The Prologue                                              Tuesday, May 1, 2018
  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, May 6, 2018    
9:15 and 11:15 a.m.
Ministry in, with, for and by the Community
Reverend Forrest Gilmore
     Join our Affiliated Community Minister this Sunday, as we learn about his experiences of Unitarian Universalist ministry in various settings!
     Our annual goods and services lunch and auction will follow the second service this Sunday. Childcare provided 2:00-4:00 p.m.  More info here.
Sunday, May 13 , 2018
9:15 a.m. and 11:15 a.m.
Awakening:  Mother Earth, Mother's Day
Reverend Mary Ann Macklin
     "Arise, all women who have hearts,"  Julia Ward Howe wrote, in her 1870's Mother's Day Proclamation to establish Mother's Peace Day, an anti-war declaration.  How do we awaken to the calls for peace and ecological justice in the 21st century? How do we arise in mind, body, and spirit? 
     Our  choir, with a 15-piece orchestra and guest soloist Amanda Russo Stante, will perform Cary Boyce's Dies irae, a movement of his Flower of Departure Requiem we premiered a few years ago. The piece cleverly turns the 14th centuray "Day of wrath" text into a powerful (and entertaining) indictment of war and ecological destruction by interpolating a text by Leonardo da Vinci. 
April Was Awesome!        
     April was a jam-packed month at the UU Church of Bloomington. We recognize your lives are very busy; so, you may have missed some of the happenings during the month (or maybe you were here but would love to revisit them with us). 
     We kicked off the month with a musical extravaganza - with pieces from J esus Christ Superstar and Godspell for our Easter Celebration service. We followed that up with one of the most meaningful services we regularly have - the Coming of Age service where youth and mentors reflect on their partnership throughout the year and what the youth have come to discover through that process. 
     April 14th was our Pledge Day --- Community Day where we celebrated the scores of people who work hard to make our congregation so successful. We had a rockin' service on April 15th with our guest preacher, Rev. Andy Burnette and many fantastic musicians. 
     And then, to top all of that off, our Earth Day service inspired us to action (if you look around the building, you'll see posted the commitments people made to take care of the Earth) while creatively engaging our senses with story, song, and special puppets and scenery!
     Seriously, April was awesome! You can watch those worship services online on our website . We hope you'll check them out, and perhaps even our special video created to celebrate our community:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCzmBJaT56c. 
     Later in the Prologue, you'll read an update about our Pledge Drive from the Board--but, our ministry team wants to add our gratitude for those who have made a commitment to support our congregation and to encourage everyone to give what they can to keep our ministry going strong! Everyone's ability to give is different (and it changes even during the year, as life events shift) - so please know that we are incredibly appreciative of every single gift we receive. It all adds up to form this beautiful, creative community.

With thanks,
Reverend Mary Ann Macklin
Reverend Scott McNeill 
Reverend Emily Manvel Leite
Our Folks...
   


From Our Board of Directors
     Thank you for your pledges! We're now at $559,454, getting closer to our goal of $650,000. If you have not pledged yet, please make your pledge online (Choose "I want to make a Pledge Commitment") or contact a Board member.
     Our next congregational meeting is coming up in just over a month: Sunday, June 10th, 4:00 p.m. (Childcare provided.)  We hope to see you there. One order of business will be voting to amend our Articles of Incorporation. This is unusual, and we're doing it at the suggestion of legal counsel to bring our governance arrangement regarding the Special Purposes Fund Committee into full compliance with Indiana State law. For details, please see the SPFC report here.
8th grade Parents--
we need to hear from you
Parents of current 8th graders, we hope you have been checking your email and mail.  This is the time of year when we try to build bridges between middle school and high school youth groups.  You should have received invitations to participate in Coming of Age next year and a Potluck Picnic, this Sunday, May 6th.  If you would like more information, contact Adrienne Summerlot,  dre@uubloomington.org  or Reverend Emily Manvel Leite at  mre@uubloomington.org

     Please note the class will not meet as usual at the church on Sunday, May 6. Those not signed up for the field trip are welcome to join the K-2 class.
 
Continuing Conversations About Religious Education
Sunday, May 20,12:30pm in Room 208
Amy Makice and Lisa Meuser, members of our Religious Education Vision Team, invite you to join in a conversation  about our religious education program.   We especially seek feedback  about your current experience and encourage you to share your hopes and dreams for your child(ren) and youth with us.
     Pizza Lunch will be provided, childcare available. 
     Optional: bring fruit, veggies or dessert to share.
     RSVP by  May 16th  for pizza and childcare purposes to 
Kitty McIntosh  rea@uubloomington.org
     Find the event on Facebook and share with other families.
Thank you, thank you, Everyone!
Thank you to all who were involved in bringing Dr. Seuss's  The Lorax to our Earth Day celebration!  It was delightful to work with so many generous, creative, and energetic singers, puppeteers, actors, dancers, and artists of all types and all ages (puppet makers, sewing helpers, truffula cutters, set builders...and on and on).  
A special thank you to Maggie Olivo and Ray Fellman who composed and crafted the music and to Jill Courtney who brought that music to life with our intergenerational cast.  Thank you to Laurie Green, who coached our puppeteers and brought The Lorax to life in the production, to Joe Grimme, who created the choreography and coached the once-lers, and to Susan Yeley, who took over once-ler leadership when Joe was out of town.  Thank you to Henry McDaniel, who helped envision the whole production and was a wonderful Once-ler voice, and to Steve Krahnke who designed an awesome set.  And finally, thank you to Adrienne Summerlot and Kitty McIntosh, whose support made it all possible.  What a joy it was! --Rev. Emily Manvel Leite

Adult Religious Education Offering

Writer's  Scrivener (tm) Workshop
with Rich LeDuc
5 Wednesdays, May 9 - June 6, 6:30-7:30 p.m. in Room 210
     Writing is one of the oldest spiritual practices that is still commonly in use.  Enheduanna, author of the oldest writing that can be attributed to a named person, wrote her dreams with a stylus on damp clay over four millenia ago, but today's writer needs to be comfortable with other tools.  Many of us use the Scrivener software.  This workshop will provide novice and advanced users the opportunity to meet and discuss how to get more from the tool they're already using.  The workshop is designed to help better use the software, rather than focusing on what we are writing.   Participants will be asked to explore features of the software and share what they've learned with the group.

Sign up by contacting the church office:  office@uubloomington.org or 812-332-3695, ext 204.

  Changing the World 
Greening our Grounds
Thanks to over a dozen volunteers were able to plant close to 100 hazelnut trees saplings on Earth Day, along the north and south sides of the church property.  We plan a morning of grounds work on Saturday May 5th, from 9:00 to noon. (Rain date, May 12th.)
And if you have bulbs at home that you plan to separate, please bring them to church on Mother's Day, May 13th, for us to plant in the new terrace or along the new path.   --Molly O'Donnell,  mollysod@gmail.com  or 812-345-7399

MEGA Bounty Full  Sunday  Food Drive May 13! 
     The Help Feed Our Hungry Neighbors Task Force will collect non-perishable food and toiletries for Monroe County United Ministries on Sunday, May  13 . Bring nonperishable food items to church at either the first or second service. Personal toiletries, diapers, and household cleaning supplies are also welcome. Volunteers are also needed after second service to load the food into vehicles so we can take it to MCUM. Thank you for helping feed our hungry neighbors. Click here to see a poster (pdf)!
Hopeful Solar Power News:
Let the Sun Shine!
On Sunday  someone asked me for hopeful news about the environment. I realized more people would like to know that our solar panel production from mid-March to mid-April 2018 was 4422 kWh, 72% higher than a year ago. And as I had predicted, 40% of that production was from our new array on the RE roof. Our electric bill this April was just $12.25, after "net metering" credits, vs. $185.00 last April. --Molly O'Donnell    
Community Connections
Our Faith in Action in the Community

Host Families Sought for Foreign Exchange Students
American Councils is seeking families to host high school foreign exchange students for the upcoming school year.  These students are coming on the YES and FLEX programs through the Department of State and have a 3% acceptance rate. The YES program is primarily countries that have a significant Muslim population and the FLEX program is former Soviet Union countries. -Addie Block, avblock@iu.edu 

Jewish Theatre of Bloomington Presents "Church & State" May 10-20
Jewish Theatre of Bloomington presents "Church & State" by James Odell Williams at the Ivy Tech Rose Firebay.  Ticket information here.

  Seeking the Spirit  
Adult Religious Education Opportunities
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. sflint.ktv@gmail.com
Open Mind Zen Meets 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. 
 More info:  openmindzenbloomington@gmail.com or 
Traditional Taiji on Saturdays at 8:00 a.m.
Brian Flaherty leads "Wu (Hao)" style Taiji in Fellowship Hall on Saturdays at 8:00 a.m. Anyone is welcome, even those with no experience. Please wear loose-fitting clothing. creektivity@gmail.com
UU Humanists Meet May 6
An opportunity for regular, open, wide-ranging discussions relating to ethics, human development, and the nature of the universe. The bi-weekly forum will meet next on Sunday, May 6, at 12:45 p.m. in Room 208. The discussion will be led by Noretta Koertge on "Controversial Cures for the Climate Crisis."  For general questions about our UU Humanist group,  contact  Ann Watzel.
UU Freethinkers Enjoy 
Free Ranging Discussion  May 13
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 will meet next on Sunday, May 13, 12:45 pm.
Hospice Training and Learning about Infectious Disease Protocol    Kudos to some of our congregation's VALE (Vigiling At Life's End) members who recently took an 18 hour training with IU Health Hospice.
In the photo, participants are learning about infectious disease protocol.

  Building Community 
pre-2005
Women's Alliance Meets May 3rd for Salad Lunch
The  May 3rd  Women's Alliance meeting is "Sharing Our Art and Salad  Pitch-in."  Artists, bring your art and tell us about it.  Everyone, bring  a salad to share with several others.  The hosts for the month, Ann  Connors and Doris Wittenburg, will provide drinks and dessert.  This is a  time we can enjoy chatting with friends and make new friends.  We meet in  Fellowship Hall at  11:30 a.m.   Everyone is welcome.
Goods and Services Auction This  Sunday 
May 6th !  All Y'all Come!
-Luncheon begins at  12:30; reasonably priced and family discounts
-Registration and Silent Auction perusing starts at 1:30
-Live and Silent Auction  2:00-4:00
We can take cash, checks, or credit cards!
     We have so many "one of a kind/only at UU" items, including an assortment of props from The Lorax production: The Lorax's Stump (great playhouse), Humming Fish puppets, and Swomee Swan puppets. There are 49 items in the Live auction, including meat loaf dinners, artwork, crystal stemware, poetry readings, Ruellen Fessenbecker's berry pies, Slovakian dinner, paella dinner, German dinner, Celeste McGregor's cookies, Austro-Hungarian dinner, yard work, Phil Cooper's caramels, pontoon picnic, music for your party, and more!
     Childcare available during the auction from 2:00-4:00 p.m.!   
Annual Reports from Committees and Task Forces Due May 15
Each year, we compile an annual report for our spring annual congregational meeting. It contains reports from ministers, staff, and task forces and groups within the church who would like to be included. It is a fine historical record of the work of our congregation, and we post it on our website as well. Suggested maximum length of each report is 250 words. Social Justice task force leaders should send their reports to Jackie Hall, jmhall@indiana.edu by May 8, and she will format a combined Social Justice report to submit. All others should send their reports to Carol Marks by May 15, admin@uubloomington.org. 
All Are Called--
Join Us at GA!  
     We're planning to attend the UUA General Assembly in Kansas City, Missouri,  June 20-24, 2018. W e would like you to join us.  Some of us will  have space in our cars to carpool. 
     Info on UUA General Assembly can be found at www.uua.org/ga.
Please contact ifkiesling@aol.com or Rev Scott McNeill at mcneill@uubloomington.org We are eligible to send five more member delegates.  Join these fine people on our delegate crew:  Molly O'Donnell, Marlin Howard,  Earon Davis, Martha Foster, Dan Wiseman and Sharon Wiseman.  Church Administrator Carol Marks will also attend, as she is incoming Vice President of the Associaion of UU Administrators.
--Iris Kiesling,  ifkiesling@aol.com   
Do you live alone and worry about your safety? 
Our congregation has a program called "Calling Buddies" that pairs members of our UU community who live alone with other UUs who live alone.  These matched pairs  call, email, or text  each other regularly (usually daily or every other day) to check on each other's safety and well-being.  If you are interested in participating in the Calling Buddies  program, please contact Ann LeDuc at connect@uubloomington.org or at  (812)322-3695 ext 203 .
   
Ready to become a member of UU Bloomington?
If this is your community, if you feel at home here, join us! A Membership Ceremony is scheduled for Sunday, May 20 at 10:30 am in the Fuchs Libary.  We ask for participation in our Exploring Unitarian Universalism class prior to signing the membership book. To make arrangements to become a member, or for questions, please contact Ann LeDuc , Connections Coordinator, at  (812) 332-3695 ext 203  or  connect@uubloomington.org .


Help make this year's 4th of July parade another huge success!
We need ideas, organizers, supply buyers, musicians, and more.  Let Ann LeDuc know if you would like to be part of the fun. 
Contact Ann LeDuc,  connect@uubloomington.org  or (812)332-3695 ext 203
Current Membership: 512 certified members; 526 current members.
Attendance 
     Sunday, April 22        9 :15 : NA     11:15: NA     TOTAL:  NA
     Sunday, April 29       9:15: 101    11:15: 123    TOTAL:  224
Non-Pledge Offering  April 22    $1,014.32    Sunday, April 29    $589.90  
Total to be donated (25%) to All-Options Pregnancy Resource Center $401.06
Grocery Card Sales   (Bloomingfoods or Lucky's Market)
  April 22: $300, income to UUCB $15.00   Sunday, April 29: $475, i ncome to UUCB   $25.75    
UU History for You--
Transcendentalism and Unitarian Beliefs
     Transcendentalism has many roots, including German Romanticism, Swedenborgian spirituality, German "higher criticism" of theology, and Hindu religious writings. It shifted thinking about the purpose of religion from indoctrination and coerced obedience to the cultivation of the self. It grew out of Unitarian churches, emphasizing reason and a tolerance for curiosity and developing a religious identity. 
     Ralph Waldo Emerson was a major contributor, and in 1836 formally endorsed the movement. In 1840 he cofounded a magazine, The Dial, to spread its messages. Emerson believed that each individual manifested a personal aspect of an "oversoul" that embraced all of humanity. Instead of indoctrination, he and other Transcendentalists favored teaching by example, living an exemplary life, exercising free will, and allowing one's intuitive feelings to enter one's consciousness. By this process, the myriad differences will supplement and stimulate a growing community that is diverse and enriched by individuality. 
     Transcendentalism was a forerunner of libertarianism, but on a spiritual level instead of an economic level. While the Romantic movement founded by Goethe tended to downgrade science and objectivity, Transcendentalism incorporated science. The stress on "self reliance" promoted by Emerson took hold in both Unitarian religious traditions and also in an American tradition of individualism.
     -- Elof Carlson, UUCB Historian
Welcome to our New Office Assistant, 
Mandy Skinner
Mandy Skinner started work as our new Office Assistant on Friday, April 20. She comes to us with broad experience in working for non-profit organizations, and is a big fan of Unitarian Universalism and our congregation, where she attended when she was at IU over a decade ago. Mandy will be in the office Monday, Wednesday and Friday each week, plus every other Sunday morning. Be sure to welcome her next time you stop by! (Mandy is replacing outgoing Office Assistant Deeva Khatiwada, who is graduating shortly from IU. Our best wishes to Deeva in all future endeavors!)
Join Us in Thanking Orion Day
Please join us in thanking Orion Day for his good work in his time on staff here, as he leaves his position as our Beacon group Young Adult/Campus Ministry Coordinator and begins a new position elsewhere. Orion began his work with us in 2016 in campus ministry and ministry to-and-with young adults, and his insights, humor, and approach really helped our staff open up to new ideas. Over his time here, some of his interests have blossomed, and we have been lucky that he's done some work with a few groups (mostly Task Forces). I hope you will join us in thanking him for his work. If you have Young Adult or Campus Ministry questions you can:  
  • Always email beacon@uubloomington.org (to be checked by Ann LeDuc, our Connections Coordinator).
  • Contact Rev. Mary Ann and/or Rev. Scott who will lead some of this work (lifelong passion of ours) as we find a good match for the position.                 --Reverend Scott McNeill
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 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@uubloomington.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 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


Our Covenant of Right Relations
In June 2017, our members affirmed a Covenant of Right Relations. Click here to read it.

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. If you have a problem viewing, please email Andy Beargie and Ned Joyner at   media@uubloomington.org  
Church Calendar
Office Hours: M-F 10-4
Calendar: A link to our church calendar can be found on this page of our website. 
Facebook:  Many church events also appear on our 
Prologue Publication Schedule: 
The deadline for articles is 10 a.m. on the date of publication, which is the first and third Tuesday of each month. Next few issues:  May 15, June 5, June 19, July 3, July 17, etc.
Masthead photo by Linda Mjolsnes.
Unitarian Universalist Church