January 19, 2014

9:00 AM meeting for worship (unprogrammed): care of meeting, Roger Tyldsely

10:15 AM Jeanne Stuart, “Growing Into My Values”

11:15 AM meeting for worship (semi-programmed): John Kraft, speaker; Kathy Webster, musician; care of meeting, Dave Bostrom

TODAY

Nursery care today is downstairs with Susie.

Last chance to see the lovely decorations and photos of New Year’s celebrations in Japan from Susie’s collection. Check out the bulletin board downstairs with photos from a 50+ year period!

MEETING MATTERS / CALENDAR

See the letter and supporting information from Duluth – Superior Friends Meeting on copper – nickel mining in Northern MN. Monthly Meeting did not feel it had time to act as a body on the pressing issue of this mining in MN but wants F(f)riends who are interested to have access to information so they can participate in a timely way during the public comment period. Making a comment is currently the most effective way to voice opposition to the mining.

Lunch Bunch will meet Wed, Jan 22nd, 11:45 at Presbyterian Homes, 10030 Newton Ave So. RSVP to Louise by Tues, Jan 21st. If you are available in the middle of the day, consider coming! It’s a great opportunity to deepen relationships with and bring news to those not able to come to worship every Sunday.

Adult Program next Sunday at 10:15: Ranae Hanson. Hear an overview of her experience at the Quaker Earth Witness Steering Committee meeting in Chicago in Oct, including suggestions for how MFM and individuals could interact further with QEW. We may consider the idea of having a local chapter of QEW, possibly with other Quakers from the area. Particular attention to the fabulous presentations made by three young Friends: an African-American man from Philadelphia working on rain and water management; an European-American man from Montana working on climate change in Vietnam; and a Bangladeshi-American woman from New Hampshire who identifies as a Muslim Quaker.

Adult Program Sun, Feb 2 at 10:15: Alberta Mirais (daughter of Terry) will speak: “Honoring the sacredness of life through art, whether it be with sound, paint or other medium. Communicating wordlessly and expressing ourselves freely, without shame. If the sound you make aligns with your heart, you are a musician. If the movement of your brush feels like a gesture of deep love, feels delicious and fulfilling, you are a painter. When your fingers let the voice of your pain, your ecstasy, your strength, your sorrow, flow out of them, you are an artist. Let your heart be your guide.

Would you like to help organize a MFM workshop on the Transition Movement? We have an outline of a Sat workshop to empower us toward positive actions regarding climate change. If you would like to help plan, bring a bag lunch and stay for about an hour following the rise of 11:15 meeting next Sun, Jan 26.

Jim, Kyle and Heather are exploring doing a Bible study of the Book of Acts. If interested, please come to a planning session in the middler classroom on Feb. 2nd at 10:15 to figure out details of meeting time and length.

Looking ahead: Come to storytelling Thurs evening, Feb 20th here at the meetinghouse. This informal, engaging evening – for newcomers and old-timers alike – is a delightful way to know and be known by each other. Watch for more details.

Did you know Northern Yearly Meeting is developing a Faith and Practice? You can read approved and draft chapters at northernyearlymeeting.org/faith-practice . Britain Yearly Meeting wrote the first Faith and Practice in response to requests from monthly meeting in about 1728. Faith and Practice volumes offer guidance and can serve as an introduction to Quaker life and practice in a particular region.

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.

Congratulations to John Stuart!, chosen as a Minnesota Lawyer Attorney of the Year. He will be honored at a banquet on Feb 20th (correction from last week) for “a career’s worth of dedication to the Minnesota legal community.” Rosalie Wahl will be similarly honored.

Offering boxes are located on small tables near the meetingroom doors. December 31 marked the end of our third fiscal quarter. Contributions so far this fiscal year total $63,749.95. Three-quarters of our approved budget is $86,642.25. 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

A Northern Yearly Meeting retreat for high school Quakers will be Jan 31 – Feb 2 at Twin Cities Friends Mtg. For details or to volunteer to be a Friendly Adult Presence, contact coordinator Celeste.

There is an unprogrammed worship in NE Mpls on fifth Fri evenings (the next one Jan 31st at 6:45) followed by a potluck. Grace Center for Community Life, 1500 – 6th Str NE.

A five-session course in Quakerism will be led by Paul Landskroener Thurs from Feb 6 – March 6 at 7 pm. at Twin Cities Friends Meeting. Quaker doctrines, worship and ministry, witness and testimonies, and history and organization. Useful to those new to or exploring Friends as well as for long-time Friends who want to know more about Quaker basics. Enrollment limit is 40.

The next White Privilege Conference is in Madison, WI from March 26-29. Friends General Conference’s Ministry on Racism program encourages Friends in the Midwest to attend. FGC’s pre-registration to give Friends a significant discount to the conference begins Mon, Jan 20. Sign up with FGC first to pre-register and receive the discount code, to request housing, and more: fgcquaker.org/WPC15-Interest . The roster of all-day institutes (Wed and Sat of the conference) is now available: whiteprivilegeconference.com/pdf/WPC15-Institutes.pdf . Space for these institutes is limited; enrolling in an institute is part of the registration process but requires a discount code from FGC. Most forums that address race focus on the impacts on people of color, leaving white identity normalized and unexplored. The WPC is unique in that it shifts this focus onto white people and their socialization. There may be as many as 50 Friends from the upper midwest and another 30-50 from around the U.S. at the conference this year. Going or considering? Tell Pat.

Concerned about climate change? Come to the Citizens Climate Lobby Regional Conference, “Local Impacts, National Action”, Jan 24 – 26 at Macalester College. Pre-conference, free, public event at Macalester’s Weyerhaeuser Chapel Fri evening the 24th, will include Paul Douglas speaking on local impacts of climate change and Mark Reynolds, Exec. Director of Citizens Climate Lobby, speaking on “Building the Political Will to Preserve a Safe Climate.” On Sat the 25th, 9 – 6 and Sun the 26th, 9 – noon, there will be sessions on local impacts of climate change plus workshops on the “fee & dividend” proposal and on building effective relationships for action. For more or to register, call 952-920-1547 or see citizensclimatelobby-mn.org . Suggested donation for the Sat/Sun conference is $25 adult, $10 student (no one turned away for lack of funds); register at https://coolplanetmn2.wufoo.com/forms/citizens-climate-lobby-regional-conference/

A number of Quaker meetings and yearly meetings in the U.S. have formally minuted their renunciation of the Doctrine of Discovery as one step toward healing the historic trauma between indigenous peoples and European settlers. Sheldon Wolfchild, actor, director, and member of the Lower Sioux Indian community, will present the film, The Doctrine of Discovery, and lead discussion Mon, Feb. 3, 7-9:30 p.m. (gather at 6:45,) Saint Paul Area Council of Churches, 1671 Summit Ave. St. Paul. The film focuses on the religious justification early explorers used to claim lands from indigenous nations and peoples. RSVP to Tom Duke, tduke03(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)earthlink.net, so they can plan for seating and refreshments.

Margaret Fraser and Anne Bennett are leading a pilgrimage to Ireland April 22 – May 5,2014. Spend time in worship and conversation with Irish Quakers; explore the history of Friends in Ireland, beginning in persecution; reflect on the witness of Friends who helped relieve suffering and challenged its causes during the Great Hunger; hear from those who offered fresh visions of reconciliation during the 20th century ‘Troubles’; observe the continuing community reconciliation work in contemporary Ireland. Cost, $2500; $1650 of which is due by Feb 1. To register, email margaret(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)goodnewsassoc.org . More at goodnewsassoc.org/associates/margaret-fraser/delegation-to-ireland/

Love Your Planet Comedy Night, a benefit Terry Hokenson has helped organize for MN Interfaith Power and Light, will be 7 pm, Sat, Feb 15th at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 4201 Sheridan Ave S, Mpls. MNIPL is raising a groundswell of positive action through MN faith communities in response to climate change. More at mnipl.org or tinyurl.com/jwc86qd or see Terry.

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.