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Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Church
www.cedarlane.org
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eNewsletter Volume 4, Issue 51
June 15, 2012
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June 17, 2012
10 a.m. in the sanctuary
"At the Summit"
Rev. Evan Keely
Worship Associate: Jim Laurenson
Some reflections as the first year of a two-year interim ministry draws to a close.
Volunteers for the Service:
Ushers: 10 a.m.: Glenis Bellais, Fred Bowen, Debbie Goodwin, and Betsy Wilhelm
Coffee Servers: 11 a.m.: Glenis Bellais
Audio: Rich Clark
Board Member at the Office Desk: 11 a.m.: Don Bliss
The flowers in the sanctuaryare given by Ellen & Warren Thompson, who celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on June 9, 2012. The flowers were arranged by Betty May Cleary.
In the Lounge: Alliance Books ◊ Beacon Books Cart ◊ Environmental Task Force ◊ Fair Trade Coffee & Tea ◊ Social Justice Council ◊
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| General Assembly in Phoenix, Arizona: June 20-24, 2012
General Assembly (GA) 2012 will be a gathering with multiple ways of engaging in justice work for people of all ages. Joining with the people of Arizona, we will worship, witness, learn and work together. We will leave General Assembly grounded in our faith, energized for justice and with resources to bring this work home to our congregations.
Online Coverage
Events at General Assembly will be covered extensively on UUA.org and by the UU World. The UU World will provide timely reports and articles on their GA Blog, illustrated by some striking selections from their Photostream on Flickr.
Click here for the full article! |
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Weekly Devotional · June 15, 2012
When you're born again, you're still a child. People don't need to be born again; they need to grow up. They need to accept their responsibility for themselves in the world.
John Shelby Spong
Retired Episcopal Bishop John Shelby Spong is an outspoken and often controversial religious liberal who has challenged many traditional religious ideas and called openly for a new Reformation in which religious life will be openly inclusive of liberal impulses such as feminism, LGBT rights, and racial equality. The above remark, taken from an interview, is a characteristic articulation of his opposition to oppressive hierarchies, theologies of guilt and fear, and unquestioning reliance upon supernaturalism. I had the privilege of studying with Bishop Spong for a semester when I was in seminary, and I found him a creative, energetic and highly original thinker as well as a thoughtful and compassionate soul.
The phrase "born again" comes from a phrase attributed to Jesus as recorded in the Gospel of John [3:3]: "Except a man be bornagain, he cannotsee the kingdom of God." In our culture, of course, those two words have taken on a whole set of meanings. I have always appreciated this concept in and of itself: being "born again," being renewed, rediscovering our lives, starting afresh - these are powerful and universal phenomena; people who have had experiences of intense spiritual transformation often describe it with this kind of language. At the same time, spiritual growth urges us toward ever deeper maturation, ever reinvigorating our commitments - in other words, taking responsibility for ourselves, growing up. Perhaps what we should strive for is to be born again not in the sense of reverting to an infantile state, but in the sense of revivifying ourselves again and again as growing, evolving beings, accepting responsibility for ourselves, for one another, and for all creation.
Prayer
Great God of all growing and emerging things, evolving God of all that changes and transforms and renews itself in all existence, tune my heart and mind to the timeless rhythms of the universe that I may discover again and again how to grow toward greater wholeness and fullness of life, as long as my heart beats. Amen.
Follow Rev. Keely on Twitter @evanvwk.
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Top 10 Reasons for Governance by Policy
"What is it?" "Why do we need it?" "What's wrong with the way things are?" As outgoing Board Chair I hope to rise to the challenge of explaining governance by policy ("GBP"), and why our decision to pursue it will mean a better future for Cedar Lane. The Board's journey to GBP is described on the Cedar Lane website (see the GBP link on the home page). You may also want to peruse the UUA materials on Policy Based Governance. (Note that "Governance by policy," "policy governance" and "policy based governance" refer to the same principles and are often used interchangeably.) But let's start with a brief-as-possible description: GBP is structured so that a Board of Trustees focuses on mission, policies, and oversight to guide the organization. The Board delegates to an Executive Team, usually some combination of minister(s) and top-level staff. Staff and volunteers are empowered to make day-to-day decisions within clearly articulated boundaries. These are the principles of GBP; details of the structure vary by organization. Why are we promoting this change at Cedar Lane? Herewith is my Top Ten List, which I hope may enlighten and reassure... Click here to read! |
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Upcoming Sundays
June 24, 2012
"A Prayer by Any Other Name"
The Rev. Karen Gustafson
Worship Associate: Brian Belanger
Do Unitarian Universalists pray? This is a question asked with many motivations - as a faith test by non or not yet UU trying to find a way in or a way out; as a way of defining us as "other"; as a source of genuine curiosity. It is a different question when we ask it of ourselves. What is the function of prayer? Does it need a "to whom" or a "to what"? What are we rejecting when we reject the very notion of prayer? What do we gain by reframing prayer in a different light?
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Calendar
Please visit the church calendar here.
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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 name-tag or the map in the church office to find your neighborhood. It is with great sadness that we announce the death of long-time and active member Jackie Burge (Neighborhood 31,) who died on June 7th after a long illness. You may read the complete death notice here. Condolences are with her family, including Tom and Lucy Burge (N31). As Jackie named planting a tree as a good way to remember her, we will hold a tree planting ceremony in her memory at Cedar Lane this fall, a time better suited for tree planting. If you would like to make a small contribution towards the purchase of a tree, send your donation to the CL office and write "Jackie's tree" in the memo line. Congratulations are with Brian and Dian Belanger (N25) who are celebrating their 50th anniversary on June 16. Reminder: A Service in Celebration of the Life of Rex Naylor (N30) will be held on Saturday, June 23 at 11 a.m. at the Guild Memorial Chapel at Asbury Village, 211 Russell Avenue, Gaithersburg. All are welcome.
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. |
Partner Church Scholarship Fundraising 
We are still accepting donations! Please click here to view the full listing of all of the students we are sponsoring this summer. |
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Around the Church
Summer Solstice: Please join us this coming Wednesday 6/20 for our Labyrinth Walk from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM featuring recorded music the first hour and live hand drumming the second hour. Chris Mauro 240.476.2219.
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It is so easy to give Cedar Lane the amount you plan to pledge for our new fiscal year which starts this July. We need to hear from you so we can plan the budget. Click here to pledge online.
If you have already pledged, thank you!
UUA General Assembly, June 20-24, in Phoenix AZ
For full coverage and live streaming go to www.uua.org/ga. You are also invited to Cedar Lane's library to view the following GA sessions on our large screen (EDT):
- Fri 6/22, 11:30 - 1:15 p.m., Plenary
- Fri 6/22, 8:00 p.m., Service of the Living Tradition
- Sat 6/23, 4 - 6:30 p.m., Plenary. (Late dinner or a potluck to be planned Friday.)
- Sat 6/23, 8:15 pm, Ware lecture
- Sun 6/24, noon, Sunday Service
- Sun 6/24, 5:15 - 9 p.m., Plenary. Bring food (plans to be made on Friday and Saturday). Note: Currently, all debate and voting are planned for only this plenary.
Meditation June mini series meets in the Chalice House four Mondays in June, 7:30-9 pm. Drop-in's welcome. All levels welcome.
JOIN the Joseph Priestley District's Jubilee Anti-Racism Training
When: Fri, August 3 (6 pm to 10 pm); Sat, August 4 (8:30 am to 9 pm); Sun, August 5 (8:30 am to 5 pm - with a break for worship service).
Do you wish to nurture your congregation's multicultural future in the face of opposing cultural currents? Do you wish to deepen your understanding of how race and ethnicity play out in our institutions and our daily lives?
Jubilee Anti-Racism Training helps participants understand what is involved in nurturing a multicultural community and working against racism in all of its forms.
Click here to continue...
Farm Market Stand Open this Saturday, June 16! 
STRAWBERRIES and RHUBARB are almost over! Get them now!
Sweet CHERRIES! These are the early small dark ones! We have spinach, spring onions, radishes, lettuce, salad greens, asparagus, and spearmint tea. Arugala, stored potatoes. ..the list goes on!
Don't forget to check out Cedar Lane! Find us on...
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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
FOR ALL AGES
Linda Gianessi, Temporary RE Coordinator
Susan Clark, Chapel Coordinator
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.
- Congratulations Graduates!
- RE Registration for 2012-13
Youth Notes (grades 7-12)
Youth Activity Group
(YAG, for grades 7-8)
Senior High Youth Group
(grades 9-12)
Young Adults (Ages 18-35)
Adult Programs (AP) Spring 2012
READ ALL the RE News Here...
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Music Director's Notes
Dr. Henry Sgrecci
June 17, 2012
This morning's music on Father's Day offers quite a unique contrast. Bell Canto will begin and end the service while Emma Vawter, our soprano soloist, will collaborate with pianist, Susan Easterly, during the service. Bell Canto begins with a favorite song performed in a most unusual manner. Borrowing from the centuries-old Chinese tradition of singing bowls, we begin the Prelude with "singing bells." This relatively new technique that has been introduced to hand bell ringing involves rubbing a dowel (or in Leslie Backus' case, the handle of one of her mallets) around the lip of the bell to produce the "singing" sound. The choir of singing bells provides a perfectly melodious backdrop for the song How Can I Keep From Singing?
Later on the dowels are laid down and the bells are rung in a more traditional manner. The work closes with a reprise of the singing bells. As its Postlude, Bell Canto will have some fun with another favorite tune, Rock-A My Soul. In our particular arrangement every single sound will be created by striking the bells with mallets as the lay on the tables. Keep your eyes on the bells!
We are very pleased that Emma Vawter and Susan Easterly are contributing to today's Father's Day service. Emma is a graduate of Yale University with a concentration in voice, has recently returned from studying in Europe, and is now pursuing a singing career in the region. She brings three lovely and distinctly different songs to the sanctuary. Morgentau ("Morning Dew") is taken from a set of six lieder (songs) for female voice, composed by the prominent Romantic composer Hugo Wolf during the month of June, 1877. La rosa y el sauce ("The Rose and the Willow") was composed by the twentieth century Argentine composer Carlos Guastavino and became a national favorite. Guastavino was so revered in his country that he was able to sustain a lifestyle based solely upon the sale of his songs and compositions for piano. O Danny Boy was originally created as a poem by the British lawyer Frederick Weatherly around 1910. A few years later he set his words to the Irish tune "Londonderry Air" and it has become one of the most beloved folk songs in history.
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Congratulations Graduates!
Juliet Anderson, daughter of Bonnie Beavers and Peter Mathers, graduated from B-CC High School with an International Baccalaureate (IB) Certificate and will attend Eckerd College in St Petersburg, FL this fall.
Ben Austin graduated with honors from Boston University and will be studying in Ireland this coming year. His parents are Ken and Lucie Austin of Silver Spring, and his grandmother is Martha Lisle.
Kevin Haaga graduated from The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington. Parents Candice & Dave Haaga will join Kevin there for the celebration. Kevin plans to continue living and working in Olympia.
Abby Klinedinst, daughter of Donna and Phil Klinedinst, graduated from Rockville High School with an IB Diploma. She plans to attend Boston University beginning in August.
Madison Ruppenthal, who graduated from Einstein Senior High with an IB Diploma, will attend Guilford College in North Carolina this fall. Her proud parents are Bannon Preston and John Ruppenthal.
Andrew Simon graduated from Gaithersburg High School and will attend the University of Maryland, Clark School of Engineering in the fall. The family wishes him well: parents Kate and Mark Simon, grandparents Barbara and John Wing, and aunt Pat Karlsen.
In memorium, we remember Luke Carter Schlep who would have graduated from high school this year.
If you would like to have a graduate listed in the next newsletter, please send the information to Linda Gianessi at lgianessi@cedarlane.org.--------------------------------------------
Do you have a graduate in your family whether from high school or college? Please contact Linda Gianessi (lgianessi@cedarlane.org) if we can announce their name, school and future plans in the next newsletter. |
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Environmental Task Force
Summer is almost here and it's a great time to visit the farmers markets we have here in Montgomery County. From Takoma Park to Damascus, residents don't have to look far to find farmers markets offering local, fresh, delicious fruits and vegetables. Take some time on a weekend this summer to visit Mitch Berliner at Pike Central Farm Market or any of the farmers markets listed below. Click the links for the hours of operation and locations of the markets.
Bethesda Central Farm Market
Bethesda FRESHFARM Market
Potomac Village Farmers Market
Fulks Corner Farmers Market
Main Street Farmers Market
Olney Farmers Market
Silver Spring FRESH FARM Market
Rockville Farmers Market
Wheaton
Takoma Park Farmers Market
Clarksburg Town Center Farmers Market
Crossroads (Takoma Park)
Kensington
Montgomery Farm Women's Co-op Market
Forest Estates Farmers Market
Montgomery Village Farmers Market
Damascus High School Farmers Market
King Farm Farmers Market
Briggs Chaney-Greencastle
---------------------------------------------------------------- Click here for updated Green Tips and ETF event information!
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In this together from CLARITY
What do Cedar Laners need to know and do about racism?
At the CLARITY-sponsored "Mapping the Journey" event on Dec. 11, 2011 over 50 Cedar Laners assessed where our church community lies on a continuum from "Maintaining" (the unexamined status quo) to "transforming" our culture to be inclusive in four areas of diversity. Our collective appraisal was that one of our greatest opportunities for growth relates to "multicultural/multiracial" diversity.
In order to set practical goals which will move us toward more inclusivity, it's essential that we understand "institutional" racism (different from individual prejudice). The key program in the Joseph Priestley District's recommended diversity training is "Jubilee". This program has not been available in our general locale for a couple of years, but on August 3-5 it will be held right here at Cedar Lane. Enrollment is limited to 40 participants, so don't delay. Register at http://www.jpduua.org/news-and-notes/jubilee-anti-racism-training or by mail. Limited funds are available for financial assistance. Contact Ariel Mora (ariel_mora1@hotmail.com ) regarding financial support, or with any other questions about this program.
In this time of transition, what an encouraging statement it would be to fill 20 of those spots with Cedar Laners! Let's demonstrate our group commitment to learning about and working on this issue.
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Sara Davidson
Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Church www.cedarlane.org 301-493-8300
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