A service group at Church of the Palms makes Memory Pillows for anyone that has lost a loved one and would like a keepsake to remember them by. This is a visual reminder but also something to "hug and hold." The pillows are fashioned from a special shirt or blouse from a dear one.
Beatitudes member, Barbara Carpenter, lovingly charged herself this past year with a task: to share the late Rev. Dr. Dosia Carlson's inspiring memoir, "The Unbroken Vigil.” Barbara shares the following:
“When I discovered Dosia's book written in 1968, in our library, the spring after she had passed, I read it and then wanted to share it with others. Sadly, it was no longer available to buy, so I carefully copied every word into my computer. As I did this it became a labor of love for me to be with her each day. When it was done I was encouraged to talk with brother Bob Carlson about maybe publishing it again for the many people who knew and loved her. He was excited about this possibility and from there the idea grew. Bob wrote a preface, I worked on other sections with his help and the input of many friends, and the cost of editing and printing was covered by donations from friends and family. There is a section on her life as she grew up, before the series of events that was the basis for her book "The Unbroken Vigil", the book in its entirety and a following section with stories, songs, poems, pictures and more, that will hopefully have the many good memories surrounding those that knew her, once again. It is offered as a loving tribute to our wonderful teacher, mentor and friend. Even if you didn't know Dosia it would be a chance to learn of her most inspiring life.”
The book is now available. With a $25 (or more) donation per copy to the non-profit organization that Dosia founded, Duet: Partners in Health and Aging, you can receive a copy of this book.
The congregation of St. Francis, where St Paul’s UCC in Rio Rancho is meeting, invited St Paul’s to their morning service yesterday to meet the Afghan family St Francis is sponsoring. At coffee hour the congregation celebrated the birthday of the family's five-year old daughter.
The Antoinette Brown Society is launching a one-week membership drive to support the gifts of women in ministry in the United Church of Christ. The effort started Friday, May 20 — the birthday of the pioneering minister for whom the society is named. The goal is to enlist 500 people to make recurring monthly gifts of at least $20 to support the society’s work. The campaign’s donation form is here. The society, formed in 2015, carries on a long UCC tradition of advocacy in the name of Antoinette Brown, the first woman ordained to the Christian ministry since biblical times. Since 1975, the Antoinette Brown Awards, honoring outstanding clergywomen, have been featured at each biennial General Synod. There has been progress since Brown’s ordination in 1853: Today women serve in small churches and large ones, as senior ministers and interim pastors, as pastoral counselors and hospice chaplains, as executive directors and conference ministers. Yet there is much work to do; many of today’s clergywomen are still ‘firsts’.
What did Jesus mean when he said he was the "Way, Truth, and Life?" Are non-Christians going to hell? Do the Biblical authors hold a narrow view of sexuality? Was Jesus being serious when he suggested we not fight back ("turn the other cheek")? While the weekly Spiritual Life Groups are on summer hiatus, Pastor Michael from Casas Adobes will offer a summer series inviting folks to look at Biblical texts that have raised these and other thorny questions over the years.
The Arizona Faith Network will offer Mental Health Crisis Training TODAY, May 23rd from 3-5pm, to help identify warning signs of suicide and ways to help someone in crisis. The seminar will explore local community resources and how to have meaningful conversations around destigmatizing mental illness and suicide prevention among diverse communities. On Zoom.
Pastor Randy, from The Good Shepherd in Sahuarita, and his wife Norma headed to Peru last week on a mini-sabbatical. They were joined by three other friends as they embarked on a six day Trek from Cusco, Peru the ancient capital of the Inca Empire, to the mountain ruins of Machu Picchu. They have been hiking regularly so are in pretty good shape, but the altitude has them a bit worried. Cusco's elevation is 11,200 feet and the highest point of the hike will be 16,732 feet. They expect to pass through snowy mountain tops, cloud forests, and a little bit of the Amazon Jungle before the hike is finished. It is hard to predict what lies ahead —-but we know there will be adventure, experience, and whole lot of stories to share.
Thursday Night Live! starts Thursday evening, June 16 for all United Church of Santa Fe families and guests. “Be the River New!” is the theme for the weekly outdoor evening program that includes a simple supper, projects, worship, games, music (maybe drumming) and other activities.
A new book group is forming at Scottsdale UCC to study Rev. George Ault's book, Everyday Saints. Rev. Ault will be with the group to discuss his book. Over the course of fifty years of pastoral ministry, thousands of people crossed the path of Dr. George Ault. Most of these were ordinary people he recognized as exuding special gifts of courage, faith, love, joy and hope. Dr. Ault thinks of these people as "everyday saints," not because they were perfect, but because of their simple gifts and their willingness to share themselves with the world in which they lived....These everyday saints continue to bless all who peer over the pages of this book. Even a small glimpse of these everyday saints will cause anyone to marvel and believe in the potential to become a better person.
An apt final piece for our friends in NM:
This past Mother’s Day, Pastor Talitha of United Church of Santa Fe opened worship with this “Prayer for Mother Earth in a Time of Drought and Fire,” which was based on a similar prayer she wrote during the 2011 Las Conchas fire. As wildfires continue to devastate creation and communities throughout northern New Mexico, may we continue to offer such prayers:
God of all creation, of rain and fire, of ponderosa and piñon, of desert and forest, we your people lift our prayers to you.
Lord, hear our prayer.
For rain in this thirsty land and for hope in this hard time,
Lord, hear our prayer.
For those who have lost their homes, communities, and livelihoods, for the Pueblo peoples and other Native peoples whose homelands for generations are now threatened, for all persons who have been forced to evacuate or who are still in danger,
Lord, hear our prayer.
For the animals and birds who have also lost their homes to fire, for your plants and trees, rivers and lakes, and all creation that is suffering because of drought and fire and also because of human greed or human carelessness,
Lord, hear our prayer.
For farmers, ranchers, and the people of deeply-rooted rural Hispanic and Anglo communities who have lost their history, their animals, and the places they call home for centuries,
Lord, hear our prayer.
For the just and wise use of the water you have given us, to be gracious stewards of your creation and good neighbors with all people,
Lord, hear our prayer.
For the wisdom to conserve and the grace to share the life-giving gift of water you have given all of us,
Lord, hear our prayer.
For city councils and church councils, county commissions and tribal governments, state authorities and national leaders, to have your courage and your vision to make hard decisions for the common good,
Lord, hear our prayer.
Gracious God, you who hears the prayers of every heart, hear the prayers we lift to you.
(A time of silent prayer)
Hear all of our prayers, spoken and unspoken. Remind us that you are the One who listens and who hears. Help us to be a people who also listen and hear—to one another, to our brothers and sisters, to all creation. Give us the courage; grant us the wisdom to love one another and this earth as you do. We pray in your name. Amen.