May 4, 2014

9:00 AM meeting for worship (unprogrammed): care of meeting, Roland Barrett

10:15 AM Doris Tyldesley in the meetingroom: Looking back over almost 60 years of singing and over 40 years as a Quaker, Doris will share her journey and reflect on the relationship between the joy of singing and waiting in silence.

11:15 AM meeting for worship (semi-programmed): Nettie Smith, speaker; Dave Bostrom, musician; care of meeting, Clifford Goltz

“We are urgently called to action in two distinct capacities: to serve as hospice workers to a dying culture and to serve as midwives to an emerging culture. These two tasks are required simultaneously. They call upon us to move through the world with an open heart – meaning we are present for the grief and the pain – as we experiment with new visions and forms for the future. Both are needed. The key is to root our actions in both intelligence and compassion – a balance of head and heart that combines the finest human qualities in our leadership for cultural transformation.”
– Will Keepin, Principals of Spiritual Leadership

TODAY

You are welcome at the potluck today at the rise of semi-programmed worship! Please come to this relaxed time of food and fellowship, even if you didn’t bring anything. To regulars, potlucks, like most things here, are do-it-yourself affairs. Look for opportunities to help: get silverware and plates for the serving table when needed; help clear dishes, help wash, dry and put dishes away; help wipe tables and put tables and chairs away. Many hands make (L)light work!

There’s something for everyone at Northern Yearly Meeting! The registration deadline for the annual sessions (Memorial Day weekend) has passed but there is still room for you if you act fast! Registration packets are available on the bulletin table. Those who are going (so far): Pat, Allen, John, Ranae, Jim, Annette, Sigurd, Jim, and Rick, Carolyn and Thomas. Join the party!
Help everyone get to NYM burning as little fossil fuel as possible – share rides! Contact someone you know who is going or get in touch with Ron Schutz at rondo(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)chorus.net, 608-692-2238 or Muir Mulholland at muir.mulholland(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)gmail.com, 608-242-1882 by May 19th. No guarantees, but they will do their best to match you up with a ride or rider!
Northern Yearly Meeting was created to provide support for and between worship groups and monthly meetings in the upper mid-west. Annual sessions offer times of fellowship, relaxation, programming for children, worship, dancing, talent displays, workshops and interest groups.

HOLD IN THE LIGHT

Those who live in areas of conflict, political unrest and uncertainty – Syria, Afghanistan, Somalia, Ukraine, Nigeria, Iraq, Egypt, Palestine, Turkey, Pakistan, Yemen, Libya, Sudan, Peru, Venezuela . . .

MEETING MATTERS / CALENDAR

Friends will decide next Sunday at monthly meeting (May 11) whether to approve this minute proposed by the Peace and Social Concerns Committee: “Minneapolis Monthly Meeting stands with Duluth-Superior Friends and others in opposition to the Gogebic Taconite Mine proposed in northern Wisconsin.” Friends are asked to read this New York Times article (http://nyti.ms/1dBQBJa) and the Duluth-Superior Friends Meeting position (paper copies are on the elevator table.)

Monthly meeting for business is where the decisions shaping and supporting our corporate life happen, under the guidance of God. Everyone interested in the Minneapolis Monthly Meeting community is welcome and encouraged to participate in this time of discernment.

The last Sunday of the school-year schedule is May 18th. May 25th, Memorial Day Sunday, is the start of the summer schedule of a single worship at 10:00. We will alternate between unprogrammed and semi-programmed worship, week to week, starting with semi-programmed worship Sunday, May 25th.

There will be a meeting of the minds for all current committee clerks Sun, June 8th, at the rise of business meeting. Bring a bag lunch and/or simple food to share.

Worship in Bloomington will be Tues, May 13th, 7:00, at the home of Louise, Gideon Pond, Bloomington. All are welcome at this informal, small, 45-minute, time of unprogrammed worship.

Quaker education opportunity! The final portion of Four Doors to Meeting for Worship, a booklet by William Taber describing four ways to access worship and experience the living Presence, will be read together aloud and discussed at the George and Elizabeth Watson Memorial Reading Group, here, next Wed, May 14th at 7:00. Copies will be available. No preparation needed. New or old to the Meeting, just show up!

Sun, May 18th at Adult Program at 10:15 (the last one of the year): Pilgrimage. Jim Herther, and Harv and Julie Busta have walked the Spanish pilgrim route, Camino de Santiago, in Spain this past year and will speak of their experience. Diane Barrett will facilitate.

The Adult Program Committee is seeking your input! Who would you recommend to offer a presentation to the meeting community? It might be someone within the Minneapolis Meeting community, someone else who is Quaker, someone else entirely, or someone with an organization you particularly love. Contact Mark with your suggestions.

American Friends Service Committee would love to have a Minneapolis Friends Meeting liaison – to disseminate information from, provide feedback to and nurture a relationship with AFSC. No travel involved but opportunities to participate in program threshing sessions and seasoning via conference calls and webinars. Contact members of Peace and Social Concerns Committee (Roland, Nancy, Jeff, Ranae) or Carolyn with interest or questions.

American Friend’s Service Committee’s Film Series continues this Thurs May 8 and ends June 5. May 8: 500 Years Later, a provocative documentary that won five Best Documentary awards in a number of international film festivals, is a retrospective offering a world-view on systemic inequities that White Americans seldom hear about. Jim Lovestar of Minneapolis Friends Meeting will co-facilitate. Invited guests from Ujamaa Place in St. Paul will have a short presentation.(On June 5: Anne Braden: Southern Patriot – a first person documentary about the extraordinary life of this American civil rights leader.) This series brings L/light to systems that perpetuate racism and our role in disrupting them. After each film, AFSC’s Sharon Goens-Bradley, along with a member of the Quaker community, will facilitate a discussion. No admission fee; donations welcome. More info: sgoens(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)afsc.org or 651-789-3852. Films will be shown at Faith Mennonite Church, 2720 E. 22nd St. Minneapolis, 6:30-9:00 pm.

Building on the momentum of the Exploring Together event held at Twin Cities Friends Meeting in March, Friends School of MN is hosting a community meeting for worship at Friends School on Sun, June 1st, 1 – 2:00pm. All meeting members/attenders and the school community are invited. Area Friends will tour Friends School with Lili Herbert, Head of School while school families attend a short (half hour) “Introduction to Quakerism” session. Then all will join together for a half-hour of worship. Please come!

Offering boxes are located on small tables near the meetingroom doors. Please give as you are able. Copies of the new budget are available on the elevator table.

OUR WIDER COMMUNITY

Activist and citizen-journalist Qusai Zakarya will be in the Twin Cities, TODAY AND TOMORROW. Qusai survived the 2013 Moadamiya, Syria chemical weapons attack and over a year of life under siege. His 33-day hunger strike inspired world-wide support to break the illegal siege of cities across Syria. He will offer his powerful, personal account of the Syrian crisis at two venues: Sun, May 4, Crescent Moon Bakery, 2339 Old Central Ave, Minneapolis – buffet dinner at 5:30 pm, presentation at 6:30 pm; and Mon, May 5, 7:00, at Plymouth Congregational Church, 1900 Nicollet Ave, Mpls. Sponsored by Friends for a Nonviolent World, Global Affairs Committee of Plymouth Congregational Church and the International Solidarity Hunger Strike.

Social Impact – Investing for Sustainable Community: Fri, May 9th, 8:00 am, Hamline University, Anderson Center, 774 Snelling Ave, St. Paul. This is a one-of-a-kind event bringing professionals in public service, nonprofit organizations, and corporations together to address issues of poverty. ReSolution ‘14 focuses on Impact Investing and the role of government, non-profits and business in making investments that generate measurable social and environmental impact alongside a financial return on investment. Learn more about Impact Investing, particularly in relation to job creation and food sourcing. Experts in the field, including social entrepreneurs, will give examples and practical advice to put impact investing to work.

A Nonviolent Communication Weekend Intensive Workshop with long-time practitioner and Certified Non-Violent Communication trainer, Alan Seid will be offered right here in the Twin Cities! (No plane ticket required!) Non-Violent Communication (NVC) is a process that helps us improve the quality of connection with others -and ourselves- in any setting or situation. When we have a high quality of connection, conflicts can be fully resolved or prevented, people are free to be more productive, and everybody has more fun. Friday, May 16th (6-9PM); Sat, (9:30AM-4:30PM); Sun, May 18th (9:30AM-3:30PM) at the Conflict Resolution Center, 2101 Hennipin Ave, Suite 100, Mpls. COST: $350 (work Study Scholarships available) Register soon at www.crcminnesota.org/training-opportunities/other-training-opportunities/ Questions: natasha(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)crcminnesota.org

Be the Spark! People of Faith Respond to Climate Change, Sat May 17th, 9:00am – 11:30am, Mayflower United Church of Christ, 106 E Diamond Rd, Mpls. Gather with Minneapolis communities of faith to confer on what we can do together in response to climate change. Groups and individuals enthusiastically welcome! RSVP to Nancy Kent n13kent(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)yahoo.com, 612-437-6338 http://mnipl.org/calendar.html

Linden Hills Festival will be Sat, May 17 and Sun, May 18th. Sunday’s program will be at Linden Hills Park, one block north of the meetinghouse on York, Xerxes and Zenith Avenues. Afternoon family activities, neighborhood interest booths, politicians, artists and food. Consider volunteering or just going. Wear your Quaker t-shirt!

OUR WIDER QUAKER COMMUNITY

Quaker values and personal financial decisions: Quakers have a long tradition of building our lives around our values. Beliefs lead to action. How do we handle our money? It is important to financially care for ourselves and our loved ones, but how can we do that in ways that also support Quaker values? Twin Cities Friends Meeting is hosting two workshops on this topic. Larry Jalowiec, Director of Friends General Conference Stewardship Services, and Craig Foor, a certified financial advisor with Everence, a Mennonite financial organization, will facilitate this program. Both workshops will be held at Twin Cities Friends Meeting (1725 Grand Ave., St. Paul, MN). There is no fee for either workshop. Contact Bob Nechal at (bnechal(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)gmail.com) or Ruth Moeller (ruth.moeller(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)gmail.com) if you need childcare or have other questions.

Estate planning – Saturday, May 31st, 1 – 5:30
Good estate planning should include advance medical directives, powers of attorney, and other important documents that care for your loved ones, reflect your values, and support the causes you believe in. The workshop provides an overview of the financial considerations involved in the planning process and how to best use various annuities, trusts and other vehicles to help reduce your tax exposure and maximize your gifts to family and charity. It will also help you overcome procrastination!

Stewardship investing – Sunday, June 1st, 1:30 – 3:30
Saving and investing is a hallmark of good stewardship, but how well do we connect our financial decisions with our values? This workshop will help you think about the values that are important to you and how they can be reflected in the investment decisions you make.

Pendle Hill Study and Conference Center is offering a Summer Resident Program, Writing Your Story, Discerning Your Future: Your Summer Sabbatical at Pendle Hill, July 6 to August 3, 2014. Participate in four short courses; meet weekly, one-on-one, with a spiritual nurturer; join with your fellow students and scholar-minister Paul Rasor to integrate your learning in community each week; enjoy daily worship, a user-friendly library, an open art studio, delicious healthy meals, shared work, and a community of fellow seekers all on the beautiful tree-shaded grounds of the 23-acre arboretum campus. The four short courses are titled: Writing Your Spiritual Autobiography, John Woolman Speaks to Us Today, Brave New Journaling, and The Sacred Art of Spiritual Discernment. Cost: $5500. Some scholarships are available. Contact Bridget Casterline at admissions(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)pendlehill.org or 610-566-4507, ext. 161 for information about the program or scholarships. More at pendlehill.org/residentprogram/courses/summer-2014

Continuing Revolution: A Young Adult Friends’ Conference on Community will be offered next summer, June 6-11, at Pendle Hill Retreat and Study Center in PA. Young adults are particularly well-poised to become the inspired and effective change agents that are needed in the world, and at its core, this conference is about providing the foundational skills and training to inspire revelation – or revolution – as we strive to live in Spirit-led relationship with ourselves, our communities, and the earth. See pendlehill.org/yafcon for more. Flyers about the conference are on the elevator table.

There’s a new Quaker channel on You Tube! Quaker Speak is a project developed by Friends Journal, Friends General Conference, Quaker Volunteer Service and young adult Friends Jon Watts. Subjects covered include Quaker beginnings, faithfulness, activism, and silence, among others. Check it out! http://quakerspeak.com/

OFFICE HOURS
Pat Jones will be out of the office until Fri, May 23rd. She will be back in the office Fri morning.
Carolyn VandenDolder, the Administrative Assistant, will be in Mon. 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.