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Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Church
www.cedarlane.org | ENewsletter Volume 4, Issue 24
December 9, 2011
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December 11, 2011 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.
"Waiting for Greatness"
Rev. Evan Keely, Interim Senior Minister
The Christian season of Advent -- the weeks preceding Christmas -- is a time of reflection and expectation. Do Unitarian Universalists also live in expectation? Of what?
Volunteers for the Service:
Ushers: 9 a.m.: Norman Grossblatt, Tod Chernikoff, Joanne Evans,
Bob Harrison
11 a.m.: Jane Barton, Rick & Julie Offner, Marion Carlson
Coffee Servers: 10 a.m.: Emily Holdenried, Mike Benefiel, noon: Kate Curtis
Audio: Rich Clark
Beacon Books Cart: 10 a.m.: Gerry Peterson
Board Member at the Office Desk: 10 a.m.: Debbie Goodwin
noon: Bill Zellmer
Visitor's Center: 10 a.m.: Mary Farrar, noon: Maryann Dillon
The flowers in the sanctuary were given by Ariel Mora in loving memory of her mother, Ellen Holmboe Klawuhn. They were arranged by Cindy Meredith. The flowers in the chapel were arranged by Betty May Cleary.
In the Lounge: * Beacon Books Cart * Donuts and Bagels * Environmental Task Force * Fair Trade Tea & Coffee * Paper to Pearls * Social Justice Council *
Sunday Morning Forum: Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) with FINRA representative and Tracey Stein, Forum committee.
10:10 in the Chalice House Main Room (between services).
Sanctuary Audio Poll this Sunday! Please participate in our audience poll to help us make wise choices in improving the church's audio system.
Second Sunday Signing is this Sunday! If you feel ready, join the ministers and the Member Services Committee in the Library after each service to sign the book and become a member of Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Church. |
Rev. Susan Davison Archer
The last hymn we sang before the children arrived into the service last Sunday was "O Life that Maketh All Things News" by Samuel Longfellow. The celebration on Sunday echoed just that sentiment, when the kids and youth came in and "made chapel" right in the middle of the sanctuary, within the adult worship service! It was an amazing way of saying goodbye and of celebrating life that goes on all around us, even in the midst of leave-taking! I want to thank from my depths the many people who made all of Sunday happen. The organizing committee, led by John Daniel, also included Jean Bergey, Linda Daniel, Sara Deshler, Mary Farrar, Naomi Manzella, Carolyn Morrissey, Holly Parker, Carole Richardson, Kate Simon, Vanessa Steck, Diana Thompson, Marion Torchia, and Susannah Vesey. But I know this was a gathering that had very many hands on it - of people of all ages, and reflected that we are one community, one which I love and will miss. Longfellow's second verse says it all: From hand to hand the greeting flows, from eye to eye the signals run, from heart to heart the bright hope glows, the seekers of the light are one. I will be among you yet for our many December activities, and will leave for North Carolina around the 28th. You are an amazing congregation and I will follow from a distance your many "next steps" with interest and affection. One parent reported after the service that her daughter had reminded her, from one of the verses from the chapel song they used as a processional, "Don't be afraid of some change." I say "amen." The future is bright, I know you will fully and lovingly be part of its making. Love, Susan |
From the Board of Trustees Chair
As your Board of Trustees wishes all Cedar Laners a wonderful holiday season, we would also like to update you on our progress in preparations for the congregational transitions ahead.
The Board is pleased to announce that Linda Gianessi has accepted the position of Temporary Religious Education Coordinator. Linda has been a member of the church since 198_ and has served in many leadership capacities including as an R.E. teacher for 20 years. Linda will supervise the R.E. Program and its many activities during first six months of 2012 until an Interim Religious Educator can be hired. Linda will be assisted by our ministers, R.E. Administrators Gale Ginther Luce and Jeannette Wilson, the R.E. Council, and many capable volunteers. Support for Linda also includes Susan Clark, who will lead chapel services for our kids as she has done on many occasions. We are proud to have so many talented people to draw upon.
Meanwhile, the search for our settled Senior Minister begins by selecting a Senior Minister Search Committee. The Board in consultation with the UUA and the Leadership Development and Nominations Committee (LDNC) has developed a method for soliciting Search Committee nominations from the entire congregation. You will receive a phone call reminding you to be on the lookout for email and paper surveys with thoughtful questions about the Search Committee you would like to have. We hope each and every Cedar Lane member will fill out the survey so that our Search Committee will represent as broad a range of Cedar Laners as possible and work together as a dynamic team. Your input is important. The Board and the LDNC will collect the data and present a slate of seven Search Committee candidates for election at the Annual Meeting next April.
I am thankful to be working with a terrific group of Trustees and extraordinary leaders in every area of church life who are helping to shape our future. I hope you will participate fully in the process, asking many questions and offering your talents. In this time of focusing on what is most important, let us strengthen our faith community and our support for each other. We look forward to working with you.
Bonnie Beavers |
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Upcoming Sundays
December 18, 2011
Services at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.
"Religion of Freedom"
The Rev. Evan Keely
Many Unitarian Universalists take great pride in the freedom our religion offers. What does this freedom mean, and what does it actually give us? Children and youth will join the service for the first 20 minutes.
Forum:
"American Emperor: Aaron Burr's Challenge to Jefferson's America," with attorney and author David Stewart.
10:10 in the Chalice House Main Room (between services)
Click here for future forums
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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.
It is with sorrow that we announce the death of long-time Ellen Frommer (Neighborhood 16) after a long decline. A Service in Celebration of Her Life will be held at Cedar Lane on Saturday, January 7th at 1:00 pm. All are welcome.
We celebrate that Dan Lednicer's (N7) art was featured in an article in the most-recent issue of Bethesda Magazine (page 44.) Check it out!
Healing wishes are with John Massey (N12) who is receiving care at Holy Cross Hospital for a leg injury. Calls and visits are welcome.
Cedar Lane has learned the sad news that Frederick Biggs (N5) has entered the compassionate care of hospice. Our best wishes are with him and his family.
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.
Grieving a Loved One Through the Holidays
At their best, the winter holidays are joyous times with family and other companions. However, the death of a loved one can make the holiday season a difficult time of grief and renewed sadness. As is our annual tradition, on December 18 at 12:30 pm in the Chapel, there will be a gathering of those who wish to share their thoughts and feelings about the people they miss this holiday season. Contact Heather Janules at hjanules@cedarlane.org or x204 with any questions. |
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Music Notes From the Director of Music
Dr. Henry Sgrecci
December 11
This Sunday, Bell Canto and Gruppo Piccolo celebrate the wonderful music that has been composed to honor both Advent and Hanukkah seasons. Bell Canto rings a lovely setting of the traditional Advent hymn, "Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence." This song, which is sung during the weeks preceding Christmas, originated as a Fourth Century Eucharistic chant and became popular when English composer Ralph Vaughan-Williams set the song to the hymn tune "Picardy." We will also sing it as a hymn during the service. Sunday's Call to Worship is a sacred motet hailing the mysterious birth by the Virgin, composed by the Sixteenth Century Spanish composer Tomas Luis de Victoria. The song is marked by its clarity of sound and its homophonic movement, with voices most often moving as one or in canonic movement. The Anthem, "Ma'oz Tzur," is a Hebrew song, originally composed in the Thirteenth Century as a chant, which is customarily sung after reciting the Hannukah blessings and lighting the Menorah. The text, which has been set by various composers using different melodies, reflects thanks and appreciation for God who has delivered the Jewish people from their foes. Gruppo Piccolo's rendition was composed by Baroque composer, Benedetto Marcello, and became popular among Italians of Jewish descent during the Seventeenth century. Sunday's Offertory is a setting of "Hodie Christus Natus Est" (Today Christ is Born) composed by the Sixteenth Century organist, Jan Sweelinck. His life spanned the transition from the Renaissance to the Baroque and his vocal music reflects vigor and counterpoint, with an antiphonal (echo) element that was a staple of Baroque composers.
Special Thanks to the musicians of Bell Canto and Gruppo Piccolo, whose dedication and musicianship inspired our worship this Sunday. |
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Calendar
Please visit the church calendar here.
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Environmental Task Force
Giving Green
What's your closet looking like these days? Find at least three articles of clothing you haven't worn the past year and donate them.
The Christmas Tree Curse
Fragrant, strong-limbed, and long-lasting when cut, the Fraser fir is a popular choice for a Christmas tree. It is also a common carrier (and victim) of Phytophthora cinnamomi, a deadly water mold that attacks hundreds of plant and tree species, from oaks to avocados. No cure exists, and climate change could allow the fungus to steadily march northward.
Click here to check out more Holiday Green Tips!
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Around the Church
Please remember that on Sunday mornings the lower parking lot is reserved for RE teachers!
Thank you!
Holiday Play and Potluck
Cedar Laners of all Ages are invited for fun and fellowship to our annual Holiday Play and Potluck, on Saturday, December 10, 5- 7 p. m. This year children will be acting out "Bah Humbug," based on "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens. All ages will enjoy attending, with lots of singing as well as audience participation. The early evening supper will conclude in time for adults to have a "night out." Please bring a dish to share at a festive buffet after the program. Dish should serve 10 - 12 people and should be dropped off in kitchen before the program; Last names A-K: Main Dish (vegetarian dishes welcome); L-S: Salad or Side Dish; T-Z: Dessert. Sign up by December 5 through the RE office (301) 493-8300, x 207; re@cedarlane.org.
Family Carol Sing
Sunday, December 18, 3-5 pm
Caroling led by Susan Clark
Guest Leader: Greg Lewis of the Washington Revels
Want to lead a carol? Want us to sing a special one?
Contact Susan Clark: songsue@aol.com or 301-565-5126
Beacon House Donations Needed
Bring new, unwrapped gifts to church to share with children and teens (ages 5-18) at Beacon House. They can be toys, books, sweaters, hats, and gloves. Donations of gift wrap are also welcome. There will be donation sites on Sundays, both upstairs by the front door and downstairs in the Administration area, until the morning of December 18, which will be the absolute LAST day to bring them.
Delivering Gifts: We need help to deliver all the gifts to Beacon House in (NE) DC after 12:15 p.m. on Sunday, December 18. Please contact Rev. Susan if you can help!
Candles for New Babies/Children
Once again we will be lighting candles for the newly arrived children or grandchildren (born or adopted since December 24, 2010) of members of our congregation, during the December 24, 6:00 p.m. Christmas Eve service. Please let Susan Archer or the church office know of children born or adopted. You need not be present for us to celebrate your babe!
Saturday, March 24
The 2012 Cedar Lane Spring Auction is only a few months away - with a NEW THEME and lots of new bidding opportunities. Please mark your calendars and
SAVE THE DATE!! CLICK HERE FOR FORMS!
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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION FOR ALL AGES
Susan Archer, Minister of Religious Education
Vanessa Steck, Coordinator of Senior High Youth Ministry
Gale Ginther Luce and Jeannette Wilson, Administrators
For information and to register for classes and programs call 301-493-8300 x207 or e-mail RE@cedarlane.org.
My dear teachers, youth leaders, children and youth,
Last Sunday was a real celebration of our time together and the most amazing day. The amount of time and energy you put into it must have been huge. I loved every minute of it. I will still be here through December, but please know how very much each of you and all of us together mean to me. You make my heart sing.
Love, Susan
Upcoming RE
Saturday, Dec. 10: Holiday Potluck and Play
Sunday, Dec. 11: St. Lucia's Day in chapel.
Sunday, Dec 18: Children start in sanctuary.
Saturday, Dec. 24: Christmas Eve Services at
4:30, 6:00, and 10:00 p.m.
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Let your voice be heard! All Cedar Laners are encouraged to attend "Mapping Cedar Lane's Journey Towards Multicultural Wholeness" this Sunday, December 11 after second service in the Sanctuary (12:30-2:30). This event, sponsored by CLARITY*, will begin with a light lunch -- (the only December CLUUC community lunch). We are honored to have Paula Cole Jones, Director for Racial and Social Justice for the Joseph Priestley District, lead us through a workshop and group exercise to assess our congregation's level of readiness to be part of an anti-racist, multicultural society.
After participating in this workshop, Cedar Laners will be in a better position to understand where we are, where we want to be, and to work on planning our next steps - both as individual committees/functions, as well as for our church community as a whole. Please RSVP to ariel_mora1@hotmail.com as soon as possible if you plan to attend. This will assist us in managing food for the lunch.
Also from CLARITY... The 3rd film in the "Racism Then and Now" series will be "Crash" on Friday, Dec. 16 at 7:30 in the library. "Crash" was the Best Picture Oscar winner of 2005. Per Roger Ebert's review (May 5, 2005), this film " tells interlocking stories of whites, blacks, Latinos, Koreans, Iranians, cops and criminals, the rich and the poor, the powerful and powerless, all defined in one way or another by racism. All are victims of it, and all are guilty of it." Light refreshments will be served, and the film will be followed by a facilitated group discussion. $5 at the door if you have not already signed up for the series through Adult Programs.
* CLARITY/"Cedar Laners Against Racism -- In This Together --Yes!" is one of Cedar Lane's Social Justice groups. Our mission is to lead the process of Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Church becoming a welcoming, multi-cultural, multi-racial congregation. |
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LAST CALL: REGISTRATION DEADLINEfor New Orleans Rebuilding Mission:
December 16 !
Sign up now for Cedar Lane's February 4-11 trip to help rebuild houses in New Orleans. We have a great group of new and returning volunteers already committed. We want YOU to join us!. Email our team leader Mike Burski, mga1960@earthlink.net about costs, questions, and how to register. |
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Winter Solstice Celebration
Vespers Service-Music, Readings & Poetry
Sunday, December 18th,
6 p.m. in the Chapel
Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Church
9601 Cedar Lane, Bethesda, MD 20814
301-493-8300
www.cedarlane.org
(snow date = January 8th)
Members of the Journeywomen and Other Connection Circles
Music Provided by Duo Atlantica, with
Carol Ireland, Harpsichord
Margaret Turner, Baroque Blockflote
Winter solstice brings the longest night of the year and the start of the new light of the lengthening days. Join our vespers celebration with music, accompanied by readings and poetry of the mystery of darkness and the joy of light. Following the service, light seasonal refreshments will be served in the library (no dinner). Optional donations for Beacon House will be accepted - hats, scarves, mittens, unwrapped new toys, or cash.
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Are you interested in losing weight AFTER the holidays? If so, why not join 15,000 others on the January Kickstart program. It starts Jan 2 and is completed by Jan 23. It is sponsored by the Physicians Committee For Responsible Medicine (PCRM) and is a free 21 day plant based weight loss program. You will receive weekly grocery lists, menus, and recipes as well as daily emails with support and information on nutrition, research and correlation between diet and chronic disease including diabetes and heart disease.
I did this program in September with employees at a national nursing organization and 86% reported a weight loss and the average drop in cholesterol was 24 points with 3 participants dropping 42, 49 and 59 points respectively. As you know there is a high correlation between cholesterol and heart disease.
There are 2 books which are particularly helpful with this program which are the 21 day Kickstart program ($26) by Dr. Neal Barnard and the Food for Life Journal (12) which I co-authored with staff at PCRM. I am able to get both books for you for $20 for those that are interested.
If you would like more information about this program, I can meet with you after the service on Jan 1 in the Library. There is also information on the PCRM website at pcrm.org.
For additional information about this program, please email me at joanneevans@verizon.net |
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Beyond the Church
Click here to learn about some events sponsored by friends of Cedar Lane.
UU-UNO: Join an Envoy Training
Date: Tuesday, December 13th, 6:00-7:30pm EST
Event: "Think Globally, Act Locally" Envoy Training
Hosts: Envoy Outreach Coordinator, Holly Sarkissian Youth Envoy Coordinator, Kamila Jacob
Description: For the first time, the UU-UNO will be offering comprehensive Envoy Trainings via conference call!
Join a training to learn community organizing strategies for:
- building global awareness and support in your congregation
- engaging fellow UUs in the work of the UU-UNO and United Nations
- planning a UN Sunday or UU-UNO event
- AND MORE!
Email Holly Sarkissian to RSVP. Participants also have the option of particpating online using video technology. Learn more about this feature when you RSVP.
Questions: Email us at hsarkissian@uua.org and/or call (212) 986-5165
Ralph and Janice Krause
8606 Garfield St.
Bethesda, MD 20817
Voice: 301-530-4790
Email: TheKrauses@Starpower.net |
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Sara Deshler
Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Church |
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