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January 18, 2023

Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington, Indiana

Congregation founded 1949 | LGBTQ Welcoming Congregation since 1995 | Green Sanctuary since 2007

Seeking the Spirit | Building Community | Changing the World

Join us on Sunday mornings

One service at 10:15 a.m.

In person in our Meeting Room

2120 N Fee Ln, Bloomington, IN 47408

Or watch the livestream

All are welcome!

Masks are optional at all church activities and events, including worship services. Coffee hour has returned to Fellowship Hall. Pandemic-related guidelines are posted on the front page of our website.

Hearing assistive devices are now available at the AV Tech booth in the rear of the Meeting Room for use during Sunday worship services.

Upcoming Services

Sunday, January 22

10:15am

Small Kindnesses

Reverend Forrest Gilmore

Reverend Connie Grant

Reverend Emily Manvel Leite

J.R.R. Tolkien wrote, "I have found that it is the small everyday deed of ordinary folks that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love." After several years of isolation due to the pandemic and anger due to politics, I find myself reminded of the gentler aspects of life. Kindness is an overplayed theme in our words but an underestimated power in our actions. Today, we'll explore those everyday moments that make a small but significant difference in the lives of people experiencing homelessness and in our lives, too.

Rev. Forrest Gilmore is UUCB’s Affiliated Community Minister. He served congregations for ten years as a parish minister and now is the Executive Director of Beacon, Inc, a local nonprofit dedicated to people experiencing extreme poverty. Forrest is a native New Yorker, but has called Bloomington home for over thirteen years. He's a graduate of Cornell University and Starr King School for the Ministry.

Sunday, January 29

10:15am

Practical Theology

Reverend Connie Grant

Reverend Emily Manvel Leite

With our diverse theological beliefs and spiritual practices, what do Unitarian Universalists have in common as we practice our religion?

From our Ministers and Board

Emily's Post

Dear Friends,

There is SO MUCH to learn. That is what I have been reminded of this MLK week as I continue to explore ways to live into the proposed 8th principle of Unitarian Universalism that our congregation adopted in December of 2020:

“We covenant to affirm and promote journeying towards spiritual wholeness by working to build a diverse multicultural Beloved Community by our actions that accountably dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions.”

This week, I’ve grieved the local anti-Asian racist stabbing incident and am seeking ways to begin having the conversations requested by the Asian Cultural Center. I’ve learned more about red-lining in Bloomington, been reminded to always name the continuing presence of indigenous peoples in our land acknowledgement, read a young adult novel centered upon the long-term effects of Japanese internment during World War II (teen fiction), and learned and shared some of the story of Clara Luper, who worked with her students to integrate businesses in Oklahoma City in 1958 (children’s book, ages 5-9). And there will always be more to explore. I hope you are learning, too.

If you are interested in an immersive learning experience, Stephanie Kimball and I are planning to offer a trip to the Legacy Museum in Montgomery Alabama from May 29-June 1. We’d love to take up to 14 people for this initial trip, with the possibility of a larger group in the future. Through the trip, we hope to deeply learn about the long and ongoing history of the oppression of Black people in our country and to reflect together on ways to accountably dismantle racism here in Bloomington. If you might be interested in being part of the small initial group, please get in touch soon (leite@uubloomington.org). If you want something you can do here and now, I recommend exploring the resources in the 21 Day Racial Equity Challenge, which includes things to read, watch, listen to, and act upon.

I really hope that all of the learning that we do together and individually will be reflected in our taking more informed actions to dismantle the racism in our community. There is much to learn, and much to do.

Emily

Reverend Emily Manvel Leite

Minister of Story and Ritual

From Our Board of Directors

In the 1990s, I joined the UU church in Portland, Oregon. My first year there was the last year of a three-decade ministry. We welcomed an interim minister for a one-year search process. I remember her as a calm, wry and interesting speaker. My partner and I went to her for premarital counseling.

As I consider our search at UUCB for a new settled minister, I’ve been thinking about the important events that take place within a church community and the ministers who have an influence on our lives. Among other things, the interim minister in Portland helped my husband and me embrace the rich complexity of joining our two nationalities. We’ve been married for 30 years.

When the selected candidate came to preach in Portland, I was torn about voting because we we’d be moving away soon. My first thought: I’m not important in this process. My better thought: I am absolutely important – it’s my privilege and responsibility as a member to listen, draw my conclusion, and vote on behalf of myself and the people who will come after me. The same is true for the roles we each will play as we find our next minister at UUCB.

Mary Craig

At-large board member

Unitarian Universalist Association Article II Study Commission

Final Report

Report to the Board of Trustees with Recommended Revisions to Article II

The Article II Study Commission has completed its two year study. The report, linked below, has been submitted to the Board of Trustees with the recommend revisions.

Report to the UUA Board of Trustees from the Article II Study Commission (PDF)

Seeking the Spirit

Spiritual Development and Lifespan Religious Education

Calling All First Graders! Age of Reason Ceremony this Sunday, January 22

Each year, we honor our first graders in the Age of Reason ceremony, which celebrates the journey of independent learning they are beginning. This year, the ceremony will be offered during this Sunday's service, on January 22. If you have a first grader and would like to participate or learn more, please contact Reverend Emily Manvel Leite at leite@uubloomington.org. We look forward to celebrating with you!

YRUU (High School Youth Group) Meets February 5, Planning Meeting this Sunday

All high school youth are invited to our first YRUU meeting, on February 5, 12 - 1:30 p.m. If you would like to help plan this meeting, please join us this Sunday, January 22, 12 - 1:30 p.m. Both meetings will include lunch.

In addition, the Heartland Area Youth Council (HAYC) invites all high school youth to attend a leadership incubator on January 27-28 in Lafayette, IN. The purpose of this workshop will be to re-start youth cons, some of the most memorable and meaningful experiences for UU youth. If you would like to attend, or have questions, please contact Stephanie ASAP -- the registration deadline is January 20.

Lifespan Religious Education Fair

Sunday, January 29, after the service

Please stop by our tables in Fellowship Hall during Community Hour on January 29 to learn about this spring's religious education opportunities for all ages. Course facilitators will be on hand to answer your questions and help you sign up.

Saving Us: Responding to Climate Change

Alternating Mondays, 7 - 8:30 p.m. via Zoom

January 23 - April 17

UUs affirm the inherent worth of every life and have respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part. We strive to practice justice, equity, and compassion in our relations.

How do we respond to daily news of floods, fires, and record temperatures due to climate change, which we know especially affects the poor and those who have contributed the least to the causes? Can we find ways to make a difference, and inspire others to join us, thus transforming our “climate anxiety” into hope?

Class discussions will be based on readings, podcasts, and interviews with climate scientists and others. Facilitated by Molly O'Donnell. Limited to 11 participants. REGISTER HERE

Writing as a Spiritual Practice

A Drop-in Group on Zoom with Rev. Barbara Child

Tuesdays, 1:00 - 2:00 pm

January 10 - February 28, 2023

You are invited to join me on a journey of personal exploration

through autobiographical writing in community on Zoom. Season 9 of this gathering will happen Tuesday afternoons 1:00-2:00 pm, January 10 through February 28. You are welcome at any or all sessions with no commitment in advance. SIGN UP HERE for the Zoom link.

You need to register only once and will then be able to attend as many Season 9 sessions as you choose, using the same link each time. You may register up to a few minutes before a session begins.

Here is a description of “Writing as a Spiritual Practice” and what happens in our Zoom room on Tuesday afternoons at 1:00.

Tea with Reverend Emily and Friends

4th Wednesdays, 3-4 pm, in the Library

Starting January 25

We invite you to come over to the church on 4th Wednesdays from 3-4pm, beginning January 25, to share a cup of tea. Enter at the office entrance and join us in the library for an hour of fellowship and conversation. Reverend Emily will be there, and other staff may also drop by.

Imbolc Ritual with Earth Kin

Saturday, February 4, 7 - 9 p.m.

Fellowship Hall

Earth Kin, UUCB’s Earth-centered spirituality group, will be holding our Imbolc ritual on Saturday, February 4, 7–9 pm in Fellowship Hall. This will be a ritual in the OBOD Druidic tradition focusing on the coming of spring—and the feelings of potential and hope this implies—as well as connecting with Brighid, the Gaelic goddess of healing, poetry, and spring. No prior experience with earth-centered or Pagan spiritual work necessary; anyone with respectful intent may attend. Please bring a dish to pass and, if you like, bring a spring-focused poem to read aloud. We would love to have you join us! Email Rhiannon at rhiannonsnow3@gmail.com with queries.

Tai Chi (Taiji) and Qigong Mondays & Saturdays

Saturday January 21 canceled

Brian Flaherty leads Tai Chi and Qigong practice here at our church, Mondays 2:15 to 3 p.m. and Saturdays 9 to 10:30 a.m. This Saturday, January 21 is canceled; practice will resume on Monday, January 23. The practices are free of charge. Usually in Fellowship Hall. Please wear comfortable clothes and shoes. All are welcome.

Open Mind Zen at Friends Meeting House

Open Mind Zen with UU member Sensei Frank Seisho Diaz meets weekly at the Bloomington Friends Meeting House (most recently Mondays at 7 pm). If you'd like to participate, visit openmindzenbloomington.org for more information.

Connecting and Volunteering

Your Welcoming Energy Needed on Sunday Mornings

Help further a radically welcoming and inclusive community by volunteering on Sunday mornings! Join the mailing lists for Java Crew, Greeters, or Flame Keepers to stay up-to-date on opportunities, actively contribute to our thriving congregation, and share the joy of hospitality with fellow congregants, both old-timers and newcomers. Your help is valuable and so appreciated!

UU Book Table Seeking New Volunteers

We are also looking for new volunteers for the UU Book Table! The Book Table is set up in Fellowship Hall after the Sunday service and is a place for browsing and buying both used and new books. If you love books and want a volunteer position where you can sit down with a cup of coffee or tea and chat with people, then this is the place for you! Sales from the Book Table support our UU Library. Contact Glee Noble at gleenoble@yahoo.com to join the volunteer list.

Looking for additional ways to get involved?

If so, please fill out our online connections form so we can learn about your talents and interests. You can also sign up here for upcoming activities and events: uucb.churchcenter.com/registrations. Our Connections Coordinator, Anabel Watson, would love to connect with you! Just reach out to connect@uubloomington.org.

Have you attended New to UU and want a deeper dive? Are you looking to become a member? Sign up for Exploring Unitarian Universalism!

January 22 and 29, 2 - 4 pm, in the Library

In these small group gatherings you will dive into the UU Principles, role of the UU minister, the history of Unitarian Universalism and this church, how to get involved, what it means to be a member, and much more. Plan to attend both dates as different topics will be discussed in each session. We request completion of these sessions before becoming a member of the church. Everyone ages 14 to 100+ is welcome. Snacks will be provided!

Questions? Email Anabel Watson, Connections Coordinator.

Building Community

Upcoming Events and Ongoing Groups / Classes

The Heartland String Band Rises Again!

Third Thursdays in Fellowship Hall, 6 pm

Join us this month on January 19

The Heartland String Band, a part of our music program, was founded by Carol Marks in August of 2001, but because of Covid they have not been able to play together in a while. Sally McGuire has graciously agreed to lead this merry band beginning in January. The band will practice from 6:00 to 6:45 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month, beginning January 19, in Fellowship Hall. They play old-time and Celtic music as well as folks songs, and all lovers of this music are welcome. Dulcimers, fiddles, cellos, pennywhistles, guitars, banjos, mandolins, even accordions!

Discover Your Inner Leader: A Storytelling Workshop

with Suzanne Fodor (For Teens & Adults)

Saturday, January 21, 10:00 - 11:45 a.m.

Discover your inner leader through a storytelling workshop sponsored by the UUCB Leadership Cultivation Committee. Though "leadership" can seem intimidating or attached to title or position, we all have a leadership voice and practice leadership in our daily lives. In this session, we will explore times within our lives in which we led or took action. Often our leadership voice comes from the life moments in which we had the most purpose. Let’s define and discover this voice through sharing of stories and creativity. You need not be in an official leadership position at UUCB to participate -- all teens and adults are welcome. This workshop will be led by Suzanne Fodor (she/her), CPCC, PCC, Associate Director, Graduate Career Services at IU Kelley School of Business, and Executive Coach.

Limited to 20 participants, so click here to register soon! Breakfast munchies provided!

UU Humanists Meet Sunday, January 22, 2023

12:00 pm in person and on Zoom

The UU Humanist Forum will meet next January 22 at 12 noon in person in Room 208 at the church, with an option to join online. Mary Yoke will facilitate a discussion on "Unpacking Behavior Change." To join via Zoom, contact Ann Watzel or Harold Ogren.

UU Freethinkers Meet Sunday, January 29, 2023

12:00 pm in person and on Zoom

This 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 person in Room 208 at 12:00 pm. To join via Zoom, contact Ann Watzel or Harold Ogren.

Women’s Alliance Meets Thursday, February 2

11:30 am – 1 pm in Fellowship Hall (and on Zoom)

TRAVELPALOOZA:

Where have your travels taken you?

Please join your friends for a travel memories program on Thursday, February 2 at 11:30 am in Fellowship Hall or virtually by Zoom. Bring photos and small memorabilia from a favorite trip or trips to share. Wearing clothing souvenirs is encouraged!

For display, long tables will be set up to lay out travel items. Please create a card to go with the artifacts that includes the name of the traveler, the place, and the date/season/year. We will ask volunteers to talk about their trips and the meaning they hold.

All are welcome! Snacks and beverage will be provided. An email reminder will be sent out prior to the meeting. If you wish to be added to the list or want more information, please contact Doris Wittenbur g.

UU Book Club continues reading And There Was Light, a biography of Abraham Lincoln

Discussion on Monday, February 6, 6:30 p.m. (Zoom)

Our February 6, 2023 meeting is at 6:30 pm via Zoom. We will discuss the remainder of And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle by Jon Meacham, from Part IV (Pg. 231) through pg. 421. There are over 250 pages of source notes, bibliography, etc. at the end, so it's a shorter read than the thickness of the book indicates! Join the group for the Zoom link. Newcomers always welcome.

Changing the World

News from our Social Justice Task Forces

Living Our Values (Everyday) Fair in Fellowship Hall

This Sunday, January 22, after the service

Formerly known as the Getting Involved Fair, this is an opportunity for our Social Justice Task Forces to showcase activities they are working on so that you can learn how to get involved.

Sock Collection this Sunday

As winter weather approaches, please think about the homeless folks living in Bloomington and Monroe County. One of their needs is warm socks. Please consider donating warm socks to those experiencing homelessness, through the UUCB Homelessness Taskforce. We will be collecting warm socks at the Living Our Values (Everyday) Fair, which will be held in Fellowship Hall after the service, this Sunday, January 22. After that, socks may be left in the bins under the portico, behind the church. Thank you! -- UUCB Homelessness Task Force

COOKIES! COOKIES! COOKIES!

Order Your Cookies Today!

Reproductive Justice Siding with Love Bake Sale

Open online until February 8

Order here: tinyurl.com/RJTFbakesale

The UU Reproductive Justice Task Force Siding with Love Bake Sale is online again this year. Our highly skilled volunteer bakers will be busy at work making an assortment of fabulous treats, just in time for Valentine's Day! Our Task Force works in partnership with Planned Parenthood and All-Options Pregnancy Resource Center. This is our major fundraiser, supporting diaper drives, reducing maternal mortality, and providing abortion funding and transportation.

Each box is an assortment of Valentine-themed decorated cookies, brownies, or fruit bars. Also available, a gluten-free cookie box and savory snack boxes! Suggested donation is $20 per box, or pay as you are able. All donations welcome!

Fill out the order form by Saturday, Feb 8. Pick up your treats at the UU Church Library (Portico door) on Saturday, Feb 11. Delivery available if needed.
Questions? Email Pat Slabach or call her at 317-796-1820 and leave a message or text. You can place orders with Pat as well.
Don't need treats and just want to donate to the fundraiser? Skip the order form and simply donate here: uucb.churchcenter.com/giving/to/RJTF-bake-sale.

From All Souls Indianapolis

A Prison Abolition Study Group: January 17 – April 25, 2023

All Souls in Indianapolis shares that they are hosting a community study group on prison abolition led by Dr. Coleman at IUPUI along with his scholars. Learn more here. It is a group open to all and any who would like to learn about decarceral movements. All the readings are available online at this site: martcole.wixsite.com/abolitionreadings

Calendar Year 2022 Statements Coming in January

We will send everyone an email with their Calendar Year 2022 giving record by the end of January. Any questions, please email Mandy or Monica at office@uubloomington.org. To review your giving record online, visit uucb.churchcenter.com/profile and click on the "My Giving" tab on your profile page.

Please Send Info for Prologues and Updates to the Office Email:

office@uubloomington.org

Deadline for Prologue: by 10 am on the Tuesday before publication

Deadline for Update: by 10 am on Thursdays

Mandy Skinner, as our new Communications Coordinator, will be in charge of editing our email publications from now on, as well as postings to our website, Facebook, etc. Oversight and proofing of these publications will still be one of the Director of Administration's tasks.

From now on, please send all information for the Prologue (note the publication date change -- now going out on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month) and the Friday Update (sent out every Friday) to office@uubloomington.org.

Grocery Gift Cards Now Available for Sale on Sundays

Office Assistants Monica Overman or Mandy Skinner are available to sell grocery gift cards on Sundays between 11:15 and 12:00 noon in the church office, Room 204. To check on how many cards we have on hand, click here. Proceeds from the sale of grocery gift cards for Bloomingfoods and Fresh Thyme support our operating budget.

COVID-19 Vaccination News

For information, call 211 or visit this website: vaccine.coronavirus.in.gov
Indiana Department of Health info: coronavirus.in.gov/vaccine

Some Details

Email SCAM Alert

Our ministers, staff, and board members or other members will never send you email asking you for any money besides your pledge payment!

How to Recognize an Email Phishing Scam:

Is the email impersonating a member of our staff or one of our ministers? Are they asking you to purchase gift cards? Wait! Don't do it! We will never send you emails like that. To double check, look at the email address of the sender. Is it from an address at uubloomington.org? If not, that's the second good reason to delete it!

Office Hours, Calendar, Deadlines

Office hours: M-F, 9 am - 3 pm.

The Church Office can be reached via text or voicemail during office hours at 812-287-9615. Email: admin@uubloomington.org or office@uubloomington.org.

Calendar: For our full calendar of events, visit uucb.churchcenter.com/calendar.

The Prologue is published on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month.

Deadline is 10 am the day before date of publication, to office@uubloomington.org

Church Mailing Address: UU Church,

PO Box 8132, Bloomington IN 47407.

Details on Membership & Offering

Membership: 561 certified members as of 2/1/2022;

560 current members.

Attendance (online and in person):

December 25: 45

January 1: 79

Non-Pledge Offering:

January 1: $532

January 8: $481

Total to be donated (25%) to Bloomington Refugee Support Network: $253.13

Online giving: To make a contribution for the Non-Pledge Offering (Sunday Plate), or to make a payment towards your pledge, visit our Giving page: uucb.churchcenter.com/giving

Free Money from Kroger!

Fresh Thyme and Bloomingfoods

Grocery Cards Available by Mail or In Person on Sundays

Did you know that Kroger sends our congregation over $1,600 each year? This is made possible by those of you who participate in Kroger's Community Rewards program. Register your Kroger Plus card online at this link.
We are also still selling grocery cards for Bloomingfoods and Fresh Thyme by mail. Click here to see what kind of cards and how many are available. Send your check to the church (UU Church, PO Box 8132, Bloomington, IN 47407) with a note to let us know the type and value of card(s) you want, and we will mail them to you. You do not need to send a return envelope. We also have grocery cards available on Sunday mornings between services, in Room 204 from 11:15 to 12 noon.

Grocery Card Sales: (Bloomingfoods or Fresh Thyme) $300; Total income to UUCB: $15.00

Our Ministers & Staff

Reverend Connie Grant, our Interim Lead Minister

Email grant@uubloomington.org, 847-840-8542

Reverend Emily Manvel Leite, our Minister of Story and Ritual

Email leite@uubloomington.org

Amanda Waye, Director of Administration: admin@uubloomington.org

Anabel Watson, Connections Coordinator: connect@uubloomington.org

Monica Overman, Administrative Assistant: office@uubloomington.org

Mandy Skinner, Communications Coordinator: office@uubloomington.org

Stephanie Kimball, Director of Religious Education: kimball@uubloomington.org

Susan Swaney, Music Director: music@uubloomington.org

Andy Beargie, Hans Kelson, and Brady Egan, Multimedia Managers:

mediateam@uubloomington.org

Masthead photo by Marcia Hart.

Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington, Indiana

Mailing address: PO Box 8132 Bloomington, IN 47407

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