March 4, 2012

9:00 AM unprogrammed meeting for worship: Phil Simard on the facing bench
10:15 AM Lectio Divina – an intergenerational presentation with Mary Snyder
11:15 AM semi-programmed meeting for worship: there is no planned speaker today; Dave Bostrom, musician; Nancy Helfrich on the facing bench

TODAY

Journaling will meet in the conference room at 10:15.

All are welcome at the monthly potluck lunch downstairs at the rise of semi-programmed worship.

The Quaker Quest coordinating team will meet downstairs during the potluck. All interested are encouraged to attend.

MEETING MATTERS / CALENDAR

The memorial service for George Watson will be next Saturday, March 10, 2 PM here at MFM.

All welcome to meet with the pastor and counselors of True Vine Church, initiated by M&C, to learn about ministry to and with people in challenging economic times: how a church can help members with job, housing loss and other circumstances. This Tues, March 6th, 7 PM at True Vine, 2639 Thomas Ave N, Mpls, or meet at MFM at 6:30 to carpool. Questions to John Stuart.

This year Northern Yearly Meeting is asking for our State of Society report by March 15th. Someone from MFM needs to draft this report for consideration next week’s business meeting. Monthly Meeting had a framing discussion in Jan. Those minutes and supporting materials are available. Sandy Olson has agreed to edit, but we need someone to do the initial draft in order to meet NYM’s deadline. Contact Jeannette Raymond, clerk: 612.823.4036.

“Sounding the Divine” workshop April 28th, at Twin Cities Friends Meeting (1725 Grand Ave. St. Paul, MN). Vonn New, a released friend of New York Yearly Meeting, will present a day-long workshop to explore non-verbal forms of creative expression and sensory experiences which can be doorways to deeper union with the Spirit and may be the most effective way to defy violence and build peace. This workshop will be limited to 40 participants, so pre-registration is required. Register at sharonwoods(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)dishup.us or 715-220-3212. Sponsored by Metro Friends CC and NYM’s A and O.
Donations for workshop participation will be used to cover the costs of bringing Vonn here. Following the workshop, there will be a potluck supper at 5:30 and family folkdance at 6:30. Come for the whole day or come for the evening!

There will be a called meeting for worship for healing with attention to the proposed constitutional marriage amendment Thurs, March 29th. Worship 7-7:45; social time to follow until 8:30.
Needed: people to help tend to the pergola (trellis) – sanding, painting. Great volunteer job for those wanting only a short-term commitment. April or early May. RSVP to Pat Jones or office, 612-926-6159.
Remember the spring forward time to set clocks ahead an hour will be next Sat night / Sun morning, March 10th/11th.

Offering boxes are located on small tables near the meetingroom doors. Please give as you are able. We are nearing the end of our fiscal year. Please make reimbursement requests before March 31. Forms are on the blue box in the long hall.

OUR WIDER COMMUNITY

The American Friends Service Committee has developed a new booklet on Quaker Testimonies that outlines Friends testimonies with quotes and queries for each. Designed for AFSC staff, volunteers, partners and committee members who may not be familiar with Friends testimonies and practices, this booklet distills the Quaker testimonies that underlie both AFSC’s actions and process. There will be a couple of print copies added to the library but Friends can also see this on line: afsc.org/sites/afsc.civicactions.net/files/documents/AFSC_Testimonies_Booklet.pdf

Quaker Action and Work Groups on defeating proposed anti-LGBT amendment on marriage. Saturday, March 17th, 9:30am-2:30pm, St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, 1895 Laurel Avenue in St. Paul, (between Marshall and Summit and between Prior and Fairview.) All are welcome and encouraged to register in pairs or triplets or quads. See flyer for details; call Liz Oppenheimer to register: 612-567-8406.

An unprogrammed meeting for worship in NE Minneapolis will be held on the fifth Friday evenings beginning March 30th at 6:45 followed by a community meal at 7:30. Held at the Grace Center for Community Life, 1500 Sixth St NE. Contact Lyn Egolf Grider, 612-788-0303.

Have you ever thought about traveling to Central America? Are you interested in learning about other forms of Quakerism? The El Salvador Committee of Northern Yearly Meeting is sponsoring a trip to visit El Salvador Yearly Meeting in August, 2012. This trip is open to Friends ages 15 and up. Teens, adult young Friends, adults and physically fit elders welcome. Interested or more info: Ruby Steigerwald at 612-721-7040 by 01-31-2012.

Joint Religious Legislative Coalition Day on the Hill, “And What Does God Require?,” is March 20, 8:30-3:30.
Registration required. Gather in the morning at RiverCentre for issue briefings. Keynote by the pastor of Kwaanza Church. Buses will take you to the Capitol for meetings with legislators in the afternoon. jrlc.org/register-for-day-on-the-hill.

God and Politics: A Spiritual State of the Union, will be presented by Rabbi Sharon Brous Tuesday, March 13, 7:30 p.m.
at OEC Auditorium, U of St. Thomas. Recent years have witnessed a dangerous resurfacing of racial tension, religious intolerance, and political divisiveness in American life. At the same time, Americans, often inspired by their faith in God, have seen through racial, religious and national fault lines and have responded courageously and contributed generously to others in the wake of disasters at home and abroad. Rabbi Sharon Brous, named by Newsweek as the most influential women rabbi in America, will reflect on how different views of God serve to foster different types of public discourse, action and culture. Sponsored by the Jay Phillips Center for Interfaith Learning. More at stthomas.edu/jpc/events

Every Church A Peace Church next potluck – Mon, March 12th, 6:30 p.m. at St. Luke Presbyterian Church, 3121 Groveland School Rd, Minnetonka. The program, a presentation by MN Sen John Marty, Move to Amend: Working for Justice in an Unjust World. “We … reject the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling and move to amend our Constitution to firmly establish that money is not speech, and that human beings, not corporations, are persons entitled to constitutional rights.”

OFFICE HOURS
Pat Jones will be in the office Wednesday from 2:00-5:00 and other times Wed, Thurs, Fri. and Sat.
Carolyn Sherer VandenDolder, the Administrative Assistant, will be in Wed. afternoon and Fri. Bulletin deadline, noon Thur. Bulletin items can be phoned in to the office, emailed or written and put in the bulletin file of the blue box.