October 16, 2014

Issue No. 3, Volume 1

Parking information, maps, and directions to First Universalist can be found by clicking here.

Additional information about special musical guest, Guante:

Guante is a hip hop artist, two-time National Poetry Slam champion, social justice activist, educator and writer. 

He and/or his work has appeared on Upworthy, MSNBC, Racialicious, Feministing, MPR, the Progressive, City Pages' "Artists of the Year" list and URB Magazine's "Next 1000" list, and he's shared bills with Talib Kweli, Saul Williams, Brother Ali, Dead Prez, Sage Francis, Andrea Gibson, Doomtree, Zion I and more. Guante's work explores the intersections of art, media and social justice education; to that end, he facilitates workshops on identity, power and privilege, founded the MN Activist Project and Hip Hop Against Homophobia concert series, writes essays and op-eds, and works with COMPAS, TruArtSpeaks and others to engage in artist residencies around writing and performance for youth.

We have podcasts available online of all of our sermons!  Here is a snapshot from Rev. Justin's sermon this past Sunday, Taking Spiritual Inventory:

To listen to Rev. Justin's October 12th sermon in its entirety, click here!

Every so often we need to clean out the spiritual closet. The stack of games we've played on ourselves or others have fallen on our heads just one too many times. It's time to make an accurate assessment of our disarray and discontent, keep what we need, and discard what we don't. In this way, we make room for the whole and the holy in our lives. This month we will be talking about the importance of taking a spiritual inventory and keeping it real.


By Anand Giridharadas 

The True American tells the story of Raisuddin Bhuiyan, a Bangladesh Air Force officer who dreams of immigrating to America and working in technology. But days after 9/11, an avowed "American terrorist" named Mark Stroman, seeking revenge, walks into the Dallas minimart where Bhuiyan has found temporary work and shoots him, maiming and nearly killing him. The True American traces the making of these two men and follows them as they rebuild shattered lives-one striving on Death Row to become a better man, the other to heal and pull himself up from the lowest rung on the ladder of an unfamiliar country.

By Rev. Erik Walker Wikstrom

Drawing from the wisdom of the world's religions, Simply Pray offers us an easy-to-use modern prayer practice free from any particular theological orientation.Rev. Wikstrom identifies and defines the four major types of prayer that are practiced by all the world's major religions:

* "Naming" the many ways in which the holy is present in daily life and the wider world

* "Knowing" the self introspectively-both in its strengths and weaknesses

* "Listening" to the "voice of quiet stillness" that resides in each individual

* "Loving" by reaching out to the world

All of these four kinds of prayer are ways in which we keep it real.

If you are experiencing a crisis or transition, or celebrating a joy - please let us know. If you'd like to be included in our Cycle of Life each Sunday in worship, please contact Sandy diNanni at ([email protected]) or (612) 825-1701. If you would like support, please contact Rev. Jen Crow ([email protected] or 825-1701) or any member of our Pastoral Care Team.

 

For more information about events at First Universalist, check out our website by clicking here! 

First Universalist provides staff and supplies for the Hope Food and Clothing Closets as well as academic assistants in the classroom. Our congregants generously donated 48 backpacks for students at the start of this school year.

Donations for the Hope Food Closet can be brought to the Hub on Sundays.  Pick up a "shopping list" at the Hub.  Briefly,  we need snacks like granola bars and easy to prepare foods like single serving microwavable soups, mac and cheese, stews, and other meals. Toiletries needed include toothpaste and toothbrushes, deodorant, and tampons (we have plenty of travel size shampoo, conditioner, lotion and soap).

Do you have news, information, an announcement, a photo, or an article that you would like to see published in The Weekly Liberal?

Click here to fill out our online submission form!  Please note that edits for length and/or content may occur.

The deadline for submission is always Tuesday at 10:00 AM.  The Weekly Liberal is published Thursday afternoon.

Would you like to join our mailing list?

Our 2014-2015 schedule of Annual Events is available online!  The 2014 Fall worship schedule is also included in this document.  Click here to view.

Rev. Justin Schroeder

Rev. Jen Crow

Rev. Ruth MacKenzie

Rev. Elaine Aron Tenbrink

Diane Gavere

Lauren Wyeth

For additional staff contact information, click here.

The Weekly Liberal is compiled and edited by Communications Manager Heidi Johnson.  

To submit an article or announcement for publication in The Weekly Liberal, please fill out the online submission form here. 

News and Announcements

Created by Shakti Butler, this film examines the causes and consequences of systemic inequity. Cracking the Codes: The System of Racial Inequity features moving stories from racial justice leaders including Amer Ahmed, Michael Benitez, Barbie-Danielle DeCarlo, Joy DeGruy, Peggy McIntosh, Rinku Sen, Tilman Smith and Tim Wise. Discussion facilitated by Brian Eshult, Margaret Manderfeld, and Lark Weller

Sunday, October 26 

from 1:00-2:30pm in the Cummins Room
Tuesday, October 28 

from 7:00-8:30pm in Room 203

This is a drop-in group; no registration is required. Childcare available with at least 7 days advance notice at:

2:30 Doors open and registration
3:00 Forum starts promptly
5:00 Conclusion and action steps

SHIR TIKVAH SYNAGOGUE
1360 Minnehaha Pkwy, Minneapolis 55419
Entrance on Girard Ave. South 

(leave time for street parking)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Join our environmental justice lay leaders and Rev. Jen Crow for a conversation about our environmental justice priorities for the year and some initial planning on how to make them happen. All are welcome. Contact Rev. Jen Crow ([email protected]) with any questions.

Also joining John for some songs of the era will be First Universalist members George Dow and Kira Berglund. Mark your calendars now, and swing by for a hot time in the old sanctuary!

  

Wait--don't buy Halloween candy yet! 

 

6th graders will be offering fair-trade chocolate and packets of popcorn between Sunday services on Oct 19 and Oct 25. 

As part of a social justice project, the 6th grade 9:30 Religious Education class chose to learn about how children are exploited by the chocolate industry. They have done research, will be offering information at their table in the social hall, and hope congregants will buy fair-trade products instead of the usual candy to hand out on Halloween.

Please stop by the sales table and ask them what they learned. It has been an eye- opening journey for them. You can support the kids' efforts and take a small, easy step toward social justice with your donation, knowing the treats you'll hand out are good for ALL kids.

 

Features

Get To Know Your First U Staff!  

Every few weeks, we will be featuring a staff member in this section answering a few questions about their job (and a few fun questions, too!)

My position here is Administrative Assistant. I work closely with the Office and Events Manager with room reservations, supervise front desk volunteers, assist the Senior Minister, and provide general clerical support to the staff.

What are some things that you enjoy about working at First U?

The people here are wonderful: staff and congregation! I can't stress that enough. This is going to sound real soppy, but this is the first job I've had where I feel like I truly belong. Also, I really enjoy the work I do. I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to do so many different things. As Brad mentioned last week, the variety is truly refreshing.

If you could attend a dinner party with any six additional people-famous, dead, alive, anyone-who would they be?

Okay, is there a way I could make all six of my dinner companions be Bob Dylan? ... Well one would definitely be Bob Dylan. My other five? I'll go with Oscar Wilde, Nina Simone, David Bowie, Dorothy Parker, and astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson.

Full disclosure, I still (not-so-secretly) hope to become Sailor Moon one day. But since I can choose only one super power, I would choose luck. Once you have luck everything else should fall into place.

Did You Know?

By Lauren Wyeth, Director of Children, Youth, & Family Ministries

 

Did you know that you can see what our children and youth will be doing on Sunday mornings by checking out our online class calendars? In addition to regular Religious Education sessions, we look forward to four Youth-friendly Worship Sundays (like the one coming up this weekend!), when 6th-12th graders join adults in the Sanctuary. We've also scheduled several Special Art Days in K-5th grades this year (our first will happen this coming Sunday!), where children connect creativity and spirituality. Lesssons and special events are laid out for September through May here.

The Queer Young Adults Community Circle opened its doors again this fall to those who wish to reflect on our worship services in the company of other people in their 20's and early 30's who identify as queer. Kaitlyn Hunt and Andrew Hockman, the group's current co-facilitators, have generously offered The Weekly Liberal their reflections on this experience, what brought them to First Universalist, and the meaning of the word "queer." An excerpt from the interview:
 

    
 

What have you learned through participating in this Circle?

Andrew: That we all share in the human experience. It's probably a general truth about the human condition that we all at times are unsure of ourselves, fearful, joyful, excited, but in a society that tells us to have it all figured out, it's easy to lose sight of the fact that most of us don't. The circle brings me back to humility, vulnerability, and the strength that can only be found when we share honestly. 

Kaitlyn: Putting what I have learned into a short synopsis feels like it would be short changing something that has changed my life. Here are just a few of my key takeaways: I have learned that I am not alone. I have learned to embrace my True self. I have learned what it is like to intently listen to the beauty of others and their stories. I have learned to embrace the discomfort of silence. I have learned that there is hope for continuous change towards betterment. 
 

To read the entire interview, click here!

 

To learn more about circles at First Universalist, click here

 

 

By Gil Wahl, member of the Community Investment Team

First Universalist Church gives away a sizable chunk of our Sunday offerings to non-profit organizations that do community based work. We believe that "We all do better when we all do better" (Paul Wellstone). This is a value we hold high, and we put our money where our mouth is. Since 2010, we have given money to local, statewide, national, and international organizations that do work that we, as a congregation, value! We are working to make a difference!

We divide our Sunday collections into three categories of recipients:

1. Faith In Action Partners and Allies
2. Racial Justice Organizations
3. Organizations responding to a timely and critical problem

To continue funding important social justice work, the Community Investment Team needs your help. If you know of an organization that is doing love's work in the world, please make them a recipient nominee. 

It's easy! Click here to fill out the form and send. It really can be that easy to make a difference in the world!

We want to hear from you!

The Community Investment Team
(Umesh Berry, Andrea Brown, Ed Cerier, Gil Wahl)

 

Summarizing the great data from 347 of our wonderful congregants, even with the statistical development and analysis skills of David Leppik, is not easy. So much great detail, but with the power of statistical analysis, we have the ability to step into the "big picture" and come up with some "take-aways."

 

* We like this church. We feel nurtured here and nurture each other. We celebrate together and have developed our own rituals. We feel comfortable bringing our friends to First Universalist.

* Church is a place we have made new friends, not always of our generation either. We are still challenged to get to know our youth and children better and as a part of our church community.

* Spiritual growth is important to us. We feel that the programs and services of the church help us develop spiritually. But we don't necessarily bring that spirituality into our homes. 

* We are comforting to each other as we deal with life's challenges and help each other heal. 

* We are growing in our understanding of what it means to be a Unitarian Universalist and in understanding the beliefs of others. 

* We feel empowered to take action in the world and do. However, we must do better involving our children and youth in our work.

* We challenge ourselves as a congregation. We tackle big issue like Racial Justice and have big ambitions for our children, youth and adult education programs.

A survey shows us trends and that we are moving in a direction that inspires most people. People are excited to be a part of First Universalist Church. It doesn't negate the individual comments from those of you who find what we are today as a church to be not exactly what you expected or would like. Your voices and concerns are heard and many are influencing staff and board goals for this year. As we say so often, "we don't have to think alike to love alike."

As the Board of First Universalist, the annual congregational survey is only one piece of information that we use to monitor and shape the direction of the church. Our own careful evaluation of our progress on the Visionary Goals, information from our State of the Church meeting and budget meetings with the congregation, monthly monitoring of financial and membership information, and our monthly meetings and Working Sessions all give us additional information.

Thank you, as members of this church, for participating in this survey. We hope this summary is helpful as we, together, live into love's people.