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Seeking the Spirit, Building Community, Changing the World
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Sunday, December 8, 2019
9:15 am and 11:15 am
The Promise of Community
Reverend Emily Manvel Leite, Reverend Mary Ann Macklin, Reverend Scott McNeill
All ages are celebrating the season together through a service retelling the story of "The Mousehole Cat" by
Antonia Barber with time for singing and reflection and a joyful parade as we collectively offer congregational gifts for people in need.
For this special multigenerational service, please bring a gift, if this is possible for you. We are collecting:
* Men's socks and hotel-sized toiletries
* Full-sized toiletries and cleaning supplies
* Non-perishable food--proteins are especially welcome
* The gifts you selected from our Giving Tree
* "Golden Gifts" of cash or checks in amounts small or large, to benefit the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, uusc.org
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OFFICIAL NOTICE OF CONGREGATIONAL MEETING
Congregational Meeting
Sunday, December 8, 2019 4:00 p.m.
Meeting Room
2120 N. Fee Lane, Bloomington, Indiana
All members are encouraged to attend.
Childcare provided.
This information is published in accordance with our Bylaws concerning notices of congregational meetings.
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Sunday, December 15, 2019
9:15 am and 11:15 am
Gloria: Music and Reflections
Unitarian Universalist Choir
directed by Reverend Dr. Susan Swaney
Reverend Mary Ann Macklin, Reverend Scott McNeill
Join us for this special music Sunday in which our full choir
with guest musicians, directed by Susan Swaney, brings us the refreshing promise of the coming year with The Ground, by
Ola Gjeillo; Glinka's Cherubic Hymn; and Gabrieli's Gloria.
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MAM's Musings
I returned from sabbatical leave on Sunday, December 1st. It was wonderful to see many of you at church that morning. I very much appreciated the moving social justice moment presented by Green Sanctuary Task Force co-chair Stephanie Kimball and the amazing piano rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody by Ray Fellman.
The book I referenced in Sunday's Worship service is
Robin Wall Kimmerer's
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants. Kimmerer is a mother, botanist, decorated professor and enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. Our congregation book table chair, Glee Nobler, informed me that she will be ordering more copies for you all to purchase between services.
When asked by folks if the sabbatical time left me rejuvenated and refreshed, my frank answer was, "Not really, but it did leave me recalibrated and that to me is more important." If you were absent Sunday and are curious about how I spent part of my sabbatical, I invite you to experience the
December 1st worship service.
As for December, I will ease back into my ministerial role with a balance of ease and effort, returning to email and other connections slowly and with intention. Thanks to everyone who made this sabbatical possible.
And hey, it's not too early to begin thinking about a possible garden next year. Author Barbara Wall Kimmerer says of gardens, "It's good for the health of the earth and it's good for the health of the people. Once you develop a relationship with a little patch of earth, it becomes a seed itself. Something essential happens in a garden. It's a place where if you can't say "I love you" out loud, you can say it with seeds. And it will reciprocate with beans."
May reciprocity bless your life,
MAM
Reverend Mary Ann Macklin
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From Our Associate Minister
As the calendar flips to December, our theme of the month turns to "Promise." There are so many ways to think about that word; it could mean a commitment, and/or it could mean potential. As we wind our way through the month and toward the New Year - I'll share more thoughts about the aspect of "potential" - but for now, I wanted to highlight a set of promises that participants in our religious community made to one another: Click here for our Covenant of Right Relations
Notice that the promises we make to one another explicitly state that we are not perfect beings, by pointing out that we strive to live up to our best selves (and when we falter, we strive to reconcile).
What would a covenant look like if you had one at home, whether with your family of origin, your chosen family, or whoever feels close to you? As we prepare for the new year, think about the power and meaning we derive from promises made, kept, broken, and renewed.
mcneill (at) uubloomington.org
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Religious Education for Adults
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Shambhala Meditation Meets Mondays at 12 noon
Join us at 12 noon every Monday in the Library for an hour of Shambhala Meditation.
There is no cost to sit down with us and practice meditation. We are beginner friendly. We meet in the library at church on the second floor. Use the Portico entrance and turn right, we are in the first room on the left, the library. You can use a cushion or a chair or switch between. We stretch 1/2 way through, and walk, then sit some more and close with some teachings in chant form. Take what you want and leave the rest.
All are welcome. Info:
Contact Sarah Flint.
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Open Mind Zen Meets Mondays at 7:00 pm
Join Frank Seisho Diaz for meditation, talks, and discussions on Zen Buddhism, Mondays 7:00-8:30 pm, in the Library here at the church. All are welcome regardless of faith or experience.
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Gentle Hatha Yoga
on Tuesdays at 5:30 pm
A gentle Hatha Yoga practice to balance the mind, body, and spirit. Tuesday evenings, from 5:30-7 pm, in Fellowship Hall. Led by Kate Mulligan of Maxwell House Yoga.
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Traditional Taiji Meets Tuesdays at 7:15 pm
Brian Flaherty leads "Wu (Hao)" style Taiji in Fellowship Hall on Tuesdays at 7:15 pm. (No Taiji on December 24 and 31.) All are welcome, even those with no previous Taiji experience. Please wear loose-fitting clothing.
For more i
nfo: Contact Brian.
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UU Freethinkers Meet December 8
, 12:45 pm
The UU Freethinkers bi-weekly meeting creates the opportunity for participants to raise questions and engage in open and non-structured discussion of issues of social, political, and theological/religious concern. Every other Sunday in Room 208 at 12:45 pm.
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UU Humanist Forum Meets December 15, 12:45 pm
On Sunday, December 15, at 12:45 pm the UU Humanist Forum will meet in Room 208. Jan Steenblik will lead a discussion on "
Water Stress in the US." The Humanist Forum meets every other Sunday with a different
discussion topic.
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Special Worship Services and Events
in December
We will hold two services at 9:15 and 11:15 a.m. as usual on Sunday, December 22 and Sunday, December 29. Childcare may be limited on these Sundays, depending on staff availability.
Wednesday, December 18, 6:15 p.m.
Winter Solstice Celebration
, with a greenery labyrinth and candlelight. Children's Choir will sing. Childcare provided.
Thursday, December 19, 6:16 p.m.
No childcare.
Tuesday, December 24, 7:00 p.m.
Candlelight Christmas Eve service with music from our choir, and singing of carols, including Silent Night by candlelight (We'll be using the UU hymnal, which has some new/revised lyrics, so please feel free to sing the words you like the best!)
No childcare.
Tuesday, December 31, 5:00-10:00 p.m. New Year's Eve Party
Fun and games for all ages at our All- Church New Year's Eve Party on December 31, 5-10 p.m. We will have separate games for adults and children, and special children's activities. Bring a favorite game and a snack to share. Pizza for those who arrive before dinner. This is an alcohol-free event. (see related article, below.)
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UU History for You
Michael Servetus:
Unitarian Martyr and Medical Scientist
We know of Michael Servetus (1506-1553) as the Spanish theologian who was arrested by John Calvin in Geneva and burned at the stake as a heretic. His book, The Errors of the Trinity, is considered to be a founding document of the Unitarian movement. Servetus was born in Villanueva, Spain, became a theologian and later, when he was under threat by Catholic counter-Reformation scholars, he changed his name and became a physician. His work in medicine was substantial; he did dissections and concluded that Galen was wrong on the circulation of blood. Servetus argued that blood entered the right ventricle where it was pumped into the lungs and returned to the left ventricle. Renaissance physicians did not know that earlier, in Syria and Cairo, Ibn al Nafis (1213-1288) had written scholarly works in medicine that included a critique of Galen's circulation theory. Al Nafis claimed the blood enters the right ventricle and is pumped to the lungs and returns to the left ventricle with aerated blood. It was not until William Harvey did actual experiments that Galen's theory was rejected in European medical schools. Harvey worked out both the pulmonary and body circulation of the blood and predicted that there were microscopic vessels or pores throughout the body that provided passage of blood from arteries to veins.
--
Elof Carlson, UUCB Historian
(We also have a copy in our Library. --ed.)
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Bazaar December 6 & 7
We Need Your Help--You Need the Fun!
Childcare at the Bazaar
Childcare will be offered 3 times during the Bazaar to help parents who want to shop or volunteer. Thurs, Dec 5 from 6 p.m.-8 is a set up time and parents who want to help set up can drop kids off in Room 103.
During the Bazaar, childcare is offered with a special theme. Friday evening, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. the program is Gingerbread Tales. Saturday from 9 am to 11 am, the program is Snowy Fun. Crafts and stories will center on the theme and be age appropriate. Childcare during the Bazaar is in Room 103.
Friendly People to Help You Sign Up to Volunteer
Melinda Pettijohn and Ann Kamman will be in the Commons between services on Nov 25 and Dec 1. They will help you sign up to take a shift staffing a booth at the Bazaar. They will also sell Lasagna dinner tickets for the dinner on Friday evening, December 6. Advance sale tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for children with a family limit of $25. The cost of the dinner is higher at the door. Melinda and Ann also have one-pint packages of frozen persimmon pulp available for $6. What if you can't attend the lasagna dinner? You might want to purchase a ticket to donate to a hungry volunteer in need.
Want to Make the World a Better Place?
Volunteer!
We need more than 150 volunteer shifts filled for the Holiday Bazaar, December 6 and 7. We are pacing a bit behind for sign-ups this year, so sign up today! Each shift is only a couple of hours, and there are jobs to suit anyone's interests and abilities. There is fun to be had! Sign up using Sign Up Genius. If you have questions (or have trouble signing up) please see us in Fellowship Hall between services on November 24 or December 1, or contact Melinda Pettijohn at [email protected].
Click, Clickety Click, Clickety Click
That's the sound of knitting needles, crochet hooks, and weavers' shuttles once again producing delightful scarves, hats, mittens, slippers, and more to sell at this year's Holiday Bazaar. Proceeds support hunger relief programs in Bloomington. There is a box in the Commons to drop off your creations!
Mary Blizzard at 333-8957 or [email protected].
-- Help Feed Our Hungry Neighbors Task Force
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The UUnique Café: Volunteer Opportunity and Delicious Food
Café Volunteers Needed! The annual Bazaar is just 2 weeks away, and once again, we will serve lunch and dinner on Friday, Dec. 6, and lunch on Saturday, Dec. 7. Grilled ham and cheese sandwiches, homemade soups, lasagna, and salad with garlic bread will be offered, followed by assorted desserts--same low prices as last year! In addition to attending the Bazaar, please consider signing up for a 2-hour shift in the kitchen. Sign up between services this Sunday, or follow link to
SignUp Genius
. Thank you in advance from Marlin, Martha, and Mary!!
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White Elephant's Trunk High Quality Collectibles
The White Elephant knows that all UUs have valuable items they no longer need or want but that others would love to purchase. If you have items such as dishes, kitchen wares, holiday decorations, children's toys, exotic collectibles, or truly (but not actual) white elephants, please donate them to the White Elephant's Trunk for this year's Bazaar. We are not accepting electronics, such as PCs, TVs, stereos, etc., as it is too difficult to sell them. If you have shelving units we can borrow to display items, please let Doris know. Bring donations starting Sunday, December 1 at 1:00 p.m. in Room 108. Want to help organize and price items? Please contact Doris Wittenburg (812-336-4993 or
[email protected]
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The Bazaar Needs Your Books
DONATE your books, DVDs, CDs, and LPs to the Bazaar Book Store. Bring donations to the church December 1-4. Have questions or want help? Contact Craig at 812-287-3368 or [email protected].
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Gourmet Galaxy Quest for the Bazaar
Calling all bakers: The UU Holiday Bazaar Galaxy Gourmet is looking for donations of your most delicious goodies. This year's Bazaar will be Dec. 6th and 7th, and now is the perfect time to start baking and freezing!
We're especially interested in yeast bread and other savory yummies.
Questions? Contact Shannon Grimme (
[email protected]
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The Cookie Cruise departs in two days!
All aboard, bakers! We want a full shipment of cookies and bars!! Bring your contributions to the bazaar anytime beginning 6-8 pm on Thursday. Our buyers are looking for all kinds of cookies - the variety of offerings is our sales strong point. Thanks to each of you.
Co-chairs Linda
and Meg.
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This Sunday, December 8! Young Adult Lunch Out
Let's go out to lunch after the second service. We will meet in the Commons at about 12:30 pm, near the social justice table, and carpool to a nearby restaurant. Anyone age 18-35 is welcome. As a result of a generous donation to our Young Adult and Campus Ministry we are able to buy lunch for everyone. Questions? Email Ann LeDuc.
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Are you new here?
Take your "First Steps" this Sunday, December 8!
Join us for a short introduction to Unitarian Universalism and this congregation. This Sunday in Room 112 at 10:30 AM and 12:30 PM (after each service). Free childcare is available in Room 108. Just stop in, no registration is required.
--Ann LeDuc, Connections Coordinator
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Our Newest Members
On November 24 we welcomed four new members into our congregation. They are Arnold and Suzanne Fodor, and Brianna and Martin Horne. Please give them a warm welcome!
Arnold Fodor grew up in Chicago and has called Bloomington home for the past few years. He has had a lifelong career in advertising and is passionate about trail running, baking, painting, and community. He looks forward to being a part of the UU community and contributing to their efforts to make the world a better place.
Suzanne Fodor
is an IU alum and serves students in life and career coaching. She enjoys using co-active coaching to help students and clients live their fullest, most meaningful life. She looks forward to giving back to Bloomington by becoming an active part of the UU community and continuing to create in theater and storytelling.
Brianna Horne
details coming soon!
Martin Horne
details coming soon!
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Drop-in Childcare on Wednesdays
On Wednesday evenings, from 6-8 pm, we are offering free drop-in childcare in Room 103 (note this week 12/4 it's in Room 103). Parents must remain on site, on the building grounds or in the building. Please use the Courtyard Entrance. We hope to provide a moment for parents to breathe deeply, have a cup of tea with a friend, or sit in silence before running children to the next event. For more info contact
Adrienne Summerlot
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Another All-Church All-Adult Game Night Dec. 13*
(*this time with euchre!)
Friday, December 13, 7:00 pm, Fellowship Hall
We had so much fun last month, we're doing it again! Calling all game players! (Card games, board games, word games, parlor games, guessing games . . . you name it. And a euchre table!) The Singles Fellowship group is inviting all adults in the church to game night. Come as you are, or bring a friend, snacks, games, drinks to share (totally optional). For questions, contact Marie Deer, 812-391-0900. For update on all UU Singles Fellowship activities,
click here.
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Hike with Us on December 15!
Join us for a 2.6 mile hike at Trevlac Bluffs, part of the Sycamore Land Trust, on Sunday, December 15. We will meet in the parking lot of the old east side K-mart, behind Bloomingfoods East at 2:00 pm to carpool to the trailhead. More information about Trevlac Bluffs is available here:
https://sycamorelandtrust.org/preserves/trevlac-bluffs-nature-preserve/
Email
Ann LeDuc
if you plan to join us. We will cancel if it rains, or if the roads are slick.
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All-Church New Year's Eve Party
There will be fun and games for all ages at our All- Church New Year's Eve Party on December 31, 5-10 p.m. We will have separate games for adults and children, and special children's activities. Adults- bring your favorite game and a snack to share. We'll order pizza for those who arrive before dinner. Children's activities and games will be 5 PM to 8 PM. Adult games will end at 10 PM. This is an alcohol-free event. See our Facebook event.
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Sentinel of a Cornfield by Betty Wagoner
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Artist of the Month for January -
Betty Wagoner
The January Artist of the Month is UU member
Betty Wagoner. She is a watercolorist. Her subject is the natural world, painting Indiana landscapes. Betty has won art awards and exhibited in juried shows. She has taught workshops for the T.C Steele outreach program and won a grant for the "Artist in the Parks," teaching at Starve Hollow State Recreation Area and T.C. Steele. She has degrees in fine arts, art education and library science.
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B
uy Grocery Cards on Sunday and Support the Church
We have grocery gift cards for sale in the Commons every Sunday between services. The participating grocery stores send a percentage of your purchases back to the church to support our operating budget. We have gift cards for Bloomingfoods, Lucky's, and Fresh Thyme, and you can
register your Kroger Plus card
by clicking here.
Our Kroger organization ID number is EW763.
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Extinction Rebellion
Walkout and Rally Dec. 6
December 6
Friday
ACT NOW
1:00 - 6:00 pm
1 pm Walkout of School and Work
2 pm Climate Festival and Rally
Bloomington City Hall, 401 N. Morton
Join our young people
Stand up for action on Climate Change
Questions, contact
Jana Pereau of our Green Sanctuary Task Force on Global Climate Change.
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Hats and Hunger! That's What It's All About!
November was Hunger Awareness Month at UUCB, and the Hunger Task Force will be selling hats one last week, this Sunday, December 8, between services. 100% of all proceeds support the College Square Pantry (previously known as Walnut Grove Pantry) and each hat that you buy represents 167 pounds of food that will feed the hungry!
So, keep your head and your heart warm this month -- buy a hat!
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Social Justice Film Series
December 15, 5:00 p.m.
Better Angels: Reuniting America
It all began in southwest Ohio, where Trump voters and Clinton voters gathered in Red/Blue workshops in the weeks and months after the 2016 election.
Now, the second workshop and its aftermath have been captured in
Better Angels: Reuniting America
, a one-hour documentary film by Emmy-winning director Jim Brown and produced by Peter Yarrow of the legendary Peter, Paul, and Mary trio.
Better Angels: Reuniting America
shows 8 Democratic-leaning voters and 7 Republican-leaning voters moving through a Better Angels signature Red/Blue workshop, from initial skepticism to more profound understanding and empathy. You'll get an inside look at how a Democratic voter went from threatening to cut off relationships with Trump voters to becoming dear friends with one--and how a Republican voter moved from disdaining progressives to taking co-leadership with one in a movement that now spans the country.
You are invited to a free screening of the documentary on December 15 at 5:00 p.m. in Fellowship Hall. There will be a Q&A featuring Better Angels volunteers.
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Community Connections
Faith in Action in Our Community
Winter Solstice Celebration at UU Indianapolis, December 19 and 20
Unitarian Universalist Church of Indianapolis will host Winter Solstice Celebrations on Thursday, December 19 and Friday, December 20, 7:00 p.m. followed by a pitch-in feast. Seating is limited; doors open at 6:30 p.m., so plan to arrive early. 615 W 43rd St, Indianapolis. The Indy Winter Solstice Celebration is a collaboration among Central Indiana Unitarian Universalists from six UU congregations in the Indianapolis metro area. Singing will be led by Pam Blevins Hinkle. Click here for more info.
Poll Workers Needed for 2020
In May 2020 the Election will be very busy. Poll workers, both Republican and Democrat, will be needed. As a poll worker you must be able to help set-up your appointed poll site on Monday night or late afternoon, May 4th and work on Tuesday, May 5th starting at 5 a.m. until finished. Also you must agree to come to a paid training session on being a poll worker. Interested? Contact Tina Engle at Voter Registration at 812-349-2690.
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Will You Join Us in Reducing Our Reliance on Single Use Plastics?
December: Microbeads
The
Task of the Month Program for Reducing Plastic Use
focuses on a single category of plastic each month, allowing participants the time to try alternatives and establish new habits.
Each month, you'll receive an email with suggestions for reducing (and eventually eliminating) that month's target type of plastic.
Click here to sign up!
--Stephanie Kimball, Green Sanctuary Task Force
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Reverend Mary Ann Macklin, our Senior Minister
can be reached on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons, 812-332-3695, ext. 201. Reverend Macklin will not be available via email for a few more weeks.
Reverend Scott McNeill, our Associate Minister,
can be reached at 812-332-3695 (ext. 209) and is available by appointment on Wednesday and Friday afternoons.
For pastoral emergencies, please call Scott at 812-727-0919.
Reverend Emily Manvel Leite
,
our Minister of Religious Education,
can be reached at
812-332
-3695 (ext. 207) and is available by appointment
on Wednesday and Friday mornings.
Email: mre (at) uubloomington.org
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Our Covenant of Right Relations
In June 2017, our members affirmed a Covenant of Right Relations.
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Deadlines for Publications
Order of service and Friday UU Update: Thursday, 9a
Prologue: Date of publication, 10a
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Office hours
: M-F, 10 am-4 pm
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.
Upcoming
issues:
Dec 17, Jan 7, Jan 21, Feb 4, Feb 18, Mar 3, Mar 17
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Livestreaming Our Sunday Services
View a live broadcast of our Sunday services (9:15 and 11:15 am):
Have a problem viewing or hearing the service?
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).
- Direct links to the most recent Sunday services: November 24 December 1
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Membership: 533 certified members; 549 current members.
Attendance:
Sunday, November 24 9:15 - 103 11:15 - 152 RE: 44 TOTAL: 255
Sunday, December 1 9:15 - 95 11:15 - 143 RE: 33 TOTAL: 238
Non-Pledge Offering:
November 24
: $575 December 1: $640
Total to be donated (25%) to Volunteers in Medicine: $303.74
Grocery Card Sales:
(Bloomingfoods, Lucky's Market, or Fresh Thyme)
November 24: $425 December 1: $200
Total income to UUCB: $31.75
During the last quarter (July thru September 2019) we received $446.72 from Kroger, with 134 UU households participating.
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Masthead photo: Oak Leaf Hydrangea by John Woodcock
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