August 9, 2015

MEETING SCHEDULE AND PROGRAM

TODAY

10:00 am  meeting for worship, (semi-programmed): Jim Lovestar, speaker; Nancy Lichtenstein, musician; care of meeting, Diane Barrett and Tom Ward

11:00 worship with attention to business: David Woolley, clerk; Tom Ward, recording clerk

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”                                                        ~Romans 8:26-27

Children and youth are always welcome in meeting for worship. Child care will be made available today in the lower level if there is a need.

Friends should be mindful of the presence of young people who might be in worship in the summer months. Pray for vocal ministry that might be meaningful to them, and be sensitive to the inappropriate nature of some subjects.

NOTE OF CORRECTION: the new directory has an incorrect phone number for the meeting office. Directories waiting to be picked up have been corrected. If you already have your directory, change the number on the first page to 612-926-6159.

An informal group meets at 9 AM for Quaker education and discussion at the picnic table, (Turtle Bread if raining). Brief starting points provided. Today,  sustainability and truth: quakerearthcare.org/article/sustainability-and-truth.

Closing worship this summer: Following the handshake, visitors and new people are invited to introduce themselves, Friends are invited to share joys and concerns, and pre-arranged announcements may be made by the closer or the person who has made the prearrangement. (Preference and general practice is that all announcements be submitted for the bulletin.) Please help this closing time be brief so that Friends can move on to potluck, business meeting, coffee/tea and visiting, or other plans for their day.

UPCOMING MEETING EVENTS

Twenty first day school students, parents, and teachers went to Eagan last Sun and packed 764 meals for Feed My Starving Children! They had a good time working to help those who do not have enough to eat. Way to go!!

Caring for Creation tip: Caring for Creation: Consider if you really need a paper phone book. If not, contact the company by phone or website (number and website are usually printed on the front cover) to stop the delivery and use an online directory instead. Some estimate that telephone books make up almost 10% of waste at dump sites. If you still receive the new books, don’t forget to recycle your old ones.

Semi-Programmed Worship Planning Committee arranges planned speakers for semi-programmed worship. Has something been laid on your heart that you feel led to share in a prepared way? Explore the possibility of being a planned speaker by contacting someone on Worship Planning Committee: Clifford, Joanne, Lolly, or Sarah.

50th Wedding Anniversary Open House! Friends are invited to an open house from 5:00 – 7:00 pm, this Friday, August 14 to help Mary and Stephen celebrate their 50th Wedding Anniversary. The open house will be held at Kenwood Isles.  Please RSVP.

A list of resources about solar energy – at the meetinghouse or your home – is available on the elevator table.

Join the Garden Party every 1st and 3rd Tuesday evening (6:00) from now until October. Meet with F(f)riends and tend the meetinghouse grounds! Contact Clifford for more.

Save the date: August 31 for Loaves and Fishes.

Offering boxes are located on small tables near the meetingroom doors. Please give as you are able. Copies of the Meeting’s 2015-16 budget are available on the table in the long hall.

OTHER HAPPENINGS AMONG QUAKERS

The Racial Justice Committee of Twin Cities Friends Meeting, in cooperation with the local office of the American Friends Service Committee, is holding a series of directed conversations about race and privilege at TCFM  (1725 Grand Ave, St. Paul) concluding this Thurs, August 13th, at 7 p.m.

The 2015 Friends General Conference Gathering, “Seeking Wholeness,” was held July 5 – 11 in NC. For a limited time, several videos from the plenary sessions are available on the FGC website. They include: Opening session – “This is Holy Ground”; “Restorative Justice” by Daryl Atkinson and Scott Holmes; Parker Palmer’s talk on becoming whole by first being broken open . Parker Palmer’s comments are recommended by MFM’s Ministry and Counsel Committee. fgcquaker.org/resources/recordings-2015-gathering.

Friends Committee on National Legislation: Support Historic Iran Deal. Many members of Congress will be speaking out today and tomorrow, and everyone will vote in the coming weeks. What they hear right now from their constituents will influence their position going forward. For more, fcnl.org/issues/iran/ Yellow flyers have more details about the issue.

Join Quaker EarthCare Witness and an interfaith coalition in Washington, DC, on Thurs, Sept 24th, for the Moral March for Climate Action – the same day Pope Francis addresses Congress. quakerearthcare.org/event/moral-march-climate-action

The American Friends Service Committee is co-hosting a We Are All Criminals presentation and reflection on October 8. Please save the date for this valuable presentation! Registration will be available soon.

COMMUNITY EVENTS

Say yes to native forage and organic turf management and no to neo nics and pesticides! City Council Member Cam Gordon’s Pollinator Friendly Resolution will be heard before the Health, Environment and Community Engagement Committee on Aug 10, Mon, 1:30, at Mpls City Hall, corner of 4th Str and 3rd Ave So.

OFFICE HOURS
Pat Jones’ work week is Wed-Sun. She will be in the office at various 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

 

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ABOUT IRAN (this informational flyer was attached to the bulletin)

From Friends for a NonViolent World

Tell Your Senators and Member of Congress You Support the Nuclear Deal With Iran!

The deal dramatically shrinks Iran’s nuclear program.
Iran is retiring most of its centrifuges, shipping out most of its enriched uranium stockpile, and reducing how highly it enriches uranium. Iran is also converting its plutonium reactor to operate exclusively for research. These restrictions mean Iran would not have enough nuclear material to build even one bomb. The deal increases Iran’s “breakout time” to develop the fuel for a nuclear weapon from 2-3 months to a year or more.

Inspectors will have the access they need.
Inspectors have 24/7 access to Iran’s nuclear facilities. Iran also has to grant inspectors access to other suspicious sites within a maximum of 24 days, if the U.S. and Europeans demand it. With access, inspectors can detect nuclear material not only days but many years after nuclear activities took place. If Iran blocks access, the U.S. and EU can snap sanctions back into place.

This deal is only about Iran’s nuclear program.
As diplomacy continues following the deal the U.S. and others can begin to address Iran’s human rights abuses — including the imprisoned U.S. citizens there. The deal also keeps sanctions in place against Iranian support for terrorism. Rejecting this deal will only make it harder to negotiate on these and other issues including Middle East security, trade, and arms embargoes.

Congress could jeopardize all this progress.
If Congress decides to reject a deal, it would also block the new inspections, restrictions, and verification that are obtained through this deal. Without a deal, Iran would have little incentive to scale back its nuclear program, increasing the risk that the U.S. and Israel would eventually attack Iran’s nuclear program, leading to a full-fledged war. This deal is the best path to peace.

Below is information on how MN’s Congressional delegation is leaning on the deal:                                                                                               -“MN delegation reacts to Iran nuclear deal”, Minnesota Public Radio: blogs.mprnews.org/capitol-view/2015/07/mn-delegation-reacts-to-iran-nuclear-deal/
-“Minnesotans’ debate over Iran nuclear deal strikes personal tone”, StarTribune Iran Nuclear Agreement: startribune.com/a-foreign-policy-debate-that-strikes-a-personal-tone- minnesota-delegation-divided-on-iran/318541711/

Take Action:  Call or E-mail Senator Amy Klobucher and Senator Al Franken and your Representative and tell them to please support the nuclear deal with Iran.

Sen. Al Franken – (202) 224-5641

Sen. Amy Klobuchar – (202) 224-3244

Rep. Tim Walz – (202) 225-2472

Rep. John Kline – (202) 225-2271

Rep. Erik Paulsen – (202) 225-2871

Rep. Tom Emmer – (202) 225-2331

Rep. Collin Peterson – (202) 225-2165

Rep. Rick Nolan – (202) 225-6211

Rep. Betty McCollum – (202) 225-6631

Rep. Keith Ellison – (202) 225-4755

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Factual Response to Misdirected Assertions to the Iran Nuclear Accord

What follows is Prof. Bill Beeman’s (Chair, Dept of Anthropology U of MN) response to Michael Gershon’s Washington Post column, “How the Nuclear Deal will Fund Iran’s Imperialism.”

(To read Gerson’s article, go to: washingtonpost.com/opinions/a-deal-to-fund-iranian-
imperialism/2015/08/03/a0ab57bc-3a10-11e5-b3ac-8a79bc44e5e2_story.html)

Can’t Michael Gershon do better than repeat the talking points promulgated by AIPAC and Bibi Netanyahu–talking points that have nothing to do with the Vienna accords? The accords deal with Iran’s nuclear program, and were set up that way. That was the principal concern of the United States going in. So now we have buyers’ remorse because of the speculative results of the agreement that some people are straining at gnats to fault (including Mr. Gershon).

But despite their irrelevance, Mr. Gershon’s fears are exaggerated.

Let’s first look at the Qods force. To see the apoplectic commentary on this body one would think they were the Mongol hordes descending on the region. They are not. By all serious estimates there are only about 800 core operatives, with perhaps a maximum of 2000 at the very most. The United States has more fighting forces in Iraq!

Their role has been organizational and advisory where they have been active. Right now they are concentrated on fighting ISIS. Moreover, they have continued their existence at the same level since the 1978-79 Revolution, and with no hindrance from the sanctions. They will not be any more of a danger to anyone than they are today.

By contrast, the CIA and Mossad are vastly more extensive, and they have the same portfolio – carrying out operations outside of their country of origin.

Second the idea of Iranian “imperialism” is a huge exaggeration. Iran does not dictate the course of politics in any other country. The United States has a lot of chutzpa talking about the Iranians when there has been an openly announced strategy of “regime change” throughout the Middle East – something still endorsed by the neoconservatives who dominated the Bush administration.

Finally, Iran’s “enrichment” from this deal consists first and foremost of it’s own money, the amounts of which have been estimated at 300% more than they actually are. The other benefits will result from renewed trade, and American business is already present in Iran waiting for the starting gun to be fired.

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Iran Nuclear Deal, Pros and Cons, A Round Table Discussion
Organized by United Nations Association of Minnesota
August 24, 2015, 5:00-7:00 P.M.
Cowles Auditorium, Humphrey School of Public Affairs  University of Minnesota

Moderator:  Dean Eric Schwartz
Panel Speakers: Professor William Beeman, Iran Scholar and Chair of Department of Anthropology,  U of M and Steve Hunegs, Executive Director Jewish Community Relation Council, JCRC
Guest of Honor : Congressman Keith Ellison
Other guests have been asked but not confirmed.
Co-sponsored by Humphrey School of Public Affairs
Contacts: Jay Shahidi, mjshahidiusa(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)aol.com; Stu Ackman, stuart.ackman(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)ackmanbaer.com