sunday worship - uucr.org — 4 january 13, 2010 lifespan religious education reflections on the...
TRANSCRIPT
Quest
The Newsletter of the
Unitarian Universalist Church
of Rockville, Maryland:
A Welcoming Congregation
SUNDAY WORSHIP
January 13, 2010
Spiritual Freedom Beloved Community Social Responsibility
Volume LIII, Number 8
January 13, 2010
Editor: Phyllis Leonard
Desktop Publisher: Judy Eisenhauer
Quest deadline: Thursday, January 28, 2010 at 8:00 p.m.,
For mailing February 3, 2010.
Email to Alberta Maschal at [email protected]
DeLynneations
What Is Ministry Anyway?
An unchurched friend of mine jokes that my job as minister is a
―piece of cake; after all, you only work one day a week!‖
Teaching and modeling what ministry is, is in fact, part of my
calling because sharing the ministry and empowering others to
deepen their creative and spiritual gifts is so necessary to
sustaining a vibrant and healthy congregation.
Ministry is work of the soul. Our Committee on Ministry is
launching an assessment of our lay ministry. Two years ago,
they evaluated the work of Deborah Kahn, our Director of
Religious Education. Last year, they evaluated the work of the
minister, and this year they will assess the work of the Board and
Council and other programmatic committees and bodies. How
are we doing as a congregation? How are we growing and
nurturing the soul of UUCR?
On June 17, 2010, I will celebrate the 20th year of my ordination
to the UU ministry and I will be concluding five years of service
as your minister. I hope we can celebrate these milestones with a
Vision Summit – a looking forward to who we want to be as a
congregation five, ten, twenty years from now. And I want to
pause and attend to the privilege and gift that ordained ministry
has been in my life.
Coincidentally, this spring will also mark Deborah’s 25 years as
the DRE at UUCR. There is much to celebrate!
(Continued on page 3)
January 17, 10:00 a.m.
Harriet Tubman: Leading
Toward Freedom
On Martin Luther King Jr.
Sunday, Rev. Lynn Strauss
will offer a sermon on the life
work of Harriet Tubman. How
might each of our lives lead
toward freedom? How has our
UU movement contributed to
freedom?
Our guest musicians will be a
jazz combo, Groove Jet.
Preschool-senior high will
gather in the Sanctuary for the
beginning of the worship
service before classes.
January 24, 10:00 a.m.
How Do We Create Prophetic
Churches?
Paula Cole Jones
The prophetic church sets a new
course that calls people to a
higher level of discourse and
humanity. The prophetic
church casts a vision that
illuminates the way like a beam
of light and calls us to walk with
fellow travelers and together to
build a new reality. What does
this mean for Unitarian
Universalists congregations in
this millennium?
(Continued on page 2)
Unitarian Universalist
Church of Rockville
100 Welsh Park Drive
Rockville, MD 20850
301-762-7666
WWW.UUCR.ORG
Quest
Staff
Minister: Rev. Lynn Thomas Strauss
Intern Minister: Elizabeth Marsh
Director of Religious Education:
Deborah Kahn
Director of Music:
Jennifer Rodgers Beach
Pianist: Justin Furnia
Youth Coordinator: Jennifer Maschal-Lorms
Church Administrator: Nancy Gregory
Administrative Assistants:
Ginny Scher, Judy Eisenhauer
Nursery Care Provider: Kaley Beins
Board of Trustees
Bennett Rushkoff, President
Nancy Blum, Vice President
Lisa Petrovich Smith, Secretary
Jim Blue, Treasurer
Mark Corfman
Carole Danielson
Terri Fritz
Herb Winkler, Immediate Past President
Officers
Secretary: Lisa Petrovich Smith
Treasurer: Jim Blue
Assistant Treasurers: Eric Burch
Dick Gilbert
Quest Staff
Editor-in-Chief/Coordinator: Alberta Maschal
Editors: Beth Irikura, Phyllis Leonard,
Alberta Maschal, Elizabeth Sullivan
Desktop Publisher: Judy Eisenhauer
Proofreaders: Nancy Gregory
Quest, the regular newsletter of the Unitarian
Universalist Church of Rockville, is published
semimonthly at the church office at
100 Welsh Park Drive, Rockville, MD 20850,
and distributed without charge to members,
guests, and friends.
Postage is paid at Rockville, MD.
All rights reserved.
Postmaster: Send address changes to Circula-
tion Manager, Quest, 100 Welsh Park Drive,
Rockville, MD 20850
Quest — 2
For the most current information on upcoming events, visit
the UUCR church calendar online at www.uucr.org. At the
top of the home page, click on the tab labeled ―For
Members.‖ Click on the link labeled ―Room Schedule
Calendar‖ and you’ll be taken to another website where you
can view the entire UUCR calendar of events.
January 13, 2010
Paula Cole Jones is a management consultant specializing in
group facilitation, diversity and quality improvement
processes. She was called as a consultant by her home
congregation to co-facilitate a process of reconciliation, which
led to the founding of ADORE (A Dialogue on Race and
Ethnicity) and subsequently eleven years of involvement as a
leader in antiracism, anti-oppression, and multiculturalism. She
is currently the lead consultant for the UUA’s new JUUST
Change Consultancy, a service that supports UU congregations
and groups by meeting them where they are in their social justice
work and helping to determine next steps to take.
Preschool-senior high will gather in the Sanctuary for the
beginning of the worship service before classes.
January 31, 10:00 a.m.
Healing Hurts
Adam Heifetz
The challenge of Unitarian Universalism: we must give of
ourselves when we serve others.
We will contemplate the meaning of service and how it can heal
both the ones who are served and the ones who are serving. How
can we transcend grief and find peace through service? We will
share the stories of our fellow congregants and those of
contemporary Unitarian Universalist ministers.
Adam Heifetz has been a member of UUCR for 2 1/2 years,
participating in lay ministry classes last winter and joining the
Worship Committee this winter. He has been an English teacher
for 14 years, currently teaching middle school in Olney.
Preschool-fifth grade will gather in Founders Hall for Children's
Worship before classes. Sixth grade, junior and senior high will
go directly to classes.
Sunday Worship (Continued from page 1)
Quest — 3 January 13, 2010
Intern Insights
by Elizabeth Marsh
Happy New Year, everyone! As 2010 begins, I find it hard to
believe that I’m already reaching the midpoint of my ministerial
internship here at UUCR. How time flies!
This week, I am continuing some major preparation on my
adventure toward Unitarian Universalist ministry. I have an
appointment in mid-March to meet with the Unitarian Universalist
Association’s Ministerial Fellowship Committee (MFC). This is
a very significant occasion for me because the committee’s role in
this meeting is to evaluate me and my entire preparation for
ministry, and to assess whether I am a UU minister. To get ready
for the meeting, I’m writing multiple self-assessments as well as
essays, on subject matter such as my theology of religious
education and an analysis of anti-racism, anti-oppression, and
multicultural work in my ministry. I’ve also begun reading the
few dozen books, articles, and sermons that the committee
requires.
By the nature of this process, it is one of intense self-scrutiny.
The process asks me to articulate my theologies, philosophies,
and experiences so the committee can get a better picture of me as
a person and as a minister. I feel able to do this, in large part,
because of my experiences as your intern minister this year. You
have opened up your spiritual home to me, a stranger, and trusted
me to share what I know with you. In turn, you also share what
you know with me. Because of this hands-on, real life (not found
in a textbook) ministry, some of my theology is being
strengthened, some of it is falling away as less relevant than it
used to be, and my leadership skills are being honed because you
have let me be myself, warts and all. You are practicing religious
community by opening yourselves to my ministerial formation,
and I am grateful. Thank you for being a teaching congregation.
SHARING THE MINISTRY
Being a teaching congregation
— welcoming and guiding
ministerial interns like
Stephen, Seanan, and
Elizabeth — is also deepening
our awareness of ministry and
its joys.
So much growth and change
and stability has been
accomplished in our four and
a half years together. We
have tended well to our soul.
Next January, 2011, I will
embark on a five month
sabbatical. It will be a
Ministerial Sabbath — a time
for rest, reflection, study and
writing. A time to care for my
soul…so that I can return
refreshed and renewed. It is
also a time for the
congregation to deepen its
understanding and practice of
ministry. How will the love
we have shared be tended in
my absence? How will we re-
covenant upon my return?
Let us meditate on these
things in our hearts.
Blessings,
Lynn
DeLynneations (Continued from page 1)
In Memoriam
Muriel Davies, age 103, widow of Reverend A. Powell Davies
On the forefront of the growth of Unitarian Universalism in the Washington area;
Founder, first executive, and Minister Emeritus of River Road UU Church;
Friend of UU Religious Education programs for children in the Greater Washington area.
Quest — 4 January 13, 2010
LIFESPAN RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
REflections
On the last Sunday in November, just before Children’s Worship began, I glanced up to see Caleb
walking purposefully toward me, The Mini Page from the Washington Post (I hadn’t seen the paper
yet) in his outstretched hand. The feature that Sunday was ―Pennies for Peace.‖ As far as I was
concerned, Caleb was issuing a call to action.
Last year the church’s Peacemaking Group asked the Religious Education Committee if we would
participate in ―Pennies for Peace‖ through the RE classes. We participated both through RE classes
and church-wide through a collection container in the Davies Fellowship Hall during coffee hour.
At the end of Children’s Worship that last Sunday in November, I shared Caleb’s Mini Page during
announcements. Many of the children remembered participating in ―Pennies for Peace‖ last year
and voted to participate again this year, beginning in January. Our Children’s Worship, preschool-
fifth grade, kicked-off ―Pennies for Peace‖ this past Sunday. The children, and adults, had an
opportunity to share some of the things they would like to say to the congregation:
Please bring pennies, coins, cash – a “Pennies for Peace” collection container will be in RE
classrooms and in the Davies Fellowship Hall on Sundays.
Collecting “Pennies for Peace” is taking an action to build peace.
Helping children learn is important for building peace. They can grow up to become teachers,
doctors, nurses and can learn to speak up for peace.
Pay it forward! We already have schools. Let’s help others get schools.
“Pennies for Peace” ties in with our seven Principles, including our belief that every person is
important and working to create a fair, just, and free world.
Our faith in action!
Please bring in your Guest at Your Table boxes on Sunday, January 17, the last Sunday for
collection. And keep saving your coins; ―Pennies for Peace‖ collection container will be in Davies
Fellowship Hall beginning January 24. ―Pennies for Peace‖ helps purchase school supplies and
build schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Another Faith in Action opportunity – please remember to bring food for our MANNA collection;
need continues to increase. Watch our chalice flame above the MANNA container; it grows with
your contribution toward our 5,000 pound goal for the church year.
Happy New Year and Blessings,
Deborah
Quest — 5 January 13, 2010
Adult Education Events
by Deborah Kahn, Director of Religious Education
Spiritual Parenting for Parents of Pre-teens and Young Teens
Three sessions: Saturday afternoons—January 23 and 30, and February 6, 3:00 to 4:30 p.m.
Reverend Lynn Strauss, mother of four, will speak from her experience as both minister and
parent. How do we let go of negative cultural messages about the challenges of parenting teens?
How do we bring the values of our UU faith to our role as parents? How do we find and offer
support to one another? What particular challenges does your family face? What are the blessings
of parenthood? How do we grow as our children grow? Please register by Sunday, January 17, by
emailing Deborah Kahn, [email protected] or Ginny Scher, [email protected].
Unitarian Universalist History Class
2nd and 4th Sundays in February and March: Februaty 14 and 28, March 14 and 28, from
11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Our American Roots is a 4-part course on the history of the Universalist and Unitarian movements
in America. The class examines the large part our faith traditions played in the formation of this
country’s democratic heritage and their place in the 19th century transcendental movement.
The class uses professionally-produced video clips, group discussion, and interactive experiences to
help participants develop a better understanding of how Unitarian and Universalist ideas evolved.
Participants will have the chance to deepen their appreciation of the relevance of Unitarian
Universalist religion to U.S. political and social history.
Class will be co-taught by intern minister Elizabeth Marsh and Fran Lowe, a member of the Lay
Ministry Circle. Participants will be encouraged to bring their own lunches or we can pre-arrange
to order pizza. Childcare available upon request.
Book Discussion of Original Blessing by Matthew Fox
Sunday, March 21, 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.
Our Adult Ed Committee is sponsoring a book discussion of Matthew Fox’s classic, Original
Blessing, on Sunday, March 21, led by Deborah Kahn. Original Blessing was named one of the
―20 books that changed the world‖ in New Age Journal’s Annual Sourcebook for 1995.
Note: See the article on page 11 of this issue about the Shalem Institute seminar to be held at UUCR
and featuring Matthew Fox.
LIFESPAN RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
Quest — 6 January 13, 2010
LIFESPAN RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
Wonderful Wednesdays
by Ken Sandin
January 20, 7:30 to 9:00 p.m.
UUCR as a Teaching Congregation by Elizabeth Marsh
So you've worked with a few intern ministers now: the congregation ordained a minister in the fall,
and you are under the wise guidance of a long-tenured minister. How did these folks get from
seminary to internship and from ordination to pulpit? (Hint: the internship congregation plays a
leading role!) Come and find out more about the Unitarian Universalist ordination process and
deepen your understanding of what it means to be a teaching congregation. Led by intern minister
Elizabeth March, with guest speakers Rev. Lynn Strauss and members of the Internship Committee.
January 27, 7:30 to 9:00 p.m.
The Civil Rights Struggle in Montgomery County by Rev. Dr. James Macdonell
Annually in January and February, we remember events in Black History, the life of Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr. and the struggle for Civil Rights — throughout the United States and close to home
in our own Montgomery County. Our speaker, Rev. Dr. Macdonell, is a pioneer activist, witness,
celebrant, and participant for more than 50 years, joining with local clergy and churches, including
UUCR as well as national civil rights leaders. A longtime friend of UUCR's minister Bill Moors, he
brings historic memorabilia, photos, journals, and original political cartoons of the era.
The Rev. Dr. Macdonell was a commercial artist and cartoonist (he worked on the Buck Rogers
comic strip) before getting his bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees in theology and marriage
and family counseling. Now minister emeritus, he was the organizing minister and served for 38
years as pastor of Saint Mark Presbyterian Church on Old Georgetown Road. He became a local and
national leader in the civil rights movement in the early 1960s as a member of the local organizing
committee for the 1963 March on Washington. In 1965, he was one of 25 Washington-area clergy
who were the first responders to MLK's urgent call to march in Selma, along with Jim Reeb and
other area UU ministers. Dr. Macdonell received the Civil Rights Leadership Award by the
Interfaith Council of Greater Washington. In 2004, he was elected to the Montgomery County
Human Rights Hall of Fame. He and his wife Nancy now live at Ingleside in Rockville.
February 3, 7:30 to 9:00 p.m.
Food, Inc. - The Movie by Jon Landenberger
Near the beginning of Food, Inc. is the quote, "The food industry generates a lot of food with a small
amount of land for an affordable price. Somebody explain to me what is wrong with that?"
Filmmaker Robert Kenner answers that question by lifting the veil on our food industry and showing
the consequences: our food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put
profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers, and
our environment. Jon's rating: 5 Big Macs (it's a fast food world).
Quest — 7 January 13, 2010
SOCIAL JUSTICE
Spaghetti with a Chance of Meatballs -
A Free Dinner from Rainbow Youth Alliance
by Stephanie Kreps
Sunday, January 31, 5:00 p.m., Founders Hall (Building 1): Spaghetti with a Chance of
Meatballs. UUCR members and friends are invited to the first Rainbow Youth Alliance and
Rainbow Young Adults Thank You Spaghetti Dinner. It's a free event to show our appreciation for
the help and support of the congregation and our other supporters. We will serve spaghetti, salad,
bread and dessert. Want meatballs with your pasta? Tell us your preference when you sign up at the
table in Davies Fellowship Hall after Sunday worship services. Pre-registration is required. To
register via email and/or for more information, please contact Stephanie Kreps at
[email protected]. We hope to see you there!
Equality Maryland Lobby Day - Put Your Faith Into Action
by Stephanie Kreps
Did you go to the National Equality March on the mall last fall with Rev. Lynn and intern minister
Elizabeth Marsh? It was a nice day and great fun with a good feeling of supporting equal rights for
LGBT people. Here's another, more influential way for you to do the same thing within our state.
Equality Maryland has organized another Lobby Day on Monday, February 8, in which you
register on their website (http://www.equalitymaryland.org/lobbyday/index.htm) and they will set
up appointments for you with the legislators of your district.
Your support is badly needed this year. Equal marriage rights were signed into law (pending
Congressional review) by Mayor Fenty in DC last month, and the signing ceremony was held at
All Souls UU in DC. Wouldn't it be great if Maryland were next? UUs are in the forefront of
the fight for equal marriage rights all over the US. You don't have to talk if you don't care to; your
presence alone will say a lot and there are always large groups of people from our county attending.
If you want to talk, there are talking points on the Equality Maryland website. Tell your legislator
you are standing on the side of love.
There will be a chartered bus picking us up at the UUCR parking lot at 3:15 p.m. on February 8,
taking us to and from Annapolis, along with the Cedar Lane folks, returning around 9:00 p.m. Bus
tickets cost $20 and include drinks and snacks on the ride. Bus spaces will be sold at a table in
Davies Fellowship Hall starting January 17. Get your space early - the bus fills quickly! If you
prefer, you can arrange your own transportation.
Families are strongly encouraged to attend! The legislators truly enjoy seeing kids and teens in
their offices. Thanks for your help! For more information, please contact Stephanie Kreps at
Quest — 8 January 13, 2010
Habitat for Humanity Work Camp – August 1-6, 2010
by Karen Pittleman
If you missed last year’s first annual summer work camp trip, mark your calendar now for August 1
to 6, 2010. Once again UUCR will be sending a group to Garrett County, MD, to participate in a
Habitat for Humanity (HFH) work camp. UUCR will assist in the construction of three houses
during the 2010 building season. The trip is open to 30 UUCR members and friends; 16 years and
older. We’re hoping both senior high students and adults will take advantage of this wonderful
opportunity. Last year taught us how important it is for the group to include people with building
skills, so we hope to have even more handyperson members and/or Power Tool Gang members join
us this year.
We will travel to Garrett County on Sunday, August 1, and work Monday to Thursday from 8 a.m.
to 4:00 pm, and Friday until noon. (note: partial week schedules can be accommodated). The work
camp teams are housed in local churches, with HFH and local churches providing dinners and
groups providing their own breakfast and lunch. A special treat again this year is an invitation to
have dinner and spend an evening with Marilyn Moors, a former UUCR member whose late
husband Bill was a former minister at UUCR. The fee is $135 per person and scholarships are
available. There will be an information table in Davies Fellowship Hall in February and an
information session will be held in March. For additional information, please contact Karen
Pittleman at 301-977-6812 or email [email protected].
SOCIAL JUSTICE
Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry of Maryland, 5th Annual Meeting
Making a Difference in Challenging Times: Empowering Maryland UUs in 2010
Saturday, January 23, 2010, 8:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. (Snow Date: January 30)
Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis
333 Dubois Street, Annapolis, MD 21401
Hear a panel of Maryland state legislators, including Delegates Elizabeth Bobo, Heather Mizeur
and Doyle Niemann, discuss UULM-MD’s priority issues of marriage equality, health care, and
climate change considering pending federal legislation, elections, and budget crises;
Participate in issue task force discussion groups to give input and to mobilize and organize our
task forces for work in 2010.
Free child care will be provided. Please contact [email protected] by January 18 with the child’s
name and age to reserve a space.
Registration Fees :
Annual Meeting and Membership - $35 Annual Meeting only - $15
UULM-MD Membership only - $25 Youth Meeting Registration - free
Registration form at information table in Davies Fellowship Hall on Sunday or www.uulmmd.org.
Questions? Car Pool? Contact Ken Sandin at [email protected].
Quest — 9 January 13, 2010
Power Tool Gang
Pancake Breakfast
by Jay LaMarche
The ever valiant Power
Tool Gang turned in a
tour de force pancake breakfast on
December 27. The big hit of the day,
at least amongst the children, was
peppermint chip pancakes produced
by Matt Beyer. Jay LaMarche,
Mark Corfman, Ken Sandin, Brian
Sullivan, Jon Landenburger, and
Rich Chitty were flapjack flippers.
Bob Oyler and his brother Rex also
participated. Tom Rowe produced
vegan pancakes. Mighty masters of
culinary creations, all! And, no
onions!
SHARING THE MINISTRY
Partner Church Update
by Louise Friedenberg
UUCR continues its partnership with the Unitarian church
in Magyarzsakod, Transylvania, Romania. We are now
making plans to celebrate Partner Church Sunday on
February 7. Plan to come to our reception and photo
display in Founders Hall following the worship
service. There will be an opportunity at that time to
support the Scholarship Fund for the deserving students
of Magyarzsakod.
UUCR Quilters
by Louise Friedenberg
The Quilters are now in
the beginning stages of
creating their 30th annual quilt to be
raffled at the Bizarre Bazaar in
November. We welcome new
members. Quilters meet each
Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. in UUCR’s
Davies Fellowship Hall.
For more information, contact Louise
Friedenberg at 301-762-0168.
Save the Date –
Fellowship Dinner, March 6, 2010
Our annual UUCR Fellowship Dinner is scheduled for
Saturday, March 6, 2010. We will hold this event, as
last year, at UUCR. The social hour (punch, sales of
wine and beer) starts at 5:00 p.m., followed by dinner
(potluck coordinated by the table hosts) and the
evening’s program. This all-church event is a wonderful
chance to meet UUCR members and friends and have a
relaxing and entertaining evening together. Our
Fellowship Dinner is the kick-off of our Operating Fund
Pledge Drive for 2010-2011. There will be no
solicitations during the evening, just a time to enjoy
food and fellowship.
A table host will be contacting each member and friend
of UUCR in the next few weeks. There will also be a
sign-up table in Davies Fellowship Hall after worship
services during February. We hope all will attend this
annual Fellowship event, so mark the date on your
calendar now. If you do not receive a call from a table
host by mid-February, please contact Fellowship Dinner
Coordinator, Karen Pittleman, 301-977-6812.
Childcare will be available, but you must sign up in
advance on the sheet posted in the lobby at church.
Quest — 10 January 13, 2010
SHARING THE MINISTRY
Colored Pencil Art Exhibit
by Laura Huff
The artwork on UUCR’s walls
this month, and for most of February, features
colored pencil artists living and working
in the Washington, DC metro area.
This group was formed in 1994 as a chapter of
the Colored Pencil Society of America
(CPSA), a national nonprofit organization
exclusively dedicated to artists working with
colored pencil.
The Washington, DC chapter promotes the
goals of the CPSA on a local and regional
basis. Each year they hold six meetings which
provide members with opportunities to attend
educational programs, acquire new colored
pencil skills and techniques, get informal
critiques by their peers, and enjoy group
"draw-ins." In addition, they publish a
newsletter six times a year and host both
juried and non-juried exhibits of members'
colored pencil artwork in a variety of venues
in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, DC.
Strathmore Hall in North Bethesda is one
prestigious location where the group has
exhibited its work.
In viewing this exhibition, appreciate the
many long hours it requires to produce each
colored pencil drawing. The results of this
labor-intensive medium are amazing.
A Sangha at UUCR?
by Liliane Floge
On Sunday, January 17, 11:30 a.m., Liliane Floge and Steve Crawford will host a meeting in Room 51 to discuss the possibility of forming a sangha (in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh) of interested UUCR members and friends. Over the past two years, Liliane and Steve have attended two six-day family retreats run by Thich Nhat Hanh’s organization, read many of Hanh’s books, and now meditate regularly, but believe that their progress – and that of others joining them – in the development of mindfulness would be facilitated by participating in a sangha, as Thich Nhat Hanh urges.
For more information, contact Liliane or Steve at 240-631-2432.
Thank you from Beacon House
by Alberta Maschal
Thank you for your continued support of Beacon House and especially for your generosity during our Christmas gift collection. The children, youth and seniors served by Beacon House are very grateful.
Book Club
by Carolyn Pooley
The Book Club meets the first Thursday of
each month at 2:00 p.m. in Room 50 (lower level of
Sanctuary building).
February 4 - People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
(Pulitzer Prize winner for March). When Hanna Heath, a
rare book expert, discovers a series of tiny artifacts in an
ancient manuscript, her research leads to a series of
unexpected discoveries about the book's history and the
lives of the people who were touched by it.
March 4 - Chocolat by Joanne Harris. Vianne arrives
with her young daughter in a French village and opens a
chocolate shop, tempting the village's churchgoers with
overindulgence. This angers the local priest who
believes Vianne is not just selling chocolate but
influencing "his flock" in unorthodox ways. The conflict
leads to a "showdown between dogma and
understanding, pleasure and self-denial." [book jacket]
For more information, contact Carolyn
Pooley at 301-279-0490. Books are
available in local libraries and at UUCR’s
Amazon link:
Quest — 11 January 13, 2010
From the Editors . . .
When writing your article for Quest, please:
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For more detailed instructions, please see UUCR’s website: http://uucr.org/quest.php
SHARING THE MINISTRY
Films That Make You Think at River Road UU Congregation
River Road Unitarian Universalist Congregation is showing Films That Make You Think
every Friday through January. Doors open at 7:00 p.m., popcorn is available with the
movie, and a discussion follows each film. Films are typically well-done but little-known,
independent, and some foreign, that present interesting issues for discussion. Come to as many as
you would like. $2 for popcorn, no fee for movie. RRUUC is located at 6301 River Road,
Bethesda, MD. Check the website at www.rruuc.org for movie titles.
Shalem Institute Presents the Fifth Gerald G. May Seminar
with Matthew Fox, April 23-24
The Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation is renting our beautiful Sanctuary for this year’s
Gerald G. May Seminar, which is open to the public. Shalem is thrilled to host Matthew Fox as
this year's presenter. Celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day on April 23-24 with Shalem and
Matthew Fox as he talks about Earth Spirituality and the Mystical Tradition.
Fox may be of interest to many church members and friends. He is a former Catholic priest who
challenged the doctrine of original sin and offered instead the concept of original blessing, an
approach very compatible with Unitarian Universalist theology. Reverend Strauss has often
referred to Fox's work in her sermons.
Registration has begun and early bird prices are good until March 15. See the Shalem Institute
website for details at http://www.shalem.org/index.php/short-programs/gerald-may-seminar.
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PERMIT NO. 121
Our Vision
The vision of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Rockville is to bring progressive
religion to our community and beyond through words, acts, and invitation; to grow as a
healthy vibrant congregation that embraces a diversity of people and ideas; and to create
a center for intellectual, spiritual, and creative exploration.
Our Mission
The Unitarian Universalist Church of Rockville provides a liberal religious home in
Montgomery County, welcoming all who share our journey to seek truth, meaning,
fellowship, and wholeness with open hearts and minds. Using Unitarian Universalist
values as our guide, we strive to:
Nurture intellectual, spiritual, and creative growth;
Transform belief into action;
Inspire insight and a sense of wonder through worship and religious education;
Engage in social justice, community service, and global outreach.
January 13, 2010
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Rockville? by Bennett Rushkoff At the mid-year congregational meeting, immediately following our Sunday worship service on January 31, the Board of Trustees will invite discussion of the pros and cons of a proposal to change UUCR’s name to Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Rockville (remaining “UUCR”). The Board had considered putting the issue to a vote this month, but decided at its January 4 meeting that the decision-making process would benefit from members of the congregation having a greater opportunity to listen to one another. The proposed name change would change how UUCR is commonly known but would not immediately affect UUCR’s legal name, as used in contracts and other formal documents. Also, the name change would not prevent anyone from continuing to refer to UUCR as a “church” (e.g. “Will I see you at church tomorrow?”) or from continuing to refer to the “church budget” or the “church year.” Proponents of changing the word “Church” to “Congregation” in UUCR’s name have said that the word "Congregation" would make UUCR more attractive to prospective members from non-Christian backgrounds as well as those from Christian backgrounds who are no longer comfortable with the word "church." Also, the word “Congregation” reminds us that authority in our larger faith community rests with the individual congregations rather than with any central church hierarchy. Proponents of keeping the word "Church" in UUCR's name have said that the word “Church” is more familiar to and better understood by the outside community -- and is more likely to be used as an Internet search term -- than the word "Congregation." Continued use of a word that has long been part of UUCR's identity builds on the reputation we have already achieved. Also, the word "Church" reminds us of our historical roots in the Unitarian and Universalist churches. Other alternatives to the word “Church” have been mentioned – including the words “Community” and “Center” – but none of the alternatives to “Church” or “Congregation” appear to have garnered wide support. UUCR has had two prior name changes: first from Rockville Unitarian Center to Unitarian Church of Rockville, and later to Unitarian Universalist Church of Rockville. Currently, out of 24 UU churches in Maryland, there are 10 churches (including UUCR) that use the word “Church” in their name, 6 that use the word “Congregation,” 5 that use the word “Fellowship,” and 3 simply refer to themselves as “Unitarian Universalists” of a particular area. A change to UUCR’s name would involve an amendment to its bylaws, which would require a majority of the votes cast at a meeting of the congregation. A survey form on the proposed name change was distributed at church following services on December 13 and January 3, and will be distributed again on January 17. Members and friends are also encouraged to e-mail their views to Board President Bennett Rushkoff at [email protected].