A Unitarian Guide to Easter                                                        Rev. Ted Tollefson

Easter is coming next Sunday and I'll offer some uniquely Unitarian ways to understand this important holiday that include belief, doubt and make believe. Expect a few surprises.

Rev. Ted Tollefson has been a Unitarian preacher and teacher since 1980. He lives with his wife Kristen and dog Boomer in the quiet woods of Frontenac Minnesota.

Leaving the Winter Daze                                                                  Ellie Schoenfeld

Poet Ellie Schoenfeld will share poems related to melting ice, rivers running wild, and general ideas of reckless abandon like putting the snow shovels away for the season, even though it is early April.

Ellie Schoenfeld is a prolific poet and was Duluth’s poet laureate from 2016- 2018. One reviewer described Ellie as a cross between Amy Sedaris and John Donne with the wry, self-deprecating humor and like-minded intimate spirituality that is undogmatic, unorganized unheirarchical, yet fundamental and persistent, tied to human yearning. Another reviewer stated, “Ellie has a unique rhythm and wit. Once again, we celebrate National Poetry Month at MUUC with the gift of a poet’s words.

The Art of Happiness                                                         Rev. Ted Tollefson

Sustained unhappiness takes effort. I'll share some of the most reliable paths to an unhappy life and, by implication, a happy life. Bring your own favorites to share.

CANCELLED DUE TO ICY ROADS will be re-scheduled Inclusion of Diverse Voices                                                          Shelly and Jeanine

Divisive times provide ample space for unifying around our dedication to each other and lifting up the voices of those who are often overlooked. The more we challenge ourselves to receive new information with open and curious minds, the easier it will be to find common ground and build empathy.

Jeanine Emmons and Shelly La Mar participated in a six week training course called "Trans Inclusion in Congregations." While presenting an overview of this course you are invited to bring your curiosity and questions as we discover more about:

-  creating a welcome space by unlearning assumptions

-  discovering lived experiences and the many spiritual gifts of transgender people

-  identifying how mainstream culture works to exclude transgender people and the difference between invitation and inclusion

-  dismantling gender-based oppression: Mesabi UU's current successes and possible future challenges

Poetry as Power: From Spellcraft to Statecraft                                  Adam Tritt

From as far back as there are records, poets have been by the side of the monarch in court and in battle. The words of the poet were known to be magic and an insult from the poet could sway a battle. We will explore the power and place of poetry in ancient and modern culture, in religion and how we can use poetry in both our magical and ordinary lives, as though we should be able to tell them apart.

Telling Our Story-Multiple Truths and Multiple Realities, Part Two     Tod Swenson                

From the UUA’s Building the World We Dream About-antiracism/multiculturalism /pluralism program. "We need to approach racism as it exists in our lives today, and not as an exercise in studying history. We need to share our experiences and viewpoints, and listen with open hearts and minds to each other, especially when we disagree. We need to avoid thinking that we have the right answer, the only correct perspective, or that there is any." — Ruth Alatorre, in Bringing Gifts, a publication of the Latino/a Unitarian Universalist Networking Alliance (LUUNA)

Living a Mindful Life                                                                             Gail Iverson Mindfulness meditation leads to insight into the nature of our hearts and minds, revealing an inherent clarity, openness, and ease. In this program we'll explore the origin of the practice, how it fits in with other forms of Buddhist meditation and how we can make it part of our daily activity.

Gail has been practicing Vipassana meditation (also known as mindfulness) since 1987. She's a founding member of the Twin Cities Vipassana Collective. For eight years she was the administrator at the Vipassana Support Institute in Los Angeles. Since 2002, she's been practicing and teaching meditation at Common Ground Meditation Center in Minneapolis.

Song and Spirit                                                                                               Sara Pajunen

Sara Pajunen, violinist, vocalist, composer, improviser and audio-visual artist will present an inspirational program that connects to her Finnish ancestry and works that connect to the landscape and to the earth.  Her beautiful, haunting melodies encourage reflection and connection to ancestral roots and to the earth. 

Biography

Sara Pajunen is an artist based in Minnesota, specializing in music and sonic arts.  Her work combines folk traditions and moving images and environmental sounds.  Her performed music is inspired by Finnish folk traditions and the integration of environmental into her compositions.  Sara was raised in northern Minnesota, on the Iron Range (Hibbing) and holds a Master’s Degree in Contemporary Improvisation from the New England Conservatory.  

What Have we done to deserve this?                                                 Bart Sutter

Bart Sutter will read a selection of his poems which in the writing of them, surprised him with the spiritual issues they raised, such as unjust suffering or the beauty of the natural world. The bond between spirituality and poetry will be explored.” Sutter truly displays magic and artistry in words.

Bart Sutter, poet

Bart Sutter is the only author to win the Minnesota Book Award in three categories, fiction, poetry and essays, and was the first Poet Laureate of Duluth in 2006. Bart has written for public radio, and has had four verse plays produced. For more than thirty years, he has performed as one half of The Sutter Brothers, a poetry-and-music duo. Unlike most contemporary poets, Bart writes in meter and rhyme as well as free verse. He and his wife live in Duluth, overlooking Lake Superior, on a corner lot where they visits from raccoon, fox, deer, and bear, among others.

Telling Our Story-Multiple Truths and Multiple Realities, Part Two Tod Swenson

This will be the second workshop from Building The World We Dream About, a Unitarian Universalist program that seeks to interrupt the workings of racism and transform how people from different racial/ethnic groups understand and relate to one another.

Telling Our Story-Multiple Truths and Multiple Realities, Part One Tod Swenson

This will be the first workshop of two from Building The World We Dream About, a Unitarian Universalist program that seeks to interrupt the workings of racism and transform how people from different racial/ethnic groups understand and relate to one another.

UUs Taking Action: Then and Now!  Rev. Terri Burnor

Unitarians, Universalists, and UUs have a long history of rising up, speaking out, and taking action for social change. Let’s dig into some stories, get inspired, and get curious about the roles we each play in the work for equity, liberation, justice, and solidarity.

Rev. Terri Burnor (she/her) is a Unitarian Universalist minister and community organizer. She was recently named Acting Executive Director of MUUSJA (Minnesota UU Social Justice Alliance) and just started serving the St. Croix UU Fellowship as their part-time minister. Terri grew up outside of Duluth and spent many summer days with relatives in Virginia & Hibbing. She lives in St. Paul with her spouse, Brian, and their dogs, Marvin and Betty.

2025 through the lens of Martin Luther King, Jr. Marlise Riffel

Discussion circle: King lived and died during a time of great turmoil in the United States. We will ponder his words for insight into a way forward through the turmoil we face in this country today.

Seeing the Forest --- for the Trees                                                                     Jack LaMar

Inspired by the UU value of honoring the Earth, Jack will share an overview of human assisted forest migration and the effect of climate change on an already migrating biomass, and how we can apply the 7th UU Principle: Respect for the interdependent web of all existence.

Right Here, Right Now                                                                                     Bob Ivanca

Spiritual awakening or the road to enlightenment is the theme of Bob’s message. Bob is an addictions counselor with focus on the work of Eckhart Tolle.

Mr. Ivanca attended Gustavus Adolphus College studying biology, geology, addiction studies, and has been a self-employed building contractor for 38 years. He loves motorcycles, motorcycling and has been on a spiritual journey for the past 13 years.

In with the Old as something New Annette Kahmann and Mary Erickson

An interactive and fun program explore ways of repurposing, giving new life to an old sweater … and more.

The Magic of the Winter Solstice Ellie Larmouth

Together we celebrate the magic of the winter solstice, the shortest night of the year, the darkness before the dawn. Together we celebrate the miracle of light, a sign of new birth as darkness turns into light, a new source of hope. We sing the songs, we read the poems, we hear the stories. We welcome the light. Together we celebrate the solstice.

Discussion Circle: “Carpe Diem”                                   Gretchen Wright and Siyanda Elizabeth

Although “Seize the Day” might be interpreted as a call for self-indulgent power, it can also be seen as the mantra of several spiritual traditions that advise living in the present moment. What does seize the day mean to you? How and why do we choose to seize the day? We will share our thoughts and stories in this discussion.

As Education Evolves  Steve Johnson

Education has changed over time. Today we will experience learning from different perspectives. I hope to challange thinking and expand understanding of testing and measuring success. Come prepared to engage and learn!

Interdependence           Adam Tritt

We are here for each other, to serve, delight in, help, and protect, befriend, feed, listen to, and walk along with on the many paths. Stop seeing ourselves as a collection of individuals who see each other once in a while; instead, see the connected, loving community.

Adam Byrn Tritt is the Executive Director of Foundation 451, dedicated to getting Banned Books into the hands of kids. He is a Jewatarian Buddhaversalist Pagan, a UU for forty years, certified by the UUA in Lay Pastoral Care and certified for hospice care. He teaches high school and college English.

A Native American Perspective on American Thanksgiving                              Chaz Wagner Bois Forte member

Chaz Wagner - Bois Forte member, Indigenous Language and Culture teacher, musician - will present a Native American Perspective on American Thanksgiving

Emotionally and Spiritually Preparing for Death Noelle Reed

Certified death doula Noelle Reed explores with us the role that a death doula can play in assisting us to confront the process of death that we each will experience.  Unlike the general emphasis on estate planning and funeral planning, this conversational session will invite us each to focus on our personal thoughts and expectations of our individual end of life process.

What’s Next? Rev. Ted Tollefson

Following the election, we will all be living in a new era. What is required of us?

The Gift of Being Unmade                                                                  Rev. Leslie Mills

As our planet tips us firmly into autumn, many people recognize this time of year as a natural opportunity for contemplation of the questions of life, death, and the choices we make in between the two. From ancient Jewish traditions to Celtic shamanism, there are deep spiritual gifts available to us when we pause to reflect on the year that is closing, and take stock of what kind of person we want to be. Why is it worth our time to cultivate a spiritual practice? Join us as we dive beneath the surface of this holiday season.

Nurturing Our Spirits                                                             Sara Softich Alexander

Sara, from “ Northland Sound Bath” will join us. A sound bath is a peaceful and meditative experience. The vibrations of crystal singing bowls will bring us into a deep state of relaxation, allowing us to feel refreshed and rejuvenated. Come feed your spirit!

Unleashing the Power of Neighborly Love                                                   Rev. Ted Tollefson

In a time of deep divisions in politics and religion, being a "good neighbor" offers a way to become a force for reconciliation. But how?

Reverend Ted Tollefson has served UU congregations in the midwest for over 40 years. He lives with his wife Kristen and their good dog Boomer in Frontenac, MN. He teaches psychology at Metro State University and taught World Religions for 20 years at United Theological Seminary.  "Make tea, not war"

I Will Remember You                         Rev. Suzanne Wasilczuk                      

We Unitarian Universalists are said to be a people of memory and hope. A people of a living tradition. Today let us remember, parse out, knit together, so many memories.

Reverend Suzanne Wasilczuk is a 2007 graduate of Meadville Lombard Theological School in Chicago. Her previous career was as a registered nurse, primarily in Sitka, Alaska. She lives in Duluth, Minnesota, and has recently [semi-] retired, but continues to preach in the area. Following a large patchwork of volunteer activities, she now serves as a Senior Companion and as a Foster Grandmum with AmeriCorps-Seniors.

'A Discussion Circle on Global Warming' Tod Swenson

In groups, we will talk about what global warming is, its causes and effects, and what we can do about it personally, locally and nationally. This topic relates to Mesabi UU 's mission to 'Honor the Earth' and the 7th Unitarian Universalist principle 'Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.'

Embracing the Wind                           Rev. Leslie Mills

In Unitarian Universalist congregations, our theology leads us to answer the call of love. We do this within our own walls with a shared understanding of covenant, and we do this beyond our walls by "building for tomorrow a nobler world than we have known today." But what does membership in this kind of community ask of us spiritually?       It takes courage to build up the Beloved Community, often asking us to run right up to the edge of our comfort zone. Join us as we explore the ways our longings help us heal the world together.

Reverend Leslie Mills (she, her) is a Unitarian Universalist minister who has offered sermons across the country since 2010. In her role with MUUSJA (Minnesota UU Social Justice Alliance), she is currently producing the "Sparks of Justice" podcast on Spotify. She focuses her work through the lens of non- dissention and connection with the world around us. She lives in St. Paul.