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Volume 1, No. 8 October 16, 2009 Hello, here is an ENews for the week. If you have any interest in printing a copy of this please go to http://www.cedarlane.org/enarch09/en101609.htm where it has been posted as a PDF. This ENews has been bookmarked to allow fast access to sections. To jump to the bookmarked sections please press control and click on the following to access these bookmarks. Thanks, Sara sdeshler@cedarlane.org
Sunday’s activities
From
the Ministers
We Care From
the Administrator Music Notes
Education
for all Ages Upcoming
Sundays
Around the Church
Kiplinger
Grounds
October 18, 2009
To Bless the
Animals – A Special Worship
Service THIS SUNDAY This intergenerational, interspecies service will celebrate of all the creatures with whom we share the Earth, a time to dwell on our interconnected relationship with the natural world and how the animals in our lives bless us with their presence and, sometimes, their charm and kindness. Both services will include an animal parade. All are invited to bring symbols of animals in your lives (photos, drawings or stuffed animals) for both services. However, if your vaccinated, leashed and friendly pet would like to come in person, live animals are welcome in the 11:00 service. To be in the animal parade, come to the courtyard by 15 minutes before each service. We have animal puppets to lend if you didn’t bring an animal. All folks bringing live animals to the 11:00 service should plan to gather with their animal friends in the front courtyard by 10:45. After the second service, we will have a “canine coffee hour” in the courtyard. Organic treats and bowls of water will be provided. 10:10 a.m. Forum: Einstein, Faith and Reason with Walter Isaacson, President and CEO, The Aspen Institute. The basic tenet of quantum mechanics is that we can never know anything with absolute certainty: everything is probabilistic. Albert Einstein famously said that “God would not play dice with the universe.” In this particular case, he relied on faith, and it turned out (probably) that he was wrong. Drawing on research for his best-selling biography, “Einstein: His Life and Universe,” Walter Isaacson will discuss Einstein’s fruitless search for a spirituality and intellectually satisfying “theory of everything.” Music Notes: Sunday we will celebrate God’s beautiful creatures; by the blessing of our animals, by singing songs that praise creation, and by acknowledging St. Francis, champion of the environment and Patron Saint of animals. We will introduce the CLUUC Children’s Choir to sing the wonderful lyrics to Bill Staines classic song, A Place in the Choir. The Youth Choir will be assisting..... The Adult Choir will sing the popular Prayer of St. Francis, honoring St. Francis of Assissi. St. Francis took a vow of poverty as a young adult and spent his remaining years caring for those less fortunate. Said to have talked to animals, St. Francis insisted that it is the duty of all of us to protect nature and promote peace. The Youth Choir will sing Let The Whole Creation Cry Alleluia! - an energetic song that inspires us to shout “Alleluia, Glory.... on high.” Sunday’s hymns will be sung as processionals while the animals enter and depart the church. Sing loudly, and keep an eye out as they pass your way. Concerts at Cedar Lane has a table in the Lounge. Please stop by and pick up a flyer for yourself, and for your neighbor! The next concert is Saturday evening, November 7 at 8 p.m. The Steve Jones Trio will be our featured artists. Cedar Lane Stage will have representatives available in the Lounge to discuss their upcoming production "Doubt: A Parable" by John Patrick Shanley. We care most about you, not about your money. Still, it does take money to sustain a religious community. Each year in the spring we hold our annual pledge drive. Because wonderful volunteers work on this, we can keep our doors open. We invite you become one of these wonderful volunteers. To help you make a decision, we invite you to attend a workshop Saturday, October 24, here at Cedar Lane, called “Beyond Fundraising, A Complete Guide to Congregational Stewardship.” Susan Clark, who attended last year, will be at a table in the lounge after the service to answer questions. If you sign up to attend, the Pledge Drive Committee will BUY YOU A DONUT! IN THE LOUNGE Cedar Lane Stage Celltower information Donuts and Bagels Environmental Task Force Social Justice Council Lounge Lizards Stewardship Training UU Book Store- Beacon Press and Skinner House Books-Now with Gift Corner candles We serve fair trade coffee and tea
Volunteers for the
Service: The flowers in the Sanctuary are given by Alan Bergstein and Carol Joffe in honor of their 25th wedding anniversary. The flowers in the sanctuary were arranged by Lois Delaha. The flowers in the chapel were arranged by Nancy McKean. Bagels and Donuts Are Back! The You and UU (9th grade) classes travel to Boston next March to learn about their UU roots. Support their pilgrimage by buying bagels and donuts. No RE classes this Sunday, October 18, 2009! It is an intergenerational service, “The Blessing of the Animals.” There will be childcare for children 5 years old and younger.
Roger Fritts
Saturday, Oct 17, looks like rain. So come on to church and participate in the Breakthrough Task Force program. It starts at 8:30 AM, but come whenever you can. We have the Forum (see below) because of the 1996 long range plan. Building on successes like this, what would you like to see in the future?
Sunday is blessing
of the animals day. It will be fun. If you hunger for more
The next “Conversations with Roger” will be Wednesday, October 28, 1:30-3:30 in the Library. We will look at and discuss a video tape interview with Elizabeth Kubler-Ross. She was asked: “What do you say to people who say there is no life after death?” She replied, “When I meet them in the afterlife I am going to say: ‘See. I told you so.’” Join us.
Heather Janules A glance at my calendar tells an interesting story, a story about the importance of rites-of-passage. Between August 1st and November 1st, I will have officiated seven weddings – some small and intimate, some big and formal. I have also led or participated in a number of memorial services with a few more to come. Through preparing for these memorial services, I have “met” many fascinating people. One man was a Secret Service agent, another helped design the UN logo. Others were heroes in more private ways. In this season of ceremonies, I am also mindful that two of my colleagues will be ordained this weekend (I have the honor of extending the Right Hand of Fellowship to one) and another colleague will be installed next weekend. We ministers, who often lead rites-of-passage, have the same need to mark important transitions in a public and thoughtful way. One thing I love about attending ordination and installation services is that it reminds me of the great privilege of ministry. Like a vow renewal, attending such a service invites me to pause, to reflect and to give thanks for the many gifts of this vocation, to recall the inner voice that led me to this place and quietly guides me in my day-to-day work. In every vocation, it is easy to get lost in the crush of daily responsibilities – email, phone calls, administrative tasks– and lose sight of the big picture. An ordination service returns my focus to the overarching goal - the creation and sustenance of a vibrant faith community, a community engaged in the world-at-large, manifesting peace and justice. An installation service reminds me of the intimate and sacred relationship between a minister and congregation. It reminds me of the great trust required for clergy and laity to – individually and collaboratively - serve the mission of a faith community and the Spirit as we understand it. On Saturday, Cedar Laners will join our Breakthrough Task Force in discerning the current mission of our congregation. (Sadly, one of the seven weddings and a memorial service will keep me away from this important conversation.) I look forward to seeing what emerges from this positive, appreciative process. I look forward to joining the Cedar Lane congregation in walking towards our shared future together, each with our own gifts and dreams. Many blessings on our work and the road ahead!
The We Care program is a network led by volunteers who reach out to address short-term needs – food deliveries, rides to doctor’s appointments, a listening ear in the event of a loss. The Cedar Lane congregation is organized geographically by “neighborhoods”; each neighborhood has at least one chairperson to coordinate support. Look at your nametag or the map in the church office to find your neighborhood. (Please note: A mailing about the We Care program will soon reach the Cedar Lane community. When you receive yours, please take a few minutes to read it. Thank you!) Our hearts go out to Catherine Burns (Neighborhood 6) as she mourns the unexpected death of her daughter, Susie Kraft. Susie grew up at Cedar Lane and loved our congregation. You may learn more about this vibrant woman through her obituary: http://mobile.mininggazette.com/page/wap.home/?id=506639 SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1 Should you know of a member of our community in personal need, you are encouraged to reach out to them. If you learn that this person wishes to receive a response from the church, please contact Heather Janules at x204 or hjanules@cedarlane.org. All ministers offer pastoral care to our members so you are also encouraged to contact any member of the ministerial team. 
Thank you all for your patience and continued feedback regarding this electronic newsletter. As our web host is not set up to allow attachments we have been unable to send this in an easily read format. We are working on using links from the email we send to you to our website so that if you wish to see photographs or more detail you may access it by clicking on a link. This way we will be able to send a shorter email that will not take an hour to load. EScrip-it is that time again. Sign Up Today! Your participation can mean hundreds of dollars for Cedar Lane. To sign up for the first time • Visit www.escrip.com• Have your Safeway Club Card number available • Click on “1- Sign Up” • Present your Club Card every time you shop and Cedar Lane earns $ It’s Easy to Renew If you participated last year, don’t forget to renew to continue earning Safeway contributions. • Visit www.escrip.com • Have your Safeway Club Card number available. • Click on “YES RENEW!” For uninterrupted contributions, renew annually by Nov.1. Our BIG BANG BAZAAR has been postponed until we can find a person (or persons) interested in organizing the Bazaar. We found many people with rummage to spare, still others willing to help out but no one yet to run it. If you are interested in taking this on please contact Bonnie Beavers BBEAVERS@KKBLAW.COM or Lisa Chernikoff, lisa.chernikoff@verizon.net.
Ad Hoc Choir
Music for the
Environment on October 25
Religious Education No RE classes this Sunday, October 18, 2009! It is an intergenerational service, “The Blessing of the Animals.” There will be childcare for children 5 years old and younger. Youth Activity Group (YAG): To Gettysburg, Then Rafting This weekend the YAG is off to Gettysburg to explore the Battlefield and its history, learn the significance of the hallowed ground and President Lincoln’s Address, and take a ghost tour to a haunted house and cemetery. Then they will raft the Shenandoah River near Front Royal, VA on Saturday, October 24. Announcement and forms will be sent by e-mail and snail mail. The Youth Activity Group is open to 7th and 8th graders at Cedar Lane. If you have any questions about the Group or its activities, contact Susan Archer, John Daniel (301-946-5509) or Kim Clarkson (301-58-3051). Holiday Craft Day Saturday, December 5, 2009; 10:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Mark your calendars now for this year’s Holiday Craft Day to be held at Cedar Lane. This family friendly event is for all ages and abilities. Spend a day with family and friends making great holiday crafts that can be used in your own home or given as gifts. Registration will begin in November in the lounge after both services or in the R.E. office. The registration fee will be $10 per person or $20 per family (some special crafts will have a nominal additional charge). This fee covers the cost of the crafts, a great deal of fun, and a bunch of handmade gifts that you can share with others. If you would like to get into the holiday spirit, we would love to have volunteers to either lead crafts or be a helper in one of the craft rooms. Please contact Chris Black or Celia Nathan, if you would like to be part of this festive event. Adult Programs For more information, please refer to the Adult Programs Fall 2009 brochure, which is on our website, www.cedarlane.org. Register through the RE office by sending a registration card with a check for fees or calling 301-493-8300 x207. Classes starting soon: The Book Discussion Group meets the third Tuesday of the month, 7:15 to 9:00 p.m. Members select fiction and nonfiction books and serve as discussion leaders on a rotating basis. This Tuesday, October 20, they will discuss “Netherland” by Joseph O’Neill. The book for November 17, will be, “Olive Kittridge” by Elizabeth Strout. Everyone is welcome. Lao-Tzu’s Tao-Te Ching meets two Thursdays, October 22 and 29, 7 to 9 p.m. The lectures will cover Lao-Tzu’s conception of ultimate reality—the Tao, his views of the universe and life, the conception of evils, and how to solve them, the ideal world, Lao-Tzu’s influence on other Chinese religions and his relevance to today’s world. Sugarloaf Mountain Hike meets at the church on Saturday, October 24, at 10:30 a.m., and carpools to the mountain. Pack your lunch, sunscreen, water, and insect repellant and wear appropriate clothing. This hike involves elevation changes, so please take your physical condition into account. Sacred Feminine: How the Loss of the Goddess in Ancient Times Affects Relationships of Modern Men and Women will meet Monday, October 26 and Wednesday, October 28, 7:30 to 9 p.m. Leader Tim Ward has traveled the world and written five books including; Savage Breast: One Man’s Search for the Goddess, and What the Buddha Never Taught. The first class begins with images of the Goddess and discussion of how the archetypal images affect relationships with the opposite sex. In the second class, participants sculpt in clay a statue of some aspect of the divine feminine. Ward will lead the group in reflection and meditation on the role of the Sacred Feminine in our lives today. Couples registering together get a $5 discount. Connection
Circles
October 25, 2009 October 25 Forum: China: The People’s Republic Turns Sixty, with Harry Harding. October 1 is the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Dr. Harding will review the major trends in China’s evolution over those six decades, as the country has experienced an often dizzying blend of domestic upheaval, dramatic change in development models, rapid economic growth, and ultimate rise to major power status. Americans face a very different China now than they did sixty years ago, or even twenty years ago. How must our approach to China change to match the dramatic transformation of China itself? Dr. Harding is Dean of the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, and Professor of Politics and Public Policy, at the University of Virginia. Earlier this year he served as a visiting professor at the University of Hong Kong, and from 1995 to 2005 he was Dean of the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University.
November 1, 2009
Fauré Requiem on
November 1 November 1 Forum: Why Isn't Everyone a UU? The number of UU's is less than 0.2 % of the US population and has not grown over time. UU's have historically lost 90% of their active members from generation to generation. Smith Wood, a member of Fairfax UU Church and Adjunct Professor of Business at Georgetown, brings a fresh and unusual perspective to the question. Since UUism emphasizes religious tolerance and social justice, but without "dogma," shouldn't it be a desirable alternative to people seeking a more tolerant community for their religious lives? Why aren't religious liberal Christians and agnostics more attracted to UUism? Why hasn't Thomas Jefferson's prediction that Unitarianism would be the future of religion in the US ever been realized? Why do so many UU's not continue their membership generation to generation? What can we UU's do to help overcome these obstacles and challenges?
Don't Forget! The Breakthrough Task Force needs you Tomorrow! Help our church break through to a new level of excellence! The Breakthrough Task Force invites you to join us for Breakthrough Day. We want to engage you, the congregation, so that together we can discover what is most important and meaningful to us as a church community as we move forward. We will meet in large and small groups in a wonderfully positive and affirming process called Appreciative Inquiry (AI). It works – you’ll see! We’ll ask for your vision of Cedar Lane. What are your dreams? What are your ideas? Tell us what you like now and what you would like to see in the future for worship, religious education, social justice, governance, grounds, facilities, music, and any other areas of congregational life that are important to you. Breakthrough Day is a day of listening, sharing, imagining, discovering, and designing.
How: Come to
Breakthrough Day; When: Saturday, October 17 Over the past year, we’ve talked to groups, committees, and individuals, but now it's time for all of us to come together--even if you have previously participated. Our charge from the Board of Trustees, and our wish, is to hear as many voices as possible. REGISTER Call the church office: 301-493-8300, or email: breakthrough9601@gmail.com Lunch, snacks and beverages will be served.
October 2009 Pamphlets: DVDs
IN JUST ABOUT A MONTH— Paul Razor will be talking with Cedar Laners about whether or not war is ever morally justifiable…mark your calendar: November 21, 2 p.m. $10—students free.
Grounds Fall Work
Day: NEW TIME October is here. Morning temperatures are crisp, leaves are falling, and it’s time to mark your calendars for the Grounds Committee Fall Work Morning on Saturday, November 14 between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Join us for a few hours as we rake, mulch, and generally tidy up our beautiful grounds. If you have favorite tools, bring them. The church also has yard tools that you are welcome to use.
The 2010 Pledge Drive Committee is looking for additional volunteers. We are looking for committee members that can handle the following:
* attend meetings on the 2nd Thursday of each month None of this is hard! Really!!!! It isn’t. You won’t have to do anything that you are uncomfortable with in asking Cedar Lane members to submit their pledges. We are particularly interested in new church members, members in the age group 26-86, and members with strong interest in church finances. You can provide a huge contribution to Cedar Lane through your service on the committee, and you will make a difference to everyone connected to the church. Please call or email Ardene Shafer, pledge drive chair, at 240-294-4985 or srs.ars@gmail.com .
Don’t forget The Second Annual Social Justice Awards Benefit Gala, Sunday, October 25, Ten congregations, 20 nominations, amazing feats of faith and justice. We commend our winners and all nominees. We hope you will join us in celebrating these leaders and in hearing their inspiring stories. 5:30, Sunday, October 25 at Positano Ristorante Italiano in Bethesda. Contact Rev. Cyn Snavely at info@uusj.org or 301‑588‑1951. Tickets are $80 for a 4 course dinner. The Second Annual Social Justice Awards Benefit Gala feeds the UUSJ Collaborative Fund. Go to uusj.org for details.
ROCK
CREEK CLEAN UP
We want to provide enough food: Please e-mail or call: Join with the FORCE (Friends of Rock Creek) to maintain our CLEAN Rock Creek waterfront. Come for as long as you can. Wear old shoes. Come to the teachers’ parking lot on the Beach Drive side of our church for gloves and bags provided by the Montgomery County Parks and Planning Dept. We will also gather nuts (seeds) for the Potomac Conservancy to germinate and plant to stabilize creek and river banks.
GREEN TIPS COFFEE CUP HANDLERS NEEDED NOW Coffee cups used in the lounge after our two Sunday morning services need folks to get them washed. Why not you? It takes about a half hour of low skill labor; you get to wear a Green Team apron; you will have the satisfaction that all volunteers get. We'd love to get to know you in this way.
Job entails:
SIGN UP AT THE
ENVIRONMENTAL TASK FORCE TABLE AFTER YOUR NEXT CHURCH
Cedar Lane Nursery
School
Celebrating Our
Faiths,
Sunday, October 18 ** Pick up a flyer under the nametags for more information. ** In its 5th year of existence, the 9/11 Unity Walk brings together thousands of people representing hundreds of organizations, religious groups, and diplomatic communities to walk in unity, building bridges of understanding and respect. Walkers are encouraged to seek out and strike up conversations with people of different faiths, reflect, and also celebrate. The mission of the Unity Walk is to make a profound statement to the world what is possible when people put aside their differences and come together. The Walk this year commences at the Washington Hebrew Congregation, where there will be speeches from major faith leaders, after which, the Walk will continue up Massachusetts Ave. and down Embassy Row, visiting several houses of worship along the way, and will end up at the Gandhi Memorial. For more information, click here. or www.911unitywalk.org Please join us to help hundreds of families in need by attending A Wider Circle's annual fundraiser on Sunday, October 25th from 3-6pm It is a family-friendly event with Wii games, a moon bounce, indoor golf, children's activities room, food, music and a silent auction. Advance adult tickets are $25 ($35 at the door) and children under 16 are free! It is at the Julia Bindeman Center at 11810 Falls Road, Potomac. Call 301-608-3504 for tickets or go to www.awidercircle.org Thanks and see you there! Anne Thompson,
Event Coordinator "Funeral Consumers Alliance Annual Meeting. Ronn Wade, Director, State Board of Anatomy of Maryland, will discuss the state's body donor program, which is recognized as the best in the country, at the Annual Meeting of the non-profit Funeral Consumers Alliance of Maryland and Environs, to be held in the Chapel on Saturday, November 7 from 1 to 3 p.m. The public is invited."
All
Souls Concert
All Souls Church,
Unitarian,
October 16, 2009 – October 25, 2009
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Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist
Church |
