Mark Belletini’s poem “Election Promises” is one that I’ve found appropriate every Election season I’ve preached. While it’s opening lines might not reflect many voting plans this year, its message rings truer than ever today. He writes:

 

“I say the polls

are not just open on Tuesday.

I say they are open every day.

Every hour. Even here. Even now…

I’m going to vote, right now,

for the right to dream of a world

where the word politics

doesn’t stop me in my tracks,

and where the word honor still

has a few good meanings left.

I’m going to vote right now

for the power of free people

to actually be free,

no matter who they are,

no matter who has abandoned them,

no matter who hates them.

I actually am going to vote for love,

I am going to vote for truthfulness as the norm,

not the exception.

I’m going to vote for a world

that doesn’t vote for killing, control and swagger,

I’m going to vote for you.

I’m going to vote for me.

Right now. Right here. Silently. But for real.”

 

I love Rev. Belletini’s words because they remind us that voting is not just about filling in little circles on a ballot, but about how we act, what we do, every single day. 

 

Today, and Tuesday, on November 4^thand beyond… what would it feel like for you to vote for your neighbors in need through your actions? What would it look like to vote for the marginalized through your purchasing power? What would it sound like for you to vote for liberation through your words?

 

This, too, is what it means to live out the 5^thPrinciple of Unitarian Universalism. To fight for democracy, equity, and freedom, every day, for me, for you, and for us.

 

May we continue to fight, each day, for a world free from hatred, oppression, and fear.

 

See you on Zoom!

-       Rev. Bethany

 

 

 

Every Thursday at 6:30 (please note time change!), Rev. Bethany, guest speakers, and Worship

Associates will lead a 30-40 minute vespers service on Zoom. This is a live service with songs,

readings, and a short reflection from Rev. Bethany or another speaker. Join us!

 

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7025890260, password: 483148

 

 

Join the Baja 4 ministers, educators, and musical community as we stay grounded and stay connected-- to each other, to our ancestors, and to the ones who come after us. Come for music, reflection, words of grief and words of care. Come for fellowship. Come because we are stronger together than apart.

Wednesday, November 4

Friday, November 6 at 6 PM

Saturday, November 7^that 10 AM

 

Zoom Link for All Vigils:https://uuma.zoom.us/j/93926344716,

Meeting ID for All Vigils: 939 2634 4716

 

3 PM on Zoom

 

Join Rev. Bethany on Zoom on Thanksgiving Day, November 26^that 3 PM to gather in community and share gratitude for our beloved community. This event will last no longer than 20 minutes and a recording will be emailed to all members soon after the event in case you miss the live gathering. Zoom link:https://zoom.us/s/7025890260, password: 483148.

 

 

 

 

November 1– Beyond Voting with Janine Gelsinger, Executive Director of UUJAZ

 

November 8– Sunday Morning Worship with the Baja 4 Ministers

 

November 15– Sunday Morning Worship with the Baja 4 Ministers

 

November 22– Sunday Morning Worship with Rev. Carlton Smith, Developmental Lead at the Pacific Western Region of the UUA

 

November 29– Advent: The Season of Waiting with Rev. Bethany

 

 

 

Interested in knowing more about the work of the Social Justice Committee?

 

Attend a meeting!

(You can find the Zoom information below AND on the homepage of the Church website)

 

The SJC, chaired by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., meets on the2nd Saturday of each month at 9am.  All are invited to participate.

 

Join Zoom Meeting

 

Meeting ID: 823 1979 8034

Passcode: 483148

Join by telephone (voice only): +1 669 900 6833, Meeting ID: 823 1979 8034

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

As noted previously we are now providing two organizations per month the Share the Plate proceeds.

 

Our Share the Plate donations for November

 

First two weeks: UUJAZ

 

Second two weeks: Community Food Bank

 

How to donate

 

Checks with “Share the Plate” in the memo line can be mailed to the office. Online donations can be made athttps://uuctucson.org/donate. On that donation page you will find an option for Share the Plate as well as designations for pledge fulfillment, general donation, and Minister’s Discretionary Fund.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

Sales and delivery - Kate Schleinkofer and Judy Dare lead this project.The delivered-price is $10 per pound bag of Arabica beans and ground, and Robusta beans and ground.

 

Please contactThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Beth Britton forThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

 

We would like to invite folx of our LGBTQIA+ community to join us on Nov. 15th from 12-1PM after service and social hour for our LGBTQIA+ group session. We greatly appreciate our allies and our congregation for their support, but at this time we are only holding space for those within the LGBTQIA+ community.

 

This is the proposed discussion topic:

We will be discussing how in 27 states including Arizona there are no statewide laws protecting people from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity in housing and public accommodations including healthcare. We will also discuss how we can influence our local and state governments to pass equal protection laws for all.   

 

 

If you identify as LGBTQIA+ and are not yet on the UUCT LGBTQIA+ email list please emailThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.to be added and stay up to date on our meetings and other opportunities.

Hello!

 

It’s Gloria McMillan, again. Thanks for looking at the Cosmos Column. Zoobie is our mascot and, as usual, he has bravely volunteered to go into space to be our logo.

Consider writing a column here as a Cosmos Corner

 

Nobody knows What or How

No matter how many times people hear the word virus, they almost always think of a living thing, able to live on its own. When we look at things in a clear and rational way, they sometimes make more sense. The idea of not knowing how viruses work is frightening.

 

UUs can handle THE TRUTH—this time about how a virus works. I found the description of the COVID virus hard to follow from the National Institutes of Health web page, so I broke it down with an imaginary reader who is getting a little confused.

People are curious. They want to know

 

1) What a virus is.

2) How a virus works.

 

What is this COVID virus, anyhow?

 

SARS-CoV-2 is a single-stranded RNA virus of ~30 kb genome size

 

UU Audience: Okay, but how does something "dead" reproduce? It isn't a tiny organism that can live on its own, just RNA material.

 

"Spike, membrane, and envelope surface viral proteins of coronavirus are embedded in host [human cell] membrane-derived lipid bilayer encapsulating the... viral RNA. "

 

UU Audience: I see. That's how it gets into a cell. But how does it make more of itself?

 

"[Named proteases] are likely to be involved in the transcription and replication of SARS-CoV-2."

 

"Huh?" says UU Audience. "Let’s not get too tricky. What's a 'protease?'" 

 

Definition: That is an enzyme that breaks down proteins and peptides. These are the little door openers to your cells.

 

CRYSTAL GROWING IS SIMILAR PROCESS

You can think of how this replication of COVID as being like a crystal growing in a solution. The crystals are not actually reproducing like animals do, but they are growing in numbers. The COVID use its "door opening" proteases to get to the material that makes it grow, material in your cells.

 

The universe is full of wonders. And not all viruses are bad for you.

 

Protective 'Phages'

Bacteriophages (or "phages") are viruses that infect and destroy specific bacteria. They're found in the mucus membrane lining in the digestive, respiratory and reproductive tracts. 

 

Our beneficial phages (viruses) attach to bacterial cells and inject a viral genome into the cell. The viral genome effectively replaces the bacterial genome, halting the bacterial infection. The bacterial cell causing the infection is unable to reproduce and instead produces additional phages.

 

Send ideas to pursue, or write your own column toThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..  

This is your Cosmic Corner and your voices are important to us

 

Do you identify as a young adult (generations X, Y, or Z)? Would you like to meet up with other UU young adults? TUUYA regularly hosts events and meet ups.

 

To stay in the loop make sure that Janice (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) or Jamili (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) has your email or join us on Facebook: by searching Tucson UU Younger Adults

 

 

2nd Hour is Here!

 

 

Day: Nov 8

Time: 12:15-1:15pm

 

Please join UUCT for 2nd Hour! It is a once -per -month afternoon of a variety of educational, spiritual, interesting, and fun workshops. Please join us in September to kick off the learning year.

 

See the UUCT Website for links and passcodes!

 

This month choose from:

 

 

2nd Sunday Dates:

November 8, 2020 / December 13, 2020

January 10, 2020 / February 14, 2020

March 14, 2020 / April 11, 2020

May 9, 2020  

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Family Faith Development

 

The folder is available to everyone! You'll find activities that take 5 minutes and ones that take 5 days, so you're in control of how much time you spend on RE.

 

 

 

The Welcoming and Membership team hosted an onlineNew to UU OrientationSeptember 19, 2020 

 

Rev. Bethany and MaryHolly Allison led the group. Five newcomers who are new to UUCT were in attendance.

 

Rev. Bethany and MaryHolly Allison have developed an online self-study curriculum for newcomers. It can be found on the Newcomers page on our website.

 

We have had three new members join our church in September. Please welcome Rae Richards, Dex Blue and Jackson Mileur to our congregation.

 

YES, you can still join the church during the pandemic. 

 

To connect to Rev. Bethany who will facilitate the processclick here.

 

The Directory has been updated. Please print it from theweb page.

 

 

What is Waning?

 

We enjoyed a Stitch and Witch class with crafters of all kinds and had a great time! Our second Sunday classes are shaping up to be really awesome for the rest of the church year, keep an eye on this spot for future offerings!

 

What Is Waxing?

 

Our Samhain Ritual will be held Sunday, November 1st at 6:15 pm. Ana Ortiz will be leading us in celebration. Ritual will be held over Zoom, please check the Facebook event for details! facebook.com/sazcuups

 

Our Second Sunday class in candle magic will be taught by Leigh Mileur On Sunday, November 8th at 12:15pm. 

 

Leigh has been a practicing pagan since 2009 and they currently use the label “Norse-leaning eclectic”. They are a member of SAZCUUPS since 2017 and of the Heathen organizationThe Trothsince April of this year. This class was previously offered in-person in October 2019 and will use Zoom in a participatory manner, though everyone is welcome to use pen and paper if they are more comfortable.

 

In this beginners' class, Leigh will teach a candle magic method that uses a sigil made from letters in the English alphabet, which will be taken from a phrase of intent each participant will create. They will briefly cover positive vs. negative statements in magic, visualization, charging a candle, and the concept of dressing or anointing a candle. They will mention a few other methods of sigil creation as well. When you have completed this class, you will know how to use this method to create sigilized candles on your own, and Leigh will make available (through email or Facebook) a list of resources for further learning, as well as suggestions of local stores to purchase candles and holders.

 

Necessary supplies: a writing implement and paper will be very helpful for sigil design. We will also be using the "annotate" tools in Zoom to draw for those who are comfortable. A method of taking notes would be recommended.

 

Join us in our Zoom room for this class: https://zoom.us/j/8239364868

 

Lastly, join us for Repose Ritual on November 21st, 2020 at 6:15 p.m. in our Zoom room https://zoom.us/j/8239364868

This ritual is a SAZCUUPS tradition, focused on peace and wellbeing, to give us a little breathing room before the holiday rush. This year's ritual will be led by James.

 

Pagan Tip of the Month

 

A simple house protection spell: fill a jar with thread trimmings, yarn ends, and other tangles you find in your dryer after the clothes come out.

 

Folklore suggests that any malicious spirit will get caught up with counting the threads, or perhaps trapped inside the maze, preventing it from harassing you and yours.

 

(Information adapted from this great blog post about thread magic: 

https://newworldwitchery.com/2020/05/21/blog-post-225-button-button/)

 

If you have a tip to share, please send it to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

Special

Thanksgiving Fundraiser!

 

This drive-up gourmet dinner event will be noon to 1:30 pm on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26 in front of Goddard Hall. (Please stay in your vehicle while volunteers hand your dinners to you.)

 

The Fundraising Committee will make only 200 dinners, so order yours while availability lasts at

 

Your participation in this special holiday event will support UUCT financially, provide you with gourmet Thanksgiving dinners, and give you a way to donate dinners to staff and their immediate families. Rev. Bethany will lead a communal prayer of gratitude after the dinners are picked up.

 

The traditional turkey dinners with all the trimmings, even pie, are $25 each.

 

Full gourmet turkey dinners with generous portions will include side dishes of mashed potatoes and gravy, dressing, a special green bean dish (not the soupy casserole), bread roll, cranberry sauce, spring salad-plus, and your choice of pumpkin or apple pie. Gluten-free and vegetarian versions are available.

 

To pay for your dinners, click here and fill in the amount using the Thanksgiving tab: credit card service

 

 

invites you to a virtual memorial service, open to people of all faiths or none.

 

Healing Our Community:

Reflecting and

Re-membering

Join us on Zoom Thursday, November 5, 2020 5-6 pm.

 

Find a quiet place and join us as we mourn and seek to heal from our losses of 2020.

 

COVID-19

Racial Violence

Income Inequality

Natural Disasters

Political Chaos

Other Personal Losses

Register at icstucson.org or call

520-526-9296

 

Ronna James

and Gilbert Moore

 

Conversations with Friends has resumed meeting weekly, at 2:30 pm on Wednesdays, via zoom. 

 

For info contact Gilbert Moore at:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

The book for ourNovember 12th meetingis "The German House" by Annette Hess.

 

To be added to the book club email list, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

ZOOM LINK:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88412604078 ?pwd=SWl0dGdyTzZrRTlYaDk1VExINnBlZz09  OR

go to: zoom.us

select: Join meeting:

Meeting ID: 884 1260 4078

Password: 484848