May 4 “On the Edge of Eternity” – Rev. Jay Ludwig
Sometimes God gives us the honor of accompanying someone as they approach that sacred moment when they pass from this life to the next. What might be helpful to keep in mind in order to be fully present with our loved one on their journey to eternity?
Reverend Ludwig served as the Children’s Pastor and Administrator at City Hill Church, a non-denominational church in Eden Prairie, for over 20 years. Before that he was the chaplain at Cornerstone Assisted Living and Memory Care in Plymouth, MN and is currently the chaplain at Redeemer Health and Rehab in Minneapolis.
New Members will be welcomed into the Society in a short ceremony at the beginning of the service.
Poetry Group meets after the service.
Social Action Committee meets after the service.
Join Us After Services to Plant Flowers and Prairie Grass.
May 11 “Green Space and Environmental Justice” – Ellen Esch
Ellen Esch grew up in UUSRF, daughter of Lynn Huiskamp and Jay Esch. She is inspired by nature and works in forest planning and policy for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. She also develops new data sets, builds tools to help communities apply research findings to local planning efforts, and is particularly interested in helping the Twin Cities region understand global change processes to plan for a more sustainable and equitable future. Her talk will touch on the historic inequities in access to green space, and the intersection between trees, climate change, environmental justice, public health, and natural resource conservation. She has a BA in biology and environmental studies from Carleton College and a PhD in biology from the University of California San Diego.
Book Club meets after the service.
May 18 Annual Meeting
Year in review, budget information, elections, passing of the presidential pussy willows, potluck and celebration of this successful rebuilding year!
At the Annual Meeting on May 18 we will be electing three board members. The Nominating Committee of Kate Jones, Kate Ihus and Michelle Foster is recommending: Kate Ihus (President Elect), Tina Domeyer (3 Year At-Large), Colin Lifshitz (1 Year At-Large). Nominations will also be accepted from the floor at the Annual Meeting with oral or written permission of the nominee. A quorum of members is needed to conduct Society business and elections. The agenda, proxy and on-line ballots will be available here before the meeting.
Poetry Group meets after the service.
May 25 “Empathy vs. Compassion” – Emily Jacobson
Emily is a mom, a wife, an acupuncturist, a business owner, a marketer, a tai chi instructor, plus so much more…but most of all, she’s an enthusiast! Emily says, “While wearing all these hats and living in a sensitive body, I have learned the power of managing my empathy to serve me rather than dictate me. Throughout the years as I have navigated this world and all the people in it, I have shifted from feeling ALL the feelings of what is in my presence, to staying steady in my body with curiosity, love, and compassion.
Empathy vs. compassion. It’s such a fine line. And when it’s crossed, it will either consume you or fill you. I look forward to sharing more with you about my journey and the results of turning down the volume of empathy to make room for compassion.”
Book Club meets after the service.
Looking ahead to June…
June 1
No service. Building will be open for community time.
June 8 “Ukraine through the lives of the Rusev family” – Omar and Linda Warner
Omar and Linda Warner, their family and friends, have supported the Rusev family of Odesa, Ukraine since shortly after the Russian invasion of 2022. Omar will share with us the plight of the Rusevs, from the women and children escaping at the start of the war and their decision to return home; the uninterrupted work of Ivan protecting nature on the shores of the Black Sea; to starting a sustainable agriculture project in Ukraine that employs Roman Rusev and supports research agronomists who continue their work despite the full scale war. The Rusevs remind us how family and faith help carry us through times of crisis.
Omar was raised in the Twin Cities and Linda in River Falls where they now live. Omar trained as an ethnobotanist and has worked in nature conservation and sustainable agriculture in 25 countries, including Russia and Ukraine.