The Prologue                                 
  Tuesday, March 17 , 2020
  Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington, Indiana
   Congregation founded 1949
   LGBTQ Welcoming Congregation since 1995
   Green Sanctuary since 2007
Seeking the Spirit, Building Community, Changing the World
Sunday, March 22, 2020
10:15 am (one online service only)
The Earth Continues:
A Multigenerational Equinox Service
Reverend Emily Manvel Leite and  
Reverend Mary Ann Macklin
   
     Join us via livestream as we rest in this time of balanced darkness and light as our whole planet changes seasons--from winter to spring here in the northern hemisphere.  This morning, we will enjoy special music and engage with experiential worship.  To deepen your experience, it would be helpful to gather a few items: a candle or candles for joys and sorrows, paper and something to draw or write with, a dry leaf and a seed (could be from a fruit or vegetable you have eaten, or from a plant outside).  Ideally, you would also have a phone buddy--another person or household that you could call to talk with midway through the service.  The adventure of online worship is a new one for many of us--may we open to it together.

     Our Building is Closed, but Our Hearts are Still Open. To help disrupt the possible spread of the coronavirus and covid-19 in our community, our building is closed for the next two weeks. We urge everyone to stay home and livestream this week's service at our Facebook page or our website livestream page. There will be no Religious Education classes, no coffee hour, and no afternoon meetings at the church on March 22.
From Your Board of Directors
  
Dear Members and Friends -
 
On behalf of the members of the Board of Directors we hope you and yours are staying healthy and safe. We are moving through unfamiliar territory and looking for ways to stay connected. The Board will be holding our regular monthly meeting tomorrow via Zoom. This will be a new experience for us and I am looking forward to seeing how we use Zoom to assist us in creating the lively and engaging discussions that are vital part of our in-person meetings.
 
I also have been talking with Ann LeDuc, Connections Coordinator, about finding ways in which we may share examples of how you are navigating through this  time. We would welcome hearing about examples you have used to stay in contact with members of the church, colleagues from work, neighborhood friends and others in our community.
 
Please send your experiences to Ann LeDuc, connect@uubloomington.org, and let her know if she may share your ideas with others.
 
Sharon Yarber is our Caring Committee coordinator and it is especially important to let her know if there are members of our community who may have special needs during this time, yarbersharon766 (at) gmail.com 
 
In love and peace,
 
Stuart
___________
Stuart D. Yoak
President, Board of Directors
Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington
Phone: 314-566-9059
Email: sdyoak@iu.edu
  
Emily's Post
Dear Ones,
     I have been reeling over the past few days as things have changed so swiftly and so radically.  My body is tense, my spirit is tender, my mind is spinning.  I've been looking for ways to continue on in this new reality and felt blessed to rediscover an email from The Velveteen Rabbi (aka Rachel Barenblat) this morning.  It helped me today.  Perhaps it will help you, too.
     Last week, during the Jewish holiday of Purim, Rabbi Barenblat shared the writing of Rabbi Shapira from the Warsaw Ghetto in 1940:
"One is obligated to rejoice on Purim, not only if one is happy in oneself, or is in a situation where it's easy to feel joy. On the contrary: even if one is in a low place and completely broken-hearted, body and spirit laid low, it's still an obligation to seek out whatever tiny spark of joy is possible, and welcome that spark into the heart."
     Many Unitarian Universalists would balk at the idea of being "obligated" to rejoice.  But Rabbi Barenblat points out it is essential: "Because joy is part of what fuels us. Because without joy, we can't go on. And the world needs us to go on, because there's a lot of work we need to do to bring justice and hope and ethics and opportunity and peace to everyone everywhere, and that's what we're here for."
     She goes on: "So if today we're in the narrow straits of a personal grief, a loss or an illness or a sorrow... or if we're in the narrow straits of communal anxiety about the election, or the economy, or the pandemic that is sweeping the globe... we shouldn't kick ourselves for not being able to fulfill the mitzvah of rejoicing. Instead, let's open our hearts the tiniest crack, and let the tiniest spark of joy and hope come in -- and trust that the day itself will do the rest."
     The world needs us to go on.  So may we open ourselves to the day, this day, this world, and this time.  And trust that sparks of joy and hope will be there.
 
Sending love,
    Emily
Reverend Emily Manvel Leite
Minister of Religious Education 
Join our Director of Religious Education--  
Weekdays at 1:00 pm on Facebook LIVE! 
Adrienne Summerlot will be holding space for children and those young at heart each weekday.  We start with a chalice lighting and show and tell (via comments) and then she features a story.  Adrienne is also providing a google doc link daily to help support parents at home who are trying to balance working from home and tending to children.  As a religious educator, she can't help but put a positive spin on things, "What a wonderful time for spiritual practices and faith development for folks."  Her professional Facebook profile is  
Dre Bloomington Summerlot,  https://tinyurl.com/tzpfbaz


MAM's Musings
 
Seeking the Spirit. Building Community. Changing the World.
Please do not allow this statement to become a platitude in the weeks and months ahead, but rather let it maintain its place as the foundational connection of our congregation; it is a bold vision, a touchstone to return to again and again, to remember who we are, why we are, and how we are called to be. Please read the full Prologue to learn more about what we are doing in the short-term and for-the-long-haul as we encounter a a new way of living on this earth.
 
At this time, may our prayers be with all those who are suffering in mind, body, and spirit throughout the world, especially those who are experiencing exhaustion and trauma as a result of the pandemic.
 
Seeking the Spirit
I hope many of you are following us on live-stream. Please share with others who might not be aware of our live-streaming worship services. Remember this week, our Sunday live-stream will be 10:15 am. Of course, if you miss it, you can always go back and watch the archived version on our web-site page for live-stream. Here is a link to last week's service.   
 
Last night, before going to bed, I accessed Sarah Flint's Facebook recording of her Shambhala Meditation which she will lead every Monday at noon live, just as she did at church. This meditation includes the Shamatha Yoga which we did on Sunday as well as walking meditation and sitting meditation. The setting for Sarah's meditation was her barn. She sat on a bale of hay. It was so relaxing to do this before bedtime, that I fell asleep easily after. Next week, I hope to catch it live on Monday. UU Bloomington Meditation. I loved it when the chickens came by for a visit during the meditation.
Here is the poem from UU colleague Reverend Lynn Ungar which has given voice to an important message during this Pandemic for our denomination and our country:
Pandemic by Lynn Ungar
What if you thought of it
As the Jews consider the Sabbath---
the most sacred of times?
Cease from travel.
Cease from buy and selling.
Give up, just for now,
on trying to make the world
different than it is.
Sing. Pray. Touch only those
To whom you commit your life.
Center down.
And when your body has become still,
reach out with your heart.
Know that we are connected
in ways that are terrifying and beautiful.
(You could hardly deny it now.)
Know that our lives
are in one another's hands.
(Surely, that has come clear.)
Do not reach out your hands.
Reach out your heart.
Reach out your words.
Reach out all the tendrils
of compassion that move, invisibly,
where we cannot touch.
Promise this world your love----
For better or for worse,
in sickness and in health,
so long as we all shall live.
 
Building Community
Please see column from Connections Coordinator Ann LeDuc and others to learn about ongoing efforts to build community while keeping social distance. Also, from one of our pastoral care ministers, Minister Emerita Reverend Barbara Carlson, we receive a beautiful message of remembrance.
 
Changing the World 
I have asked Minister Emeritus Reverend Bill Breeden, our current Social Justice Minister, to include an update message in each Prologue.
 
Lastly
It has been my experience, in challenging situations, that a little entertainment can go a long ways to creating our sense of resiliency. So I share the following story from last Sunday to keep you in the loop....for entertainment purposes only.
 
For Entertainment Purposes Only
(no animals were harmed in this experience)
When I returned home from the Live-stream worship service on Sunday, my spouse Deborah reported that she had just discovered a possum in our chicken coop. Said possum, now named Isabella, was huddled in the corner of one of the brooding boxes. Initially, before taking a good gander, Deborah thought Isabella was a chicken and almost tried to get an egg from her. Patiently, Deborah coaxed her out of the coop and then yours truly, MAM, ran out to help. As we were trying to help Isabella exit our fenced-in garden, some keystone cop moments occurred and it wasn't Isabella.  :) . We were laughing so intensely it took us awhile to recover enough to continue our quest for Isabella.    
 
Eventually she began crawling up our rather flimsy metal fence but when she reached the apex it was too springy for her to go over the top. It bounced up and down with each of her movements then it rolled over her and she clung on with no apparent exit. I grabbed a snow shovel in an effort to stabilize poor Isabella so she could traverse the top of the springy fence. At one point, during my gallant action, I stepped back, tripped backwards over a rather large plastic drainage tunnel (to be buried at a later time--the tunnel, not me), the snow shovel went flying, and suddenly I was lying on the ground (cause I like that SO much) with my legs over the tunnel, cackling hysterically.   
 
Good thing I play basketball every Friday morning; such bodily flailing does not seem to bother me.  At that point, I swear, Isabella looked at us and rolled her possum eyes, like, "Seriously? This is what I get for a rescue squad?" At that point, we stepped backed and simply watched and observed her, quietly. In her own sloth-like timeframe, Isabella uncurled herself, found some footing and slowly descended. She soon scampered off to our shed, perhaps to join her sister, Jeanette? And that is the scoop on keeping you in the loop on the coop.

  

 
 
 
 
 
 
Peace and Love, MAM
A humbled spiritual warrior "still learning to act instead of react"
    MAM
Reverend Mary Ann Macklin
Senior Minister 
macklin (at) uubloomington.org

Doing Social Justice and Pandemics
Rev. Bill Breeden
 
This congregation is known for working for social justice. During this challenging time, we need to stay involved in ways that make sense, and we need to slow down and heed the warning from the scientists rather than the ranting from the President. After all, if UUs don't listen to the science, what hope is there that anyone will? Social Justice task force meetings will not be held in person. Some may take place by ZOOM, and there will be information on how to do that. There will be ways in which we can safely help those at greatest risk. Please see the article below from the Homelessness and Hunger Task Forces for ways you can help now.
 
We can also help by being in contact with our elders via phone or email, and also with others who must be extra cautious at this time. Social justice applies to caring for one another. If you know of someone who is alone, and has little contact with others, call them, text them, email them...
 
Be in touch, community matters.
 
Peace-- bill
Reverend Bill Breeden 
Minister Emeritus

Notice from the UU Homelessness Task Force and Hunger Task Force
Monthly Food Drives (and other needs)
Until further notice, our donation drives for food and other essentials will become "virtual," in that we will advertise electronically via the Prologue and Friday Updates and collect items in bins placed outside the building under the northside porch near the Portico Entrance. 
 
For Shalom Community Center
*   macaroni, coffee, spaghetti 
*  travel-sized toiletries;  small sizes of toothpaste, soap,  shaving cream
*  washcloths 
*  socks
*  new underwear 
*  toothbrushes 
*  hand sanitizers 
*  disinfectant sprays, Lysol wipes
Shalom is a particularly vulnerable population, and we thank you for your support in these trying times. -- The UU Homelessness Task Force
 
For The Nest - a child care facility at New Hope Family Shelter
(Collecting through the month of April)
Baby Food: 
*  Stage 2 baby food (single flavor only):  peach, mango, apple, pear, banana, butternut squash,  green bean, pea, carrot, sweet potato
*  infant oatmeal 
*  infant formula (any kind)
Dry Goods: 
*  peanut butter, applesauce, pasta sauce
*  vegetable stock
*  flour, sugar
*  olive oil, coconut oil
*  noodles
*  tortillas, whole grain 
*  whole grain Cheerios, crackers, pretzel sticks
*  canned beans
*  coconut milk
People still need to eat during the public health crisis, and we greatly appreciate your flexibility and compassion in this unprecedented situation. As always, THANK YOU for your continued support in helping to fight hunger in our community.  --  The UU Hunger Task Force
Staying Connected: Connecting Using Zoom
     During this time of social distancing, we are exploring alternative ways to connect with each other.  One way we can do this is through a computer application called Zoom meetings. The application is free and easy to use.  Follow this link for very simple instructions on how to use Zoom.  
If your UUCB group would like to schedule a Zoom meeting or gathering, email me at connect (at) uubloomington.org .
 
As we continue our efforts to " flatten the curve", this necessitates that we create and find new ways to stay connected and care for each other.  Below are the first steps we have put in place to keep us connected.  These efforts will not be perfect, but perfection is not the goal. 
  • Please call your friends. We are asking you to consider calling at least three of your UUCB friends once a week to chat.  Especially consider calling friends who live alone and may have very little social contact.  If you are willing, let me or Sharon Yarber know who you will visit via phone.  Our contact information is at the end of this article.
  • Make an extra effort to connect by phone with elderly friends in our congregation or those you believe may be struggling with physical or mental health issues at this time.
  • Let us know if you are concerned about the health and well-being of a member of our community.  
  • If you would like a "Calling Buddy," someone to check on you periodically to make sure you are okay and talk with you via phone or email, email me and let me know. 
  • If you are struggling to obtain necessities such as food and medications, contact me or Sharon Yarber, yarbersharon766 (at) gmail.com
  • If you have not already done so, consider following our Facebook page.   https://www.facebook.com/uubloomington/    
     
Ann LeDuc
Connections Coordinator, connect (at) uubloomington.org 
Remembering Edrice Baker  
by Reverend Barbara Carlson
      The memorial service remembering Edrice's many gifts to our religious community over the years has been postponed until the rules for social distance are changed. (Reverend Macklin asked me to plan the service as a member of the Pastoral Care Team.) If you have memories that you would like to share at a future service, please send them t
Edrice
o barbaracarlson5 (at) gmail.com.
        And here is a gift from Edrice to all of us from her book, Paeons To The Earth And of The Earth by Edrice Baker and Lolly:
 
   Words fail me - to describe
   the beauty of this place - this
   peace rising from these hills
   over down and around the lake - the
   pristine water - the white vapor
   cloud hanging so low - becoming
   a pink glow with the rising sun
   I stand in praise as i breathe
   in the fresh air - breathe in this
   whole holiness - full of gratitude
   and love for All - living creation
   my mind - soul is at peace.....
   morning has come in pure splendor!
 
Reverend Barbara Carlson  
Minister Emerita  
In the Meantime
by Reverend Barbara Child
  
When an outfit called Citizens for Decent Literature started removing books from public school library shelves, I wrote my first letter to an editor. The result was a phone call from the convener of the Monday Evening Discussion Group at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Akron, inviting me speak about censorship. I didn't know anything about Unitarian Universalists, but I knew I would speak to anyone who would listen about censorship.

It turned out those folks had a speaker every Monday on some timely topic. It also turned out that the ACLU met there on Thursdays. I started spending lots of evenings at the UU Church of Akron. Eventually I caught on that something wonderful happened there Sunday mornings. I have been a Unitarian Universalist since 1963.

Fast forward through years of designing one Adult Religious Education course after another, serving on several UUA commissions - Women and Religion, Social Witness, Appraisal - and discovering through district retreats that people in small groups can do amazing things like figure out who they are and how to be in this world with other people.

I came to ministry later than many. In the meantime, I taught English at Kent State University, practiced poverty law, and directed legal drafting programs for state legislative drafting bureaus and law schools. Eventually I learned I was more suited to interim than settled ministry, more drawn to serving people in groups than one at a time. I have served UUCB twice as sabbatical minister, in 2007 and 2013.

I am delighted to be working again with Chalice Circle facilitators and also planning a program series I call "Writing as a Spiritual Practice."  

Hello again.  

Reverend Barbara Child
Our Folks...
     Our healing thoughts are with Rick and Lois Holl; Rick fell and broke his arm several weeks ago and is recovering at Meadowood. No visitors are allowed. They hope he will be able to go home within a few more days.
     Congratulations to Lisa Amsler, who was appointed a distinguished professor at IU in celebration of the university's bicentennial. She is the Keller-Runden Professor of Public Service in the O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. She joined the faculty in 1989.
UU Choir Update
From a text from our Music Director, Susan Swaney:
     "Our Choir will follow the recommended protocols and is suspended until further notice."
     Sue Swaney is quarantining with her brother David and his children as he recovers from emergency open heart surgery. Her husband Ian is with them in Iowa for the time being.
    She encourages choir members to "Like" and "Follow" the UU Choir Facebook page and share news and recordings with each other.  
Wednesday night childcare is cancelled for the next few weeks.
From Your Director of Religious Education 
      I mentioned on Sunday in the Time for All Ages that "Sabbath" is the word that I am intentionally weaving into this year. Like me, many kids and adults may not have  grown up with Sabbath as regular practice modeled in the family.   
     Simply put, Sabbath is a day set aside from work for rest and spiritual practice.  I work 3 jobs and have 3 very busy children! How on earth was I going to make the idea of holy and spiritual time for myself a priority? I started small, just trying to honor Fridays from 9am-2:30pm when all my kiddos were in school.  As I found myself having to create boundaries and be clear, people were curious, yet very respectful and understanding.  I had to plan (something I am very good at) so that I wasn't saddled with chores and errands.  I took a hard look in the mirror and realized that I myself am often my biggest obstacle.  I had to schedule time for myself.  Quickly Fridays became days when I planned for bigger walks with my dog, reading books that have been just waiting on my shelf, turning my music up loudly and cooking what I wanted to cook with little regard to whether anyone else would enjoy it. There would be leftovers if they didn't.   
     I found the more I have started to practice sabbath and set other things aside, the more I crave to find little moments in my day that feel like spiritual practices.  I share this, because in this moment when many things may feel off kilter, there isn't quite a new normal, we have little idea of what exactly is ahead, but shifting our perspectives might be helpful.  Starting your day by reading a poem (busy parents, I know that might be all we have the time for), doing a few deep breaths, or having a jigsaw puzzle out to have some ongoing contemplation time throughout your day and week, might be just what your soul needs.   
     In our lives, there are often so many things competing for our time and calling us away from each other.  Now, it seems we have been given a precious gift of time together, time to think about how we are in relationship with those we live with and those who may be far away.  Planned (and unplanned) phone conversations, letter writing, and board games seem to be a welcome return for many.  I am wishing you all well until we are together in person again.   
-Adrienne
Adrienne Summerlot, Director of Religious Education
dre (at) uubloomington.org 
 
  Building Community 
Welcome to Our Newest Member, Jim Lynch 
Our warmest welcome to Jim Lynch.  Jim joined the church on March 1, 2020.  Here is a short bio to help you get to know him. --Ann LeDuc, Connections Coordinator
Jim Lynch is originally from Pennsylvania but has called Bloomington his home for the last 25 years. He is an educator by profession and the father of two grown, amazing Hoosier daughters. In his free time he is usually indulging in his passions for hiking, exercise, cooking for crowds, board games, and connecting with new people. He has never joined a church before, but was impressed and moved by what he has witnessed and experienced at the Bloomington UU Church and hopes to become a positive addition to this group of kind people.

Elizabeth, A Free Woman of Color
A Resilience Production, featuring Gladys DeVane
Has Been Postponed

Taquiena Boston, Regional Meeting Keynote Speaker
Unitarian Universalism Beyond Bloomington:
MidAmerica UU Regional Meeting April 18
 
This meeting has now been transformed to an online only event. Click here for details.
Artist of the Month for March -- Cassidy Young
Cassidy Young, artist and educator, is best known for her architectural studies of  Bloomington locations. She works in a variety of mediums to explore ideas of the human perspective. Cassidy received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and her Masters degree in Art Education from Indiana University, Bloomington.
work hanging in commons 
UU Summer Camp 
June 28-July 4, 2020
Consider joining fellow UUs this summer in the Missouri Ozarks at the annual Midwest Unitarian Universalist Summer Assembly (MUUSA). The week-long camp offers many workshops and activities for families, couples, and singles of all ages.  Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout will lead the daily  Morning Celebration service on this year's theme: "To Breathe on Purpose."  Come gather with hundreds of other UUs in the beautiful forests and rolling hills of YMCA Trout Lodge, where you can connect with old friends, make new ones and participate in a wide variety of activities. Get all the details at  muusa.org
Midwest Leadership School
July 12-18, 2020 in Bloomington, Illinois
"Prepare to be Amazed!"  
A testimonial by Dan Wiseman
In 1985-86 I had the distinct privilege of being on the faculty of Midwest Leadership school. The 8 days are life transforming. You may think you are a well informed and committed UU, but this experience will amaze you. It's like a UU Boot Camp, only a lot of fun. You will meet interesting people and get connected with terrific resources. You learn about our history and spiritual practices as well how to be a better person and leader. If you can, contact me ( Dan Wiseman) or Ann LeDuc, and we can help you decide if this might be a good thing. UUCB will help with the fees. Prepare to be amazed if you say yes. You even get to stay in Bloomington (Illinois - Illinois Wesleyan University).

Danny and Patty Callison Support a Liberal Religious Future through Planned Giving
We first came to UU Bloomington as young parents to young children. Our children grew up in this congregation and we found more than religious education for our children--we found a place for OUR religious education and spiritual growth.  We want to support not only future young parents, but the full spectrum of our liberal religious community.  We have supported this church with our pledge gifts for almost 40 years. We may or may not have an afterlife, but we want the liberal religious life of this church to continue after we are gone.
  Changing the World 
Now Accepting Nominations for the 25% Sunday Plate Fund
for July 2020-June 2021 -- Due April 15
Each year our congregation gives 25% of undesignated/non-pledge Sunday Plate donations to a local project or service agency. In the spring the Social Justice Funds Committee accepts nominees for the upcoming fiscal year. This year's nominations are due by April 15. Contact Denise Ogren, SJFC Chair, at uucbsjfunds@uubloomington.org with any questions.  The Social Justice Funds Committee: Denise Ogren, Anna Beauchamp, Steve Mascari. Advisor: Jackie Hall.
Volunteer Opportunities with Repro Justice  
at Planned Parenthood
The Reproductive Justice Task Force would like some help with the
Snack Stewards, either assisting with purchasing snacks or taking an occasional 10 min shift to either put them out in the waiting room or put them away. If interested, contact Margie Schrader:  margiegoodwin (at) gmail.com
Additionally, the volunteer escort who has been handling their recycling for many years is retiring this summer. If interested, contact  deborahmeader (at) gmail.com .
Community Connections
Our Faith in Action in the Community
 
2020 V oting Activity Has Begun:  
Encouragement from the League of Women Voters
The League of Women Voters encourages you to become involved in helping as many people as possible to participate in voting during the upcoming Primary and General Elections. Here is a link to a Voter's Toolbox with lots of helpful information, including about Absentee Voting and Checking your Voter Registration.  
 
IU Health Virtual Visits Available
IU Health has created a way for you to visit with a doctor online if you are ill, to help disrupt the community spread of the coronavirus by limiting the number of people who need to visit a doctor's office or the emergency room. Click here for more info. 
  Seeking the Spirit  
Religious Education for Adults
Shambhala Meditation Mondays at 12 noon  
online only 
Shambhala Meditation will not be meeting physically at church for the time being. You can meditate with Sarah Flint online at this link:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/640866316039802/
Open Mind Zen May Meet Online Mondays at 7:00 pm
We are in touch with Frank Seisho Diaz and hope that an online version of Open Mind Zen will be available soon. We'll let you know where to look for this.
For more info: Contact Open Mind Zen or visit   openmindzenbloomington.org  
Gentle Hatha Yoga Not Meeting on Tuesdays
Gentle Hatha Yoga practice to balance the mind, body, and spirit will not be happening on Tuesdays at church for the time being.
Traditional Taiji Not Meeting Tuesdays
For the time being, "Wu (Hao)" style Taiji will not be meeting on Tuesdays. For more info:  Contact Brian.
UU Humanist Forum and Freethinkers Meetings are Cancelled Until Mid-April
UU History for You
Robert Burns - Poet, Lyricist, and Dissenter
     Robert Burns (1759-1796) was born on his father's farm in Alloway, Scotland, on January 25, 1759. He was largely self-taught and initially followed his father as a farmer. He had a gift for poetry and wrote in Scottish dialect. He also had a talent for collecting folk songs and singing. He believed God gave us senses to enjoy the pleasures of life, and rejected original sin. He also abjured Calvinist rejections of living for the joys that earth provides. He was sympathetic to Joseph Priestley and the Unitarian movement in Britain.
     Unfortunately, he was not a good farmer, and so lost his farm and was considering moving to the West Indies to live. A friend encouraged him to raise money for the trip by publishing his poems. His collection was an immediate bestseller, and he became celebrated throughout Scotland and the United Kingdom for his poetry. He cancelled his trip and became a full-time poet and writer. 
     Burns had rheumatic fever as a child, and died in Dumfries of heart failure at the age of 37. Many of us sing "Auld Lang Syne" at New Year and know phrases from his anglicized poems -- "A man's a man for all that," "Coming through the rye," and "the best laid plans of mice and men, oft go awry (gang aft agley)."  
--Elof Carlson, UUCB Historian
 
Our Ministers
 
Reverend Mary Ann Macklin, our Senior Minister
can be reached at macklin (at) uubloomington.org or 812-322-0205.
 

   

 
Reverend Emily Manvel Leite our Minister of Religious Education,  can be reached at mre (at) uubloomington.org or 812-333-9822.  
 
 
   

Reverend Barbara Carlson, our Minister Emerita, can be reached at barbaracarlson5 (at) gmail.com or 812-822-0243
 
 
 
   

Reverend Bill Breeden, our Minister Emeritus, can be reached at breeden1949 (at) gmail.com or 812-360-1779.
 
 
 
 
 
The offices are closed, but we are working from home
We will be regularly checking email during business hours, as we work from home for the time being.
Carol Marks, Church Administrator, admin (at) uubloomington.org
Ann LeDuc, Connections Coordinator, connect (at) uubloomington.org
Monica Overman and Mandy Skinner, Office Assistants, office (at) uubloomington.org
Ned Joyner and Andy Beargie, Multimedia Managers, media (at) uubloomington.org
Adrienne Summerlot, Director of Religious Education, dre (at) uubloomington.org 
Stephanie Kimball, Religious Ed Assistant, rea (at) uubloomington.org  
 
What's up with email addresses that look like this?  
somebody (at) domain.org???
We are trying to fool the evil robots that collect (steal) email addresses off our publications on the interwebs and then send us stupid bogus false emails impersonating our minister, and asking for gift cards.  
The robots look for this symbol: @   So that is why we are not using it in our email addresses in The Prologue. When you send us an email, just substitute @ for the (at) and all will be well. 
--Carol Marks, Ch.Admin.
 
 
Our Covenant of Right Relations
In June 2017, our members affirmed a Covenant of Right Relations. 
--------------  Deadlines for Publications -------------
Order of service and Friday UU Update: 
Thursday, 9 am, to office@uubloomington.org
Prologue: Date of publication, 10 am, to admin@uubloomington.org
--------------------------------------------------------------
Pertinent Details:
Office hours : M-F, 10 am-4 pm
Calendar:  For our full calendar of events, visit uubloomington.org/calendar.
Facebook: Many church events are also posted on our  Facebook page
Prologue  Publication Schedule:  
The deadline for articles is 10 am on the date of publication, which is 
the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month. 
Send articles about church matters to Carol Marks  
Upcoming  issues:  Mar 17, Apr 7, Apr 21, May 5, May 19
Livestreaming Our Sunday Services  
View a live broadcast of our Sunday services (9:15 and 11:15 am):
On our website: uubloomington.org/live-stream  
On our Facebook page:  facebook.com/uubloomington
Have a problem viewing or hearing the service? 
Email our media team, media (at) uubloomington.org, or call the office at  812-332-3695.

Links to Archived Services to View Online
- Quickly find recent services here:  Direct Links to Service Videos  ( 9:15 service)

- Or, scroll down on our main Livestream Page

for full archives of both services and other events (memorials, concerts, etc). 
Membership: 527 certified members; 545 current members.
Attendance: 
Sunday, March 8     9:15: 86    11:15: 163    RE: NA    TOTAL: 249
Sunday, March 15   9:15: 73 online   11:15: 130 online, and about 500 connections with the service on Facebook during the morning. 
Non-Pledge Offering:  
March 8: $383     March 15: $343 
   Total to be donated (25%) to Volunteers in Medicine: $181.50
Grocery Card Sales:  (Bloomingfoods or Fresh Thyme)  
March 8: $450      
    Total income to UUCB: $22.50 
During the last quarter (October thru December 2019) we received $446.72 from Kroger, with 134 UU households participating.
How to Subscribe: 
If you are not already regularly receiving emails like this from us, you can subscribe by sending an email to office (at) uubloomington.org.
Masthead: Artwork by Ricardo Levins Morales, from his "What to do in a Pandemic" poster - see RLMArtStudio.com for more images.
Unitarian Universalist Church