Your Civic Engagement team needs your input. The 2025 AZ Legislature will likely put forth bills that will curtail the rights of vulnerable groups. We will monitor the Legislature as usual and encourage you to use “Request to Speak” to express your views. Many of you are involved in other advocacy organizations. Please email us to share how they are addressing these challenges.
Author: UUCP Webmaster
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Generosity for Our Journey
Growing Your UUCP Garden has never been more important. Now more than ever, we need the sustenance that our beloved community provides. This garden, planted by our UUCP founders, is our home and needs committed tending, especially in these troubled times. We are called to stewardship, the act of protecting and being responsible for something worth caring for and preserving.
We ask you to reflect on how UUCP is a garden of community, ideology, action, and growth. What aspects of UUCP are worth not only preserving, but nurturing, for you, for the congregation, and for the community?
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Would You Like to Change the World? 1/10 10am
In her book, “Social Change Now: A Guide for Reflection and Connection”, Deepa Iyer outlines a social change ecosystem framework for bringing about social justice change. It is organized as self-help workbook, and builds on the work of Grace Lee Boggs, Nikki Giovanni and bell hooks. It was recommended to us for planning the Climate Change Revival we’ll hold on February 1 & 2, 2025.
I, Laurel Hardin, purchased 4 extra copies @ $22.00 and am offering them for sale at cost to anyone in the congregation who would like to purchase one. Look for me at the Civic Engagement table at back of the Sanctuary any Sunday in January, before and after the service.
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Arts and Crafts Open Studio
Starting January 8, 2025, Val Wylie and Laurel Hardin will open the Johnson room on Wednesdays from 1-4 pm for an “Open Studio” time. Anyone who makes any arts or crafts, plays a game, knits or quilts may bring their own supplies and “hang out” with other crafty people. Newcomers are welcome.
We currently have no plans for structured classes, but these may develop over time. For example, Laurel enjoys covering objects (cans, vases) with patches of fabric using Modge Podge. If you have some specialty you’d like to share, please let us know by contacting artsandcrafts@phoenixuu.org.
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Coffee Hour Volunteers Needed!
Would you like to help fill in periodically? We’re always looking for friendly faces to join the Coffee Hour Team! Help us bring warmth and connection to our congregation by volunteering for Coffee Hour after Sunday Worship Service. Roles include setting up and cleaning up—and it only takes a few hours a month! Instructions and supplies are provided—no experience required. You can sign up using the sign-up sheet on the bulletin board across from the kitchen, or sign up HERE!
- Setup Crew: 9:30 – 10:30am
- Prepare the beverages: coffee, water, tea, lemonade
- Set up tables & chairs in the Johnson room (they may already be set up) and on the patio
- Prepare snacks & food
- Cleanup Crew: 12:30 – 1:30pm
- Turn off the coffee brewer
- Discard any remaining beverages
- Rinse the beverage containers and dishes, sanitize them, and put them away
- Clean up any leftover food items: store or discard as appropriate
- Place dirty tablecloths, towels, etc. in the laundry hamper
- Gather trash & recyling and bring them to the lower parking lot
Thank you for helping to make UUCP a welcoming and vibrant community!
- Setup Crew: 9:30 – 10:30am
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Some Inspiring Title for a Worship Service
What is Buddhism?
Buddhism is not a conventional religion, in that there is nothing to take on faith, and there is no supreme being to worship. Rather, it is a path of living with mindfulness and compassion. Siddhartha Gautama, later called Buddha (meaning the Enlightened or Awakened One), born in India in 560 B.C., taught this path.
Since then, several kinds of Buddhist practice have flourished, including Zen, Tibetan and Theravadan/Vipassana. All teach a path anyone can follow to help lessen their suffering. The basis is “the four noble truths,” which simply say: Life is difficult because we want things we don’t have or want to avoid things we do have; by being more present, we can see this clearly and learn to let go, following the “eightfold path” of ethical behavior that leads toward greater contentment.
In the U.S., the current mindfulness movement, started by Jon Kabat-Zinn in 1979 at the University of Massachusetts, is based on these Buddhist principles translated into language of our present day.
We invite you to join us as we practice being in the present moment with other community members Saturday mornings from 9:30 – 1030 MST: Zoom ID: 486 920 2119 | Passcode: Sammy.
For more information, contact mindfulness@phoenixuu.org.