February 2021
10:30 a.m. Sunday, February 7, 2021: Hospice, an end of life care option - Ginny Green
For a person who is terminally ill, hospice care focuses on palliation of pain and symptoms while also attending to emotional and spiritual needs. Ginny Green, the director of nursing at Quiet Oaks Hospice House, will speak about her professional and personal experiences with hospice.
10:00 (10:15) a.m. Sunday, February 14, 2021: Side With Love
UUC Willmar invites SCUUF to join them. Joys & Concerns will begin at 10:00 a.m. and the formal meeting about 10:15. This UUA-produced program features stirring music, deep-hearted reflection, and moving testimonies from a range of UU leaders.
10:30 a.m. Sunday, February 21, 2021: Countering HATE - Emmett Doyle and Kristen Albinson
Join us for a conversation with Organizers Against Fascism. Emmett was raised in the St. Cloud UUF and Kristen is a member of First Unitarian Society where she has given this presentation. Emmett will also perform Anti-Fascism songs.
9:00 a.m. Sunday, February 28, 2021 “Coffee Talk”
As we experience even more isolation this winter, please join us for informal conversation via Zoom. We can share joys and concerns, ideas for winter activities, and the usual chit chat we would enjoy during coffee time after our service.
Provide your own coffee. **REMINDER THIS IS MOVING TO 9AM BEFORE THE WILLMAR SERVICE
10:00 (10:15) a.m. Sunday, February 28, 2021: Consolation and Courage: How Does a UU Experience Death? - Patricia Scott
UUC Willmar invites SCUUF to join their service. Joys & Concerns will begin at 10:00 a.m. and the formal meeting about 10:15. Inspired by a Kendyl Gibbons sermon about one's own mortality, psychologist Pat Scott will include the way we respond to the death of others as well as other losses. Typically Unitarians avoid talking about grief, but this year we've had a surfeit of it: first the loss of jobs and close contact with others, and then the deaths of people we know from Covid-19. How, then, can we as Unitarian Universalists deal with grief?
January President’s Corner
by Ozzie Mayers
As a youngster growing up in Southwest Louisiana, I lived through several major hurricanes that were certainly frightening and debilitating. But, it was the aftermath that gave me nightmares as I surveyed the damage done to our homes, environment, and livelihoods. I have been experiencing the same type of responses as I ponder the last four years and especially the recent take-over of our national capitol on January 6th. I feel traumatized, but my “Hurricane” experiences also taught me the magnitude of human resilience and creativity. So, I draw upon this knowledge at this moment with a dedication to assist in whatever ways I can to “rebuilding” our nation. As former President Barack Obama states in the first volume of his Presidential memoir, A Promised Land: “. . . the best we can do is to try to align ourselves with what we feel is right and construct some meaning out of our confusion, and with grace and nerve play at each moment the hand we’re dealt” (p. 65). And, I cannot miss this opportunity to suggest that the title he chose is very much aligned with at least two of our UU Sources: “Wisdom from the world’s religions which inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life” and “Grateful for the religious pluralism which enriches and ennobles our faith, we are inspired to deepen our understanding and expand our vision.” He uses the indefinite article “a,” not the definite article “the,” that suggests to me there are many “Promise Lands,” not just one.
I reported to the Board that I am meeting with an Ad Hoc Committee to plan for our 60th Anniversary Celebration in the coming Fall. As with all plans, we are not certain at this time if we will be able to meet in person by then, so we are continuing to consider both in-person and virtual options. But, we are considering 2 plans: one is holding a single service with a panel and photos, followed by refreshments; a second is extending the presentations over 3 Sundays, each of which would focus on a 20 years’ period.
As I mentioned in last month’s newsletter, we have received a painting by Elaine Schrenk that her sister dedicated to the Fellowship; the Communications’ Committee has agreed to get the painting framed and to decide its placement in the Fellowship. The date for the placement has not yet been decided.
While we still are not able to open our building for Sunday Services, the Board did discuss the possibility of providing services via media in the Sanctuary for those unable to access our Zoom services. Please see Jim Hixson’s invitation about this option further down in this newsletter and note that this invitation would be on a limited basis since we are restricted by a total number allowed in the Sanctuary at one time. Also, the Board began discussing the possibility of recording our Sunday Services and posting the links on our website. There could be an option of deleting Joys and Concerns since participants might not want them viewed by the public. Please send any concerns you might have to Tom Hergert (tom.hergert@gmail.com) and to me (omayers@csbsju.edu).
The next Zoom Board meeting is on Sunday, February 21st, 9:00 a.m.
Programming Options
by Charlotte Stephens and Pam Peterson
Our Program Committee plans to continue offering two Sunday services per month via Zoom through May. In addition, we will continue the collaboration with Unitarian Universalist Church of Willmar so that each congregation will provide 2 Sunday Services per month for the next few months. We also know that many of you want to continue having a Coffee Talk gathering each month. This activity will continue on the last Sunday of February and March at the new time of 9:00am. This earlier start time will allow those who wish to switch over to the Willmar Service to do so after the Coffee Talk on those dates.
At our January committee meeting we were able to complete our schedule of programs through May, and we already have received some ideas for fall programs. As always our committee welcomes your comments about programming and your ideas for future topics and presenters.
Taking Action to End our Dependence on Fossil Fuels
Submitted by January 10 program presenter Chuck Derry
Thank you to those who were able to join our presentation and discussion on January 10th. What a great group of people! It is always inspiring, and an honor, to be connected with people who care, and manifest that care through their committed action. That brings hope and change into our lives. And that hope and change is critical for the lives of others. So, thank you for all the work you are doing!
We have an opportunity for change! Wind and Solar Works! The future depends on our understanding, our voices, and our action!
The PUC comment timeline is:
Initial comments due by February 11, 2012 at 4:30 pm
Reply comments due by April 12, 2021 at 4:40 pm
Comments can be submitted at: https://mn.gov/puc/consumers/speak-up/ Be sure to reference docket # 19-368
Please share this information with others encouraging them to submit comments.
Thoughtful Quote
shared by Linda Peck
In the last Hightower "Lowdown", Hightower quotes the
following lines from a book by Dutch historian Rutger Bregman entitled
"Humankind: A Hopeful History."
An old man says to his grandson: "There's a fight going on inside of me. It's a terrible fight between two wolves. One is evil - angry, greedy, jealous, arrogant, and cowardly. The other is good - peaceful, loving, modest, generous, honest, and trustworthy. These two wolves are also fighting within you and inside every other person, too." After a moment, the boy asks, "Which wolf will win?" The old man smiles. "The one you feed." Let’s hope the new administration and each of us will feed the good wolf.
Reading/Reflection Group: Resmaa Menakem, My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies.
Starting January 24.
Sponsored by the Fellowship’s Anti-Racism Work Group
co-facilitated by Jean Keller and Dani Jakubowski
Resmaa Menakem is an African American social worker, healer, and trauma therapist, located in the twin cities. His New York Times best-selling book integrates mindfulness and body centered practices to help us understand how racism and racial trauma live in our bodies--white bodies and BIPOC alike--(albeit with different real-world effects) and gets passed down to future generations. He argues that the pathway to racial healing requires all of us to learn to access and defuse the “dirty pain” of racism, and he provides the tools for us to do so.
As part of the Fellowship’s anti-racism action plan, we are offering this reading/reflection group in three parts. Interested in learning more about this mindful and trauma-informed approach to anti-racism? Sign up for the first four sessions, which will address the first 9 chapters of the book. For fellowship members who become invested in Menakem’s approach, we will provide subsequent opportunities for engaging the rest of the book together.
Meeting times: all meetings will happen via Zoom
Jan. 24, 3-4:30 central time: introduction, chapter 1 and 2
Feb. 7, 3-4:30 central time: chapter 3 and 4
Feb. 21, 3-4:30 central time: chapter 5 and 6
March 7, 3-4:30 central time: chapters 7-9
Please contact Jean Keller jkeller@csbsju.edu to sign up for this reading/reflection group and to get the Zoom link.
Membership Committee News
by Marge Bates
For those who are wanting to connect to other members, perhaps we can do talking circles. This would be a small group of people who do conference calls with each other. If interested, contact me by e-mail at margbates@aol.com or phone at 320-267-3590. All you would need is a phone.
Virtual Beloved Conversations: Meditations on Race and Ethnicity
by Lisa Bershok
This is a program for Unitarian Universalists seeking to embody racial justice as a spiritual practice. In Beloved Conversations, we are here to heal the impact of racism on our lives, in order to get free together. While usually offered in a cohort within a congregation, this program is now being offered virtually. Registration for the spring cohort will begin February 1st-20th, 2021. The spring program will run early March to mid-May. The cost is $150/person. The SCUUF Board would like to offer scholarship support for interested individuals. The amount we can offer will depend upon how many people are interested. For more information or to register, please visit the website below. If you have interest in utilizing scholarship support, please contact Lisa Bershok at lpbershok@gmail.com.
Homepage | Beloved Conversations: Virtual (meadville.edu)
Anti-Racism Work Group News
by Hanni Epp
On February 16th to 25th, UU’s across the region are invited to a 5-session Racial Justice Summit, an opportunity for reflection and conversation about what we have been learning in this past decade about race, racism, and “how to be an anti-racist” (as Ibrahim Kendi wrote), what’s been learned from mistakes made, what partnerships are forming, and how we can keep on moving forward, in this new decade. That conversation will be informed by our shared wisdom and experience, by invited worship leaders, and through readings from “Widening the Circle,” the report of the UUA Commission on Institutional Change, which analyzed structural and systemic racism and white supremacy culture within Unitarian Universalism. Our conversations will segue into the UUA New Day Rising national conference on February 27th. Here is the calendar and registration links. May the healing begin.
CRE Update and Thank You!
by Melissa Woods
January 10th our CRE families gathered to sled together and reconnect outside. It was a wonderful time and we are so grateful many could come! CRE was also able to collect many pairs of gloves and mittens for the warming shelter in St. Cloud during this event. Thank you to everyone who brought a donation. We will plan another outdoor event soon! Communication about events does happen via email so please let Melissa know if you’d like to be added to the email list (woods.melissa11@gmail.com).
Social Justice Committee News
by Angela Stevens
A new warming house for the homeless has opened this winter in the Arts As You Like It building at 630 Lincoln Ave. SE, St. Cloud, MN. Our Fellowship Social Justice committee has made a donation to the new local warming center for homeless in St. Cloud. Some members of the Fellowship have approached me on how to donate to the warming center.
The warming center is being run by the Homeless Helping Homeless. Donations are accepted, but please contact Mary Fleegal at (612)868-0464 before going there. Either call or text her to set up a time to drop off items. The shelter is in need of towels, and especially wash clothes. A local gym is allowing the homeless to use their showers. Blankets and warm winter socks and mittens are needed. Men’s underwear in larger sizes are especially needed. No homemade foods are accepted, but things such as nutrition bars, chips, jello cups, pudding, and fresh fruit (bananas and oranges) are accepted. Apples are not good because many homeless people have poor teeth. Financial support is always welcome. Donations can be made to Homeless Helping Homeless at PO Box 475, St. Cloud, MN 56302
Enbridge Line 3 Protest - Support for Water Protectors
by Mary Ness, Social Justice Committee member
Minnesota Unitarian Universalist Justice Alliance (MUUSJA), of which we are a member, is following several frontline groups that oppose the building of the Enbridge Tar Sands Line 3 pipeline from Canada through northern Minnesota to Duluth. Enbridge has a history of pipeline spills, most significantly one at the Kalamazoo River in Michigan in 2010 which took 5 years to clean up and there are still remnants. Many say, it’s not if there is a pipeline spill, but when. This pipeline in northern Minnesota passes through 250 waterways in Minnesota, including a tunnel under the Mississippi River. If a spill occurs there, water downstream will be affected. That’s us. The pipeline crosses land on the White Earth Indian Reservation in northern Minnesota. Native American Water Protectors are protesting. They have camped near the Line 3 pipeline by Palisade MN since December. Many have been arrested as they block the work on the pipeline. But they are determined to stay regardless of weather and potential future arrests.
The social justice committee invites you to support the Water Protectors through MN350, an organization working toward clean energy, which has organized a supply drive. The best way to support the Water Protectors at this time is by buying gift cards for businesses near the encampment. Suggestions are Holiday Gas, Aldi’s, Costco or outdoor supply stores such as Menards etc. They also can use money for things like firewood, fire extinguishers, tarps etc. They are encouraged by notes or letters supporting their protest.
Checks, cash, gift cards and notes of support can be sent to: Catherine-Knaeble, 1912 2nd Avenue North, Minneapolis, MN. 55405. (Checks may be written to Catherine Knaeble.) Someone from the twin cities drives up to the encampment a couple times a week to deliver donations. Or you can donate online at www.venmo.com/Catherine-Knaeble.
A national petition to President Biden is circulating through MN350 asking him to review the permits granted by Trump, and halt construction of the Line 3 pipeline immediately.
To sign the petition, google "petition to stop line 3”
For more information about the protest visit:
MN350 at https://350.org
Honor the Earth (led by Winona LaDuke) at http://www.honorearth.org/stop_line_3
Google “Giniw Collective” (a group of native women) to find them on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram
Minnesota Power and Light at www.mnipl.org
February Meditation Schedule (Online)
by Lucinda Hudson
February 6, 2021: Living in the Present Moment
The theme for this meditation will be living in the present moment, and the readings will include short poems on this topic.
These meditations are offered with a low-tech approach that only involves e-mail. You can meditate for whatever amount of time you choose. Many members of the meditation group begin to meditate at 11 a.m. on Saturdays, but you can pick a different time if that time doesn't work well for you. The form is also flexible, and you can meditate while sitting or while walking--or while practicing any activity in a mindful way. After the meditation, anyone is welcome to share a comment or reflection. To receive meditation readings or if you would like further information, please contact Lucinda at lucindahudson9@gmail.com or 320-224-5440.
Meditation is the practice of focusing one's attention with intention and is used in many ways. For example, it can be used to be more aware in the present moment—more mindful of thoughts, words and actions. It can be used for growth and healing, as with loving kindness and self-compassion practices. Meditation can help build inner resources in a variety of ways.
Calendar Reminders
AVOID ZOOM CONFLICTS: We encourage you to use the Zoom licenses for video conferencing, but please follow the standard reservation process to ensure the Zoom “meeting room” (license) is available at the time you would like to make use of it and to allow others to see planned meetings on the calendar.
Please check the online calendar on our website for scheduled Zoom meetings at www.uufstcloud.org/calendar. A meeting event/room reservation button to submit a form for reservation requests can be found below the calendar on the website. This same button can be used to schedule any Zoom meetings. Please reach out to Jessica Beierman at calendar@uufstcloud.org if you have any questions.
Tom Hergert and Jim Hixson have agreed to be the contacts for the Zoom License and will provide a tutorial for anyone needing to learn how to host a Zoom Meeting. Their contact information can be found in the new UUF Directory.
January 2021
10:00 (10:15) a.m. Sunday, January 3, 2021: Line 3: What’s going on right now? - Rita Chamblin
UUC Willmar invites SCUUF to join their service. Joys & Concerns will begin at 10:00 a.m. and the formal meeting about 10:15. Let’s get up to date on the Line 3 tar sands oil pipeline project in northern Minnesota. And let’s talk about how the issues of climate, race, water, and money influence our perception of Line 3. Plus: Who are the active organizations and individuals? What’s the status of legal appeals? What should we expect to happen next? What actions might we, as individuals and congregations, be called on to take in the coming weeks and months? Rita Chamblin is a Unitarian Universalist lay leader, environmental justice advocate, resident of Northern Minnesota and Bemidji liaison for Minnesota Interfaith Power and Light. She has been active in Line 3 work since moving back to Minnesota four years ago.
10:30 a.m. Sunday, January 10, 2021: "Taking Action to End our Dependence on Fossil Fuels" - Sierra Club Consultant Chuck Derry
Excel Energy is proposing to build a Natural Gas Plant in Becker, Minnesota. Do we need it? Are fossil fuels economically unsound with renewable energy sources on the rise? Can we depend on wind and solar for our energy needs? Who will pay for the plant, and what actions can Central Minnesotans take in opposing the proposed plant?
10:00 (10:15) a.m. Sunday, January 17, 2021: "How To Be an Anti-Racist" and Other Writings - Leader: Marilee Dorn
UUC Willmar invites SCUUF to join their service. Joys & Concerns will begin at 10:00 a.m. and the formal meeting about 10:15.
UU members have been reading a lot this year! As we choose to learn more about racism, it can be difficult to choose what to read. This service will be devoted to reports on books devoted to topics of racism. If you would like to do a 3 to 5-minute report on a book or documentary, please e-mail Marilee at tlm4@tds.net with the title and author.
10:30 a.m. January 24, 2021: “Equanimity Brings Balance” - Rev. Myo-O Habermas-Scher
There is a powerful Buddhist teaching that is about equanimity. This isn’t about being stoic; rather, it’s about bringing balance to the moment we are in. And heaven knows, we are all in so many challenging moments on so many different levels during this time. The depth that equanimity is based upon allows it to bless us and everyone around us. Let’s explore this crown of the Divine Abidings together.
10:30 a.m. Sunday, January 31 “Coffee Talk”
As we experience even more isolation this winter, please join us for informal conversation via Zoom. We can share joys and concerns, ideas for winter activities, and the usual chit chat we would enjoy during coffee time after our service. Provide your own coffee.
January President’s Corner
by Ozzie Mayers
I begin this month’s newsletter with this poem that many of you will recognize from our Singing the Living Tradition. To me, it captures the challenges that we as Unitarian Universalists face as we move into 2021 with a new U.S. President who will be facing daunting challenges from some members of the public as well as from the Covid-19 pandemic. I truly believe the “work of Christmas” begins now.
I would like to share some very good news. The Fellowship has received a painting by Elaine Shrenk; this painting has been given to us by Elaine’s sister, who also included donations sent to her in memory of Elaine. I will be consulting with the Board about where and when to install the painting.
Artist: Elaine Schrenk
I know many of us are eager to know when the Fellowship will open again for in-person gatherings; however, the restrictions for in-door gatherings for Faith Communities remain in place for the immediate future, even as the vaccine is being distributed. It is my hope that by late spring, we may be able to consider opening up again. I keep abreast of Covid-19 restrictions with weekly updates from MDH. I have also requested guidance from both the UUA as well as our Mid-America Regional Office about the transition into in-person gatherings and will keep you informed when I hear back from either.
I can tell you now that the Annual Meeting (June 23rd-27th, 2021) and the Regional Meeting (October 8th-9th, 2021) will be held virtually. And once again, those who wish to attend can apply for assistance for funding from the Board once registration begins. There are at least two advantages to these virtual meetings: 1) an attendee does not have to incur the cost of travel and 2) the Registration Fee is lower than what it would be for an in-person meeting.
I have convened an ad hoc Committee to begin planning for our 60th Anniversary Celebration in the Fall of 2021. At this point, the Committee has met once and will continue to meet over the next few months. We are planning for both virtual and in-person celebration, in case the latter becomes feasible. I will keep you posted about our decisions once I get a approval from the Board.
The next Zoom Board meeting is on Sunday, January 17th, 9:00 a.m.
Programming Options
by Charlotte Stephens and Pam Peterson
As our Program Committee plans to continue offering two Sunday services per month via Zoom through May, we’re interested in hearing from you in response to a couple of questions.
What do you think about our continuing the collaboration with Unitarian Universalist Church of Willmar beyond January so that each congregation would provide 2 Sunday Services per month for the next few months?
How do you like the Coffee Talk Sundays offered on the last Sunday of November, December, and January? Would a different day and time, such as a Friday “happy hour”, Saturday afternoon, or Sunday evening work for you for this opportunity for informal conversation and socializing?
Your email response by January 10th will help the program committee and board in making decisions for the coming months. See the Leadership page of the newsletter for our email addresses. As always our committee welcomes your comments about programming and your ideas for future topics and presenters.
Your January TOUCHSTONES Journal was sent as an attachment with the e-mail newsletter distribution
Reading/Reflection Group: Resmaa Menakem, My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies.
Starting January 24.
Sponsored by the Fellowship’s Anti-Racism Work Group
co-facilitated by Jean Keller and Dani Jakubowski
Resmaa Menakem is an African American social worker, healer, and trauma therapist, located in the twin cities.
His New York Times best-selling book integrates mindfulness and body centered practices to help us understand how racism and racial trauma live in our bodies--white bodies and BIPOC alike--(albeit with different real-world effects) and gets passed down to future generations. He argues that the pathway to racial healing requires all of us to learn to access and defuse the “dirty pain” of racism, and he provides the tools for us to do so.
As part of the Fellowship’s anti-racism action plan, we are offering this reading/reflection group in three parts. Interested in learning more about this mindful and trauma-informed approach to anti-racism? Sign up for the first four sessions, which will address the first 9 chapters of the book. For fellowship members who become invested in Menakem’s approach, we will provide subsequent opportunities for engaging the rest of the book together.
Meeting times: all meetings will happen via Zoom
Jan. 24, 3-4:30 central time: introduction, chapter 1 and 2
Feb. 7, 3-4:30 central time: chapter 3 and 4
Feb. 21, 3-4:30 central time: chapter 5 and 6
March 7, 3-4:30 central time: chapters 7-9
Please contact Jean Keller jkeller@csbsju.edu to sign up for this reading/reflection group and to get the Zoom link.
Virtual Beloved Conversations: Meditations on Race and Ethnicity
by Lisa Bershok
This is a program for Unitarian Universalists seeking to embody racial justice as a spiritual practice. In Beloved Conversations, we are here to heal the impact of racism on our lives, in order to get free together. While usually offered in a cohort within a congregation, this program is now being offered virtually. Registration for the spring cohort will begin February 1st-20th, 2021. The spring program will run early March to mid-May. The cost is $150/person. The SCUUF Board would like to offer scholarship support for interested individuals. The amount we can offer will depend upon how many people are interested. For more information or to register, please visit the website below. If you have interest in utilizing scholarship support, please contact Lisa Bershok at lpbershok@gmail.com.
Homepage | Beloved Conversations: Virtual (meadville.edu)
Appreciation for Healthcare Staff
by Lisa Bershok
At a recent Sunday program, I expressed my experiences in supporting healthcare staff within CentraCare related to the COVID-19 Pandemic. We discussed that there was going to be a way for community members to send cards or notes of thanks to healthcare workers. Please see below for where to mail cards. Thank you for considering sending a card to let your local healthcare workers know you care about them and mask for them.
It is expected that the persons making and handling the cards are in good health, without fever or upper respiratory symptoms and performing hand hygiene. Please do not add coins, money, or confetti in your cards.
Messages can be mailed to:
Tanya Lindquist-Fleegel
Human Resources
1406 6th Ave N
St. Cloud, MN 56303
Tribute to Flora Shinkle 1930 – 2020
by Charlotte Stephens, on behalf of the Caring Committee
In late November we learned that former SCUUF member Flora Shinkle died on September 8. Flora was a member of the Fellowship for about 20 years and served as our President in 2001-2002. Although she had not previously served on our board, she was well qualified to take that position because she had already served 3 years as president of the League of Women Voters as well as in leadership roles in other organizations. Flora was well known in the community as an artist, primarily a watercolor painter. Two of her paintings have been hanging in the Fellowship Hall since she offered to donate one as a fund raiser, intending that we would keep the one that got the most votes (each dollar that members donated was a vote for their preferred painting.) The idea was that we would keep all of the donated dollars and one of the paintings, but she ended up giving both paintings to us. Flora left the St Cloud area in 2017 and died in the state of Washington, 10 years short of her goal to live to 100.
CRE Sledding + Mittens!
by Melissa Woods
As the new year is upon us we are so hopeful towards what 2021 will bring! Kicking off the New Year, we have planned a sledding event for our CRE families to gather and enjoy each other’s company. Weather permitting, we will be gathering for outdoor sledding and ice skating at Memorial Park in Saint Joseph, MN on Sunday, January 10th at 2:00 pm. Communication about this event will happen via email as the date draws closer so please let Melissa know if you’d like to be added to the email list (woods.melissa11@gmail.com).
A wonderful opportunity to help our local warming shelter for the homeless was brought to CRE thanks to the Social Justice Committee. They are in need of warm mittens and gloves. All families and children who would like to contribute mittens or gloves to this cause should bring their donations to the January 10th sledding event so I can get them to Judy. This is an awesome opportunity for the kids to serve others and learn gratitude. Thank you in advance for your donations!
January Meditation Schedule (Online)
by Lucinda Hudson
January 2nd: Meditation with Haiku
Since haiku is a way of seeing the world with fresh eyes, it is well-suited to meditation practice. A unique form of poetry, haiku can help us notice and savor the present moment. This meditation will be an opportunity to read and/or write haiku in a meditative spirit.
These meditations are offered with a low-tech approach that only involves e-mail. You can meditate for whatever amount of time you choose. Many members of the meditation group begin to meditate at 11 a.m. on Saturdays, but you can pick a different time if that time doesn't work well for you. The form is also flexible, and you can meditate while sitting or while walking--or while practicing any activity in a mindful way. After the meditation, anyone is welcome to share a comment or reflection. To receive meditation readings or if you would like further information, please contact Lucinda at lucindahudson9@gmail.com or 320-224-5440.
Meditation is the practice of focusing one's attention with intention and is used in many ways. For example, it can be used to be more aware in the present moment—more mindful of thoughts, words and actions. It can be used for growth and healing, as with loving kindness and self-compassion practices. Meditation can help build inner resources in a variety of ways.
Annual Committee Reports
Caring Committee Report
by Linda Saupe
The Caring Committee has been formed for the times in each of our lives when we need help from another person. Members of the Caring Committee are available to help members and friends of the St. Cloud UU Fellowship in a variety of ways either directly or by coordinating help from others. Members and friends can contact any member of the committee if assistance is needed. For anyone with emergency needs, a wide range of services is available from agencies and organizations in the community. These can be accessed by calling 211 (or 800-543-7709). Throughout the year cards were sent to mark difficult (or celebratory) events in member’s lives. Numerous phone calls, emails and visits (pre-Covid) were made by the Caring Committee members when a concern about a member was brought to our attention. Meetings are normally held once a month, and resumed monthly via zoom in September. After the initial “lock down” in March due to Covid, the active membership list was divided up by committee members and calls to each household on the list was made to “check in” and see if assistance was needed. Follow up calls were made if concerns were identified. Phone calls and emails between committee members were made to determine what “next steps” were needed for members who were identified as needing ongoing assistance. Thanks to all the members of the committee for everything you did in this extraordinary year, and thanks to all in the Fellowship for “building a caring community of mutual respect and support”.
Social Justice Committee Report
by Linda Peck
SJC Partnerships: Human Rights Commission (HRC) Working Group (Affordable Housing and Homelessness); Neighbors to Friends; Faith in Housing; Pathways for Youth; Adopt a Family (Catholic Charities; Habitat for Humanity
Financial Support (SJC Budget): Homeless Helping Homeless ($200); Catholic Workers ($200); St. Cloud Legal Aid ($150 for Covid Fund); Promise Neighborhood ($100); Planned Parenthood ($90); Pride Event ($25); Dine and Dialogue ($100); Pride Parade/walk ($34); MUUSJA ($350)
UUF Services: Land Stewardship Project speaker on returning land to American Indians; Dr. Corrie Gross on Climate Change
Other Actions: CRE letter writing to President Trump on saving animals and the Endangered Species Act; UUF's community garden work
Music Group Report
by Greg Erickson, Jane Ellison and Tom Hergert
The SCUUF music group is committed to bringing music and song into our weekly Sunday services. We attempt to provide a combination of music performed for the congregation along with music for the congregation to sing. We also provide the ongoing music pieces that are integrated into our program each week, such as the song sung to lead the children out or for the collection. We have also re-committed ourselves to seeking music from various cultural traditions to align our work with the anti-racism goals of the Fellowship. This past year has been, for everyone, a year of new challenges and new learnings. Since 'singing' in a face-to-face group has been proven to be a Covid spreader, our love for singing together and plans for the year were cut short. Since on-line programs were started this Fall, the music group has been working hard to learn how to provide some music for the Fellowship in a virtual format. ongoing music has been recorded to be available each week. We are still in the midst of learning how to transition to a virtual format but are committed to finding a way to make sure music is part of our SCUUF lives.
Building Options Committee Report
In our past Ad Hoc Building Options Committee Report dated April 2019, six options were laid out to address our future building needs. This past year two of the options have been worked on by this committee (Option 5: Purchase and adapt a different building, and sell the current building) and the Board (Option 6: Consider focusing on a capital campaign while exploring previous and other options). Members of our committee have viewed 4 residential properties and one former Church building. The properties fell within a price range of $175,000. to $449,000. Our 'ideal property choice' must meet all our criteria to be considered. Our criteria includes: Adequate space for parking, accessible location and building for members, adequate Sanctuary, Fellowship, and CRE space as well as being less of a financial investment for UU members than option 3 of our report. (Option 3: Increase size of the Sanctuary and the Fellowship Hall and remodel/reconfigure existing areas and plan for an elevator. Total estimate cost for option 3: $556,500.) In 2019 Charlotte Stephens and Wendy Schoen toured Unity Church in Sartell as a possible temporary rental space for us in the event that our building would be under construction during part of our church calendar year. Their primary use each week was at the same time as ours so continuing dialogue did not occur. Recently Unity Church was sold, the asking price was $825,000.00.
Our committee consists of Charlotte Stephens, Tom Hergert, Jim Hixson, Melissa Woods and Wendy Schoen. In the coming year we plan to continue searching for viable options to meet our building needs.
Calendar Reminders
AVOID ZOOM CONFLICTS: We encourage you to use the Zoom licenses for video conferencing, but please follow the standard reservation process to ensure the Zoom “meeting room” (license) is available at the time you would like to make use of it and to allow others to see planned meetings on the calendar.
Please check the online calendar on our website for scheduled Zoom meetings at www.uufstcloud.org/calendar. A meeting event/room reservation button to submit a form for reservation requests can be found below the calendar on the website. This same button can be used to schedule any Zoom meetings. Please reach out to Jessica Beierman at calendar@uufstcloud.org if you have any questions.
Tom Hergert and Jim Hixson have agreed to be the contacts for the Zoom License and will provide a tutorial for anyone needing to learn how to host a Zoom Meeting. Their contact information can be found in the new UUF Directory.
December 2020
10:30 a.m. Sunday, December 6: "The Holiday Spirit UU Style''
by Ellen Eastby Underwood UU
Unitarian Universalists have not only diverse backgrounds. We come from many religions and no religion. We celebrate different holidays. We find meaning in different traditions. These verities raise many questions. How do we achieve harmony in beloved relationship with one another as we go through the Holiday season? What does it take to be a community when we don’t hold the same beliefs? How do we find the harmony within ourselves, in our own heart, mind, and soul; between the faith of our childhood and that which brings us comfort or joy now? The answers themselves are not terribly difficult to understand. But, to get to a point of internalizing the answers can, at times, be an arduous path to walk. Drawing in part from her own journey, Ellen will explore these questions and provide some possible answers, leaving time at the end of her talk for discussion. All children and adults are requested to have a candle for this service.
10:00 a.m. Sunday, December 13: “Holiday Mental Wellness”
by Kay Slama, Ph.D.
UUCWillmar invites SCUUF to join their service today. UUCW will hold their joys and concerns at 10am, and the more formal service will begin at 10:15, so SCUUF people can click in before 10:00am or shortly before 10:15, as they wish, with the formal service ending by 11:30. Mental wellness is a concern throughout this time of pandemic, and our stress may be compounded as the year-end holidays approach and we are not able to celebrate in some of our usual ways. Kay Slama, Ph.D., retired clinical psychologist and professor, will give some suggestions for maintaining our mental wellness as we navigate this season, then facilitate the ensuing discussion.
10:30 a.m. Sunday, December 20: “Sources”
by Richard Terrill and Larry McDonough
Much as UUs credit a wide range of sources for their spirituality, creative artists “borrow” from those who have come before. In today’s service, pianist Larry McDonough (composition, arranging) and saxophonist Richard Terrill (poetry) will describe and illustrate their process of borrowing material from other sources for use in their own creative work, and attempt to link that process with spiritual concerns.
10:30 a.m. Sunday, December 27 “Coffee Talk”
As we experience even more isolation this winter, please join us for informal conversation via Zoom. We can share joys and concerns, ideas for winter activities, and the usual chit chat we would enjoy during coffee time after our service.
Provide your own coffee.
All services are online at this time. Please visit www.uufstcloud.org for the Zoom information to join
To contribute to SCUUF:
1) send a check to SCUUF, PO Box 805,
St. Cloud, MN 56302, or
2) Make a contribution by debit/credit card or PayPal by clicking on this link: https://tinyurl.com/Donate-SCUUF
December President’s Corner
by Ozzie Mayers
It seems fitting at this time of the year to begin with this poem by Rafael Jesus Gonzalez, who read a poem (not this one, however) at President Barack Obama’s second inauguration:
“Grace”
Thanks & blessings be
to the Sun & the Earth
for this bread & this wine,
this fruit, this meat, this salt,
this food;
thanks & blessings to them
who prepare it, who serve it;
thanks & blessings to them
who share it
(& also the absent & the dead)
Thanks & Blessing to them who bring it
(may they not want),
to them who plant & tend it,
harvest & gather it
(may they not want);
thanks & blessing to them who work
& blessing to them who cannot;
may they not want—for their hunger
sours the wine & robs
the taste from the salt.
Thanks be for the sustenance & strength
for our dance & work of justice, of peace.
At our last meeting, the Board began discussing whether or not we should record and post our Sunday Zoom Services; Tom Hergert is investigating the legal ramifications of doing so. Also, we will continue to share Sunday Services with the Willmar UU Congregation since doing so the past few Sundays has been successful. I will convene interested members of the Fellowship to explore how we might organize a Zoom Anniversary Celebration in the Fall 2021. I will let you know the details and the date once these have been decided. But, I continue to welcome suggestions.
By the time you receive this newsletter, the news about the Covid-19 updates I currently have will no longer apply; however, I would like to provide you with the link to the MDH’s Community Partner’s site; this site provides updated safety guidelines as well as ways that underserved population can find assistance. If you access the link, information can be found in a variety of ways (e.g., by County, Group Identification, Language): http://www.health.state.mn.us/ccc.
The Board has agreed not to meet in December since we do not foresee any pressing business; so the next Board meeting will be on January 17th. If anyone has a request/issue that needs the Board’s attention before then, let me know; and I will send it to the Board electronically.
Program Committee News
by Charlotte Stephens and Pam Peterson
In 2021 our Program Committee plans to continue offering two Sunday Services each month using Zoom. A third Sunday for informal conversation called Coffee Talk is scheduled for the last Sunday of November, December, and January. In addition, we are in contact with the Program Committee of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Willmar (UUCW). We have already begun to share with you information about some of their Sunday Services, and some of their members have attended one or more SCUUF Service in recent weeks. On December 6 we are inviting them to our service, and on December 13 they invite us to join their service. In January St Cloud will plan services on January 10 and 24, and Willmar will plan services on January 3 and 17. Look for details in our January newsletter.
Our committee welcomes your comments about programming and your ideas for future topics and presenters as well as your thoughts about our collaboration with Willmar. We are concerned about members who have not been attending the Zoom services and we would like to hear from you if you have ideas for other ways to stay connected or participate in Fellowship activities during the pandemic.
Your December TOUCHSTONES Journal was sent as an attachment with the newsletter distribution email
In this season of darkness, we have an incredible opportunity to make a brighter future for us all
by The Program Committee
This article provides background for our January 10th Sunday Service and for your taking action if you choose to do so. Chuck Derry, a Sierra Club Consultant, will be our guest speaker on January 10 addressing the proposal by Xcel Energy to build an 800-megawatt fracked gas plant in Becker, Minnesota. Our UU voices as well as the voices of our central Minnesota neighbors are critical in shaping our future energy sources.
Every two to three years all utilities are required to submit a plan that outlines how they will meet their customers’ energy needs for the next 15 years. The Public Utilities Commission (PUC) will review the plan to determine whether Xcel’s Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) meets its customers’ needs while ensuring reliable, low cost electricity. After careful review, the PUC will then approve and/or deny aspects of the plan.
This year’s IRP is being referred to as the “world series” of IRPs because the majority of Xcel power plants are up for retirement within 15 years. Consequently, very big decisions are needed now on how our state will move forward with energy production into the future.
Our environment is at risk from our use of fossil fuels. We are seeing expanding impacts of climate change throughout the world while scientists are predicting that we have 10 years left to drastically cut our greenhouse gas emissions.
Chuck will discuss various studies and reports being conducted on our energy use and sources, and how they will impact our future. Sierra Club’s efforts are to engage a broad network of Central Minnesota citizens to submit their comments and opinions which oppose the continued use of fossil fuels and the building of a new fracked gas plant in Becker.
If you would like to take action before or after Chuck’s presentation, you can submit a comment to the MN Public Utilities Commission at: https://mn.gov/puc/consumers/speak-up/ Be sure to reference docket # 19-368. The deadline for comments is January 15, 2021.
Our future depends on our understanding, our voices, and our action.
Joys and Concerns
from the Caring Committee
During our Sunday Services we take time to share personal joys and concerns. The Caring Committee is looking at extending that opportunity to those who read the monthly newsletter. If you would like to share a joy, concern or sorrow, please send your information by email to Linda Saupe. It’s important for you to know that there will be a delay because the newsletter is monthly. We also want you to know that the newsletter is available to anyone who accesses our website. In recent weeks we learned of the death of people close to a Fellowship member.
Brenda Graves shared the sad news that her partner Jim Hart died on October 23 at his home in Minneapolis. He was 81 years old and had been dealing with 2 terminal illnesses for a couple of years. Some of you remember Jim from the years he attended the Fellowship with Brenda and for his musical program presentations. There may be a celebration of his life sometime next year. His obituary in the St Cloud Times can be seen at this link:
https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/sctimes/obituary.aspx?n=james-everett-hart&pid=197027025
And on November 10th Chris Smith lost her life-long best friend, her sister Cindy Calder, due to Covid-19. She was the middle of 5 children and loved to be the tie that bound the family all together. Her family nickname was Auntie KissKiss and she gave the best hugs.
Share the Spirit Christmas Program
by the Social Justice Committee
Greetings to you all!
The donations to Catholic Charities Share the Spirit Program ended on Dec. 1st. I want to thank all who have donated. Your gifts are greatly appreciated by Catholic Charities.
For those who wish to contribute to the Guest at Your Table, donations are accepted through December. This year's Guest at Your Table theme is ¨The Meaning of Home¨. The UUSC will be working with partners in Central America to see that no one is forced to leave their homes due to violence and economic failure. They are also working in Alaska, Louisiana, and the Pacific to help indigenous people fight for their homes and ancestral lands against mining and climate change. In Burma the UUSC is working with partners to support the rights of the Rohingya minority after facing government backed genocide in their homeland.
To donate by mail, make checks out to the UUSC and write Guest or GAYT in the memo field and send to UUSC - PO. Box 808 - Newark, NJ - 07101-0808
Any help you can give is greatly appreciated - Angela Stevens
CRE Sledding Event Planned to Ring in the New Year
by Melissa Woods
As the end of the year comes to a close, we want to thank everyone who participated in CRE this year and especially those that took the time and energy to teach a lesson to the children. We also want to acknowledge the new families who came to our fellowship before in-person services stopped. We hope when the pandemic settles down you will join us again!
Your CRE leaders understand the importance of following distancing guidelines to keep everyone safe during the pandemic. However, we would like to plan another outdoor event for the UU children of our fellowship to see each other and have fun in a safe way! Weather permitting, we will be gathering for outdoor sledding and ice skating at Memorial Park in Saint Joseph, MN on Sunday, January 10th at 2:00 pm. Communication about this event will happen via email as the date draws closer so please let Melissa know if you’d like to be added to the email list (woods.melissa11@gmail.com). We hope we can make this work and get to see your smiling faces again soon!
SCUUF Book Club News
by Marcia Neely
Our book club will read Isabel Wilkerson’s book The Warmth of Other Suns and discuss it via ZOOM at 10 a.m. January 9. Even if you can’t join the discussion, I encourage you to read this Pulitzer-prize winning book. In this epic, beautifully written masterwork, Isabel Wilkerson chronicles one of the great untold stories of American history: the decades-long migration of black citizens who fled the South for northern and western cities, in search of a better life.
Membership Committee News
By Marge Bates
This year many of us will probably be experiencing a different kind of Christmas. The children might be experiencing the disappointment of not seeing family members again, like for Thanksgiving. It might be helpful if they received Christmas Cards from as many of us as wish to send them. Also, do not forget adults who will be alone this year, maybe for the first time. The vaccine is allegedly on its way soon, but we still have to hold fast to our safety patterns. May you all have a very Happy Holiday Season and hopefully we can be together in the new year.
Anti-Racism Workgroup News
by Hanni Epp
The Anti-Racism Work Group met by Zoom on November 16. Our discussion centered on ways to support Fellowship committees in their work to not only examine dismantling white supremacy from an individual and institutional perspective, but also to build anti-racist knowledge, behaviors and practices.
Our work is based in part on knowledge gained from the workshop for Council of Chairs, led by James Addington, and his book, Tragic Investments. We are also looking very carefully at the survey responses to inform next steps in our work.
We hope to offer opportunities soon through our Book Group, our Meditation Group, and our Services for you to engage in this important work. Many of you may already be reading books related to anti-racism. Others may be participating in community organizations to fight racism. We encourage you in these endeavors and hope you will bring these experiences to our Fellowship, as we meet and talk in small groups (virtually, for now).
The demands placed on all of us to support the election, as well as the restrictions imposed by Covid-19 are certainly factors that are slowing our progress. However, this is a long-term commitment, and every step we take both as individuals and as a Fellowship, shapes how we encounter the world around us. Find joy in the path!
December Meditation Schedule (Online)
by Lucinda Hudson
December 5th (Saturday): Holiday Meditation for 2020
It’s clear that this year the holidays will be very different from previous years. How can we help make the holidays an enjoyable and restorative time, even when our ability to gather is limited? There are no easy answers, and this meditation will simply be an opportunity to explore this question.
These meditations are offered with a low-tech approach that only involves e-mail. You can meditate for whatever amount of time you choose. Many members of the meditation group begin to meditate at 11 AM on Saturdays, but you can pick a different time if that time doesn't work well for you. The form is also flexible, and you can meditate while sitting or while walking--or while practicing any activity in a mindful way. After the meditation, anyone is welcome to share a comment or reflection. To receive meditation readings or if you would like further information, please contact Lucinda at lucindahudson9@gmail.com or 320-224-5440.
Meditation is the practice of focusing one's attention with intention and is used in many ways. For example, it can be used to be more aware in the present moment—more mindful of thoughts, words and actions. It can be used for growth and healing, as with loving kindness and self-compassion practices. Meditation can help build inner resources in a variety of ways.
The End Is Near
from the Budget & Finance Committee
As December arrives, we remind you that this is the last month for making tax deductible donations in 2020. Please allow at least a week for mail if you want your gift to be included in the 2020 tax year. Alternatively, you can give using the donate button on the website.
The Caring Committee
The Caring Committee has been formed for the times in each of our lives when we need help from another person. The members of the Caring Committee are available to help members and friends of the St. Cloud UU Fellowship in a variety of ways. Feel free to contact any member of the committee:
Linda Saupe (Chairperson), Marge Bates, Hanni Epp, Doug Polley, Chris Smith, Charlotte Stephens, and Ron Syme.
For anyone with emergency needs, a wide range of services is available from agencies and organizations in the community. These can be accessed by calling 211 (or 800-543-7709).
Annual Committee Reports
Children’s Religious Education Report
by Melissa Woods
This past year CRE saw some exciting growth before we had to stop meeting in person due to the pandemic. Three new families with young children walked through our doors and participated in a few lessons. Over the year CRE discussed a variety of topics including conservation and social emotional lessons from the Big Life Journal. We also did charity work through raising money with homemade crafts around the holiday season. New this year, we initiated Family Fun Nights where families joined together for social activities and to connect outside of the regular congregation time. These were a huge success and when we are able to meet in person again, we will plan more of them! To keep our CRE group connected during this challenging time, we have decided it’s best to plan outdoor activities when we can. Our first was a fall hike on October 17th and in the future, we plan to gather for sledding, ice skating, night hiking, and more over the winter months. Once we are able to meet in person again, our lessons’ focus will be around anti-racism and nurturing diversity. We plan to touch on some of these important topics and values while we meet in person during the winter activities outdoors!
Membership Committee Report
by Marge Bates
The Membership Committee continued to facilitate Sunday Coffee and Soup Sunday. We were able to hold an Orientation Meeting for prospective members, but were unable to welcome them to the Fellowship due to COVID. We were also working on our own goal of supporting LGBQ, but again, COVID interfered. Hoping we have a better second half this year.
Program Committee Report 2019-2020
Looking forward to 2020-2021 Program Year
2019-2020 Chairs: Pam Peterson and Lisa Bershok
2020-2021 Chairs: Pam Peterson and Charlotte Stephens
2019-2020 Committee Members: Bettina Hixson, Wendy Schoen, Lucinda Hudson, Deb Williams, Dave Mitchell, Charlotte Stephens
2020-2021 Committee Members: Bettina Hixson, Wendy Schoen, Lucinda Hudson, Sally Pitzen
The Program Committee co-chairs would like to give a HUGE thank you to the dedication and hard work that our committee members put in to create wonderful lay-led services, bring in community presenters, and organize the various UU ministers who visit us. This year we have had to use more creativity in thinking through our programs to work in a virtual format. We want to thank those that have helped with program logistics in making our virtual services successful, especially to Tom Hergert and Lisa Bershok for the tech work.
Due to COVID-19, our Sunday programs ended in March 2020. We held 26 Sunday programs prior to our program year ending early.
2019-2020 Sunday program presentations
UU Ministers = 7
Program sub-committees = 6
UU Congregants = 1
Social Justice committee collaboration = 3
UU Musicians = 1
Non-UU Clergy = 2
General community = 6
Looking Forward
We have been having two services a month and plan to continue this throughout the program year. Services will be led by UU ministers, professionals, and members of the Program Committee. Also, we are having a short connection time following each service. In addition, we are having one Sunday a month to have “Coffee Talk”, an extended social connection time. We have also been working with the Willmar UU Program Committee and will be partnering with them as they host services on our “open” Sundays.
As always, if you or your committee have suggestions for programming, speakers you would like to hear, or are willing to develop a program, we would love to hear from you! There are also opportunities to be involved in specific sub-committee development of lay-led services without having to join the committee fully.
Calendar Reminders
AVOID ZOOM CONFLICTS: We encourage you to use the Zoom licenses for video conferencing, but please follow the standard reservation process to ensure the Zoom “meeting room” (license) is available at the time you would like to make use of it and to allow others to see planned meetings on the calendar.
Please check the online calendar on our website for scheduled Zoom meetings at www.uufstcloud.org/calendar. A meeting event/room reservation button to submit a form for reservation requests can be found below the calendar on the website. This same button can be used to schedule any Zoom meetings. Please reach out to Jessica Beierman at calendar@uufstcloud.org if you have any questions.
Tom Hergert and Jim Hixson have agreed to be the contacts for the Zoom License and will provide a tutorial for anyone needing to learn how to host a Zoom Meeting. Their contact information can be found in the new UUF Directory.