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I am back from my adventure at Holden Village!  It was a very relaxing time and I had plenty of time to hike as well as attend daily educational sessions with the guest faculty and staff there last week.   The discussion was on Health Justice.  The speakers were both doctors who have extensive experience in law and health issues.  How we understand health justice is important, especially in understanding that Health Care is NOT access to health.  What I mean is that we believe that everyone ought to be able to avoid preventable disease, escape premature death and live with dignity.  This is a fallacy in our country… sad, but a true fact. 

What I learned is that health justice means centering community voices and doing something about the decisions that were made in our history that created such an injustice in our health care systems.  Perhaps the most shocking reality is how little justice we have working for the health system… Lawyers and doctors do not talk to one another unless one is fighting against the other in court over health-coverage or malpractice claims.  What about the need for lawyers to fight FOR the health system?  Where do these respective professions come together?  Well, there has been very little legal assistance for the health care system, that is until now, when activists and health care professionals are getting legal degrees to help fight for the system. 

There is also a very disturbing history to our country that demonstrates intentional injustice and racist moves that continue to haunt neighborhoods in every large city in America.  In this workshop, we were introduced to what is called Structural Competency which affects the social determinants in the environments in which people are born, live, learn, play, work, and worship… all effect health and quality of life.   This occurred with a system of interstate planning done in the 1950’s in deciding how the interstate systems were to be mapped through cities.  It was called Red-lining where politicians chose the poorest and unfortunately…

The 2025 ELCA Churchwide Assembly will be held July 28–Aug. 2, 2025, at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Ariz. A livestream of plenary sessions and worship will be available at ELCA.org/cwa.

Pastor Tony will be volunteering at the assembly all week. Key business will include electing a new presiding bishop and secretary and considering the proposed social statement Faith and Civic Life: Seeking the Well-being of All.

The ELCA Churchwide Assembly, the primary decision-making body of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, is a process of communal spiritual discernment. When the ELCA Churchwide Assembly convenes...

For more information go to: www.elca.org/about/leadership/churchwide-assembly

Sunday, July 27—Celebration of the 25th Anniversary of Ordination for Pastor Tony during worship with a reception after worship in Werner Hall.

Wednesday, July 30—Movies that Matter at 10am in the conference room. We will be watching One Life, tells the true story of Sir Nicholas "Nicky" Winton (played by Anthony Hopkins), a British stockbroker who, in the months leading up to World War II, saved 669 predominantly Jewish children from Nazi-occupied  Czechoslovakia. The film portrays both his younger self, working to organize the evacuations, and his older self, reflecting on his past and the impact of his actions. 

Thursday, July 31—Game Day from 1pm-3pm in the Luther Room hosted by Bill Pavesic. Join the fun for abbreviated versions of Tucson-opoly and Star Wars-opoly!

Sunday, Aug 3 & 10—Men’s Summer Choir. Calling All Men! Please join James & Becky after worship to practice for singing on Aug. 17th. No choir experience needed, the song is familiar and easy to learn!

Wednesdays, Aug. 6, 13—Movies that Matter at 10am in the conference room. We will be watching Luther, and What Dreams May Come, a 1998 fantasy drama film starring Robin Williams as a man who dies in a car accident and journeys through the afterlife. Based on the novel by Richard Matheson (who also wrote many Twilight Zone episodes), this film explores themes of love, loss, and the possibilities of what heaven and hell might be like. With surreal scenes that are stunningly beautiful and sometimes disturbing, you will find yourself pondering and imagining what intriguing possibilities there are in that great unknown beyond this life. 

Saturday, August 9—Car pool to the Rolling Thru Time Auto Museum in Tucson (4750 S Park Ave). Meet at the church at 12:30pm. The Rolling Thru Time Museum, nestled in the heart of Tucson, Arizona, has become a cherished institution for automotive enthusiasts and history buffs alike. Its history is a fascinating tale of passion, preservation, and community engagement. In 2024, the Rolling Thru Time Museum opened its doors to the public. The mission was clear: to educate visitors about the history of automobiles and their 
significance in American life while providing a platform for local clubs and historians to share their stories. For more info check out their website at: https://rttmuseum.com/

Welcome into our community today as we seek to follow the one who gathers us.
May you feel a connection to the beautiful Savior in worship this day! May you join us in learning and seeking to live in G.R.A.C.E. (Generosity, Reaching Out, Advocacy, Compassion, Encouragement).   

We gather in the unity of Christ and are all invited to the Lord’s Table. He is the host —we are all guests. We celebrate that Jesus came to us and continues to come to us.  In faith we receive the body and blood of our Lord and Savior. We believe that he did this “for you.”

Join us in-person, on Facebook Live at Beautifulsaviortucson, and on Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88641186563   Meeting ID: 886 4118 6563 and Passcode: 188820