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October 17, 2019 | Vol. 6 No. 42
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An Invitation to Join the CASST of First Universalist
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Rev. Justin Schroeder |
Our faith invites us to live a life of humility, courage, and bravery, as we act to create a more just world. This looks like attending Immigration Court, to be moral witnesses to what is unfolding, sharing information about the proceedings with Advocates for Human Rights. This looks like building houses with Habitat for Humanity. This looks like fundraising and giving a $750 stipend to immigrant families impacted by detention or deportation. And this looks like being a part of the Congregational Asylum Sponsorship and Support Team of First Universalist (CASST).
This team, with church support, has been sponsoring an asylum seeker since the spring of 2019. Without a sponsor, many asylum seekers are imprisoned/detained for the duration of their case, and often deported.
Sponsorship
can literally save someone's life. Church members are currently serving as hosts, opening their home to the asylum seeker; members and friends are offering legal, financial, language, emotional, spiritual, and psychological support as the asylum case moves forward. Members of the CASST shared reflections on this effort in a July
service.
This ministry has profoundly impacted me. In the face of the injustices and inhumanity at our Southern Border, sponsorship is something concrete and meaningful that we can do.
From the beginning, the vision was always bigger than just sponsoring one asylum seeker; the vision was to have this ministry take root in the congregation, for others to listen deeply to where love was calling them next, and have a second team emerge, in order to sponsor a second asylum seeker. A second team is forming, and you're invited to be a part of this work, supporting either team. We need you! We need your kindness, your "yes," your commitment to be in this life-changing, heartbreaking, heartmending work. We believe we have the capacity for the church to support two asylees, but we need to grow our teams. Are you feeling called to host an asylee? Be a back up host? Do you speak Spanish? Can you give rides? Take someone shopping? All of this and so much more is needed. And if you can't give time, please consider a
financial donation
to support these efforts.
Together, with humility, courage, and bravery, we can create a more just world.
I'll see you in church,
Justin
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Sunday, Oct. 20, 9:30 & 11:15 a.m. (Youth-friendly & Sharing Sunday)
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October Worship Theme: The Edges of Belonging |
"Where the Sky Meets the Sea"
Arif Mamdani
Disney's Moana tells the story of a young woman who hears the call of the ocean. In answering the call, Moana embarks on a voyage to save her people, and finds the place she belongs in the process. Most of us aren't called forth into our belonging so dramatically, and few of us are accompanied by a soundtrack featuring The Rock. Join us on Sunday as we listen for how the story and music of Moana speak (and sing!) to us in our continued exploration of The Edges of Belonging.
This Sharing Sunday, Kindergarten through 5th graders attend the first 15-20 minutes of the service before being excused to childcare. On Youth-friendly Sundays, 6th-12th graders attend the entire service with their families.
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On the Podcast: "Living Beyond the Binary"
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Sermon summary & reflections by Liz Farmer:
Go To the Limits of Your Longing
by Rainer Maria Rilke
God speaks to each of us as [God] makes us,
then walks with us silently out of the night.
These are the words we dimly hear:
You, sent out beyond your recall,
go to the limits of your longing.
Embody me.
Flare up like a flame
and make big shadows I can move in.
Let everything happen to you: beauty and terror.
Just keep going. No feeling is final.
Don't let yourself lose me.
Nearby is the country they call life.
You will know it by its seriousness.
Give me your hand.
The sermons recently have been recalling some of my favorite poems. Rev. Jen's October 13th sermon reminded me of this Rilke poem as she asks us, what are the limits of your longing to belong? Do you ever notice your belonging is contingent upon your own shrinking, self-forgetting, or being less in your body? Question that feeling. What's beyond your longing to belong in that particular group? When you feel the truth of who you are, you claim it, and you don't let the loudmouths around you or your inner critic deter you, you might notice what's in the shadows - the in-between. It is a web of deep connectedness that is beyond the binary of "me and them," "in group and out group." It includes beauty, terror, emotions, struggle, histories, dreams. Don't let yourself lose it.
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Sunday, Oct. 27, 9:30 & 11:15 a.m.
Rev. Karen Hutt
Sunday, Nov. 3, 9:30 & 11:15 a.m.
Rev. Justin Schroeder
Sunday, Nov. 10, 9:30 & 11:15 a.m.
Rev. Ruth MacKenzie
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Oct. 13, 2019
"Living Beyond the Binary"
- Rev. Jen Crow
Oct. 6, 2019
Mental Health Sunday
Listen to the podcast
Sept. 29, 2019
"An Open Door" -
Rev. Karen Hutt
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Alternatives to Violence Workshop
Saturday, Oct. 19, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
This fall, the Peace Circle is hosting three "Skill Building for Peacemakers" workshops to help equip folks with strong, usable skills to be active daily as peacemakers.
The first of these will focus on
Alternatives to Violence
,
developed by Quakers to help offenders, which helps people turn their conflicts into opportunities for personal growth using methods used by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Mohandas Gandhi, and Jesus.
Register here. Find info about the November and December workshops here.
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Artist's Reception with Barbara Kellogg
Sunday, Oct. 20, following both services
Meet photographer and author Barb Kellogg after either service on Sunday, Oct. 20.
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Young Adults Lunch Group this Sunday, Oct. 20
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Are you in your 20s or 30s? Join the First Universalist Young Adults group on Sunday, Oct. 20 for the first group lunch of the new church year! Meet at 12:45 p.m. at the info desk in the Social Hall before heading out. Going forward, we will gather on the 3rd Sunday of every month. Email Gordon Loery at gloery945@gmail.com with questions.
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Film Screening & Discussion: "Get Out"
Thursday, Oct. 24, 6:30-9 p.m.
or Sunday, Oct. 27, 1-3:30 p.m.
Just in time for Halloween, don't miss this brilliantly provocative film. "Get Out" dwells on the mind and relies on the fear of the unknown while conveying subtle messages on racism and what it's like to be black in America.
Film screenings are drop-in events facilitated by members of our Racial Justice Education Team. Light snacks provided.
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Young Families Halloween Party
Saturday, Oct. 26, 9-11 a.m.
Celebrate Halloween with the littlest members of our church community.
All families with children in 1st grade and younger are invited to attend. Older siblings are welcome, too! We'll have games, music, crafts, and a Halloween costume parade. Enjoy a light breakfast and some coffee or cider, as well as seasonal treats.
RSVP here.
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Young Adults Brunch Potluck
Saturday, Oct. 26, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
Are you in your 20s or 30s and looking to connect with other young adults in the First U community? Join First U Young Adults for a potluck feast in the Cummins Room. We'll have the opportunity to get to know one another, meet Arif, the new Director of Membership and Adult Ministries, share our dreams for future young adult events and consider what congregational care might look like for young adults. If you're able, please bring a brunch dish to share, but all are welcome. Questions? Email Angela Bowles Edwards (
angelambedwards@gmail.com
).
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Sanctuary & Resistance Fun(d)raiser
Saturday, Oct. 26, 6-9 p.m.
Join together in community to donate to the Sanctuary and Resistance Fund and share in food, art, poetry and music
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Our goal is to raise $7,500 for 10 stipends ($750) for families experiencing detention and deportation. Since June of 2018 this fund has helped 18 families. We will be taking donations at the door, and are asking people to register for food/drink planning purposes. Everything raised will go directly to people affected.
If you cannot attend please donate online
. Checks made out to First Universalist Church, with S & R Fund in the memo line.
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Celebrating Sandy with an Aloha Luau on Oct. 27
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 Sandy DiNanni invites you to celebrate her 18 wonderful years with you here at church! (read her retirement announcement
here.)
Join us in the social hall on Sunday, Oct. 27 after the second service for an Aloha Luau (honoring Sandy's Hawaiian heritage)! Please bring a simple food item/dish to share. Beverages will be provided.
If you have any Hawaiian garb - shirts or muu muus, for instance - you're invited to wear them.
Cards for Sandy can be placed in the special keepsake box that is available in the Social Hall on Sundays and in the office during the week (please do not enclose cash/gift cards/checks). Those wishing to make a contribution to a gift fund for Sandy's retirement may do so here or by delivering/mailing a check to the church office made out to First Universalist Church with "Sandy Gift" in the memo line.
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Tuesdays, Nov. 5, 12, 19 & 26, 7-8:30 p.m.
Newcomer Circles are four-session gatherings of 6-10 participants who are new to First Universalist. They offer a chance to get to know Unitarian Universalism, reflect on our spiritual journeys, and connect with other folks who are new. Attendance at the first session is required. There are just three spots open in this Newcomer Circle, which will be led by Rev. Jen Crow; register here.
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Racial Justice & Our UU Faith Workshop
Saturdays, Nov. 9 & 16, 9:30-11:30 a.m.
Join us for an interactive, reflective two-part workshop exploring a framework and tools for understanding race, racism, and whiteness and the spiritual imperative that drives our racial justice work.
This is a regularly offered workshop that we encourage all members of our community to take. It will be led by Channing McKinley and Emily Wallace. Register here.
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Have Coffee or Lunch with Arif Mamdani,
Director of Membership & Adult Ministries
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Arif Mamdani, Director of Membership & Adult Ministries |
As we move through the month of October and our theme "The Edges of Belonging," I've been thinking a lot about church and what does and doesn't foster a sense of belonging. One of the things that I think is true is that relationships help to foster a sense of belonging and to that end, I want to get to know you! The only challenge is that there's one of me and about 1,000 of you - SO, I want to invite you to join me on one of the following dates for coffee or lunch.
Morning Coffee (we'll provide coffee/tea/pastries): Thursday, Oct. 24, 10-11:30 a.m. at First Universalist
RSVP here
Lunch (bring your own bag lunch; we'll provide beverages and cookies for dessert): Wednesday, Oct. 30, 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. at First Universalist
RSVP here
I know those dates won't work for everyone, so if they don't work for you and you'd like to connect with me, please don't hesitate to reach out -
arif@firstuniv.org.
Thanks!
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Opportunity in October for a Family Giving Experience
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Submitted by First Universalist's Community Investment Team
 A recent
article in the Southwest Journal
featured the Wild Rumpus bookstore in Linden Hills and its partnership with Books For Border Kids.
Parents (or grandparents) can go into the bookstore with their kids, and pick out one of their listed books, either in Spanish or bilingual. Wild Rumpus will mail it to their bookstore contact on the Mexican border, which will distribute books to refugee children on both sides of the border. This book drive ends October 31, so don't delay!
This teaching and giving opportunity is presented here by your Community Investment Team as there is not time for it to be a Sunday offering recipient. If you know an organization that shares our commitment to justice and equity, nominate them as a possible recipient
here.
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Looking for "Radical Hospitality"
Volunteer Hosts and Cookie/Bars Donors
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Be a part of sharing the welcoming and radical hospitality that First Universalist has to offer. We're looking for 10+ hosts to help welcome guests who come to our Radical Hospitality Sanctuary & Resistance Fun(d)raiser on Saturday, Oct. 26 beginning at 5:30 p.m. in the Social Hall. What a great way for families and individuals of all ages to share the Sense of Belonging here at First Universalist our with our many community visitors. Volunteers are asked to meet in the Social Hall by 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 26.
We also need donations of dessert bars and cookies - these can be dropped off after 3 p.m. on Oct. 26 in the Social Hall (or by arrangement). To volunteer or donate desserts, contact Jeanne Guignon (
jeanneg195@gmail.com or 952-270-1931). Thank you!
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MUUSJA Justice Awards Event
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Come celebrate in person or tune in online via Zoom, as First Universalist Youth Leaders of the 2018 March for Our Lives events (the rallies and forums to end gun violence) are honored with a MUUSJA 2019 Justice Award! And the "Ancestors Award" for 2019 goes to our own Colleen Cook, rest in power... Justice-maker extraordinaire.
MUUSJA exists to connect justice-making UUs and our statewide and national partners, sharing resources and skills for effective action. This annual celebration and fundraiser on
Friday, Oct. 25, 5:30-8:30 p.m. at United Theological Seminary, is open to everyone, so please bring a friend! Register to attend the musical soiree, live or via Zoom video, at
www.muusja.org/event/muusja-jams/
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Seniors Hike with Daytime Connections
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Cleary Lake Regional Park is one of many parks that make up the Twin Cities metro Three Rivers Park District system. We will be hiking on wide, grassy and gently rolling trails which serve as cross country ski trails in winter. The hike would be classified as easy, with only a few short hills to climb. The route passes many small lakes and wetlands with great views. We will hike for up to two hours; however, there are several cutoff opportunities that could shorten the hike to as little as 45 minutes should that distance be preferred.
For those interested, we will gather for lunch following the hike at the Hy-Vee Market Grill Restaurant at 6150 Egan Drive, Savage, MN 55378.
RSVPs requested: If you plan to participate in this hike please RSVP to Tom Saterstrom:
saterstromtom@yahoo.com or (cell) 952-239-3629.
Should anyone prefer to carpool for this hike, contact Tom Saterstrom by Monday, Oct. 21.
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Meet Up with Beacon Housing Folks
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Meet up on Sunday, Nov. 3, from 12:45 to 1:30 p.m. in the Cummins Room, with fellow UUs, including Rev. Karen Hutt, Autumn Huiras, Peg Mitchell, and Sara McMullen, to learn about opportunities to get involved with Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative.
Beacon's vision is that all people have a home. In addition to meeting immediate needs through shelter, more than 90 congregations are building a power collaborative so that we can advance equity in housing and create more affordable homes in our communities. Come visit with others who share this vision and hear from our Beacon organizer, Rev. Emily Goldthwaite Fries, about opportunities to get involved.
Snacks will be available. If needed, please
request childcare at least seven days in advance. Questions? Call Sara Mc Mullen,
Beacon Volunteer and First U member: 612-805-5059.
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Can You Solve this Second Mystery Quiz?
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Submitted by Hal Schroer
Powerful stories of our seniors can be found in a binder on a podium in the church library. The submissions in our first mystery quiz relied on personal knowledge of the highlighted individuals; however, pages 3-11 in the binder also provide a searchable index aligned around common themes to locate these stories. A link to the following excerpts from another three of these stories can be found under the "International Work" theme on page 5. If you correctly identify these three individuals and send their names to halschroer@gmail.com by Oct. 23rd, you'll be entered in a raffle drawing for coffee with one of the three persons of your choice. Note: the photos above/at right may not include the individuals featured in these stories.
Person #1:
Three months after graduation, she found herself on a boat to Japan to teach English for 3 years. This adventure blew open her Midwestern ways. In the 1960s Japan was just coming out of the American Occupation after WWII. There was a 'can do' atmosphere all around with a Japanese eagerness to relate, to share and to learn. What a feast for a curious, adventurous 22-year-old. This formative experience led her to combine her passion for Japan along with her educational interests to spend 28 years on the Board of the Kobe Foundation, a cross-cultural education foundation that sends American teachers to Japan, and sponsors exchange study for both Japanese and American students.
Person #2:
She joined the Peace Corps for a 2 ½ year assignment in Guatemala to expand her world and to be of service. Feminist inclinations, which she had already developed, were cemented and amplified by working in a culture more patriarchal than her own, where women had very little power, where reproductive biology controlled their fate, and where their lives were at risk in so many ways. In one assignment, she was unofficially assigned to an USAID demonstration project to provide family planning services in rural Guatemala, while facing resistance on women's contraception needs from both the Catholic Church and the Public Health System. Nothing in the women's rights movement of the 60s and 70s seemed more empowering than helping women control their fertility. This formative experience led her to a career as one of the first Nurse-Midwifes in Minnesota.
Person #3:
She was chosen to be an exchange student, in West Berlin during the Cold War when the wall was being built and at the time of President Kennedy's famous speech ending with "ich bin ein Berliner". She became politically active by helping East German students and professors wishing to escape to the West. Working with a group of West Berlin students they were able to smuggle several students and professors from the East to the West. They used underground tunnels, the sewer system, fake passports and other
clandestine
methods, which were supported by the CIA. She volunteered to help and was conscious of the risk in getting caught. This formative experience led her to a career as a high school German teacher; and for 22 years, she also led a US-German student exchange program.
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Association of Universalist Women Fall Mini-Retreat
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All women are welcome to the Association of Universalist Women's Fall Mini-Retreat: "Sharing Stories in the Search for Meaning," on Saturday, Nov. 9, at First Universalist Church.
Drawing inspiration from Rev. Karen Hutt's leadership at our spring retreat, the Association of Universalist Women (AUW) will host a day of community, reflection, and storytelling led by Rev. Karen Hutt and storyteller Sue Searing.
Karen and Sue will lead participatory activities around the theme of storytelling, exploring both traditional stories (folk tales, fairy tales, myths, fables) and true stories (personal, family, historical). Both types of story can lead to individual and communal spiritual growth.
9:30 a.m. Registration and light refreshments;
10 a.m.-3 p.m Program (lunch will be provided).
The cost of the day is $25 for AUW members, $40 for non-members. No need to pre-register. Please bring cash or checks for payment at the event. You can pay AUW member dues
online here
.
Questions? Email auw.firstuniv@gmail.com
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Sixth Grade Environmental Justice Team
Seeking Fabric Donations
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In their Taking Our Places curriculum, 6th graders select a team to serve on over the course of four Sundays. Service introduces them to the "behind the scenes" work of congregational life, connects them with others of all ages who share similar interests, and gives them a chance to contribute their time and talents to our community.
If you're at church this coming Sunday, you'll notice posters soliciting fabric donations for
Boomerang Bags, a local project congregant Velma Wagner introduced to 6th graders who opted to work on environmental justice efforts.
Donated fabrics diverted from landfills are sewn by volunteers into reusable bags. These bags are placed in bins in stores and people are encouraged to "borrow and bring back" or reuse over and over. Boomerang Bags cut down on the need for single-use plastic and paper bags that are uneconomical and wasteful, while creating connection and community for our volunteers.
To support Boomerang Bags, please bring your donations to Room 201 by Sunday, Nov. 3. They are collecting lightweight cotton fabric (minimum 1 yard in length), thread, and even unwanted sewing machines. Thanks for your help!
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Hats for the Homeless: Give the Gift of Warmth
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Submitted by Barb Melom
Now in our 11th year, First Universalist knitters are asked to knit a beautiful hat for The Hats for the Homeless project to sustain our tradition of bringing warmth and love to our neighbors experiencing homelessness. We need hats for school aged children, women, and men. Donated hats, scarves, and mittens will be distributed to schools, shelters, and community resources. If you are not a knitter, purchased items are appreciated too.
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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 Rev. Ruth MacKenzie at
ruth@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. If you call outside of office open hours, follow the prompts for pastoral care on the recording.
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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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Join Our Mailing List
Subscribe to
The Weekly Liberal
here.
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here.
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Church Office Hours
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Sundays 9
a.m.-1 p.m.
Monday - Thursday
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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