Baja 4: Stronger Together
Unitarian Universalists from across Southeast Arizona
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Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today. – Malcolm X | | |
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We are the Baja 4!
Representing Unitarian Universalists across southeastern Arizona, we love beyond belief and find inspiration from a wide array of spiritual, religious, and secular sources. We come together as a Baja 4 because we know we are stronger together.
Learn more about each congregation!
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Celebrations and Special Days
It's always fun to celebrate and at the same time learn about cultures around the world. Here are a few things happening in October.
Interfaith:
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Hanukkah (Jewish) - Dec. 11, 2020, begins on the evening of the 10 (more here and here)
Unitarian Universalist:
National Holidays & Cultural:
For Fun and On the Fringe:
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Beloved Community
This month we’re exploring the many ways our UU faith invites us to become “A People of Beloved Community.” Beloved Community is a special type of community. It has multiple characteristics such as honoring leadership from people with marginalized identities, growing love beyond boundaries, healing our wounds, and staying in our community when things get difficult. Let's explore!
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Chalice Lighting to Share
Drawn Together
By Jennifer Gracen
We come together...
Bound not by a creed,
Or a mutual desire to please one God
Or many Gods
Yet we are drawn together
By a belief, that how we are in the world,
Who we are together
Matters.
We light this chalice,
together in the knowledge
That love, not fear, can change this world
Find more chalice lightings here.
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The Norse myth that inspired “The Lord of the Rings” with Iseult Gillespie
The dwarves were master craftspeople. One dwarf, Andvari, forged marvelous creations. He often took the form of a fish and, one day, he swam to the land of the water nymphs, who guarded mounds of gold. When the nymphs laughed at his appearance, Andvari grew infuriated and seized their gold. With it, he crafted himself a special ring. Iseult Gillespie shares the Norse myth of the cursed ring.
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Grounded in Gratitude
If your family is like mine, it is really difficult to talk about genuine gratitude during this holiday season. Very often the conversation turns from our gratitudes for our loved ones, our planet, our talents to the material world. While we want to encourage our children to have gratitude for the goods they have, we can also help them explore their feelings for other kinds of gratitude. Here's one way to build that "skill".
Ripple Hearts for Beloved Community
Prepare: with the child or in advance, cut out 8 hearts of bigger and bigger sizes.
Craft:
- Start with the smallest heart and cut each one bigger than the last. End with a humongous heart.
- Help the child brainstorm what to write on each heart. be sure you can see what you want to with the next heart stacked up (though hiding some words or drawings under other hearts is its own discussion!).
- Smallest heart - Those closest to you emotionally: immediate family? Pets?
- Larger heart - What would come next? close friends and extended family? Our backyard? Who is out there? Birds? Snakes? Javalina?
- With each bigger heart, name people, non-human companions, the environment, and any other ideas the child is grateful for. End with acknowledging the world!
It’s easy to think about who we love - parents and grandparents, friends, our pets --and have gratitude for them. What if we wanted to grow that love? We might think of what happens when you throw a stone into a pond. It makes circles, rippling outward bigger and bigger. We could grow love beyond boundaries like the ripples. What would those ripples be…?
We can think of love and gratitude without boundaries for the people we don’t know really well and the people who are different from us. This idea of loving all people and beings, not just those close to us and the same as us is what Beloved Community is all about.
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Each Kindness
by Jacqueline Woodsen
Video of Jacqueline Woodsen reading with no pictures: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kj7Oc0ZoOjM
Video of story online: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0QxqQo2oN0
Book: HERE
Reflection Questions:
● We have all done things we have regretted. How might the little girl in the story make up for her lack of kindness to Maya?
● How might you find it in your heart to offer kindness to someone who is new or different this week?
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Show Some Love to Casa Alitas
The month of November, our LFD Social Justice Project partner is Casa Alitas, also known as the Alitas Program of Catholic Community Services (CCS), a humanitarian aid project committed to providing assistance to asylum-seekers released from ICE and Border Patrol detention into our community. Volunteers offer support by providing hospitality, including housing, food, clothing, toiletries, advocacy, and travel assistance. Our goal is to provide a welcoming, comfortable, safe, and healthy location for the guests to await their journeys, and to prepare them to reunite with family across the country. More at https://www.casaalitas.org/
They are specifically in need of donations of:
- New underwear for men, women, and children
- New sweats and leggings for men, women, and children
- Backpacks of all sizes
Special Service Project
This month we also want to collect and donate lap-blanket sized blankets to send with the guests heading to cold weather. One options is to create a No-Sew Blanket! Instructions for the blankets are here for those with their own fabric or who can purchase their own. Kits will be available by emailing Baja4Sonora@gmail.com.
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Coming Events
What's Happening This Month?
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Parents and Caregivers of Preschoolers (POPS)
Join on Zoom others with children ages birth to 6 years old to offer support as we come to understand our child's spiritual development, to build rituals that support this development, and to see ourselves as spiritual teachers. New to POPS? RSVP here.
Nov. 13, 1-2pm --Grown Up meet up --designed for those adults raising children who are ages birth to 6, but everyone welcome. This is an amazing group of parents that come together once a month to talk about topics relevant to our daily lives. We offer support, words of wisdom, and connect to those around us. We hope that you join and share with us.
Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/97578924511
Meeting ID: 975 7892 4511
Passcode: 973902
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Friendsgiving
Nov. 27 | 5-7pm | Zoom
Whether you have lots of family in town, are headed out to colder climates to celebrate, or don’t like Thanksgiving at all, everyone is welcome to join with Baja 4 friends for a Friendsgiving Party! Bring a meal, a snack, or just a beverage for some relaxed, family-friendly social time. We’ll hear from our November social justice partner, Casa Alitas, about their work providing assistance to asylum-seekers released from ICE and Border Patrol detention. Border Patrol detention.
We’ll also work on our No-Sew Blankets and discuss what other items we can donate to Casa Alitas. Instructions for the blankets are here for those with their own fabric or who can purchase their own. Kits will be available after Friendsgiving or with advance notice to Baja4Sonora@gmail.com.
Ages: All
Zoom in at: https://zoom.us/j/5716364277
Meeting ID: 571 636 4277
Password: 973902
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Laughter Yoga
Laughter Yoga is a unique concept that invites everyone to laugh without jokes, humor, or comedy. Through laughter exercises, hatha yoga breathing, and playfulness we will laugh into joy, health, and bonds within the Baja 4. Founded in 1995 by Dr. Mandan Kataria, today Laughter Yoga is practiced by thousands in over 115 countries.
Rev. Matthew is a practicing laughter yogi who trained under Dr. Kataria and is a certified Yoga Laughter facilitator. Members and Friends of BUU will be joining Rev. Matthew to assist in demonstrating laughter exercises, yoga breathing, and Bollywood dance! Learn more about Laughter Yoga: https://laughteryoga.org/
Ages: Everyone who wants to laugh
Dates and Times: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 4-4:30pm
November 16, 18
Zoom in at: https://zoom.us/j/99073129659
Meeting ID: 990 7312 9659
Passcode: 574011
Contact information: Please contact Rev. Matthew with laugher and questions: minister.borderlandsuu@gmail.com
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2nd Hour
Dec. 5, 2021 | 12:15-1:15pm | Zoom
Please join us for 2nd Hour: a once -per -month afternoon of a variety of educational, spiritual, interesting, and fun workshops.
See the UU Quest website for links and descriptions!
**Seeking 2nd Hour Workshop Leaders**
Right now I’m building a schedule of workshops for 2nd Hour and would love to include you in the line up. What do you have to share with the world? Bring me an idea and we’ll work together to develop it! No need to worry about technical support. I’ll have assistants available to manage the Zoom, so you can simply lead.
If you have any questions or want to lead a workshop, please contact Jamili at DRE.UUCT@gmail.com.
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PS. Have you joined the Parenting Club group on Facebook? Everyone in the Baja 4 is welcome!
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