The Prologue                                           Tuesday, July 16 , 2019
  Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington, Indiana
   Congregation founded 1949
   LGBTQ Welcoming Congregation since 1995
   Green Sanctuary since 2007
Seeking the Spirit, Building Community, Changing the World
S unday, July 21, 2019
9:15 am and 11:15 am
In Recovery from White Moderation
Reverend Forrest Gilmore
     In the Letter from Birmingham Jail, Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen's Counciler or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to 'order' than to justice." What if the white moderate is us? How do we step out of the longing for comfort and order and into the call for justice? 
     Rev. Gilmore , our guest in the pulpit this morning, serves as our affiliated community minister. He is also Executive Director of the  Shalom Community Center .

Early Risers Breakfast Club for 9:15 am service attendees: Simple breakfast foods (i.e. fruit, breads, etc.) will be provided in Fellowship Hall immediately after first service for 9:15 attendees.
Sunday, July 28, 2019
9:15 am and 11:15 am
Building Bridges and Crossing Borders
Reverend Scott McNeill
From Edmund Pettis Bridge in Selma, Alabama, to Paso del Norte International Bridge in El Paso, Texas, bridges represent a powerful image of connecting two places. Join us as we explore stories and questions regarding how we move between places familiar and unknown, both literally across physical borders or figuratively through difficult emotions or new stages in life.

Early Risers Breakfast Club for 9:15 am service attendees:  Simple breakfast foods (i.e. fruit, breads, etc.) will be provided in Fellowship Hall immediately after first service for 9:15 attendees.
Sunday, August 4, 2019
9:15 am and 11:15 am
Roots and Wings: Singing Our Living Tradition
Reverend Mary Ann Macklin
Bloomington Chamber Singers
    In this worship service, we will explore the power of music within our Unitarian Universalist congregations, particularly in terms of our Singing The Living Tradition hymnal which states in part, "Religion is a present reality, it is also an inheritance; a living faith must have both roots and wings. A hymnbook is one place where we find both."  Join Reverend Macklin and the Bloomington Chamber Singers as we journey within our hymnbook via a Children's Hymn Sing, an Adult Hymn Sing and much more.  (UU Adult Choir returns to worship on August 11.)
What is the Story You're Telling Yourself? 
     Last week, I visited El Paso, Texas, to learn more about the various experiences of immigration along our border. I still have much to think through (and I'll share some of those thoughts during our service on July 28th), but one of the things I am most drawn to share right now is how important it is to be able to tell one's own story. Time and time again, people I met in El Paso were frustrated that the stories of their city and lives were being told inaccurately by people removed from their experience.
     There is a song I really like ("All the Stars" by The Wailin' Jennys) and its chorus offers this line: "You don't know me; you know one side of a story." Over the next couple of weeks, I encourage you to wrestle with this: What is the story you're telling yourself (about your own life, about someone else you love or someone who has wronged you, about other people and cultures)? And then explore: can grace come into that story, and shift things to a place of greater peace and understanding?
--Rev. Scott

Reverend Scott McNeill 
Associate Minister
Our Folks...
     Our hearts are with Mike and Celeste McGregor and their family as they mourn the loss of Mike's father, Herman (Mac) McGregor. Mac passed away on Saturday. He was 95 years old.  
    The artwork of Lynne Gilliatt will be displayed in the Commons here at the church during August: twelve pastels and temperas on paper, which were created in Taos, N.M. and Bloomington, inspired by gardens, cafes, models in their dress, and shoes.
Summer Religious Exploration 
   This summer, we are excited to offer several options for religious exploration. We hope to provide you with opportunities to be with familiar faces, make new friends, learn, grow, and participate together as a family if you would like. 
   Adults, YES! we are inviting you to participate as well, and you can choose the same activity or something different than a child or youth you brought with you. Religious Exploration is for everyone! Adults without children and youth, newcomers and visitors are all encouraged to attend as well!
9:15 a.m.   - Early Risers Breakfast Club, (Preschool-Adult), Kitchen
11:15 a.m. - Spirit Play for All Ages (Preschool-Adult), Room 103
                 - Makerspace, (K-Adult), Room 208
   Read more about our summer offerings here: 

Want to volunteer with Summer RE?   If you might be able to lend a hand one Sunday in June or July, please sign up here:  tinyurl.com/summerREvolunteers
Splash of the Sacred 
Picnic & Potluck, Sunday, September 1
Save the Date! Sunday, September 1st.  5:00-8:3 0pm 
Join us for our annual Splash of the Sacred Picnic & Pool Party! Newcomers and visitors especially welcome! 
Click here to see a poster with adorable photos!   Find this event on Facebook  
  Building Community 
Membership Ceremony July 21
Is this your church?  Do you want to show your commitment to the values, goals and general welfare of our church? If so, become a member. Membership acknowledges both publicly and privately, your kinship and affinity with the immediate and larger religious community of Unitarian Universalism.  The next membership ceremony is scheduled for this Sunday, July 21 at 10:30 a.m. If you are new to Unitarian Universalism, we ask that you complete the Exploring Unitarian Universalism class before signing the membership book.  Let Ann LeDuc know if  you would like to attend the membership ceremony and become a member of the UU Church of Bloomington. Email Ann at  connect (at) uubloomington.org or call (812)332-3695.
Hike this Saturday, July 20 
at Griffy Lake
We will meet at 8:30 AM this Saturday (July 20) at the Griffy Lake parking lot, near the boat house, and hike the 1.8 mile Boat House Trail. The trail is rated as moderately difficult, starting and ending with a bit steeper slopes, but most of the trail is relatively flat. We will cancel if it rains.   If you plan to join us, or would like to be added to the UU Hikers email list, email Ann LeDuc
This Sunday, July 21
Tabletop Role-Playing Gamers Unite!
Are you interested in playing tabletop role-playing games such as Dungeons and Dragons? If so, this is an opportunity for you. Join us on July 21 at 10:30 at the Birds of a Feather Common Interest table during coffee hour to connect with others interested in playing. Look for the special "reserved" table.  Questions? Contact the Connections Coordinator at connect (at) uubloomington.org
Are you age 18-35?  
If so, mark your calendar and join us for these fun upcoming events:

July 28  Let's go out to lunch
Let's go out to lunch after second service.  We will meet in the Commons after the second service, near the social justice table, and carpool to a nearby restaurant.  Anyone age 18-35 is welcome. Thanks to a generous donation to our Young Adult Ministry, we are able to buy lunch.  Questions? Email Ann LeDuc at connect (at) uubloomington.org

Starting August 25-- 
Continuing Conversations
We will gather after second service to go deeper into Sunday's sermon topic. Starting August 25 at 12:30 PM in Room 112. The plan is to gather on the second and fourth Sunday each month. Food will be provided.  This is open to anyone ages 18-35, so bring a friend!  Free childcare is available if requested two weeks in advance by emailing rea (at) uubloomington.org  
Women's Alliance Meets August 1 at 11:30 am
The program for the Women's Alliance on Thursday, August 1 will be presented by Diann and Ted Lock, sharing their experience of creating a wedding and party venue here in Bloomington. Bring a brown bag lunch; beverage and dessert will be provided. All are welcome!
Make UUCB More Dementia Friendly
Sunday, August 18, 1:00 pm
We will hold a training on becoming a Dementia Friendly Location on Sunday, August 18 at 1:00 pm in the church library. The goal of this training is to help us learn how to better support members of our community who are living with dementia, as well as supporting their caregivers. The training will be provided by the Alzheimer's Resource Service of IU Health. Food will be provided. If you would like to participate in the training,  email Ann LeDuc or call her at (812) 332-3695. 
  Changing the World 
A Powerful Immigration Story by Juliana Crespo
Last Friday at the Lights for Liberty vigil in Bloomington, Juliana Crespo, a member of our congregation, shared her powerful story of immigrating to the United States. Click here to read the text of her speech.

EarthKeepers Community Composting Update 
     Representatives from EarthKeepers, who were in Fellowship Hall between services in June and early July, will no longer be at our site on Sundays to help people sign up to bring their compostable items to our compost cabinet. They will continue to offer regular collection services to the UUCB community, using their drop-off cabinet, but the staff are now needed to bring this composting program to another congregation, thanks to our pilot program that helped them work out the kinks in the system. The program would not have been such a great success if it weren't for all of you who came out to learn, to offer feedback for improvements, and to give your support and participation; so, thank you to all who are taking part! 
     If you haven't done so yet, please sign up to keep receiving the monthly padlock-code, so you can empty your compost buckets into the trash can in their cabinet on Sundays (or any time at at your convenience, during the week). They will continue to empty the container in our kitchen, and you can still request a larger container for special events that will have food-preparation and scraps, at no cost to the church!   If you haven't signed up, will need a larger container, or have questions, please contact Ryan and Andrea:  contact@fablefarms.org
-- Molly O'Donnell, Green Sanctuary Task Force
Will You Join Us in Reducing Our Reliance on Single Use Plastics? July: Plastic Jugs
      The new  Task of the Month Program for Reducing Plastic Use   focuses on a single category of plastic each month, allowing participants the time to try alternatives and establish new habits.  Each month, you'll receive an email with suggestions for reducing (and eventually eliminating) that month's target type of plastic.  Click here to sign up!
      For a while, many of us thought that recycling plastics was a reliable way to make use of discarded plastic, but we now know that is not the case. Instead, we must reduce demand.      -- Stephanie Kimball for the Green Sanctuary Task Force 
Monthly Habitat Builds Continue 
July 20 and August 17
The task force continues our monthly builds on the third Saturday of the month. We need volunteers for July 20, when we will be doing siding, and August 17, when we will be caulking, painting and installing appliances at 4000 W. Cedar Chase Dr. on the southwest side. If you can't work a full day from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., please consider working 8 a.m. to noon or 1 to 4 p.m. Lunch is provided, whether you work half or full-days. No experience necessary. Sign up at:  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70a044caea82da2f85-uuhabitat
Bring a friend, relative, neighbor!

Mark your calendars--
Habitat Fundraiser Coffeehouse  October 18
The Habitat Task Force will host a coffeehouse fundraiser here, Friday, October 18 at 7:00 p.m. The line up includes all kinds of music--blues, folk, German, country, flute, old time, and rock. Everyone is welcome, including all UUs, friends and community members. Refreshments will be served. Funds will be used to help sponsor an entire Habitat house. 
Kids Clothing Collection for Kenya - 
International Outreach Force
      The International Outreach Task Force will be making its biannual trip to Kenya in September, visiting Ndethya, the Kathonzweni women's agricultural cooperative; Msamaria Mwema, a small AIDS orphanage in Kibiciku; The Spurgeon School in Kibera with 500 students.  The task force is collecting children's clothing through August 25, to benefit the orphanage and the school. We need K-12 clothes. Details here.
UU History for You
Harriot Stanton Blatch and Women's Right to Vote
     Harriot (nee Stanton) Blatch (1856-1940) was born in Seneca Falls, New York, and died in Greenwich, Connecticut. As her name and birthplace suggest, she was destined for an activist role because her mother was Elizabeth Cady Stantonm, a pioneer in the women's movement in the nineteenth century. Harriot went to Vassar for a BA in mathematics and later got an MA there, applying mathematics to show discrimination against women in different social conditions.
     She also helped her mother and Susan B. Anthony write a book on the history of women's suffrage. She went abroad to earn a living, first as a tutor of children of wealthy patrons. She met her husband returning to the US, and took an interest in socialism, the labor union movement, and organizing marches to get a constitutional amendment giving women the right to vote. She also became a pacifist, arguing "war is so completely ineffective, so stupid. It solves nothing." 
She said her values were shaped by her Unitarian upbringing. 
Community Connections
Faith in Action in Our Community

Community Kitchen Really Really Needs Volunteers in August
     The Community Kitchen encourages new volunteers to help during August, when many student volunteers are unavailable. Volunteer shifts are from 11:30 am - 1:30 pm and 3:30- 6:30 pm each Monday-Saturday. Ages 10-13 accompanied by an adult are welcome, and those 14 and older can volunteer without an adult. Volunteer one time or sign up for a regular shift, once/week or once/month. Come make a difference in your community! Please call 812-332-0999 to volunteer, or email June at june (at) monroecommunitykitchen.com.
  Seeking the Spirit  
Religious Education for Adults
Shambhala Meditation Meets Mondays at 12 noon
Join us at 12 noon every Monday in the Library for an hour of Shambhala Meditation, walking meditation, and Shamatha yoga with Sarah Flint. Beginners welcome to participate in this 2500-year-old tradition. 
For more info:  Contact Sarah.
Open Mind Zen Meets Mondays at 7:00 pm
Join Frank Seisho Diaz for meditation, talks, and discussions on Zen Buddhism, Mondays 7:00-8:30 pm, in the Library here at the church. All are welcome regardless of faith or experience. 
For more info: Contact Open Mind Zen or visit   openmindzenbloomington.org  
Gentle Hatha Yoga on Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m.
with Kate Mulligan
A gentle Hatha Yoga practice to balance the mind, body, and spirit takes place 5:30-7 p.m. on Tuesdays in Fellowship Hall.  Please bring a yoga mat or large-size bath towel. The class is free and you may join at any time, but please register by calling or emailing the church office:  office@uubloomington.org  or 812-332-3695. 
Traditional Taiji Meets Tuesdays at 7:15 pm
Brian Flaherty leads "Wu (Hao)" style Taiji in Fellowship Hall on Tuesdays at 7:15 p.m. All are welcome, even those with no previous Taiji experience. Please wear loose-fitting clothing. 
For more i nfo: Contact Brian.
UU Freethinkers Meet July 21 , 12:45 pm
The UU Freethinkers bi-weekly meeting creates the opportunity for participants to raise questions and engage in open and non-structured discussion of issues of social, political, and theological/religious concern. UU Freethinkers meet on every other Sunday in Room 208 at 12:45 pm, after children's Religious Education classes end.
UU Humanist Forum Meets July 28, 12:45 pm
On Sunday, July 28, at 12:45 pm the UU Humanist Forum will meet in Room 208, after children's Religious Education classes end. Barb Backler will facilitate a discussion on "Obits."  The Humanist Forum meets every other Sunday, with a  different  discussion topic .
Open Mind Zen Bloomington Hosts
Exploring Zen Retreat August 10
    Anyone is welcome to join Open Mind Zen for their Exploring Zen retreat here in our Library on Saturday, August 10. There is no set donation rate, but please register so they can make enough food for everyone, provide cushions, chairs, etc. Here is the link to a poster and registration form:  https://openmindzenbloomington.org/one-day-retreat/  
--Frank Seisho Diaz
B uy Grocery Cards on Sunday and Support the Church
We have grocery gift cards for sale in the Commons every Sunday between services. The participating grocery stores send a percentage of your purchases back to the church to support our operating budget. We have gift cards for Bloomingfoods, Lucky's, and Fresh Thyme, and you can  register your Kroger Plus card by clicking here. Our Kroger organization ID number is EW763. 
Deadlines for Order of Service and Friday Update Info
Thursdays at 9:00 a.m.
In March 2019, our staff shifted the rhythm of their work week to hold the weekly staff meeting on Thursdays. We ask everyone to please send us information for the Order of Service as well as the Friday Update by 9:00 am on Thursdays. Please send info to  admin (at) uubloomington.org.
Who Ya Gonna Call?
Click here for a semi-comprehensive list of which UUCB Staff Member to call for various kinds of questions. A staff email directory is included. 
--Carol Marks, Church Administrator, 812-332-3695, ext 200
Contact a Minister

Reverend Mary Ann Macklin, our Senior Minister,
can be reached at 812-332-3695 (ext. 201) and is available by appointment on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoons.
Email: macklin (at) uubloomington.org
Reverend Macklin will be away from the office July 8-31.


 
Reverend Scott McNeill, our Associate Minister,  
can be reached at 812-332-3695 (ext. 209) and is available by appointment on Tuesday mornings, plus Wednesday and Friday afternoons. 
For pastoral emergencies, please call Scott at 812-727-0919.


 
Reverend Emily Manvel Leite our Minister of Religious Education,  can be reached at  812-332 -3695 (ext. 207)  on Wednesday and Friday mornings. 
Email: mre (at) uubloomington.org

 
Our Covenant of Right Relations
In June 2017, our members affirmed a Covenant of Right Relations. 
Pertinent Details:
Office hours : M-F, 10 am-4 pm
Calendar: A link to our full calendar of events is on our website.
Facebook: Many church events are also posted on our  Facebook page
Prologue  Publication Schedule:  
The deadline for articles is 10 am on the date of publication, which is 
the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month. 
Send articles about church matters to Carol Marks  
Upcoming  issues:  July 16, August 6, August 20, Sept 3, Sept 17.
Livestreaming Our Sunday Services  
View a live broadcast of our Sunday services (9:15 and 11:15 am):
On our website: uubloomington.org/live-stream  
On our Facebook page:  facebook.com/uubloomington
Have a problem viewing or hearing the service?
Email our media team or call the church office at 812-332-3695.

Links to Archived Services to View Online

- Quickly find recent services here: Direct Links to Service Videos (9:15 service)

Or, scroll down on our main Livestream Page for full archives of both services and other events (memorials, concerts, etc). 

Each Friday we will post the direct link for the previous Sunday's service at the end of the Friday UU Update. 

Direct links to the most recent Sunday services:     July 7       July 14

Membership: 533 certified members; 540 current members.

Attendance: 
Sunday, July 7             9:15 - 105        11:15 - 136     RE: 35      TOTAL:  276        
Sunday, July 14           9:15 -   69        11:15 -   85     RE: 20      TOTAL:  174  
How to Subscribe: 
If you are not already regularly receiving emails like this from us, you can subscribe by sending an email to office (at) uubloomington.org.
Masthead photo from photo archives, probably by John Woodcock (?)
Unitarian Universalist Church