BUF MWU November 16, 2016

Help Wanted! Office & Administrative Volunteers are very much needed at BUF. If you have basic computer skills [Microsoft Office Software like Word, Excel, etc.] and are interested in learning / know how to use the copier…you will be put to good work in the BUF Office! Note if you have advanced computer or IT skills…you can be put to good work, too, to move our Hardware and software upgrade project forward! Just call or drop by the BUF Office. J Thank you! ~ Tammy Jo 733-3837, [email protected].

Thanksgiving dinner at BUF An annual tradition at BUF. A BUF community family dinner with all the fixings (pot luck of course). We'll fix the turkey and dressing (both regular and GF - yes we found a reliable source for GF), you help with the rest. We will begin with "family games" and conversation about 1:00 and continuing thru the afternoon until about 4:30 or 5:00 - whenever the turkey and ham are ready. Then the wonderful pot luck dinner will be served. Just let us know what you are bringing, and how many to expect (we don't want to run out of turkey or ham). Of course, as with any family thing, we are all expected to help clean up. Donations will be taken to offset the cost of the turkey and ham. Date: 11/24/2016 (Thu.) Time: 1:00pm - 7:00pm PST Location: BUF Social hall and Library To RSVP please use the Sign-up Genius invitation at http://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080b4cada82ea64-thanksgiving1 If you did not receive the invitation, please contact the Frank MacDonald at [email protected]

Mira and the Big Story This Sunday November 20th, there will be auditions for the Religious Education department’s holiday play adaptation of “MIRA AND THE BIG STORY” written by Laura Alary and illustrated by Sue Todd.

We will be performing during service December 18th. We would love to have all the children and youth R.E. classes involved. Rehearsal for all parts will be Sunday mornings at 9 AM in the flex room. (Nov. 27, Dec. 4, 11, 18) If you would like a part we ask that you can make at least 3 of these rehearsals, with DEC 18th being mandatory. The Primary Roles will also be required to attend Wednesday rehearsals at 4 PM (Nov. 30, Dec. 7, 14). There will also be parts for children that are not part of the story; chalice lighter, celebrant, Song soloist, etc… Pre-school children (and younger) will have the opportunity to be part of the BIG BANG in a costume of their choosing (really, anything) and DO NOT need to be part of rehearsals, (we would like them to be there Dec 18th at 9 AM, for dress rehearsal, if possible) Contact Jennifer Smith at [email protected] for more info.

HUMANITAS - HELPING PEOPLE IN A PINCH It is always distressing to lose a wallet or purse and have to begin the painstaking process of renewing a driver’s license or other form of ID, but for those who have no security net under them it is disastrous. We have had a number of clients whose entire belongings, scant though they are, have been stolen. With no money and lack of resources to procure information to prove who they are, they are destined for even tougher times. There is not

much to be accomplished without an ID. One’s life comes to a standstill. Enter Access ID. At the meeting of the support group of churches two weeks ago, we all agreed to put the replacing of a lost or stolen ID at the top of our list. Working with Access ID, which finds birth certificates and other background information for people to prove who they are, we pay for the cost of copies of these documents. A woman in this predicament came to see us last week. Her social security card and expired driver’s license, her only forms of ID, had been stolen. With information from Access ID, we covered the cost of sending for her out-of-state documentation, which will take about three weeks to get here. In the meantime, she is staying at the Lighthouse Mission. She has nowhere else to go. Please consider joining our Ten-Bucks-A Month Club to help defray the costs of this and our other services. Forms are available from the office or you can e-mail [email protected] for more information. Thank you to all of you who have helped us over the years. We are very appreciative. The Humanitas Team

November 16 It’s November and we’re Still Stitching and Singing! On November 16th at 5:00 pm, come enjoy fellowship and friendship while producing 80 choir stoles that need to be completed by December 21st. All skill levels welcome. Work will have oversight by team members. There will be a lot of repetitive tasks that can be learned with the assistance of team mentors. People with a proficient skill set for sewing will be assigned to one of our two sewing machines and have the added support of teams to iron and give a final overview of the final product. For more information contact: Lisa Moss at [email protected] 6:00 PM Community Night Dinner 6:45 PM Wednesday Night Fun Night

Voices of BUF: • 6:45 PM BUF Chalice Choir Rehearsal • 8:10 PM BUF Phoenix Ensemble • 8:10 PM BUF Women's Choir Rehearsal

November 17 10:00 AM Chalice Circle - Alice Litton

A Miracle of Mindfullness “Mindfulness is like that—it is the miracle which can call back in a flash our dispersed mind and restore it to wholeness so that we can live each minute of life.” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh Following the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh, the Flowering Cherry Sangha Mindfulness Meditation Group takes part in meditation, study, discussion, and chanting. Join us at 2:00 pm on November 17th in the Meditation Room downstairs. Chairs are provided; bring a cushion if you wish. For more information contact contact David Gillespie at [email protected] or Lynn Barton at [email protected].

The Buddha in the Attic Please join us to discuss our current read, which tells the story of a group of young women brought from Japan to San Francisco as “picture brides” nearly a century ago. “The Buddha in the Attic” traces the extraordinary lives of these women, from their arduous journeys by boat, to their arrival in San Francisco and their tremulous first nights as new wives; from their experiences raising children who would later reject their culture and language, to the deracinating arrival of war.' -Amazon Nov. 17, 2016 at 7pm at Murray Bennett and Claire Lending's house: 3915 Cliffside Dr, B'ham. Questions to Jan Cavitt, [email protected] Copies from the library book kit may become available as members finish reading theirs.

November 18

“Angst and Thanks Through Words and Song” In a world dominated by plugged-in electronic music, be refreshed when the Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship (BUF) Coffeehouse hosts an open mic gathering of laid-back acoustic musicians from 7-9pm Friday, November 18th, 1207 Elsworth St., upstairs in the Flex Room. Signup to perform is at 6:45pm. Light refreshments will be available; donations to offset the costs are welcome. Acoustic musicians, singers, writers, jokesters and performers are invited to present for about 10 minutes each. Although material related to the theme is optional, it is encouraged. Shasta Pettijohn—event coordinator—will serve as M.C. Info: [email protected], or BUF, 360-733-3837

November 20 9:15 AM Sunday Forum 10:30 AM Worship 11:30 AM Coffee Hour

11:45 AM Kids' Choir 12:00 PM Brunch @ Hearthfire 12:00 PM High School Coffee Hour

Native American Connections Committee Meeting A brief meeting will be held on November 20th, at 12:10 pm in the BUF conference room for all congregants especially those who have already signed on to BUF’s Native American Connection group. Amongst other things we will be discussing the up coming December 11th Special Congregational Meeting where we will be voting on 1) Proposed Expression of Support for the Standing Rock Sioux Nation and 2) Proposed Stone Marker to be placed in front of BUF Acknowledging and Honoring Lhaq’temish Peoples’ Traditional Territory. This will be the first recognition of its kind in the entire county, and reflects BUF’s unique commitment and connection to our Coast Salish neighbors The Board and the Social and Environmental Connections Committee would like congregants to see a more visible presence of the broader Native American Connections supporters in the congregation. Important decisions and opportunities will be discussed at this meeting. For more information, contact: [email protected], 738-8899

The Inner Spirit of India There are 2 epics from ancient India: The Ramayana and The Mahabharata. They mold the lives of the Hindus all over the world as they depict the inner spirit of India and the essence of their religion. The group is reading The Mahabharata and invites you to join us in reading this most influential Indian Epic. Please join us even if you cannot attend all the meetings. In its original form, the Mahabharata is a large book, ‘about 3 million words, some 7 times the Iliad and Odyssey combined and a hundred times more interesting.’ The Gita, which we have heard so much about, comes from the Mahabharata. Many English translations (and abridgements) of the Mahabharata exist. We plan to read The Mahabharata by Chakravarthi V. Narasimhan (Columbia

University Press), where the story is condensed to 216 pages. If you have another Mahabharata, please feel free to read that one. The story is the same. Bellingham Library have 3 different Mahabharata copies. Please see if you like any of these, one being a superb translation in poetic form by Carole Satyamurti. On Sundays through December 4th, we will be meeting at 3:00 pm in the BUF library and plan to finish the book on December 4th. Then we hope to see the movie by Peter Brooks. For any questions, please contact Debu Majumdar at [email protected] 4:00 PM YRUU

Lesbian Movie Night BUF’s INTERWEAVE - for the LBGTQ Community is sponsoring this event on November 20th, 4:00 pm. $5 Taco Bar after the movie. Bring a taco topping. BYOB. BUF will supply shells and meat filling (non meat too if you can tell me what that might be). Invite your women friends to join us. Bring your lesbian movies, we will choose a movie and the make a calendar for more movies. We can watch from Netflix if anyone has an account. For more info contact: Cathy Campbell at [email protected]

November 21 Helping You Help Your Loved One. Powerful Tools for Caregivers Are you providing care for a loved one who has a chronic or newly diagnosed illness? Do you find yourself overwhelmed, and stressed by the increased demands on your time and energy? Have you had to cut back on activities and social interactions that you enjoyed and now find yourself getting depressed, angry, resentful, or even isolating yourself? Then this class is for you. Powerful Tools is an evidence based program that helps participants improve their own self-care behaviors (stay healthy), manage their emotions (reduce guilt,anger, and depression) increase self confidence and ability to cope with caregiving demands (self-efficacy), and utilization of community resources. Classes meet at BUF for 2.5 hours once a week for 6 weeks. $25 fee for materials. Registration is required as space is limited to 15 participants. Classes start Nov. 14, 2016 and run through Dec. 12, 2016.

12:00 noon to 2:30 with a break for refreshments. Call Kate Massey @ 360 676-6749 or Pam Graham @ 206 851-6600. 4:30 PM CANCELLED: Life Exercise

November 22 Lunch with Paul! Meet and eat with our minister Rev. Paul Beckel! On November 22nd at 12:00 pm, bring your own lunch for an informal conversation about whatever topics come up. An opportunity for us to get to know one another better!

November 23 10:00 AM Humanitas 12:00 PM Writer's Group 6:45 PM Wednesday Night Fun Night

November 24 Thanksgiving dinner at BUF November 24th, in the Social Hall and Library from 1:00-7:00 pm. An annual tradition at BUF. A BUF community family dinner with all the fixings (pot luck of course). We'll fix the turkey and dressing (both regular and GF - yes we found a reliable source for GF), you help with the rest. We will begin with "family games" and conversation about 1:00 and continuing thru the afternoon until about 4:30 or 5:00- whenever the turkey and ham are ready. Then the wonderful pot luck dinner will be served. Just let us know what you are bringing, and how many to expect (we don't want to run out of turkey or ham). Of course, as with any family thing, we are all expected to help clean up. Donations will be taken to offset the cost of the turkey and ham. To RSVP please use the Sign-up Genius invitation at

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080b4cada82ea64-thanksgiving1. If you did not receive the invitation, please contact the office.

A Miracle of Mindfullness “Mindfulness is like that—it is the miracle which can call back in a flash our dispersed mind and restore it to wholeness so that we can live each minute of life.” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh Following the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh, the Flowering Cherry Sangha Mindfulness Meditation Group takes part in meditation, study, discussion, and chanting. Join us at 2:00 pm on November 24th in the Meditation Room downstairs. Chairs are provided; bring a cushion if you wish. For more information contact David Gillespie at [email protected] or Lynn Barton at [email protected].

November 27 Social and spiritual sustenance for BUF’s Men On November 27th at 12:15 pm, the Men’s Group will be meeting for friendly, fraternal conversations that provoke reflection, insight, humor, and enduring friendships. Men of all ages are welcome. For more information, contact Ron Quinn at [email protected] or Mike Brunt at [email protected].

3 pm: Mahabarata Reading Group 4:00 PM YRUU

November 28

The Natural Balance in All Things . . . Join us at 4:30 pm on November 28th for Life Exercise, a program of gentle movement drawn from Chinese Tai Chi and Japanese health exercises. All levels of fitness are welcome. For more information, contact Lee Seaman, (360) 676-8543, [email protected].

HARNESSING THE POWER OF LOVE TO CREATE CHANGE Black Lives Matter Ministry Team meeting will be held on November 28th at 5:15 PM. The BUF Black Lives Matter Ministry Action Team seeks to nurture the social, spiritual and personal development of congregation members in the exploration of how racism and privilege impact our congregation, our community, and our nation. In particular, we acknowledge the targeted violence which impacts black people disproportionately. We are committed to harnessing the power of love to dismantle racism and white supremacy across our communities and to creating spaces inclusive of people of all races, ethnicities, and cultural backgrounds.

November 29 7:00 PM Board of Trustees