Read My Grandmother's Hands: Spring-Summer 2021

We're facilitating a book read of Resmaa Menakem's My  Grandmother's Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies*, with Music that Makes Community this spring-summer.

If you've read our Reflection for the UCC Musician's Association, then you know how transformative this book is.

Would you like join us?  

Here's the overview:

Spring 2021 Heart Song Dates!

What: Heart Songs: Lament, Longing, & Love (a community space for you to bring your heart and your voice)
When: alternating Mondays, 6:30-8p CDT (05-UTC)

• April 12 & 26
• May 10 & 24

Where: Online: https://zoom.us/j/431161455 (see call-in options below)

Gather for an informal singing time to re-center our hearts in community. Simple songs will be led paperlessly/taught by ear by Conie Borchardt, other song leaders, and you, if you have a song to share.

Join us. Bring friends. (Signup for the email reminder here; select Heart Songs)

Songs will be about the human experience and in that way, spiritual in nature, but not specifically religious.

This is a space intended for self-care, however that shifts for you in every moment. Bring water. Come and go. Sit in a chair, lie on the floor, or stand as you need to.


--
Other Zoom options:
Meeting ID: 431 161 455

Apr 16: Midwest Mixed Special Edition Dialogue: Freeing Refrains

It's here!  Freeing Refrains is here!

What:  the premiere of Freeing Refrains, as a Special Edition Dialogue of Midwest Mixed!
When:  Friday, April 16, 5-7p
Where: on zoom!  Register here.  
For WHO:  any folks who identify or have experiences as mixed, biracial, multi-ethnic, and/or trans-racially or trans-nationally adoptee*. 

Conie B and Sheryl Raygor are co-facilitating this Special Edition Dialogue space in partnership with Midwest Mixed.  During this event you will be hearing about Conie's rural mixed Asian story, learn songs that have bouyed her (if you'd like), and then dialogue with others about the challenge of speaking our truth.  Open to all mixed folks.  

Come and listen, sing, and dialogue with others with similar and different mixed stories.

(*don't fret if you don't fit the Mixed audience!  We'll be scheduling more of these participatory performances soon.  Watch the calendar and subscribe to "Freeing Refrains" Updates in the Newsletter.  

Socially Distant Easter Dance: In the Bulb There Is a Flower

A angular sketch of
Tom Vetter's Flower in the Seed labyrinth
in prep for a large outdoor installation.

Early last week, I was starting to settle some ideas for the outdoor Easter Sunrise service the current congregation I serve has every year.  (Except last year, my first year with them.  Last year, we suspended it because it was the first month of pandemic life and we didn't know what we didn't know...)

One of the traditions I heard was the use of Natalie Sleeth's 1986 strophic text "In the Bulb There Is a Flower."  (New Century Hymnal #433)

Singing with other people during this respiratory pandemic honestly gives me the willies.  It's not quite rational and I'm sure some of it has to do with the ways that some of my ancestors have been tricked and hurt by oppressors.  Beside that, I'm interested in reducing paper waste and embodying our songs.  It didn't take long for the germ of an idea to bloom into something fully formed (ahem) that could be used for all verses ... and guide our social distancing.  :)

Here's the write-up: