The Prologue                                         Tuesday, July 18, 2017
  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

Sunday, July 23, 2017  
ONE SERVICE ONLY AT 10:15 A.M.
Any Morning
Reverend Mary Ann Macklin
     "Every morning was a cheerful invitation to make my life of equal simplicity, and I may say innocence, with Nature herself." --Henry David ThoreauWalden.   
     This Sunday Reverend Macklin will offer reflections on the opportunity that mornings offer in our lives.    
     This will be Reverend Macklin's last time in our pulpit this summer as she will be away for five weeks beginning July 24th.  She will return in early September.  The Bloomington Chamber Singers will provide our choral music. 
Sunday, July 30, 2017  
ONE SERVICE ONLY AT 10:15 A.M. 
De Heretico Comburendo
Reverend Scott McNeill
     "On the Burning of Heretics," an English law from 1401, made it illegal to hold Unitarian views or worship. 600+ years later, join us for worship as we discuss the heresies and truths--both in our personal lives and in our broader faith. 
     The UU Heartland String Band and Kim Carballo will share music during the service.
Regular Two-Service Sunday Schedule Resumes Sunday, Aug. 6 (9:15 and 11:15 a.m.)
MAM's Musings 
        As I shared at our congregational meeting in June, I will be gone on vacation July 24th through September 2nd.   While I will spend some time with my family the last week of July, the major part of my time away will be in Vermont.  My partner Deborah Phelps, who is 100% Vermontah, and I plan to backpack the Vermont Long Trail throughout the month of August.  The Long Trail is the oldest long distance hiking trail in the United States.  If you'd like to learn more about the trail, you can check out this site:
 
 
      I think it is important to do something out of one's comfort zone now and then, and backpacking is such an adventure for me.  I believe I will benefit and be challenged by the Long Trail--physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.  
 
     The past five days I have been in Corvallis, Oregon, for the Ordination of Leslie S Chartier.  Aside from preaching a sermon on dragons to a large congregation of Unitarians and Methodists!, I have gotten in a few good heart-pounding hikes.
 
     Hope to see many of you on Sunday.
 
Peace, Mary Ann                      
The Reverend Mary Ann Macklin, Senior Minister
Live Long and Prosper
 
I often find myself reading bumper stickers and trying to figure out the meaning behind coded vanity license plates, gives me something to do while driving a couple of tons of steel at high speeds. I find myself darting my eyes, however, when I see a political sticker - in this brief window where there's not an election date pressing down on us, I'd like to enjoy a less partisan air. But then, I saw it in a Target parking lot - a 2020 sticker that excited me, eager to tell all my friends (and mostly Rev. Mary Ann) about: Picard/Riker 2020 (I assume there's a time machine involved--let's just go with it).
 
After the 2016 election, it's true that I wasn't sure I was up for another election just yet--but the Unitarian Universalist Association (of which our church is but 1 of 1,000+ member congregations) was scheduled to elect a new President this summer at General Assembly. The Reverend Susan Frederick-Gray, known for her commitment to social justice and collaborative ministry, became the first woman to be elected as a UUA President. You can learn more about her through the UU World, and I trust that we'll see her ministry in action in the coming years.
 
While many of our members attended the General Assembly this summer, I did not--spending time in Bloomington catching up on old Star Trek episodes, and playing with our ever-active four year old and more mobile almost 1 year old. And now, I am excited to be back in the office; though I have to admit, I will miss our commanding officer as she heads off to her August adventure. I hope you'll join us on July 23 to wish Mary Ann and Deb well; and, I look forward to working with Rev. Emily, our staff, and our volunteers as we launch back into two services (August 6), school starting, kicking off Chalice Circles, and so much more.
 
Live long and prosper,
Scott
The Reverend Scott McNeill
Associate Minister
 
Why does the Prologue keep happening on Tuesday? 
It's an Experiment!
To help better accommodate staff and minister schedules, we are trying something new this summer with The Prologue. During June, July, and August, we will publish on the first and third TUESDAYS of each month, instead of on Mondays. Remember you can always read The Prologue on our webpage at this link, where all the issues are archived.
  Seeking the Spirit  

Lughnasadh Ritual July 26 at 7:00 p.m.
Join Earth Kin on Wednesday, July 26th for a Lughnasadh Ritual from 7-9 in the Fellowship Hall. Lughnasadh (also called Lammas) celebrates the wheat harvest, and marks the turn from the growing time to the harvest time of the year, as it is the first of three harvest festivals. The festival Lughnasadh is named in honor of Lugh, the Celtic god and warrior hero associated with skill, craftsmanship, truth, and law. It is a time for personal reflection and a time to harvest the actions and deeds that we have been tending throughout the growing time of the year. For this ritual, Earth Kin will honor the wheat harvest by holding a bread sacrifice and offering an Inner Warrior Meditation for personal empowerment and connection to  the invigorating energies of the season. All are welcome!  --Brooke Opel  

First Monday Poetry Sharing
Join us in this ongoing monthly group for poetry lovers! Bring a poem to share that you enjoy. Next meeting is Monday, August 7 at 10:00 a.m. in the Library at church. Contact Bob Taylor for info, bstaylor1@comcast.com  
 

Shambhala Meditation Every Monday at 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 in this 2500-year-old  tradition. 
 
Traditional Taiji on Tuesdays and Saturdays
   Brian Flaherty leads Taiji in Fellowship Hall on Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 8:00 a.m. This form practices the "Wu (Hao)" style of taijiquan, including practice of standing exercises, forms, and "pushing hands." Anyone is welcome, even those with no experience.
     Please wear loose-fitting clothing.  
 
Open Mind Zen Bloomington 
Mondays at 7:00 p.m. 
   Join Frank Seisho Diaz for meditation, talks, and discussions on Zen Buddhism,  Mondays 7:00-8:30 p.m.,  in Room 110 here at the church. All are welcome regardless  of faith or experience; freewill donations 
  accepted.  More  info:  openmindzenbloomington@gmail.com  or  
 
UU History for You
Nathaniel Bowditch and 
the Seaman's Bible
     Nathaniel Bowditch (1773-1838) was born in Salem and died in Boston, Massachusetts. His mother died when he was 10 and his father died when he was 12.  Young Bowditch was apprenticed to a ship owner and used his employer's library to teach himself.  Between 12 and 20 he learned Latin, French, Algebra, and Calculus.  He then read Newton's Principia.  
     He went on six voyages to the East Indies and took copious notes on the tides, temperature, currents, and exact measurements needed for determining the ship's position at sea.  He used the money earned from his voyages, which was substantial, to retire and devote himself to scholarship and writing.  He wrote in 1802 The New American Practical Navigator which had recalculated older (and error prone) navigational charts from Europe.  It included information on the world's major ports, where to find banks and insurance agents, lists of suppliers for ships, and places to stay for seamen. For this reason those in the industry called it "the seaman's bible."  It went through ten editions.  
     Bowditch went on to become America's first actuary and he founded two insurance companies.  He was a lifelong Unitarian but kept his religious practices private.  When asked for his beliefs, he quoted from Alexander Pope's Essay on Man:  "For modes of faith let graceless zealots fight, his can't be wrong whose life is in the right." 
Elof Carlson,  UUCB Historian


UU Humanist Forum Meets on Alternating Sundays
This group offers an opportunity for regular, open, wide-ranging discussions of issues relating to morality and ethics, human development, and the nature of the universe. The bi-weekly forum will meet next on Sunday, July 30 at 11:45 a.m. in Room 208. The topic will be "Jackson = Trump?" led by John Crosby.   A complete list of spring/summer topics   can be found here. (From June 18 through July 30, the UU Humanists and Freethinkers will meet at 11:45 a.m., following the service, which begins at 10:15.) 
UU Freethinkers Group Enjoys Free Ranging Discussion  
The purpose of the UU Freethinkers bi-weekly meeting is to create the opportunity for participants to raise questions and engage in open and non-structured discussion of issues of social concern, political concern, and theological/religious concern. UU Freethinkers meet on alternating Sundays after children's religious education classes end, in Room 208.   UU Freethinkers meet next on Sunday, July 23, at 11:45 p.m. 
  Building Community   

Music for the Water Spirits: Mini Summer Workshop July 20, July 27 and August 3
Explore together some Afro-Brazilian sacred music to restore our kinship to the natural world. The workshop will combine percussion and chants, as well as creative reflection to connect the sensations in our own bodies and depth of our humanity with the elemental nature of water. (We also hope to play together on September 3, the day of our congregational Water Communion services.)
Instructor: Colleen Haas
Dates: 3 Thursday evenings: July 20, 27 and August 3. 6:30-7:45 p.m.
Location: Fellowship Hall
If you have a conga or djembe drum, bring it along--otherwise all instruments will be provided.  
Ages: Age  15 - Adult
This free event is designed for members and friends. Not required to attend all three, but each session will build on the previous o ne. Please sign up in advance to reserve your place by calling 812-332-3695. No childcare for this event.


Online Pledge Payment Plans 
Should be Updated Now
If you like paying your pledge automatically and electronically with a credit card, debit card, or electronic check, using our online donation system, now is the time to set up your payments for the 17-18 fiscal year, which began on July 1. Click here for instructions. Questions? Please call the office 812-332-3695 and we will be happy to assist.

Help the Religious Ed Classes Make Lasagna on July 30, 10:15 a.m.
Info, dre@uubloomington.org.


Help us tell the greater Bloomington LGBTQ+ community about our church!
We need a few friendly people to represent UUCB in our booth at Pridefest on  August 26.   Pridefest (formerly known as Summerfest) is Bloomington's annual celebration of LGBTQ+ life and culture. Nearly 10,000 people are expected to attend.  For more information and to volunteer, go to:  https://goo.gl/jeaqMb    Questions?  Contact Ann LeDuc, Connections Coordinator, at  connect@uubloomington.org  or Amy Makice, Rainbow Rights Task Force Chair, at  amakice@gmail.com  .

Make it official! Become a member of this church!
No matter if you have been attending services here for one month or 20 years, make your commitment to this community official by becoming a member. The next opportunity to become a member of UU Bloomington is Sunday, July 30 at 11:35 a.m. in the library. We ask for participation in the Exploring Unitarian Universalism class prior to signing the membership book. To make arrangements to become a member, for questions, or to register for an Exploring UU class, please contact Ann LeDuc , Connections Coordinator, at (812)332-3695 or  connect@uubloomington.org .
pre-2005
Women's Alliance Meets August 3
     The  August 3rd  Women's Alliance program is "Medicines to Guatemala" with  Judy Bennett.  The hosts will be Barb Backler and Lois Holl.
    The Women's Alliance meets the first Thursday of each month at 11:30 a.m. in Fellowship Hall.  The meeting begins with a brown bag lunch.  Drinks and dessert are provided by the hosts of the month.  The program begins at noon, followed by a business meeting.  Please enter through the court yard
doors.  Join us.  Everyone is welcome.  
     
Our Folks...
Jean Knowlton's Birthday Party is July 26
Come share in Jean Knowlton's 90th birthday celebration on Wednesday, July 26 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in Fellowship Hall. Jean kindly requests no gifts; however, if you wish to bring a children's book, it will be donated to the Religious Education program or the Monroe County United Ministries Preschool. 
Calling all library books!
If you have books checked out from our church Library before April 2017, it's time to return them. 
If you're not sure whether the book is from our library, open the back cover and look for our stamp and a card pocket.  We thank you.      T he Library Committee

UU Book Discussion Group Meets August 27
Trevor Noah's Born a Crime
Because the solar eclipse is on Monday, August 21 and some may be en route, we will meet Sunday, August 27 at 3:00 p.m. at Elof and Nedra Carlson's.  We shift to non-fiction and a memoir by Trevor Noah,  BORN A CRIME. Noah describes life under apartheid in South Africa (much of it in Capetown) and how his African mother helped him become multilingual and well read. His father was white.  It was a difficult childhood living in poverty and always under threat as a child of mixed race origin.  Today Noah, who became a comedian, is known to American audiences for replacing Jon Stewart when Stewart retired. Info, contact Elof Carlson, ecarlson31@netzero.net

Course Proposals Invited for
Adult Religious Education Fall 2017
(Due August 10)
Are you a spiritual seeker, an avid reader, a poet, a parent, an activist? Do you have an interest you would like to share and explore with other Unitarian Universalists? We encourage you to submit a course proposal to our Adult Religious Education (ARE) Program for the fall semester (September through December 2015). Deadline is July 30, and the committee will make final choice of courses to be offered by September 1. Class sessions may begin as early as mid-September. Contact Dan and Sharon Wiseman, dansharonw@gmail.com, or the office office@uubloomington.org   for a course proposal form. Forms are also available here http://www.uubloomington.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/2016-08-15-Adult-Religious-Education-proposal-form1.pdf.

Our Whole Lives Sexuality Education Offerings This Fall for Elementary Grades--RSVP July 31
This fall, we will be offering a six-week session for our 1st and 2nd graders and an eight-week session for our 4th and 5th graders.  Parents should have received an invitation in the mail.  We would like to have all responses by  July 31st, as space for these classes is limited.  Contact Adrienne Summerlot  dre@uubloomington.org to RSVP or for more information.
Community Connections
Our Faith in Action in the Community 

What is the Ripple Effect?
Thursday, July 20 at 7:00 p.m. at First Christian Church
The Ripple Effect, open to all, is an inspiring event including music and stories designed to bring us together. Storytellers will include Kay Goodman (struggling to find a way out of poverty), Daniel Soto Mayorga (coming out as a gay man), Anna Maidi (being part of a religious minority), Lesamarie Hacker (relying on a wheelchair for mobility), and John Adams (reintegrating following release from prison.)

The Bloomington SOUNDS OF INDIANA Barbershop Harmony Chorus  Sings for Volunteers in Medicine Fundraiser August 12
Enjoy a night of music Saturday, August 12 at 7:00pm at the First United Church. Tickets will be sold at the door for $15. 
For information, please see the event flyer by clicking here

The Bloomington Blues & Boogie Woogie Piano Festival August 13-14
is dedicated to educating young people about blues and boogie woogie piano.
We provide a limited number of free tickets to schools, so students/families can attend our concerts; we present free concerts in schools, bringing guest artists to Fairview and Templeton Elementary; and we are presenting free blues and boogie woogie piano workshops at both schools on Monday, Aug. 14.   Young people wishing to attend the workshops must pre-register at  https://bloomingtonboogies.com/education . Info at Craig Brenner,  craigbrennerboogies@gmail.com

Free Concert at Fairview United Methodist August 27
"All the World's a Stage: The Show-within-a-Show in Broadway and Opera."   Baritone Richard Lewis and friends plunge you into a backstage world of overwrought emotion and egos with music by Cy Coleman, Mozart, Offenbach, and Verdi.
Sunday, August 27 at 2:00 p.m.   Fairview United Methodist Church, 600 W. Sixth Street in Bloomington's Near West Side.  Free admission.
   
Fight Alzheimer's Disease! September 24 Bloomington Walk to End Alzheimer's
Has Alzheimer's Disease affected someone you care about? Would you like to raise awareness and funds for dementia care, support, and research? Maybe you would just like to show support for others in our church community who have been affected by Alzheimer's. Join us or support our team in the Bloomington Walk to End Alzheimer's by visiting this web page:  http://act.alz.org/goto/UUCBcares. The walk is Sunday, September 24. Registration starts at noon. -- Ann LeDuc, Connections Coordinator 

  Changing the World 
"From the Ashes" Film Screening 
Wednesday, August 2 at 7:00 p.m.
      You are invited to a special screening of the acclaimed film, From The Ashes , at 7:00 PM, Wednesday August 2nd in the Fellowship Hall, hosted by the Green Sanctuary Task Force, to be followed by a discussion about issues related to the coal industry in Indiana.   Free, but please reply via Eventbrite so we know to expect you. No childcare for this event.
       Questions? Contact Sarah Green  or  Molly O'Donnell .   
Get Some Pizza August 9
and Help the Walnut Grove Food Pantry
Support the Walnut Grove Food Pantry, a project of our Help Feed Our Hungry Neighbors Task Force, by attending their dine and donate event at Get Some Pizza on Wednesday, August 9th from 5:00pm - 9:00pm! Fifty percent of your bill will be donated to the Walnut Grove Food Pantry when you show the event flyer. The flyer can be found by clicking here.  There will be extra flyers in the orders of service on Sunday, July 30.
Michael Moore's
"Where to Invade Next?" Film Screening
Friday, August 18, 7:00 p.m.
     The film "Where to Invade Next?" contains great ideas from other countries to help our world.
Join us in Fellowship Hall on Friday, August 18 at 7:00 p.m. to view the film and discuss it afterward. Childcare provided if reserved by August 1. This event is free. Those under age 17 may view this Rated R film if accompanied by parent or adult guardian.
     Michael Moore visits countries where great things are happening. Guerilla humanity that is efficient, compassionate, and sustainable! Click here to view the trailer.*
Could the U.S. practice guerrilla humanity like this:
  • Company turns off email at 5pm so that workers won't be disturbed at home.
  • Everyone and anyone may attend college for free.
  • Grade school children are served four-course wholesome meals at school with water to drink (rather than soft drinks) on china (no plastic).
  • Prisoner recidivism is <1%, guards don't carry guns, and prisoners have keys to their own rooms.
  • New mothers and fathers receive paid time off from work to care for newborns.
  • Taxes can be lower than we pay, but more benefits for more people.
This event is part of our Adult Religious Education programming. If you will need childcare to attend, contact Kitty McIntosh at rea@uubloomington.org by August 1. Other info, contact Cynthia Bretheim.
 
*Restricted to appropriate audiences. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian. Language, some violent images, drug use, and brief graphic nudity.
 
Homelessness Task Force Invites Donations for 
Rapid Re-housing Program
     Shalom Community Center operates a "Rapid Re-housing Program" which helps homeless  individuals and families find permanent, affordable housing. Each individual or family housed is provided with a "Welcome Basket". The baskets contain: toilet paper, dishwashing detergent, toilet bowl cleaner, shampoo/conditioner, hand soap, toothpaste and toothbrushes, all purpose cleaner, kitchen trash bags, paper towels or cleaning cloths, brooms and dust pans. We are looking for donations to help fill the Welcome Baskets. You may place your donations in the macaroni basket under the table in the Commons. We are also looking for some working vacuum cleaners. 
--Alan Backler.

Current Membership: 515
Attendance
Sunday, July 9         One service at  10:15:   248
Sunday, July 16       One service at  10:15:   247
Non-Pledge Offering
July 9: $618.50       July 16: $725.44          
Total to be donated to All-Options Pregnancy Resource Center $335.99
Grocery Card Sales
(Bloomingfoods, Marsh, or Lucky's)
July 9: $800, income to UUCB $53.00    July 16: $500, income to UUCB $65.00
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. macklin@uubloomington.org
Reverend Macklin will be away July 24-September 2.


 

Reverend Scott McNeill, our Associate Minister,  
can be reached at 812-332-3695, ext. 209 and is available by appointment on Wednesday and Friday afternoons.   mcneill@uu bloomington.org . He can also be reached on his mobile phone, 703-577-0919 and for after-hours pastoral emergencies, please call him at 812-727-0919. 
Reverend McNeill will return July 23.



Reverend Emily Manvel Leite our Minister of Religious Education,  can be reached at 
812-332 -3695, ext. 207  on Weds and Fri mornings.  mre@uubloomington.org    
 

Livestreaming Our Sunday Services  
You can view the livestream of our Sunday services and view archived video from the last few months at this link:    uubloomington.yourstreamlive.com 
Please let us know if you have a problem with the livestream, by emailing Andy Beargie at  media@uubloomington.org It is also helpful if you let Andy know which web browser you are using.
Orion Day 2016
Beacon Young Adult/Campus Ministry
Orion Day, our Young Adult/Campus Ministry Coordinator, can be reached at  beacon@uubloomington.org and keeps office hours at the Indiana Memorial Union Room 577. Stop by and say hello! 

Please Don't Park on the Grass
Please don't park in grassy areas on the church property or on the grass across Fee Lane by the ball diamonds. IU has specifically requested us not to park in the grass on their property because of the damage it causes. Please note we are not allowed to park over there at all if there is a baseball game or softball game in progress. Thanks, Carol Marks, Ch.Admin. 
Bulletin Board
ROOM FOR RENT TO GRADUATE STUDENT. Friendly UU family of three seeks a graduate student (woman preferred) to rent a room for the 2017-2018 academic year. Lg BR, storage, shared lvg rm and Kitch. Eastside location easy access to IU. Pet, smoke and drug-free. Asking $600, negotiable. Utilities and Internet included. Call Vic at  812-361-7370 .
Church Calendar 
A link to our church calendar can be found on this page of our website. 
Facebook 
Many church events also appear on our Facebook page.
Prologue Publication Schedule 
The Prologue is edited by Carol Marks, mostly. The deadline for articles is 10 a.m. on the date of publication, which is the first and third Tuesday of June, July, and August. It's an experiment!
Next few issues: August 1 and 15, September 5.
Masthead photo by John Woodcock.
Unitarian Universalist Church