The Prologue
Monday, January 4, 2016
Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington, Indiana

Congregation founded 1949

GLBTQ Welcoming Congregation since 1995

Green Sanctuary since 2007

Seeking the Spirit, Building Community, Changing the World

 

Upcoming

 

2015 Science Review Sermon January 10

Beyond Categorical Thinking

February 14

 

Quick Links
King Day Celebration
MAM's Musings
Search Committee Update
Our Folks
Labyrinth Walk
Women's Alliance
Young Adult Lunch
Connections Expo
WomanSpirit 2016
Exploring UU
UU History
Contact a Minister
Sunday,  January 10, 2016    9:15 a.m. and 11:15 a.m.
"Resistance is Futile: 
The Annual Science Review Sermon"     
The Reverend Mary Ann Macklin
Hear ye. Hear ye.  It is time for Ye Olde Science Review Sermon as presented by Reverend Macklin.   This sermon, which includes a seventh inning stretch, will explore topics from 2015 science news, like human origins, the environment, physics, math, astronomy, health, mind and brain, and technology. Then we will ponder these things in our hearts.
Sunday,  January 17, 2016    9:15 a.m. and 11:15 a.m.
"Together We Can Change the World"   
The Reverend Douglas Wadkins 
This continues to be an important time in the world and for our country to think about the implication of race and privilege.  As we honor the memory of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we will look at some of the work being done in this congregation,  and some of the possibilities for the future in our efforts to change the world.

Martin Luther King Day Celebration January 18
A Day On, Not a Day Off
For information on all the activities and opportunities for service available here in Bloomington to celebrate the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., please CLICK HERE. Join in the Martin Luther King, Jr. Season of Service, Jan. 18 - February. 26, 2016, through service projects, educational events, community celebration and more!
MAM's Musings 
     In our December 27th service, I utilized the sound of the bell to weave together moments of poetry, music and reflection. 
     The sound of the bell clears the past and brings us to the present.   It invites us to come home to something deeper within ourselves.   It is not surprising that the bell is a symbol of ringing out the old and ringing in the new.  The bell often tolls for beginnings and endings.   For celebration and mourning.  And the bell is often heard when we are on the threshold of something new...preparing to pass through new gateways, preparing to enter a new year.


     As part of our worship service that day, we considered what we might let go of, in order to enter 2016 with fresh eyes.  Many of you placed pieces of paper in a basket representing your intentions for letting go.  On New Year's Eve, I created a fire for the ritual burning of these intentions.   As I burned the intentions, I offered a prayer to release all these things that are no longer serving each of you for the greater good.
      Lastly, during our worship service on December 27th, we also engaged Life Review Questions, which were provided by former congregation member Linda Ferguson.   I include these for your further reflection and perusal. Find a quiet time to reflect on these questions.  
Note what emerges for you.  -- Linda Ferguson    www.lindajferguson.com
1.  What are your most pressing challenges or areas of confusion, anxiety or stress?
2.  What are the top 3-4 priority areas of your life?   
3.   How satisfied with your life are you right now? 
4.   What are you currently spending time on that you'd rather not?   
5.   Think back on a time when you were having the most fun, felt most alive- what were you doing?  
6.   What most inspires you?   
7 .  Name five things that amaze you about your life.    
8.   What are the top 1-2 things you want to accomplish in the next 4-6 months?  
9.   How would your family and friends describe your strengths?  
10.  If you could step through a door and your life was Awesome, what would your life look like? 
11.  What typically keeps you stuck, or blocks you from being your best self?  
12.  Are you ready to do what it takes to have the life you desire? If not, why not?

"Coolness--the sound of the bell as it leaves the bells," words of haiku poet Yosa Buson (1716-1783).
     Peace and Love in 2016, 
        MAM
     Reverend Mary Ann Macklin
Doug-2015
In the Interim  
Join Us January 31 for Re-Visioning Religious Education at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington!  
     One of the helpful outcomes of the sharing and learning from our consultation with Nancy Heege this summer was her encouragement to raise awareness in the congregation of the essential ministry of lifelong learning and to explore and create a shared congregational vision for religious education.  The leadership of the congregation felt that this was perfect work for this interim period, and I am most pleased to be assisting with it.  
     We are focusing on this worthwhile endeavor in January by inviting you all to participate in two meaningful opportunities to address our shared ministry of religious education for the future.  Later this month, we will be exploring religious education as a part of worship and through a community conversation. We, of course, want to make a special invitation to those already involved in the faith development of our youth and children, but we also want to emphasize that this conversation, if it is to be complete, needs the thoughtful consideration and voices of the larger congregation as well.  Mark your calendars and join us!
     Sunday, January 24   
"A Better Song to Sing: Lifelong Learning and the Unitarian Universalist Faith"
This service will explore some of the core theology that informs our understanding of religious education for all ages.  It will consider some of the great exemplars and essential issues around a well-integrated ministry of lifelong faith development in a growing congregation that addresses the crucial needs of a meaningful life in the 21st century.
     Sunday, January  31  
Re-Visioning Religious Education Workshop after Services
Soup Lunch from 12:30 to 1:00.  Workshop from 1:00 to 2:30 pm
This workshop will utilize the spirit of appreciative inquiry in facilitating a conversation about your hopes and dreams for the future of religious education at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington. 
Ministerial Search Committee Invites You 
Beyond Categorical Thinking--Feb 14 
Join us February 14 at 12:30 p.m., at the "Beyond Categorical Thinking" workshop in Fellowship Hall.  Show your love for our congregation.  There will be lunch and child care provided, and two MidAmerica Facilitators from the Transitions Office will help us explore how our history, both personal and congregational, has an impact on our search efforts.  Learn how to avoid letting prejudice become a part of our search process.  This is a way for us to put our faith into lived experience and improve the odds that regardless of identity, we will find the minister who is the best match for us. 
 -- Barbara Backler, Mary Boutain, Craig Coley, Michelle Cook, Abby Gitlitz, Amy Taylor, Stuart Yoak.   
Our Folks...
     As announced at our worship services on Sunday, our healing thoughts are with Peter Strickholm and his family. Peter is in Critical Condition in Bloomington Hospital as a result of an adverse reaction with blood pressure medicine two weeks ago. His parents,  Lee and Al Strickholm, ask that if you intend to stop by, please contact Lee first in order to ease the flow of visitors.
     Our thoughts are with Jana Anna and her family on the passing of her father, Richard M. Wampler, who died peacefully on December 21, with one final breath out. He had turned 100 years old on May 5, 2015.
     Our thoughts are also with the friends and family of member David C. Nowlin, who passed away peacefully in hospice on December 29; a memorial service for him was held in our Library on Saturday, January 2.
     Our condolences are with Andy Beargie and his family. Andy's grandfather Michael Cleary passed away last week.

Religious Education: All You Need is Love
January 10-February 21
Kids in Kindergarten through high school are invited to join us in the library for an exciting opportunity! Broadway performer-choreographer-director Kenneth Roberson will be working with our kids to create a musical extravaganza, "All You Need is Love." We hope to have all the kids involved-- there is something for everyone-- art, music, dance and design. For more information, please contact Adrienne Summerlot dre@uubloomington.org


Do you love Dr. Seuss?
This summer in Religious Education we will be tipping our hats to Dr. Seuss. If you love Dr. Seuss and would like to help choose the stories we share, plan the activities we lead and/or help on a Sunday or two this summer, please contact Adrienne Summerlot, dre@uubloomington.org, to join this small working group.


Seeking The Spirit

Labyrinth Walk in Our Meeting Room 

This Week, January 3-9

 

    To use the Labyrinth, please enter via the West Office Entrance during weekday hours. On Friday evening and Saturday morning, please use the Courtyard Entrance. There is printed information about labyrinth walking available beside the main doors of the sanctuary (Meeting Room).

 

Shambhala Meditation Every Monday at Noon 

Join us at 12 noon every Monday in the Fellowship Hall for an hour of Shambhala Meditation, walking meditation, and Shamatha yoga with Sarah Flint. We have cushions available, but you may bring your own cushion if you have one.

Taiji Continues on Tuesdays and Saturdays 

Brian Flaherty leads Taiji in Fellowship Hall on Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 8:00 a.m. This form practices the "Wu (Hao)" style of taijiquan, including practice of standing exercises, forms, and "pushing hands." Anyone is welcome, even those with no experience. Please wear loose-fitting clothing.  

Our Congregational Themes

December:       Expectation            April:  Creation

January 2016:  Resistance           May:   Blessing  

February:          Desire                   June:   Simplicity

March:              Liberation 

Building Community
Women's Alliance Meets January 7 
     The next meeting will be Thursday, January 7, 2016, "Fellowship with The Women's Alliance." Please join us for brown bag lunch, conversation and dessert.  Hosts will be Julie Lawson and Harriet Pfister. January's meeting will be held in the Fuchs Library on the upper level of our building.
     Not a member? No problem; all are welcome to attend.
     The Women's Alliance meets the first Thursday of each month at 11:30 am at the church, unless otherwise indicated. Meetings begin with a brown bag lunch; drinks and dessert are provided. The program begins at noon, followed by the business meeting. 
Young Adult Lunch January 17 after Church 
      I.U. students and other interested young adults (age 18-35) are invited to an informal lunch gathering on Sunday, January 17. We'll meet at the back of the sanctuary after the 11:15 service, choose a place to eat that fits group tastes and budgets, and carpool over together. Rev. Mary Ann Macklin will join the group. This is a nice way to connect with other UU students and young adults and build community... hope you can join us! 
Connections Expo - January 31
Looking for ways to get more involved in church activities, or simply curious about what all goes on here?  Be here on Sunday, January 31, when we will celebrate, in worship, all of the groups that make this church go and carry out our vision. Select groups will also be available after each service to let you know more about their work and how you can get involved. Perhaps one of these opportunities will speak to you:  welcoming new seekers, walking our green talk in our building, writing your life stories, working for racial justice, or sharing fellowship over group dinners... folks organizing these and other vital activities will be on hand to talk to you. Come make a connection!  Questions?  Contact Shari Woodbury, Connections Coordinator,  (812) 332-3695 x209 or connect@uubloomington.org   
Winter WomanSpirit 2016
Recognizing Our Calling with Reverend Kate Braestrup
February 5th thru 7th, 2016,  First Unitarian Church in Hyde Park, Chicago
     For just a few weeks, conference organizers are holding the price for Winter WomanSpirit 2016. Take advantage of this sale!  They want to give everyone the chance to register at the September rate of $175.  This price includes:  keynote address by Kate Braestrup, all-conference workshop (led by Kate), plus two other workshops of your choice, lunch and some wonderful shopping with woman-centric vendors.  In addition, the Friday night concert features Artemis Singers - Chicago's lesbian feminist chorus!  For more information on this conference, see http://www.womenandreligion.org/    
Exploring Unitarian Universalism Class, 
January 17 & 24
Are you interested in learning more about Unitarian Universalism and this congregation?  Whether you are considering membership or are just curious, this class is for you.  The Exploring UU Class will be held on Sunday, Jan. 17 and Sunday, Jan. 24 from 2-4 p.m. in the Ralph and Annetta Fuchs Library.  Sign up by Sunday, Jan. 10 at the welcome table in the foyer, or by emailing connect@uubloomington.org . Childcare is available if requested in advance by contacting dre@uubloomington.org. Facilitated by Steve Gilbert and Carolyn Emmert.
 
Attention History Buffs!  
UU History Class on January 31
This special session for new as well as long-time members will sketch the roots of contemporary Unitarian Universalism.  The journey begins with the founding of Christianity in 325 CE, through the Protestant Reformation and the development of UUism in Europe.  We then travel across the ocean in the early 1800s as the separate Unitarian and Universalist denominations take hold in America, through the merger of the UUA in 1961, and to the church today.  Along the way, we will meet the women and men who built the faith tradition we now celebrate.  Bring your track shoes and curiosity for this lively excursion with Stuart Yoak, instructor. Class will meet from 2-4 PM on Sunday, January 31 in the church's Ralph and Annetta Fuchs Library. Anyone interested is welcome to participate, including (but not limited to) folks who have taken the Exploring UU series recently. To register, sign up at the welcome table in the foyer, or email connect@uubloomington.org by January 24. Child care available if requested in advance by emailing dre@uubloomington.org.  
Courtyard Entrance
Portico Entrance

For Evening Meetings, Please Use Courtyard or Portico Entrances
To help insure the security of our building and members during evening meetings, please use either the Courtyard or Portico entrance, whichever is closer to the room where you are meeting. 
UU History for You
Sowing Hope - the Reverend Pearl May Patrick 
and the Social Gospel of Hoosier Universalism
        I recently enjoyed reading UU Board member Patrick Brantlinger's biography of his grandmother, Pearl May Patrick (1875-1962).  She was born and raised on a farm near Peru, Indiana.  Her father did not allow her to go beyond the 8th grade for education as was the custom then.  She met David Asbury Patrick who was a Universalist minister and he encouraged Pearl to preach the social gospel that many Universalists adopted during the Progressive era.  This included changing society to better the lives of working people. They supported unions, the Socialist Party (especially the Indiana branch centered on Eugene V. Debs), and the Universalist message that all souls matter and would be saved.  Pearl received a license to preach in 1899 and in 1920 she became ordained after her husband's death.  She was heavily involved in the suffrage movement and she was inspired by Jane Addams's social work in Chicago at Hull House.  During the summers she participated in the Universalist meetings in Rome City, Indiana, where a Hoosier Chautauqua circuit was housed.  Brantlinger describes Pearl's career and the circumstances of her era that made Indiana (and much of the Midwest) a haven for the Progressive movement that backed Theodore Roosevelt.   Brantlinger provides a broad picture of religion in the Midwest, the spread of Universalism, and a kinder world that brought about social change we today take for granted.  The book was published by the Edwin Mellen Press, Lewiston, New York (in ebook and paperback). A circulating copy will be available in the Fuchs Library soon.         -- Elof Carlson, congregational historian

Hospitality for Those with Allergies

As a courtesy to our friends and members who have allergies to fragrances, we are designating the west section of the Meeting Room (next to the sliding glass doors and tall narrow windows) as Fragrance Free. Please do not sit there if you have used any fragrances.  Anyone else is welcome to sit in this area.  Thank you for your consideration. 

UUs Who Can Provide a Variety of Professional Services - 

List and Waiver Form Now Available

The Elder Focus Task Force has compiled a list of Unitarian Universalists who are available for hire for a variety of tasks including Pet Sitting, Home Healthcare, Organizational Skills, Carpentry, Counseling, Sewing Machine repair, Building Construction. The list and the liability waiver form are posted here: 

UUs for Hire and Liability Waiver

Attendance and Membership
Current Membership: 481   Certified Membership as of 2/1/2015: 468 
Attendance
Thursday, December 24       4:00   100;      7:00    NA
Sunday, December 27          9:15    67 ;     11:15    96         RE: 36            Total:  199
Sunday, January 3                9:15    68 ;     11:15  150         RE: 49            Total:  267
Non-Pledge Offering
12/27  - $284      1/3  -  $496
Total to be donated to Monroe County CASA - $231.99
Grocery Card Sales
December 27            No sales
January 3                  $850,   income to UUCB $46.50  
Changing the World
Film Screening -- "Alive Inside" on Tuesday, January 12 at 11:00 a.m.
     ALIVE INSIDE is an award-winning documentary about bringing music and joy into the lives of brain-disordered, dementia and, specifically Alzheimer's patients.  Through the use of Ipods and earphones patients are provided with the music that they loved from their own lifetimes.  Clinical studies have proven that this experience decreases agitation in patients, brings them alive, increases cooperation and improves cognitive functions.  It also decreases the need for debilitating and expensive antipsychotic drugs.
    See the theatrical trailer by clicking here.    All members of our congregation and their friends are invited.
     Viewing of the Alive Inside documentary (78 minutes) at UU Church, Room 210 (second floor)  
     Tuesday, January 12, 2016 at 11 AM
     Brown bag lunch encouraged.  Dayna Thompson, Alzheimer's Educator at IU Health Bloomington Hospital, will answer questions briefly following the film. Future showing of the documentary may be offered to the public in the spring.
Community Connections
Faith in Action in the Community
 
Hearing Aids to Bethlehem  The Presbytery of the Ohio Valley is collecting used hearing aids and sending them to Bethlehem, in partnership with the International Center of Bethlehem. The people of Bethlehem have an unusually high rate of hearing loss. For some time, the Israeli Defense Forces regularly produced sonic booms over the region. Donate your old hearing aids from now through February and they will be sent to Bethlehem.  Thank you for your participation.  There will be a collection basket at the social justice table in the Commons starting January 17. Info, contact Jo Lucas at Jolucas41@att.net or 812-343-1847.  

Reimagining Faith - Book Discussion Begins January 11
All  seekers of truth are invited to a weekly discussion group beginning on Jan.11, 6:30-8:00 p.m. at  Monroe County Public Library, Room 2A with Rev. David Garshaw of First Christian Church. The book under discussion will be James Carroll's "Who Is The Christ For us Actually: Reimagining Faith in the Modern Age." The only cost to participate is the purchase of this book. Everyone will be respected and honored for their interest and personal points of view, questions and comments ... only harangues will be disallowed. Info:  dgarshaw@sbcglobal.net. 
UU Humanist Forum Meets on Alternating Sundays
This group offers an opportunity for regular, open, wide-ranging discussions of issues relating to morality and ethics, human development, and the nature of the universe. The forum will meet next on Sunday, January 17, at 12:45 p.m. in Fellowship Hall, with a potluck lunch and discussion of topics for Spring 2016.  

UU Freethinkers Group Enjoys Free Ranging Discussion 

The purpose of the UU Freethinkers bi-weekly meeting is to create the opportunity for participants to raise questions and engage in open and non-structured discussion of issues of social concern, political concern, and theological/religious concern. UU Freethinkers meet on alternating Sundays after children's religious education classes end, in (the new) Room 208.  UU Freethinkers meet next on Sunday, January 10, at 12:45 p.m. Info, contact John Crosby.   

Contact a Minister
    
Reverend Mary Ann Macklin, our Senior Minister 
can be reached at 812-332-3695, ext. 201 on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoons



 
  
 
Doug-2015
Our Interim Minister,     
Reverend Douglas Wadkins 
can be reached at 812-332-3695, ext. 207 on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday afternoons 
email: wadkins@uubloomington.org     
In case of a pastoral emergency after office hours, please call his home study number, 
812-369-4179.
 
 

Reverend Emily Manvel Leite, our Minister of Religious Education 
can be reached at 812-332-3695, ext. 203 
on Monday and Friday mornings. 
 
   

  

Who Ya Gonna Call about Building Problems and 
Facilities Maintenance?
If you notice a problem with the building, please contact Carol Marks, Church Administrator, admin@uubloomington.org, 812-332-3695, ext. 200, and she will contact the experts to get it taken care of. Plumbing problems in the upstairs men's room were resolved on January 4.
Weekday office hours are generally Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Sunday hours: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.   
The office will be closed on Monday, January 18 in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday.
--Carol Marks, Church Administrator
Livestreaming of Sunday Services
Livestreaming the Sunday Services Link:   uubloomington.yourstreamlive.com
As archived videos of service become available they will also be at the link listed above.
If there is a problem with livestreaming, please contact Andy Beargie, Multi-media Specialist, media@uubloomington.org

Calendar of all our congregational events can be found at  www.uubloomington.org  

In the left hand column, click on "Calendar" and then on the top link on the page or Click Right Here. Information is also available on our public Facebook page: www.facebook.com/uubloomington  You do not need a Facebook account to read our page.

Prologue Publication Schedule

Next issue, Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Deadline for articles about congregational events and projects is 10 a.m. on date of publication, to admin@uubloomington.org. The Prologue is published on the first and third Mondays of each month, with exceptions for Monday holidays. Upcoming publication dates:  1/19 (a Tuesday), 2/1, 2/16 (a Tuesday), 3/7, 3/21, 4/4, 4/18. 
Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington, 2120 N. Fee Lane, Bloomington IN 47408, 812-332-3695