* Tired of the angry, polarizing political rhetoric that clogs the airwaves?

* Wish you could help move our nation toward a climate of civility?

 

Then please join us for three nonpartisan conversations Sundays at 11:30 in the library on October 14, 21 and November 4, led by Carol Smith and Margaret Irwin. We will introduce some of the "habits of the heart" from Parker Palmer's book, Healing the Heart of Democracy. These habits are useful not only in political discourse, but in any kind of human interaction.

 

The themes for the three sessions are:

1) Understanding that we're all in this together

2) Cultivating the ability to hold tension in life-giving ways

3) Strengthening our capacity to create community

 

Good news for busy people: It's not necessary to have read the book in order to profit from these sessions. If there is enough interest, six monthly evening sessions based on Palmer's book will be offered in the new year.

 

To sign up for the Sunday sessions, please email Lauren Cochran 

For further information, call or write Margaret Irwin, 833-0843 

 

  We need to find a host and a date for the next meeting of the Grace Book Group.  Perhaps one of you who has not hosted recently would volunteer?  Or someone new?  I would think a date in mid-to-late October would be best to give Jody time to post the announcement and for people to read the book. I'll be sans e-mail for three weeks so if hosting is up your alley, please e-mail Jody so she can promote it in the next edition of GraceNotes.

The book is Erik Larson's In the Garden of Beasts, an account of the experiences of the first US ambassador and his family in Hitler's Nazi Germany.  It is a fascinating account of a time when good people did nothing (or very little) and bad people brought the world down.  It is what happens when citizens in the words of the title of our last book, fail in "Healing the Heart of Democracy" because we lack "The Courage to Create a Politics Worthy of the Human Spirit."

Thanks for considering hosting,

- Frank Cook

---

Half the Sky this Saturday 

Don't forget!  You are invited to the first film of Community Cinema's 2012-13 season: Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, on Saturday, September 15, at 1:00 at the Sequoya Branch Library.   Inspired by the widely acclaimed book of the same name by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, the film follows Kristof, WuDunn, and six celebrity activists including Diane Lane, America Ferrera, and Olivia Wilde as they travel to nine countries and meet inspiring, courageous individuals. Across the globe oppression is being confronted, and real meaningful solutions are being fashioned through health care, education, and economic empowerment for women and girls. Embedded in the linked problems of sex trafficking and forced prostitution, gender-based violence, and maternal mortality - which still needlessly claims one woman every 90 seconds - is the single most vital opportunity of our time - and all over the world, women are seizing it. 

View the Trailer here:  http://itvs.org/films/half-the-sky 

 

Join us following the film for a discussion with Jan Miyasaki, Director, Respect Madison, Sylvia Armstrong Poppelbaum, SlaveFree Madison, Sara McKinnon, Assistant Professor of Communication Arts and Affiliated Faculty of Global Studies, University of Wisconsin, Madison, and Lisa King, Associate Professor of Philosophy at Edgewood College, Vice-Chair of Wisconsin Women's Network.

 

This landmark transmedia project features a four-hour PBS primetime national and international broadcast event, a Facebook-hosted social action game, mobile games, two interactive websites, educational video modules with companion text, and an impact assessment plan all inspired by Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, the widely acclaimed book by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn.

 

Feel free to call me if you have any questions.

608-266-6359

St. Dunstan's is offering a contemplative eucharistic service for those who feel they worship best in quiet.  The service will be simple, without a sermon, rather with periods of silence for the Spirit to speak to our hearts.  The focus will be stillness of mind, body and spirit.

(Susan Fiore, the main contact person, is out of town for most of September.
If you have questions, please contact Darby Puglielli at darby.puglielli@gmail.com.)
The Eucharist will be celebrated by the Rev. Margaret Irwin from Grace.  All are welcome.

When: Sunday, September 23, 6 p.m.
Where: St. Dunstan's Episcopal Church, 6205 University Ave., Madison
Note: Although construction isn't finished, the parking lot is accessible from University Ave.

Groundwork's 7-week Racial Justice workshop
Sundays, 10/7-11/18  

Sundays, October 7 - November 18th 3:00-6:00pm
Downtown YWCA, 101 E. Mifflin St, Madison WI

Join us for this seven week racial justice workshop which will focus on institutional racism, white privilege and building more effective movements for social justice. Through interactive sessions rooted in participants' experiences, we will build skills, learn from history, strengthen community, have honest conversations, and develop strategies for taking action for justice. This workshop is open to all and focuses on white people.  We believe that education can lead to transformation, and we invite you to join us in this ongoing process. Rooting ourselves in our visions for another world that is possible, we will dig deep, opening our hearts and minds to explore how we are each connected to dynamics of white privilege and racial oppression, and therefore have the responsibility to work to transform them. Over seven workshop sessions we will examine how racism impacts our lives, families, communities, institutions, and movements for social justice, and develop strategies for prioritizing racial justice both individually and collectively. 

Here's what a past participant has to say about the workshop:

"The Groundwork Fall workshop was the first time I had an intentional space to talk with white people about racism. The workshop laid a solid "groundwork" for me in thinking about these issues and was a great mix of "heart stuff" and "head stuff".  While the focus was on racism, it did a great job of talking about Queer oppression, anti-Jewish oppression, and other issues as well.  The first four weeks were focused on building a Racial Justice analysis, understanding the history of racism in the United States, and reflecting on our personal experiences with racism and white privilege; while the last four weeks were more focused on organizational, social change stuff.  This mix worked really well! I'd recommend this workshop to anyone wanting to talk in depth about racism with white people, deepen their analysis of racism, and develop concrete strategies on how to work for racial justice as a white person."

-Tim Michael,  GSAFE Staff Member

Workshop Outline:

WEEK 1:  ORIENTATION & INTRODUCTION OF WORKSHOP
WEEK 2: HISTORY OF WHITE SUPREMACY: OPPRESSION & RESISTANCE
WEEK 3: STORIES OF RESISTANCE & LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
WEEK 4: WHITE PRIVILEGE AND ITS IMPACT ON WORK FOR SOCIAL CHANGE
WEEK 5:  IT TAKES COURAGE: TAKING ACTION (INSPIRED BY JERRY SMITH) &
ANTI-RACIST ORGANIZATIONAL TRANSFORMATION
WEEK 6:  INTERSECTIONS OF OPPRESSION AND LIBERATION
WEEK 7: ORGANIZING  FOR RACIAL JUSTICE AND NEXT STEPS

 

Click here for more information or to apply:

 

http://groundworkmadison.wordpress.com/

Grace Episcopal Church                                 Our Sunday Worship Schedule:

116 W. Washington Avenue                                 8:00am - Holy Eucharist, Rite I

Madison, WI  53703                                        10:00am - Holy Eucharist, Rite II

(608) 255-5147                                          12:00pm - Holy Eucharist or Morning Prayer in Spanish