November 3, 2013

9:00 AM meeting for worship (unprogrammed): care of meeting, Mary Snyder

10:15 AM *Jim Lovestar will speak: “I’ve come a long way in my relationship to race. From a naive 18-year-old Marine to a still-more-naive-than-I’d-like 63-year-old Quaker loving in No. Mpls. I’ll offer a few stories and invite you to consider some questions I’m looking at in my life.”
*Friendly Philosophers will meet in the conference room.

11:15 AM meeting for worship (semi-programmed): Neal Hagberg, speaker; Dave Bostrom, musician; care of meeting, David Woolley

“You want to know how big God’s love is? The answer is: It’s very big. It’s bigger than you are comfortable with.”
– Anne Lamott in Grace (Eventually): Thoughts on Faith

TODAY

You are welcome at the potluck lunch today! Please come even if you did not bring anything. To regulars, please label your pot-luck item/s with ingredients or your name so those with allergies, salt restrictions, vegetarians, etc can participate with confidence!

The new Quaker Quest series starts this afternoon, 3:00, with Quakers and the Divine. Presenters: Barbara Ziegenhagen, Stephen Snyder and Carolyn VandenDolder.

Rose Burckhardt will be playing in a dedication recital for the new St. Boniface organ at 3:00 today, 425 Main Street (Co. Rd. 92, just north of Highway 7), St. Bonifacius. A flyer is posted.

HOLD IN THE LIGHT

Minneapolis Friends Meeting and Quaker Quest: that we are faithful witnesses to God’s grace, love and presence; that we are discovered by those whose relationship with the Divine might be encouraged and nurtured by being part of this community; that we be authentic.

MEETING MATTERS / CALENDAR

White Envelope Gift recipient ideas are being sought. The WEG is a special, one-time, designated collection that happens each December. Information for suggested candidates needs to be given to Ranae, Roland or Nancy TODAY. There is also a White Envelope Gift file in the blue box where suggestions may be left.

Adult Program / 10:15 line-up for November:
Nov 10th: worship with attention to business – 9:45-11:15. Among other items of business, the White Envelope Gift recipient(s) recommendation will be brought and considered and a decision will be made about where to have Fall Camp, 2014. Some things to consider: Camp Courage is closer, has a pool, and is in a more woodsy setting with a “camp” feeling. Villa Maria has more food options, private sleeping accommodations, a comfortable, inviting all-together space and is much closer for Winona Friends. In these decisions and more, come be part of the corporate discernment.
Nov. 17th: Global climate change, economic upheaval, endless warfare — its enough to get a person down! Betsy Raasch-Gilman will lead a discussion about sources of hope and faith for us, even as we live in a time of growing uncertainty. This is a small installment of a six-week class she facilitated at Twin Cities Friends Meeting last winter.
Nov. 24th: Mel Duncan, founding Executive Director and current Advocacy and Outreach Director of Nonviolent Peaceforce (NP) will speak on “Nonviolent Peacekeeping: The alternative between doing nothing and sending in the bombs.” Mel recently visited Syria where NP is considering starting a peacekeeping project. Mel graduated from Macalester College and lives in St. Paul and New York City.

If you are new to the Meeting and Quakerism, we hope you will be able to attend Quaker Quest sessions, the next one this afternoon at 3:00. Take a flyer with the schedule for yourself and to give to a friend.
Everyone who comes to Meeting is encouraged to bring friends who might be interested in “sampling” Quaker life and worship. Who do you know? Pass on flyers and invite or bring someone!
The second Quaker Quest session, Quakers and Equality and Social Justice, will be offered next Sun, Nov 10th, 3-5 PM. The presenters are Annette Smith, Zach White and Lolly Lijewski. These sessions offer a glimpse of Minneapolis Friends Meeting to the public but also offer a precious opportunity for us to get to know the panelists, talk with visitors and with one another. Thank you to everyone who has brought this opportunity to fruition!

Minneapolis Friends for Climate Stability will meet this Tues, Nov. 5th at 6:30 p.m. at the meetinghouse. Come talk about hopes, fears, plans and opportunities. All are welcome.

You are welcome to the worship in Bloomington at the home of Louise, Tues, Nov 12th, 7:00. All are welcome to come to this small, unprogrammed time of worship!

The George and Elizabeth Watson Memorial Discussion Group will recommence, meeting monthly starting Wed, Nov 13th, 7:00, here at the meetinghouse. There is NO HOMEWORK–we will resume reading Letters to a Fellow Seeker. This is great basic Quaker education and is recommended to visitors, new attenders, anyone!

Save the Date: Friends for a NonViolent World (FNVW) Holiday Fair, Fri, Dec 6, 1:00 -9:00 and Sat, Dec 7, 10:00 – 4:00. You are invited and please, invite family, friends, and neighbors to this annual festive event! Great vendors, scrumptious meals, and wonderful live music! FNVW receives 100% profit on all books, crafts, and Value Board items!
CRAFTS: Food items tend to sell well, but sew, knit, or paint to your hearts content! No plants please.
BOOKS: The Book Loft is a huge success each year and needs used books in good shape. Call FNVW offices, 651-917-0383, for drop off times and places.
VALUES BOARD: Donate or solicit gift certificates from stores, restaurants, or theaters you patron. One quick trip and FNVW gets 100% of the selling price!

Judith is doing a memorial altered book for Nancy, a form of mixed media artwork that changes a book in appearance and/or meaning. (Sample on the library table.) Pages need to be 8″ X 5″. Working deadline is sometime in Feb so everyone who wants to, will have time to complete a page.

Winona Friends invite you and all Minneapolis Friends folks for a Driftless Area Thanksgiving Inter-visitation. Worship at 10 AM, Sun, Nov, 24 with a potluck lunch to follow. First Day School and child care provided – St. Paul’s Episcopal Church’s annex on Lafayette Street, (E. Broadway and Lafayette St. in Winona). We look forward to seeing you!

Offering boxes are located on small tables near the meetingroom doors. Average contributions of $9,725 per month ($2,431 per week) are needed to meet our budget. In October, $4,171.13 was contributed to the general budget; an average of $1,047.79 per week. Thank you, Friends, for your generous support of the Meeting in all manner of ways.

OUR WIDER QUAKER COMMUNITY

Are you interested in connecting with other Quakers in the US about the role that Quakers can and should play in the world of business? Would you like to be able talk to Friends who have a Friendly business point of view? Would you like to encourage young Friends to go into business? Convey your interest by completing a short survey (surveymonkey.com/s/PKDYJGD) so a group can begin to be organized.

Exploring what worked about the Quaker involvement for marriage equality and how we might build on that experience, refocus, and apply it to other justice and social change work, gather for a Pivot presentation, Nov 11, 6:30-8:30 pm, St. Paul Area Council of Churches, 1671 Summit Ave., St. Paul. Liz Oppenheimer, facilitator.

A Quaker Youth Pilgrimage to Bolivia and Peru is planned for July -August, 2014! A group of 16-18 year-olds will travel, worship and work together, experiencing the diversity of Friends’ traditions and strengthening their relationship with God as they explore the regions and meet the Quakers of South America. Pilgrims and adult leaders sought! Leaders, apply by Nov 15 (preference for bilingual English / Spanish skills); pilgrims, apply by Dec 1 (Spanish skills helpful but not a prerequisite.) More at fwccamericas.org/QYP-Andes.shtml

An unprogrammed worship in NE Minneapolis is being held on the fifth Fri evenings – the next one Nov 29th at 6:45 followed by a community meal at 7:30; Grace Center for Community Life, 1500 – 6th Str NE.

From Friends Committee on National Legislation – U.S. Drones: Unjustified (Oct 24) New reports from Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch document how secret U.S. drone strikes have killed civilians in violation of international law. Both reports echo long-standing FCNL criticism of the lack of accountability, transparency and oversight of U.S. drone strikes. Drones enable assassinations and allow our government to target people for merely being in a certain location or behaving in a certain way. As Yemeni activist Faera Al-Muslimi told Congress, one drone strike instantly radicalizes people against the U.S. in ways that al Qaeda propaganda never could. Tell the administration: Don’t break international law. Suspend the armed drones program until we can have a full, transparent debate about their use.

OUR WIDER COMMUNITY

Sister Helen Prejean, CSJ, will present “Dead Man Walking – the Journey Continues” this Fri, Nov 8 at 7, Church of the Annunciation, 509 W 54th Str. in Mpls. Sr. Helen Prejean will speak on her ministry to abolish the death penalty in the US. Refreshments and book signing follow the talk. A poster is on the long bulletin board.

Artist Rob Shetterly will be featured as part of the Portrait’s of Patriotism series, Americans Who Tell the Truth, Nov 9, 7 PM, at the St. Thomas’s Anderson Student Center (3rd floor, James B. Woulfe Alumni Hall North) Summit and Cretin Aves, St Paul. There is a small event charge; proceeds to be shared between Friends for a Non-Violent World, Alternatives to Violence Project and Women Against Military Madness

Every Church a Peace Church will host a potluck and discussion on Nov 11, 6:30 p.m. at United Church of Christ, 1000 Long Lake Road in New Brighton. The program: An Introduction to Nonviolent Peaceforce and Unarmed Civilian Peacekeeping with Ann Warner and Thor Wagstrom, local leaders. The U.S. NP office is located in Minneapolis.

Hear a panel discussion of food justice, Nov 10th, 1- 3 PM, First Universalist Church, 3400 Dupont Ave So. The reality of industrial food production, the changing climate and the paradox of widespread hunger and obesity calls us, as people of faith, to both understand and attempt to align our eating with our beliefs. A light vegan meal provided. No fee but an RSVP is needed: Judy Broad at: jab679(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)gmail.com .

OFFICE HOURS
Pat Jones will be in the office Wednesday from 2:00-5:00 and other times Wed, Thurs, Fri. and Sat.
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.