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June 27, 2019 | Vol. 6 No. 26
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Sunday, June 30, 10 a.m.
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Isha Caldwell, Mental Health Navigator |
"The Work We Need to Do"
Worship Leaders: Rev. Ruth MacKenzie and Isha Caldwell; Worship Associate: Daryn Woodson
July is Minority Mental Health Awareness Month. We know that mental health conditions do not discriminate. Anyone can experience mental health challenges. Yet, background and identity often determine access and quality of care to mental health treatments.
This Sunday, Isha Caldwell (Navigator at Mental Health Connect), Daryn Woodson (Worship Associate), and Rev. Ruth MacKenzie lean into questions of stigma and access, cultural strengths and wisdom, and the call for transformation, to choose strength over silence, and love over fear.
Please join us for worship at 10 a.m.!
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Sunday, July 7, 10 a.m.
Worship Leaders: Rev. Justin Schroeder and the Asylum Support Team
Sunday, July 14, 10 a.m.
Worship Leader: Lauren Wyeth
Sunday, July 21, 10 a.m.
Worship Leader: Rev. Karen Hutt
First Universalist Summer Choir
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June 16, 2019
"Who Is Afraid of Power?"
Lena K. Gardner
June 16, 2019
"Our Second Sound"
Rev. Justin Schroeder & Rev. Karen Hutt
June 9, 2019
"Healing America: Understanding and Challenging Islamophobia"
Jaylani Hussein
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| On the Podcast: "Who is Afraid of Power?" |
Sermon recap by First U staff member Liz Farmer:
This summer, we are considering complicated - and sometimes contradictory - ideas. Can we proclaim and live out UU values while participating in a capitalist society? Can black folks come to church fully - without having to sever any part of their spirits - in mostly white UU congregations? Should white UUs change to nurture more cultural spaciousness? Could love and power get along in the hearts of people that distort or abuse them? As we respond "yes, and" to so many questions of faith this summer, can we do so without diluting our political stances? Before you answer "yes, and," to these questions, take a listen to Lena K. Gardner's sermon here. Lena poses some provocative questions and provides some resources to help answer them.
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| Summer Worship Theme: "Yes, And" |
 We live in a society of either/or, us or them, this or that, winning or losing, success or failure. Yet, what we are beginning to understand in our sciences of living systems, physics, and metaphysics is that this world was created, creates, and recreates in the mysterious dance of relationship. Interactions upon interactions are the creating drivers of this world. Wisdom teachers from Lao Tzu, to adrienne maree brown, to indigenous peoples around the globe have said as much: This world is more "Yes and..." than "either/or." In the months of summer, when creativity and emerging life is hard to miss, we will explore the spiritual imperative of Yes, and. How do we engender curiosity and listening as our default response? What kind of spiritual practices might buoy our hearts, and create our capacity for joy? How might this community of faith make our shoulders strong, keep our hearts open, and join together as an island of sanity and solidarity? Join us in the Yes, and...
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"
Paris to Pittsburgh" Screening
Sunday, June 30, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
Join the Environmental Justice Team for a screening of the documentary, "Paris to Pittsburgh." This screening will include light snacks and a discussion afterwards.
"Paris To Pittsburgh" is a 75-minute video of inspiring stories of local, private sector, and community leaders across the U.S.
who are continuing to take action to transition to a clean energy economy - regardless of federal inaction.
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Drag Story Hour
In Celebration of Pride Month!
Sunday, June 30, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
Children, youth, and young families are invited to attend a Drag Story Hour in the Chalice Room on June 30. Snacks will be served at 11:15 and the show starts at 11:30. Stay for a meet 'n greet afterwards!
All are welcome.
Our Drag Story Hour is inspired by other
Drag Queen Story Hours
, which have taken place at libraries, theaters, and other public spaces around the country.
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Protest and March: Stop Separating Families
On the one year anniversary of the Families Belong Together marches, we are demanding an end to family separations at the border and in Minnesota. Join MIRAC (Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee) and CAIR-MN (Council on American-Islamic Relations Minnesota) for a march beginning at Lake Street and Nicollet Avenue and ending at First Universalist Church. Snacks and refreshments will be served at the end as we listen to speakers from the community. Learn more on the Facebook event page.
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Racial Justice & Our UU Faith Workshop
Sundays, July 7 & 14, 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m.
Join us for an interactive, reflective workshop exploring a framework and tools for understanding race, racism, and whiteness and the spiritual imperative that drives our racial justice work. We offer this workshop several times each year and encourage every member of our community to participate. This is a two-part workshop, led by Channing McKinley and Shannon Puechner. To sign up, contact Sandy DiNanni at
sandy@firstuniv.org
or 612-825-1701.
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Newcomer Circle
Tuesdays, July 9, 16, 23 & 30, 7-8:30 p.m.
Are you new to First Universalist? Whether you are a recent visitor or a new member, you're invited to join a Newcomer Circle. These four-
session gatherings of 6-10 newcomers offer a chance to get to know Unitarian Universalism, reflect on our spiritual journeys, and connect with other folks who are new to church. To register, contact Sandy DiNanni at sandy@firstuniv.org or 612-825-1701.
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Tours of Organics Processing Facility and a Recycling Center: Free!
Wednesday, July 10, 8:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m.
The Environmental Justice Team has arranged free tours of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community Organics Recycling Facility and the Dem-con Recycling Center/Materials Recovery Facility in Shakopee. The Organics Recycling tour instructs on how compost is made and how its use can improve our soil. The Recycling Center includes a classroom session, hands on sorting, and a tour.
Up to 28 people can sign up! The minimum age is 8, and anyone under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. We have received a grant from Hennepin County for our transportation by bus, which will leave First U at 8:45 a.m. and return by about 12:45 p.m. Bring your own snack and beverages and anticipate that the bus will not be air-conditioned. Please dress for the weather. RSVP to Judy Broad by July 3 (jab679@gmail.com) with your name, ages of youth, and contact info.
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Worship and Potluck at Lake Harriet:
Sunday, Aug. 18 at 10 a.m.
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Join us for an energizing worship service and potluck picnic at the Lake Harriet Bandshell on Sunday, Aug. 18 at 10 a.m.!
We'll enjoy music, an inspiring message, and a delicious potluck picnic together afterwards.
Please bring a dish and/or beverage to share, as well as chairs or blankets to sit on. Bring plates, cups and eating utensils for everyone in your party.
If you have a yellow "Standing on the Side of Love" t-shirt, please wear it!
Sunglasses and/or hats are recommended for your comfort.
There is limited free parking near the bandshell. Parking pay stations and meters are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
This is part of an annual outdoor worship series at the Lake Harriet bandshell with about 15 neighborhood congregations participating.
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In July and August, office open hours will temporarily be reduced on two days per week. The office will be open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Mondays and Thursdays, and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. This change will not affect any currently scheduled meetings or events. Building doors and phones will not be monitored outside of office hours, however, so please plan accordingly.
July & August Office Open Hours
Mondays: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Tuesdays: 9 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Wednesdays: 9 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Thursdays: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Fridays: CLOSED
Wednesday, July 3: 9 a.m.-noon (closing early)
Thursday, July 4: Closed in observance of Independence Day
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First Universalist Members in the News
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"Kingfield philosopher seeks medical aid in dying"
by Zac Farber, Southwest Journal
Excerpts from the article, published in the
Southwest Journal
on June 4, 2019:
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First Universalist member Karen Warren with her 15-year-old cat, Colfax, in her Kingfield home. Photo: Bill Klotz |
When philosopher Karen Warren started teaching in 1978, she would devote a unit of her ethics class to euthanasia.
Some of her ethics students, she said, would argue that it was always morally wrong to kill yourself. She would challenge their beliefs with probing questions.
"What if you're a CIA agent who's taken an oath to die - to kill yourself - rather than reveal your country's secrets?" she'd ask. "What about Buddhist monks who set themselves on fire to protest unjust regimes - have they done something wrong? They're monks!"
The goal, she recalled, was to make students think for themselves and see how it may be "problematic to say the right to life is absolute." If Warren's students asked her what she believed herself, she would reply: "That's irrelevant; my job is to develop your view."
Today, Warren is reticent no longer.
In 2015, she was diagnosed with a terminal neurodegenerative disorder called Multiple System Atrophy (MSA), which will eventually leave her paralyzed and unable to talk, walk or swallow.
The diagnosis has radically changed her outlook on life. She said her perspective has "deepened" from academic expertise to lived experience, and she has turned her orderly intellect away from philosophical research and toward the uncertain work of political activism.
read more
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"Minneapolis animation studio finds nimbleness, integrity build a brand"
by Neal St. Anthony, Minneapolis Star Tribune
Excerpts from the article, published in the
Minneapolis Star Tribune
on June 23, 2019:
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First Universalist member Caitlin Rogers is the owner of Minneapolis-based Next Day Animations. |
You would not mistake Caitlin Rogers, a former nonprofit employee and union organizer, as a gung-ho entrepreneur.
That said, her Next Day Animations employs 15 full- and part-time workers in Minneapolis and elsewhere and grew by 40% last year to $1.1 million in revenue. She has moved Next Day's headquarters from her dining room to a small commercial space near Lake Street and Lyndale Avenue.
Next Day has worked for several dozen clients, locally and nationally, ranging from Save the Boundary Waters to Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Twin Cities, the American Lung Association, the Annie E. Casey Foundation and Goodwill-Easter Seals Minnesota, as well as Toro, Medtronic, Dannon, HBO and InterContinental Hotels.
"We take complex information about health insurance, public policy, technology, the environment, energy and a lot more and distill it in a simple, animated, persuasive way for the audience," Rogers said. "We handle everything from the script to custom art and voice-over."
read more
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"Three generations of photographers"
by Zac Farber, Southwest Journal
Excerpts from the article, published in the
Southwest Journal
on June 4, 2019:
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First Universalist member Steven Mosborg and his daughter, Amanda, stand outside First Universalist. Photographs taken by three generations of Mosborgs are on display in the social hall through July 7. Photo by Zac Farber. |
When Preben Mosborg died at the age of 85 in 2012, he left behind 12,000 photographic slides shot on Ektachrome and Kodachrome over the course of nearly six decades and meticulously organized into 152 carousels.
Today, about 80 of the full-color photos he left stashed in his hall closet are on display in the social hall of First Universalist Church in South Uptown - alongside pictures taken by his son, Steven, and his granddaughter Amanda.
"This thing is an ode to dad, to grandpa Preben," Steven said about the intergenerational photo exhibit. "There's a lot here that's timeless."
Steven said he's proud that his photos, and those of his daughter, now hang alongside his father's on the walls of the church his parents joined in the early 1960s.
"I feel my dad's presence in the whole thing," he said. "He's here in spirit, he just is."
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First Universalist to Host Midwest Mixed Conference
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 What began as a space for community dialogues about mixed race identities and experiences has grown into a unique conference centered around art, community, and courageous conversation. From July 12 - 14, 2019 at First Universalist Church, artists and community organizers from the Twin Cities will host the MidWest Mixed Conference, to explore themes connected to multiracial identities with art at the center.
The conference will provide spaces to explore mixed and multiracial experiences through art, activities, presentations, and conversations hosted by local presenters and community members who have developed content around mixed identity.
While many conversations and events around mixed and multiracial experiences happen in East Coast and West Coast cities, little attention has been paid to the unique experiences and histories of multiracial people and/or transracial adoptees across the Midwest. The event is open to the public, their loved ones and communities.
MidWest Mixed works to bring thoughtful programming for mixed race people and families to the Twin Cities community, and works to expand our understanding of race and identity through courageous conversations, arts engagement, educational outreach, and a biennial conference.
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Registration for 2019-2020 Religious Education is Now Open
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Registration for Sunday morning childcare and Religious Education in the 2019-2020 church year is now open. Register online today!
- The church year starts Sept. 8, 2019 and runs through May 17, 2020
- All families - new or returning - with children and youth in Nursery through High School must register
- There is no fee for Religious Education or childcare
- Programs for children, youth and families are an essential ministry of First Universalist, funded by the annual gifts of the members and friends of the congregation
- Our model is a cooperative one, with families learning and growing in religious community together.
- Visit the Class Descriptions page to review curriculum for each age and grade level.
- Childcare and RE class sizes are limited and are filled on a first-come first-served basis - the safety of our kids, the capacity of our volunteer teams, and the quality of the church experience for everyone guide our enrollment policies.
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Space Reservations for Meetings and Events
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Are you responsible for reserving meeting space for a church committee you serve on? Are you a volunteer planning a church-sponsored event?
Spaces are available on a first-come, first-served basis, and requests must be communicated to Events Coordinator Lucia Webb.
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Cycle of Life and Pastoral Care
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Let Us Keep You in Our Thoughts and Prayers
If you are experiencing a crisis or transition, or celebrating a joy, please let us know. To be included in our Cycle of Life each Sunday in worship, contact Sandy DiNanni at
sandy@firstuniv.org or 612-825-1701. If you would like support, call the office at 612-825-1701 or contact any member of our
Pastoral Visitors Team.
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Join Our Mailing List
Subscribe to
The Weekly Liberal
here.
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here.
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Summer Church Office Hours
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Sundays 9
a.m.-1 p.m.
Mondays & Thursdays
10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Tuesdays & Wednesdays 9 a.m.-8 p.m.
Closed Fridays and Saturdays
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Weekly Liberal Submissions
We encourage you to submit news!
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Contact Us
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First Universalist Church of Minneapolis
3400 Dupont Ave. S.,
Minneapolis, MN 55408
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First Universalist Church of Minneapolis
3400 Dupont Avenue S.
Minneapolis, MN 55408
612-825-1701
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