Director

2nd Offering recipient: Travis Early College High School

04/18/2024

As we continue our April worship theme of love, loving our neighbors is another way of living out our mission and values.

This quarter (April, May, and June 2024) we are focusing our outreach and donations on our closest neighbor, Travis Early College High School. You are invited to learn more about Travis ECHS at this link: Travis Early College High School | Austin ISD  

On any given day, as you move along our church campus grounds, you’ll note that our congregation serves as one of the unofficial chaplains of the neighborhood, and our courtyard is often a place of respite and connection for many Travis ECHS youth. Our offerings will support deepening our relationship with the school community.

The 2nd offering team has worked to identify a range of needs to help the students and the teachers have their basic resources for effective learning. These range from school supplies to tablet chargers. Our offering will be used to fund these types of needs.

The objectives of our Second Offerings is to deepen our understanding and work with the chosen nonprofit recipient, and to highlight the good work happening in the community outside of our church walls.

Throughout the quarter we will highlight other ways we can engage with our neighbor Travis Early College High School, including teacher/staff appreciation.

From the Director: April at Wildflower

04/05/2024

A box multiple color pastel crayons and a red heart drawn by a red pastel crayon on a white piece of paper

This month our worship services explore the topic of LOVE. 

Love for ourselves, love for our friends, love for our animals, love for our family, love for our community, love for the earth. It’s all about love.

Join us for our upcoming Sunday worship services held at 11:45 am (Zoom link is available on our website’s home page):

  • April 7 (hybrid): “I am Loved.” Interreligious readings and musical reflections on love, including excerpts from the poem “You Are Who I Love” by Aracelis Girmay, and the song “Love My Life” by Robbie Williams.  We’ll also read and be inspired by the picture book I love you because I love you by Muon Thi Van. (Speakers: Simone and lay leaders). Stay afterwards for our popcorn social in the Community Room. 
  • April 14 (on Zoom): “A Sampling of Love.” In this lay-led service, we’ll hear from three different Wildflowers who will share their perspectives on different types of love and how that love has transformed them. (Speakers: Lay Led)
  • April 21st (hybrid): The Prince Mass: “Love is the Master Plan“ a worship service inspired by the music and message of Prince (Speaker: Simone. Special music by Goldie Pipes). Purple or Prince inspired outfits are encouraged. Stay afterwards for our festive potluck social in the Community Room.
  • April 28th (hybrid): “Love Poems for the Earth,” as we celebrate Earth Day and National Poetry Month (Speakers: Lay Led – Wild Earth Team)

During our social hour after services on the 1st and 3rd Sundays in the Community Room, look for our new table talk conversation starters prompts, to help spark meaningful conversations on the theme of the day.

Speaking of love, the covenant workshop is on Saturday, April 13, with in-person and virtual attendance options. (You may register here.) A “Covenant” is Latin for “come together” and means a “solemn agreement” or “promise from the heart.” Our covenant is one way for us to think about what Love-in-Action is and could be in our Wildflower community. Be a part of the discussion as we begin the first steps in the process of reviewing, reimagining, and rewriting our Wildflower covenant.

And, speaking of love-in-action, our 2nd offerings this season will focus on deepening our connection and relationships with the youth, educators, and families of our neighborhood and the Travis ECHS community.

And, wonderful news: our Wildflower High School Scholarship Program will reopen this spring, offering 3 scholarships for $2,000 each. (Eligibility: Travis ECHS students who are Dreamers, Refugees, or Asylum Seekers. Applications will be made available through the high school.)

Lots of love!

In closing, I leave you with the wise words of the activist Mel King:

“I believe that change is inevitable and possible. And that love is the question and the answer.
As long as there are folks who understand the power of love, I’m definitely optimistic.”

Mel King

Love,

~ Simone

Simone Monique Barnes
Director of Membership and Spiritual Life
Wildflower UU Church, Austin TX

About our March 18th Artists Salon Series Guest Joe Brundidge

03/11/2024

Joe Brundidge

Learn about our Lenten Artists Salon Series guest poet Joe Brundidge.

Joe Brundidge is an author, host, teaching artist and public speaker living in Austin, Texas. He has hosted poetry events for 25 years, and served as the Director of the Austin International Poetry Festival from 2012-2015.

Learn more at

linktr.ee/Element615

Participate in the Conversation

Join us the Monday Virtual Artists Salon, held from 7pm – 9pm Central Time, on Zoom. (Note: The first 30 minutes are for casually checking in, getting settled, and socializing. The salon topic of conversation begins at 7:30 pm CT.)

Register in advance for these Zoom meetings:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUtdu6sqzssGNXI_cI9d-AdJ_Lk_TZAfAEg 

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Salon dates:

  • February 19, 2024  – The Painter and the Poet’s Fire
  • February 26, 2024 – The Artist’s Lent: fasting, temptation, sustenance, and sacrifice.
  • March 4, 2024 –  Identity and Activism: finding inspiration in the life and work of Jean LaMarr (Northern Paiute/Achomawi)
  • March 11, 2024 –  Living room conversation with artist Lynda Coleman*
  • March 18, 2024 –  Living room conversation with poet Joe Brundidge*
  • March 25, 2024 – Don’t Get Lost

About our March 11th Artists Salon Series Guest Lynda Coleman

Lynda Coleman

Learn about our Lenten Artists Salon Series guest Visual Artist Lynda Coleman of Lynda Coleman’s Art From The Heart. 

Lynda Coleman is a native of Austin. She graduated from L.B.J. High School and attended the University of Texas at Austin, and Austin Community College.
For most of her life, Lynda has been doing positive work within the community.

She has been painting since the age of five, and has been exhibiting her artwork in the community from 1988 until the present.

Since 2001, hundreds of youth ages (3-17) throughout the City of Austin have been instructed and inspired through Lynda Coleman’s Art from the Heart Workshops. While facilitating these workshops, the theme is incorporated in the art project; to teach a life skill. Lynda also facilitates Empowerment Arts
& Crafts Workshops to adults, encouraging them to unleash their greatness in many areas of their lives.

While working for the City of Austin Parks & Recreation Department for seven years and Youth Advocate Programs, Inc. (YAP) for almost three years, Lynda became an Independent Contract Provider of Social Services for ten years. Those were several contracts through Austin Travis County Integral Care (ATCIG). The services included Advocacy, Case Management, Crisis Intervention & Support, Family & Individual Mentoring, Parent Coaching, Respite and Tutoring

Lynda currently works as a Mentor Artist with several other Professional Visual Artists in which they co-founded a partnership, Generational Artists Collective XYZ. This partnership was created to inspire and mentor Youth Artists ages (5-16), to express and to utilize all of their Creative Gifts. The Youth Artists are given opportunities to create and to sell their art in the community.

With her love of art and for the children of the community, Lynda has always used her gifts, talents and Entrepreneurial Spirit to create, collaborate and connect with Businesses, Churches, Groups, Ministries, Museums, Non-profits & Schools to host City Wide Events to uplift her community since 2003.

Contact Information:
Phone: (512)645-8793
Email: lyndacoleman@yahoo.com
Website: www.lyndacoleman.us
Artist Online Store:
www.zazzle.com/LyndaColeman
Facebook Fan Page:
Lynda Coleman’s Art from the Heart
Instagram: @ArtistLyndaColeman
Twitter: @LyndaColeman

Participate in the Conversation

Join us the Monday Virtual Artists Salon, held from 7pm – 9pm Central Time, on Zoom. (Note: The first 30 minutes are for casually checking in, getting settled, and socializing. The salon topic of conversation begins at 7:30 pm CT.)

Register in advance for these Zoom meetings:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUtdu6sqzssGNXI_cI9d-AdJ_Lk_TZAfAEg 

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Salon dates:

  • February 19, 2024  – The Painter and the Poet’s Fire
  • February 26, 2024 – The Artist’s Lent: fasting, temptation, sustenance, and sacrifice.
  • March 4, 2024 –  Identity and Activism: finding inspiration in the life and work of Jean LaMarr (Northern Paiute/Achomawi)
  • March 11, 2024 –  Living room conversation with artist Lynda Coleman*
  • March 18, 2024 –  Living room conversation with poet Joe Brundidge*
  • March 25, 2024 – Don’t Get Lost

Lenten Artists Salon Series

02/16/2024

Simone Monique Barnes, Wildflower’s Director of Membership and Spiritual Life, hosts an annual gathering of artists and creative thinkers for virtual living room style conversations, in the tradition of the Harlem Renaissance. This six-week salon series of artist-led, artist-centered conversations uses a mix of art, music, poetry, dance, essays, film, current events, and/or spiritual texts as springboards for dialogue and community.

Salons are open to anyone, especially those who self-identify as an artist (in any visual, performing arts, literary, or other creative expression), art lover, or as a creative thinker. You do not need to be a professional artist to attend a salon.

Held on Monday evenings,
February 19 through March 25, 2024,
on Zoom.

This year’s theme is The Painter and the Poet’s Fire, inspired by the poetic words of Phyllis Wheatley (b. 1753 – d. 1784) “…may the painter’s and the poet’s fire | To aid thy pencil, and thy verse conspire!” which are lines from the poem “To S. M. A Young African Painter, On Seeing His Works”

During these salons we focus on the artist, rather than solely on their artwork, engaging in conversations that artists want to discuss, such as imagination, creating during hard times, survival, rejection, criticism, racism, oppression, the creative process, fear, artistic expression, developing new work, spirituality, faith, religion, and more.

Join us for one or more of the six Monday Virtual Artists Salon dates, held from 7pm – 9pm Central Time, on Zoom.

(Note: The first 30 minutes are for checking in, getting settled, and socializing. The salon topic of conversation begins at 7:30 pm CT.)

Register in advance for these Zoom meetings:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUtdu6sqzssGNXI_cI9d-AdJ_Lk_TZAfAEg

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Salon dates:

  • February 19, 2024  – The Painter and the Poet’s Fire
  • February 26, 2024 – The Artist’s Lent: fasting, temptation, sustenance, and sacrifice.
  • March 4, 2024 –  Identity and Activism: finding inspiration in the life and work of Jean LaMarr (Northern Paiute/Achomawi)
  • March 11, 2024 –  Living room conversation with artist Lynda Coleman*
  • March 18, 2024 –  Living room conversation with poet Joe Brundidge*
  • March 25, 2024 – Don’t Get Lost
Lynda Coleman
Joe Brundidge

Why Lent and Why Artists?

In many Christian traditions, Lent is a solemn forty-day period of self examination, reflection, spiritual discipline, fasting and prayer leading to Easter. The word “Lent” comes from the Old English “lencten,” referring to Spring and the “lengthening” of days that occurs at this time of year. 

In the book The Cross and The Lynching Tree, Black Liberation theologian James H. Cone writes about how it was artists who pushed the Church into social change during the Harlem Renaissance. “Most black artists were not church-going Christians. Like many artists throughout history, they were the concerned human beings who served as society’s ritual priests and prophets, seeking out the meaning of the black experience in a world defined by white supremacy. As witnesses to black suffering, they were in the words of African American literary critic Trudier Harris, “active tradition-bearers of the uglier phases of black history.””

This Lenten Artists Salon Series honors artists, as a whole, as society’s ritual priests, prophets, and tradition-bearers who demonstrate our understanding of people’s experiences. In this series, the Artist’s Lent is an inter-religious, spiritual season of creative reflection, self-examination, reading, meditation, and connection.

As Cone notes, “More than anyone, artists demonstrate our understanding of the need to represent the beauty and the terror of our people’s experiences.”

“Artists force us to see things we do not want to look at because they make us uncomfortable with ourselves and the world we have created.”

 

Examples of past Salon topics:

  • Into the Light: The role of artists in times of dread (see Toni Morrison’s article “No Place for Self-Pity, No Room for Fear.”)
  • Without honor: The artist as prophet
  • Bread, water, and wilderness: the Muse requires
  • Raisins in the Sun: Parables of our talents

Notes for Artists and Creatives:

The artist salon is a day off, not a day on for artists. There is no expectation of performance or art exhibition. There is no expectation to talk about “the work.” The salons are an invitation for artists to participate in conversations with other artists, art lovers, and creatives about topics they are interested in.