Name: "Facing Mental Illness with Courage" with Heather Schmidknecht (20221009) by UU La Crosse
Duration: 17 min
Description: Throughout the past summer, the local office of NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) was the recipient of our Sunday special collections. This morning, NAMI Board member, Dr. Heather Schmidknecht, will address the theme of courage with respect to mental illness, and respond to questions from the congregation.

Throughout the past summer, the local office of NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) was the recipient of our Sunday special collections. This morning, NAMI Board member, Dr. Heather Schmidknecht, will address the theme of courage with respect to mental illness, and respond to questions from the congregation.

"Facing Mental Illness with Courage" with Heather Schmidknecht (20221009)

The technology exists to pull us back from the brink of calamitous climate change. We need to build the social, political, and business will to tackle the challenge now. This Sunday, Tom Schlesinger will help provide the information we need to take action and move towards a greener future.

Tom holds a Ph.D. in Political Science specializing in Health Care Policy which he used in his strategic planning work at Gundersen Health for twenty years. He also holds a master’s in Political Science specializing in International Environmental Policy- that is, climate change.

After retiring from Gundersen, he helped form a LaCrosse-based nonprofit focused on fighting climate change. He now serves as Executive Director . The group is the Climate Alliance for the Common Good. We specialize in raising public awareness around climate change, and offering concrete actions that everyone can take. Local action leads to global change.

"Protecting That Which We Value" with Tom Schlesinger (20240218)

“When I breathe in, I breathe in peace…When I breathe out, I breathe out love…” Or is it the other way around? The words for ‘breath’ and ‘spirit’ are identical in many languages, and the world’s great religious traditions recognize that the simple physical act of inhaling and exhaling can be an intimate experience of the holy.

"Breathing Lessons" with Rev. Bruce Johnson (20240225)

The Muslim holy month of Ramadan has a profound significance beyond its religious observance. Ramadan extends beyond the mere act of fasting for 30 days from dawn to dusk; it is a journey of self-discovery and personal growth. This sacred time invites us to explore the transformative power within, embracing mindfulness and nurturing our soul through thoughtfulness and self-reflection. Join me as we navigate the essence of Ramadan, discovering how focusing on personal growth, compassion, and kindness towards all creations can bring us closer to the Creator.

Dr. Mateen Abidi is a physician specializing in cardiology at Gundersen Health System, La Crosse. Born and raised in a rural town in Pakistan, she defied the odds to secure a place in a prestigious medical school in Karachi, setting the stage for a remarkable journey in the field of medicine. Overcoming challenges, Dr. Abidi ventured to the United States 24 years ago after getting married, determined to pursue her postgraduate medical training. Her relentless pursuit of excellence and commitment to her profession has defined her career. Hailing from a humble background in a rural area of Pakistan, Dr. Abidi and her family made the life-changing decision to call Wisconsin home in 2011. Rooted in a desire to raise her family in a supportive environment and contribute to underserved rural communities, she has become an integral part of the healthcare landscape in the region.

Beyond her medical achievements, Dr. Abidi is a loving wife and mother, celebrating 24 years of marriage and raising two boys aged 22 and 13. Balancing the demands of her profession with her dedication to family, she finds joy in the culinary arts, indulging in her passion for cooking during leisure moments. Dr. Abidi also nurtures a love for travel, exploring diverse cultures and landscapes to enrich her perspective.

"Mindfulness in Ramadan: Self-Reflection and Nurturing the Soul" with Mateen Abidi (20240310)

Join us this Sunday for a service featuring a presentation by Beth Piggush on the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration’s involvement in land justice and her own journey and relationship to this subject. Part of Beth’s her ministry is caring for the 200 acres of land on St Joseph Ridge. Deeper than that, though, is supporting the journey of the sisters as they work on truth and healing as it relates to wrongs of the past towards indigenous communities. This work introduced Beth to a new term: “land justice”. She thought she understood the concept but discovered there was much more to be learned. Beth’s journey started by reflecting on the farmstead she grew up on in Southern MN; a place she loved and cared for with her family. Over time, she found herself drawn to the land, for reasons both personal and professional, ultimately bringing her to FSPA five years ago. She still sees her connection to the land as a strong one but with a different lens. Beth is learning about land justice with groups like Land Justice Futures (formerly Nuns and Nones land justice project). And she is putting what she has learned into practice by building relationships with Ho Chunk youth services in La Crosse. She is thoroughly involved in learning and unlearning what land justice can mean and is looking forward to sharing her journey with all of us this Sunday! 

Beth Piggush is the Integral Ecology Director for the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration. Her position is always evolving, which includes serving as a resource person and promoting environmental and sustainability best practices that support care for all of God’s creation. Two major parts of Beth’s work are the Global Laudato Si Action Platform and FSPA land on St. Joseph Ridge which includes 200 acres of woodlands, prairies and crops.

"Land Justice and Conservation: Where Do You 'Stand'?" with Beth Piggush (20240317)

For hospital chaplains serving patients nearing death, few things are as sorrowful as unreconciled estrangement between the dying and those close to them. The emotional and spiritual pain of broken, unhealed relationships can be far more intense than any physical pain. But there is hope. Reconciliation and healing are possible. Rev. Greg will share insights from his experiences as a companion to dying patients and those close to them.

Rev. Greg is a UU minister and staff chaplain at the Gundersen Health System hospital in La Crosse. He graduated from Andover Newton Theological School in 2019, earning an M.Div. degree with a specialist certificate in Spiritual and Pastoral Care.  His early clinical training was at Boston Medical Center and the University of Minnesota Medical Center. He completed two years of chaplaincy residency at Gundersen before beginning his service as a staff chaplain. He draws inspiration from humanism, religious naturalism, and the Tao Te Ching.  He believes the entire Universe is sacred. He is also known to consult the philosophical tenets of Star Trek –  and the wisdom of Yoda.

"Things That Matter Most: Transformational Healing Near End of Life" with Rev. Greg Jones (20240324)

Join us this Easter Sunday for a service led by Rev. Bruce Johnson. The Easter story is a story about “coming back to life,” but not in the sense of resuscitating a corpse, or somehow suspending the laws of biology to effect the ultimate medical miracle. It is about coming back to this very life, but with a new-found freedom born of having transcended the fear of death and a consciousness of ‘the life that has no end.’

"Coming Back to Life" with Rev. Bruce Johnson (20240331)

The YWCA has been in La Crosse for over a century, empowering women, eliminating racism, and working for peace and justice. What has this organization done and what is the work it is currently doing to achieve these goals? This Sunday morning, Executive Director Laurie Cooper Stoll will share the history of YWCA in La Crosse as well as why it is important to her to work for this kind of organization.

"The YWCA is on a Misson" with Laurie Cooper Stoll (20240407)

Land Acknowledgment Statements themselves don’t do the work; we do. Does our statement call us to important work and help remind us to attend to it? Then it is worthwhile. If it doesn’t include any concrete action steps on our part then it probably needs more thought and work.

Rev. Kerri Parker, (she/her) has been Executive Director of the Wisconsin Council of Churches since 2017. In 2023 she was honored by the United Church of Christ with its Avery D. Post Ecumenical Award. Beyond ecumenism and her family, Rev. Parker’s passions are stories, show tunes, and justice. She has served as a local church pastor in McFarland, WI and YWCA executive in Rock County, WI. Rev. Parker has been a panelist and keynote speaker for presentations on pandemic ministry, ecumenism and church vitality, and biblical justice. In addition to editing and co-authoring study-action guides on Faith & Gun Violence, Jesus & Justice in Public, and Immigration: Becoming Welcoming Communities, she contributed to the book “There’s a Woman in the Pulpit” . She earned her MDiv from Chicago Theological Seminary and is pursuing a DMin in Prophetic Leadership at Iliff School of Theology.

"Story-Bearers" with Rev. Kerri Parker (20240414)

Join the Green Sanctuary team in celebrating Earth Day and animal kin who share the planet. We’ll be busy during the service decorating cool new masks to show off at Earth Fair. Art can be a form of healing when we feel saddened by the slow pace of progress. As Robin Wall Kimmerer wrote, “Even a wounded world is feeding us, giving us moments of joy and wonder.”

Earth Day Art Therapy with Jill Rippe & Green Sanctuary Team (20240428)

The Green Sanctuary Program was created by the Unitarian Universalist Association in 1989 to provide a framework and a process for congregational study, reflection, and action in response to environmental challenges. In more recent years, the UUA has offered a re-accreditation process, which challenges and supports congregations in deepening and strengthening their commitment to environmental justice. What are the spiritual roots that might ground and guide us in this work? What stories and practices can sustain us as we seek to responsibly reinhabit our place in the world? Join us this morning for a service led by Rev. Bruce Johnson!

"Green Spirituality" with Rev. Bruce Johnson (20240428)

Our Fellowship welcomes people of all backgrounds & beliefs. Through Lifespan Education, Sunday services, and fun events & activities, our multi-faith community inspires children & adults to side with love, to respect other, and to work for social justice.
We nurture truth-seeking, spirituality, and progressive values to support individuals and children as they grow.

"Facing Mental Illness with Courage" with Heather Schmidknecht (20221009)

UU La Crosse

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