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The Windmill |
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| December 1, 2003 |
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The Windmill |
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| December 1, 2003 |
REV-ving Up!: Words from our ministerBy The Rev. Louis V. Schwebius
Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. —Leo Buscaglia Dear Friends, Signs and songs everywhere remind us that this is the holiday season! Gifts and decorations for Christmas, Hanukkah, and even the Winter Solstice are popping up in all the stores. Every shiny object claims to offer easy entry to the joyous mood our winter festivals can impart. In olden days, people became worried at this time of year. What if this year the days really do get shorter and shorter, the night gets colder, and the trend doesn’t reverse? What if the trees fail to bud again? What if the leaves and birds don’t return? What then? When such thoughts rattled our ancestors, they thought of how good it would be to have magic: to be able to make light in the dark, to make warmth in the cold, to bring back the leaves to trees and the songs of birds to the air. That was magic to them and almost ordinariness to us. But we are closer to them perhaps than we acknowledge. What if this year we don’t get that raise? What if we become sick or unwell or our life gets swallowed by some catastrophe? What if we fall out of love? What will we do if our troubles and the world’s troubles threaten to, finally, settle in over us once and for all? What then? How good it would be to have magic—to be able to make our wants few—to make content of small means—to find love and affection in our religious home. I cannot run 100 miles per hour; I cannot make money fly to me; I cannot read minds. But there is some magic I can do, and you can too: We can give a blessing to someone—we can look someone right in the eye and tell them that we love them—we can try and do our chores with "mindfulness." We can encourage someone in their secret or not so secret struggles. This is magic you and I can do! In dark mid-winter, when hopes flag and fear creeps in, we light candles, give thanks, remember miracles, and look toward a brighter day—a day when our frustrations won’t overwhelm us, and we’ll be able to transform our emotions into the propulsive power for change in the world. This is a time to reflect on what has been and to hope for better things. Possibly in taking stock, we might even begin the walk toward change which is the hope manifested. And wouldn’t that be wonderful! In that spirit, I end with a wish for Happy Holidays—a merry Christmas, a happy Hanukkah, a blessed Solstice, and a joyous Kwanzaa to all! In faith and love, —Rev. Lou |
A Month of SundaysServices at 9 am and 11 am December 7 December 14 December 21 December 24 December 28 Audio tapes of all services are available upon request. Some sermons are available online in the sermon library. Program HighlightsGood Companions Holiday Craft Workshop Thelda Davis Memorial Service Congregational Information Meeting Movie Night Our Larger World Forum Winter Solstice Celebration Christmas Eve Services Peace Meditation |
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
NOH is an ancient form of drama, very popular in Japan. Ruth will show us a video which demonstrates costumes, masks, and classical techniques. This is one of the productions, on many topics, which Ruth has been doing for Arlington Community TV for the last ten years.
Ruth was a founding member of MVUC and has had a long career as a psychologist.
Mark your calendar for the mesmerizing play, A Passion for Justice: The Clarence Darrow Story, with nationally-known actor, Paul Morella. The Washington Post review calls it "... impressive, absorbing .... The material is legendary and Paul Morella plays Darrow impeccably. His fluidity in the role seems natural, almost effortless." Tickets are going fast; to reserve yours call 703-799-4642. Performance time: 7:30 pm; tickets: $20. —Jeanne Gayler and Jan Vander Staay
The annual Every Thursday Christmas luncheon (pot luck) will be December 11, 11:30 am, in the Meeting House. Come join us. For reservations call Jo Jackley.
We will be putting on another Christmas Pageant, called The Spirit of the Christmas Tree, during the single 10 am Sunday service on December 14. Mark Zimmerman began practicing with interested children and youth on Sunday, November 9 from 10:15–10:45 am in the Fireplace Room of Hollin Hall. Practice will continue at the same time between services each week, through December 7. Dress rehearsal is scheduled for December 13. If you or your children are interested in singing or performing in this great intergenerational production, please sign up in the Commons on Sunday, or call Hope. It’s going to be great! Please join in the fun and fellowship!
The one-man show dramatizing the life of Clarence Darrow, to be performed at MVUC on December 7 at 7:30 pm, is superb. Dorothy and I saw this fascinating play when it was created by the American Century Theatre a year or so ago. Paul Morella is completely convincing in his reincarnation as the famous attorney with A Passion for Justice. We agree with the Washington Post reviewer who called the material "legendary" and the performance "absorbing." Don’t miss it! Call Barbara Al-Turki for tickets.
I had a very intentional "elevator" conversation last week with one of my best friends. We were roommates in graduate school, and she is currently studying at a Baptist seminary in St. Paul Minnesota. One of her class assignments was to have a conversation with someone of another religion, and take notes on the differences between the two belief systems.
So, she started out the exchange with "What do you believe? I don’t know very much about Unitarian Universalism." Since I had more than 15 seconds in an elevator, I was able to take her through each of the seven principles (luckily I had them memorized from writing the curriculum for our RE program this year!). I also directed her to the UUA website (www.uua.org), which provides a plethora of history and UU information.
Then, she asked, "Well, how is this different from Christianity?" So I told her we accepted Jesus as a wonderful teacher, or prophet, but not as the son of god. I explained that the Universalist part of us proposes that we are all children of god.
My friend inquired about the doctrine of salvation. "Does Jesus save you? How are you then saved?" I answered that we don’t believe in hell, therefore we don’t need salvation. I added that Universalists believe in universal salvation, or that all of creation is reunited with their maker after death. Some of us don’t even believe that. She was a bit puzzled. "You don’t think you need salvation?" she asked. "No," I replied, "we essentially think that it’s up to us to save ourselves."
We save ourselves. We learn, we grow, we evolve. Hopefully for the better. Hopefully towards good health. We live the best lives we can. We love. We work to make the world a better place. But ultimately, we are our own saviors. What a responsibility. What a chore. What a joy.
In faith and love,
—Hope Andonovska
Dec 7 All RE classes in session
Dec 14 The Spirit of the Christmas Tree pageant, 10:00 am only
Dec 21 Children ages 10+ in adult worship, ages 9 and under in Way Cool Chapel
Dec 28 No RE Program
Parents, if we missed getting a picture of your child these past few weeks for our annual Christmas Tree in the Chapel, please bring one to hang up! We don’t want anyone left out!
The month of November featured our 3rd UU Principle, Acceptance of One Another and Encouragement to Spiritual Growth in our Congregations or, We Accept One Another and Help Each Other Learn and Grow.
Preschool: Our preschoolers read Spring Cleaning and helped pick up sticks and trash. They also read The Hair Book, and Don’t Cry Big Bird. They created animals out of clay.
Kindergarten through 7th Grade: These classes attended Children’s Chapel on November 2, where they sang folk songs and Lean On Me. They talked about learning and growing, and about how people change over time. They talked about accepting each other, and they made flowers that stretched all the way up our chapel walls and windows, showing how we all grow in special, unique ways.
Religious Education Classes: Many RE classes had guest speakers from the congregation speak about their myriad religious backgrounds and experiences, and what UUism means to them.
9 am 3rd–7th Grade: These classes visited a Baptist church in Alexandria. Some read books related to accepting one another and growing, such as The Boy Who Drew Cats, Just Because I Am, and Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon.
11 am 6th–7th Grade: These classes watched a video on Tibetan Buddhism, and discussed exploring different spiritual paths.
Our Social Action Sunday revolved around the topic of world hunger. Children sat down to a brunch, which included individual plates of varying amounts and types of food. Some kids got empty plates. DRE Hope Andonovska led a discussion afterwards on what hunger means, who is hungry in the world, what different people have to eat, and how that applies to our lives, globally and locally. We collected cans for the UCM holiday food drive from each child. Children then decorated a wall mural to share with the church about hunger and our UU commitment to service and making a difference.
YRUU had a great lock-in on November 8. Eight of them attended Fall Con, Smashing PumpCon in Annapolis from November 12–16. They attended their second Our Whole Lives (OWL) session on November 23.
The DRE Relations Committee has been meeting since last December, slowly and carefully defining the purpose of our group. Working on vocational issues with our director, Hope Andonovska, has deepened our own understanding and commitment to the purposes of Mount Vernon Unitarian Church. We have no formal responsibilities as a committee; our purpose is to serve the church by serving one of the most central members of its staff, and to support the purposes of religious education at MVUC by serving the DRE as advocate and advisor. Without a specific agenda, we function in several capacities:
To provide professional and spiritual support to our DRE as she works to make religious education a vital part of our church life.
To act as a sounding board for ideas and issues relating to religious education and the role of our DRE in church life.
To communicate to the congregation the responsibilities of the DRE and to relate the means by which they are served.
To work with the personnel committee of the board to report and assess the goals and accomplishments of the DRE.
To support the DRE in maintaining the balance between her personal and professional life, understanding that we all gain strength from our most essential relationships and responsibilities.
To support the DRE in discussing which continuing education and professional developments serve both her and her position, while also maintaining her commitment to MVUC, her family, and her own needs for sustenance and renewal.
To serve as advocates to the board and congregation for the DRE, providing a formal and informal liaison with the board and congregation on all issues relating to the position.
To be a means for congregation members to address issues about the DRE, as well as a means to communicate RE activities and initiatives to the congregation and to relate congregational concerns which may not have been addressed to the DRE directly.
We are privileged to work with and learn from each other in this committee.
—Liz Campbell, Michael Hentges, Peter Mosely, Lisa Napier
We are glad that we now have spaces allotted for those who need handicapped parking but we also realize that we have created just a bit of a problem for some of our loyal workers. As you know, on Sunday mornings and during weddings, memorials, concerts and all church sponsored events, our parking lot is overflowing. But we also realize that some of you are actively working during the week, often carrying heavy loads in and out of the Mansion on a frequent basis. Please feel free to use these spaces when they are available. For any of you who feel the need to use a close-up spot, it is not necessary to have an official handicapped sign on your car. We just rely on your cooperation.
—June Stumpe
For several years I have taken care of the island garden, but I don’t feel able to continue. It’s satisfying to tend this beautiful spot because it’s the first thing most people see when they come to the church. Not much is needed until spring. For information about what’s involved, see me or Janice Fitzpatrick, Volunteer Coordinator.
—Ron Brandt
I was very moved to see the many members of this community who came out to my opening on November 7. In case I didn’t get the opportunity to tell you directly, please know that I appreciate your attendance and support! My thanks to each of you.
—Mike Gillispie
What a Celebration! Well, it’s official—Reverend Lou is installed. We shared a powerful, entertaining, symbolic time together on November 16 in celebration of MVUC’s future and Rev. Lou’s joining in that future.
You may be surprised to learn that literally dozens of people played a role in making this event happen in the way we would all hope to have it happen. For several weeks now, people have been planning, coordinating, rehearsing, and preparing. Hundreds of invitations were dispatched, programs were prepared, food was prepared, and our "house" was prepared for guests—on and on. So many people went the extra mile to help, to cooperate, and to reinforce each other when challenges arose.
As always, we asked for help and the floodgates opened—people were everywhere offering skills, time, labor, resources and most importantly, a sense of community. It’s almost impossible to thank everyone who contributed to this milestone in the history of MVUC, but let’s try! If a name is missing below, know that your effort is no less appreciated. To everyone who participated, thank you. As always, it is such a pleasure to be a part of the community you have created:
Board of Trustees, Chair: Linda Jemison
Childcare: Kay Sargent, Vedran Andonovska, Katie Sargent and Dena Lougee
Co-Marshals: Marty Bredeck and Marlene Shaw
Flowers: Barbara Al-Turki
Greeters: Dorothy and Becky Brandt and Melissa Hentges
Helpers: Doris Hoover, Wendy Burns, Sylvia Tyrrell, Liz Campbell, Eleanor Erickson, Lucinda Mosley, Golden Slawson, Isa McGuire, Marge Witting, Ann Mechanic, Chris Rosenthal, Carl Lohmann, Anne Bredeck, Norman Comfort, Betsy Roderick, Al Macomber, Lindsay Arnold, Molly Adler, Kelly Jemison, Lucy Hentges, Betsy Yarrison and Carolyn Slenska, Jim Derhaag
Hosting: Helen Patterson and June Stumpe
Institutional Knowledge: Dotty Ann McClelland and Karna Schwimmer
Invitations: Lisa Gillispie and Daria Bergen-Hill
Music: Music Director Mark Zimmerman, The MVUC Adult Choir, Mike Gillispie, Josh Carr, Barbara Barry, Joanne Masterson, Rob and Will Jernigan
Newsletter Production Crew: Phyllis Gonigam, Sally Montanari, Kathryn Moore, Vilma Morrissey, Flo Searle, Pete Solt, Sue Ringwalt, and Betsy Stephens
Parking: Michael and Calvin Hentges and Harry Jackson
Photographer: Mike Gillispie; Publicity: Karen Tyson
Reception: Sandy Peterson, Jan Vanderstaay, and Betty Davis
Sound: Raleigh Romine; Video: Ken Krogh
Stole: Designed and fabricated by Mimi Stevens
Ushers: Daria Bergen-Hill, Hal Holtzclaw, Scott Cameron, Glen Sheffield, Curtis Hunter, Dave and Kathy Watson, Bill Watkins, and Douglas Jemison
—Meg Clontz, Installation Chair
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RE Youth Birthdays! December 1 Priya Bredeck |
Our thoughts are with Lani Novak Howe, who is home recuperating from surgery. After she heals, she will be appearing as the mother in Meet Me in St. Louis at Toby’s Dinner Theatre in Columbia from the end of November to February 15.
Our condolences to Wendy Burns on the death of her father, Raymond Duguid. He will be interred at MVUC.
Jim Derhaag is recovering from recent surgery.
The memorial service for Thelda Davis will be held on December 6 at 2:00 pm.
Need temporary help with a ride to an appointment, shopping, picking up prescriptions, delivery of meals due to an emergency? Caring Associate Members wear green name tags during Sunday services, and there is always a member on call, as noted in the Order of Service. Call Jo Jackley if interested in joining us.
Social Justice Programs at the Mount Vernon Unitarian Church
Love is the Teaching of this Church ... And Service is its Prayer
A person is needed to help the Our Larger World Coordinator with Denominational Affairs. Yearly, the Unitarian Universalist Association sends draft resolutions to the congregations for review, modification, and a vote on ranking by importance by each congregation. The volunteer will help the OLW coordinator publicize the draft resolutions, solicit comment from the congregation, and help with setting up a process for the congregation to vote on the draft resolutions. The draft resolutions are usually sent out in late February and are due back to the UUA sometime in late March. For additional information, contact Bill Alsmeyer-Johnson.
United Community Ministries has need for volunteers for the holiday season. They also have ongoing volunteer needs.
December 2–15. Sort toys and help set up UCM’s gift room.
December 18, 19, 20, and 22. Be a holiday gift room escort or helper; provide transportation to clients after gift room visit.
December 1–22. Pick up gifts from gift donation sites and deliver them to UCM
Interested persons should contact Cecelia Vergaretti, 703-768-7106 x326
There is much activity recently on the USA-Patriot Act front. Many communities have passed resolutions asking Congress to repeal the act. The Alexandria City Council is a recent addition. You can read the resolution at: www.aclu.org/SafeandFree/SafeandFree.cfm. Last Sunday former Vice-President Al Gore gave a rousing speech explaining his contention that the act actually lessens security for our country. You can read the speech at: www.moveon.org/gore/speech2.html. And don’t forget the Draft Resolution on Civil Liberties, before all member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association for study and action, prior to becoming an official Statement of Conscience in June 2004 at General Assembly in Long Beach, CA. You can read the text of the draft statement at: www.uua.org/csw/saiy2.htm. For additional information, contact Bill Alsmeyer-Johnson.
Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice, the organization of some 19 UU congregations and 6 UU agencies in the Baltimore-Washington area, has now established a solid foundation for future development. For example, it is now possible for individuals to join UUSJ directly (dues are $30).To see the progress being made, check the website at www.uusj.org (maintained by MVUC member Bill Alsmeyer-Johnson). Executive Director Vanessa Eaton will be coming to MVUC to participate in Sunday Services on February 22. More on that later.
—Ron Brandt
Our meeting house will again serve as the site for the Annual Community Churches’ Blood Drive. Members from seven different Mount Vernon area churches will roll up their sleeves for this annual event. Typically, blood donations drop in December due to colds, the flu and general commercial and social commitments. Nevertheless, the demand for blood remains very great, particularly for holiday accident victims. As a thank you for the donors, MVUC members will provide a fireside waffle and hot maple syrup breakfast to each donor. Take a little time out from your busy pre-holiday season to relax with us: make your donation while lying down, of course, then join us for a restful breakfast. To reserve your spot, donors should call Mike Walker.
Linda Jemison, Chair and Karen Tyson, Vice-Chair, MVUC Board of Trustees
Hiring A Business Administrator
Before enlightenment: chop wood and carry water. After enlightenment: chop wood and carry water—Ancient Chinese Proverb
At this time of year, it’s wise to pay attention to the important moments. We’re all in such a hurry that it’s easy to miss them. A child’s new accomplishment, a friend’s unstated need, a spouse’s tender regard—these are the things life is made of, but that "to-do" list still beckons.
So it is with the work of the church. We all pitched in and put on a terrific event in celebration of the installation of Rev. Lou. As this is written, the last touches are being put on Holiday Shop preparations. The Canvass, Building, and Finance Committees are all hard at work adjusting for anticipated changes. However, important as these activities are, the true work that engages us at MVUC is a call to seek our own personal enlightenment, to aid the weak and hungry, to educate our children and youth, to speak out for justice. In short, our own UU principles.
Because we need to focus on our true mission as Unitarian-Universalists and not the nuts and bolts of making the heat come on and the toilets flush, we need a Business Administrator. Some four years ago, we reached this conclusion with the initial work of the Long-Range Planning Task Force. Two years ago, the Personnel Committee’s exhaustive inventory of administrative tasks reaffirmed this need. Indeed, why have we waited? There are several reasons.
The easy answer is money. Until recently, we have not had enough money to pay for a professional administrator. Instead we put together a small office staff that worked very well, combined with volunteers who did the heavy lifting of financial management, personnel review, buildings and grounds maintenance and rentals. Over the years, we added on the bare minimum of additional staff as we could afford it.
So why didn’t we go ahead and hire a Business Administrator two years ago? Partly because we thought the new minister should have a say in the search for a manager. More so, because we weren’t sure how to handle the transition. But because the congregation had mandated this hiring at the annual meeting last April, the Board of Trustees appointed the Right-Staffing Task Force (RSTF) to take the information already developed and give the situation a dispassionate review. In addition, the RSTF interviewed all of the church staff and looked at UUA administrative job descriptions and salary guidelines. Their conclusion was inescapable: we needed a Business Administrator. The second part of their task was to advise us on how best to accomplish this change.
Among their suggestions was to advertise for a Business Administrator and to end all administrative positions as of February 2, 2004 or thirty days after the Business Administrator starts work, whichever is later. If we restructured the office payroll to accommodate the extra salary required by a professional administrator, we could attract a skilled candidate who would then organize the office they were hired to manage.
This is easy to say and easy to look at on paper, but putting it into motion is another thing altogether. The office staff—Anne, Debby, and Leah—are not just positions, but our friends, and all are congregants. However, the Board of Trustees had to agree with the findings of the RSTF; the longer we wait the more difficult it will be. Therefore, the office staff was informed in person and by letter of the Board’s decision the Thursday after the November meeting. Unquestionably, Anne, Debby and Leah have been exemplary in their work and loyalty, and we all owe them a tremendous debt of thanks.
For some time it has been apparent that our patchwork system needed overhauling. Much of the time-consuming work in major areas of administration is performed by dedicated members of the congregation: staff performance reviews, getting estimates for building maintenance, management of contractors, insurance policy and contract review, rental management, budget development and review. Certainly our members should oversee policy and direct what needs to be done. And even with a Business Administrator, volunteers will still be essential to the smooth running of MVUC—Communicating with the membership through the newsletter, ensuring receptionist service in the office, and organizing and cleaning up after those marvelous potlucks. All these folks help weave the fabric of our community.
Nevertheless, a manager will be charged with keeping the heat on, the lights burning, and the parking lot paved. The details of contract negotiation, budget administration, and day-to-day management will be handled for us. As a result, we should all have a little more time to notice those special moments and to advance the principles of Unitarian-Universalism in the world.
To answer your specific questions about how we will move forward, you are invited to meet with the members of the Right-Staffing Task Force: Reid Adler, Bonnie Brandt, Deb Matthews, and Linda Jemison, chair and Karen Tyson, vice-chair of the Board of Trustees. We will meet on Sunday, December 7, between services in the Chapel.
Adventurous travelers needed! There are still openings on Angela Fitzpatrick’s trip to Romania in July for those that would like to explore one of Europe’s most fascinating countries and visit our partner village in Transylvania.
Following the first meeting in October, approximately 20 people have expressed interest. At this point, it looks like the trip will take place between Saturday, July 10 and Saturday, July 24, but we are still considering the dates of July 17 to July 31. In addition, we have had requests to offer a shorter version of the trip with any earlier departure option after ten days.
Currently, the proposed itinerary includes arrival in and departure from Bucharest, visits to medieval Saxon towns and two of Dracula’s castles, a four-day home-stay in our partner village and a drive over the Carpathian Mountains that will take us full-circle throughout the historic regions of Transylvania and Wallachia.
Please contact to find out more. The next step will be a second meeting in mid-January to finalize the trip plans and travel arrangements.
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.