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in order to be included in the newsletter.
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Sunday Service, August 11, 2019
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"Like Pearls on a Silken Cord"
In the age of Facebook, Twitter, tribal politics, and gated communities, what does it mean these days to be neighborly and connected? What inspiring examples have popped up recently to remind us that we are all interconnected whether we realize it or not? Are we actively grateful for the connections we currently have? As she settles into our neighborhood, Rev. Robin will explore how we might grow in neighborliness, reach beyond our comfort zones to create community in a society where more and more folks are "home alone."
Rev. Robin Zucker
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Monthly Touchstone Theme: Prayer and Meditation
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~ Rev. Robin's Bird's-Eye View ~
August 2019
Jumping Aboard a Moving Train
During one of those endless rainy July days, I spent an afternoon engaged in one of my all-time favorite activities -- book store browsing! Glowing from a rack near the check-out counter, the shiny lifejacket yellow cover caught my eye, and the title intrigued me further -- "The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook (the indispensable, indestructible guide for surviving life's sudden twists and turns").
As I scanned the 40-odd chapter headings, I couldn't help giggling at the potential Interim Ministerial applications of some of the advice, such as: "How to escape from quicksand;" "How to perform a fast 180-degree turn with your car;" "How to deal with a stampede;" "How to make fire without matches;" and "How to survive if your parachute fails to open." (Who are they kidding?)
Despite the unlikelihood of most of the derring-do in this little scripture of survivalism, one scenario does aptly parallel my entry into a new congregation as the incoming Interim minister-- "How to maneuver on top of a moving train and get inside" (lie flat, shimmy from side to side with the rhythm of the train, find a ladder and climb down).
For me, each congregation is a moving train and it isn't about to grind to a full stop while I step aboard. And why should it? The train is chugging down the tracks at a nice clip, its boxcars and coaches transporting caring and warm passengers, containers of energy, engaging music and RE programs, Social Justice initiatives, camping weekends, auctions and fairs. A dedicated laity and a talented staff tend the tracks, stoke the engines, and punch the tickets. Even with life's inevitable "twists and turns," I foresee lots of "best-case scenarios" for us here are Beacon UU Congregation. That said, I'm still practicing that side-to-side shimmying maneuver... it's a whole lot trickier than it looks!
Looking forward to getting to know you all better through church work and personal encounters. Be in touch and we'll sit down for a chat and a cup of coffee or tea.
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~ Potluck ~
This Sunday, August 11th, please bring a potluck dish to welcome our new interim minister Rev Robin Zucker and celebrate her arrival! Let's enjoy wonderful food together as we share time together after the service and perhaps discuss her sermon on growing neighborliness and discover some ways that we are all interconnected. Or just hang around, eat together and chat about anything with someone in the congregation or one of our visitors.... (a message from the Transition Committee - Andy Hogg, Carleton Sheppard, Joanne Parkes, and Katy Grant).
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~ Chalice Circles ~
Touchstones Chalice Circles are designed to meet our needs for belonging (intimacy) and meaning (ultimacy) by building friendships and providing opportunities to ponder life's questions, small and large, with others who share the common values of our UU Principles.
Chalice Circle continues to meet on the 4th Tuesday of each month. Discussion examines subjects as provided in the monthly journal of Unitarian Universalism,
Touchstones. One can
download pages for reading prior to our meeting by accessing the website in the weekly e-newsletter.
To meet the needs of the congregation, we have made attendance open.
For further information contact Char Tarashanti or Lynda L. Dorweiler at [email protected]
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~ Beacon Group-Volunteer Event ~
Food Center Meal Service. Last Wednesday of each month.
Contact
[email protected]
for more information.
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~ REI Building Project Update ~
The building is beginning to take shape as the workers finish putting on the roof of the multi-purpose room (the room on the left side). It's such a relief to get the rooms covered, as the monsoon storms have decided to grace us with a daily deluge! The new kitchen (the room on the right) is also covered with the attic floor, and will soon have the peaked roof built on top as an extension to the existing roof.
The new metal front doors are in the process of being installed. The new doors now have a new foundation and a metal frame with piano hinges. These upgrades will alleviate the problems we had with the previous doors, plus they are much more secure. The new doors will be painted with the same deep red color as before, but there are less windows so it will have a different look.
If you need to schedule a meeting or use of the building during the next couple of months, please check with Carl Taylor or myself to be sure that the construction won't interfere with your plans. If you need a key to the side door, see Dennis Spurlin.
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~ Religious Exploration ~
What were the numbers last week? Total =76!
This pie chart represents all child and family interactions related to Religious Education from 7/29 - 8/4
Coming up:
- August 11, 18, & 25th, 10:00-11:00, Youth breakfast for 6th - 12th grade.
More details about upcoming programming, resources for UU parents, and curriculum related ideas for you to connect with your children will be posted regularly on the
RE blog.
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~ Social Justice Allies (SJA) ~
ALERT: SJA meeting date change! SJA will shift our next meeting date from this Sunday to the next Sunday, August 18, following the service (about 11:15).
There are two very good reasons for this change:
- It will allow all of us to participate in this Sunday's (August 11) potluck that will welcome Rev. Robin Zucker as our interim minister, and
- It will allow us to meet with special guest Janine Gelsinger, our new UUJAZ (UU Justice Arizona) network executive director following the service on August 18
after her sermon titled "Social Justice as a Spiritual Practice".
Agenda items (did I say for the August 18 meeting?) will also include (time permitting):
- Finalizing plans for supporting students, teachers as schools are once again underway.
- Last-minute logistics re: "Votes for Women" suffrage anniversary celebration August 18 (please see August 18 calendar item below).
- A possible way forward in our quest to collaborate with NAU students in our social justice work.
- Review of Beacon's Policies and Procedures for Political Activity, approved by the Beacon Board of Trustees last summer (please see PaPfPA, below).
As always, Beacon members, friends and visitors are welcome! Snacks provided.
Sunday, August 18, will be a busy day!
In the service
, special guest Janine Gelsinger, the new executive director of UUJAZ (UU Justice Arizona) network will present a sermon titled "Social Justice as a Spiritual Practice." See more below.
Following the service,
Janine will meet with SJA. See above.
Sunday afternoon, 12:00-4:00pm at Heritage Square, downtown:
Celebration of the 99th anniversary of the passage of the 19th (Women's Suffrage) Amendment. Sponsored by the Flagstaff League of Women Voters, there will be music, re-enactments, a food truck and speakers for local and national issues. See link
Policies and Procedures for Political Activity at Beacon
Last summer, our Beacon Board of Trustees, in collaboration with SJA, approved a document that provides:
- An explanation of the legal boundaries for political activity at Beacon, i.e. what we can and cannot do, and
- A description of Beacon's process for engaging in the legally allowable political activity.
With election season clearly upon us, the Board's-and SJA's-intent is to support advocacy for or against issues (guided by our mission and principles) and not directed for or against specific candidates or political parties.
The approved process (aka "procedures") aims for presentation of information and an opportunity to sign petitions respectfully and without pressure. See link
More about Janice Gelsinger's proposal about social justice as a spiritual practice
As Unitarian Universalists, we see our justice work as living out our values into the world. We covenant that "service is our prayer". What might it look like to create a spiritual practice of justice work?
Janine will share about her life and the path that led her to this role, including building relationships in our congregation. She'll invite us to consider our relationship with social activism, as well as spiritual practice, and suggest a way to have the two meet in a daily ritual.
In community,
Roz Clark, SJA Journalist
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~ Joys and Concerns ~
Sunday, August 04, 2019
Anne C. - Expressed sorrow and concern for the two recent mass shootings. Shared that she is moving to the valley because of the lack of oxygen in Flagstaff.
Dru M. - Shared that she retired this week.
Terry W. - Shared that she got a new job with the census.
Jen C. - First child born 21 years ago; Sage home member. Jen placed a stone for a child in trouble and asked for prayers. |
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~ This Month's Share the Plate Partner ~
For August, 2019, Beacon UU is sharing the plate with Sage Home. The mission of Sage Home is to foster healthy family attachments in the midst of walking through the difficulties that inevitably come with substance abuse. Families will be given a space to engage with the community and with each other as they are empowered and move forward toward a meaningful, sober, and connected future. Their purpose intends to be a Recovery Oriented System of Care, alternative to child removal, where families can address substance abuse issues while living together rather than apart.
Undesignated contributions in August's offerings above $350 will be presented to Sage Home. Nominations for 501c3 agencies can be made through a form located at the bottom of the stairs in the CAC folder. CAC members are Joanne Parkes, Steven Patrick, Susan Patrick, Sue Strobel, and Lynda L. Dorweiler. Please contact the office for questions: [email protected]
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~ Beacon Calendar
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Soul Collage
Saturday, August 10, 2019
9:00 am - 12:00 pm
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Youth Breakfast Club (6th-12th Grd)
Sunday, August 11, 2019
10:00 am - 11:00 am
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Worship & Religious Exploration
Sunday, August 11, 2019
10:00 am - 11:00 am
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Potluck
Sunday, August 11, 2019
11:00 am - 12:00 pm
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If you would like to submit a calendar event, send an email to
[email protected]
. With all requests, please indicate the following: proposed start and end time of the event, the space/room preferred, and a rough group size. On the occasion of a cancellation or rescheduling of an event, please let the office know in a timely fashion to ensure that your event is correctly represented in the newsletter and order of service. Thank you!
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Beacon Office Hours* & Contacts
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Office Phone (928) 779-4492
Minister,
Rev. Robin Zucker
Mon: 11:00 am - 4:00 pm
Wed: 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Thurs:10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Or by appointment.
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Director of RE,
Amy Huntereece
Sun: 8:00 am - 1:00 pm
2nd & 4th Sun: 5:30 pm - 8 pm
Wed:
8:00 am - 1:00 pm
Or by appointment
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Office Manager,
April Yax
Tues: 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Wed: 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Thurs: 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Or by appointment
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*PLEASE NOTE CONSTRUCTION & VACATIONS MAY ALTER THESE HOURS UNTIL FALL.
Beacon board, committee, and staff email addresses can be found here:
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Unitarian Universalist Seven Principles
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Unitarian Universalist congregations affirm and promote seven Principles, which we hold as strong values and moral guides. We live out these Principles within a "living tradition" of wisdom and spirituality, drawn from
sources
as diverse as science, poetry, scripture, and personal experience.
Learn more at beaconuu.com!
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~ Website Updates ~
Videos (and transcripts, when available) of the Sunday
Sermons
will now be available for public view on the Beacon website.
-- Look for the tab for "What do we do?"
-- Click "Sermons"
-- Click the image for the sermon you want.
Information about each Sunday service is posted by April Yax, Office Manager, on the front page of the website. April provides many members services as an administrator on the website. Also be sure to checkout Amy Huntereece's, Director of Religious Exploration, Religious Exploration Blog to read about her trip to
General Assembly
. And don't forget to stay up to date on the
REI Building Project
under the "What's new?" tab. Theresa deBoer will be posting more videos of the construction of our addition.
The website is a team effort
. Members interested in helping with the website, please contact
[email protected]
.
Dennis Spurlin
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Beacon Google Group
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If you are not on Beacon's exclusive Google group, you are missing out on an important communications link within our congregation. It is useful for spreading information about something going on in Flagstaff, informing others of social action activities, offering an item for sale or to give away, sharing enthusiasm about a book or movie, requesting information or recommendations -- and more! It's simple to sign up! Email our Office Manager, at
[email protected].
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