Welcome to Unitarian Universalism
We are people of all ages, people of many backgrounds, and people of many beliefs. We are brave, curious and compassionate thinkers and doers. We create spirituality and community beyond boundaries, working for more justice and more love in our own lives and in the world. Unitarian Universalism draws from our heritages of freedom, reason, hope, and courage, building on the foundation of love. We covenant, congregation-to-congregation and through our Association, to support and assist one another in our ministries. Love is the power that holds us together and is at the center of our shared values. The values we share include all the following, which we hold as inseparable and deeply interconnected:- Interdependence: We honor the interdependent web of all existence and acknowledge our place in it.
- Pluralism: We are all sacred beings, diverse in culture, experience, and theology.
- Justice: We work to be diverse multicultural Beloved Communities where all feel welcome and can thrive.
- Transformation: We adapt to the changing world.
- Generosity: We cultivate a spirit of gratitude and hope.
- Equity: We declare that every person is inherently worthy and has the right to flourish with dignity, love, and compassion.
- Beliefs and Shared Values – more information on our shared values and answers to some common belief questions
- Who We Are – our history, symbols, backgrounds and stories
- Religious Practices – what Unitarian Universalists do on Sunday and every day, including holidays and rites of passage
- Get Involved – find out how to connect with Unitarian Universalism, no matter where you are
THIS WEEK’S CHURCH CALENDAR
Monday – September 14
Tuesday – September 15
11 – 11:30am Truly Mindful Tuesday Meditation – All are invited to try different forms of meditation together each week.
11:30am – Noon Tina’s Office Hours – Please set up a visit ahead of time so you won’t have to wait. Feel free to reach out to her by email or text. If you don’t hear back from an email within a couple days or need her more urgently, PLEASE TEXT HER.
6pm SIUUC Gardening Forum
Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/97255166396?
Phone: 1 253 215 8782 ID: 97255166396
If you would like to be included in the Garden Forum weekly email synopsis and email discussions, please contact Edna at skyislandchurch@gmail.com.
6:30 – 8pm Dharma Buddhists Meditation
Wednesday – September 16
6pm Choir Practice – Join us in the sanctuary.
6 – 7:30pm Wondering Wednesday
Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/
Phone: 1 669 900 9128 ID: 97090805829
Come join us for Wondering Wednesday at 6pm on Zoom, where we are always wondering how everyone is doing, and catch up on the latest in the SIUUC Community. Feel free to pop in for some friendly conversation and maybe a chuckle or two.
Thursday – September 17
11am – Noon The Widowing Tribe – The Tribe is available to anyone who has lost a partner, and is at any stage of grief. It is not tied to any religious belief; it is based in support with people who know what it’s like to be inside this grief.
11:30am Men’s Luncheon – Contact Pat Aronna if you plan to attend.
Friday – September 18
11am – 3pm EAF | Emergency Assistance Fund
1pm – ??pm Board Games
For all Zoom meetings, if you need to call in by phone you can call 1-253-215-8782.
The meeting ID is the last 11 digits of the corresponding link.
RECURRING MONTHLY ACTIVITIES
First Tuesday – Noon Sunday Services Committee Meeting
First Friday:
9am First Friday Hike
6pm PFLAG Monthly Meeting | Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays
Second Sunday:
10:30am Second Sunday 2nd Collection
1pm – 2pm CUUPS | Informative meeting about Paganism
Second Friday – 11am Church Ladies Lunch at the Country House Restaurant
12pm Third Sunday – Board of Directors meet at the church following Sunday Service
Third Thursday – 11:30am Men’s Luncheon. Contact Pat Aronna if you plan to attend.
Third Friday:
11am – 3pm EAF | Emergency Assistance Fund
1pm – ??pm Board Games
Fourth Sunday – 1pm – 2pm CUUPS | Informative meeting about Paganism
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, you can call 1-253-215-8782. The meeting ID is the last 11 digits of the corresponding link.
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Together we rise,
Mary Katherine Morn
President
Unitarian Universalist Service Committee
New Things To Do at Sky Island
Sunday, September 13, 2026
At 10:30am In-Person and on Zoom:
Phone: 1-253-215-8782
Meeting ID: 989 1828 0553
THIS SUNDAY’S WORSHIP is part of a series about our SEPTEMBER theme of “Community.” Once a month we repeat together our covenant of right relations, which ends with the aspiration that we will: “devote our energies to creating and maintaining a vibrant beloved community among ourselves and in the greater world.” What do we mean by that? For the rest of the month we will explore what each part of this pledge might mean:
— September 13th considers “What is Vibrant Beloved Community?” The Harvard philosopher Josiah Royce first coined the term “beloved community” in 1913 and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. brought it to life and into our national consciousness. What does it mean to us as UUs today? What does it mean to you?
— September 20th looks at “How do we create and maintain a beloved community among ourselves?” with some insight from Buddhist monasteries trying to keep the peace within their own walls.
— September 27th examines “How do we create and maintain a beloved community in the greater world?” The AZ UU the Vote Summit, which three of us attended in Phoenix earlier this month, provides insights into how we can bring positive change to the outer world with our UU communities. What are some other ways?
MUSIC THIS SUNDAY
Opening Song We Are a Gentle Angry People #170
Offering We Belong to Each Other (from Sing Out Love, to tune of “Come Thou Fount”) No link
Closing Song We Shall Overcome #169
Tina’s Week
My week was full of hope-engendering meetings. Last Saturday, eighty people from most of the congregations across Arizona, gathered to hear about ways we have collaborated in Tucson and Minneapolis and might work together for change in future. We were all put to work setting up and taking down the event. Heather Borman welcomed people at the registration table, Christopher Paige and I wrestled with tables and dirty dishes, and even David Paige was given a job covering security so the Valley UU person could attend a wedding midday. This showed our bodies as well as our hearts and minds that, though imperfect, we CAN work together to organize.
On Tuesday the Sunday Services Committee listened to multiple music possibilities and the protest songs invigorated me.
Wednesday evening’s choir practice was good fun and hard work. Gareth admitted “I am an instrumentalist not a vocalist” but was learning from teaching us how to sing. If you want to know if you are a baritone or alto, or just want to improve our Sunday sound, please attend!
Thursday, the two young women who pastor Sierra United Methodist Church misbehaved with me at the county-wide clergy breakfast at the hospital. We had been given some literature that wasn’t very progressive and kept pointing out offending text quietly to each other. They told me of a great plan to create a list of resources, not only for families in crisis but for all the bereavement groups offered in the area. What else do you think should be included in such a resource list? Later that day, the organizers of last Saturday’s event gathered on Zoom to plan next steps and take heart in having so many of us meet in person.
Today, Friday, the women’s lunch included some lovely additions. Ken Tanner joined the men’s table and brought his daughter, Andrea, to ours. May you also find joy, healing and growth in moments of community with this church, on Sunday and beyond.
I WILL have office hours this Tuesday, September 15, from 11:30 – Noon. Please set up a visit ahead of time so you won’t have to wait. Feel free to reach out to me by email or text. If you don’t hear back from an email within a couple days or need me more urgently, PLEASE TEXT ME.
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JUST A REMINDER
Wondering Wednesdays RECONVENED as of LAST Wednesday, September 9, 2026 at 6pm online.
We will hold CHOIR PRACTICE each Wednesday at 6pm in the sanctuary.
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Did You Know?
WORSHIP THEMES IN THE COMMUNITY ROOM
We have sheets up on the walls of the community room with the six months of themes for worship that the Baja 4 churches of Tucson and southern Arizona chose to start in July 2026. Some people have added thoughts – please write more! The whole year, June 2026 – July 2027, will look at UU History and Identity and each month has an additional theme:
July 2026 Democracy
August 2026 Collective Liberation
September 2026 Community
October 2026 Lamentation
November 2026 Healing
December 2026 Embodiment
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Chalice Lighters
Within the UUA, there’s a program called Chalice Lighters. Chalice Lighters began in 1984 as a way for individual Unitarian Universalists to support projects and programs within and among UU congregations by donating $10 or more three times a year.
Sky Island UU Church has benefited in the past from Chalice Lighters grants. There’s quite a history behind the Chalice Lighters program and you can read more about it here.
Want to connect with other UUs engaged in justice? Check out the Side With Love’s Action Center.
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Mindfulness Meditation
Come for mindfulness meditation each Tuesday from 11am – noon at the church. We take turns leading it, but don’t feel that you have to. Come and try it out, no experience necessary. Thank you Django Sanders who always attends to hold space for others who come as well.
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Wondering Wednesdays
Wondering Wednesday has reconvened every Wednesday! Feel free to pop in for some friendly conversation and catch up on the latest in the SIUUC Community.
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Beloved member Ken Tanner has returned to Sierra Vista. We would like to put some food in his refrigerator so he and his daughter, Andrea, can concentrate on other things as he settles back in. If you are willing to cook, please reach out to his Care Team leader, Kim Thomas at 520-912-8297. Kim prefers texts, but you can always leave her a voice mail. Ken does not like chicken, or rice.
Susie Fawcett is at the Haven of Sierra Vista. Tina has discovered that late morning is a good time to visit to find Susie somewhat responsive.
If you have a joy you’d like to share or a sorrow you’d like people to hear, please send an email to skyislandchurch@gmail.com