December 29, 2013

9:00 AM meeting for worship (unprogrammed): care of meeting, Sandy Olson

10:15 AM Devin Helfrich will speak on his legislative work related to climate/environmental policy, “How to keep your spirits up while working for the U.S. House of Representatives and other interesting anecdotes from work in DC.”

11:15 AM meeting for worship (semi-programmed): there is no planned speaker today; special music with Nancy Lichtenstein; care of meeting, Carolyn VandenDolder

TODAY

It’s the season of snow and slush! Friends are encourage to remember to do a little MN winter jig in the entryway before coming up or going downstairs.

Parking at the meetinghouse: those who are able, please park further away from the meetinghouse, leaving spaces nearby for those who have mobility challenges. Please be mindful not to park between the No Parking During Church Service signs. Cars and metro mobility need the space to drop off individuals for worship.

MEETING MATTERS / CALENDAR

Next week, you are welcome to the monthly Sun potluck at 12:30. Start 2014 with good food and among F(f)riends!

Volunteers needed for Loaves and Fishes: our next commitment is tomorrow, Dec 30th. The meal, prepared and served by area Quakers, is offered at Holy Rosary Church, 2424 – 18th Ave So. Help with this concrete expression of care and outreach: 2:30-4:30, cooking; 4:45-6:45, serving; 5:30-7:00, clean-up. Also needed, festive and nutritious desserts like fruit, decorated cookies, fruit bars – individual portions attractively bagged or wrapped if appropriate, delivered to the meetinghouse TODAY or brought to Holy Rosary by 5:00 on the 30th. Participation from Mpls Friends needed! Serving and cleaning up help especially needed. Children ten and over are warmly welcome! Sign up on the sheet by the bulletins.

New Year’s Eve: Come and celebrate New Year’s Eve with each other and some beautiful Japanese traditions! Enjoy lovely Japanese New Year decorations, a Japanese poetry game and a sample of Japanese food. Bring a potluck dish to share: 5:00 worship, 5:30 set up; 6:00 dinner with fun and an introduction to sacred Japanese Buddhist traditions later! If you can, bring a favorite poem and song!

Adult Program next Sunday, Jan. 5th, at 10:15: Mary Logue will show how she has explored her own spirituality through her writings, even in her mysteries. She will read from her work and talk about how letting go of the expected has helped her find wonderful surprises. She will also talk about how sitting in meeting has affected her work.

Also next Sunday at 10:15: Friendly Philosophers will meet in the conference room. Friendly Philosophers, an open group, meets every first Sunday morning (here) and every Thurs evening, 7:00, at Gib’s: Bush Terrace Condos: 4014 – 15th Ave. So, Mpls. Everyone is welcome!

The George and Elizabeth Watson Memorial Discussion Group will next meet Wed, Jan 8th at the meetinghouse. There is no homework. We are reading aloud Letters to a Young Seeker by Steve Chase. It is a great introduction to Quakerism and people new to Meeting are most welcome to come!

Volunteers are being sought to wash and iron tablecloths used at the Holiday Fair.

Warm clothes for St. Stephen’s: this street outreach could use warm winter clothing – boots, hats, mittens, gloves, scarves, coats, etc. There is a box for clean, gently used donations in the entryway.

The Northern Yearly Meeting Newsletter deadline is January 10. Thinking of a workshop you’d like to offer at the annual session? Want to do a preliminary article? Email Richard at richard.osbo.fuller(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)gmail.com

Green Action Tip: Consider signing the petition (by Dec 29,) urging President Obama to make environmental justice part of the Climate Action Plan. Climate disruption harms poor people, people of color, and indigenous people before it harms the more privileged. See: petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/close-gap-and-make-environmental-justice-part-climate-action-plan/DBwT9cm9

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 November, $8,164.30 was contributed to the general budget; an average of $2,041.08 per week. There has been a serious shortfall mid-way through this fiscal year. Thank you, Friends, for your generous support of the Meeting in all manner of ways.

OUR WIDER COMMUNITY

Stop Starvation in Syria – End the Blockades (from Friends for a NonViolent World): Syrians are slowly dying of malnutrition, but not for lack of food. A military blockade surrounds dozens of Syrian towns. This starvation siege prevents 1.5 million Syrians from receiving food or medicine. Join a “rolling” solidarity hunger strike which started on Fri, Dec 20 – someone will fast every day in support of the hunger strikers in Syria. A list of supporters for a larger campaign leading up to the Geneva Conference in Jan. is being put together. Commit to one day of symbolic hunger strike and give FNVW permission to put your name on materials to publicize the hunger strikes more widely. For more, see www.facebook.com/qusaihungerstrike or email stopthesiege(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)gmail.com

From Friends for a NonViolent World: Contact Senator Klobuchar And Senator Franken to Oppose Increased Sanctions against Iran. Once again it is necessary to speak up about the proposed Senate bill calling for increased sanctions against Iran. Even though 60% of the American people support the negotiations with Iran, there are pro-war forces seeking to eliminate the possibility for productive negotiations with Iran. Find a petition to Senator Amy Klobuchar and Senator Al Franken at: petitions.moveon.org/sign/support-diplomacy-with-4.fb55?source=s.icn.fb&r_by=383071

Every Church a Peace Church will host its monthly potluck at 6:30 on Mon. Jan 13th at Spirit of St. Stephen’s Catholic Community, 2201 First Ave So, Mpls. Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer will speak on “Maintaining Hope in Hard Times.”

Save the Date: The next White Privilege Conference is in Madison, WI from March 26-29, 2014: fgcquaker.org/WPC15-Interest .

OFFICE HOURS
Pat Jones will be in the office at times Thurs. and Fri.
Carolyn VandenDolder, the Administrative Assistant, will be on 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.