December 26, 2021

MEETING SCHEDULE AND PROGRAM

TODAY

9:00 – 10:00 meeting for worship (unprogrammed): care of meeting, Roland Barrett; Zoom host – Stephen

10:15 – 11:00 Share your Favorite Quaker Words. Bring the words of wisdom you’ve relied upon over the years and allow those newer to Quakerism to glimpse some of the pearls given to the Society of Friends. Facilitated by Keitha Herron and Lolly Lijewski of Ministry and Counsel Committee; Zoom host – Marilyn

11:15 – 12:15 meeting for worship (semi-programmed): John Cutler- reader; care of meeting, Ed Souther; Zoom host – Marilyn

Email office(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)minneapolisfriends.org by noon Thursday for the link to worship and mid-morning program in December.

NEWS FOR MINNEAPOLIS MEETING FRIENDS

Every winter, Minneapolis Meeting takes a special collection, outside the regular operating budget, to benefit organizations approved at monthly meeting. To contribute, make checks out to Minneapolis Meeting with “Winter Gift” in the memo line. This year’s Winter Gift will be equally divided between three recipients:
~The Golden Rule Peace Boat Project – the Golden Rule Peace Boat is the first boat to engage in environmental direct action in the world. In 1958, it was sailed by four Quakers toward the Marshall Islands to prevent atmospheric nuclear weapons testing. It is sailing again! In 2022, the Golden Rule will begin “The Great Loop,” visiting 75 cities, including locations of nuclear power plants and nuclear weapons production facilities. The crew and the journey itself will raise awareness about the continuing dangers of nuclear power, and the poisoning of the air, water and soil from the entire nuclear cycle, from uranium mining to the disposal of nuclear waste.
~Minneapolis Division of Indian Works, youth and family programming – The Division of Indian Works has a number of programs to support and nurture Native youth and families – grounding youth in culture and life skills and supporting healthy families. This gift would be a small step toward nurturing Native communities after centuries of European American work to destroy them. (Pending monthly meeting approval – this is a change from the original recommendation which designated the Family Spirit Program only. That program is actually funded by the MN Department of Health and requires no additional support.)
~Under the Same Sun – Every day in Sub-Saharan Africa, people with albinism face intense discrimination – denied access to basic services; parents’ superstitions may lead them to completely abandon or even kill their newborns; well-meaning but fearful parents may lock away their children with albinism, isolating them from making friends, going to school and living a normal childhood; adults are shunned and passed over for jobs; some are attacked and killed for their body parts, sold to witchdoctors who use them to make good luck charms and potions. Under the Same Sun works to raise awareness of what albinism is, offers support and protection for people with albinism, empowers them through education and job training skills, and works to create a society where the days of discrimination are but a memory.

Mid-Morning Program next Sunday at 10:15: Experiment with Light: A Quaker Meditative Practice
Daniel Mudd (Pima Meeting, Arizona) and Diane Barrett (MFM) will converse about what Experiment with Light is, personal experiences and reflections, groups at MFM (Diane), North American Light Network (Daniel) and more. Those attending will be invited to join the conversation as well.

There is mid-week worship every Wed night, 7PM. Email office(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)minneapolisfriends.org by noon Wed for the link.

New Years Day party! Zoom in at 2PM on January 1st! This event will feature Zelda, the amazing fortune teller, games, and frivolity . Bring a joke or puzzle to share. Email office(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)minneapolisfriends.org by noon Friday for the link. Sponsored by Care and Counsel Committee.

Caregivers’ Support Group: if you are a caregiver for a loved one, how about joining a confidential Zoom meeting once a month, to check in and support one another? Email John with interest.

Northern Yearly Meeting will offer an all-NYM first day school opportunity on Sun, Jan. 16, 10–11AM. Watch for details. If you’re interested and you haven’t registered before, email office(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)minneapolisfriends.org to be connected with the NYM Children and Youth Coordinator.

SMALL GROUPS OPPORTUNITIES AT MINNEAPOLIS MEETING

Join Lectio Divina at 11:25AM on Wednesdays. Hold a short reading from the Bible, Quaker, or other spiritual text to see if and how it might speak to us today. Contact Stephen for the link.

Police Reform: what can we do NOW? Series of discussions with speakers, will resume Jan 18 (third Tuesday) at 7:00. 16 Friends are on the list to get the link. PLEASE JOIN by emailing John.

Experiment with Light groups are now open to new participants. Come hear about Experiment with Light meditation and groups at MFM at mid-morning program next Sun. For more, contact Diane.

IN THE WORLD OF FRIENDS

Pendle Hill will offer a candlelight meeting for worship with care for the new year Dec 31, 10PM (CT) Click here to join. It will be preceded by A Stellar New Year’s Eve Concert from 7-9PM. Registration required: click here.

From Friends Committee on National Legislation: Advocacy Teams will next focus on ending US support for the Saudis in the war in Yemen. The US continues to support the Saudis with intelligence, parts, and maintenance for their bombing campaign. Contact Jim H. about how to get involved.

Friends for a NonViolent World and the Northern Yearly Meeting Anti-Racism Working Group will host an evening with Gerri Williams, Quaker and author of “Beyond the Books: A Way Forward for White Allies in Democracy,” Thurs, Jan 13th, 7 – 8:30PM. Come participate in this evening, shifting the focus beyond self-examination and inner feelings about anti-racism to generating strategies and actions as well as successful examples of anti-racism outreach and identify resources and communities of support. More information and Zoom link here.

Friends for a NonViolent World is offering an Alternative to Violence Project Basic, Advanced, and T4F Combo workshop online over two weekends – Jan 14/15 and Jan 21/22. This four day workshop offers a holistic, experiential, safe, and lively approach to learning the tools to discover your own power to build safer communities and transform conflict and frustration in your life. For more and to register, click here.

Quaker Earthcare Witness (QEW) will host a three-part discussions on the book, The Depths of Our Belonging: Mysticism, Physics and Healing by Mary Conrow Coelho, (Jan 11 and 25 plus Feb. 8,) with the author and facilitated by Shelley Tanenbaum. Each session will start at 7PM (CT) via Zoom. There is no cost, but you need to register in advance. Participants are expected to have read the book beforehand. Author, Mary Conrow Coelho, is a Friend from Cambridge, MA. She has a background in both science and theology.

The Pendle Hill reading group is back for January! Read and discuss Bill Taber’s Four Doors to Meeting for Worship. More here. Pendle Hill is also offering Aiming for Justice: Race Reparations and Right Paths, an online weekly series, in Jan (3-27.) Designed by Black feminist scholar, K. Melchor Quick Hall, the month-long workshop will be facilitated by – and offered for – U.S.-based, white inheritors of wealth. More here.

OFFICE HOURS

Carolyn VandenDolder, the Meeting Coordinator, will be in the office Wed – Fri afternoons. Phone messages checked daily; email checked W-F. Bulletin deadline, noon Thur. Bulletin items can be phoned in to the office (612-926-6159) or emailed (office(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)minneapolisfriends.org).