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September 2, 2025

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Reflections on Our Summer Together

Summer is changing to fall (though the sun doesn’t think so) and I am thinking of the beginning of the musical Grease and the song Summer Nights. I feel like we had a summer of love together and “had me a blast (sic).” “Tell me more, tell me more…"

As Pastor Michael returns from his much-deserved sabbatical rest, I want to take a moment to thank all of you, our Casas Adobes community, for the privilege of serving as senior pastor during his time away. Even though Michael and I serve together as pastors here, his role as senior pastor is essential for us to continue going to the places God is calling us to go and to be the people of love we are called to be. As God makes things new and sabbatical rest is part of it, we should not view sabbatical as coming to an end anymore than we can say rest and renewal are coming to an end. We will continue on the path that is in front of us and go where we are called to go, together. This time of pastoral leadership was a sacred trust, and I am deeply grateful for your support, encouragement, and prayers this summer. I am also grateful for the spiritual leadership and gifts of John Cheek, Brigid Waszczak and Ida Heath and the talents and patience of Anne, Jay, Janet and Barry in the office (the loveable cleaners of my messes.) I also could not have made it through without the love and support of Council, the Sabbatical Team, my pastoral committee, and all of you. I have tried to maintain a stable path for all of us and maybe add a few self-reflective thought-provoking insights for our travels.

In my usual role as Minister of Spiritual and Community Relationships, I’m called to listen deeply to God, to our congregational leadership, and our church community, and the spiritual needs of our wider Tucson community. Part of my ministry is to see more fully how God is weaving together the spiritual and relational needs of our church. This time deepened my awareness of our collective needs, hopes, and gifts and helped me grow into a more compassionate and Spirit-led pastor.

We have seen in the past couple of weeks, in Luke 13 and 14, Jesus uses the Sabbath to heal, and to restore what is broken. The woman who had been bent over stands upright; the man with dropsy is made whole. His swollen limbs serve as a visual metaphor for the swollen egos and puffed-up hypocrisy of the pharisees. This sabbatical has been a healing season of sabbath; for Pastor Michael, for us as a body…and for my cataracts, too. I pray now we are all ready to see all things new as co-creators with God. As Isaiah 43:19 declares, “See, I am doing a new thing!” God is not done with us. This time of Sabbath has been fertile ground, preparing us for the new things yet to come as Pastor Michael returns.

Thank you for walking humbly with God on this journey with me. It’s an honor to serve and grow in all things beloved with you.

See Christ, be Christ,

Peace,

Pastor John

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Watch other messages online: click here.

Transformation at the Borders:

I’M BACK!

Today marks my first day back following a rich, renewing, full, and transformative Sabbatical time. It is also the six year anniversary of my start day with this beloved community we know as Casas Adobes Congregational UCC.

I will have much to share over time from the three months away, but for now I offer some gratitude and some personal news.

First, thank you for honoring our UCC Conference guidelines to have a Sabbatical as part of the call agreement for your ordained pastors. With weekly Sabbath time and these periodic Sabbaticals over my 31 years as a pastor, I recognize these forms of Sabbath have been essential for forming me as the person and pastor God is continually calling me to be. I am also thankful for the work that went into developing our Sabbatical grant proposal and to Eli Lilly endowment and Christian Theological Seminary (who oversees the clergy renewal grants) for funding activities for me and for CAUCC that we would likely not have been able to attain on our own. Thank you to John Angiulo, John Cheek, and Brigid Waszczak for worship, caring, and teaching staffing during this Sabbatical season, and for the efforts of our entire staff team working in partnership with our Sabbatical team, and our church leadership to offer meaningful ministry and opportunities for mission, reflection, and more this summer.

My personal news is that I am engaged to be married (and, no, we do not yet have a date set). It is never easy to have a dating life in the public role as a pastor, even so I have been blessed to meet some really lovely people over the years following the end of my first marriage. And while I shared with you some of my story and capacity to love “anybody” (See link here if you missed it, titled STORIES > LABELS), there is a very specific somebody in my life for some time now. We discerned that we are called to bring our lives together more fully while on a mountaintop where Slovenia, Italy, and Austria come together (talk about “transformation at the borders!”). His name is Scott Koenig. You will not see him much around CAUCC, as his spiritual journey in community primarily takes place with the people of Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Tucson. He is a long-time resident of Tucson, having been recruited here as a swimmer/diver for U of A in undergrad, and he also has his MBA from the same school. He is the Executive Director of the Arizona Center for Rural Leadership; a public-private partnership with U of A Cooperative Extension. Scott and I were introduced by Jamie Snyder, CEO of Our Family Services, where I am the current chair of the board of directors; a role he served in nearly 10 years ago. Sometimes there are surprising gifts when we serve in the wider community!

I am looking forward to reconnecting with all of you in worship, classes, groups, and more in these next weeks. And I would appreciate your prayers for gracious “re-entry.”

Love,

Pastor Michael

Sabbatical Postcards

Get them in now!

Now is the perfect time to send your reflections and ideas on any or all of the eight postcards.

If you need another one of the most recent cards, extras are available

in the church entrance.

Return the postcards:

Through the mail
Drop them in the offering plates in church (unused stamps, too)
Or drop them off in the office

Learning@Eleven Java and Justice Series

In the spirit of our Sabbatical season theme,

Awe: Transformation at the Borders, please join us on Sunday, September 14th for a session titled, Encountering Tides of Humanity in the Borderlands of Southern Arizona, 2014 to 2024. We welcome back U of A Religion professor, Alex Nava, and a panel of U of A professors and activists who will share with us their research and experience over the last decade. Joining Alex are: Liz Oglesby, Lise Nelson, and Christy Volker. Pastor Michael will introduce our panelists by inviting us to reflect on some Biblical passages around "welcoming the stranger." Please sign up and indicate if you plan to join us in person or online so we will be set up appropriately. We will meet 11:00 am to 12:00 Noon in Rooms 3/4 and via Zoom.

Let us know you will be there, sign up, our website, Unite page: Click here.

Centering Prayer with Pastor John

Tuesdays, 12:00 noon, Room 1

Pondering Class with Pastor John

Wednesdays at 10:00 am on Zoom

Sep. 3: We will continue Paul’s Journeys to the Christian communities...Rome!

Centering Prayer with Pastor John

Wednesdays, 12:00 noon, on Zoom

Pastor Michael's classes resume the week of September 21st.

Rillito River Trail Bike Ride

Saturday, September 20, 2025

The ride for this month will be a 12.0 mile (round trip) out and back along the flat, asphalt Rillito River trail. We will meet at the west end of the Rillito Race Track parking lot, 4502 N. 1st. Ave., (NOTE: Not at the Rillito Park along 1st. Ave.) at 7:00 am, ride to Craycroft Rd. and return. Please wear a helmet and bring a water bottle.

Toward the end of the ride there is a café nearby for those who would like to satisfy their appetite.

For additional information, contact Charlie or Marj Wippermann at 520-373-4248.

From Fr. Miguel Mariano

The message below is from the Diocese of Tucson and my friend Fr. Miguel Mariano from St. Odilia’s Catholic church in response to the All Things Tucson 250+ Celebration that happened on Wednesday, August 20th.

I would like to thank our Casas Adobes community for our support of interfaith relationships. John 17: 21 states “That they all be one” and is one of our mottos of the UCC. It sums up the aspirations and the mandate for unity among all people. This is not by force or creed, but by love and respect for our differences.

Click here to watch Jubilee of Hope for Greater Unity Among Christians

There are many more interfaith opportunities coming up this year and next.

Pastor John

Casa de la Misericordia y de Todas las Naciones

Take a look at the new video and see what Sister Lika and her team have accomplished, together with support from Cruzando Fronteras, other organizations, and many volunteers at La Casa de la Misericordia y de Todas las Naciones in Nogales, Mexico.

Our Casas Adobes Ministry of Justice Advocacy and Mission (MJAM) Team and Compassion on the Boarder group help all of us in our community promote and support Sister Lika and La Casa together.

It is amazing the work being done, click here.

Peace,

Pastor John

Interfaith National Day of Service for Keeling and

Other Amphi Schools

There is a National Day of service that Pastor John is coordinating with the Northwest Interfaith Fellowship on Saturday, September 6th. It is being sponsored by the Northwest Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. LDS church and they have invited our interfaith group to participate. Here are some of the work opportunities to Serve on the National Day of Service along with St Odilia’s Catholic Church, Baha’i community of Oro Valley, Church of the Apostles Episcopal Church, Third Church of Christ Scientist, SEMA, Congregation Beit Simcha.

There is a reservation portal, click here.

LDS are coordinating this Activity: We are joining with Amphi schools to complete a variety of indoor and outdoor projects:

Community garden and mural painting @ Keeling Elementary
Kinder library room @ Prince Elementary
Shade structure and playground @ Wilson Elementary
Mural painting inside @ Prince Elementary
Faux grass installation @ Amphi Clothing Bank
Bike path and playground @ Copper Creek Elementary
Echo Family Resource Bus Build-Out

Eclectic Book Club

The Eclectic Book Club meets the second Saturday of each month (except in December) at 9:30 am to discuss that month’s book and enjoy each other’s fellowship. Upcoming book:

September: There Are Rivers in the Sky: A Novel, Elif Shafak

All are welcome to join us. Please contact Bonnie Mardian for more information and/or to be added to their email list: click here for her email.

Neighbors In Need

Donate with a check and drop it in the Sunday offering or the mail.

Click here to donate online. Be sure to mark your donation as NiN.

The 2025 Rummage Sale will take place on Friday, October 31st and Saturday, November 1st. Please save your donations for Rummage Sale drop-off or pick-up the week of October 27th. Please consider volunteering to help before, during, and/or after the Rummage Sale. It's great fun and all proceeds help our church as well as local charities. We'll sign up volunteers soon.

Your 2025 Rummage Sale Team

Cynthia VerDuin, Amy Lincoln, Karen Nousen, and Leona Lansing

Wednesday, September 3

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
6:00 pm Bell Choir Practice Bell Room
7:00 pm Choir Rehearsal Sanctuary

Thursday, September 4

8:30 am Men's Breakfast Beyond Bread on Ina
9:00 am Stitch Witches Rooms 5/6

Friday, September 5

10:00 am AA Meeting Rooms 5/6

Saturday, September 6

9:00 am AA Meeting Rooms 5/6

Sunday, September 7

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)
9:30 am Turbo Time Rooms 5/6
11:00 am Family Funday Zoom: Funday Link or use Meeting ID 781 414 384; Password 883239

Monday, September 8

2:30 pm Campus Cleaning Entire Campus

Tuesday, September 9

12:00 Noon Centering Prayer Room 1
2:00 pm Christian Ed Meeting Zoom
4:00 pm MoW Meeting (Ministry of Worship)

Wednesday, September 10

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
1:30 pm Alzheimer's Support Meeting Rooms 1/2
6:00 pm Bell Choir Practice Bell Room
7:00 pm Choir Rehearsal Sanctuary