 |
The Windmill |
 |
| Online | ||
| January 1, 2004 |
|
|
The Windmill |
|
| Online | ||
| January 1, 2004 |
REV-ving Up!: Words from our ministerBy The Rev. Louis V. SchwebiusDear Friends, It was in the first week of January 1971 that I, as a young Roman Catholic teenager, participated in the sacrament of Penance for the final time. I had long struggled with the concept of confessing an itemized list of my faults and failings to another person, rather than communicating my feelings directly with the God who I was taught always forgave us. However, I was still in a mode of trying to fit into the established religious practice of my childhood and making it work for me. The priest recited the traditional language of absolution, and then asked me to promise "never to sin again." I answered that I could not honestly make such an ironclad pledge, which would set me up for automatic failure and guilt; however, I was genuinely willing to try the best that I could. The priest said that he could not in good conscience absolve me, and suggested that I go home and look up Matthew 5:48 in the Bible. As I read and re-read the passage (Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly father is perfect), I realized that I did not want or need total perfection, which is ultimately unattainable. What I wanted and needed was a sense of connectedness and wholeness to Life. Perhaps it is this need within me to seek wholeness rather than perfection which makes a particular New Year’s tradition difficult—that of making "resolutions" to accomplish throughout the upcoming 12 months. While I agree that we need to examine our lives—to compare, assess, and explore where we’ve been and where we’re going—we are not here on this planet to scrutinize ourselves to death. Too often when we make our (mile-long!) list of resolutions, we couple them with a demand for that fruitless, frantic search & pursuit of total perfection. And we come down so hard on ourselves, as well as others, when this elusive total perfection is not attained. In my files of sheet music at home is a song entitled "Fragments of Perfection," written by Rick Bockner, which I have sung in many services over the years. The lyrics of the chorus are: And all of us and everything are given life’s confection/To sweeten this imperfect world—our fragment of perfection/For everything in Nature’s face contains the God’s reflection/Come sit by me and celebrate our fragment of perfection. The idea that every one of us possesses a fragment of perfection—a reflection of the Spirit of Life and Love within each one of us—is an appealing concept for me. It reminds us of our responsibility to look for beauty and truth not only in ourselves, but in the faces, minds, and hearts of all of the world community. It is a much more healthy and realistic aspiration to strive towards becoming whole persons who—while recognizing our blemishes and flaws—work to connect our minds, bodies, and spirits with Love’s consecrating power through which we can heal and transform our world. I wish you all a year in which we seek each other out, travel life’s journeys together, and celebrate the fragments of perfection in each of us! Have a Challenging, Renewing, Invigorating, and Blessed 2004!! In faith and love, —Rev. Lou |
A Month of SundaysServices at 9 am and 11 am January 4 January 11 January 18 January 25 Audio tapes of all services are available upon request. Some sermons are available online in the sermon library. Program HighlightsGood Companions Our Larger World Intergenerational RE Games Night Good Companions Wisdom Years |
The Every Thursday Group will reconvene on January 8.
The annual Games Night will be Saturday, January 17 at 7:00 pm in the Commons. All are welcome. Bring board games or card games and snacks to share. For additional information call Marty Bredeck.
Wisdom Years did not meet in December but Bev and Ginny would like to remind you that on January 27, a representative from the Police Department will speak on Identity Theft. On February 24, our own Doctor Bruce Tinker will answer questions pertaining to health. Please submit your questions by February 12 to Ginny or Bev. The Wisdom Years meets on the fourth Tuesday of the month, in the Fireplace Room, from 10:30 am until noon.
Fiscal Year 2004–2005 Budget Requests from committees, groups, staff, and individuals should be in the Finance Committee mailbox by January 30. Requests for operating budget funds (ongoing routine expenses) and Property Major Maintenance funds (one-time expenses for equipment, repairs, and upgrades) should be as detailed as possible, explaining needs and costs.
REsonance
My four-year-old has made it very clear that she is tired of seeing Michael Jackson on TV as of late. I’m a bit tired of it too. I admit, however, being a self-professed pop culture junkie, that there is still a piece of me that remains fascinated with this formerly gorgeous child’s fall from celebrity grace.
Seeing his tattoo-eyed mug shot constantly now presents another face in the lineup of alleged sexual offenders on the news. They force us to deal, either consciously or subconsciously, with this very real issue. The problems in the Catholic Church over the past few years have likewise forced our society to deal with one of the most harmful and painful abuses that can happen to our children, not to mention our adults.
Because of Michael Jackson, I had to go ahead and have my first "good touch/bad touch" conversation with Aia. It went well, I think, but it also made me sad. I feel great sorrow in having to address this issue at all. But address it I must, because it’s up to me to acknowledge and deal with the potential of sexual abuse in the lives of my children. It’s up to me to equip them with appropriate responses and behaviors in the event that someone they do not know, or more often, know and love, touches or speaks to them inappropriately.
Last year, we put new RE Policies in place that promote the safety and welfare of our children while they are at church. Gone are the days when we can sweep this under the rug and hope or pretend this won’t happen on our religious community’s turf. The truth is, 1 in 5 girls are sexually abused by the time they are teens, and 1 in 10 boys are. It’s a common occurrence. As your RE educator and leader, I take very seriously the charge to care for our children while they are in our hands—in class or on field trips. As their parents, you can help as well.
What can you do? For extensive information, see http://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/talk/sexual_abuse_p3.html. An excerpt from that website follows:
Editor’s Note: All references to "her" in the following quoted material apply equally to "him."
Teach the proper names for body parts.
Tell her that her body belongs to her and that no one has the right to touch her private parts or to hurt her in any way.
Tell her that this applies to everyone she knows and not just strangers.
Make sure she knows it’s OK to say no to anything that makes her feel uncomfortable, even if the request is from a relative or friend.
Tell her to tell you if any adult asks her to keep a secret.
Explain that some adults have problems, and if something feels wrong to her, it probably is.
Explain that some adults are confused about sex and sometimes they try to kiss, touch, or hug children in a way that makes kids feel uncomfortable.
Tell her to come to you even if she’s afraid of what may happen, if it seems easier to try to forget about it, or if someone has threatened her not to tell.
Tell her you will believe her and protect her if she tells you about abuse and that you will never blame or be angry with her for doing so.
Give straightforward answers if they ask about sex.
Stress personal safety and encourage your child to get away from the abuser as quickly and safely as possible
Explain that sexual violence is any sexual act that breaks a person’s trust or threatens her safety.
Explain that sexual assault may feel good at first, but later on she may feel bad inside.
Discuss rape, date/acquaintance rape, sexually transmitted diseases, and unintended pregnancy.
Tell her nobody has the right to force her to do any act that she considers sexual (kissing, hugging, any contact with the breasts or genitals, sexual intercourse, etc.).
Reiterate the importance of saying no, telling an adult if something wrong or something that felt wrong has happened, and keeping her body safe.
Church Family, Church Community. These are words often heard around MVUC. The annual Holiday Craft Workshop, with tree trimming, piñata, and dinner, is definitely an activity where those words apply. This annual event, sponsored by the Religious Education Council, was held on December 6 and featured graham-cracker-house decorating, crafts, boxwood-wreath assembly, decorating the MVUC holiday tree with pictures of the children and youth of our community, dinner, carol singing, and the piñata! The highlight of the day was watching the candy-deprived MVUC kids of all ages trying to break the piñata.
It takes a number of MVUC folks to put the event together—taking the pictures, purchasing candy and dinner ingredients, picking boxwood, making the piñata, and so forth. Georgia Pourchot was the overall organizer this year with help from many people—most especially Ann and Susan Montanari, who picked boxwood with her; Laura Jernigan, who took the pictures of the kids; Mike Walker and family, who created the piñata; and the 8th-grade Coming of Age Class, who assembled the graham cracker houses and helped in other ways. I would also like to acknowledge, with thanks, MotoPhoto, in old town Alexandria, for their help in developing the pictures.
The profits will most likely be around $200 and will go towards the 8th-grade trip to Boston in April. This event is traditionally held the first Saturday in December, so mark December 4, 2004 on your new calendar and plan to attend. All ages are welcome!
—Janice Fitzpatrick, RE Assistant
Dust off your bongos, practice those pirouettes and work on your arpeggios—the 2004 edition of the MVUC Variety Show is coming! Due to the heavy schedule of events in March, the annual Variety Show will be held on Saturday, February 21, at 7:00 pm in the Chapel. This will follow the Lasagna Dinner, which benefits the 8th grade Coming of Age trip to Boston over spring break.
Adults and children, young and old—all are welcome to perform. Contact Linda Jemison (the emcee).
An international student team has been chosen to work with the NASA Mars Red Rover team when the twin rovers touch down on Mars in early January 2004. Only 16 young people in competition throughout the world won places on the team. They submitted essays and were given oral interviews. The Student Astronauts are a part of the Planetary Society’s Red Rover goes to Mars project, run in partnership with the LEGO company.
Teams of two Student Astronauts will be arriving in Pasadena California, for several months early next year. They will spend about a week working with engineers and scientists overseeing the science payload on Mars Exploration Rovers, grappling with choices about what orders to send to the rovers.
They will have the opportunity to work with panoramic cameras and the magnets and analyze new data returned from the rovers. A very diverse group of Student Astronauts will come from twelve different nations and five continents to participate with the Rover team at NASA’s Jet propulsion Laboratory.
Courtney has been selected to be on the very first team, the first week in January, so she will be lucky to be working there the very day Red Rover is expected to touch down and to celebrate her 16th birthday as well. All the student astronauts are featured on the Internet. The Planetary Society has a fascinating site. If you type in "Courtney Dressing" on the Google internet site you will find lots of pictures. Courtney is a student at Thomas Jefferson High School and a member of Mt Vernon Unitarian Church.
Courtney’s parents are Julie and Steve Dressing.
—June & Russ Stumpe
Thanks to all who expressed the Christmas spirit by bringing gifts for UCM’s Sharing Tree. There were many parents able to give their children a Christmas gift because of you.
—Janice Fitzpatrick
Our December 1 newsletter featured a wonderful article about the DRE Relations Committee (DRERC). It described what they do and what they consider their purpose to be.
I’d like to correct a couple of things, for the sake of clarity.
They are a formal committee, and they do have a formal agenda.
The DRERC also works with the Personnel Committee to address fair employment package issues, and advocates for the DRE in the event that an issue needs to be addressed. They are here to serve the congregation by hearing your joys or concerns, and they pass them on to the DRE as deemed appropriate.
If you have a joy or concern and come to them, be prepared for them to ask you if you’ve spoken to me (Hope) about it directly. Depending on the situation, they will offer to help you in that regard before taking it to me themselves. What a wonderful, healthy environment we can create together through loving, authentic communication among our leaders and ourselves!
—Hope Andonovska
The UU World magazine is available on audiotape for the vision impaired. Contact Jean McKenney at jmmckenney@uua.org or 617-948-4642.
Cockroaches are running rampant in the Meeting House kitchen and copy room so please carefully clean up food and drink residue after meetings. MVUC has no maid service, so it is up to all of us to clean up ourselves. We have put out roach hotels and are making other attempts to eliminate the problem.
—Janice Fitzpatrick
There will be a partner church trip meeting on Sunday, January 18, 4–6 pm in the Commons. A second meeting will be Sunday, February 1, 12:30 pm in the Carriage House. The trip dates and costs will be finalized at these meetings. For additional information, call Angela Fitzpatrick.
Elaine Bronez and Bev Southerland, coordinators
Meetings will be held in Hollin Hall.
11:45 to 12:45—BYO Lunch
12:45 to 1:45—Speaker
There will be a brief overview of 200 years of Alexandria history covering the city’s significant role in both state and nation. For example, did you know Alexandria was part of D.C. from 1804 to 1847? Michael is a research historian for Alexandria and formerly worked in the city’s Archeological Center and the Lee-Fendall house.
Julia sees her country as doing well economically and politically. She grew up and was educated in Botswana and studied Economics and Statistics at their University. She works for the International Monetary Fund and her focus is on the finance sector. She is now assigned to Laos and Kenya.
Social Justice Programs at the Mount Vernon Unitarian Church
Love is the Teaching of this Church ... And Service is its Prayer
The Route One Task Force For Human Services will meet at 7:00 pm on Wednesday, January 7, at the South County Center, 8350 Richmond Highway, 2nd floor conference room. Join Supervisor Gerry Hyland and Deputy County Executive Verdia Haywood at a meeting with our State Legislators, Senator Toddy Puller and Delegate Kris Amundson, to discuss what we can expect, and do, regarding human services at the upcoming legislative session. Frank Blechman will also be there, as tax reform is sure to be a major concern.
Important information on the Virginia Tax Reform front can be found at The Virginia Organizing Project website: http://www.virginia-rganizing.org/tax_ reform.php. There you will find comparisons between the Governor’s proposed plan and the one preferred by the Project. Finally, concern is expressed about the views of the Speaker of the House that there really is no problem with Virginia’s tax system. You can also contact Kris Rosenthal for information.
Tia Breeding is looking for volunteers to help with Outreach to the Homeless on Tuesdays and Fridays and also at the Mount Vernon Mental Health Center. There is a drop-in center where people can have showers, do laundry, and be met with friendliness. County clearance (e.g., criminal background check) is required. Volunteers could be on a rotating or weekly schedule. Call Tia for more information.
The Mt. Vernon Meals on Wheels program is urgently seeking delivery volunteers. Commitment is about 3 hours a delivery; frequency is your choice. To help, call Jo Jackley.
UUSJ is working to provide opportunities for our UU social justice community to develop collaborations and to strengthen our voice for justice in the Baltimore-Washington area. Here is some news of recent events.
Our October 11 workshop for social justice leaders, Feeding the Flame, attracted 58 participants. There was a resounding "yes" when we asked if participants wanted UUSJ to host additional gatherings.
A recent initiative was to build a UU connection to Banner Neighborhoods Community Corporation in East Baltimore As a result, the number of volunteers in their reading program has tripled, new projects are in the works, and a fundraising event is being held at First Unitarian Church in Baltimore.
UUSJ is working with River Road and Montgomery Health Care Action to spread the word to Maryland UU churches about the pending legislation that would provide universal health care to all state citizens. UUSJ has received a $5,000 challenge grant from the UU Funding Program (UUFP). Every new dollar UUSJ raises from now until the end of June will be matched by UUFP, up to $5,000. Now would be a great time to consider a contribution to UUSJ.
River Road’s Minority Scholarships Concert in November raised about $4,000, with UUSJ members contributing about 15% of that total. The money goes to support 9 or 10 students-at-risk. Please visit the UUSJ website, www.uusj.org, and check in frequently on our regional social justice calendar. Stay in touch with us and let us know what is happening in your congregation!
—UUSJ
The UUSC is again sponsoring a contest to design one of their holiday cards. This year’s winner is Carolyn Planakis of the UU Congregation of Marin in San Rafael, CA. Creative UUs of all ages who are passionate about human rights and social justice are invited to submit a design for a new UUSC holiday card for the 2004 holiday season. The winning card designers’ names & congregations will be printed on their cards. Mail submissions to: UUSC Holiday Card Contest, 130 Prospect Street, Cambridge, MA 02139-1845. E-mail submissions to: volunteerservices@uusc.org.
The Reverend Katherine Jesch of the UUA’s Seventh Principle Project will be the featured speaker at the monthly Our Larger World luncheon series. The date will be January 11, time will be 12:45 am. Please watch the Sunday program for details.
To contribute to OLW News, please contact Bill Alsmeyer-Johnson.
Linda Jemison, Chair, MVUC Board of Trustees
We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.
—Sir Winston Churchill
Like the god Janus who looks both backward and forward, let’s take a moment and look at the MVUC year. But which year, you might ask? The Religious Education program year follows that of the local school systems, September through June. The Board of Trustees year would be May through April since the Board is elected at the Annual Congregational Meeting in April and holds its first Board meeting in May. Ingathering Sunday is the Sunday after Labor Day, Recognition Sunday is June 13 this year, the Sunday before the school year ends and a time when we recognize volunteers before we scatter for the beach and summer vacations.
Well, for the space of this paragraph, let’s look at the year since May 2003, the Board year. In that time we have tried to fulfill the directives of the Congregation as evidenced by the vote at the annual meeting that mandated that the Board hire a Business Administrator, borrow $300,000 in order to move forward with repairs to our buildings and develop more detailed drawings for additions to the Meeting House and Carriage House. In addition, we were directed by MVUC members to consider using some of this loan money to employ a fundraising consultant for the Annual Pledge Canvass soon to begin in February 2004.
Dear friends, I am happy to report that all of these are in process. While I cannot say that any one of these tasks is complete, they are all well begun.
Now let’s look at another year, the church financial year. Unlike the others, this year begins July 1 and ends June 30. Therefore, the previous Annual Pledge Canvass asked for pledges that would be paid between July 1, 2003 and June 30, 2004. The Annual Pledge Canvass about to begin in February 2004 will be asking for the year July 1, 2004 through June 30, 2005. The Annual Pledge Canvass is far enough in advance of the church year to provide adequate planning time to develop a budget—a budget that pays the basic bills and expenses, but also funds initiatives that move us forward as a community."
At the January meeting of the Board, we will look at what we need and what we want at MVUC. We will ask the Program Council to make recommendations for new initiatives in our programs, additional elements in our worship, and certain conveniences that may have gone wanting in the past.
A church is not just a building; it is all of us holding hands on Sunday morning, all of us who have offered our time and our treasure to support our faith and our church community. Your pledge is what makes Mt. Vernon Unitarian Church possible—it pays the electric bill; the water bill, it buys religious education curricula, sheet music, art supplies, paper clips, copy paper, and funds the salaries of the professional and administrative staff.
So now I’m going to ask you for money (yes, there I said it). I ask you to do the following:
If you’re a new member and you’ve been waiting to pledge, wait no longer—you can still pledge for the second half of the 2003–2004 year. We’ll contact you personally early in the New Year, so you can be a sustaining member of our community.
If you pledged for 2003–2004 and you want to increase your pledge, call 703-765-5950 or e-mail me at bot@mvuc.org to ask how to do that.
If you plan to pledge for 2004–2005 (and if you’re a member you should be planning to pledge) start right now to determine what that pledge will be. When you get your pledge card, you’ll be able to make your pledge right then and let the Annual Pledge Canvass volunteers finish their work in a timely manner.
Beginning in February more information about the 2004–2005 Annual Pledge Canvass will be distributed. I will ask all of us to consider a level of giving that will push MVUC past the maintenance level and on to a level that will make changing our community and changing the world, possible. Oh, yes it’s true that buying paper clips won’t change the world, but consider how a suitable application of those paper clips might make a better world possible.
Let’s put our money to work for the things we care about most: our faith, our community, our families, our children, and each other.
Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed
citizens can change the world.
Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.
—Margaret Mead
Long-time Mt. Vernon Unitarian Church member Thelda V. Davis was remembered by her family and church friends on Saturday, December 6, 2003. Attendees heard many stories about Thelda and her love for her church. A slide show of Thelda as a young girl was also shown.
During refreshments after the memorial service, Thelda’s nephew, Tony Ingraham, referred to how important MVUC was to her. He also announced that she had remembered the church in her estate planning through a gift to the MVUC Endowment Fund. He said her gift would likely double the Endowment Fund. Russ Stumpe, Endowment Fund Committee vice chair, expressed the committee’s deep gratitude for Thelda’s very generous gift.
Rob Dickinson, Endowment Fund Committee chair, stated the Fund balance at the end of November was about $260,000. It is the policy of the MVUC to hold all contributions and earnings until the Endowment Fund reaches $1 million. After that goal is obtained, principal will be preserved and only interest may be spent. For more information on the Endowment Fund, contact the Endowment Fund Committee at endowment@mvuc.org or visit the MVUC web page at http://mvuc.org/endowment.html.
Thelda’s name will be added to the Memorial Walks wall on the church grounds.
Sermons for Your Re-hearing and Reading
Each Sunday’s service is recorded on audio tape. If you would like a copy for yourself, a friend, or one of our church’s shut-ins, please speak to Raleigh Romine or Joanne Ell. Copies of some sermons are also available at www.mvuc.org.
The deadline for the mid-month newsletter, Stirrings from Windmill Hill, is the 5th of each month. Material should be submitted to Mimi Stevens by email (mimis (at) erols.com) or left in the Newsletter box by the Church Office.