October 21, 2018

MEETING SCHEDULE AND PROGRAM

TODAY

9:00 – 10:00 meeting for worship (unprogrammed): care of meeting, Carol Bechtel; John Dunham (mic)

10:15 – 11:00 Poetry Reading by Mary Jean Port. Mary Jean will read new poems, part of a manuscript called Unclaimed Freight, and will speak about how working on poetry helps her live with advanced cancer.

11:15 – 12:15 meeting for worship (semi-programmed): Sonja Sponheim, speaker; Jacque Weirsma, musician; care of meeting, Judith James

Lord, you look at me and know me,
Every step I take, you show me.
When I rise, and when I rest,
You will always know me best.
You are with me everywhere:
In light and shadow, fire and air;
On morning wings, in oceans deep;
When I’m awake, and when I sleep.
In my secret self, you made me,
In the blazing sun, you shade me.
Know me, lead me, guide my way
Through every hour of every day,
For all my life, in all I do,
I will always be with you.
adaptation of Psalm 139 by Reeve Lindbergh

UPCOMING MEETING EVENTS

Mid-Morning Program next Sunday at 10:15: Seeing Yourself as a Planned Speaker for Semi-Programmed Worship. Panel members will discuss the hesitation and personal gain in being the planned speaker in worship. Questions discussed include: What draws you to being the planned speaker? What are your fears? How is your ministry important to the Meeting? Offered by the Care of Worship (Semi-Programmed) Committee.

Mid-Morning Program Nov 4th at 10:15: “Experiment with Light – What did early Friends DO in the silence?” Rex Ambler examined the journals of early Friends and adapted a meditation process for contemporary Friends based on what he discovered there. Since 2016 there have been about thirty MFMers who have been practicing this Experiment with Light meditation in three different small groups. Come hear some personal experiences from participants and learn more about EwL. New groups are forming in Jan to accommodate any who are interested in trying this personal spiritual-deepening and community-building practice. Contact Diane for more.

Loaves and Fishes: Monday, Oct 29th is the next opportunity for MFM to help prepare and serve dinner to the people of the Phillips neighborhood at Holy Rosary Church, 2424 – 18th Av. S, Mpls. Please help if you have a few hours between 1:30pm and 7pm that day. Volunteers sign up for shifts: chopping veggies or prepping dessert fruit 1:30 4:30pm; serving food 4:45 6:30pm; clean up 5:30 7pm. Fresh fruit donations for dessert are needed, too.

See First Daughter & the Black Snake at the Peace and Social Concerns Committee movie night – 7 pm, Nov. 14, here at the meetinghouse. Trailer at honorearth.org/blacksnakefilm .

Looking Further Ahead:
~ Patricia McKernon Runkle will speak about The Holy Madness of Grief at mid-morning program on Nov 18 and will lead a workshop of exploration and sharing based on four queries after a lunch break that afternoon. Patricia, a former member of MFM and current member of Chatham-Summit Meeting in NJ, has recently published Grief’s Compass – Walking the Wilderness with Emily Dickinson. A copy of her book is in the MFM library.

~ The Friends for a NonViolent World Holiday Fair will be Dec 7-8. Start (if you haven’t already!) on those crafts and canned goods and plan what baked goods you can offer to the Friendly Café or to sell upstairs. And save time to volunteer at the event itself!

~ Paul Buckely, Quaker scholar and author, will visit Minneapolis Meeting the weekend of Feb 1-3 to offer presentations and lead discussions on his two recent books: Primitive Christianity Revived (a modern translation of Wm Penn’s classic) and Primitive Quakerism Revived. The schedule is being developed but save the dates to take advantage of this tremendous opportunity! More copies of Primitive Quakerism Revived have been ordered ($15 ea); two copies will be in the MFM library.

Quaker Voluntary Service:
* Two Fridays a month, Quaker Voluntary Service Fellows have a development day with programming about Quakerism and other topics. Are you willing to drop off lunch for eight (including two vegetarians and one gluten-free diet) after 10:30 at the MFM meetinghouse on Nov 9th at so the Fellows can make the most of their program time? Let Sonja know: Sonja(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)quakervoluntaryservice.org.
* from KT, Fellow at Our Saviour’s Housing: Friends are invited to the Our Saviour’s Community Services Annual Benefit, Thurs, Oct 25 – oscs-mn.org/th_event/welcome/
* from Alina, Fellow at MN Interfaith Power and Light: Sign up for Community Solar! If you subscribe to a cooperatively-owned community solar garden, you will support clean energy, be a part of a movement that gives energy users choices, support community-based solutions, and save money. Contact alina(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)mnipl.org to learn more.
* Bike-commuters are still in need of three bike headlights – especially now as days get shorter. A food processor, rubber spatulas, two space heaters and green plants would also be welcomed. Contact Sonja with offers: Sonja@quakervoluntaryservice .org.

You are invited to mid-week worship-sharing around a passage from scripture or other texts at noon, this Wed, Oct 24th, at Stephen and Mary’s home at Kenwood Isles. Center on a passage for the first half hour and share over a light lunch for the second half hour. Worship-sharing is a Quaker technique of guided, deep listening and talking. Lectio divina (divine reading) invites heart-opening prayer. Both can be spiritually deepening. Please rsvp to Stephen or Mary.

COMMUNITY EVENTS

Our Future, Our Right: MN Youth for a Fossil Free Future. On Oct 29th, twenty-one youth plaintiffs will confront the federal government in court in the Climate Trial of the Century: Juliana vs. US (youthvgov.org). They will demand a science-based National Climate Recovery Plan that would end the reign of fossil fuels and lead to swift de-carbonization. Come to a rally at 1pm on Sun, Oct 28th US Appeals Court, 316 Robert St N, St. Paul, to march with MN youth and bring attention to this case.

Overcoming Racism Conference, Nov 2-3, Metro State U, St. Paul. This year’s theme is “Overcoming Racism in Spite of…” broken treaties, Rondo, Philando Castile, Jamar Clark, anti-immigration laws, and other occurrences that make systemic racism so evident. Organized by the Facilitating Racial Equity Collaborative (FREC), this conference offers powerful tools for combating racism. Learn more and register at overcomingracism.org .

OFFICE HOURS
Carolyn VandenDolder, the interim Meeting Coordinator, will be in the office Wed – Fri, 10:30-4. Phone messages checked daily. Bulletin deadline, noon Thur. Bulletin items can be phoned in to the office, emailed to office(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)minneapolisfriends.org, or written and put in the bulletin file of the blue box.