Unitarian Universalist News of the Twin Ports
August 2011
Vision: We will be a beacon of progressive religion in our region, inspiring positive change in the world.
Mission: Caring for one another, growing spiritually, and working for justice.
Sunday Services and Religious Education for August 2011
835 W. College Street
Summer Schedule: 10:00 am service
Nursery care is provided for children up to 6 years old.
If we ever need to cancel services, the cancellation will be posted on our website
and on the outgoing phone message from the office.
Sunday, August 7, 10:00am “In What Belief Do I Give My Love?”
Rev. Kathleen Abel
will be exploring the Universalist statement of faith as presented in this summer's edition of UU World.
Unitarians and Universalists have been merged institutionally, denominationally, for decades. What about our
individual and communal hearts, minds, and spirits?
Sunday, August 14, 10:00am “Peacemaking as a Sacred Act”
Seminarian Rebecca Hinds
will explore our Unitarian Universalist call to international peacemaking. Where do faith and social justice connect?
How can our faith sustain us? Rebecca will discuss the Duluth-Rania Friendship Exchange Program and share
about her recent trip to Iraqi Kurdistan.
11:00am “Rania, Iraq Education Forum”
Join Rebecca and others from the Duluth-Rania Friendship Exchange to learn more about this exciting program.
We will discuss what is happening in Kurdistan, what we can do as a community, and what it means to have an
equal exchange program between Rania and Duluth.
Sunday, August 21, 10:00am “UUCD in Transylvania!”
Unitarianism traces its religious roots back nearly 450 years to 16th-century Transylvania. Come and hear our own
members speak about their experiences from a recent visit there.
Sunday, August 28, 10:00am ―Creativity as a Practice in Mindfulness:
Awakening the Self to a Clear Mind and a Clear Heart”
Jan Wise, spiritual director,
has spent a lifetime in the arts. Her current work is focused on environmental and spiritual themes.
Jan‘s work explores a joyful look at the animals with whom we share this planet and touches on the spiritual
landscape that elicits an emotional response, using core Shamanism to offer an abundant store of images from the
symbolic world.
Sunday, September 4, 10:00am
This Pride Sunday everyone is encouraged to attend the Interfaith Breakfast and Pride Service at Peace Church. At 10:00am,
UUCD will offer a time of reflective worship with music and words of inspiration followed by a caravan to the Annual Pride
Parade in Superior.
Sunday, September 11
Rev. Bruce Johnson will step into our pulpit for the first time on Sunday, Sept. 11th!
******************************************************************
We love to eat together! Come to our August Third Wednesday Congregational Dinner
A Transylvanian dinner followed by a slide show will take place at 5:30pm on Wednesday, August
17, 2011. Come and join the ―pilgrims‖ as they share memories of their travels through
Transylvania, the cradle of our faith tradition. Please reserve a place at the table! Email
fooduucd@gmail.com to reserve your dinner or call 724-0308.
-1-
835 West College Street Duluth, MN 55811 218/ 724-0308 http://www.uuduluth.org
Unitarian Universalist News of the Twin Ports
August 2011
Message from Rev. Bruce Johnson--
Minilogue
I‘ve often said that ―I love to travel, but I hate to move.‖
To me, travel means meeting new people, discovering new landscapes, and learning new things-–always,
however, with the intention of returning home having had my vision enlarged by the journey and with a deepened
appreciation for the place and the people where I live. It is the very security of having a home to begin with—
and to come back to—that makes the possibility of travel alluring and exciting.
Moving, on the other hand, is a much more radical undertaking. The very sense of what ―home‖ means is
dissolved or left behind in the process of moving, so that one‘s most fundamental framework of meaning and
orientation has to be reconstructed on new ground. The experience of moving is therefore deeply and literally
―unsettling,‖ but it, too, can eventually result in a more profound self-understanding and a renewed commitment to
the tasks of home-making and community-building.
As I write, sitting amidst stacks of boxes piled high in preparation for moving day, I realize that I am
already well underway on this second, more radical and transformative adventure. Along with my excitement, I
feel a little disoriented, a bit ―up in the air,‖ ―betwixt and between,‖ ―neither here nor there,‖ as they say. Kind of
like a trapeze artist who has let go of one swing and is in mid-flight toward the other….
Earlier this summer, I drove to Montreal with my son, Nathaniel, to celebrate his 21 st birthday at the ―Juste
Pour Rire‖ comedy festival. Montreal is one of my favorite cities, especially in the summertime, when the calendar
is filled with one festival after another. Montreal also happens to be the headquarters of Cirque du Soleil, so it is a
natural home to the ―Circus Arts Festival,‖ which was taking place at the same time as the comedy festival. Along
with comedians, the streets were swarming with jugglers, mimes, acrobats, and daredevils. Down along the piers
that jut into the St. Lawrence River, near the Cirque‘s ―Grand Chapiteau,‖ trapeze artists practiced and performed
for appreciative audiences, who watched with upturned faces while their ice cream cones melted in the hot sun, so
captivated were they by the leaps and launches taking place overhead. Three acrobats, clad in glittery leotards,
crowded together atop a tiny platform, like shiny angels perched on a pin, while a fourth – the ―catcher‖ – swung
back and forth in smooth, powerful arcs from the platform opposite them. One of the three ―flyers‖ grasped the
free trapeze and watched carefully. When the moment was just right, one of the watching angels shouted ―hep!‖
(which, apparently, in circus-speak, means ―go!‖ or ―now!‖ or perhaps, ―move!‖). At this signal, the flyer would
launch out into the emptiness, swinging confidently toward their counterpart, hoping for a well-timed rendezvous in
mid-air.
As I looked on, I thought of a book I had read a few years ago, called Learning to Fly: Reflections on Fear,
Trust, and the Joy of Letting Go, by the psychologist and freelance philosopher, Sam Keen. In this memoir, Keen
tells the story of taking up his long-suppressed childhood dream of wanting to ―fly through the air with the greatest
of ease.…‖ Just two months shy of his sixty-second birthday (!), he enrolled in a trapeze class at the San Francisco
School of Circus Arts, thus becoming ―the oldest student at the circus.‖ The book describes his experiences at the
school, and is worth reading for its insights into the importance of active aging and the value of pursuing one‘s
deepest dreams. Keen is at his best, however, when he describes the spiritual significance of the physical actions
involved in trapeze art: ―The short leap from the trapeze to the catcher,‖ he writes, ―is a flight from primal fear to
basic trust, from I to Thou, from autonomy to communion, that can only be made by a total commitment of the
self. Flying, like faith, hope, and love, is an existential act that cannot be accomplished by a spectator. Without
the mutual trust and action of flyer and catcher, there is no art, no transcendence of individuality and isolation.‖
There is wisdom in these words, not only for aspiring aerial acrobats, or for those in geographical or
vocational transition, but for all of us, suspended as we are in the midst of life‘s mystery, poised between gravity
and grace. One way or another, we are all faced, sooner or later, with the need to let go and move on, to catch
and be caught, to trust and be trusted. Our movements through life may not be as physically dramatic as an
actual trapeze act, but the underlying dynamics are the same. As I watched the performers in Montreal, I gained
inspiration and courage for my own actions of letting go and trusting, and I also found an image of strength and
trustworthiness for the times when I am the one who must grasp and take hold. As I prepare for this new
adventure of moving, I enter into the experience, not as a spectator, but as one who is wholly committed, one
who—like you—is making a leap of faith, hope, and love. Hep!
-2-
835 West College Street Duluth, MN 55811 218/ 724-0308 http://www.uuduluth.org
Unitarian Universalist News of the Twin Ports
August 2011
A Message from the President....
The Word of the Month is “Interconnection.” Think of the myriad of ways we interconnect with each other:
Candles of Joy and Concern, Coffee (Social) Hour, Program Council (our Council of Committees), not to mention
the immeasurable Random Acts of Kindness shared with each other through our Caring Committee. However, the
“Interconnection” I want to focus on is with our parent denominational organizations: the UUA and PSD. These
initials can be merely “alphabet soup” to some, but the Unitarian Universalist Association and Prairie Star District
are vital sources of information, consultation and service to UUCD and other UU congregations throughout the
region/country. And yet, many of us may even feel a sense of remoteness when it comes to these significant
support systems from the “mother ship”.
How do we become more UUA/PSD savvy? For starters, try surfing the website at www.uua.org. You will be
amazed at all the resources you will find there! (Even those very familiar with the site can get a refresher course as
there is something new all the time.) Did you know there is a monthly e-newsletter from the UUA called
InterConnections? It is specifically aimed at congregational leaders, but aren’t you all potential leaders here at
UUCD? I encourage everyone to sign up for a free e-subscription at:
http://visitor.constantcontact.com/email.jsp?m=1102506158427. Watch for other upcoming opportunities to
interconnect with UUA through Adult Enrichment sessions or some excellent workshops at the General Assembly
in North Carolina, now available on the UUA website.
If we tap into these resources, it will mean so much more to each of us when we are asked to contribute to UUCD’s
Fair Share as part of the upcoming canvass or the occasional dedicated Woven Basket Offering as we did at the
end of last month. The customary annual combined assessment for UUA/PSD is around $81.00 per member ($58
for UUA plus $23 for PSD) and we have fallen short in this area in the last few budget years. The Board is working
to remedy this situation and will be asking for your help to meet our obligations.
And speaking of helping to meet budgetary obligations, a huge THANK YOU goes out to our Rummage Sale Team
who carried off yet another amazingly successful event. Congratulations to Jill Lakhan, Charlie and Diana Moore,
Deb Landon and Cathy Andberg along with Ann Fryberger whose wonderful refreshments helped kick the total
revenues up over $6000! Jill mentioned a special note of appreciation to Tom Starkey for sweeping/washing the
garage floor and making the huge sandwich boards to advertise the sale. Thanks to all who worked so hard and
are truly “Interconnected”!
Respectfully,
Gloria C. Walters
President, Board of Trustees
Please remember to look at the website for updated Board of Trustees minutes and the full list of
Board members with contact information, or call the UUCD office at 724-0308.
Sunday Attendance for June 86 per Sunday (averaged)
Woven Basket Donations for June Animal Allies $184.96
YTD June 2011 Budgeted Income $127,287 Budgeted Expense $130,817
YTD June 2011 Actual Income $119,531 Actual Expense $132,426
RUMMAGE SALE SUCCESS
Our 2011 rummage sale was a HUGE success, bringing in over $6,000.
Thanks to all the members of our beloved community who contributed to this event by giving your time, your
goods for sale, and by recycling others‘ no longer needed/wanted goods by purchasing them and giving them a
new use at your home.
-3-
835 West College Street Duluth, MN 55811 218/ 724-0308 http://www.uuduluth.org
Unitarian Universalist News of the Twin Ports
August 2011
From Your Worship Committee
Mark your calendar. Our very first Worship Retreat with Rev. Bruce Johnson is scheduled for August 13, 2011,
9:00am-12:00noon. We're going to plan the worship year (or at least part of it) and recharge our worshipfulness
ways. All are welcome! Let me know if you have any ideas for Sunday Services or Guest Speakers, or if would like
to join the Worship Committee.
Peace,
Alisa DeRider, Worship Committee Chair | aderider@msn.com | 218-391-1663
CELEBRATE THE PAST
This September will mark the 100th anniversary of church services at our former home, 1802 East 1st Street, which
is now the home of the Duluth Superior Friends Meeting.
A special event is planned for the second weekend in September and your help is needed. Old member? Come and
share your remembrances of that building and its activities. New member? Learn something about our history. If
you have an interest in planning this ―one-time-deal‖, please call Marree Seitz (525-5647) or email Marree at
canoebobs@yahoo.com. There will only need to be two or three meetings. We will try to have the first in July but
your ideas and help would be great in August and September.
Have you heard of LEGS? That was once an organization in the church.
Did you know that many sewing machines were set up in the church basement at 1802 to sew for the war effort?
And who the person was that designed those unbelievably narrow stairways?
And did you know that the stage downstairs became a Sunday School room and then an office?
There‘s much history to share. Join us.
Marree Seitz
Enjoy the Convenience of Electronic Summer Yoga
Giving August 2011
Did you know that we offer electronic giving as a way to Beginners: Continues through August. 7:30 to 8:30
automate your regular monthly offering? Electronic a.m. on Mondays. Develop a solid base on postures &
giving offers convenience for individual congregational concepts.
donors and provides much-needed donation consistency Intermediate: Continues through August. 7:30 to 8:30
for our congregation. a.m. on Fridays. Go deeper into poses & alignment.
As you contemplate future contributions, please
consider electronic giving. Authorization forms and $10/class; held in Social Hall. Bring a mat; 100% cell-
additional information are available from the UUCD phone-free classes. Just show up or sign up ahead of
office. time: Caroline Woods (218) 724-5371.
Requests from Mae Gibson Wall: Mesabi UU needs a rocking chair/glider
English Bulldog needs a home If anyone has a rocking chair or glider that they would
We have a 9-year-old English Bulldog who needs a consider donating to Mesabi UU, please email Mae at
loving home. She is a wonderful dog - loving, cuddly, internuucd@gmail.com. MUU appreciates your help as
and very sedentary. She is not an active dog, but she is we make our space more family-friendly!
a wonderful companion. Please email Mae at
internuucd@gmail.com for more information. We are
very concerned that she goes to an excellent home.
-4-
835 West College Street Duluth, MN 55811 218/ 724-0308 http://www.uuduluth.org
Unitarian Universalist News of the Twin Ports
August 2011
Membership Committee: Sharing the Good News of Unitarian Universalism
First--the good news about our committee: We‘re close to our goal of 12 committee members--the minimum necessary to staff
our 3 subcommittees. The subcommittees are:
1) Finders--programming for newcomers and visitors during their first year at UUCD
2) Minders--programming for new members during their first year of membership (plus some things for our entire community)
3) Behinders--supporting the Minders & Finders through nitty gritty behind the scenes tasks
(In addition, there is a ―B Team‖--that‘s all of you who offer hospitality to other Seekers & Searchers, staff the Welcome Table,
make coffee, etc.)
Membership Steering Committee has no shortage of ideas which we could implement, and our priorities depend in part on the
passions of individual committee members. So, if you have ideas you feel strongly about, consider checking us out. You can sit
in on a meeting(s) before making a commitment. (We want it to be a good ―fit.‖) Also, one or more of us would love to take
you out for coffee to answer questions about committee membership.
One final opportunity--At our 5:30--9:00 Mini-Retreat on a weeknight in late August-- after a rousing potluck--we‘ll discuss
BELONGING: THE MEANING OF MEMBERSHIP. This is not a cookbook. Instead, it provides a common language and a
philosophical base for the work of our committee. Anyone and everyone is welcome to join us. Several copies of this book are
available and can be shared. For the exact date and information about how to get a book, call Molly Benson (724-2724) or
email her at calbenmn@gmail.com).
CARING CORNER
Thanks to all of you who have brought food, given rides, mowed lawns or helped others in so many ways. Thanks to you who
have offered as well! This is, indeed, a caring community.
The items donated to the food shelf are being well used. We are always in need of non-food things such as razors,
toothbrushes, toothpaste, diapers, laundry soap, etc. Donations can be placed in the box by the Caring Display in the Social
Hall. Anything that may be hazardous to children should be placed on the table behind the display. Thank you!
Need a ride to church, call Terri at 722-7223. Call Julie, 525-3220 if you have other needs. Have a healthy, safe August!
CARING NOTES
Best wishes to Karen Bauman who continues to recover from whiplash and post concussive syndrome caused by a March 3rd
car accident. She is hoping for full recovery- and never another injury-induced migraine!
Best wishes to Cathy Andberg who had abdominal surgery and then surgery again! The first was on June 30th and the second
was 24 hours later--due to complications. She is finally home and on her way to recovery.
A circle of caring goes out to David Hoffman. You know the song, ―If It Wasn‘t for Bad Luck, I‘d Have No luck At All? Well,
David has certainly had his share of bad luck in the past two years. He was robbed at knifepoint, in his apartment on July 8th.
While still recovering from the invasion physically and mentally, he ended up back in the hospital on July 13th. He‘s home now
and hopefully will have a less eventful August.
Update on our favorite teenager, Rachel Sandell. Rachel is doing well with no more back pain, leg swelling, etc. Her
hemoglobin has climbed to 11.2 and she is receiving quantum touch therapy with our own Judy Gitar. She continues with her
treatments and her next scans come up in mid-August. Meanwhile she is resting, getting out with friends and hoping to
become strong enough to attend college at the U of M in the fall.
Speedy recovery to Jill Lakhan, who fell while roller blading (just as the Rummage Sale was about to start) and cracked her
collarbone. So there Jill was, arm in a sling, working away at the sale, doing way more than she should. Thank goodness the
sale was over quickly so Jill could relax and heal!
Condolences to Kathy Heltzer on the death of her father.
Congratulations and best wishes to Mark Johnson with a successful hip replacement!
-5-
835 West College Street Duluth, MN 55811 218/ 724-0308 http://www.uuduluth.org
Unitarian Universalist News of the Twin Ports
August 2011
Music Notes
―Music, once admitted to the soul, becomes a sort of spirit, and never dies.‖
~Edward George Bulwer-Lytton
Did some of the music during services in July weave itself into your heart? The volunteer music providers in July
are heartily thanked for the inspiration shared in worship. Consider a gentle ‗thank you‘ next time you run into –
Dan Burrows, Jane Gilley, Rebecca Volkman, Jan Magree, Bruce Holmen, Jo Johnson and everyone who lent a
hand!
Is it time for you to venture into volunteering with UUCD‘s music programming? We are coming up on the start of
the program year and it is an especially good time of year to try new things! The Chorale will soon be warbling
great songs in true UU form, the Music Committee needs more members, there is a new volunteer opportunity
helping with RE music and as always your individual music offerings during worship are welcome.
Contact Music Director Karen Bauman to discuss the possibilities.
The Chorale opens rehearsals in the Sanctuary at 7 pm on Weds. August 24th! The Chorale is open on a monthly
basis to any (yes, any) singer ages 13 to 1300. It is possible that we will sing of our shared values with the
Quakers celebrating the 100th anniversary of our ancestral home (now the Friends Meeting House) 1802 E. 1st St. in
mid-September as well as note the 10th anniversary of 9/11 with healing music. Of course sharing music during
worship on at least a monthly basis throughout the year is planned! A Flash Choir will offer hymns in choral style
as part of UUCD worship this year as well! See the rehearsal schedule below and read further issues of this
esteemed publication for more information or contact Music Director Karen Bauman.
Choral August/ September Rehearsal Schedule
Group Date Time Location
Chorale Wed Aug 24 7 – 8 pm Sanctuary
Flash Choir Wed Aug 24 8 – 8:15 pm Sanctuary
Chorale Wed Aug. 31 7 – 8 pm Sanctuary
Flash Choir Wed Aug 31 8 – 8:15 pm Sanctuary
Chorale Wed Sept 7 7 – 8 pm Sanctuary
Flash Choir Wed Sept 7 8 – 8:15 pm Sanctuary
Chorale Sunday Sept 11 8:30 am warmup Sanctuary
9 am SING!
Chorale Wed Sept 14 NO REHEARSAL
Flash Choir Wed Sept 14 NO REHEARSAL
Chorale Wed Sept 21 7 – 8 pm Sanctuary
Flash Choir Wed Sept 21 8 – 8:15 pm Sanctuary
Chorale Wed Sept 28 7 – 8 pm Sanctuary
Flash Choir Wed Sept 28 8 – 8:15 pm Sanctuary
When will the Flash Choir sing in Worship? Wait and see!
Summer Swim –through Sept 15
Swimming is open daily from 10 am to 8 pm at Fryberger‘s pool, 3399 Riley Rd., just off the Jean Duluth Road in
Lakewood Township. Feel free to bring friends knowing you are responsible for them. All children
must be accompanied by an adult. No reservations required. Bring your own stuff. Pool rules are
posted on site. Roll back the cover if no one comes down to assist and replace it when finished.
Come and enjoy whenever you wish. Questions: Call Ann or Richard at 525-3818.
-6-
835 West College Street Duluth, MN 55811 218/ 724-0308 http://www.uuduluth.org
Unitarian Universalist News of the Twin Ports
August 2011
First Friday Drum Circle
will meet on Friday, August 5 at 7:00pm. If you would like to be on our email list send your request
to tvrfan@hotmail.com. If you have any questions about the group you may call Tamra @ 626-
1771.
UUCD Pretty Good Book Group
August Book Selection: Benito Cereno by Herman Melville
Tuesday, August 16, 2011, 7:15pm, Library at UUCD
Our group‘s first Melville is a novella centering on a slave rebellion on a Spanish merchant
ship.
September Book Selection: The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Tuesday, September 20, 2011, 7:15pm, Library at UUCD
In Barcelona, a few years after the Spanish Civil War, Daniel Sempere, a bookseller‘s son, comes across a forgotten
novel called The Shadow of the Wind. He reads it and becomes obsessed with its author, Julian Carax, who has
said to have perished in a mysterious duel. As the story unfolds the reader will be drawn in by humor, horror,
politics and romance.
This book is available at the Duluth Public Library as part of their book club in a bag program. Carol Michealson
will pick up the books and bring them to our August book discussion.
Looking ahead, we plan to read and discuss War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy in January and February.
Religious Education Committee
needs new members. Please volunteer! Also, we are recruiting people to train for OWL in September in Eau
Claire. Contact Deb Landon for more information at 525-4722.
Congregational Conversation Circle about UUCD governance issues
Our recent UUCD elections have raised a number of questions and concerns. Some involve questions about our
new and enlarged Nominating Committee. Who can serve on the committee and in other elected offices, and do
our bylaws include adequate clarity about what is expected of the Nominating Committee? Others involve
congregational meetings - when and where should they take place, and how should they be conducted? How can
elections be handled more smoothly?
Please come to a Congregational Conversation Circle at 7:00 on Thursday, August 11 to ask questions and share
your thoughts and opinions. This conversation will help the Board decide whether to review Bylaws and other
policies for reform.
Please contact Sue Dailey, Gloria Walters, or Tom Starkey with any questions.
-7-
835 West College Street Duluth, MN 55811 218/ 724-0308 http://www.uuduluth.org
Unitarian Universalist News of the Twin Ports
August 2011
Unitarian Universalist
Congregation of Duluth Non-Profit Org.
835 West College Street U.S. Postage
Duluth, MN 55811 PAID
Permit No. 264
Duluth, MN
A member of the Unitarian Universalist Association
http://www.uuduluth.org
Return Service Requested
Our Minister is Rev. Bruce Johnson
Phone: 724-6084; e-mail: uurevbruce@aol.com
Our Spiritual Director is Bev Harries
Phone: 727-3695; e-mail: bharries04@gmail.com
Our Director of Religious Education is Myah Wiltermuth
Phone: 724-4430; e-mail: dreuucd@gmail.com
Our Music Programming Director is Karen Bauman
Phone: 525-4119; e-mail: kklgb4820@msn.com
Our Congregational Administrator is Kathy Stinnett
Phone: 724-0308; e-mail: uucduluth@gmail.com
Our Board President is Gloria Walters
Phone: 624-4021; e-mail: dansing52@yahoo.com
-8-
835 West College Street Duluth, MN 55811 218/ 724-0308 http://www.uuduluth.org
Unitarian Universalist News of the Twin Ports
August 2011
Peace and Justice
Rania, Iraq: Peacemaking as a Sacred Act by Rebecca Hinds
The Duluth-Rania Friendship Exchange Program started in personal relationship. Three or so years later, based on
the hard work of a few dedicated citizens in Minnesota and Kurdistan, it is continuing to develop and crystallize
deeper, richer friendships. This exchange is not about bold government moves, diplomatic negotiation, or the
military. It is about bringing people from Duluth and Rania together. To break bread with one another. And to
listen to one another‘s stories.
On May 25th this year I had the unique opportunity to join this project and travel with a delegation from Duluth to
Rania. The stories I heard during my 10 days in Kurdistan would break anyone‘s heart. Every person I met had
suffered tremendously in his or her own short lifetime. Nearly everyone had a tearful story of a family member
murdered or imprisoned by Saddam Hussein‘s regime. For the Kurds, the U.S.-led war in Iraq is another chapter in
a long history of war, boundaries disputes, genocide, and oppression. In many ways they see us as an ally today.
The responsibility of this sentiment did not escape any of us. And after a recent, very positive and energetic
meeting with the Peace and Justice committee at UUCD I know it has certainly not escaped our congregation.
UUCD has an official peace pledge. Part of this pledge articulates a commitment to international peacemaking. As
a faith community, we also commit ourselves to spiritual growth and ―a responsible search for truth and meaning.‖
What would it look like for our congregation to merge these two commitments? What would it mean for us to live
this peace pledge with renewed energy and the devotion necessary to reparations with Iraq?
I set out to answer a piece of this puzzle for myself a year ago. In September 2010 I enrolled at Andover Newton
Theological School in Newton, MA. When I entered the seminary, the ministry I envisioned was one in which I
would eventually serve a parish and build a bridge to the larger community, supporting social justice and
peacemaking work. Growing up in UUCD, Unitarian Universalism taught me that this was possible. More
specifically, Unitarian Universalism taught me that social justice is a religious obligation. And only faith can sustain
this sacred work.
It was an honor to participate in the lives of Iraqi Kurds and to get to know them as friends. Friendship dissolves
the artificial barriers of war and can move our world in the direction of healing the brokenness of too many wars
and too much violence. On August 14th I will be sharing more about my recent trip to Iraq. Please join us for the
service and stay for an education forum with others involved in the Duluth-Rania Friendship exchange during the
coffee hour after the service.
Weeding Wednesdays continue through August, 4:00 to 6:00 PM, or whenever you can get there.
Anyone interested in some social time mixed with loving care of our Outdoor Sanctuary is welcome to join in. This
activity is very suitable for family sharing. Young children, under your supervision, are welcome to the party
to run and play, catch insects, discover. Weeders focus on pulling tansy, buckthorn, burdock, raspberries and
valerian - and trash. After an hour or so of weeding we relax with refreshments and enjoy social time. Dress
appropriately; bring your sun hat, gloves and water bottle plus weeding tools if you have them. Questions?
Contact GS committee: Naomi Ruff, 728-4228, NLRuff@charter.net or Geiger Yount, 724-0652, geigman@aol.com.
-9-
835 West College Street Duluth, MN 55811 218/ 724-0308 http://www.uuduluth.org