Friday UU Update                        Friday, July 7, 2017
Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington, Indiana
TOMORROW Second Annual "Meditation-Stress Rease Day"
Saturday, June 8, 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Tomorrow, July 8th, will be the Second Annual "Meditation-Stress Release Day" at the Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center in Bloomington from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.  Reverend Macklin will be participating in the "Interfaith Prayers for the World Peace and Harmony Reflections" at 4:00 p.m.  There will be Yoga, Meditation and food at various times throughout the day.   See this link for exact times.
Sunday, July 9, 2017  
ONE SERVICE ONLY AT 10:15 A.M.
The bell and Anam Cara
Reverend Mary Ann Macklin
   As Unitarian Universalists we draw from the words and deeds of women and men which challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion and the transforming power of love.  This Sunday we will go for a wild spiritual ride with American author, feminist and social activist, bell hooks and Irish author and then-priest, John O'Donohue   "When we drop fear, we can draw nearer to people, we can draw nearer to the earth, we can draw nearer to all the heavenly creatures that surround us."
   Anam Cara is the old gaelic term for "soul friend." Anam Ċara is the title of a 1997 bestseller on "Celtic spirituality", the first publication by John O'Donohue.
This Week in Religious Education--Earth-Centered Traditions
Our preschoolers will hear the story of the Starfish Thrower and connect it to our blue promise, believe in our ideas. K-8th: Many traditions draw stories from and have celebrations of the sun.  We will be making solar-inspired art this week. The middle and high school youth groups are on summer hiatus. Religious Education Teachers and Families are encouraged to bring or send donations (big or small) this Sunday towards the RE solar panel Pegasus.
Reproductive Justice Task Force Hosting Celebration 
This Sunday, July 9
Sunday, July 9th in Fellowship Hall, just after the service, the Reproductive Justice Task Force will be hosting a celebration to honor the 5 years of awesome leadership by Melinda Swensen , as she moves on to create another committee (Health Concerns).  Melinda has been a gentle but persistent force in growing this group from it's inception to the busy group it is today.  Come join us!!!  
UU Humanists & Freethinkers Meet at New Time  in June & July
The UU Humanists and Freethinkers will meet at 11:45 a.m. in Room 208 instead of 12:45 p.m. to accommodate the one service only schedule through July 30th.
O u r Common Humanity
R everend Forrest Gilmore
July 16, 2017
Our guest in the pulpit will be Unitarian Universalist Minister Forrest Gilmore, Executive Director of Shalom Center in Bloomington, Indiana. Recently Forrest walked and slept on
the streets of San Francisco for seven days. The street retreat offered many lessons about homelessness, but
more importantly it offered teachings for the heart. 
  Forrest will share the story of that transformative trip.


Read this article below says Reverend Solar! 






Sprint for Solar!

  In our service on July 2, we kicked off a "sprinter" fundraising event to add 54 solar panels to the RE roof!
 
By offsetting almost 100% of our electricity usage, this 16.2KW solar array will get us closer to meeting our Paris Pledge to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. We are doing this now because the state legislature passed SEA 309, which reduces the financial viability of rooftop solar systems installed or added to after December 2017.  
 
The Special Purposes Fund is matching donations with a grant to the Green Sanctuary Task Force.  For a donation of $480 dollars (or more!) you can name a panel -preferably for something you look up to see: planets--real or fictional, stars, trees, birds. Look on the bulletin board in Fellowship Hall to see the names of panels being filled in, about half so far!, and learn more about our Paris Pledge progress and the sprinter campaign. 
 
We'll be taking pledges throughout July, and the panels will be ordered in August. Should we meet the SPF match which we hope to do, any additional funds will go back into SPF for future energy upgrades.
 
You can bring or mail a check to the church, or make your donation -and name your panel- online by selecting the DONATE button, Purchase, and Sprinter Donation: Solar Panels July 2017.
 
Can't afford to donate a whole panel but want to take part? Any amount will help! Bring or send what you are comfortable donating, and enter "The Big Dipper" as your panel name! Religious Education Teachers and Families are encouraged to bring or send donations (big or small) this Sunday towards a solar panel for the new solar array.  We will name our panel, Pegasus in honor of the constellation named after the Greek myth as we believe children need to look at the stars and believe in the power of good to overcome evil.  
 
We've put a slide presentation on the Green Sanctuary Task Force website that goes into more detail about our energy savings to date and why we need to do this before the end of 2017.    Again see website above.
 
Several Green Sanctuary Task Force members will be in Fellowship Hall after services in July to answer questions and to add your panel's name to the board.   


NOW MORE THAN EVER!
Please Pledge TODAY: Click here: http://bit.ly/2q1PzgO
Does this congregation, with its ministers, staff, lay leaders, and members, serve as an inspiration for you? If you answer 'yes' to this question, we encourage you to support our liberal religious presence in southern Indiana by making your 2017-2018 pledge TODAY! Please pledge by June 1st!
Our goal is $650,000, and we have received $588,613 so far. We heartily welcome your participation with a pledge of your financial support! 


                            Click here to pledge:   http://bit.ly/2q1PzgO
Reverend Mary Ann Macklin
Senior Minister

It Feels Good to Pledge!

For More Information see the July 5 issue   of our newsletter, The Prologue.
Masthead photo: 4th of July folks.
Unitarian Universalist Church