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November 3, 2016 | Vol. 3 No. 44
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| SUNDAY WORSHIP AT FIRST UNIVERSALIST CHURCH |
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Sunday, Nov. 6, 9:30 & 11:15 a.m.
Sharing Sunday (ages 4 through 5th grade attend first part of service)
"The Spiritual Classroom of Discomfort"
Rev. Ruth MacKenzie
Whether we like it or not, the places where we feel the most discomfort in our lives are the places of our greatest opportunities for learning. Discomfort is the very thing that may catapult us out of our old patterns and into creative thinking and spiritual depth. If religion is doing its job, it is helping us sit in discomfort long enough to allow the transforming spirit to do its work and remind us over and over again that we are not alone.
Music: Chalice Singers, The OK Factor
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Sunday, Nov. 13, 9:30 & 11:15 a.m.
New Member Sunday
"What Have We Done?"
Rev. Justin Schroeder
Recent Sermon Podcasts
October 30, 2016
"Memory, Amnesia, and Hope"
Rev. Elaine Aron Tenbrink
October 23, 2016
"Stories We Don't Want to Tell"
Rev. Justin Schroeder
October 16, 2016
"The Reasonableness of Hope"
Rev. Jen Crow
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Daylight Saving Time Ends This Sunday
Don't forget to "Fall Back" this weekend!
Daylight Saving Time ends Sunday, Nov. 6 at 2 a.m. Set your clocks back before bed on Saturday to make sure you're not an hour early to church!
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| Musical Guests this Sunday: The OK Factor |
With Olivia Diercks on cello, and Karla Dietmeyer on violin, The OK Factor is a progressive folk duo based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Olivia and Karla couple their classical training with genre-bending techniques and musical ideas, creating all original music that has earned them such honors as composing and performing a piece for the 5Point Film Festival in Colorado, and being chosen as Minnesota Public Radio 2016-2017 Class Notes Artists.
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November Worship Theme: Making Space for Discomfort
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M. Scott Peck writes: "The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers." Most of us want to get to the end of an uncomfortable situation, or an unfulfilled time as soon as humanly possible. We often will choose a questionable equilibrium over a generative imbalance any day. But what if we placed the mantle of discomfort squarely upon our shoulders, and embraced it as our greatest spiritual teacher? This month, we practice making space for discomfort and the truer answers it has to teach.
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Barbara Harman Artist Talk:
"Still Working, a Journey"
Sunday, Nov. 6, 1-2 p.m., Cummins Room
Barbara Harman will give an artist talk about her series
Stitch by Stitch
, on exhibit in the Social Hall Oct. 23-Nov. 27. Barbara's talk (with props and treats) will focus on how art practice changes over the life of an artist, often including issues of aging and physical challenges but also the need to enliven the practice. Read more about the exhibit here.
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Racial Justice and Our UU Faith Workshop
Saturdays, Nov. 12 & 19, 9-11:30 a.m.
Cummins Room
Join us for a workshop exploring a framework and tools for understanding race, racism, and whiteness and the spiritual imperative that drives our racial justice work. This is a distilled experience of the 24-hour training offered by Dr. Heather Hackman.
This workshop will be led by Channing McKinley, Clemma Muller, and Bryana French, and is offered in two parts: Saturdays, Nov. 12 & 19, 9-11:30 a.m. To register, contact Sandy at
[email protected] or 612-825-1701.
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Film & Discussion: "Mirrors of Privilege"
Monday, Nov. 14, 7-8:30 p.m., Room 200
This groundbreaking film features stories from white men and women on overcoming unconscious racism and entitlement. The discussion will be facilitated by Susan Schultz and Susan Hoffman. This is a drop-in, two-part showing. Part 1 will be shown on Monday, Nov. 14 (7-8:30 p.m.) and Part 2 will be shown on Tuesday, Nov. 22 ( 7-8:30 p.m.).
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Daytime Connections: Crossing Our Thresholds
Thursday, Nov. 17, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
How do we cherish, and at the same time let go, when life-changing events turn us in new directions? Rev. Karen Hering, a literary minister at Unity Unitarian, will explore with us how a spiritual practice of writing can help us cross our personal thresholds. Lunch at 1 pm, following program ($5-$10 donation requested for lunch). RSVP to Sandy DiNanni [email protected] or 612-825-1701.
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This Sunday: Get to Know Our Faithful Action Partner Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative
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Our featured Faithful Action Partner this Sunday, Nov. 6, is Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative. Join us in worship and in the social hall afterwards to learn more about Beacon, its programs, and how you can get involved.
Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative, through its Families Moving Forward program, provides temporary housing for families experiencing homelessness. Over 60 congregations in the Twin Cities rotate on a weekly basis to create shelter space at their sites, providing a safe place to sleep, meals, and the kindness and compassion of the congregation's volunteers. Up to 16 families are provided shelter at one time through four groupings of up to four families each. Completing the circle of support, Beacon's professional staff works closely with each family to address their unique barriers to stability so they may leave the shelter program for permanent housing.
Beacon Citizens are volunteers who participate in planned activities to advance Beacon's goal of ending homelessness. They advocate for public policies and funding that make it easier to create affordable housing and support people to end homelessness in their lives. During the 2015 Legislative Session, over 1,600 Beacon Citizens contributed statements about what "home is to them" in support of the Homes for All agenda. These messages were delivered to state legislators. As a result of the Homes for All advocacy, the Legislature increased housing and homeless services by $25.5 million. When Beacon Citizens come together, we win!
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Next Contemplative Evening Worship Service is Nov. 20
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 The stars that dot our sky are almost inconceivably distant, but they mean so much to humanity: As silent guardians, watching through the night; As a celestial map, in which we track our journeys and record our legends; As the catalyst for aspirations, wishes, dreams.
It is a miracle that we can see stars at all, that the fragile photons bearing their message has reached us, here, after so many centuries. The stars are now quite different from what they were when the message was sent. What does it say?
This month's Contemplative Evening Service, "Kinds of Light: Stars," on Sunday, Nov. 20 at 5:30 p.m., brings us music by the Estonian composer Urmas Sisask. Inspired equally by astronomy and by the folk legends and idioms of the Estonian people, Sisask has written volumes of music decorated by his own drawings of the constellations, nebulae, and galaxies that span the heavens. The vast empty spaces and intense celestial flames are evoked by the mysterious resonances of the piano, played by Dr. Jerrod Wendland.
Interspersed with silent meditation and poetry read by Rev. Ruth MacKenzie, this service asks us to re-imagine our place in the universe, and to contemplate the tiny, constant beams of light that suffuse our world.
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Another Community Conversation Inspired by
Bde/Mde Maka Ska Coming Up
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Save the date! First U is hosting another conversation on Saturday, Nov. 19 in the
Social Hall. An exact time has not been set yet, but it will be during the day.
Come
join the growing community of people being called by the spirit of the lake to
build a community that is good for everyone.
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Global Gift Fair is on Sunday, Nov. 27
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This year's Global Gift Fair will be held in the Social Hall on Sunday, Nov. 27 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Come and purchase handmade items from organizations that help people in need. Gift responsibly! Read about this year's vendors on our website.
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Save the Date: 36th Annual Winter Solstice
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For 36 years, First Universalist has honored the longest night of the year, and joyously celebrated going into the dark and the return of the sun! Join us on Wednesday, Dec. 21, as we observe another turning of the year. We will move through the evening with beautiful music, participation for all ages, and spreading of the light.
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The Board of Trustees meets regularly on the third
Thursday
of each month. If we want to meet at another time, our bylaws require that we provide the congregation with notice. The BOT will meet
Sunday, Nov. 6
, at
12:30 p.m.
, in Room 203. The purpose of this additional meeting is to discuss Skip Schlafer's report on the Comprehensive Stewardship Campaign (CSC) focus groups.
- Christa Anders, Board Secretary
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Greetings to all the knitters and crocheters at First Universalist! It's time to get out your knitting needles/crochet hooks and yarn and start making hats. Eight years ago a small group started making hats to be distributed to Simpson Shelter as a holiday gift. The project has continued to grow and about 20 agencies received donations last year.
There is a donation basket near the elevator where you can drop off your hat donations. If for some reason you don't see it, give your donation to Sandy at The Hub. For more information, visit: www.hats4thehomeless.blogspot.com.
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Cycle of Life and Pastoral Care
We hold Justin Schroeder and Juliana Keen and their family in our prayers. Juliana's mother, who lives in North Carolina, has been diagnosed with kidney cancer.
Cards of care and support can be sent to the church, 3400 Dupont Ave S.
Let Us Keep You in Our Thoughts and Prayers
If you are experiencing a crisis or transition, or celebrating a joy, please let us know. To be included in our Cycle of Life each Sunday in worship, contact Sandy DiNanni at
[email protected] or 612-825-1701. If you would like support, call the office at 612-825-1701 or contact any member of our
Pastoral Care Team.
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Congregational Care: Comfort Shawls
Do you like to knit? Contact Pat Foulkes, [email protected], for directions for the comfort shawls that we distribute to congregants in times of need. Or perhaps you know somebody who is in need of a Comfort Shawl; contact Congregational Care co-chairs Kathy Urberg at [email protected] or Kathy Coskran at 612-202-9322 or [email protected].
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Planned Giving & the Heritage Circle
Please let us know
when you designate First Universalist Church as a beneficiary in your will or estate plan so we can thank you for your generous commitment and welcome you to the Heritage Circle. The church office and the Planned Giving Committee can help you. Learn more on our website.
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| ADVOCACY & COMMUNITY BULLETIN BOARD |
Want to Support the Standing Rock Camp in North Dakota But Can't Go?
Submitted by Kristen Mengelkoch
Rev. Ashley Horan, a local Unitarian Universalist minister and Executive Director of MUUSJA (Minnesota Unitarian Universalist Social Justice Alliance), has been in touch with
Rev. Karen Van Fossan of the UU Church of Bismarck/Mandan. She says:
"Karen and her congregation have been providing incredible support and solidarity with the folks on the ground of the #NODAPL movement on the Standing Rock reservation, at both Oceti Sakowin and Sacred Stone camps. They have been in this work for months, and are gearing up to support the Protectors through the harsh North Dakota winter.
"There will certainly be many ways to show up, both physically and with our financial support and activism in the coming days, weeks, and months... but this week, as fatigue and resistance begin to crop up, Karen reports that her people are tired, and they need a word of encouragement from the broader community to help remind them that their work is important, and sacred, and held in love and light by a broader network of Beloved Community.
"THE ASK:
will you please take your phone or your computer, and record a quick video message for our UUs in the Bismarck/Mandan congregation? You can post it directly on their Facebook page, and let them know we see them and love them and are grateful for their frontline ministry.
If we can flood their congregation with support and affirmation, I believe we can contribute to their - and by extension, our - long-haul commitment to Indigenous Sovereignty, protection of our sacred earth, and intersectional movements for justice.
Sometimes the best ministry can be simply to say to one another, 'I see you. I love you. You are enough. Carry on.'"
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Pottery and Ceramic Artists: A Call for Bowls
Donations of food-safe bowls can help local youth! Donated bowls will be filled with soup at Kingfield Neighborhood Association's annual Empty Bowls fundraiser on Feb. 9 to benefit Nicollet Square - a safe, affordable and supportive housing option for youth (16-21) who have experienced homelessness or aged out of foster care.
Donations can be dropped off at the ColorWheel Gallery on 319 W. 46th St. in Minneapolis before Feb. 1. Contact Tammy Ortegon (612-823-5693) for hours. More information. Thank you!
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| RESOURCES & CONTACT INFORMATION |
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Church Office Hours
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Sundays
8 a.m.-1 p.m.
Monday-Thursday
8:30 a.m.-8 p.m.
Closed Fridays and Saturdays
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The Weekly Liberal is compiled and edited by Communications Manager Jenn Stromberg. Past issues, publication deadlines, and policies can be found on our
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Contact Us
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First Universalist Church of Minneapolis
3400 Dupont Ave. S.
Minneapolis, MN 55408
612-825-1701
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First Universalist Church of Minneapolis
3400 Dupont Avenue S.
Minneapolis, MN 55408
612-825-1701
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