Yesterday, Essex Garner, a retired National Guardsman and professor of Art Education at Lincoln University, visited the Fellowship to talk about his award-winning paintings of the Buffalo Soldiers.  In an engagingly personal talk, Garner described how existing images of African-Americans in the military just didn't cut it for him as a black man or as a military veteran, then further described adventures he went through and people he met as --- being an artist who works from life and from photographs --- he assembled replica uniforms, weapons, models, and even horses.  Along the way he learned surprising lessons about black history, and in particular black religious history.  He found out that chaplaincy was one of the few officerships available to blacks in the Civil War era, and the Bible was the only book blacks were legally permitted to read --- historical realities that shaped the black prophetic tradition all the way down to Martin Luther King, Jr. and even to today.

Garner's paintings are still on display in Memorial Hall at Lincoln University.  You can see some of them and learn more at his website, www.essexgarner.com.

Next Sunday, May 3rd:

Adult Forum - 9:15 am
"Should We Have an Adult Forum Policy?," Laura Gilkey
We will discuss whether and how our Forum should establish policies regarding privacy, topic selection, etc.  If you're interested in these issues or have other issues to bring up, please come and give your input!

Service and Religious Education - 10:30 am
Message: "Hanging: Life Is What Happens While You’re Making Other Plans," Rev. Mike Adamek
This sermon is a little Zen, a dose of the Dude from Big Lebowski, and the joy of recognizing myself in the conversation between Zen Master Bernie Glassman and actor Jeff Bridges.  I am betting you too will recognize yourselves in the way they express their truths.  If the truth is always encountered but rarely perceived, they model a perception which is available for us all.

Plus Children's RE with Lisa Sanning; Aide Needed!

Youth RE is available.  Contact Alexis Engelbrecht-Villafañe

UUFJC News and Events this week:

The May Newsletter and print calendar are ready!  Paper copies are available in the back of the Sanctuary and electronic copies are available on request.

We are starting to draw up next year's budget, and we need your pledges (or estimates of giving) so that we can plan accordingly.  If you haven't yet turned in a pledge form or talked to our Treasurer, Bob Antweiler, please do so!  However much or little you can give, it's a big help to let us know!

If we're going to have our annual Rummage Sale, we need a brave volunteer to head it up!  Our previous Rummage Sale guru, Pat Goetz, has moved away.  This is usually our biggest fundraiser of the year and a way that we connect with the community, but it is a lot of work.  If you're willing to take it on, contact Bob Antweiler.  If no one steps up by next Sunday, May 3rd, we will plan on not having a sale this year.

Mark your calendars for our Spring Cleaning Day, Saturday, May 16th.  We have various jobs to do both indoors and out, but it'll be fast and fun if we all work together.  Contact Katherine Connor.

Also mark your calendars for our Annual Business Meeting, coming Sunday, May 17th.  We will approve a new budget, elect next year's officers, and more.  If you can't come but want your voice to be heard, you can designate someone to vote on your behalf; contact Secretary Laura Gilkey for a Proxy Voting form.

Faith Voices for Jefferson City holds its monthly assembly this evening, Monday, April 27th at 6:30 pm at Quinn Chapel AME Church.  This meeting will be part of Faith Voices' ongoing Conversation on Race.  People who've been to previous Conversations describe them as eye-opening and transformative, and this one is sure to be no exception.

This Thursday, April 30th is Citizens for Jefftran's Ride the Bus Day, including a program from 11:30 am to 1 pm at the Fire Dept. Museum.  There's a flier in the back of the Sanctuary, or you can find Citizens for Jefftran on Facebook.  Expanding public transit is one of our priorities with Faith Voices, so please help if you can!

This Friday, May 1st is our First Friday Social, and grilling weather is finally here!  Come hang out, bring food for yourself or to share, enjoy our grill and patio, music, games, whatever!  Contact Katherine Connor.

"Why We Should Fear Islamophobia," the presentation by Dr. Mel Underbakke originally scheduled for next Sunday, May 3rd, has been rescheduled to May 31st.  Sorry for any inconvenience!

Community Events this week:

This Wednesday, April 29th at 7 pm, Whitney Carter, one of Ruth Robertson's Vocal Students will be presenting her senior recital in Pawley Theater, on ground floor of the Martin Luther King Building on LU Campus.  Free and open to the public.  Carter, a mezzo-soprano, will present a program of Classical and Broadway music.  Contact Ruth Robertson.

This Thursday, April 30th at 7 pm in the Art Gallery, Missouri River Regional Library hosts An Evening with Mark Schreiber and Marlene Loyd Lee.  The two authors will discuss their books about the old Missouri State Penitentiary-- Schreiber’s book  a historical survey, and Lee’s  a novel set in the prison and surrounding neighborhood of Capitol Avenue. They will share the reasons they wrote their books and answer questions about their research and writing. Schreiber was associate warden of the State Penitentiary and has lectured widely on the prison and historical Missouri topics. Lee has been a teacher and court reporter and recently returned to Missouri after living in New York City. Both authors graduated from Jefferson City High School. Lee’s novel, Limestone Wall, will be available for signing and purchase after the program. Schreiber’s books are available at the Jefferson City Convention and Visitors’ Bureau.  Contact Madeline Matson.

This week, Capitol City Cinema presents "Seymour: an introduction" through Thursday, then, beginning on Friday, "An Honest Liar" (about renowned magician and skeptic James "The Amazing" Randi).  For showtimes and more information visit www.capitolcitycinema.org.

For yoga and even more events, see our Calendars.

This morning, Rev. Nancy brought us a message about "The Cost of Spring."  Nature nurtures the softly sculpted petals, the delicate vibrant colors that we see emerging all around us, but Nature also brings the battering rains and the harsh summer sun.  Nature is both nurturing and implacable, and we are no exception.  Will we pay the "cost of beginning," of being buffeted by the inevitable obstacles and reverses, or will we retreat into attempts to protect and insulate ourselves, and pay the cost of lives not fully lived?

Next Sunday, April 26th:

Adult Forum - 9:15 am
"National Poetry Month," Bob Boldt
In honor of National Poetry Month, our next Adult Forum will be devoted to the art of poetry.  Participants are invited to bring in favorite poems, either their own compositions or ones by another favorite poet.

Service and Religious Education - 10:30 am
Message: "Buffalo Soldiers," Essex Garner
Garner is a retired National Guardsman and teaches in the Art Education Department at Lincoln University.  He will discuss his paintings of the Buffalo soldiers, the first peacetime, all-Black regiment in the US Army.   An exhibition of the paintings, entitled "Blue on Black," is on display for the month of April at Lincoln University's Memorial Hall.  For images and more information about his work, visit Garner's website: www.essexgarner.com

Plus Children's RE with Ted Koenig; Aide Needed!

Youth RE is available.  Contact Alexis Engelbrecht-Villafañe

UUFJC News and Events this week:

Submissions for the May Newsletter and Print Calendar are due TODAY.  Please e-mail any last-minute items to Laura Gilkey ASAP.

We need Adult Forum leaders for May.  Contact Laura Gilkey.

Our Treasurer, Bob Antweiler, is meeting with voting members of the Fellowship; please check the voter list on the bulletin board in the Sanctuary and see Bob if your name is there.

If we are going to hold our annual Rummage Sale, we need a brave volunteer to head it up, as our previous Rummage Sale guru has moved away.  This is usually our biggest fundraiser of the year and a way that we connect with the community, but it is a lot of work!  If you're willing to take it on, contact Bob Antweiler.

Mark your calendars for our Spring Cleaning Day, Saturday, May 16th.  We have various jobs to do both indoors and out, but it'll be fast and fun if we all work together.  Contact Katherine Connor.

Former UUFJC member Jessica Blome, who moved to San Francisco, needs help with vet school loans and suddenly-rising housing costs.  Contact Rebecca Bax about how to lend a hand.

The Transgender Support Group meets this Thursday, April 23rd at 7 pm.  Contact Ari Morse.  

This Friday, April 24th is our monthly Salvation Army work day.  Contact Bob Antweiler if you can help prepare or serve food for those in need.  Serving begins at 5 pm; please arrive by 4:30 to prepare.

Later Friday evening at 7 pm is the monthly Last Friday Documentary film: "Lost in La Mancha," the tragicomic tale of Terry Gilliam's unsuccessful attempt to create a film version of Don Quixote.  Contact Bob Boldt for more information.

Next Sunday, April 26th at 1:30 pm, the Shared Pulpit sermon seminar will hold its first meeting.  Contact Alexis Engelbrecht-Villafañe.

Community Events this week:

The Earth Day Festival in Peace Park at University of Missouri - Columbia, originally scheduled for today, was postponed to next Sunday, April 26th, due to the stormy weather.

Monday, April 20th at 7 pm in the Art Gallery, Missouri River Regional Library hosts Dr. J. Sanford (Sandy) Rikoon, who directs the Community Food systems and Sustainable Agriculture Program at the University of Missouri-Columbia. He also directs the Missouri Hunger Atlas, a program of MU’s Interdisciplinary Center for Food Security. The Atlas provides county-by-county assessment of the extent of food insecurity in the state and measures the work of public and private programs intended to help people struggling with hunger. First issued in 2008, the Atlas is now in its third edition. Rikoon will explain the development and uses of the Atlas. As reported in the Atlas, Missouri ranks among the top 10 states with the highest percentage of residents classified as food insecure.  Contact Madeline Matson.

Earth Day Lobby Day at the Missouri State Capitol is this Wednesday, April 22nd.  Participants will meet at 9:45 am in House Hearing Room 7, with the Sierra Club, Missouri Coalition for the Environment, and Show Me Solar.  A rally will follow at 2 pm in the rotunda.  For more information, visit Show Me Solar's Facebook page or contact Mollie Freebairn.

Next Sunday, April 26th at 1 pm, Theressa Mello, one of Ruth Robertson's Vocal students, will be presenting her senior recital in Pawley Theater, on ground floor of the Martin Luther King Building at Lincoln University.  The event is free and open to the public.  Mello is a soprano and will present a mostly classical program with Katja Otto-Gentry on cello and guest artist Dr. Stephen Houser on clarinet.  Contact Ruth Robertson for more information.

Rebecca Bax is still gauging interest in Inclusion Project of JCMO's effort to build an accessible playground.  Contact Rebecca for more information.

This week, Capitol City Cinema presents "Serena" and "Seymour: an introduction."  For showtimes and more information, visit capitolcitycinema.org.

For yoga and even more events, see our Calendars.

Spring is here, plants are growing, and that means it's time to start tending our gardens.  At today's service, our own Bob Boldt and local farmer Mike Oney came to talk about the NEEED Project's Heart of Missouri Gardens, a community garden that last year supplied fresh produce to local senior centers.  They're looking for volunteers to make this year even better, a true volunteer "opportunity" --- gardening is good for body and soul!  Garden-grown Nutrition, however, is only the first letter of the NEEED Project's name; its goals also address Energy, Environment and Economic Development.  Visit neeedproject.org for more information on how they're addressing these issues and how you can help in the garden or get involved.

Next Sunday, April 19th:

May Newsletter Submissions Due
Please e-mail items to Laura Gilkey

Adult Forum - 9:15 am
"Knowledge Isn't Power," Laura Gilkey
New York Times columnist and Nobel prize-winning economist Paul Krugman questions the conventional wisdom that education will solve our current economic woes.

Service and Religious Education - 10:30 am
Message: "The Cost of Spring," Rev. Nancy Tanner-Thies
(Note the change of title and focus from what was in the April Newsletter.)  Rev. Nancy will be reflecting on the words of Laurie Dietrich who writes in part,  “She Begins.  She begins because beginnings are what she does… She gifts you the secrets of beginning…  She’ll fail, of course. You’ll defy her…”  We will consider what we can learn about beginnings as we move further in to this burgeoning springtime. 

Plus Children's RE with Roger Tanner-Thies; Aide Needed!

Youth RE is available.  Contact Alexis Engelbrecht-Villafañe

Potluck Lunch to follow the service.  Please bring a dish!

UUFJC News and Events this week:

Our Treasurer, Bob Antweiler, is meeting with voting members of the Fellowship; please check the voter list on the bulletin board in the Sanctuary and see Bob if your name is there.

The Worship Service Committee meets tomorrow, Monday, April 13th at 6:30 pm.  All are welcome to attend.  Contact Carol Bontempo.

American Association of University Women meets this Thursday, April 16th at 7 pm.  This month's speaker is Stephanie Johnson, Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Club.  The Club was recently awarded a million-dollar grant to support STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Education.  Contact Charlotte Parsons.

The MidAmerica UUA Regional Assembly begins this Friday, April 17th in Naperville, Illinois.  Visit midamericauua.org and click on "Events" for more information.

Next Sunday, April 19th at 4 pm is the monthly Laughter Yoga session.  Free and open to all.  Contact Jan Harcourt.

Community Events this week:

Rebecca Bax is gauging interest in Inclusion Project of JCMO's effort to build an accessible playground.  Contact Rebecca for more information.

This Tuesday, April 14th, Citizens for Peace meets at Missouri River Regional Library, upstairs in the Art Gallery.  Contact Betty Cooper.

Later Tuesday evening at 7 pm, also in their Art Gallery, MRRL presents "40 Years of Protecting Missouri's Environmental Resources."  This year, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources is celebrating its 40th anniversary. Renee Bumgartner, a DNR public information officer, will show a new film about the department’s achievements over the years and answer questions about the variety of activities in which the agency’s staff are involved—programs as diverse as historic preservation, soil and water conservation, hazardous waste enforcement, and the state park system.  Contact Madeline Matson.

This Thursday, April 16th at 7 pm, Columbia Area NOW meets at the Hy-Vee Restaurant at Broadway and Fairview in Columbia.  Non-members and new members are welcome.  Contact Sue Gibson.

Next Sunday, April 19th at 3 pm, Jasmine Daniel, one of Ruth Robertson's Vocal Students, will be presenting her senior recital in Pawley Theater, on ground floor of the Martin Luther King Building, just East of the Richardson Fine Arts Center (710 E. Dunklin) on LU Campus.  The event is free and open to the public.  Daniel is a mezzo-soprano and will sing a program of Classical , Spirituals, Broadway music.  Contact Ruth Robertson.

This week, Capitol City Cinema presents "What We Do in the Shadows" and "Serena."  For showtimes and more information, visit capitolcitycinema.org.

For yoga and even more events, see our Calendars.

Happy Easter!

Yesterday, when Christians celebrated the resurrection of Jesus, Rev. Mike brought us a message exploring the Christian roots of Unitarian Universalism, and what part of that Christian inheritance we might embrace as universal.  We can take universal lessons from Jesus' teachings about how to treat one another, but Rev. Mike argued that we are also called to something further, whether we call it "relationship with God," or, in the words of our own covenant, "harmony with the universe," some kind of reach beyond into something deeper and transcendent.

On a day celebrating a story of resurrection, we also celebrated the return of Spring with our annual Flower Communion.  Thanks to everyone who was there and helped make it a beautiful ceremony!

Next Sunday, April 12th:

Adult Forum - 9:15 am
"5 Problems Facing the UN," Frank Rycyk
The UN is nearing its 70th aniversary.  However, according to a recent AP story, "The world has changed dramatically since the United Nations was established after World War II, but the organization has not adapted to reflect the 21st century."

Service and Religious Education - 10:30 am
Message: "NEEED and Heart of Missouri Gardens," Jack Ryan
Ryan is the founder of the NEEED Project, a charitable, educational and community service organization. NEEED is an acronym derived from the first letter of the words Nutrition, Energy, Environment and Economic Development. The nutritional component of the project is the Heart of Missouri Gardens which grows produce for donation to food pantries. The Heart of Missouri Gardens will be looking for volunteers this year to assist with planting, maintenance, harvesting, and distribution of produce to the food insecure in our community.

Plus Children's RE with Barb Koenig; Aide Needed!

Youth RE is available.  Contact Alexis Engelbrecht-Villafañe

UUFJC Board - 1:30 pm
All are welcome to attend the Board meeting.  This meeting's agenda and the previous meeting's draft minutes are available on the bulletin board in the back of the Sanctuary, and electronic copies are available on request.

UUFJC News and Events this week:

Our annual pledge forms are here!  See our Treasurer, Bob Antweiler, or the April Newsletter for a copy of the form and a letter from our Fellowship President, Katherine Connor.  Your pledges are very important for us as we draw up a budget for our activities in the coming year; your help is truly appreciated!

Any member willing to serve on the Board next year as Director of Religious Education is asked to please contact a member of the Nominating Committee: Bob Boldt, Kim Connor, or Frank Rycyk.

The books for the “Shared Pulpit” sermon seminar are in.  See Katherine Connor if you ordered one.  If you still need one, it’s available on Kindle and Google Play, or see Katherine for ordering information.

This Tuesday, April 7th at 7:30 am, Faith Voices for Jefferson City holds a Faith and Labor Alliance Breakfast at 2nd Baptist Church.  RSVP to Brenda Tish-Haller (573-634-3303  [email protected]) or to Michelle Scott-Huffman ([email protected]).

The Transgender Support Group meets this Thursday, April 9th, at 7 pm.  Contact Ari Morse.

This Friday, April 10th at 7 pm is the Reader’s Eye Film.  This month’s selection is “Rashomon,” Akira Kurosawa’s classic tale of unreliable witnesses.  Contact Bob Boldt.

Community Events this week:

Rebecca Bax is gauging interest in Inclusion Project of JCMO's effort to build an accessible playground.  Contact Rebecca for more information.

This Thursday, April 9th at 7 pm in the Art Gallery, Missouri River Regional Library hosts recent UUFJC speaker Bob Priddy for his "Reflections on a Capital Career."  Priddy has enjoyed a distinguished career not only for his work as a journalist, newscaster and radio personality but also for the important books of Missouri history he has written. He is the author of Across Our Wide Missouri, a multi-volume series, and his long interest in art has resulted in The Art of the Missouri Capitol: History in Canvas, Bronze, and Stone and Only the Rivers Are Peaceful: Thomas Hart Benton’s Missouri Mural. Priddy will share observations and stories about his experiences covering Missouri government and politics over some 40 years.  Contact Madeline Matson.

From a recent speaker to an upcoming speaker, "Blue on Black," an exhibition of Essex Garner's paintings of the Buffalo Soldiers, is on display for the month of April at Lincoln University's Memorial Hall.  An Artist Reception will be held this Friday, April 10th, from 4:30 to 8 pm, in cooperation with Jefferson City Art Around Town.  Images of the paintings can be seen at Garner's website: http://www.essexgarner.com/

For yoga and even more events, see our Calendars.