Prairie Fire Bulletin

February 6, 2010

In this issue:
-calendar
-programs

The Prairie Fire Bulletin is a calendar- only newsletter that
is published by
Prairie Unitarian Universalist Society on the 6th of every month. The full featured Prairie Fire is published
on the 21st of every month. View past issues at www.uuprairie.org

Contact Us:

Minister
Rev. Ralph Tyksinski
minister@uuprairie.org
873-6041

Youth Coordinator
Rebecca Malke-Eligant
youthcoordinator@
uuprairie.org
695-3435

Editor/Administrator
Kate Liu
admin@uuprairie.org
271-8218

President
Rachel Long
608-328-4899

Prairie Web Sites:

Home Page
www.uuprairie.org

News Group
http://groups.yahoo.
com/group/prairie
news/

Views
http://groups.yahoo.
com/group/prairie
views/

Social Action
http://socialaction.
madisonwi.us

Humanist Union
http://humanist.
madisonwi.us

Input Deadlines:

Calendar items and program descriptions are due on the 1st and 15th of each month. Feature articles for the full Prairie Fire are due on the 15th of each month. Please send to Kate Liu at admin@uuprairie.org
or call 271-8218.

Calendar

Sunday, February 7, 2010
8:45 am - Choir rehearsal.
8:45 am - Hospitality & Membership committee meets.
9:00 am - RE committee meets.
10:00 am – service- "Science Education and the Scientific Public" - presented by Prof. John Hawks.
11:45 am - Humanist Union potluck, followed by a presentation by Prof. John Hawks.

Monday, February 8, 2010
6:00 pm - Long Range Planning meets at Prairie.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010
6:30 pm - Spanish Speaker's Potluck at the home of Dave and Marcia Johnson.

Sunday, February 14, 2010
10:00 am – service- "Re-imagining Valentine's Day: Standing on the Side of Love," presented by Rev. Ralph Tyksinski.
11:45 am - Prairie Board meeting. Potluck at 11:45, meeting begins at noon.

Thursday, February 18, 2010
Prairie Fire items and articles due. Issue will be published Feb. 23rd.

Saturday, February 20, 2010
5:00 pm - Wild Wintering Youth overnight event begins.

Sunday, February 21, 2010
8:45 am - Choir rehearsal.
9:00 am - RE Committee meets.
10:00 am – service - "The Maharishi Effect: A Personal Journey Through the Movement That Transformed American Spirituality," presented by Geoff Gilpin.
11:45 am - Book Club meets to discuss Cutting For Stone by Abraham Verghese.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010
2:00 pm - Prairie Elders meet at Oakwood. Topic is personal fitness.
7:00 pm - Program committee meets at Prairie.

Thursday, February 25, 2010
7:00 pm - Caring Committee meets at Prairie.

Sunday, February 28, 2010
8:45 am - Choir rehearsal.
10:00 am – service - "Community Supported Agriculture: A Green Solution."
11:45 am - Prairie Service Auction! Lunch served.

Upcoming Programs

Sunday, February 7, 2010, 10:00 am: "Science Education and the Scientific Public," presented by Prof. John Hawks. Complex scientific issues are increasingly part of public policy debates and individual futures. Climate change, alternative fuels, genetic modification, routine mammograms, genomic testing -- each is a topic driven by scientific inquiry, presenting opportunities for technological solutions but demanding public awareness. How can we cultivate a culture of aware citizens, informed consumers, and entrepreneurs ready to invest or work in scientific fields? Can education policy advance these goals? Professor John Hawks has been an Assistant Professor of Anthropology at the UW-Madison since 2002. He teaches a range of courses from the introductory to the graduate level. In his research, he investigates human evolution in its morphological and genetic aspects.

Sunday, February 14, 2010, 10:00 am: "Re-imagining Valentine's Day: Standing on the Side of Love," presented by Rev. Ralph Tyksinski. This Sunday we observe a public advocacy campaign that seeks to harness love’s power to stop oppression. It is sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Association <http://www.uua..org/> and all are welcomed to join. Why? We explore at this period in American society as a time of great hope and possibility, yet our communities are threatened by the increased prevalence of acts motivated by fear and hate. No one should be dehumanized through acts of exclusion, oppression, or violence because of their identities. In public debates over immigration, LGBT rights, and more, religious people stand on the side of love and call for respect, inclusion, and compassion.

Sunday, February 21, 2010, 10:00 am: "The Maharishi Effect: A Personal Journey Through the Movement That Transformed American Spirituality, " presented by Geoff Gilpin. When the Beatles went to India to study Transcendental Meditation (TM), millions of Americans followed their example and signed up for TM classes. Many of us had our first taste of Eastern-style meditation and spirituality through TM classes and its guru, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. After the TM fad ended, Maharishi continued his efforts to enlighten the West with extraordinary projects that went way beyond meditation. Author Geoff Gilpin was along for much of that journey and saw, from the inside, the joys and perils that can occur when East meets West. The story of the TM movement presents challenging questions for Unitarian Universalists who wish to explore the inner life without sacrificing critical reason.

Sunday, February 28, 2010, 10:00 am: "Community Supported Agriculture: A Green Solution," presented by CSA farmers. As the earth still lies dormant buried in winter cold, farmers around the area are planning what they will plant to feed us this coming year. Come join us for a lively panel discussion, where three local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farmers will share: Why they plant what they plant, why they do what they do and what they know about the whole organic/local farm movement, as well as, much more! This seemed like a very natural way for the Green Sanctuary and the Denominational Affairs Committees to come together and continue to explore the issues of ethical eating and environmental justice. If you are not part of a CSA yet, it is a great opportunity to gain knowledge and to possibly take the plunge and sign up!