ENews from Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Church

The flowers in the Sanctuary are given in memory of Mercedes Keeler by her daughter, Ydahlia Metzgen-Quemarez, and her niece, Janet Wojaczyk. They were arranged by Betty May Cleary. The flowers in the chapel are arranged by Barbara Potzick.

In the Lounge: * Alliance Books * Beacon Books Cart * Concerts at Cedar Lane * Environmental Task Force * Fair Trade Coffee and Tea * Music Committee * Social Justice Council Lounge Lizards * Washington Revels *

Sunday Morning Forum: Pepco - A Company in Failure or a Partner in Progress?

with Montgomery County Council Member Roger Berliner.
10:10 in the Chalice House, all are welcome.

From the Ministers
The Animals in Our Lives - Your Stories Needed!

Cedar Lane will do it again! On Sunday, October 16, Cedar Lane will offer our third annual Blessing of the Animals service. For those who are new to this tradition, the 9:00 service welcomes "virtual" animals only - photos, drawings and stuffed animals - so the allergic may enjoy worship too. The 11:00 service welcomes virtual and live animals (assuming they are vaccinated, leashed or contained and that they "play well with others.") We cannot promise any change in behavior after your animals have been blessed but many creatures have enjoyed coming to the congregation and the community has certainly enjoyed their presence.

In preparation for this special service, I ask for two things:

Photos of animals who will not be coming in person. Every year there are some critters who are perhaps best left at home or have died and live on in our memories. We like to welcome all the animals of our community and so we include a slide show of animal photos, including their names, in the service. Who do you want represented who cannot join us on the 16th?
Stories about how an animal has changed your life. The special focus of this year's service will be, specifically, the bond between people and animals, how we enhance each other's lives. Perhaps an animal has affected you in a dramatic way. Perhaps the everyday companionship is something you are especially thankful for. Or, as the bumper sticker asks, "Who rescued whom?" What is your story?

Please send all photos (including names of animals) and stories to Heather Janules at hjanules@cedarlane.org. Thanks!

Transition Coordinating Committee

FROM THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES' TRANSITION COORDINATING COMMITTEE (TCC)

As we begin a new congregational year, your Trustees look forward to another rich chapter in the life of Cedar Lane, a chapter marked by a number of transitions in congregational leadership.
This Sunday, the Rev. Evan Keely's sermon will reflect on the challenges and opportunities we face as congregational leadership changes
This fall, the congregation prepares to honor and celebrate the contributions of the Rev. Susan Archer, who retires as of January 1.
Recruiting RE Interims through the UUA is a process that takes place on an annual basis, with search campaigns conducted in the spring for an interim to start in August.
The TCC carefully considered how best to bridge the six-month continuation of the 2011-12 Religious Education year following Susan's departure, until our RE Interim begins next August.
The Search Committee for our settled RE professional will be elected as a slate at the Annual Meeting in 2013. We know you may have questions, and we will arrange for open meetings in the coming months (beginning on October 2) to discuss the many changes we are experiencing.

A timeline for the search and additional information may be found at: www.cedarlane.org/TCC.htm

We Care

The We Care program is a network led by volunteers who reach out to address short-term needs - food deliveries, rides to doctor's appointments, a listening ear in the event of a loss. The Cedar Lane congregation is organized geographically by "neighborhoods"; each neighborhood has at least one chairperson to coordinate support. Look at your nametag or the map in the church office to find your neighborhood.

We join Ydahlia Metzgen-Quemarez (Neighborhood 4) and Janet Wojaczyk (N18) in mourning the death of Ydahlia's mother, Mercedes Keeler (N4) who died peacefully at Ydahlia's home in Belize.

We celebrate with Ellen Cosgrove (N13) as her son, Tom Cosgrove, married Rachel Green in Rutland, Vermont on August 6. Congratulations!

Our deepest condolences are with Eleanor Melville (N1) with the death of her daughter, Peg, who had struggled with lung cancer. Peg attended religious education classes at Cedar Lane as a child. (Sadly, Eleanor has also lost two other children to cancer in the past two years.)

As of this past Wednesday, Marjorie Melton is now a resident of Iowa, the state of her birth! Her new address is: Marjorie Melton, c/o Royale Meadows Care Center, Sunshine Circle, Room 620, 1400 7th St. SE, Sioux Center, Iowa 51250.

Our hearts go out to Lynn Goldman and Doug and Hannah Hayward (N23) with the death of Lynn's brother, Robert, who passed on September 12th from a sudden recurrence of cancer.

Should you know of a member of our community in personal need, you are encouraged to reach out to them. If you learn that this person wishes to receive a response from the church, please contact Heather Janules at hjanules@cedarlane.org. All ministers offer pastoral care to our members so

you are also encouraged to contact any member of the ministerial team.

Upcoming Sundays

September 25, 2011 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.

"Consider the Lilies"

Nancy Pellegrini, Intern Minister

What are the ramifications of anxiety and excessive need for control that plague many of us in our frenetic Washington DC Beltway lives? Our Intern Minister invites you to Consider the Lilies as expressed in

Matthew 6.

Forum: Inside Washington's Muslim Communities with Johari Abdul-Malik,

Outreach Director, Dar Al-Hiraj Islamic Center, Falls Church, VA. 10:10 in the Chalice House, all are welcome.

October 2, 2011 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.

Association Sunday

Forum: Why the Massive Honey Bee Die-Off? with Harriett Crosby, Friends of the Earth board member, and environmental activist.

For more information about these sermons click here

Music Notes From the Director of Music

Dr. Henry Sgrecci

Sept. 18 - The Choir will unveil Henry Sgrecci's new song "Together Again," composed in honor of the beginning of the new church year. As Interim Senior Minister Even Keely looks ahead to the transitions of our Congregation, the Choir sings "No Blade of Grass Can Flourish" by Wilhelm Friedemann Bach and Pete Seeger's popular setting from Ecclesiastes, "Turn, Turn, Turn." Congregational hymns will include "God of Grace, God of Glory" and "For All That Is Our Life."

For more on the music for upcoming Sundays and the Music Department click here.

EDUCATION FOR ALL AGES

Susan Archer, Minister of Religious Education

Gale Ginther Luce and Jeannette Wilson, Administrators

Vanessa Steck, Youth Coordinator

For information and to register for classes and programs call 301-493-8300 x207 or e-mail RE@cedarlane.org.

Religious Education for Children (RE)

RE OPENS!

This Sunday, September 18, our first RE classes of the year begin at 9:00 and 11:00 a.m.! Chapel services at 10:00 a.m. and noon, for grades K- 6, with Rev. Susan.

RE Registration:

If you still haven't registered your children, please bring the forms with you on Sunday! They can be downloaded from our website at www.cedarlane.org/rep/re.html.

Please click here to read about our Youth, Senior High, and Young Adult Groups.

Adult Programs (AP)

Meet Adult Programs committee members this Sunday after worship services, in the lounge, to find out more about our fall programs and to register.

Many classes begin the first week of October, including:

Meditation, Philosophy Club, Intro to Confucian Thought, Sexuality and Our Faith, Saint Augustine: Intro for UUs, the Celestial Tourist, Continuing Yoga, Beginning Yoga, American Poems on Faith, T'ai Chi, and Angels in America.

Please click here to see information on the Forums and Connection Circles.

From the Church AdMinistrator

As with sadness we see our beloved Corinne Woodward off on her travels to Australia we welcome with gladness our new Administrative Assistant, Sara Davidson. Sara is a graduate of American University and comes to us from a similar position at Massage Envy in Bethesda. Please take a moment to stop by and introduce yourself and welcome her to our Cedar Lane family, she started this week.
Same extension as Corinne, ext. 202, email is sdavidson@cedarlane.org.

Around the Church

Our Junior High Youth Group Rocks!

Wow! What an opportunity! Interested in the rockingest junior youth group you could imagine? We are looking for someone to partner with our amazing volunteer junior (grades 7-8) youth coordinator John Daniel on a host of fun and service activities (non-Sunday mornings) throughout the year. John has been doing this for many years (you can sight "his" returning graduates, now adults, on some Sunday mornings!). If you want to know how important this function is, check in with a youth who is participating in this, or did it in the past! Or check in with a parent to know how this has affected their kid's life-in terms of growing friendships, building connections with their faith community, and developing self-confidence-all grounded in a deep sense of acceptance and growing responsibility. Want to know more? Talk with Rev. Susan or with John! Non-(current) parents are especially encouraged to apply!

Find out what the CSA/farmer's market has this week.

Social Justice Council

Green Tips - Energy Efficiency Rebate Program and Workshop.

Calendar

Please visit the calendar here.

Beyond the Church

Click here to learn about some events sponsored by friends of Cedar Lane.

The JPD Women & Religion Facilitators' Circle retreat for the weekend of September 30 - October 2 has been canceled due to low registration.

Sara Deshler
Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Church