October 1, 2006

Hey!

Aren’t you glad you can’t be burned at the stake for heresy? Check out Friday night info below.

Bored? Why not spend a year overseas! Checkout Thursday Schedules.

And for those who like the whole enchilada, here’s the

UCMHE Calendar for this week:

Study groups

Monday: Misquoting Jesus group meets at the circle table, in the east section of the food court. Lovely views with all the windows. Chapter 2

Tuesday: The God within. Last we discussed witchery. We could have saved that faith stance for Halloween! Look for us in the food court at noon.

Wednesday: Community of faith. Look for us in the food court at noon.

Thursday: UCMHE will have a table at the UNO health fair. If you have time to help set up, please let me know. I’m bringing a palm tree and will need help. (yep—it’s electric); also, a tv, books, signups, Habitat for Humanity Information, Katrina aid information (for our post Christmas trip) and more.

Additionals this week:

Thursday Noon, we’ll have several twenty-somethings who have put their lives on the line across the globe being visible in community organizing and faith building. You will find this helpful. Call or write if you’d like a seat at the table.



Friday night: Man of LaMancha—I have tickets for 8 and we’ll have supper together, review the top five church heresies and go to the musical—they will have snacks after the show and time to talk to the players.



The 2006 UNO Health Fair will be held Thursday, Oct. 5, from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on the second floor of the Milo Bail Student Center. It is open to all faculty, staff and students.

The event is sponsored by Student Health Services (SHS) and the Wellness Stampede, UNO's health promotion program.

The 2006 theme is "Discover the Treasure of Your Health." Approximately 30 vendors will offer a variety of free screenings, information and giveaways.

The free screenings will consist of a vision test, skin cancer examination, blood pressure checks, a body composition test and a chair massage.

Comprehensive blood draws will be available at the fair. They will include a cholesterol panel and thyroid, kidney, liver, blood sugar and diabetes screens. The cost is $22, and the confidential results will be mailed directly to participants' homes. For an additional $12, males can have a prostate cancer screen included in the blood results.

A 12-hour fast is required for all lab work. Registration must also be completed before the event. To register, call SHS at 554.2374. Editor's note: The UNO Spirit Committee has designated this activity as a UNO spirit event.



Coming up:

Islam 101: six Tuesdays at noon beginning October 10. 13th and Farnam, room 207. Dr. Paul Williams will be presenter in this “Wesleyan Live” Teleconference. Dr. Fred (me) will offer the introduction to each topic. Material will be available via email in .pdf format. $20 cost, split with the UCMHE program.


Hands on at Habitat for Humanity, October 14, 8-12 am. (second Saturdays of Service). Anna Cox is coordinator of this time to bring healthy support to those who qualify for housing and are willing to put in 350 hours of sweat equity. We’ll meet at the Habitat for Humanity office and will receive our assignments. No tools required—they’re on site. But you can bring your favorites. Email me for more information.

Movie nights: How about Thursdays beginning October 26-through November 16? We’ll meet, have dinner (free food) watch a movie, dialogue about it and have a brief worship. Let me know if you’d like to help coordinate.



Blog:

Spending time with God, with friends, serving others so the world changes for the better, and providing justice when we can is crucial. Lots of folks want to have things go well for them. That’s natural. Much of life, however, is learning to do the things that make good things happen, and to be the person that is clear about what you want.

For example, I was in a hardware store on Thursday. I’ve been in this store lots, so everybody in the store recognizes me. The owner had a question for me. But he couldn’t remember what the question was. He asked for my phone number and I gave it to him. He said he’d call me when he remembered what the question was. It was easy letting folks know I was available. That made things go well, and that was easy.

Three weeks ago, Anna Cox stepped forward to work with Habitat for Humanity. She gave up an afternoon to be part of a movement dedicated to changing the world, one house at a time. Again, that made things go well, and that was a little more difficult. But the results for Joseph, who has a wife and eight children, the results will be transforming.

Eight students hang out at lunchtime on Mondays in the Food Court to talk about how the bible has been misused over the last two thousand years. This gathering is all about claiming the bible, as it is, for ourselves. This student work involves committing ourselves to this truth: that God loves us. This work is difficult to do, because we share what we think. And we are also observed for who we are. Some in our group are not Christian, but are very interested in Christianity. Not all Christians invite questions. We do. Not all world religions are question oriented. We are. That difficult and powerful work is ours, and you’re welcome to join us in it.

Blessings.

Fred