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Seeking the Spirit, Building Community, Changing the World
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All-Ages Book Discussion
Saturday, June 20th
10-11:30 a.m. via Zoom
Not My Idea: A Book About Whiteness
by Anastasia Higginbotham
Over the winter, members of our Dismantling White Supremacy Working Group through Religious Education funds were able to give away copies of
Not My Idea: A Book About Whiteness by
Anastasia Higginbotham. Reverend Emily Manvel Leite and Adrienne Summerlot will be hosting a Zoom discussion about this book and how to talk with children about race, racism and how to dismantle white supremacy culture. For safety and security of the children and youth who are welcomed and encouraged to attend the conversation, we ask you to email Adrienne directly at dre(at)uubloomington.org if you plan to attend, so she can provide you with the Zoom information. If you don't have a copy of the book, please contact Adrienne.
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Sunday, June 21, 2020
10:15 am LIVE STREAM ONLY
Multigenerational Summer Solstice Celebration
Reverend Emily Manvel Leite
Reverend Mary Ann Macklin
Reverend Christin Green
Join us as we attune ourselves to the rhythm of the seasons and gather with ritual, song, story, and reflection together. Our Virtual UU Children's Choir, directed by Jill Courtney, will be performing. Please watch for the Friday Update for directions on home preparations to enrich your experience. **And do send along photos of yourself with your Special Services Award to media(at)
uubloomington.org to be shown at the end of this service.**
We are happy to once again welcome Reverend Christin Green, who will co-lead this Sunday's worship. She is currently working with our Dismantling White Supremacy Group as the Director of Congregational Resources for Three Sisters Consulting, and is a UU minister, recently welcomed into fellowship. Christin is a scholar of language, identity politics, sound healing, and liberation theology. We look forward to sharing sacred time together.
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Please Join Us Via Livestream Only
Please join us via livestream for our service each Sunday via our
Facebook page or our
website livestream page. Archived videos are available about 3 hours after the airing of each livestream on our website, in case you miss the livestream while it's live.
Our Building is Closed through at least the end of July,
but Our Hearts are Still Open.
To help disrupt the spread of the coronavirus and COVID-19 in our community, our Board of Directors has voted to close the building through the month of July 2020.
All in-person events and meetings have been cancelled.
Everyone please stay safe, stay well, and stay home.
Our Board will review the situation concerning our building closure and the progress of the pandemic at their Board meeting each month, and will keep us updated on their decisions.
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Join us for Virtual Coffee Hour!
Every Sunday after the worship service until 12:15 pm,
click on this link
to join us for engaging conversation!
Read the Friday Update for the complete list of Coffee Hour breakout room topics.
Email connect(at)
uubloomington.org
before Saturday, if you would like to request a conversation topic and be a small group conversation host. -Ann LeDuc, Connections Coordinator
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From the UU Board
On Sunday, June 7, 2020, the Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington, Indiana, held its first virtual Congregational Meeting. This was a major undertaking that included not only using Zoom technology for a large virtual gathering, but also planning how we would verify participants, admit members into the meeting, enable members who may not have computer access to participate, provide for multiple presentations including slides and videos in the program, pass motions, report votes taken, enable participants to ask questions and get answers from presenters.
The Virtual Planning Team included:
- All members of the Board of Directors: Steven Gilbert, Abby Gitlitz, Julie Lawson, Jane McLeod, Drew Schrader, Rich Slabach, and Stuart Yoak
- Technology Consultants: Von Welch, Michelle Cook, Matt Stonecipher, Bob Flynn, Kathy Sideli, Ruth Aydt,
- Staff Members: Ned Joyner, Ann LeDuc, Carol Marks, and Senior Minister Reverend Mary Ann Macklin.
One of the first challenges the planning team faced focused on the requirement that, in accordance with our UUCB Bylaws, only members in attendance at the Congregation Meeting are permitted to vote. In-person Congregational meetings are open to anyone who may wish to attend, however, only members are authorized to cast votes and voting is done by paper ballot and/or a simple call for "Yeas" and "Nays" of members present.
The Team's solution was to restrict attendance at the virtual Congregational meeting to members only. As members joined the meeting they went to a virtual waiting room, at which point the person's membership could be checked by members of the Board. Unlike looking up a person's name on a paper list of members, doing this online was a bit more challenging since not everyone's user names included their actual name, or just contained a first name. Once a person's membership was verified, they were permitted to join the meeting. The Waiting Rooms also helped us prevent Zoom bombing.
The second voting challenge focused on how to identify two members who may be using the same device (computer or phone) when they signed into the meeting. To resolve this, the Team requested people to identify second members via chat once they were in the meeting proper, and those people were then added to the rolls.
A third attendance and voting challenge concerned those members who wanted to participate but did not have access to a computer. The Team arranged for these members to call in and hear the meeting over their land-line phone.
Before the virtual Congregational meeting was officially called to order, Abby Gitlitz, Board Vice President, provided an oral description of how the virtual meeting process would work, asked all attendees to mute their audio throughout the meeting, and instructed everyone how to use the chat function if they had a question during the meeting. Abby then led everyone in a series of practice electronic votes to confirm the process was working as designed.
Stuart Yoak, Board President, served as chair for the meeting and our first order of business was a vote to authorize the UUCB Congregational Meeting on Sunday, June 7, 2020 to be conducted in accordance with these Emergency Rules. Please see the meeting agenda,
by clicking here. Additional information on the June 7th Congregational Meeting may be found in the
Friday UU Update, June 12, 2020. For those members and non-members who were not able to attend the virtual meeting, a complete recording of the meeting is available for viewing.
Click here to view it.
On behalf of the UUCB Board of Directors we are enormously gratified that 156 members participated in this first virtual Congregational Meeting. Thank you all!
Sincerely yours,
Stuart D. Yoak
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Dear Ones,
When you have learned about Juneteenth,
take time to sign this petition by Opal Lee to make Juneteenth a National Holiday, and contact your legislators to take action.
Or you can support Black Lives Matters' socially-distanced local Juneteenth celebration, which is prioritizing the attendance of Black people, by making a donation of masks, ice or drinks. Send me an email if you would like to donate: mre(at)
uubloomington.org
.
Later this weekend, the season is turning once again, as we approach our Summer Solstice Service this Sunday. The Spring Equinox was our second virtual service together this Spring as stay-at-home orders were being put in place, so this Sunday marks a full quarter of a year apart. Something about this marker makes me experience knowing that we are in this for the long haul in a different way in my body. There is a settling, and a sadness, and also a spaciousness for accepting and absorbing this new reality. I find myself wondering again how we will stay connected, and looking forward to discovering some new ways, while maintaining those we've already found. As summer arrives, and you think ahead to this season and those to come, I welcome your thoughts and wishes regarding connecting with one another. How are we doing? Is there something you long for? Let me know (mre(at)
uubloomington.org) as we gather in the creative energy of summer sunshine and imagine together.
A sweet summertime to you all,
Emily
Reverend Emily Manvel Leite
Minister of Religious Education
mre(at)uubloomington.org
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MAM's Musings
I have been offering a lot of reports, comments and sermons here of late. In this column I will be offering a few invitations.
For those of you with access, please watch Ava DuVernay's 2016 Oscar nominated documentary "13th". If you have already watched it, I invite you to watch it again. NUMBER ONE INVITE:
watch the documentary "13th." As citizens of the United States, the more we understand this country's history, the stronger our voice will be. Black Lives Matter. Action. After watching, consider joining the Hope for Prisoners Task Force.
Invitation #2
At last Sunday's Congregational Meeting, I announced the winners of the Special Services Award, saying that in this time of pandemic and change
gratitude to so many people who continue to serve, support and enrich the ministry of this congregation. Our Board. Our Staff. Our Lay Leaders. Our Volunteers. Our Musicians. Our Everybody. Our Everybody.
We know that connection is vital to the human spirit. We know that community and a sense of belonging brings our hearts, souls and minds together. We know that a full spirit and sense of belonging result in a profound caring for the world around us, so we will reach out. Seeking the Spirit. Building Community. Changing the World.
For this reason, this year's Special Services Award goes to Everyone, the members and friends of this congregation. Everyone. Everyone who cares about and serves this congregation.
THE SECOND INVITATION, Please print out your certificate, add your name(s) and take a creative photo, with some sunshine, and send in the photo for this Sunday's Solstice Worship Service.
If you do not have access to a printer, contact our office (
office(at)uubloomington.org
) and they can send a hard copy to you. Or create your own.
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Reverend MAM gives examples of Service Award Selfies
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Invitation #3
THE THIRD INVITATION: Let's Join thousands of Unitarian Universalists for the
JUNE 28th General Assembly Sunday Morning Worship.
An invitation from Reverend Doctor Susan Frederick-Gray,
President of the Unitarian Universalist Association:
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I invite your congregation to make GA Sunday Morning Worship your service on June 28. The Rev. Joan Javier Duval, minister of the Unitarian Church of Montpelier, Vermont, is leading the service, along with the Rev. Mykal Slack, Community Minister for Worship and Spiritual Care for Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism (BLUU), and Benjie Messer, Music Director at the UU Congregation of Phoenix, who will lead the over 140 member virtual choir! I've also been told that Ysaÿe Barnwell and Emma's Revolution will perform during the service.
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The service will stream live two times on Sunday, at 10 a.m. Eastern/9 a.m. Central and again at 10 a.m. Pacific/11 a.m. Mountain. Imagine having 1,000 congregations and 100,000 UU's sharing worship that reaches across the globe!
The live-stream and chat will be available at this link on
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Invitation #4
In these times of challenge, upheaval and opportunity for re-imagining our country and world, I invite you to: Breathe. Breathe. Breathe. Holy Breath.
Peace and Love,
MAM
Reverend Mary Ann Macklin
Senior Minister
macklin(at)uubloomington.org
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Ursula K. Le Guin wrote: "The only thing that makes life possible is permanent, intolerable uncertainty; not knowing what comes next."
I reckon that means life is possible in our times, because if we have anything at all, we have uncertainty. It impossible to know what we will encounter with each sunrise, let alone in the dark of night. The best we can hope for is that we will always remain in community with those who struggle for justice, and embrace life with a sense of hope and joy. In these difficult times let us renew our faith in one another, and know that while we might not always think alike, we can love alike and walk together for the sake of our grandchildren.
I am honored to once again be serving this beloved community along with Reverend Macklin, Rev. Leite and the best church staff I have ever seen. I encourage all members and friends to stay connected, and to keep supporting the work of this congregation that touches the lives of so many beyond the walls of our empty sanctuary. Check the Prologue often to see how to give to those how are in need in our larger community.
We will gather en masse again, and it will be a great celebration. Until then, we shall virtually hug one another, and breathe, breathe, breathe.
Peace--
bill
Reverend Bill Breeden
Minister Emeritus
breeden1949(at)gmail.com
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"Writing as a Spiritual Practice"
with Rev. Barbara Child
A Drop-in Group on Zoom
Tuesdays 1:00-2:00, through June 30
Guess what! It has turned out that facilitating the "Writing as a Spiritual Practice" drop-in group on Tuesdays is such a fulfilling practice for me that I want to continue beyond May. I invite you to come along on this journey of personal exploration through writing in community. You are welcome to attend any or all sessions through June 30. Click here for a full description of how the group works. If you have not participated yet,
register by clicking here
to get the Zoom link and instructions.
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Shambhala Meditation Mondays at 12 noon
Online Only
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Open Mind Zen Online
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, Open Mind Zen Indiana is currently holding all meetings online. For information on how to participate, please contact them at through their
contact page
.
For more info:visit
openmindzenbloomington.org
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UU Humanist Forum and Freethinkers Meeting Online
Each Sunday at 12:45 p.m., our UU Humanists and Freethinkers meet together online on Zoom for
open and non-structured discussion of issues of social, political, and theological/religious concern.
Click here to see topics we have discussed. Email
Ann Watzel or
Harold Ogren if you would like to join the discussion.
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Paul Losensky and Arzetta Hults-Losensky Support a Liberal Religious Future through Planned Giving
In an old Persian tale, a passerby sees an old man planting a walnut tree. Surprised, he asks, "Do you expect to enjoy the fruit of this tree?" The old man replies, "Others planted so we could eat. We plant so others can." When we think of those who went before us, Bill and Cookie Lynch, Lloyd Orr, Dan Quilter and many others, we are grateful. They gave their time, talents, and financial support to build the church in which we find so much love, comfort and hope. Their gifts live on. By providing a legacy gift to our UU church in our will, we too plant a seed so others may eat. We believe that the small actions we take now may change the world, build community, and enable everyone to seek their guiding spirit. --
Paul Losensky & Arzetta Hults-Losensky
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New Members from June 4
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Meet Our Newest Members!
On May 17, we welcomed seven new members into membership: Susan Goldberg, Eric Heim, Judy Klein, Nancy Newton, Joanne Passat, Justin Schwemmer, and Gaia White. We also welcomed five new members on June 4. They are Cindy Brandes, Sue Fratianni, Judy Owens, Genevieve Pritchard, and Tracy Whelan. Please give them all a warm welcome!
A few of their short biographies are below, to help you get to know them better.
--Ann LeDuc, Connections Coordinator
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New Members from May 17
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Susan Goldberg
is new to Bloomington. She is living with family and enjoying retirement as a grandma. Susan was a lay minister for the English Speaking congregation of the Prague Unitarians for ten years before returning to the States. She enjoys gardening, writing, sewing, cooking, and making jewelry. Susan has been active with the GLBTQ community in Europe and hopes to start or join a Unitarian group here as well.
Judy Klein
is a retired physician. She and her husband, Malcolm Dalglish, raised their two daughters in Bloomington. After singing in the choir for the past several years, they decided to deepen their commitment to UU by becoming members. UU has become their beloved spiritual home.
Judy Owens
grew up in the UU church of Bloomington, and returned after 3 or 4 decades in northern California. She considers herself a first wave climate refugee. She has a dog and a cat and a house and a yard and a garden and 3 grown kids out west and a tree farm south of town. Her adult vocation is working with HS and college students with ADHD, mentoring executive function skills.
Judy decided to formalize her on/off casual relationship with this lovable, nerdy church in the spring of 2020, when s*** turned serious.
Genevieve Pritchard
grew up in Bloomington and the UU church. She and her son Miko moved back to town a few years ago and look forward to reacquainting with the congregation and all that UU has to offer. Miko attends a Harmony and Genevieve runs a fun international non-profit (Play360)- both have been bitten by the travel bug and explore the world as often as possible.
Justin Schwemmer
is a transplant from Baltimore, Maryland, and also spent some time living in South India, writing ethnography and doing legal work with women's rights NGOs. Justin currently practices art and entertainment law, criminal defense, and civil litigation and sometimes teaches art law. They also enjoy writing music, hiking, canoeing, tabletop gaming, and lacto-fermentation, including culturing vegan cheese alternatives. Justin is a practicing Hermeticist and Rosicrucian.
Tracy Whelan
moved to Bloomington in 1993, and started teaching math at IU in 2002. She has one son in Boston and another in Oakland. She enjoys hiking, music, and reading, and is looking forward to getting to know UU members and engaging with UU activities.
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Ask your questions via Zoom on Fridays!
Do you have questions about how to get involved at the church, become a member, or other questions related to the church? Ask the Connections Coordinator your questions every Friday, 1-2:00 pm, via Zoom. Newcomers and current congregation members are all welcome to drop-in. Additional ways to contact Ann are via email at connect(at)
uubloomington.org
or phone at (812) 720-3688. If she can't answer your questions, she will connect you with someone who can. Use this link to drop-in and talk to Ann on Fridays, 1-2:00 PM:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87371911432?pwd=Z0JHSGl1bmJqSEhiMlJVWVVzYnJGQT09
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UUA General Assembly Online Only June 24-28
The UUA Board of Directors voted to make the UUA General Assembly of Congregations (GA) 100% virtual in June instead of holding the meetings in Providence, Rhode Island. The decision alleviates the anxiety and concern shared by many about how GA might proceed given the impact of COVID-19. It also gives the Association time to plan a more robust and rewarding virtual experience. Learn more at
UUA.org/ga
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Interested in being a Member Delegate to
UUA Virtual General Assembly?
If you are interested in being a member delegate from our congregation to the online General Assembly June 24-28, please be in touch with Iris Kiesling, irisfkiesling(at)gmail.com
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Environmental Justice Films
Now Available for Viewing
There are two films from the UU Ministry for the Earth on environmental justice that are available for screening online.
FRONTLINERS and
The Condor and the Eagle both look at youth involvement in combating environmental injustice. You can also read more about the films on the
How You Can Help page of our website.
--Molly O'Donnell, Green Sanctuary Task Force on Global Climate Change
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Homelessness Task Force and
Hunger Task Force Collecting Items
NEW AGENCIES & NEW LISTS
for the
June 2020 Food and Hygiene Drives
Through June 30, we will be collecting hygiene items for people being assisted by Black Lives Matter, food items for our Pantry at College Square (formerly known as Walnut Grove), and food and clothing for Shalom. Our wish lists have changed; so, please click here to see lists of needed items. Our building is closed, but we have placed collection bins outside the building, under the north side porch near the Portico Entrance. Simply drive up and drop off--we are picking up donations from these bins daily.
Many, many thanks!
Important Note: Do not ship items for these collections to the church address, as there are seldom staff members there to receive such packages. If you would like to contribute items but cannot bring them to the church, please contact admin (at) uubloomington.org. For items for Black Lives Matter Dignity Bags, there is a different shipping address; contact dre (at) uubloomington.org.
Our Homelessness Task Force Offers Volunteering Opportunities
Click here to learn more about volunteer opportunities and corona virus health precautions at Shalom Community Center and Wheeler Mission.
Helping at Middle Way House
Click here to see the ways you can volunteer at Middle Way House, Bloomington's emergency shelter for survivors of domestic violence.
--Alan Backler and Marlin Howard, Homelessness Task Force
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UU History for You
Karen Armstrong, Historian of God
Karen Armstrong was born in 1944 in Wildmoor, England to a Catholic family of Irish descent. She became a nun in a teaching order and left the monastery after experiencing practices which made her examine her religious life. She started an academic career, but her dissertation project was rejected. She also suffered from epilepsy.
She turned to writing documentaries for TV programs and did a study of Saint Paul as the first Christian. Her experience exploring Jewish, Christian, and Moslem beliefs led to her fame as a writer on the history of these three monotheistic religions. She felt that what they had in common was compassion and the Golden Rule. Religion, she argued, wasn't "about beliefs, it's what you do." She called this "ethical alchemy." It enables us to transcend selfishness and find universal needs to satisfy.
Armstrong has written books on the major religions and she has incurred the criticism of both atheist and religious groups for her works. Offsetting that are the many awards she has received and opportunities to teach at Jewish, Muslim, and Christian universities and religious seminars. I've read several of her books and recommend The History of God and Through the Narrrow Gate.
--
Elof Carlson, UUCB Historian
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Grocery Cards Now Available By Mail --
& Sign Up Your Kroger Plus Card to Benefit UUCB
Did you know that we have grocery gift cards for Bloomingfoods and Fresh Thyme available for sale by mail? Just send us a check made payable to "UU Church" with which store and amount you would like to purchase on the memo line, and we will mail you the cards. We buy the cards at a discount and sell them as a fundraiser to support our operating budget.
Click here to see which denominations of cards are currently available.
You can also
click here to register your Kroger Plus card with their Community Rewards Program and send a percentage of your purchases to the UU Church - our organization ID is EW763.
During the last quarter (January - March 2020) we received $411.80 from Kroger, with 135 UU households participating.
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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.
Carol Marks
, Church Administrator, admin (at) uubloomington.org
or
mobile 812-287-9615.
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
Susan Swaney, Music Director, music (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
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Order of service and Friday UU Update:
Thursday, 9 am, to office(at)uubloomington.org
Prologue:
Date of publication, 10 am, to admin(at)uubloomington.org
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Office hours
: M-F, 10 am-4 pm (office closed at church, but staff working from home during these hrs)
Church Administrator Carol Marks can be reached via text or voicemail during office hours at 812-287-9615. Email: admin (at) uubloomington.org
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:
July 7, July 21, Aug 4, Aug 18
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Livestreaming Our Sunday Service, 10:15 am
Have a problem viewing or hearing the service?
Links to Archived Services to View Online
- Or, scroll down on our main Livestream Page
for full archives of both services and other events (memorials, concerts, etc).
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Membership: 527 certified members; 552 current members.
Attendance:
Sunday, June 7 10:15 Livestream & Facebook Live 446
Sunday, June 14 10:15 Livestream & Facebook Live 262
Non-Pledge Offering:
June 7 and June 14: $771
To make a contribution for the Non-Pledge Offering (Sunday Plate), or to make a payment towards your pledge or the Minister's Discretionary Fund, click on this link to get to our PayPal page: http://bit.ly/UUCBdonate
Total to be donated (25%) to Volunteers in Medicine (HealthNet): $192.75
Grocery Card Sales:
(Bloomingfoods or Fresh Thyme) -- 0
Total income to UUCB: $0
We have grocery cards available by mail. Please see related article in this issue.
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Masthead photo from the interwebs, with permission.
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| Unitarian Universalist Church
2120 N. Fee Lane Bloomington, IN 47408
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