February 3, 2019

MEETING SCHEDULE AND PROGRAM

TODAY

9:00 – 10:00 meeting for worship (unprogrammed): care of meeting, Tom Hoey; Doug Herron (mic)

10:15 – 11:00 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.

11:15 – 12:15 meeting for worship (semi-programmed): Ed Souther, speaker; Tom Wells, musician; care of meeting, Gib Pellet

Students, tell me, what is God? He is the breath inside the breath.
~the 15th century Indian mystic poet, Kabir

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

You are welcome at the potluck TODAY at the rise of second worship. To regulars, please look for ways to help this do-it-ourselves effort – replenish silverware, plates, serving dishes; help clear and wash dishes and tables; vacuum. Many hands make light work for everyone!

UPCOMING MEETING EVENTS

Monthly meeting for business is next Sunday, 9:45-11:15. Some items on the agenda: discernment about the future of the autumn Fall Camp / Fall Together; a preliminary budget from Stewardship and Finance Committee; a preliminary slate from Nominating Committee. “The meeting for business, if it be Spirit-filled and properly understood by those present, is a hands-on, laboratory-filled experience in which the whole fellowship comes face to face with the Spirit’s demands for the sacrifice of time, treasure, convenience, and prejudice. When opinions differ widely and the need for spiritual discernment becomes crucial, the best of Quaker business techniques alone will not suffice; then we are driven, as never in a meeting for worship, to seek that spiritual covering which alone can give the fruits of the Spirit, which can sustain harmony while waiting for the right leading.” Bill Taber

The Ministry and Counsel Committee will meet in the conference room this Thursday, Feb 7, 6-9:00 PM.

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.

Two MFM members of a 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.

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!

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! Contact the office to be put in touch with the retreat coordinators: office(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)minneapolisfriends.org

OTHER HAPPENINGS AMONG QUAKERS

First Monday Friends (formerly Old Friends) meets on the first Monday of the month (TOMORROW) at Twin Cities Meeting (1725 Grand Ave,) for a potluck at noon.

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

Friends for a Non-Violent World will offer the opportunity to watch a few short videos on solitary confinement, starting a discussion on what we can do to reduce and eliminate this practice: Wed, Feb 27th, 6:30-8 PM, 393 N Dunlap St, 4th floor conference room, St. Paul. Quakers originated solitary confinement to induce criminals to change from within, offering them a Bible and keeping them isolated from one another and from the corruptions of the outside world. For more: Libby(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)fnvw.org

Friends for a NonViolent World seeks new Quaker board members! Responsibilities include: strategic planning for the future of FNVW; providing the link between FNVW and its constituents; reviewing and writing governing policies; guiding and monitoring the organization’s work; hiring, supporting and evaluating the executive director. Experience and skills in one or more of the following would be helpful: event planning, facilities, finance, fundraising, communications, volunteer management, personnel/human resources, research, and training. For more or to express interest, email: board(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)fnvw.org .

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: tfaforms.com/4710627. To read about FGC’s past involvement in WPC: fgcquaker.org/deepen/enrichment/help-your-meeting-challenge-racism/fgc-white-privilege-conference

COMMUNITY EVENTS

The Joint Religious Legislative Coalition’s (JRLC’s) Day on the Hill (THIS THURS, 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: jrlc.org/day-on-the-hill/frequently-asked-questions-faq

Annamary (MFM) will be helping at the annual Pancake Breakfast and Book Sale Fundraiser next Sat, Feb 9th, 8 AM – noon at the Walker Community Methodist Church, 3104 – 16th Ave S in Minneapolis, benefitting the Women’s Prison Book Project. For more, see wpbp.org .

OFFICE HOURS: Carolyn VandenDolder, the interim Meeting Coordinator, will be in the office Wed afternoon and Thurs and Fri, 10:30-4:00. Phone messages 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.