| | To submit an article for Tidings, email Anne here by Mondays at 12:00 noon. | | | |
Frogs, Toads and Salamanders
“The man said, “Let me go; it’s daybreak.”
Jacob said, “I’m not letting you go ’til you bless me.”
The man said, “What’s your name?” He answered, “Jacob.”
The man said, “But no longer. Your name is no longer Jacob.
From now on it’s Israel (God-Wrestler);
you’ve wrestled with God and you’ve come through.
Jacob asked, “And what’s your name?”
The man said, “Why do you want to know my name?"
And then, right then and there, he blessed him.
Jacob named the place Peniel (God’s Face) because,
he said, “I saw God face-to-face and lived to tell the story!” –Genesis 32: 26-30
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We’ve come to the end of the monsoon season, and it was a disappointing one for total rainfall. So, it happens, there is always next year. Sometimes there’s abundant rain, sometimes none, but the desert persists. In dry seasons everything goes into “efficiency” mode in order for life to persist and thrive when the rains come. This is especially true with the desert amphibians who can live in this “efficiency” mode underground for years.
Life is hard, and faith doesn’t always come easy. It often means wrestling with God, with our thoughts and beliefs, or with life’s deep pain in the “dry” times of our personal lives. In Genesis, Jacob wrestles with a mysterious figure all night, refusing to let go without a blessing. He is wounded but transformed, renamed Israel, he who struggles with God. Like us, a symbol of faith forged through struggle. In Luke, a persistent widow demands justice from an unjust judge. Her relentless knocking moves the unmoved and ultimately opens the door to justice. This marginalized widow becomes a lesson in bold faith practice through her persistence. These stories show us that faith is not passive, it wrestles, it knocks, it limps forward. My own struggles have left me limping along in my own faith journey. This is when faith goes into “efficiency” mode. The struggle refines, reduces and refocuses our energy and resources to keep alive what is important to us. The struggle isn’t easy by any means. But I am grateful that I have not been alone in my time of wrestling with God. I have had other wrestlers with me. My faith and community lifted me through my “dry” times, providing shelter and nourishment, until the time I could emerge alive and ready to go like those croaking toads in the post-monsoon puddles on a July evening. Struggle reshapes my ministry into something shared, wounded, and deeply alive. Like Jacob and the widow, we are called to persist, even when broken, because God hears and our community hears us, too. So whether you are a frog, toad or salamander there may be no easy way out in the dry time, but there is a way through to persistent life, together.
On this week of my eighth anniversary of ordination and call here, I pray you all have the blessings of peace and love. I know that I have richly received them in this place, together with you, and I am profoundly grateful,
Peace,
Pastor John
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Watch other messages online: click here.
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Pondering Class
Wednesdays at 10:00 am on Zoom
October 22: Gilded Age/Gilded Church: The Gospel of Justice
Centering Prayer
Wednesdays, 12:00 noon, on Zoom
Spiritual Formation Group
Thursday group meets via Zoom (except the second Thursday of the month when we have Taizé worship) 6:30 to 7:30 pm.
Spiritual Formation Group
Tuesday group meets in Rooms 3/4 and on Zoom 11:00 am to 12:00 noon.
Centering Prayer
Tuesdays, 12:00 noon, Room 1
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Library Books, Puzzles Available
A cart of books from our Mason Memorial Library is in the courtyard most Sunday mornings. Check it out, grab a book, a puzzle or go in and peruse the Library, open after service. Stop by and say ‘Hi’ to the Library staff, who can answer any of your Library questions.
Also available at the Sunday Library cart are fabric bookmarks made by Compassion on the Border. These bookmarks make great gifts and all sales go toward humanitarian aid for migrants.
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We are excited about hosting
David LaMotte
at our church over the weekend of
Friday, November 14th through
Sunday, November 16th.
Below are all the activities which have been planned. We hope that you will join us for one or all of these events.
Friday, November 14th at 6:00 pm in McNear Hall: Pastor John and David LaMotte will be hosting an intergenerational dinner event. There will be a workshop following dinner about Heroes. Please join us for good food and laughter. Please click here to register to attend. Scroll down for the event.
Saturday, November 15 at 3:00 pm in the Sanctuary followed by a reception: David LaMotte will be hosting a concert of his songs and providing stories about his work in Guatemala. Admission is free and open to the public. A goodwill offering will be taken to support Senderos Guatemala (David's Charity in Guatemala) and Compassion on the Border (Charity of CAUCC supporting immigrants in the Tucson area). A selection of David LaMotte CD's will be available for purchase.
Sunday, November 16
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9:30 am: David LaMotte will be joining us in our worship service, singing songs and telling us about his work in Guatemala. Our worship service is live-streamed if you are unable to be with us in person.
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11:00 am: Learning@11 with David LaMotte. Join us as David discusses his book, You Are Changing the World: Whether You Like it or Not. Learning@11 is on Zoom if you are unable to join us in person. Please click here to register for this event. Scroll down for the event.
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Sunday Safety
Please help keep everyone and
the campus safe-
if you leave through a closed gate,
re-close it behind you!
Thanks.
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Interfaith Community Services (ICS)
Food Bank
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Wednesday, October 22
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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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6:00 pm Bell Choir Practice Bell Room
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7:00 pm Choir Rehearsal Sanctuary
Thursday, October 23
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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
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1:00 pm Primavera Men's Shelter Meal Prep and Delivery Kitchen
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6:30 pm Spiritual Life Group w/Pastor Michael Zoom Click here to sign up
Friday, October 24
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10:00 am AA Meeting Rooms 5/6
Saturday, October 25
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9:00 am AA Meeting Rooms 5/6
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1:00 pm Memory Table Set-up, an intergenerational event Sanctuary
Sunday, October 26
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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 Community and Coffee Time McNear Hall Rooms 7-10
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11:00 am Learning@11 Class: You Are Changing the World Rooms 3/4 and Zoom
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11:00 am Family Funday Zoom: Funday Link or use Meeting ID 781 414 384; Password 883239
Monday, October 27
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1:00 pm Compassion on the Border (CoB) Meeting Zoom
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2:30 pm Campus Cleaning Entire Campus
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3:00 legacy team Meeting Zoom
Tuesday, October 28
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11:00 pm Spiritual Life Group w/Pastor Michael Room 3/Zoom, Click here to sign up
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12:00 Noon Centering Prayer Room 1
Wednesday, October 29
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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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6:00 pm Bell Choir Practice Bell Room
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7:00 pm Choir Rehearsal Sanctuary
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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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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...
Click here
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Council meetings are open to any member of the CAUCC community. Next meeting is Tuesday, November18th, 4:00 pm on Zoom.
Approved August 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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