Prairie UU Society, 2010 Whenona Drive, Madison WI 53711–4843 (608) 271-8218 admin@uuprairie.com Located off the south frontage road (West Beltline Hwy Rd.) near the Seminole Hwy exit. PRAIRIE FIRE "As the prairie stretches out until it becomes one with the sky, let us reach out to touch and be one with the natural world and with one another." February 8, 2008 Prairie Fire is the semi-monthly newsletter of Prairie Unitarian Universalist Society. View past issues at www.uuprairie.org. President: Rachel Long, ra_a_l@tds.net; 608-328-4899 Editor: Dan Proud, admin@uuprairie.org; 661–0776 PRAIRIE CALENDAR Saturday, February 9 *9:00 a.m. Wild Outstanding Women (WOW) meets at home of Susan Herr-Hoyman, 503 S. Prospect Sunday, February 10 9:00 a.m. Choir rehearsal *10:00 a.m. "Cultural Diversity in a Spiritual Community" presented by Gladis Benavides Anot *11:45 a.m. Prairie Book Club discusses Murder in Amsterdam Monday, February 11 *6:30 p.m. Spanish Speakers meets at the home of Dave and Marcia Johnson, 305 S. Segoe Rd Tuesday, February 12 *7:00 p.m. Building Your Own Theology class Sunday, February 17 9:00 a.m. Choir rehearsal *10:00 a.m. "Fannie Barrier Williams" presented by the Rev. Ralph Tyksinski 11:45 a.m. Board Meeting Monday, February 18 7:00 p.m. Communications Committee Tuesday, February 19 *7:00 p.m. Building Your Own Theology class Saturday, February 23 *9:00 a.m. Congregational Planning Session Sunday, February 24 9:00 a.m. Choir rehearsal *10:00 a.m. “This I Believe”, 2nd in a series, with Mary Mullen, Dan Proud, and Jerry Simmons *11:30 a.m. Potluck and Annual Prairie Auction Tuesday, February 26 *7:00 p.m. Building Your Own Theology class Sunday, March 2 10:00 a.m. “Evolution of Life on Islands” presented by Prof. Tom Givnish *12:00 noon. Humanist Union potluck and talk by Prof. Givnish Sunday, March 9 12:00 noon. Congregational review of Plan Part Saturday, March 15 Fundraising Trip to Chicago Art Institute for Winslow Homer and Edward Hopper exhibits (* = Details follow in this issue.) NEXT INPUT DEADLINE SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 17 DETAILS OF COMING PROGRAMS Sunday, February 10 "Cultural Diversity in a Spiritual Community" will be presented by Gladis Benavides, founder and President of Benavides Enterpises, Inc. Her office is located in Madison, Wisconsin. Gladis has over thirty years of experience assisting individuals and groups to enhance their relationships and communication and successfully bridge their cultural differences and meet individual and collective challenges. She is a student and an expert in organizational culture and people’s interrelationships and the process that leads them to create successful and achievable results. She has been identified as somebody that possesses the Rosetta stone for unraveling and interpreting individuals’ perspectives, beliefs and positions and guiding them to reach consensus and closure in a respectful and ethical manner. She has established a solid reputation among professionals in fields such as law, education, labor, community-building and others. People are confident in seeking her expertise based on her ethics, professionalism, and knowledge. She has been widely recognized and has received multiple awards at regional, state, and local level, including the Martin Luther King Jr. Award and Hispanic Woman of the Year. Sunday, February 17 In observance of African-American history month we explore and celebrate the birthday and extraordinary life of Fannie Barrier Williams (February 12, 1855-March 4, 1944) an African American teacher, social activist, clubwoman, lecturer, Unitarian church woman, and journalist who worked for social justice, civil liberties, education, and employment opportunities, especially for women of color. Sunday, February 24 In this second service in the series “This I Believe,” Dan Proud, Jerry Simmons, and Mary Mullen will be presenting the ethical and religious beliefs they hold. Like the speakers in the first service on January 6, they will tell us first about the religious background they grew out of--not necessarily a pun-—and the turning points they may have experienced along the way. In explaining where they are now in the journey, they will probably deal with the sometimes thorny issues of what they believe about God, the Bible, and life after death. Come and hear what you have in common with them or how their beliefs are particular to them. Anne Lundin, who is the lay minister for this series, notes that what we believe may have both “contradictions and continuities” with what we were taught as young people, and that the idea behind the services is to promote tolerance for different beliefs. The series will help us live out the third and fourth principles of the UUA (Unitarian Universalist Association): “Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations,” and “A free and responsible search for truth and meaning.” After the presentation there will be plenty of time for people to share some of their own beliefs. A third “This I Believe” service will be held on April 27 with different Prairie people as presenters. The “This I Believe” series is an adaptation of the National Public Radio program by that name. Many of us have heard the 3-minute essays on "All Things Considered" or "Weekend Edition Sunday." The current NPR program is based on the 1950s radio program "This I Believe" hosted by acclaimed journalist Edward R. Murrow. In creating "This I Believe," Murrow said the program sought "to point to the common meeting grounds of beliefs, which is the essence of brotherhood and the floor of our civilization." RELIGIOUS EDUCATION RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS AROUND THE WORLD 11—Vasant Panchami (Hindu) 15—Nirvana Day (Buddhist) 17—St. Valentine's Day (Christian) 17—Triodion (Orthodox Christian) BABYSITTER SEEKS WORK Maya Urbanski, a Prairie 6th grader, recently earned a Red Cross babysitting certificate. She would like to sit for children ages 1-7. She is available Friday and Saturday evenings and during the day on Saturday and Sunday in Madison or nearby suburbs. Contact Maya at 608-221-4053. OUR SOCIETY GUEST AT YOUR TABLE IS HERE Our annual Guest at Your Table fundraiser puts our values into action around the world. Place a Guest at Your Table box on your family's table. Share your family’s blessings with your guest each day. Please return boxes or donations by April 27. For more information, contact Kathy Converse at conversekrtm(at)msn.com. WOW MEETS FEBRUARY 9 To all the wild outstanding women and friends of Prairie: Please note that our next meeting is at the home of Susan Herr-Hoyman on Saturday, February 9. Her address is 503 S. Prospect, Madison. We will continue with our discussions of what brings passion into our lives. Mary Mullen is our featured speaker. This is a breakfast potluck, so bring something to share. Any questions call Mary Somers 276-8397 or Susan Herr-Hoyman at 250-0559. ¿HABLA ESPANIOL? Spanish Speakers will meet for potluck and conversation on Monday, February 11, at 6:30 p.m. at the home of Dave and Marcia Johnson, 305 S. Segoe Rd. Everyone is welcome. Their phone number is 441-0271. For general questions or rides, call Rosemary Dorney, 238-4382. BUILDING YOUR OWN THEOLOGY BEGINS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12 Beginning at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 12, Prairie will be the place where you can explore the big questions that most of us find challenging and worth coming to terms with. If you find the following topics interesting and perhaps unsettled in your quest for meaning, then you might enjoy joining other seekers in the course called “Building Your Own Theology”: Doing Theology - A Liberal Religious Model Your Religious Odyssey - Autobiography with a Spiritual Twist Varieties of Liberal Religious Experience-Religion/Faith/Spiritual communities Ultimate Reality – the Nature of God/Higher Being Ethics - The Importance of Being Good for Nothing We are the Meaning Makers So What? What are the Imperatives of your Theology Wrapping It Up - A Credo All participants will be encouraged to work on a credo (“what I believe”) and share it at the last session. Participants will be from First Unitarian Society (FUS) and Prairie UU Society. Nick Schweitzer from FUS and Ralph Tyksinski from Prairie will be facilitating. A registration fee of $25 is required. Call Ralph at 608-873-6041 for more information or to register send an e-mail to revralph341(at)yahoo.com. (You can also register online with credit card at http://www.fusmadison.org/ae-reg-online.) Rev. Ralph Tyksinski PRAIRIE FUND RAISER: TRIP TO CHICAGO ART INSTITUTE ON MARCH 15 The Chicago Art Institute exhibition is the destination for our Saturday, March 15 trip: Edward Hopper and Winslow Homer's Watercolors: The Color of Light Exhibit. Cost of $64 is due by February 18, with checks made out to Prairie Society and mailed to Pat Watkins, 230 N. Meadow Lane, Madison 53705-3331. Confirmation with additional details will be mailed by February 25. See Prairie bulletin board. Edward Hopper (1882–967), is one of the most enduring and popular American painters of the 20th century. His paintings have been celebrated as a part of the very grain and texture of the American experience. This exhibition is the first comprehensive presentation of Hopper's work to be seen in American museums outside of New York in a quarter century. Surveying the artist's 70-year career, this exhibit will feature Hopper's watercolors and oil paintings, and concentrate on his most productive years from the mid-1920s to the mid-1950s when he created his most enduring images such as the Art Institute's iconic "Nighthawks" (1942). Edward Hopper and its companion exhibition, "Watercolors by Winslow Homer: The Color of Light," will provide a survey of the American realist tradition and chart the growth of modern subject matter from Homer, America's first modernist, to Hopper, the nation's best known 20th-century realist. AUCTION ITEMS NEEDED NOW (PLEASE) The Prairie Service Auction Donor form ran in the last newsletter and is available on the Prairie welcoming table for those of you who have just thought about what you might give or who still have your thinking caps on. The service auction is an annual fund-raising event that calls all members to the joy of sharing their talents with fellow Prairie members and friends. This year it will be held on Sunday, February 24, right after the Sunday service. Don’t be shy. Join the merry throng that has already offered - child and pet care, - rides to the airport, - gourmet meals with various themes (Afghan, Indian, Thyme, Wild Alaskan Salmon, winter BBQ, music), - hiking and biking picnics, - a game night, - delicious food (cookies, veggie pie), - computer help or digital live recording, - help around the house (spring cleaning, chain sawing, weeding, tree ID, actual trees), - custom photo calendar, - music for parties, - a wedding (you supply bride & groom!) To date we have 29 items offered including a few that can be taken home on the spot – such as that veggie pie and a hand-thrown casserole bowl. Last year we ended up with 46 items. You may also just send an e-mail to mmullen(at)chorus.net with the following information: - Item offered - More lengthy description – Be imaginative. Make it read like an advertisement. SELL it. - Date and time (especially if more than one person will be buying this item) - Number of people who can buy the item - Minimum bid, if any - Your contact information: name, phone numbers, e-mail address, street address A meal will be provided in connection with the auction. Pizza pieces will be available for a small fee. We ask that people bring salads to share. Mary Mullen AUCTION MEAL WILL BE PIZZA AND SALAD POTLUCK COMBO Just to set the record straight, the Service Auction meal on Sunday, February 24, will be a combination pizza and salad potluck combo. We are asking Dirk to bring his famous chili too. For the rest of you, please bring salad or salad-like items. That will go well with the variety of pizzas we will order as well as Dirk’s chili. The Finance Committee will ask you to donate toward the cost of any pizza you eat. We’ll set up the tables and start eating immediately after the Sunday service so that we can be well-fortified for making those fat bids! HUMANIST UNION TO HEAR EVOLUTION SPEAKER On Sunday, March 2, join us for lunch with Prof. Tom Givnish after his morning talk to Prairie on “Evolution of Life on Islands.” Our potluck lunch starts at noon, and our discussion with Prof. Givnish should wind up by 1:30 p.m. (More in the next Prairie Fire.) BOOK CLUB WINTER SCHEDULE The Prairie Book Club meets after the Sunday service on the specified dates, usually starting about 11:45 a.m. Participants bring food to share. We meet in the “couch room” downstairs. Anyone is welcome, whether you have completed the book or not. For more information, contact Mary Mullen, 298-0843, or mmullen(at)chorus.net. Upcoming Prairie Book Club selections: Sunday, March 16—-Arthur Miller's autobiography, Timebends CALL FOR LAY MINISTER AND LAY MINISTRY TOPICS One of the remarkable things about Prairie is that we lay people can take the podium—or pulpit, if you please—for a series of services, not just once a year. Prairie people who may want to do a lay ministry of 3 to 6 services or may have suggestions for a lay ministry series should talk to a member of the Program Committee, which always welcomes ideas and volunteers for single or pairs of services as well. Please express your ideas to the chair of the Program Committee, Susan Herr-Hoyman, herrs(at)danenet.org, or any other Program Committee member: Mary Mullen, Dorothy Krause, Ann Lundin, Rose Smith, or Galen Smith. Or if your ideas are already quite fully formed, put them in writing. CONGREGATIONAL PLANNING SESSIONS Upcoming Congregational Planning Sessions: Session I—Saturday, February 23, 9 a.m.– 3 p.m. Session II—Saturday, April 5, 9 a.m.–noon Session III—Saturday, May 31, 9 a.m.–noon STRATEGIC PLANNING SESSION I: MISSION AND VISION, FEBRUARY 23, 9:00 A.M.–3 P.M. Bring your kindness, honesty, enthusiasm, and comfortable clothes and get ready to dig in. We’ll be working together to better understand what is special about Prairie, and who we want to be. Our work should be satisfying and enjoyable, and there will be fun activities for kids throughout the day too. What to expect: Chalice lighting Introductions, discussion of agenda, ground rules Small group discussions: - Why am I part of Prairie? - What do we do well? - What can we do better? Lunch Break Our desired future—-small group discussion and individual voting on direction-setting priorities for Prairie in four categories: - Individual - Congregation - Wider Community - Global Getting there-—brainstorming and sorting priorities, reaching toward consensus. Possible action steps See you there! Rachel Long, President PRAIRIE FUND RAISER: TRIP TO CHICAGO ART INSTITUTE ON MARCH 15 The Chicago Art Institute exhibition is the destination for our Saturday, March 15 trip: Edward Hopper and Winslow Homer's Watercolors: The Color of Light Exhibit. Cost of $64 is due by February 18, with checks made out to Prairie Society and mailed to Pat Watkins, 230 N. Meadow Lane, Madison 53705-3331. Confirmation with additional details will be mailed by February 25. See Prairie bulletin board. Edward Hopper (1882–967), is one of the most enduring and popular American painters of the 20th century. His paintings have been celebrated as a part of the very grain and texture of the American experience. This exhibition is the first comprehensive presentation of Hopper's work to be seen in American museums outside of New York in a quarter century. Surveying the artist's 70-year career, this exhibit will feature Hopper's watercolors and oil paintings, and concentrate on his most productive years from the mid-1920s to the mid-1950s when he created his most enduring images such as the Art Institute's iconic Nighthawks (1942). Edward Hopper and its companion exhibition, Watercolors by Winslow Homer: The Color of Light, will provide a survey of the American realist tradition and chart the growth of modern subject matter from Homer, America's first modernist, to Hopper, the nation's best known 20th-century realist. CONGREGATIONAL PLANNING SESSIONS There is one change to the calendar since it went to the newsletter: the date for the first congregational planning session has been changed. Otherwise the calendar should be accurate. Congregational Planning Sessions: Session I—Saturday, February 23, 9 a.m.– 3 p.m. Session II—Saturday, April 5, 9 a.m.–noon Session III—Saturday, May 31, 9 a.m.–noon We hope to see all of you there. Watch for background information we'll use to prepare for the session, and more about the session itself in future Prairie Fires and emails. Thanks! Rachel Long LESSONS FROM THE GAME OF MONKEY GOLF With this past week’s wind chill factor’s plunging under –20 degrees on the Fahrenheit scale, and having exposed skin susceptible to frost bite in a matter of minutes, I have found my imagination taking flight to the coming of the warmer days of Spring and a chance to shoot a round of golf. This is not to say that I don’t find great beauty and moments of solace that have come along with the snows of ’07-’08. Making the most of what comes your way, through no fault of your own, is an opportunity to reach deep within your self to plumb your own well-springs of gratitude, appreciation, courage, and good fortune. UU minister Rev. John Nichols tells the following story that I share in the hope it offers a realistic view of life’s challenges. May Prairie meet coming challenges to the congregation, not with a sense of loss, but with an abundance of opportunities for practicing gratitude and self-understanding. According to Gregory Knox Jones in Play the Ball Where the Monkey Drops It, when the British colonized India they also indulged themselves in building golf courses. Apparently the golf course in Calcutta was built near a monkey habitat, and that location created a problem the course designers had not foreseen. The monkeys took to the game of golf, as they understood it, and thoroughly relished chasing the little white balls. Once in possession of the ball, they seemed to enjoy throwing it somewhere else. The course maintenance workers tried fencing the monkeys out, but no fence ever built could hold them. They attempted to lure the monkeys away, but the monkeys could not relinquish their pleasure from chasing golf balls and the sheer glee they expressed from being chased by the golfers. The golfers finally found they had no other choice but to include the monkeys in new rules of the game. The new rule was, if a monkey picked up your ball, you must play the ball where the monkey finally dropped it. This could work several ways. You might hit a drive screaming straight down the fairway only to have a monkey toss it into the rough. But, it is equally possible that you might slice the ball onto the wrong fairway only to have a monkey retrieve it and place it on the proper green. The monkeys brought equal measures of gratuitous bad luck and good fortune to the game. Life (including life at Prairie?) is a little bit like this. You can work hard and live right, or play all of the angles that you figure will lead to "success," and some monkey will still drop your ball onto the wrong fairway. On the other hand, many of us have been saved from a host of dumb mistakes by similarly random good luck. Play the ball where the monkey drops it? It’s a view that encourages us to take the tough breaks that come along less as a personal setback and more as an opportunity to make the best of real life situations that never will be completely predictable or satisfying to our own liking. What better choice is there? Glad to be journeying with you, Ralph A LOOK AT OUR LIVES: ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION (ENACT) TEAMS PRODUCE RESULTS [The second in a series of monthly guest articles that discusses what Prairie and Prairie members are doing to align our lives with our Mission Statement principles.] I am aware of two approaches to educating people on environmental issues. One approach gives them the background information and encourages them to take action. The other approach assumes people are interested, gives them a little background information to keep them motivated, and then gives them lots of practical choices for reducing their impact. I see value in both approaches. Each one works for different kinds of people. Me, I'm Polly Practical, so I gravitate to the one that tells me changes I can make right now. I have started 3 EnAct Teams over the years (plus facilitated a couple study courses for Sustain Dane). I love EnAct because it's full of practical (as well as far-out) things that I can do to reduce my ecological footprint. It has first steps, next steps, longer term projects, ideas for renters, and activities to do with children. The information is divided up by topic (energy, transportation, water quality, food, water conservation, and waste). If this months' topic is energy, each person on the team decides what action we will take this month to reduce their energy consumption. Then next month, we have to fess up about whether we actually did it. That keeps us legal. You fill out a survey at the beginning and again at the end, so you can track your impact (things like how many miles you drive or take the bus, how much your garbage weighs, and how long your showers are). There is a potluck celebration at the end, and the EnAct staff bring the groups' results (CO2 reduced and cost savings). Oh, yes, the average participant can save up to $400 a year, so it's good for the pocketbook as well. Every time I do a team, I find some new change I can make. The first team I sponsored was at Prairie. Then I wanted to get my neighbors together and talking to each other, so I did one on our block. Now there is a team going on the next block. It's really fun getting together with like-minded people (the green sheep of the church or the block). Don't think that you have to be a rabid environmentalist (like me). There's a guy on my block who had 3 kids under the age of 5. Even with his limited amount of free time, he was able to make changes that put him on target to save $400 a year (and they were relatively easy things to change). Maybe it's time to start another group at Prairie. I would love to do that if you're interested. To be fun and have interesting discussions, it needs 8-10 people. The study course is free, and you get some environmental goodies for participating. Let me know if you're interested. Judy Skog, 608-273-4813 MEMBERSHIP Please note the following change: Karleen Tyksinski mkt214(at)gmail.com DENOMINATIONAL NEWS COMMENTS NEEDED FOR PEACEMAKING CONGREGATIONAL STUDY/ACTION ISSUE “Congregational Study/Action Issues (CSAI) are an invitation for congregations to take a topic of concern confront it, reflect on it, learn about it, respond to it, comment on it take action—each in their own way.” Please comment on our current Study/Action Issue (SAI) 2006—2010 Peacemaking http://www.uua.org/socialjustice/issuesprocess/currentissues/ peacemaking/index.shtml "…should the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) reject the use of any and all kinds of violence and war…and adopt a principle of seeking just peace through nonviolent means." “the heart of peacemaking is seeking to find solutions that encompass all truths, rather than creating a competitive battle between two positions.” See also Peacemaking > Resource Guide http://www.uua.org/ socialjustice/issuesprocess/currentissues/peacemaking/resourceguide/ index.shtml Questions are available at http://www.uua.org/socialjustice/ issuesprocess/currentissues/peacemaking/44130.shtml Please submit comments to me by February 24. Thanks, Nancy Schraufnagel, Denominational Affairs Committee Chair DENOMINATIONAL NEWS ANTI-RACISM TASK FORCE HOSTS PROGRAM AT FIRST UNITARIAN SOCIETY The Journey Toward Wholeness (JTW) task force at FUS is engaged in anti-racism anti-oppression work. On Sunday, February 17 we will continue with our program Race: the Power of an Illusion with Episode 2 of this three-part series. A light lunch will be provided after the 11 a.m. service; the film will be shown in the auditorium at 1 p.m., followed by a guided discussion. Please join us! Episode 2: The Story We Tell uncovers the roots of the race concept in North America, the 19th century science that legitimated it, and how it came to be held so fiercely in the western imagination. The episode is an eye-opening tale of how race served to rationalize, even justify, American social inequalities as "natural." UU B&B DIRECTORY AVAILABLE Do you dream of inexpensive vacation travel to interesting destinations where you can stay in the homes of friendly people who share your ideals and are happy to provide directions and advice for their area? The UU bed and breakfast directory UU’re Home (formerly Homecomings) can fulfill your dream. We provide a network of hosts in the U.S. and abroad who enjoy meeting new friends and who are happy to open their home to like-minded people. You can also become a host and be listed in the directory. Contact us at info(at)uurehome.com, or at 828-281-3253, and we will gladly send you information about listing your accommodations. Host listings on the UU’re Home Web site at www.UUreHome.com are updated whenever changes are made or new hosts are added. The paper edition is published every year in April (and has some listings different from those on the Web site). For a copy of the 2008 directory and a year’s access to the Web site listings, please click on “become a member” to pay by credit card or send a check for $25 and your e-mail address to UU’re Home, 43 Vermont Court, Asheville, NC 28806. UU-UNO ANNUAL INTERGENERATIONAL SPRING SEMINAR ANNOUNCED The Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office is proud to invite you to attend our Annual Intergenerational Spring Seminar, entitled Picking Up the Pieces: Building a Culture of Peace. This thought-provoking three-day seminar, taking place at United Nations Headquarters and its neighborhood in New York City from April 3-5, will address international efforts to achieve sustainable peace and discuss the importance of peace in the Unitarian Universalist faith. At the 2008 Intergenerational Spring Seminar you - Meet inspiring individuals from the UN, NGO, and UU community who are doing important work to make the world's most vulnerable populations more secure. - Examine case studies of peace-building efforts in places such as Burundi, Kosovo, and Sudan. - Explore with each other the role that peace plays in your own faith. - Develop an action plan for continuing the work of building a culture of peace. - Share an enjoyable and energetic experience with UU friends in one of the world's most exciting cities. Application and registration materials are available for download at www.uu-uno.org. There are separate forms for youth, adults, and youth advisors, so please be careful to fill out the correct forms. Please note the deadline for application is February 15, 2008. Register now while there are still spaces! This is an opportunity for UUs to take individual and collective action to build societies at home and abroad that can not only achieve peace, but also sustain it. Kasey Neiss & Jennifer Channin Spring Seminar Co-Chairs The UU-UNO is an independent, international, nongovernmental organization accredited by the UN and an associate organization of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA). ******************************************************* JOURNEY THROUGH WHOLENESS NEWS ******************************************************* PASTORAL LETTER ON VIOLENCE ABROAD A pastoral letter from President William Sinkford on the violence in Kenya and Pakistan: From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. Psalms 61:2 Dear Friends, The troubles in our world are many and overwhelming. And yet today there are two crises that are unusually traumatic and vividly present to us since both have touched our global Unitarian/ Universalist family. I am sure that you have been paying attention to the reporting about the post-election violence in Kenya, as well as to the harrowing events occurring in Pakistan—preceding and following the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. I am sure that your hearts and souls have been troubled. I am sure, because I have been troubled as well. Many of you are also aware that Unitarian Universalists in Kenya and Pakistan are among those who have suffered directly. We have received reports that the home of a Unitarian pastor in Kenya was among those that have been burned to the ground, and that many Unitarian families are among the nearly 500,000 newly displaced people in Kenya. And on Thursday, January 10, we received a report that two members of the Unitarian Universalist Christians of Pakistan were among the twenty-three people killed during a suicide bombing in Lahore. To read the entire article, please see: www.uua.org/news/ newssubmissions/62953.shtml January 17, 2008 TAKE ACTION ON THE IRAQ WAR—SIGN ON TO THE TIKKUN PEACE AD From the Network of Spiritual Progressives: The President escalates. The Democrats pass non-binding resolutions and then vote to fund the escalations. Everyone claims to not know how to get out of Iraq. But we do know...and we are framing the ad in religious terms to appeal to people across the political spectrum who know that the war is morally wrong, because their support for strong and clear action by their elected representatives to end the war, not just talk about ending it, is critical. What makes this ad different from the message of the best progressive Democrats' resolutions is this: they all focus only on the need for immediate process of withdrawing troops (with which we fully agree), but they do not present a clear view of what will happen next, and more importantly, they don't use the Iraq war to provoke a rethinking of the fundamental assumptions that led us into that war and could lead us into other wars (even with a Democratic President) in order to show that the President was "tough" and "standing up to the threat of global terror." Our ad insists on a whole new world view: that safety and security comes not from toughness but from generosity and caring for others, and that when we've done something wrong, we need to acknowledge it as a society (in a way that we never did with Vietnam, which made it a lot easier to then get involved in another mess, this time in Iraq. It is this new way of thinking that we highlight in the ad. For more information, please see: http://www.spiritualprogressives.org/ article.php?story=iraqpeacead ******************************************************* UNITED FOR A FAIR ECONOMY: FORECLOSED—STATE OF THE DREAM 2008 Subprime lending causes greatest loss of wealth for people of color in modern history. For many, the American Dream means owning a home. People work hard, save money, and ultimately try to obtain a mortgage, hoping for a better life. Yet for many people of color, the American dream has become a nightmare. Our new report, Foreclosed: State of the Dream 2008, finds that due to racial bias, people of color are being hit especially hard by the current subprime lending crisis. As homes are foreclosed and families of color find themselves in financial ruin, the racial and economic equality that Martin Luther King, Jr. once envisioned is moving even further out of reach. We found the estimated total loss of wealth for people of color to be between $164 billion and $213 billion for subprime loans taken during the past eight years. This breaks down to losses of between $71 billion and $92 billion for Black/African-American borrowers, and between $75 billion and $98 billion for Latino borrowers for the same period. For more information, and to download the report, please see http://www.faireconomy.org/issues/racial_wealth_divide/ foreclosed_state_of_the_dream_2008_0 ******************************************************* JTW Contact Information: Susan Leslie, Director, Office for Congregational Advocacy and Witness, 617.948.4607 Audra Friend, Assistant, Office for Congregational Advocacy and Witness, 617.948.4656 PRAIRIE WEB SITES Society Home Page: http://uuprairie.org/ News Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ prairienews/ Views: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/prairieviews/ Social Action: http://socialaction.madisonwi.us Humanist Union: http://humanist.madisonwi.us OTHER NEWS ORANGE TO BE HONORED AT RED CROSS DINNER Long-time Prairie member Orange Schroeder has been selected as a "Real Hero" by the American Red Cross for her many contributions to the Madison community. In addition to co-owning Orange Tree Imports with her husband Dean and publishing a book on retailing, she has devoted her time and energies to the Madison Public Library, United Way, Monroe Street Merchants Association, Girl Scouts, Madison Children's Museum, American Players Theater, Friends of WHA-TV, Madison CitiArts Commission, Madison Children's Choir and the Susan J. Komen for the Cure Madison Affiliate, among other organizations. Orange will be honored at the 11th Annual Real Cross Real Heroes dinner, always a delightful and inspiring occasion: Wednesday, March 13 5:30 - 8:30 p.m. Monona Terrace $50 per person. If you would like an invitation to the event, please contact Jane Richardson at 227-1290 or jrichardson(at)arcbadger.org PRAIRIE FIRE AND PLEDGE CONTRIBUTIONS Prairie is in the midst of our Annual Pledge Drive. If you have already made your pledge, thanks. If you are not a member but can make a contribution toward your Prairie Fire or make a pledge toward our budget, please send your pledge or contribution soon. Your pledges and contributions are important! Thank you for your financial support of Prairie. Prairie Unitarian Universalist Society: Year July 2008-09 Pledge-- Newsletter Subscription Name(s):_________________________________ Address:_________________________________ ___________________________________ Phone: __________ Email: ________________ My/Our Pledge for July 1, 2008 -09 will be $___________ to be paid $________ per (mo/yr) Prairie Fire Subscription/Contribution $________________($35 or more recommended) Return to: Mary Somers, 4467 Crescent Rd., Madison 53711 (or marysomers44(at) charter.net)