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Spirit. Community. Action. Inside & "Out" | September 2010 |
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 From the Laptop of Rev. Kharma
Straight Talk from a Queer Preacher: Learning in Progress
Have you ever noticed how life presents you with endless opportunities to learn the important lessons you've not quite mastered? I hate that. Just when I think I can put some challenge behind me, the universe presents me with yet another "growth opportunity" to gain a bit more understanding and wisdom. I don't mind telling you: it's a nuisance! And (dagnabbit!), it's probably the only thing that ever helps me achieve (if but for a moment) things like balance, perspective, progress, and ... well, growth. I say all this as background information for what I really want to talk about, which is the lesson I am learning again about the power of compassion. Sometimes, it seems as if the most constructive thing I can offer others is some straight talk (i.e. truth-telling) about the things with which I most struggle. So-spoiler alert-that's what you'll get here: the honest, if ugly, details of a lesson I'm still in the process of learning ... with the hopes that it might stir up your own reflections about the lessons that are yours.
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| Meet Our New Clergy Intern, DeWayne Davis!
 Blessings MCC of Northern Virginia,
My heart is overflowing with gratitude for your decision to accompany me throughout the next phase of my journey in ministry and clergy formation in the Metropolitan Community Churches. You have warmly embraced me and enthusiastically encouraged my pursuit of the call to ministry, and I am ecstatic to spend a season with you in further formation and preparation. As we begin this ministry together, it is my desire to learn from and with you all that God has in store for us as we bear witness to the love of Christ in our lives to a hungry and pervasively anxious world. I stand available to receive your wisdom, your witness, and your testimony as a community of faith and to offer my gifts, talents, ministry, and support to the important work that MCC NoVA is doing.
You will be pleased to know that my formal studies at Wesley Theological Seminary continue apace with a promising first week of classes and new areas of study and ministry already inspiring ideas for bible study and preaching. I am also continuing the critical work of public advocacy on behalf of The Episcopal Church, where I am employed, offering critical legislative analysis and lobbying in the halls of government on issues of justice, poverty, and human needs from a uniquely biblical and social justice perspective.
With the blessing and support of my husband Kareem and the overwhelming support and encouragement of my church home MCC-DC, I am uniquely blessed in this call to work with you for the next academic year. I can hardly contain the excitement I feel at what lies before us and the ways God will use us. I hope that my service in your family will edify all those who come through the doors of MCC NoVA, and I ask that you hold me accountable to my word and service in your midst. My prayer is that we will continue to allow the Holy Spirit to move within our midst, opening our hearts to the ineffable mystery of God's revelation through God's people. In so doing, we build up the body of Christ in service to God's people.
To God be the Glory,
DeWayne L. Davis
About DeWayne
DeWayne Davis is an active member of Metropolitan Community Church of Washington, D.C., where he previously served as a Member of Board of Directors. DeWayne is currently the Domestic Policy Analyst in The Episcopal Church's Office of Government Relations where he represents before the U.S. Congress the domestic social policies established by the Episcopal Church's General Convention and Executive Council, including issues of human rights, welfare, poverty, hunger, health care, violence, civil rights, the environment, and issues involving women and children. He also serves on the Steering Committee of the Lewis Center for Church Leadership at Wesley Theological Seminary. He is a clergy candidate in care at MCC-DC and is currently pursuing a Master of Divinity degree from the Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. He lives with his husband Kareem and their dog Dmitri in Silver Spring, MD.
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From the Laptop of Rev. Tim 
How I Spent My Summer Vacation - Coming Home
One of the things I noticed that was different about this summer's trip back to my hometown in Minnesota is that the place I have called home for the first 53 years of my life has again changed somewhat significantly and would no doubt be changing again very soon. My brothers and I gathered at what had been my mom's house to decide what to do with her house and its contents, that portion of the estate we could no longer afford to hang on to. Deciding together to sell what had been our parent's home since that summer after I graduated from high school back in 1975, was not an easy decision for any of us to make, but after some thoughtful and relatively civil discussion, the decision was made to pursue that plan.
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Happenings
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SAVE THE DATE! 
HOMECOMING SUNDAY
September 19
We've missed many familiar faces during the summer, but it's almost time to welcome everyone back and invite others seeking a spiritual home into our community.
Come join us at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, September 19 as we celebrate the joy of homecoming through worship, fellowship, and a shared meal.
 SUPPORT TEAM MCC NOVA!
Saturday, October 2
Please join MCC NOVA and other participating Capital Beltway MCC Churches as we walk in solidarity to Stomp-Out AIDS. On Saturday, October 2rd, 2010, Team MCC NOVA will join thousands of other people in the 24rd annual AIDS Walk Washington. This event is a 5K fundraising walk and timed run, benefiting and produced by Whitman-Walker Clinic. Please visit our team page by CLICKING HERE. Once there you can sign up to walk and begin fundraising to help raise much needed money for this very worthwhile cause. For more information, please contact NOVA Co-captains Gail Schulte and Vickie Bowman. Isn't it time you put your foot down? Register or Donate Today!!
SAVE THE DATE!
B-I-N-G-O !
Saturday, October 9, 7:00 pm
Our theme this year will be HOMECOMING BINGO! Don't forget to wear your best home-coming attire; long gowns and tuxes welcome! (Just kidding! Come as you are!) We will be selling tickets for $15 each, which will entitle you to one set of cards for each of 10 Bingo games. Additional cards can be purchased for $10 per set. Food and soft-drinks will be available for purchase. Doors open at 7 pm; first game will be called at 7:30 pm.
Don't forget to purchase your tickets in advance of the event! We expect
another SOLD OUT event!
 SAVE THE DATE! BASKET AUCTION TIME!Saturday, November 6, 2010, 7:00 pm
Please save the date and start inviting your friends and family. This is the perfect opportunity to purchase gifts for your family, friends, pets, and yourselves.
As we have done in the past, we ask for your generous donations of prepared baskets for the auction, so start going through your houses and grab those new and/or gently used items to create a wonderful basket to auction off for a great cause--MCC NOVA!
Some ideas for baskets include: pet baskets, sports baskets, kids basket, romantic basket, computer stuff basket, kitchen basket.
Be creative and put together a unique basket of your choosing. More information will be coming so please save this date and get ready for a grand night of fun, food, and fellowship! If you have any questions, please see Jane Bennett (girlybob@aol.com) or Cathryn Krebs (cathkrebs@cox.net).
LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITY: BOARD of DIRECTORS
On December 12, two seats on the MCC NOVA Board of Directors will be up for election at our annual congregational meeting. The Board of Directors is empowered by the congregation to carry out the business of the church and members are elected for two year terms. This is an opportunity for you to play a key leadership role in the church. If you are interested in making this committment and would like more information, you are encouraged to sit in on an upcoming Board meeting (the next meeting is Tuesday, September 12 at 6:30 pm) and speak to Rev. Kharma or any other Board member. In addition to this opportunity, please see the note from our Lay Delegates, below.
 DID YOU KNOW?
That MCC NOVA supports the overall mission of MCC Churches by sending a portion of your monetary gifts as a tithe each month. These funds support MCC resourcing, Global Justice, and HIV/AIDS initiatives among many others. In fact, for the month of July, MCC NOVA was the top 'small' church in total tithes for all of North America and #2 in tithable giving per capita! Thank you for your continued generosity in support of our mission locally and globally!
A NOTE FROM ICM CASA de LUZ, MONTERREY, MEXICO
Dear Rev. Kharma,
Please permit me to introduce myself, my name is Fernando Ramirez H., founding member and treasurer of Casa de Luz, MCC in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico and I beg of God blessings for you and your congregation.
My present intentions for writing is to establish communication between our respective communities, and the main motiveis to let you know that we are extremely appreciative, the entire congregtion in this city, of your support (without strings) with the Rev. Fernando Frontan Q, who was pastor here until Feb. 2010 until his return to Uruguay.
Our current pastor, Rev. Alejandro Gonzalez and the lay delegate Homero Carbajal, were not able to contact you at Conference to personally extend our gratitude, so we asked Hector Gutierrez for your contact information in fear that more time would pass.
Please know that you or whoever else, are cordially invited to visit us and share in the Word of God, sing, and Christian community in our church in Monterrey, Mexico.
Sincerely thank you very much. God blesses us.
Hugs,
Fernando Ramirez H. |
Continuing...
 RAINBOW WRAPS
Many thanks to all the wonderful volunteers (you know who you are!) who are knitting or crocheting Rainbow Wraps for our Care Team ministry. These will be distributed to those who are ill or hospitalized and need a bit of "good cheer" - a handmade prayer shawl created by an MCC NOVA family member. Bring your completed projects to church when they are completed and place them in the basket; feel free to take some skeins of yarn so you can start a new project. Anyone who is interested may participate. You can use the yarn in the basket or use your own brightly colored yarn. E-mail Cathryn at cathkrebs@cox.net if you have any questions.
Want to Help Out? Urgent Volunteer Needs
CLEANSING SPIRITS MINISTRY
The volunteer crew that cleans the church each week, is in need of more volunteers to serve our community. If you can help out in this ministry, please contact Elethia by phone, 703 638-9751, or by email, iamelethia@yahoo.com. or in person on a Sunday morning.
DO YOU HAVE THE GIFT OF HOSPITALITY?
Like to bake? Or shop? Or make coffee? NOVA's hospitality team is looking for a few folks to help with the hospitality table? All you have to do is bring a few goodies, set up the coffee (instructions provided), and clean up afterward. And you don't have to do it alone. Grab your friends, family or ministry team and sign up on the sheet in the Sacristy or contact Yvonne Hansche at yhansche@aol.com.
MCC NOVA HELPS THE HOMELESS
"Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat". Mother Theresa
The first Sunday of each month, MCC NOVA delivers breakfast to Fairfax homeless. We shop on Saturday from 2:00 to 4:00 and prepare the food from 4:00 to 5:00. We deliver the food on Sunday morning from 7:30 to 9:00. If you can help. please contact Pat Monahan at 703-684-7947 or
pmmonahan@cox.net
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Leadership Opportunity!
Become a Lay Delegate! Lay delegates play important leadership roles, both within MCC Nova and as facilitators of information between the congregation and the denomination. At our next Congregational Meeting in December, two lay delegate positions will be open for the election. If you want an exciting way to serve our congregation and involve yourself more deeply in MCC, consider running!
Here's all you'll need to know about the responsibilities you'd take on.
Your term would be for three years. Locally during that time, you'd be involved in membership classes, helping inform people about the denomination of which we're a part. Beyond the local church, you'd be responsible for attending and representing our congregation at General Conference. (General Conference is the primary governing body of MCC. It is an international gathering that convenes once every three years; the next will be in Chicago 2013.) There will also be a few smaller MCC meetings to attend in our area. As the representative of Nova, you would have both voice and vote at any of these conference business meetings. Often there are workshop and seminar opportunities, as well. On your return, you'd share news of the business that was conducted at conference and the learning that you experienced. This would be by written report but sometimes a short talk would also be helpful.
Lay delegates play an important role in advance of conferences, too. They become familiar with the major issues that will come up for a vote, present those issues to the congregation in an impartial way, facilitate a discussion, and discern the consensus of those present. Because a delegate's vote is expected to reflect the views of the congregation, this feedback is foundational.
We'll also elect an alternate lay delegate at the same December meeting. An alternate fulfills the responsibilities of a lay delegate when s/he can't attend required meetings.
So, remember: you aren't on your own. As a lay delegate of MCC Nova, you'd be part of a team.
It is the responsibility of each local congregation to provide funds for the primary delegates to attend these conferences. Typically these funds include registration, room cost, travel, and food expenses.
If you're considering this important and rewarding role, talk to our two current delegates, Jean Gralley and Gail Minnick, both of whom are stepping down. They'll be glad to answer any questions you may have.
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Note: Children's Sunday School resumes
Second Reading:
Rev. Dr. Kharma Amos,
preaching |
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 Special Thanks To:
To all of the volunteers who support our life and ministry: those who share of their time, their creative energies and ideas, their money, their in-kind donations, their gifts and talents, their hearts and minds. Ours is a community supported by many loving and hard-working hands. We are grateful.
To Frank for his leadership of the Lunch Bunch, and to all of you who invest time in building the relationships that support and sustain our community.
To all those who enhance our worship ...those who clean the church, coordinate worship, greeters, ushers, music ministers, sound techs, readers, teachers of our children, prayer leaders, hospitality hosts, those who work to prepare our bulletins, count the offering, coordinate lunch bunch...each of you has gifted this community with the opportunity to be touched by God in community ...Thank you!
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| News From Absent Friends
The Congregational Care Team here at MCC NoVA wants to nurture those who are here by trying to establish a mechanism for letting others in the MCC NoVA extended family know what is happening in the lives of some of our absent friends. Starting this past June, this section appears in the monthly e-news. It is intended to be a vehicle whereby folks who have been away for a time can let us know how they are, their new address or tell us about their new church or job. They might share with us news of their wedding or the passing of a loved one, the joy of being in a new relationship or just a hand-written note to say they are doing well and they just wanted to send along a note that they were thinking about us too. Submissions for 'News from Absent Friends' can be sent to info@mccnova.com or via the mail to MCC NoVA Care Team, 10383 Democracy Lane, Fairfax, VA 22030.
Greetings from Deb Buckner,
Thanks to all of you for your prayers and thoughts about my mother. The surgery was successful (i.e. the cancer was removed, and no further treatment is necessary). For that, we are very grateful!
However, she is still very weak, and her cognitive abilities have deteriorated. Her short-term memory is shot. Therefore, she does not take her meds properly, she is not eating well, and she can't do much around the house. We do not feel that she is capable of living on her own at this time. She is now living with my sister during the week. My brother and I will be alternating taking care of her on the weekends in her home.
As you know, I travel 50 miles to get to church. My mom lives 85 miles away from me. I am not up to traveling every weekend. Therefore, I will not be coming to church on a regular basis for the "foreseeable" future. This is going to prevent me from being an usher, and I am scheduled for this month (September) and either November or December.
Please, stay in touch via email or phone (Facebook is not working for me right now). I will come to church when I can. I do and will miss you all.
Peace to You All,
Debbie |
Community Notes
GREATER DC 9/11 UNITY WALK
Sunday, September 12, 1:30-4:30, Embassy Row
The 2010 Unity Walk brings people together representing scores of organizations, religious groups and diplomatic communities to join in "unity," building bridges of interfaith understanding and respect. Imagine and Explore: churches, synagogues, temples, mosques, and Sikh Gurdwaras, opening their doors all along Massachusetts Avenue in Washington, DC, for peace, healing, and understanding.
Building Peace by Serving Each Other is the theme of this year's walk. For more information go to www.unitywalk.org
FALL GAYSPIRITS MEN'S RETREAT
There are not enough opportunities for gay men to come together and be with other gay men in a setting that is both safe and nurturing. GaySpirits Retreats are just such an opportunity providing local and inexpensive opportunities for gay men to explore their spirituality and create a healing environment together. The next GaySpirits Retreat will be on Friday and Saturday, September 24 and 25. It will be held at All Souls Unitarian Church, 1500 Harvard St., (16th & Harvard) NW. Follow the link below to see a flier with all the details and registration information. Several men from MCC NoVA have already attended previous weekends and the feedback has been very positive. Click here for more information.
HAVE A ROOM TO RENT?
Please let us know. We often have people who are looking for housing and would love to know about your resource. Contact Rev. Kharma.
CAPITAL HOSPICE SEEKS VOLUNTEERS
Are you interested in making a difference? Adult daytime, evening, and weekend volunteers are needed to visit hospice patients at home, work in our Van Ness office, and join our Speakers Bureau. We also need volunteers with cars, language skills, and a strong desire to work with people. Patient Care Volunteer Trainings are held three times a year. Volunteers will learn about Capital Hospice services and programs and techniques in caring for and communicating with hospice patients. To apply, please contact Volunteer Services at 202-244-8300 or visit www.capitalhospice.org
AREA PFLAG GATHERINGS (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays)
1. Annandale-Little River United Church of Christ, 3rd Sunday, 4:30 pm.
2. Falls Church--Temple Rodef Shalom at 2100 Westmoreland Street on the 2nd Thursday at 7:30 pm.
3. Manassas --Bull Run Unitarian Universalist Church, 4th Monday at 7:00 pm.
4. Western Fairfax -- Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fairfax, 2709 Hunter Mill Road, Oakton, MD 22124
5. Bethesda MD-2 separate meetings at 2:00 pm on each 3rd Sunday: one focused on Trans-people and their families-Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Church.
6. Alexandria, beginning Tuesday, May 12
The group meets on the second Tuesday of every month at 7:30 p.m.
Location: Hope United Church of Christ, an open and affirming congregation
6130 Old Telegraph Road, Alexandria, VA 22310, For directions, visit www.hopeucc.org
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Support MCC NOVA
ELECTRONIC BILL-PAY ANYONE?
How many of you pay some or all of your bills with electronic bill pay? Did you know you can set up MCC NOVA as a "Payee" just like any other credit card or utility and make your regular offering this way? This would help MCC NOVA avoid some of the dips in our routine giving that result in a "summer slump" typically associated with people being on vacation and not here physically to be able to make their regular contributions. Take one more thing off your list before heading off to a summer of fun in the sun and thank you for helping us manage our community's finances.
DO YOUR SHOPPING ONLINE AT iGive.com and a percentage of your purchase goes to MCC NOVA
Shop at any of the more than 600 stores at i.GIVE.COM and a percentage of your purchase goes to MCC NOVA! Tell a friend about iGive.com and MCC NOVA gets $5.00! Its easy, just click on iGive.com to sign up.
SHOP AT THE MCC NOVA SPIRIT-WEAR STORE!
Now you can proudly wear t-shirts, sweatshirts and more emblazoned with MCC NOVA's new statement of calling logo! Simply go to our website at www.mccnova.comand click on the link to our online Spirit-wear store or go directly to www.cafepress.com/novacom2
TO SUPPORT MCC NOVA DIRECTLY, YOU CAN MAKE A SECURE, TAX-DEDUCTIBLE  CONTRIBUTION BY CLICKING ON THIS LINK:
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 How Do I Get in Here?/
To place a ministry-related announcement in our weekly e-update or monthly e-Newsletter or for more information about placing a community announcement, please contact Tracey Kennedy at mccnovacom@earthlink.net. For church bulletin announcements, please contact Emma in the church office at info@mccnova.com |
| Contact Information |
MCC NOVA
703-691-0930
mccnova.com |
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