This week we will write poetry “in the tradition of” other poets. While the works of a few poets have already been selected, feel free to bring a sample of your favorite poet to share and inspire us! We’ll discuss what makes a poet’s voice distinctive and how we might develop our own writing voices. No previous experience or interest in poetry necessary.

Members of the United community are invited to join The Ministry Lab’s Midweek Retreatevery Wednesday at 12:00 p.m. CST. Take a half an hour each week to be present with God, your Self, and others. Develop your personal practice and discover how deepened awareness and greater emotional and spiritual balance enable you to engage more fully, creatively and energetically in the essential work of God’s Beloved Community. To learn more or to get on the weekly reminder email, contact Rev. Emily Meyer.

You are invited to gather with others from the United community for a discussion of nonviolence, specifically how it applies to social movements. We will meet for three sessions, starting on Wednesday, Sept 16, 23, 30, 7pm – 8:30 p.m. CST We will discuss and explore our own personal experiences and relationships to violence, conflict, and nonviolence, along with practical ways we might ground and care for ourselves and others during situations of violence that might arise in the context of social movements. Facilitators are Eileen Hanson, currently pursuing MDiv in Interreligious Chaplaincy, and Justin Sabia-Tanis, Assistant Professor of Christian Ethics and Social Transformation. Please join us for as much of this 3-part conversation as you are able.

Benedict Scheuer is an interdisciplinary artist who views gardening and nature as the spiritual center of his practice. His work spans drawing, painting, sculpture, video, photography, performance, singing, and textiles. He values a non-prescriptive approach to engaging with his work, allowing color, texture, shapes, and narrative to engage with each viewer uniquely. Death, Love, Connection, Mindfulness, and Cyclicality are often warmly encountered.

Benedict recently received his MFA in visual art from the Ohio State University and holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies from Yale University.