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The Windmill |
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| December 1, 2004 |
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The Windmill |
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| December 1, 2004 |
To affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person
by The Rev. Louis V. Schwebius
Dear Friends,
December is the month when our lives are full of festivals and celebrations. For me, it is a time that always contains the seeds of hope, of generosity, and of sharing.
As I searched my home and office libraries for help in formulating a holiday message for this month’s newsletter, I came upon the book A New Christianity for a New World by Bishop John Shelby Spong. Bishop Spong was the Episcopal Bishop of Newark, NJ for more than twenty years and is one of the leading spokespersons in the world for progressive Christianity. This is said to be his final book and so it encapsulates many of his thoughts and ideas, which he has shared in previous volumes: messages of equality and inclusivity for all humanity, a critical and historical understanding of the Bible, ideas of a non-theistic God, and a Jesus who is a teacher with the presence of God about him.
Bishop Spong also shares other thoughts in his writings, which resonate with me as this holiday season commences: to live fully by sharing deeply; to love wastefully and spread love frivolously; and to be all that you can be by valuing your life and the life of others.
• To live fully by sharing deeply—to share our
experiences and ourselves, to encounter each other where we are, but to not be
limited by that place; to grow and challenge each other among people who also
are seekers on the spiritual journey.
• To love wastefully and spread love frivolously—to learn to love and accept
ourselves and others; to grow beyond our common understandings of each other and
the world.
• To be all that you can be by valuing your life and the life of others—to live
out our religions values through our daily encounters and through social
justice.
These three ideas continue to guide me on my own religious journey, and I hope these sentiments are reflected in our shared ministry here at MVUC—not just over the holidays but all year long!
May this month of December bring each and all whatever blessings we most need. May we allow ourselves to embrace whatever traditions most connect us to one another—that most connect the feelings in our hearts with the good works of our hands—that most reaffirm for us the spiritual and religious truths that anchor our lives.
I wish you all the beauty of the holiday season—a Merry Christmas, a Happy Hanukkah, a Wondrous Solstice, and a Blessed Kwanzaa!
In faith and love,
Rev. Lou
Program Highlights
Holiday Craft Workshop
Sat, Dec 4, 2:00pm
Meeting House
Holiday Dinner
Sat, Dec 4, 5:30pm
Meeting House
Good Companions
Tue, Dec 7, 11:45 am
Al Searle: Florida Memories
Tue, Dec 21, 11:45 am
Per Jartby: Sweden
Hollin Hall
End of Life Choices Meeting
Sat, Dec 11, 2:00 pm
Sherwood Hall Library
Art Exhibit Opening Reception
Sat, Dec 11, 3:00 pm
Meeting House
Solstice Service
Tue, Dec 21, 7:00 pm
Remington Chapel
Christmas Eve Services
Fri, Dec 24, 5:30 & 7:30 pm
Remington Chapel
Wisdom Years
Tue, Dec 28, 10:30 am–Noon
Hollin Hall
New Year’s Eve Vespers
Fri, Dec 31, 5:30 pm
Mark Your Calendars
Good Companions
Elaine Bronez and Bev Southerland, coordinators
Meetings will be held in Hollin Hall, Dining Room and Fireplace Room.
11:45 to 12:45—BYO Lunch; coffee and tea provided
12:45 to 1:45—Speaker
Florida Memories—December 7
Al Searle, a long-time member of MVUC, will present first-hand memories of life in Florida in the late 1920’s and 30’s. Find out about an alliance between Republican and Socialist Parties; “rad-libs” at the University of Florida; KKK and a psychiatrist; a lynching, union organizing, the Spanish Civil War, and “ask, but don’t tell.” This promises to be a fascinating “exposé” of Florida, as experienced by our own Al Searle.
What You May Not Know About Sweden—December 21
Per Jartby will describe the experiences of Christmas in the winter darkness of his home. He also will show slides and tell us what it was like to grow up in Stockholm. Per has been a teacher for over 30 years in several countries. While he was in Botswana, he first met his wife, Julia. They live in Tauxemont, and he now teaches math locally.
Every Thursday Group
The ET Group will not meet in December, except for the Christmas luncheon on the 9th. Call Jo Jackley or Karna Schwimmer for reservations to this potluck event. The next ET meeting will be on January 6.
Solstice Service—December 21
On Tuesday, December 21 at 7:00 pm, Barbara Gay Stoddard, Nance Cedar, and Rev. Lou will lead a celebration of the Winter Solstice. All are invited to come to the Chapel and participate in this service which honors both the darkness and the light.
Christmas Eve Services—December 24
On Friday, December 24 at 5:30 pm, Barbara Gay Stoddard and Rev. Lou will lead a Christmas Eve Family Service. Then, at 7:30 pm, Rev. Lou will conduct the Christmas Eve Service, Wherever The Star May Lead. There will be a Special Collection for United Community Ministries at both services.
Child Dedications—December 24
Anyone interested in having their child dedicated at the 5:30 pm Family Service on Christmas Eve should speak to Barbara Gay Stoddard, our DRE, or Rev. Lou as soon as possible.
Wisdom Years—December 28
On December 28, after all the gifts have been stored away and the “tree” is down, Ginny and Bev will present a program about the many questions those of us in the Senior category have in planning for our future. Steve Gold, an attorney and member the Memorial Society of Northern Virginia Board, will address these subjects and take questions. As usual, we’ll be meeting in Hollin Hall from 10:30 til noon. Come join us!
New Year’s Eve Vespers—December 31
On Friday, December 31 at 5:30 pm, Rev. Lou will lead a special New Year’s Eve Service. All are invited to come to the Chapel and share in a time of readings, music, and meditation.
Religious Education
by Barbara Gay Stoddard, Interim Director of Religious Education
There’s so much to do and although it is all fun and wonderful and joyous and exhilarating, I’m already worn out. We all do it, every year. Oh sure, we say, this year it’s gonna be simplicity. But so much of the holiday celebrations are just plain fun and renewing even though we sometimes fall onto our beds crying “Why, why did I get trapped into all of this again?” Well, I say forget about all the reports that tell us this time of year is just too commercial, forget the humbugs who say humbug, forget the fact that you really don’t have any money, time, or energy, and are feeling a bit sad and lonely. Just forget it, stop, take a big breath and say okay—let the light flow in. I will take care of me and pace myself, I will check to make sure my children are not getting overwhelmed and lusting after their own Mercedes even though they’re only 10 years old. I will find time to sit down with those around me and just sit. Maybe tell some stories, maybe eat some fudge, and maybe just tell each other “I am so glad I know you.”
I believe it’s instinctual, dating back to when we gathered in darkness, waiting for the days to get longer again. It gets dark early; it’s dark when we leave home in the morning. We’re craving hugs and kisses and assurance that yes, the fireflies will return before long. Find some time to just soak it all up. The beauty of the colors around you, the bright lights to guide your way. The smiles of old and young alike as they ponder “Oh what will Aunt Suzie Q like this year?” Take time to remember those who need your help to make this time of year easier to live through. It’s a wonderful and frightening time of year whether we have money or not, whether we have loved ones around or not. It’s a part of life—find the ways to embrace it and let it give to you the gifts you deserve.
I’m writing this note before Thanksgiving and I write for myself as much as for you as I get busier and busier with all the things that will happen at MVUC during the month of December. It is scary; I want everything to run smoothly and everyone to have fun with all the classes, and plays and gatherings that are coming up. I was reminded of the joy of living when I spoke to my grandsons the other day. Isaac (who is 3 ½) told me that he has learned to sew and can now make purses. Peter (who is 5 ½) informed me that he could read now. I asked him if he wanted a copy of War and Peace for Christmas—he said “Whatever B.” (I’m Granny B to my boys, which always gets shortened to B.) I laugh and cry whenever I hear their precious voices. I laugh and cry whenever I hear the precious voices, see the precious smiles, and watch the joyous movement of your children and grandchildren that grace the grounds of MVUC. That is and has always been my key to joy and remembering what is important in life. Simply, us. Human beings are what is important, whether we are precious 3 year olds or precious 95 year olds. We are fascinating creatures—let’s embrace each other and soak up the love. Just a Thought.
—Barbara. Blessed Be.
UCM—Community Solutions
United Community Ministries is the not-for-profit community-based social service agency in the Route One corridor. Their mission is to assist families and individuals to improve the quality of their lives in a manner which builds their self-esteem and fosters their ability to function at the greatest level of their capacity—socially, economically and emotionally. It is this agency to which we donate food and clothing on a weekly basis. Over the past five months we have donated a total of 964.5 pounds of food to UCM. Before we congratulate ourselves, let's make a pledge to continue this work as a promise to the future of the families who count on us.
—Bev Southerland
Capital Campaign Almost Complete
With pledges received from most members of the congregation, we are close to knowing results of the first phase of the Capital Campaign. If, after further deliberation, the congregation decides to proceed with remodeling of the Meeting House (as they undoubtedly will), we will continue to welcome additional pledges. In that sense, the campaign will not end for several years. But we do expect to celebrate preliminary results at Sunday services on January 9. Our profound thanks to all those (listed on the insert enclosed with this newsletter) who have made a pledge so far.
—Joanne Masterson and Ron Brandt, Co-Chairs
Activities, On and Off the Hill
Art Exhibit—December 11
The MVUC Aesthetics Committee is pleased to announce our Art Exhibit in the Commons on December 11. We have showcased many local artists in painting, photography, and sculpture, and now, Jewelry as Art. Six local artisans will be featured, most of whom have connections to MVUC. They are Laura MacCleery, daughter of Ruth and Doug MacCleery; Jeanne Mattison, daughter of Jeanne Gayler; Paula Danko and Nancy Thompson, members of MVUC; and Cindy Brandt and Dawn Benedetto of the Torpedo Factory. The opening reception is Saturday, December 11, from 3:00–5:00 pm, and all the designers will be present. Please join us for a delightful afternoon, as well as some fun Christmas shopping.
Annual Holiday Blood Drive—December 11
Our meeting house will again serve as the site for the Annual Community Churches’ Blood Drive. Members for ten different Mt. Vernon area churches will roll up their sleeves for this annual event. Typically, blood donations drop in December due to colds, the flu, and the rush of social commitments. Nevertheless, the demand for blood remains great. As a thank-you to the donors, the MVUC hosts 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, and then join us for a restful breakfast. To reserve your spot call Jim Potter.
MVUC Alternative Gift Fair
If you are looking for a gift with heart for the holiday season, consider the MVUC Alternative Gift Fair. On Sundays between services, the Partner Church Committee will be offering the opportunity to “purchase” products to aid the school in our partner village, Szentháromság. The village school provides education for children from preschool to the eighth grade. The school and its facilities are very antiquated; there is no running water and the furniture, books, maps and other supplies are very old and out of date.
We are offering the following alternative gifts: a share in providing the school with running water for $10, $20, $50 or $100, a student chair for $25 or desk for $50, a bookcase for $75 or a teacher’s desk for $100. Maps, books and other school supplies can be purchased for $10, $20, $50 or $100. For your purchase, we will give you an attractive gift card you can use to let your recipient know of your special gift. Questions? Call Lisa Gillispie or Janice Fitzpatrick.
Book Nook Volunteers Needed
Help is needed to run the Book Nook for one hour between Sunday services, either once a month or once every two months. The job is simple: open the Book Nook, record books sold, books requested and money received and close the Book Nook. It’s that easy! Please consider it. Contact Sonja Bloom.
Gift Ideas: (for the Holidays and other occasions)
• Meditation books—slim volumes of essays, sermons and
musings by UU ministers
• Hymnals—for personal use or for donation to the church
• An array of MVUC’s literary, creative efforts including cookbooks,
would-be-poets volumes and children’s writings
• Half-price sale on many books
• Sale of Holiday cards for the UU Service Committeen
Hear the Roar! Feel the Mist! See the Mighty Falls! July 17–20, 2005
Come experience the wonder of Niagara Falls and some great educational opportunities while being taken care of like royalty. The UU Church of Niagara is conducting a four day UU Niagara Experience, which is a lifetime opportunity to encounter the Falls up close from every perspective, even riding safely beneath a tethered balloon. Spend four days with us exploring the rich historical and natural wonders around the Falls. For information, visit our web site at http://www.uunex.net/, email us at info@uunex.net, or call 716-791-4453.
Lost and Found
If you left your coat, hat, or umbrella in the Meeting House, then you may collect the item in the back vestibule of the Meeting House after Holiday Shop. See Betsy Roderick or Pat Jackson.
Christmas Sharing Tree
The RE Council and UCM are sponsoring a Christmas Sharing Tree at MVUC. The ‘tree’, located in the Commons, has tags listing presents for infants through age 14, to be donated to families in need. Take a tag and bring the unwrapped present to MVUC by December 19. It will be given to UCM for their holiday gift room distribution. You can also volunteer to help set up and distribute donations at UCM on December 18, 20, 21 and 22. To volunteer, please call Cecelia Vergaretti at 703-768-7106 ext 326 or e-mail volunteer@ucmagency.org
The Green Sanctuary Committee
Green Roofs
The Green Sanctuary committee has approached the Board of Trustees and received their blessing to explore the possibility of installing a green roof on the new addition to the church. What is a green roof? It is generally a flat roof or a roof with a very slight pitch that has a layer of soil and plants growing on it. These roofs have been popular in Europe for quite a while but are rarer in the United States. The plants are sedums, which are generally drought resistant, perennial, and grow to a fixed height and therefore do not need trimming. By the time you read this article, we will have gone on a tour of a green roof along with members of both the board of trustees and building committee. After researching the benefits and costs, we will work in conjunction with the building committee to make a formal presentation to the board of trustees.
One of the important reasons we are looking at a green roof is to reduce the rainwater run-off rate from our holy hill. In a follow-on article we will explain why Fairfax County may require a runoff amelioration plan.
Green roofs have several important features:
• Visually attractive with a
range of flower and foliage effects.
• Low maintenance with little or no artificial irrigation requirement.
• Improved rainwater management. Volume and rate of rainwater run-off from the
roof is reduced dramatically.
• Improved building thermal performance. The building is insulated from heat
loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer.
• Reduction in sound transmission through the roof.
• Improvement of air quality by removal of carbon dioxide, release of oxygen and
water vapor, deposition of particulate pollutants, and absorption of organic
volatiles.
• Reduction of the ‘urban heat island effect’.
• Provision of habitat for wildlife.
You can investigate green roofs further at these sites:
Center for Green Roof Research, University of Pennsylvania: http://hortweb.cas.psu.edu/research/greenroofcenter/index.html
Blackdown Horticultural Consultants: http://www.greenroof.co.uk/html/main3.htm
Green Roofs http://www.greenroofs.org/
— Bill Alsmeyer-Johnson
RE Youth Birthdays!
December
1 Priya Bredeck
6 Macon Stanley
12 Michael Vaughan
Gavin Bergen-Hill
16 Zachary Lynde
19 Lindsay Adler
20 Malcolm McNeil
22 Erin Walker
Meredith Walker
26 Kayde Schwabacher
30 Emily Turnbull
Anna Vaughan
Caring Community
Kudos to Jackie Arnold and her colleagues for making the flu vaccine available to the community. MVUC seniors especially appreciate your extending your services to us.
Mildred Hamilton, MVUC member, passed away on November 22. She was a significant donor for the reconstruction of our Windmill. There will be a celebration of her life at Mount Vernon Unitarian Church on Saturday, December 4 at 2:00 pm in Hollin Hall. In lieu of flowers, please send contributions to the Mount Vernon Unitarian Church Building Fund (Capital Campaign).
The Caring Associates provide support for members of the congregation who may need temporary assistance. This includes help with a ride to an appointment, shopping, picking up prescriptions, or 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 to respond to your needs, as noted in the Order of Service. Kindly notify the on-call associate or the church office if you know someone who may need assistance. Call Betsy Stephens if interested in joining us.
OUR LARGER WORLD NEWS
Social Justice Programs at the Mount Vernon Unitarian Church
Love is the Teaching of this Church ... And Service is its Prayer
Stir the
Spirit of Social Justice in Our Church
Save the day, February 12, for
a Major Church Event by Pete Bloom
This is the first of several articles about social justice ministry at MVUC. A group including Bill Alsmeyer-Johnson, Sally Joy Remington, Pam Tinker, Vannessa Anderson and myself have been meeting in order to realize the heart, the bones, the deeper spirit of UU values, teachings and history in regard to social justice. By breaking out of our traditional thinking about a separate program for social justice, we can instead discover and respond to the deeper meaning of being a UU, respond to our calling to improve the quality of life for our children and all of our brothers and sisters, now and in the future, and transform ourselves in the process. We want to inspire our congregation to develop a more meaningful and effective social justice program which is sustained and grows over time. We have been working to understand what has limited our social justice efforts in the past and how to invigorate our dream and have a more meaningful social justice program moving forward.
For social justice to succeed, it must be grounded in our most personal yearnings, the spirit of our covenant, in UU principles and purposes and integrated in the life of our church. It calls for the active involvement of our whole congregation, and working through these key elements of social justice work:
• service to those in distress
• education about the importance of particular social issues
• witness, by word or deed, convictions about specific issues
• advocacy for change in public practice, attitudes and policy
• community organization, empowering groups to work for a better
quality of life for all
Here are some questions to help determine our personal commitment to social justice:
• What is the meaning of life to me?
• What kind of world does my heart yearn for?
• What can our church do to help create the world I dream of?
• Why do I go to church and how does that relate to social justice ministry?
• How can I learn to use my unique talents to contribute at church to bringing
about the world I yearn for?
Call to Social Justice Forum
Reverend Richard Gilbert, UU minister and author of the wonderful book The Prophetic Imperative: Unitarian Universalist Foundations for a New Social Gospel, will lead a major forum on Saturday, February 12 to help us address these issues.
Here are a few selections from Reverend Gilbert’s book about social justice in our churches which stir me deeply:
“We have perhaps learned that true self-actualization, self-realization, salvation, fulfillment, call it what you will, have to do both with a sense of personal meaning and with social responsibility. The two concepts: they reinforce one another.”
“The basic thesis I wish to suggest here is that liberal religion (in its UU form) is that prophetic community of free and disciplined men and women who act individually and in concert to expand the quality of life in a Beloved Community of love and justice.”
“It is my contention that “reverence for life” is the ordering principle for a liberal religious social ethic, that reverence for life gives rise to a moral imperative to expand the quality of life through pursuit of love in interpersonal relationships, justice in social relationships, and trusteeship in our relationships with the non-human environment.”
May we be stirred and inspired together.
—Pete Bloom.
To contribute to OLW News, please contact Bill Alsmeyer-Johnson
Chips from the Board
Karen Tyson, Chair, MVUC Board of Trustees
Last month’s election results left me puzzled and reflective about both the profound disagreements and the unifying precepts in our electorate. How can I have so much and yet so little in common with my fellow citizens?
America is a nation founded on ideas—a set of standards so fundamental and so clear that the founders declared them to be “self-evident.” Over the Thanksgiving holiday, I picked up the book The American Creed by Forrest Church. I’m reading it hungrily, grabbing onto it like someone who’s drowning grabs onto a life buoy. I commend it to you.
While Church writes for a wide audience, his work is especially compelling for Unitarian Universalists. “When the founders gathered one wiltingly hot July in Philadelphia to hammer out their dreams into a single, ringing declaration, they were fashioning precepts as sacred as they were secular,” Church begins. This is certainly true for us. Several of the principles Unitarian Universalists hold sacred are also quintessentially American. “The use of the democratic process” and “peace, liberty, and justice for all,” are more than civic responsibilities for us. They are fundamental to our spirituality.
The participation of all is important to make MVUC work for everyone. Holiday Shop was a great success, with many hands working both on the day of the event and in the year of preparation preceding it. Every Sunday, the sound system works, and flowers and refreshments appear. The newsletter arrives reliably thanks to the editors, the writers, the proofreaders, our webmaster and the mailing crew. The Board, the Program Council, and committee members work hard to ensure that MVUC has sound policies and administration.
There’s always a place for someone who wants to join in the rewarding work of sustaining this community. Through church work, you will get to know many of our amazing members in a much deeper way. Right now, we’re looking for Program Council Coordinators in two important areas—Administration (responsible for committees such as Finance, Endowment, Canvass, and Rentals) and Property (responsible for committees such as Buildings, Grounds, and Greenhouse). We’re also seeking someone to learn the canvassing ropes next year with Tony Barkume and then head up the annual canvass in 2005–2006. If any of these roles appeals to you, or if you’d like to contribute in some other way, email me at botchair(at)mvuc.org, and/or let’s meet up and talk.
One of the features of MVUC that I particularly value is our self-governance. No Holy See or Council Of Bishops decides the policies of our church. That is our privilege, as well as our obligation. After we receive the results of our capital campaign, we will decide as a group how to proceed in implementing our plans to widen our circle to accommodate 21st century needs. As members of both a nation and a church, we feel keenly the tension between our theoretical ideals and how they are fulfilled in real life. We will not always agree on exactly how they should be fulfilled. But our principles are an essential anchor and an inspiration to action.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed.
—Martin Luther King, Jr.
United Community Ministries’ Critical Needs
Please help individuals in crisis in our community by donating any items from the list below. Give through your church or community organization or drop off your donations at United Community Ministries' (UCM) main office, 7511 Fordson Road between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm, Monday–Friday. UCM can schedule pickups for donations of food by churches or other organizations. Please contact Cecelia Vergaretti via e-mail at volunteer@ucmagency.org, or at 703-768-7106 for more information.
UCM Critical Food Pantry Needs
Canned soups
Vegetables-mixed, corn, peas, green beans
Canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, tuna, macaroni and cheese, beans, rice, pastas,
cereals, baby formula with iron,
Items for persons who are homeless (foods with pop-tops,one serving, etc.)
Additional In-Kind Needs
Child safety seats
A TV/VCR that works for UCM's large conference room
Nice department-store shopping bags
UCM is a qualified 501(c)3 non-profit human services agency that has served the community for over 35 years. UCM's mission is to help others achieve self-sufficiency, and its programs have helped thousands of individuals help themselves. UCM and its programs are made possible through the generous support of the community. Over 100 churches in UCM's service area have provided support to the agency. For more information on UCM and its programs, or to make a contribution, provide in-kind goods or services, or volunteer, please contact 703-768-7106, x325.
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. The texts of most of Rev. Lou’s sermons are also available at www.mvuc.org.
Stirrings From Windmill Hill
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@erols.com) or left in the Newsletter box by the Church Office.
Holiday Shop a Smash Hit!
It looks like we’ve got another banner year on our hands. Not only did the weather cooperate by giving us a clear window of no rain, but the people came steadily all day. The lunch makers set out three extra tables outside to accommodate the crowd. The quilt, Thelda’s Legacy, was won by Gloria Gibson, who bought her winning ticket from Marge Witting.
Golden Slawson was champion ticket seller, and two of her customers won prizes donated by our loyal vendors. Nancy Barkume won the gingerbread house, which was created again this year by Debby Carr-Lougee and Kay Sargent. Some of our vendors had their best year ever, and most did very well. Thanks to Toby Cedar we had new and exciting vendors joining our stable of old-timers. All departments of the Holiday Shop did exceptionally well, and we express our appreciation to all those who baked, and those who donated beautiful items to the boutique. Ruth Bennett added a new touch by arranging for Market Place: Handmades From India boutique, which did so well. A full report will be available at the ET Christmas Luncheon on Thursday, December 9.
A Month of Sundays
All services at 9:30 am and 11:15 am (except where noted) in the Remington Chapel
December 5
“Celebrating Anticipation:Thoughts on Advent”
Rev. Louis V. Schwebius
December 12
“Keep The Light Shining: The Hope of Hanukkah”
Rev. Louis V. Schwebius
December 19
One Service at 10 am
“Festivals of Light" (Holiday Pageant)
The Children and Youth of MVUC
Barbara Gay Stoddard, DRE
Rev. Louis V. Schwebius
December 26
One Service at 10 am
“A Festival of Lessons and Carols”
MVUC Contemplative Group