I am a recycled UU, having been a member of the Tempe Congregation in 1969-70, then UUCP 1970- 80, Tucson 1980-86, Chandler or VUU from 87-2016, and UUCP again from 2016- present: or about 55 years in different AZ congregations. Wow! I’d never added it up before. Each move represented kind of a different incarnation of myself. But, in each, I have been and am a doer and a helper, and each congregation brought me some important constants to help keep my grounded. They are: Intellectual stimulation with a Community of like-minded (curious) people, Civic Engagement (Love), Art emphasis, and Music.
Intellectual stimulation is foundational at UUCP and within the UU tradition. Adult and children’s religious education classes are taught year-round. One that is very popular is the book group. Others are about the history of UUism or the value of arts and crafts in life. Recently I’ve started knitting shawls, lap-robes, or mini- afghans for the Caring and Concerns Committee.
Art has always been one of my passions. UUCP is built in a way that welcomes art displays on its walls. It was one of the main reasons I started attending in 2016. When I retired in 2007 I completed the whole 2-year Phoenix Art Museum Docent class. Then I took more than 30 units of art classes at Mesa Community College. I am happy when I’m creating art. And I help with the Sanctuary Team at UUCP.
Civic Engagement helped me find, value, and use my voice to help advocate for others and the planet. I taught bilingually for 18 years and knew about many social ills. But the members of Civic Engagement helped me by having postcards, sign-on letters, and inviting me to use my voice. And they also welcomed my reviving the Green Sanctuary group, now known as the Earth Justice Ministry, for which I am the Chairperson.
It now generates its own postcards, sign-on letters, and emails with links to other organizations’ letters and petitions, to help those most affected by Climate Change.
If you’d like to get our emails, please send your contact info to earthjustice@phoenixuu.org. We also encourage everyone to adopt practices that are more environmentally friendly and sustainable. Please stop by the Civic Engagement tables to find more information. One is to donate materials which can be used to make art (fabrics, yarn, paints, pencils, brushes, paper and more), which we will take to the Art Resource Center for you.
Music, for me, is truly the heart of our congregation. I have sung in choirs since I was 13 and get a feeling of awe when harmonizing with others. Our Music Director, Benjie Messer, brings so much richness to us, from Level Up with Vienna Teng, to Rubber Chickens performing Pachabel’s Canon, and electronically blended choir voices during the pandemic.
Benjie plays piano, guitar, drums, and trombone. He also sings Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Bass to create practice tapes for the choir to help learn the anthems we sing in services. He conducts a group of members who play string instruments, and formed a small band with singers to perform folk music. He encourages all of us to join in small ensembles. He instructs the choir with techniques that develop or improve music reading skills. He brought us pianist Nicole Pesce while he was on sabbatical, and hired very talented accompanists, most recently Taylisse Boissonneault, who is in process of getting her PhD in Collaborative Piano performance. All this while performing with his Bad Cactus Brass Band!
All that impressed me so much I volunteered to help keep the sheet music organized as the Choir Librarian, continuing my doer/helper constant.
~ Laurel Hardin
Editor’s Note:
Our regularly scheduled column, Notes From Your Dance Partner, will be on pause during Reverend Christine’s sabbatical. In its place, we’re excited to have a series of guest speakers who will be sharing their experiences at UUCP. NFYDP will return in August.