The Sahuarita Food Bank, a ministry started by The Good Shepherd UCC in Sahuarita, is supplying 545 students from eight schools—including five at SUSD, Continental, Mission School on the Tohono O’odham Nation, and San Fernando Elementary in Sasabe—with weekend BackPack food. It’s the largest number of BackPacks they have ever provided, ensuring that these students who would otherwise go hungry have kid-friendly nutritious food to tide them over on weekends.
Church of the Good Shepherd in Albuquerque is sponsoring a Family Promise family with 6 children this Christmas! So many of our churches are sponsoring families through various nonprofits in their communities. God bless you all!
While members of Church of the Beatitudes would love to sing "Silent Night" together this year in worship, they continue to put safety first. Thankfully, they have ASL specialist, Alison Cason, to lead them in "signing" songs during worship. Alison has put together two new instructional videos for "Silent Night" that will teach the easy signs for this song.
The first video is a slow step-by-step instructional video with explanation of the meaning behind each of the signs.
The second video is to tempo with musical accompaniment from Stephen Schermitzler on piano.
Are you missing your church’s traditional Christmas Pageant? Well, at Casas Adobes, during “Funday School” yesterday, they created a Zoomtastic Pick-Up Christmas Pageant. Adults and children were invited to participate in (or just watch) this spontaneous yet sacredly silly retelling of the Nativity story from the Gospel of Luke. No rehearsals, no practices; just pick-up costumes from home and a willingness to have fun!
As the nation prepares for the anniversary of the Jan 6th insurrection, a coalition of non-partisan democracy defenders calls on the public to mobilize and stand together (4-6 pm, 1700 W Washington, Phoenix) for Peace at the Polls. This is not only in response to the Jan 6th insurrection and violence at the capitol, but also against the growing call to violence against our democracy. The survival of our democracy depends on Americans coming together—setting aside political, philosophical, social, economic, racial, ethnic, religious, regional and community differences. Together, we will assure that the right to vote is guaranteed, votes are counted and reported with integrity, and duly-elected officials and workers are free to serve the people in an atmosphere of peace. Join the Arizona Faith Network, The African American Christian Clergy Coalition, Mi Familia Vota, The Services Employees International Union, AFL/CIO, RAZE (Rural Arizona Coalition), AAPINH Unity and Action and other Declaration For American Democracy organizations in Arizona as they prepare to embark on a year of action.
AZStRUT's electronics recycling is back! If you have electronics around the house that are no longer being used, bring them to Shadow Rock on January 7 through 9. Besides being diverted from our landfills, they will be disassembled and repaired for use by local nonprofits and also used to educate young people. It's a win for everyone! Mark your calendars now:
January 7: 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm
January 8: 8:00 am to 2:00 pm
January 9: 8:00 am to 12:30 pm
Here's a reminder about the kinds of equipment that they accept.
Shepherd of the Hills posted an update on their Christmas Angel giving. Not only did they collectively adopt 41 angels from Nourish Phoenix, but they raised an additional $300, donated an entire carload of toys, and got an extra $450 in gift cards donated. The gift cards will go to older kids to make sure they have a Merry Christmas. One member’s work colleagues also contributed an additional 85 $25 gift cards! (This is just one example of the love and generosity out there!)
I adore this, and find it a fitting end to this week’s Jottings:
If I could give you words
for the very beginning—
for the stretches
and the yawns,
and the opening of eyes,
for the first hiccups,
and the first smiles,
and the first purse of your lips,
I would say,
“Oh, dear child,
how you are loved.”
But the thing about love
is you can’t stop there,
so I would go on to say,
“You are strong,
stronger than you think.
And you are not alone—
look at these parents who adore you
and these doctors and nurses fighting for you.
And you are enough, already enough.
You haven’t done anything yet.
You’ve just been here,
breathing,
sleeping,
and already, you are enough.
And then I might say,
“This world is a mess,
but it is your home,
and you can make it better,
so always try to make it better.
And maybe most important of all:
there is a love
that is bigger than my understanding,
that moves through this world,
and I call that love God.
And that love is here,
here in this room,
and that love knows
your name by heart.”
Those are the words I would say to you
as you stretch and yawn and open your eyes
on the very first morning
of your very first day.
Let that be your foundation,
like Zechariah did for John.
Let love be your beginning
Written by: Rev. Sarah Speed | sanctifiedart.org |
Shared by Pastor Susan, First Church UCC, Phoenix