| | To submit an article for Tidings, email Anne here by Mondays at 12:00 noon. | | | |
You Cannot Pour From an Empty Cup
As they continued their travel, Jesus entered a village.
A woman by the name of Martha welcomed him and made him
feel quite at home.
She had a sister, Mary, who sat before the Master,
hanging on every word he said.
But Martha was pulled away by all she had to do in the kitchen.
Later, she stepped in, interrupting them.
“Master, don’t you care that my sister has abandoned the kitchen to me?
Tell her to lend me a hand.”
The Master said, “Martha, dear Martha, you’re fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing.
One thing only is essential, and Mary has chosen it—it’s the main course, and won’t be taken from her.” Luke 10:38-42
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Resentful complaint can be a dangerous thing. Sometimes it disguises itself as righteousness. But at its root, resentful complaint often flows from disconnection and isolation. Sometimes it feeds on itself. This type of complaint saps life from us. It leaves us with no ideas, no laughter, just negative thoughts and little desire to evolve or serve. Remember that resentful complaint is not the same as protest, advocacy or calling out injustice. Resentful complaint is based in anger, petty grievance, and self-importance. Martha’s complaint reminds us that serving without being spiritually fed, working without rest and renewal, is mere task work, not true hospitality.
We live in a society increasingly shaped by the politics of complaint. Turn on the news, and you’ll hear it—anger, blame, grievance. One group blames another. Leaders stir up division by pointing fingers, by creating enemies, by saying, “Look how you’ve been wronged!” and “You deserve better!” It’s a form of spiritual manipulation. If we just get rid of one group or another, migrants, LGBTQAI+ people, poor people, God’s Kingdom will come. But ultimately it is an angry road that leads to nowhere fast.
Jesus never led that way. He called out injustice, yes—but always with truth and healing in mind. Never to divide for power’s sake. And that is the test, does it unite or divide, is it selfless or self-serving. When politics thrives on grievance, it teaches us to live like Martha was going: worried, distracted, comparing, complaining. Never satisfied, never enough. It is scarcity. But the Gospel calls us to live like Mary—anchored, listening, content. It calls us to feed our souls before we try to fix the world. A call to live in abundance. This is what Jesus is calling out: live in scarcity or abundance.
You cannot pour from an empty cup. You cannot serve with grace if your spirit is dry. You cannot heal others when you are driven by resentment. There’s a vital lesson in these two stories: Before we can serve others, we must sit at the feet of Jesus.
Jesus gave us the law: “Love God and love others as we love ourselves.” Begin your journey to serving others by resting, renewing and being kind to yourself.
Peace,
Pastor John
Watch other messages online: click here.
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Sabbatical Postcards
Responses
Your responses are beginning to mirror how we see ourselves (not always rosy), what brings us life!
and where we need to go.
Thank you.
Keep them coming!
The first part of the card is from your point of view or experience. The second part of the card is asking you to bridge into another’s experience and point of view, perhaps someone you struggle to understand.
The postcards invite us to enter into the thinking of people we may find hard to understand. Many may just see it as a refreshing shower, but to others, it may be different. This may be a first step to bridging opposing views into common solutions.
If you need another card, extras are available
in the church entrance.
Click here to see the introductory letter and instructions.
Return the postcards:
- Through the mail
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Online (fill 'em out), Click here
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Drop them in the offering plates in church (unused stamps, too)
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Or drop them off in the office
| | Pastor John is Inviting You! | | St. Augustine's at 192 S Stone Ave, Tucson, AZ 85701 | | |
Centering Prayer with Pastor John
Tuesdays, 12:00 noon, Room 1
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Pondering Class with Pastor John
Wednesdays at 10:00 am, on Zoom
July 23: Christians or Paulines? Is Christ’s message overshadowed by his most prolific follower?
July 30: The earliest Churches: D.E.I. in action!
Aug 6: No Class
Centering Prayer with Pastor John
Wednesdays, 12:00 noon, on Zoom
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Sunday Sabbatical Series: Borders
NO! Not the border between the US and Mexico!
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Sunday, Aug 10th at 11:00 am
Rooms 3/4 with Brigid Waszczak
Click here for our Events page, click on the article about this class, register to attend and get the Zoom link if you need it.
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Scholarships Available
CAUCC offers financial and mentoring support to students pursuing post-high school education degrees or certifications. Funds are specifically raised for this program through the goodwill efforts of our congregation, such as the rummage sale, bake sales, library book sale, and raffles of beautifully crafted quilts. There is no set deadline for submitting the application since applicants are required to complete class registration before applying. We realize various educational institutions have different registration dates. Please find the Scholarship application with instructions, click here.
| | We'd like to cordially invite Casas Adobes Congregational UCC to Belonging: Building a Better Tucson and to thank you for your support of Iskashitaa Refugee Network. | | We are excited about this collaboration, and hope to see you there! | | |
Wednesday, July 23
- 10:00 am Spiritual Life Group, Ponderings with Pastor John, Zoom Ponderings Link or Meeting ID: 622 421 179 and Passcode: 118704
- 12:00 Noon Centering Prayer Zoom Click on Centering Link or use Meeting ID: 890 1364 9732 and Passcode: 769422
Thursday, July 24
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8:30 am Men's Breakfast Beyond Bread on Ina
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9:00 am Stitch Witches Rooms 5/6
- 1:00 pm Primavera Meal Prep Kitchen
Friday, July 25
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10:00 am AA Meeting Rooms 5/6
Saturday, July 26
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9:00 am AA Meeting Rooms 5/6
Sunday, July 27
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8:30 am Communion and contemplation Service Chapel
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9:30 am Worship Sanctuary Online Worship; click on the Livestream and Recorded Services box on that page. (click on the box after 9:25 am)
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10:30 am Fellowship Time McNear Hall
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11:00 am Family Funday Zoom: Funday Link or use Meeting ID 781 414 384; Password 883239
Monday, July 28
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1:30 pm Campus Cleaning Entire Campus
Tuesday, July 29
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12:00 Noon Centering Prayer Room 1
Wednesday, July 30
- 10:00 am Spiritual Life Group, Ponderings with Pastor John, Zoom Ponderings Link or Meeting ID: 622 421 179 and Passcode: 118704
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12:00 Noon Centering Prayer Zoom Click on Centering Link or use Meeting ID: 890 1364 9732 and Passcode: 769422
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Staff Meetings
are once a month on the fourth Tuesday of the month at 1:30 pm and the office is closed during that time.
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Scam Alert:
Always check the email address of messages received--
if the email is not from the ministers and office staff addresses above, SCAM!
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Have you seen last year's CAUCC Annual Report?
If not, here it is in color...
(the pictures are really fun!)
Click here
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Council Meetings and Minutes
Council meetings are open to any member of the CAUCC community. Next meeting is Tuesday, August 19th, 4:00 pm on Zoom. Approved May meeting minutes are available, click here. Email Anne Bailey for the upcoming meeting Zoom link.
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To support the ministry and mission of CAUCC,
please donate online here:
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