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Baja 4
Unitarian Universalists from across Southeast Arizona
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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 this month.
Interfaith:
National & Cultural:
For Fun and On the Fringe:
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Nobel Prize Day - Dec 10
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas shown for first time - Dec 18, 1966
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Festivus for the rest of us – Dec 23
- Copyright registration of Star Trek theme song - Dec 27, 1966. Fun Fact: Star Trek is credited with the first interracial kiss on prime-time television in the US and the first African American actor in a main character on prime time.
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Sonora celebrated Hanukkah this year! | |
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We Are Becoming
When we think about becoming, we often think first of growing, of becoming more and more. But becoming isn’t always about expanding and adding alone. Much of the time it requires a letting go before we can let in.
Who are we meant to become? What unique gifts can we share with the world? That is for us to find out for our whole lives. Growing into what special and unique about us isn’t always easy. Society is constantly pressuring us to become something we’re not. So, what’s one of the ways our faith guides us to being a people of Becoming? It tells us, “Resist what others want you to be and become your true and unique self!” Let's explore!
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Chalice Lighting to Share
Why We're Here
By Erik Walker Wikstrom
Here, today, in this place and with these people,
May we listen so that we can hear;
May we hear so that we can feel;
May we feel so that we can know; and
May we know so that we can change ourselves and this world.
May this chalice we light,
Light our Way.
Find more chalice lightings here.
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On The Patio
Mondays from 6-8pm,
Tuesdays from 9-11am, and Saturdays from 3-5pm | On the UUCT Patio at 4831 E. 22nd Street
Introducing, Open Patio Hours! Come enjoy some fellowship and community on the patio at UUCT. The focus of these events is mostly social with optional participatory activities and the occasional opportunity for causing some holy trouble. The Saturday event will be created with families with young kids in mind; UUCT will pay for playground monitors so the kids can play while parents and guardians take a break.
The first Saturday event will be on December 18th, and then will resume on January 1st. As soon as our policies allow, these gatherings will move indoors into Holland so that all can enjoy some time in our sacred space. Please wear a mask. All are welcome!
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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 warm clothes (including hoodies, 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.
|  | Sonora helped deliver our first carload of donated items to Casa Alitas! We are a community of helping hands. | | | |
Five Pictures of Becoming
At this time of year, we have might take some time and reflect on where we are and what we are becoming. This month get in touch with the wholeness of who you are by finding 5 pictures of who you have been!
Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Don’t just find any old 5 pictures. Instead find five pictures that capture five key stages/chapters of your life, five chapters that are key to who you are.
- Or consider finding 5 photos from 2021 that have great meaning.
- Or consider exchanging this task with someone you love --find 5 photos of them and have them find 5 of you!
The goal is not only to capture pieces of you, but to pull them together in one space. (For you creative folks, consider using them to create a collage!)
When you are done, spend some time with all of them. What do you see in the wholeness of the pictures that you may not have noticed before when looking at them all by themselves? How do they tell the story of who you are? Where’s the through line? Where’s the bend in the road that says so much about you? How does each picture still live in you? What message or invitation do they have for the “emerging you”? Share your reflections with your loved ones and talk about the changes you've been on over the last year or more.
Bonus: Find one more picture, one that represents that “emerging you” - the you that is just now joining the story.
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In what ways are we becoming interdependent like Pando? How can we become more protective of the environment? | |
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The world’s largest organism - with Alex Rosenthal
The largest animal in the world is the blue whale, which weighs a massive 150 metric tons. Even so, it’s not remotely close to being the largest organism by weight. That title goes to an organism so huge that it’s estimated to weigh the equivalent of 40 blue whales. So what is this behemoth? And… where is it? Alex Rosenthal shares the story of the enormous and ancient Pando.
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Coming Events
What's Happening This Month?
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Yule with Southern Arizona CUUPS!
Tuesday, Dec. 21 | 6:15pm |Zoom
Yule will be led by attendees of our first ever Build Your Own Ritual classes. Zoom meeting begins circa 6:15 PM MST to socialize, and ritual starts at 6:30. All ages are welcome!
Zoom room is https://zoom.us/j/8239364868
Zoom ID 823 936 4868
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UUCT Christmas Eve Services
Dec. 24 | 4 different times available | at UUCT
All are invited to special in-person Christmas Eve services on the UUCT patio on December 24th this year. Because space on the patio will be limited, staff and our choir are hosting four services on December 24th. We will have two pageant services (at 2:30 and 3:30 pm) and two contemplative services (at 4:30 and 5:30 pm).
The pageant services will be just like the pageants you remember with one twist – bring your own costume! Everyone is welcome to pick up a costume to borrow from UUCT (see dates below), or you could wear that shepherd, or wise person, or horse, or flamingo costume sitting in your closet.
The contemplative services will have the same words and music but a slightly different mood. Festive sweaters and/or hats encouraged at the contemplative services, mostly to keep you warm on the patio.
To make sure that we have a seat for you, please sign up each member of your family for the service you plan to attend. If you cannot use the Signup Genius, call the front office.
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I'm going to be a Christmas Dragon. What will you be? | |
Costume Pick Up
Dec. 18 | 3-5pm
If you're attending the UUCT Pageant services on Dec. 24 and want to dress up, come pick up a costume from us! I'll have pieces from past pageants including sparkly stars, wise people, and animals of all kinds. OR come to the pageant in your own costume. ALL costumes welcome.
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Youth Meet Up
Dec. 30 | 5pm to ??? | Zoom
For youth ages 10+
Join some of our wonderful UU Youth Leaders for a fun hour or so of games, socializing, and plotting! We’ll start with a little lighthearted competition on a game of our choice (think PG rated games like Kahoot and Jackbox Games). Having the ability to open zoom and a 2nd browser (on a computer, tablet, or phone) will be helpful, but not necessary. This meeting happens the first Thursday of every month. This is a super FUUN event so don’t miss it!!
https://zoom.us/j/5716364277
Meeting ID: 571 636 4277
Password: 973902
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Parenting 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. Zoom link will be sent out to all that are registered for the classes. Not registered? Please fill out this form https://forms.gle/oV5r74oQBymLkkgJ9 and we will add you to the emailing list. Thank you!
January 8, 1-2pm --Children's Story Time --Designed for children ages birth to 6+, but everyone is welcome. We will participate in storytelling, crafts, spiritual reflection and much more. We hope that you will join us.
January 29, 1-2pm --Grown Up meet up --Designed for those adults raising children who are ages birth to 6, but everyone is 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.
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2nd Hour
Jan. 9, 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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