August 16, 2015

MEETING SCHEDULE AND PROGRAM

TODAY

10:00 am  meeting for worship, unprogrammed today: care of meeting: Connie Archbald and Diane Barrett

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.

Please park at a distance if walking is easy for you and leave spaces close to the meetinghouse for those with mobility challenges.

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. We hope to have the online directory active soon. Watch for instructions on how to log in!

An informal group meets at 9 AM for Quaker education and discussion at the picnic table, (Turtle Bread if raining). Today, quakerspeak.com/quakers-sex-call-embrace-sexual-diversity. Next Sunday: quakerspeak.com/how-modern-quakers-challenge- traditional-gender-roles; quakerspeak.com/quakers-women-ministry

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

Peace and Social Concerns Committee will meet this Weds, Aug. 19th, at 7, at the meetinghouse. You are welcome to come and participate – this is an open committee composed of those who are interested.

Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life by Karen Armstrong is the book being discussed at the George and Elizabeth Watson memorial discussion group here, this Thurs, August 20th,  at 7. No pre-reading required – we will read together. Everyone is welcome – new-comers and old-timers; one-timers and regulars. Questions to Jim or John.

SYMPHONY OF THE SOIL, a full-length documentary which spans ancient knowledge to cutting edge technology, exploring the relationships and changing nature of this precious resource, will be shown Sat, Aug 29th, 1:00 at Southdale Library. Sponsored by MFM’s Peace and Social Concerns Committee. Trailer at: youtube.com/watch?v=K5QYZ-LRXW4

Caring for Creation tip: A typical carrot travels 1,838 miles to reach your dinner table or lunch box. Support farmers close to home and reduce your carbon footprint by shopping at farmers’ markets (like the one in Linden Hills today!) or participating in Community Supported Agriculture: www.localharvest.org

There will be no Lunch Bunch in August. The group is planning to meet quarterly now except for winter. Sue will be calling participants to see whether Weds or Thurs work better. Oct, Apr, and July are likely months.

Loaves and Fishes: On fifth Mondays, MFM helps serve a Loaves and Fishes dinner at Holy Rosary Church in Minneapolis. Plan to work along side area Friends to prepare, serve and clean up such a meal on Mon, Aug 31st. Prep for the meal (chopping veggies, splitting and buttering bread, washing and packaging fruit) begins at 2. Prep for the serving line begins around 4; serving starts at 5:15; clean-up around 6 p.m., usually finishing by 7 p.m. Many hands are needed during each of these times. Children may help, but are not allowed in the kitchen. As always, if you are unable to help on site, you are invited to provide fruit for dessert. A sign-up sheet is on the bulletin table.

Planning process for Care of the Meeting”s Future. Some dates for planned future steps- Sept 13th at monthly meeting, (business meeting runs 11:00-12:30 or so) and Sat afternoon, Oct. 10, at Fall Camp at Villa Maria. A report from the Aug. 1 Visioning Session is posted on the Meeting website. Draft vision statements, drawn from the Aug. 1 results, will be posted soon as well. There will be a website link to a survey where you can respond to those draft vision statements. When the survey is up, we will put a link to it in the bulletin.

Fall Camp is coming, Oct 10-11!  Do you know which Friend is most likely to triumph in a word game?  Do you know which Friends are likely to bend the rules to make a game more silly?  Do you know which Friend is most likely to don a tin foil hat?  Which Friend plays jazz flute?  Which Friends like a long hike?  Find out at Fall Camp!  It’s such a wonderful opportunity to get to know each other better. Make space in your life to attend all or part of the weekend. We’ll be gathering at Villa Maria, in beautiful Frontenac, MN. There will be a Care of the Future exercise at Camp on Saturday afternoon. Watch for brochures and registration forms, coming soon. (October monthly meeting is cancelled unless an urgent issue arises, in which case it will be scheduled and announced by the call of the Clerk.)

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. And THANK YOU Meeting gardeners!!! You do a stellar job and the lovely grounds are much appreciated.

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

Northern Yearly Meeting’s High School Clerk’s planning retreat is Fri, Sept 4th – Sun, Sept 6th at Twin Cities Meeting. Could you help out as a Kindly Adult Presence?

Nettie Smith (of MFM) is helping start a new project: “Embracing Our Young Women,” (EOYW) a safe space for north side girls 12-18 to be welcomed, hang-out, and be listened to, get help with homework, and learn skills offered by community members. EOYW announces Celebrating Sisters and Queens! Come to this exciting fundraiser on Aug 28th from 6-8:30 PM, location, TBA. Spoken word, poetry, music – all by young, local, north side artists. Fresh, vibrant and innovative. Suggested donation is $5-$10. All proceeds benefit EOYW. Call Nettie for more or to volunteer for set-up or clean up!

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. Both MN Senators have come out in favor of the Iran Deal and Friends may wish to express our appreciation. More at: fcnl.org/issues/iran/ and yellow flyers available at the meetinghouse. Read a new open letter in support of the agreement: apps.washingtonpost.com/g/documents/world/read-an-open-letter-from-retired-generals-and-admirals-on-the-iran-nuclear-deal/1689/

For a limited time, several videos from the recent Friends General Conference Gathering are available on the FGC website: fgcquaker.org/resources/recordings-2015-gathering. Parker Palmer’s comments are recommended by MFM’s Ministry and Counsel Committee.

Camp Woodbrooke, under Quaker leadership and located in WI, is an opportunity for young Friends to have a camp experience with Quaker values. For just a taste of the experience, attend Family camp there, Sept. 4-7. campwoodbrooke.org .

Prayer and Connection: a Retreat for Quakers in Pastoral Care and Counseling will be held Thurs, Sept 17th – Sun, Sept 20th at Quaker Hill Conference Center in Richmond, IN. Led by Jennie Isbell, Quaker spiritual director, workshop facilitator, and author of two books – Finding God in the Verbs: Crafting a Fresh Language of Prayer and Leading Quakers: Disciple Leadership, A Friends’ Model. Jennie has served numerous Quaker organizations in a variety of roles and earned an M.Div. from Earlham School of Religion. For details and registration, go to qpcc.us.

Mayim Rabim invites Minneapolis Friends to hear mystical interpretations of Yiddish music played on stringed instruments, traditionally a deep source of spirituality for both Jews and non-Jews. The introspective music will invite us to quiet our minds in stillness, contemplation, and devotion. Violinist Judith Eisner and her ensemble will play here at the meetinghouse on Sept 20th at 2:00. Structured as meditation rather than a concert, there will be no commentary or applause. Free and open to the public. A light lunch after worship will be offered to Friends who wish to stay for the musical meditation.

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 local We Are All Criminals presentation and reflection on October 8. Please save the date for this valuable presentation! Registration will be available soon.

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