December 11, 2016

MEETING SCHEDULE AND PROGRAM

TODAY

9:00 AM meeting for worship (unprogrammed): care of meeting, Doug Herron and Carol Bechtel
9:45 AM worship with attention to business: David Woolley, clerk; Stephen Snyder, recording clerk
11:15 AM meeting for worship (semi-programmed): Sandy Olson, speaker; Dave Bostrom, musician; care of meeting, Lolly Lijewski

“It’s not that those three were totally wrong, or anythin’. Or that lookin’ at the stars is stupid. But that baby…his eyes were so wide open. . . It’s like he was sayin’ to me, to us all, ‘There are wonders all around you. Don’t miss anything. Don’t miss life…or God.’”
Ted Loder, Tracks in the Straw: Tales Spun from the Manger

UPCOMING MEETING EVENTS

The Envelope Gift is a designated, one-time, winter contribution, outside of the operating budget. This year’s gift recipients are Doctors Without Borders (in Haiti,) Standing Rock pipeline resistance, and Urban Homeworks (working in No Mpls to provide dignified housing opportunities, create space for construction training, intentionally weave together a network of engaged neighbors, and to mobilize volunteers.) Envelope Gift checks should be made out the Minneapolis Meeting with “Envelope Gift” in the memo line.

Come one, come all to the Christmas Sing and social hour with coffee and cider at NEXT SUNDAY at 10:15. Bring instruments and/or song sheets if you have them.

Liaison and Review Committee, in preparation for Pat Jones’ retirement, is planning a threshing session for Sat, Jan 7th at 10 am. When a Quaker community or Meeting faces a complex issue where there are likely to be differences of feeling or understanding, a threshing session, free from the necessity of reaching a decision, offers a time at which different, sometimes controversial, opinions can be openly expressed to help the process of mutual understanding – a time where, under God’s guidance, chaff might be threshed from the grain of truth, preparing the way for later action. Please plan to participate

Friends Journal is hosting its fourth annual Student Voices Project. All Quaker middle school and high school students are welcome to participate! 2016-17 Student Voices Project prompt: Dear Mr. President. Write a letter to President-elect Donald J. Trump suggesting what you think he should focus on during his first year. Find more information on the website, including a list of six ideas to get started: friendsjournal.org/studentvoices. Handwritten as well as typed submissions accepted electronically or via post; 100-500 words; deadline, Feb. 13, 2017.

Might you be interested in serving as a Minneapolis Meeting representative to Northern Yearly Meeting? This involves participation at Northern Yearly Meeting annual sessions Memorial Day weekend in Rosholt WI and in NYM interim meetings in the autumn and spring. Carolyn or John can tell you more!

Mary Jean Port offered planned vocal ministry at semi-programmed worship in October. What she said, titled “Darkness and Light,” appears in the December issue of Friends Journal. A copy is on the library table.

OTHER HAPPENINGS AMONG QUAKERS

Friends are welcome to worship with Friends School of Minnesota students, teachers, and staff at the weekly meeting for worship, Wednesdays 9:30 – 10:00 am, 1365 Englewood Ave. in St Paul. Check in at the front office when you arrive.

Quake that Rocked the Midwest, a gathering of high school teens from Illinois Yearly Meeting, Ohio Valley Yearly Meeting, Lake Erie Yearly Meeting, Northern Yearly Meeting, and Scattergood Friends School, will be Jan 13th – 16th, 2017. Teens will do a workshop, out-trip, have daily worship groups, attend Sunday worship with Evanston Friends and have free time to hang out. We stay at Evanston Friends meetinghouse in Chicago. For more, contact Rose, the coordinator .

Upcoming Northern Yearly Meeting High School gatherings:
– Twin Cities retreat; Feb 3-5; theme: Climate Change-How do the consequences of climate change and some of the solutions disproportionately affect low income communities
– Eau Claire retreat; Apr 21-23; theme: Equality and Equity-How do we navigate this value in our personal life and in a global context
– Northern Yearly Meeting sessions; May 26-30; theme: Nonviolence- How is this value current and historically practiced; people’s thoughts on the complications of this value (i.e. intervening in a genocide, etc); hearing from someone who was drafted and someone who has been a consciousness objector; how does this process work; new expectations for registering for the draft in 2018, etc.

American Friends Service Committee is developing work on Islamaphobia, and offers Five Things your Congregation Can Do to Stop Islamophobia at: afsc.org/5-things-your-congregation-can-do-to-stop-islamophobia

COMMUNITY EVENTS

Square dance fundraiser for Standing Rock pipeline resistance, organized by MN350 TODAY, Dec 11th, 3-6 PM at Walker United Methodist Church, 3104 16th Ave. All dances will be taught and called by Monday Night Square Dance callers with live music from Twin Cities musicians. No experience necessary, anyone can join in. Families welcome. All proceeds will go to Standing Rock winterization, medical, and legal efforts. More at facebook.com/events/1031385483654803

SAVE THE DATE for the Joint Religious Legislative Coalition’s Day on the Hill, Thurs, Feb 23rd, 8:30-3:30. The JLRC is supported by the MN Council of Churches, the MN Catholic Conference, the Jewish Community Relations Council and the Islamic Center of MN. Let your faith speak by lobbying for justice and dignity for all Minnesotans!

OFFICE HOURS

Pat Jones is on vacation until Thurs, Dec 15th. Until then in case of emergency, Friends may call Tom, clerk of Death and Memorial Committee; David, clerk of the Meeting; or Carolyn, clerk of Ministry and Counsel Committee.
Carolyn VandenDolder, administrative assistant, will be in the office Wed, Thurs and Fri. Bulletin deadline, noon, Thur.