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Seeking the Spirit, Building Community, Changing the World
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S
unday, September 22, 2019
9:15 am and 11:15 am
Intergenerational Autumnal Equinox Celebration
Reverend Emily Manvel Leite, Reverend Scott McNeill
Join us to welcome autumn through a multi-sensory exploration of harvest, balance, and preparation for the coming season of waning light. We will share story, song, and time for individual reflection together. Our children's choir, directed by Jill Courtney, will be performing.
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Sunday, September 29, 2019
9:15 am and 11:15 am
Hide and Seek
Reverend Scott McNeill
Throughout all of the stages of our lives, we play the game "Hide and Seek" most regularly. To be sure, there are few opportunities for adults to run and hide while others count down from 20 - but we hide (our identity, our stories, our needs) just as much as we seek (community, affirmation, peace, love). Join us and celebrate the fact that no matter where we hide (to borrow from a song from the musical "Dear Evan Hansen"), when you open yourself up to community - "You Will Be Found."
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From our Associate Minister
Global Climate Strike September 20
The Unitarian Universalist Association, which works with congregations to develop resources to bolster our 1000+ communities, recently announced that its staffers would be able to participate in Friday's (Sept 20th) Global Climate Strike. If you are unfamiliar with the project, I encourage you to read more here
In Bloomington, I received this message from Marcia Veldman (of the Green Sanctuary Task Force) and we wanted to let people know about the local events:
Join IU's Sunrise Movement and Bloomington's Golden Bicycle Group - in walking out of work and school on September 20 as part of the international climate strike. We are gathering to demand that the City of Bloomington declare a climate emergency and take big steps to increase sustainability in the city.
The day's events are as follows:
- 11:30 Students walk out of class
- 12:30 Rally in Dunn Meadow
- 1:15 March through campus
- 2:00 Assembly in People's Park + March to City Hall
- 3:00 Presentation to the Mayor
One of the powerful things about Unitarian Universalism is that we are all called by our conscience to act. No member is forced to participate, just as no congregation is forced to follow an edict from the larger Association. We work together, each offering our gifts and passions and unique experiences so that the community (both here at UUCB, and as UUs across the country) is strengthened by the many perspectives we share.
In faith,
Rev. Scott
Reverend Scott McNeill
mcneill (at) uubloomington.org
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Emily's Post
from our Minister of Religious Education
Dear Friends,
I spent the morning in the garden, and found myself remembering a beloved Frog and Toad story by Arnold Lobel called The Corner. It tells of a young Frog hoping for spring, and being told that it is just around the corner. He goes seeking the spring around each corner he comes to, and is disappointed over and over again before finally discovering many signs of spring around the corner of his own house.
As we draw closer to a new season, teased by a summer that doesn't seem to be letting go, I am remembering that my own heart belongs to autumn, and it is, indeed, just around the corner.
Four times each year, our congregation leans into earth-centered spirituality as we celebrate the solstices and equinoxes. These services remind us to pay attention to the changes and rhythms of the earth and to allow them to help us connect up with our own embodied selves, inexorably affected by the natural world around us.
In preparation for our Autumnal Equinox service this Sunday, I am enjoying seeking around each corner for signs of autumn. Its unique colors, scents, and tastes await. Perhaps you'd like to join me in looking for them.
It will be good to celebrate autumn's arrival together!
Emily
Reverend Emily Manvel Leite
Minister of Religious Education
mre (at) uubloomington.org
Please also note several excellent enrichment opportunities in the "Seeking the Spirit" section of this newsletter!
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Sabbatical Scoop September 16-22
For the next two and a half months, Rev. Mary Ann Macklin will continue her sabbatical. Ministerial sabbatical is our congregation's agreement to support and sustain our ministers' work and service to our community. Reverend Macklin will return on December 1st. She is resting and restoring during this time. You may see her in and around town in coming days and she'll welcome friendly greetings, but has asked that we refrain from discussing church business with her during her sabbatical leave.
Reverend Scott McNeill, Reverend Emily Manvel Leite, church staff, and our board have pastoral care, programming, pulpit coverage, and other church business well in hand this fall.
We were delighted to welcome Reverend Elizabeth Carrier-Ladd into the pulpit as guest this past Sunday. She will be a guest in our pulpit on three more Sundays during Reverend Macklin's sabbatical time away: October 20th, October 27th, and November 24th.
Please feel free to direct any rising sabbatical-related questions to any of us.
The Sabbatical Committee,
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President of the Unitarian Universalist Association Sends Greetings
Watch a video from our UUA President, who sends best wishes for the new church year:
(on YouTube)
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Happy 90th birthday to Bob Taylor! Pictured at left: The First Mondays UU Poetry Reading Group celebrating Bob's birthday at Meadowwood on September 14.
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Reminder of I-69 exit closure at 45/46, eastbound
A reminder that the exit ramp to the 45/46 bypass from North on I-69, headed east toward church, is closed now. This road work is slated to be completed by mid-November.
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Register your Children and Youth for Sunday Morning
Our Whole Lives Sexuality Education for Elementary Ages Begins this Fall!
We are pleased to announce that Our Whole Lives Sexuality Education (OWL) is being offered this fall for 1st and 2nd grade children as well as for 4th and 5th grade children. Please note, your child only has 1 opportunity to take OWL at these grades; the next time OWL will be offered for these grades is in the 2021-2022 school year.
For IMPORTANT information about class times, facilitators and mandatory parent meetings, please visit:
http://www.uubloomington.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/OWL-2019-Fall-Schedule.pdf
Spaces are limited! Register Your Child for OWL by clicking on this link:
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New! Drop-in Childcare on Wednesdays
On Wednesday evenings, from 6-8 pm, we are offering free drop-in childcare in Room 108 (as space allows). Parents must remain on site, on the building grounds or in the building. Please use the Courtyard Entrance. We hope to provide a moment for parents to breathe deeply, have a cup of tea with a friend, or sit in silence before running children to the next event. The Meeting Room will be available for quiet meditation. For more info contact Adrienne Summerlot, [email protected].
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Hike with us this Saturday, September 21!
Meet at 8:30 am
Join us to hike the Scarlet Oak Woods trail and the Mt Gilead Friends Retreat Center trail on September 21. This hike will be approx 3.5 miles of moderate terrain. A short portion of the hike will have weeds and brambles, so wear long pants. We will meet at 8:30 am at the old east side K-mart parking lot, behind Bloomingfoods East, to carpool to the trail head.
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Are you ready to become a member?
Next Membership Ceremony is September 22
Now that you've found your tribe, met your people, and know that you are home, it may be time to declare your commitment to this community. Membership is your declaration of your affinity with this church and the larger Unitarian Universalist faith community.
The next membership ceremony is scheduled for Sunday
, September 22 at 10:30 AM
. If you are new to Unitarian Universalism, we ask that you complete the Exploring Unitarian Universalism class before signing the membership book. Let the Connections Coordinator know if you would like to attend the membership ceremony and become a member of the UU Church of Bloomington. Email Ann at
[email protected]
or call (812)
332-3695.
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This Sunday! September 22, 12:30 pm
Young Adult (18-35) C
ontinuing
Conversations
and Free Lunch
If you are age 18-35, join other young adults this Sunday to discuss this Sunday's Autumn Equinox service. Reverend Emily Manvel Leite will join us. We will gather after second service at 12:30 PM in Room 112. Lunch will be provided. We will also discuss future plans for this group. This is open to anyone ages 18-35, so bring a friend! Questions? Contact the Connections Coordinator at
[email protected]
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Workshop on Responding to
an Active Shooter or
Hostile Aggressor
Septem
ber 29, 1:00 - 2:30 pm
Most people have never taken the time to consider what they would do if suddenly confronted by an active shooter or hostile aggressor. This 90-minute session led by our Usher Crew chair and safety and security expert John Summerlot will train you to think through your options and consider what actions will help you survive the moment. Using data and research from the FBI and Homeland Security, we will discuss some of the realities and myths associated with these acts. We will also discuss some of the preparations that a community such as our church can take to be prepared if ever faced with this challenge. Sunday, September 29 at 1:00 pm in the UUCB Library.
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Persimmons for the Bazaar
The persimmon committee is a subcommittee of the Bazaar that gathers and strains persimmon pulp for sale at the bazaar. If you have a tree that has more persimmons than you can use, please contact us. If you are willing to pick up persimmons from a church member's yard, also contact us.
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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.
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Charlie vs Goliath
Film Screening
Sunday, September 22, 4 pm
in Fellowship Hall
An award-winning documentary of an ordinary man's extraordinary struggle to shake up the political establishment.
Charlie vs Goliath explores the question of how an honest and sincere person without money can make a difference running for higher office, and more broadly, whether, in the spirit of Don Quixote, it is worth fighting an unbeatable foe and dreaming an impossible dream. A film screening to benefit
Common Cause Indiana (CCI), co-hosted by the Reproductive Justice Task Force, with special guest Julia Vaughn, Policy Director of CCI. Suggested donation: $20. Light refreshments will be served.
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Social Justice Fall Grants--
Applications Available, Deadline October 12
Each fall, the Social Justice Funds Committee (SJFC) solicits proposals for grants in support of local social justice projects. Awards are based on available funds, number of grant applications received and the guidelines outlined below.
Guidelines: Projects must be based in Southern Indiana and be consistent with the mission of our church. Priority will be given to applications from (1) Social Justice Task Forces, (2) projects that involve a significant number of the congregation, and (3) applications that will seed new projects with an enduring benefit.
Before submitting the grant proposal, advocates of the proposal should have taken steps to inform members of the congregation and to involve interested members in the project.
Click here to learn more and apply! Please email completed applications to
[email protected].
You can also email Steve Mascari at
the same email address
with any questions or to request an application. Deadline for submitting applications is Sunday, October 12th.
--Steve Mascari, for the Social Justice Funds Committee
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Mark your calendars for October 18, 7 pm
Jammin' Java Coffeehouse Fundraiser
for Habitat
The Habitat Task Force is hosting another Jammin' Java Coffeehouse from 7 to 10 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 18, in Fellowship Hall. Proceeds will support a Habitat build. Nine groups will be performing everything from jazz and blues to folk, classical and tuba music. Performers will be Hungry Five, Dan Lodge-Rigal, Travis Puntarelli, Keaton Springfield and Eric Bowling, King Bee and the Stingers, The Wisely Quartet, Heartland String Band, Ed Robbins & Julie Lawson, and J.C. Clements and Jason Blankenship. Admission is Adults $15 and Youth under 18, $10. We will collect jars of baby food at the door to help the Feed Our Hungry Neighbors Task Force. UU Judy Allensworth will offer her handmade jewelry for sale to benefit Habitat. Finger foods and non-alcoholic drinks will be served. We look forward to seeing many of you at this fun event!
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Save the Date!
Green Grounds Work Day, October 19
Are you able to help with our grounds maintenance on
Saturday 10/19 from 9 am to noon, with a rain date of 10/26?
This fall we will focus on mulching around the trees along the west and north sides to protect them from drought, and competition from grass and weeds; and
trimming any plants that obstruct sidewalks
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We suggest you bring labeled tools, including small rakes, clippers, loppers, weeding knives, and sunscreen, gloves, hats & water.
Thank you,
Molly O'Donnell and Jana Pereau
Co-chairs, Green Grounds Team
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Will You Join Us in Reducing Our Reliance on Single Use Plastics? September: Plastic Wrap
-- Stephanie Kimball for the Green Sanctuary Task Force
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Thanks for the Used Padded Mailers
Thank-you to folks who can bring in used padded mailers for the Midwest Pages to Prisoners project. Please leave them at the BookTable on Sundays.
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Religious Education for Adults
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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.
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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.
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Gentle Hatha Yoga on Tuesdays Starting in October
This class will not meet during September
A gentle Hatha Yoga practice to balance the mind, body, and spirit will resume October 1 at 5:30-7 p.m. No yoga during September.
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Traditional Taiji Meets Tuesdays at 7:15 pm
Brian Flaherty leads "Wu (Hao)" style Taiji in Fellowship Hall on Tuesdays at 7:15 pm. All are welcome, even those with no previous Taiji experience. Please wear loose-fitting clothing.
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Spirit Play for Ages 3-103!
Wednesday, September 18,
5:30-7:30 pm
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UU Jewish Connections Shabbat Dinner
Friday, September 20, 6:30pm
We will be gathering for a sabbath dinner and time for sharing. If you have connections to Judaism and would like to join in this week or for a future event, please email Reverend Emily Leite at
[email protected] to request directions to our meeting and/or more information.
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UU Humanist Forum Meets September 22, 12:45 pm
On Sunday, September 22, at 12:45 pm the UU Humanist Forum will meet in Room 208, after children's Religious Education classes end. Harold Ogren will facilitate a discussion on "How will it (we) all end?" The Humanist Forum meets every other Sunday, with a different
discussion topic.
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Tuesday, September 24, 6:30-8pm
When a child leaves home for whatever reason, life changes in many ways for those who remain. This one session workshop, led by Amy Cornell, invites reflection upon this tender time of life. To sign up, please email Reverend Emily Manvel Leite at
[email protected].
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UU Freethinkers Meet September 29
, 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.
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UU History for You
The Origin of Freethinkers
The term "freethinker" first appeared in the late 1600s. The Renaissance was a transition between medieval and modern society; it included changes in society (from walled castles to cities-- from isolated communities to nations-- from religious-dominated universities to secular studies-- spread by the printing press). Servetus and Bruno were heretics whose ideas entered Unitarianism. Luther's reformation led to Deism. Deism led to humanism. Humanism led to agnosticism and atheism.
The symbol used by early Freethinkers was the pansy because the French name
for pansy was pensée (thought) based on the nodding of pansies in the wind. In North America, the earliest Freethinkers were inspired by Joseph Priestley, Thomas Jefferson, and Thomas Paine. Their works led to a shift from trinitarianism to Unitarianism in the concept of God. Science was welcomed and not seen as a threat. Humans were not only politically free under the Constitution of the new United States, but they were also free to think and write about religion or the lack of it in their lives.
The Freethinker movement included Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who organized the 1848 Seneca Falls meetings launching the women's rights movement. It included Robert Ingersoll, the most popular speaker on the Chautauqua circuit, who challenged his audiences with the superiority of reason, evidence, and a compassion for human needs as the basis for establishing a healthy society. And it included
writer W. E. B. Du Bois, who felt Christianity was complicit in supporting white supremacy and the slave trade.
--Elof Carlson, Congregational Historian
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Community Connections
Faith in Action in Our Community
2019 Relational Summit, September 19-22
Drew Schrader wants to make everyone aware of the upcoming 2019 Relational Summit here in Bloomington, September 19-22. Relational cultural theory prioritizes connection and relationship and offers a hopeful alternative to the divisiveness so common in current discourse.
Bloomington Center for Connection, founded by our congregation's very own Amy Makice, is putting on the summit which features 4 days worth of activities
you can see here.
Resilience!
Community Engagement and Social Change
Saturday, September 21
12 Noon in 3rd St. Park
Resilience! is a social justice event for community engagement and social change, both those who are feeling powerless and those already actively engaged. Engage with others and learn how you can contribute through an afternoon of interactive music, spoken word, and hands-on activities for all ages. Performing artists include Ross Gay, Malcolm Dalglish, Yuriria Rodriguez, and tango duo Tanguero (Winnie Cheung and Ben Bogart). UU Kim Carballo is the organizer for the event.
This FREE, family-friendly event is on Saturday, September 21 from 12:00 to 1:30 pm in the Waldron, Hill and Buskirk Park (otherwise known as Third Street Park) at 221 S. Washington Street. More Info Here. Click here for a poster.
Planned Parenthood Parking Lot Escorts Needed
Seeking volunteer parking lot escorts for Planned Parenthood on Thursday mornings, choice of three 1 1/2 hr shifts approximately once a month. Contact Ed Gentry,
ed_gentry (at) yahoo.com
Volunteer at the Buddy Walk September 22 and support our very own
Molly Moo's team!
The Buddy Walk on September 22 needs a few volunteers.
Here is the link to sign up.
The
Buddy
Walk supports the Down's Syndrome Family Connection. You can also sign up to walk or donate to our very on Molly Moo's walk team by
clicking here.
LGBTQ+ Stories with the IU LGBTQ Culture Center September 30
The IU LGBTQ Culture Center is organizing a group to discuss LGBTQ+ history and culture. The group will meet the last Monday of each month at the Monroe County Library from 6:30-8 pm. The first meeting will be in Room 1C on September 30, and the theme will be Queer Print Culture (zines, newspapers, and other forms of print).
Please fill out this Google form if you wish to receive future meeting information. All ages, genders, and sexualities are invited to participate.
For the Greater Good Women's Summit, October 4 & 5
For the Greater Good Women's Summit at IU is specifically designed for individuals who identify as female. The summit will include a day and a half of O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs alumni-planned and -led sessions on Friday, October 4 and Saturday, October 5, 2019. Designed to build leadership capabilities, boost confidence, and foster the network of O'Neill undergraduate, graduate, and Ph.D. students, as well as alumni. To register, go to:
oneill.indiana.edu/alumni-giving/womens-summit
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Reverend Mary Ann Macklin, our Senior Minister
Reverend Macklin is on sabbatical
until December 1.
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.
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) and is available by appointment
on Wednesday and Friday mornings.
Email: mre (at) uubloomington.org
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Our Covenant of Right Relations
In June 2017, our members affirmed a Covenant of Right Relations.
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Deadlines for Order of Service and Friday Update Info
Thursdays at 9:00 am
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.
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Who Ya Gonna Call?
Click here for a semi-comprehensive list of which UUCB Staff Member to call for various kinds of questions, some humorous. A staff email directory is included.
--Carol Marks, Church Administrator, 812-332-3695, ext 200
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Office hours
: M-F, 10 am-4 pm
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.
Upcoming
issues:
Oct 1, Oct 15, Nov 5, Nov 19.
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Livestreaming Our Sunday Services
View a live broadcast of our Sunday services (9:15 and 11:15 am):
Have a problem viewing or hearing the service?
Links to Archived Services to View Online
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Membership: 533 certified members; 542 current members.
Attendance:
Sunday, September 8 9:15 - 109 11:15 - 169 RE: 47 TOTAL: 278
Sunday, September 15 9:15 - 115 11:15 - 179 RE: 52 TOTAL: 294
Non-Pledge Offering:
September 8
: $449 September 15: $426
Total to be donated (25%) to Volunteers in Medicine: $218.92
Grocery Card Sales: (Bloomingfoods, Lucky's Market, or Fresh Thyme)
September 8: $300 September 15: $250 Total income to UUCB: $27.50
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Masthead photo by Jack King.
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