January 27, 2019

MEETING SCHEDULE AND PROGRAM

TODAY

9:00 – 10:00 meeting for worship (unprogrammed): care of meeting, Mary Logue; Carolyn VandenDolder (mic)

10:15 – 11:00 Listening and Settling When the Body and the Earth Are Distressed. Query: How can we listen to our bodies and to the lands we live upon? Offered by Ranae Hanson.

11:15 – 12:15 meeting for worship (semi-programmed): Terry Hokenson, speaker; Dave Bostrom, musician; care of meeting, Gib Pellet

Annual contribution statements are available TODAY on the elevator table. Please collect yours today and save the Meeting the cost of postage!

UPCOMING MEETING EVENTS

Paul Buckley, Quaker scholar and author, will visit MFM next weekend, offering presentations and leading discussions on Friday night and Saturday, Feb 1 and 2. Topics are: an Introduction to Early Quakerism; How We Got from the Inward Light to the Inner Light; Why Quakers Need a Revival; What Would a Revived Society of Friends Look Like? A detailed schedule is available on the website. Please take advantage of this opportunity and come to whatever sessions you are able! Childcare is available. Please RSVP for childcare by this Wed to the meeting office (612-926-6159 /office(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)minneapolisfriends.org).

You are welcome at the potluck next Sunday at 12:30. To regulars, please bring lots! We may have a larger number of visitors due to the visit of Paul Buckley. Let’s make sure we have ample to share!

Mid-Morning Program next Sunday at 10:15: Part of the weekend with visiting Quaker author and scholar, Paul Buckley – An informal, brief overview of Saturday’s discussions and presentations with time for questions and responses.

The Nominating Committee has begun work for the upcoming year. Please help forward the work of the committee by responding to phone calls and emails from committee members. If you would like to become more involved in Minneapolis Meeting, participating in a committee is an excellent way to get to know people and learn more about how the Meeting works. If you would like to know more about committees or the work they do, questions or interests may be directed to Doug, Annamary, Debbie, Jim, and Rick. Thank you for your commitment to MFM.

At last week’s mid-morning program, we spoke with each other about the place that God, the Mystery, that which is beyond what words can utter, has in our lives. Some of the words that were used by those present included: Mystery, Beloved, God, the living Christ, Light, Spirit, Higher Power, Jesus, Compassion, the call to Truth, the Seed, Grace, the Inward Teacher, the Goodness in you, the Holy, the Inner Light. Do any of these feel authentic to you? What word(s) would you use? A list is posted by the nametags. You are invited to add your own word(s) to it!

Two MFM members of an Friends Committee on National Legislation advocacy team, Doug and Jim, are seeking someone to accompany them on a visit to the local office of Rep. Ilhan Omar to request her support for a repeal of the 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF). Particularly helpful would be someone who worked on her election campaign. Call Doug with interest.

Two Fridays a month, the QVS Fellows have a program day – worship, check-ins, community-building, and a topic often related to Quakerism. Are you willing to drop off lunch for eight (dairy-free, vegetarian) at the QVS house (3241 Park Ave Minneapolis) or Twin Cities Meeting (1725 Grand, St. Paul) on Feb 15th? If so, please contact the Local Coordinator: Sonja(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)quakervoluntaryservice.org. Many thanks for the delicious meals Friends have provided to date which help with the flow of program days and embed the Fellows in the care of the community.

There will be a Northern Yearly Meeting middle school retreat over President’s weekend, Feb 15-17 at Grace Lutheran Church, 202 W Grand Ave, (downtown,) Eau Claire, WI. Topic: Build Bridges Not Walls. Mark your calendars now! For more information, contact the office (office(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)minneapolisfriends.org) to be put in touch with coordinators.

OTHER HAPPENINGS AMONG QUAKERS

Friends School of MN has a number of job opportunities currently. See more at fsmn.org/about-fsmn/employment-friends-school-minnesota .

Friends General Conference (FGC) will again provide a discount to the upcoming White Privilege Conference, (March 20-23 in Cedar Rapids, IA, – whiteprivilegeconference.com/,) a secular conference that unpacks how whiteness originated; what systemic racism looks like; how race, gender, and class intersect (as privilege, oppression, or a combination); and more. Registration is now open. Pre-register through FGC in order to receive the discount code to apply to your registration and to request hospitality with local Friends. Click here to read about FGC’s past involvement in WPC.

The 2019 Friends General Conference Gathering has received a generous donation to enable deep discounts for family and youth attendance this year including: children and teen program fees waived; 50% children and teen meals covered; more scholarships available to families and teens This is the year to bring your family to the Gathering in (relatively) nearby Grinnell Iowa. Check out the speakers here; and the workshops here. Early Registration – the best time to apply for financial aid – is open April 1-14, 2019.

COMMUNITY EVENTS

MFM Friends are invited to the Southwest Lakes Community Choir’s Family and Friends concert this Thurs, Jan 31st, 7 PM at Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd at 48th Str and France Ave.

The Joint Religious Legislative Coalition’s (JRLC’s) Day on the Hill (Feb 7) is an annual policy briefing and lobby day to show our interfaith commitment to social justice and to participate in the lawmaking process. The event includes prayer, issue briefings, time to meet with your district, and opportunities to take action. Registration is required.

OFFICE HOURS

Carolyn VandenDolder, the interim Meeting Coordinator, will be in the office Wed, 1-4; Thurs 10:30 – 4; Friday, 10:30-1:00. Phone messages will be checked daily. Bulletin deadline, noon Thur. Bulletin items can be phoned in to the office (612-926-6159), emailed (office(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)minneapolisfriends.org), or written and put in the bulletin file of the blue box.