9:00 AM unprogrammed meeting for worship: care of meeting, Terry Kayser

10:15 AM ~Barbara Coffin, born in 1920, has seen ninety-three years of race relations change taking place. Working her way from the racial ditties of her southern grandmother to a gradually expanding world of inter-racial contacts to inter-racial friendships, she still wants to learn more. She will speak in the meetingroom, sharing her experiences along the way.
~Friendly Philosophers will meet in the lower level.

11:15 AM semi-programmed meeting for worship: Dick Magraw, speaker; Kathy Webster, musician; care of meeting, Joanne Esser

“Our lives must be lived in prospect but can only be understood in retrospect.”

“Each person lives their own life but also lives the life of their time.”

“Every man is a radical about the things he truly understands.” – George Bernard Shaw

TODAY

Friends in the 9:00 unprogrammed worship are starting to use the microphone for ministry from the silence. If you are led to speak, please stand, as able, or raise a hand and wait for the microphone to be brought to you. There are Friends who cannot hear the messages.

You are welcome to the monthly Sunday potluck lunch today at the rise of semi-programmed worship. Please label your pot-luck item/s with ingredients or your name. Most social times at the Meeting are do-it-yourself affairs. Look for ways to help the effort – get more forks, glasses, etc, when needed, offer to make more coffee, help clear and wipe tables, take up a dish towel to dry . . . Many hands make light work!

Nancy Lichtenstein will perform with the Ariel Trio TODAY at 3 p.m. to celebrate their 25th anniversary! Plymouth Congregational Church (LaSalle Ave Entrance, in the Chapel,) 1900 Nicollet, Mpls.

MEETING MATTERS / CALENDAR

In preparation for our time of worshiping together this summer, Friends are reminded that meeting for worship begins when the first Friend enters the room and sits down. Enter the meetingroom quietly and refrain from loud conversation in the hallways outside the meetingroom until after worship. Thank thee kindly!

Adult program May 19th – Worship: Under what circumstances can we as Friends have an inspiring, nurturing and/or tender worship experience? What happens for you during worship? How do you center? How do you attune to the leadings of the Spirit? This program is offered to encourage dialogue as we prepare to hold a single Sunday meeting for worship this summer. Facilitated by Joanne Esser and Sandy Olson.

May 19th is the last day of first day school. A heart-felt thank you to those have given their time, effort, and spirit to our youth! Rae shouldered the responsibility of creating a meaningful program and provided loving, conscientious oversight. Allen was a constant the entire year, leading the children in song, asking probing questions in discussions, and playing great indoor soccer! Mary opened up the world of the prophets and taught how to make giant puppets. Jane shared Quaker history, exploring testimonies shown through the lives and works of Friends. Kassie and Rae assisted in class and organized games, activities and service to build community. Barb and Sigurd taught in the spring and Steve and Suzanne graciously stepped in as substitute teachers. Thanks also go to visiting teachers Dick for sharing his doctor stories and Linda for sharing her family history, including stories of Levi Coffin and the Underground Railroad. Betsy and Suzanne helped make new name tags and Sue took such great pictures of FDS activities. Susie was another constant in the life of the program – there early to help with the children and offering her expertise in book selections. Thank you to parents for sharing your children and allowing them to add color and sparkle to the MFM community. And finally, thank you to all at Meeting for making the youth feel welcome and valued. Your words in worship last Sunday left many of us with tears in our eyes as your loving spirit filled the room. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Our summer schedule will begin May 26th. There will be one meeting for worship each Sun in the summer months, starting at 10 AM. The first and third Sun will be unprogrammed, the second and fourth Sun will be semi-programmed. The one fifth Sunday in June will be inter-generational. Plan to engage in this opportunity – knowing each other widely and well, developing a trust and intimacy that will prepare us for the inreach/outreach of Quaker Quest in the autumn!

From MFM First Day School students: Thank you for your generosity in supporting us and the Feed My Staving Children Organization. $269 was raised, providing 1,223 meals for hungry children. Thank you!

There will be a meeting for all clerks of committees on Sunday, Jun 2nd, after the potluck – from 12:30-1:30.

Might you be available on occasion to unlock and lock the meetinghouse on a Sunday morning when there is a need? Please call the meetinghouse office if you would be happy to be called on to do this – 612-926-6159.

The George and Elizabeth Watson Memorial Discussion Group will meet Wed. May 15 at 7:30, finishing before 9. We will read Chapter 5 of letters to a Fellow Seeker together. You don’t have to read it ahead of time! No homework! Please come even if you haven’t come before.

The Friendly Philosophers meet Weds, 7 PM at Bush Terrace Condos: 4014 – 15th Ave. So, Mpls. For more: Gib gibpellet(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)gmail.com; or Tessa tessa-johnstone(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)hotmail.com.

Offering boxes are located on small tables near the meetingroom doors. We are starting a new fiscal year. Our approved budget is $115,523 – requiring contributions of $2,221.60 per week. Average weekly contributions in April: $1,420.26. If you would like to automate your contributions, please talk to Suzanne Ferguson, receiving treasurer. Thank you, Friends, for your generous support of the Meeting in all manner of ways.

OUR WIDER COMMUNITY

Friends School of MN Plant Sale is coming to the State Fairgrounds May 10-12th. Catalogues are on the long table.

Friends School of MN has two job openings: Development Director and Admissions Director, both half-time positions. Job descriptions are posted on the long bulletin board and / or at fsmn.org/employment-friends-school-minnesota.

Barbara Mohr, as part of the Twin Cities Women Chorus, will offer Divas and Desserts at St. Mary’s Greek Orthodox Church in Mpls, (3450 Irving Ave So,) on Fri May 10 and Sat May 11 at 7:30 pm.. Tickets – $25 / $30 at the door ($22 for students and seniors). To purchase and for more: twincitieswomenschoir.org.

High Tea with SuperGroup, May 11th. Tea, tasty treats, decadent desserts, crustless comestibles, good cheer and super surprises (coffee and mimosas too!) Send an email to info(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)supergroup.biz to make a reservation specifying number of people attending and the time (noon, 12:30, 1:30, 20:00, 3:00 or 3:30). You’ll get a reply confirming your reservation and giving you the address. Donations taken at the door. SuperGroup needs to raise $3000 to reach this year’s budget goal. More at http://supergroupshow.biz

From Friends Committee for Legislation – Step Up Efforts to Control Guns: Responding to the recent vote in Congress that defeated (for now) a measure to expand background checks for gun sales, FCNL is asking for supporters of gun control to step up the pressure on Congress. See fcnl.org/blog/2c/We_Cannot_Be_Silent_Now/ for helpful background and links, including a roster of how different senators voted on the recent measure.

Center For Earth, Energy and Democracy (CEED) will host Robert Yazzie, a retired chief Justice of the Navajo Nation, speaking about the Rights of Mother Earth and sharing his wisdom about traditional indigenous justice and governance. Justice Yazzie served as Chief Justice for nine years and practiced law in the Navajo Nation for sixteen. He is the former Director of Diné Policy Institute of Diné College (Navajo Nation), where he developed policy using authentic Navajo thinking and applying the fundamental laws of the Diné to contemporary problems. He continues to work in the areas of Navajo peacemaking, traditional Indian law, and international human rights law. Thursday, May 9th, 7:00 pm, Wellstone Cntr, Rm 212, 179 Robie St. E St. Paul.

From Death to Life: A Story of Reconciliation and Healing Thursday, May 9, 5:15 – 8:00 pm 4113 West 54th Str, Edina, Forgiveness. . . Healing. . .Reconciliation. In the face of violence, these may seem like remote possibilities. Yet, Mary Johnson and Oshea Israel are proof that it is possible. From Death to Life is an organization dedicated to ending violence through healing and reconciliation between families of victims and those who have caused harm. It was founded by Mary in 2005, shortly before she came to forgive Oshea, the young man who took her only son’s life 12 years earlier. She now claims Oshea as her “spiritual son” and together they share their inspiring story of healing and reconciliation in the community. Come to this month’s Seminary of the Streets, hear their inspirational story and join in a meal and conversation. Register at eventbrite.com/event/6398547227

Unraveling the Culture of War: Global Hollywood and American Politics in the Age of 9/11. Dr. Larry May, Professor of History at the U will offer this public lecture at The Wm G. Sheperd Rm, Weisman Art Museum, east bank campus, May 9th, 6:00 pm. In the wake of 9/11, there was an historic cultural shift: the film industry was no longer nationally-based, but was a global cultural industry, catering to an audience often critical of US policies. Filmmakers created a body of popular films that undermined rather than advanced the culture of war that pervaded politics from World War II to the War on Terror. The lecture will be accompanied by film clips from movies like the Bourne series, Flags of Our Fathers, Syriana, Fahrenheit 9/11 and Babel as well as illustrations to detail the changing face of movie making.

The next Every Church a Peace Church potluck supper meeting will be on Monday, May 13th, 6:30 p.m. at Macalester Plymouth United Church, 1658 Lincoln Ave, St. Paul. The program (at about 7 pm) will feature the presentation of a documentary film, “The Ground Truth,” followed by discussion. The film’s subjects are patriotic young Americans – ordinary men and women who heeded the call for military service in Iraq – as they experience recruitment and training, combat, homecoming, and the struggle to reintegrate with families and communities. The terrible conflict in Iraq, depicted with ferocious honesty, is a prelude for the even more challenging battles fought by the soldiers returning home: personal demons, an uncomprehending public, and an indifferent government. As these battles take shape, each soldier becomes a new kind of hero, bearing witness and giving support to other veterans, and learning to fearlessly wield the most powerful weapon of all – the truth. For more: groups.yahoo.com/group/MnECAPC.

QUAKER CONFERENCES / NURTURE

Northern Yearly Meeting Annual Session, “Spiritual Hospitality”, May 24-27 at Lion’s Camp in Rosholt, WI. Northern Yearly Meeting offers a rich opportunity to connect with and get to know Quakers from the upper mid-west. Find inspiration and encouragement from how other individuals and meetings address an array of sometimes surprisingly similar issues and challenges. Worship, small group discussion, singing, dancing, walking, boating, a talent show and an excellent youth program all in a beautiful setting. What more could be desired? Program and registrations are out. Registration deadline was May 4th but there might still be room! northernyearlymeeting.org.

The 2013 Friends General Conference Gathering, “At the Growing Edges of our Faith,” will be in Greeley, CO, June 30-July 6. Registration has begun – some workshops fill quickly! The Gathering is a dynamic, Spirit-filled week for all ages – spiritually nourishing and exciting and bringing a fuller sense of what it means to be a Quaker. Scholarships available. Program and registration information is on the elevator table; financial assistance info on the bulletin board.

Quaker Earthcare Witness will offer A “Gathering for Deeper Relationship with Earth” in conjunction with FGC. We will meet daily during the FGC Gathering’s morning workshop time to seek, deepen, and clarify leadings toward right relationship and peaceful unity with nature and the planet. Opportunities to share in other contexts too, including activities in the QEW Nature Center. See “secure.quakerearthcare.org/fgc-2013-deeper-relationship-with-earth” for more.

Earlham School or Religion’s 2013 Leadership Conference, Friendly Marketing: Message, Motive and Means – Aug 16-18 in Richmond, IN. Pat Jones may go. You? esr.earlham.edu/news-events/events/2012-esr-leadership-conference

OFFICE HOURS

Pat Jones is on medical leave. David Woolley is attending to essential Meeting needs in her absence, finding Friends to respond to ministry and practical needs. Contact David at davidw(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)minneapolisfriends.org or leave a message on the Meeting phone. Please contact him through the Meeting office only, except in emergencies.

Carolyn 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.