Seeking. Building. Changing.           Wed, Feb. 15, 2017
Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington, Indiana
An Introduction:

Welcome to the inaugural edition of Seeking. Building. Changing. This brief email comes from the Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington, as a ministry to our changing world. Our vision as a congregation is "Seeking the Spirit, Building Community, Changing the World" - hence, you'll find three sections: a spiritual reflection, an invitation to build community through discussion or events, and an opportunity to change the world through social action. At the end of the section about social justice, you'll find a link to more information (as there is an abundance of opportunity to help improve the world).

For now, we will send this weekly - as there are many immediate actions that can help change the world. Over time, we will assess the frequency of these messages, or its content. In the weeks to come, this message will be far shorter - these introductory paragraphs are just to get us started. Feel free to share your feedback with Rev. Scott McNeill, or any of the ministers.

If you know someone who might be interested in these messages, we hope you will encourage them to receive it by signing up. If you are not interested in this message, we hope you will use the link at the bottom to unsubscribe to this series of messages (but will consider staying on our general list for our congregational updates). You can manage your subscriptions anytime with Constant Contact.

Seeking the Spirit:

It is I who must begin.
Once I begin, once I try --
here and now,
right where I am,
not excusing myself
by saying things
would be easier elsewhere,
without grand speeches and
ostentatious gestures,
but all the more persistently
-- to live in harmony
with the "voice of Being," as I
understand it within myself
-- as soon as I begin that,
I suddenly discover,
to my surprise, that
I am neither the only one,
nor the first,
nor the most important one
to have set out
upon that road.
 
Whether all is really lost
or not depends entirely on
whether or not I am lost.

"It is I who must begin," by Vaclav Havel

Building Community:

What is your true north? What are the values, principles, hopes, dreams, and/or fears that you hold dear? What makes you  you ? This week, take time to share this inner self with your friends, family, neighbors, peers, and church.

Changing The World:

This week, we encourage you to sign and share this petition requesting that  Senator Joe Donnelly hold a town hall in Bloomington, Indiana. Unitarian Universalism has long advocated for the use of the democratic process , with town hall discussions a mainstay of our congregations and communities. Many of our members and friends have stayed in touch with Senator Donnelly's office in the past; we encourage you to continue to call and voice your support and concerns about our world. You can find more information (including scripts to use, if you're feeling nervous) about how to reach Senator Donnelly and other government officials at www.5calls.org . 

For more information about other social justice actions you can take right now, please visit our Social Justice Updates Page.

Unitarian Universalist Church