Connections
                    Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington

CONNECT - GROW - SERVE |  www.uucava.org
Thursday, August 15, 2013
As Our Time Together
Begins to Draw to a Close ....

From Gretchen Weis, Summer Minister

Gretchen Weis photo Our time together is drawing to a close. In a little more than two short weeks, my time as Summer Minister at UUCA, and my time of regular, ongoing contact with the congregation will come to an end.  My final day at UUCA will be co-leading worship with guest minister Rev. Steve Ross (D Ohlandt's father) on Sunday, August 25.  I wish I could stay, but the rules say that I must leave as my internship here has come to an end.  It will be time to say our official good-byes on Sunday the 25th, as I begin my final preparations to seek permission this fall to go into search and find a ministerial call and church of my own.

What a blessed year this has been for me as I completed my student minister internship here and gained additional "hands on" experience ministering with you over the summer.  My heart swells with gratitude: gratitude for your graciousness in welcoming a struggling, learning newcomer into your midst last September and helping me feel at home; gratitude for your patience, your kindness and your willingness to let me make mistakes, and to help me learn from them; gratitude for your ongoing support - you wanted me to do well - and your faith in me helped me develop greater confidence and faith in myself as I now move forward in the final steps to become an ordained, fully employed minister. Read more.
Sunday Service - August 18, 10:15amservice

"Turn the Other Cheek: Compliant or Defiant?"

With Gretchen Weis, Summer Minister.

 

What if everything we've been taught about turning the other cheek was wrong? We will be commemorating the 50th anniversary of the seminal Civil Rights March on Washington over the next few weeks. In remembering Martin Luther King, Jr.'s famous "I Have A Dream" speech, perhaps it is a good time to take a fresh look at the Biblical basis for non-violent civil disobedience. Recent scholarship suggests Jesus was not advocating meek, mild, submissive acceptance in the face of injustice, but something else entirely.    

 

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Religious EducationRE
Beginning a Fresh New Year in Religious Education
From Erica Shadowsong
Consulting Director of Religious Education

Things are ramping up as we approach a new church year. I am as excited as ever to begin a fresh year of religious education with UUCA families and friends!

The summertime has been far from lazy. I've enjoyed paying visits to the summer RE activities, playing handbells (for the first time!) with Ken Bissell (Thank you, Ken) and joining our elementary-aged children on the playground for a colorful scavenger hunt.  When asked how old I am, I confess that I half-jokingly told the more inquisitive children I'm a 100 years old.  I'm gonna see how long I can keep that going ...shhh!

RE Coordinator Nikki Jones and I have been working on several involved projects to get the year off to a smooth start. We've reorganized the downstairs (with help from a few fantastic volunteers), selected curricula, updated the RE section of the website, and met with members of the RE Committee. Needless to say, we are switching into high gear. Read more.

Need to register your children for the upcoming 2013-14 Sunday RE program? Click here.

A few teachers are still needed for Sunday RE -  Click here. 
Congregational Lifecongregation
Fellowship X - Friday, August 16, 8pm
 
Topic: Self -Differentiation - Being a good steward of one's self. Led by Melissa. In this service, Fellowship X will explore self-differentiation and what it means, particularly in the context of our spiritual lives. Are you self-differentiated?  Find out what is considered healthy and mature stewardship of the self and examine how you handle adversity. This service is adapted from the "Healthy Congregations" course that has been offered at the church. All are welcome. For more information, click here.


Moonfire Ritual - Aug. 18 - "Finding the Wonders of Deity in the Details of Nature"

Your are welcome to join MoonFire for a ritual to help foster closer observations in nature and in our everyday lives. Life is often fast-paced and exciting, but at times we need to focus more on the details we miss. We will ask the Lord and Lady to help us observe the beauty of the world with a sense of wonder. You are welcome to bring a magnifying glass of some sort if you have one. A potluck and fellowship will follow the ritual; if possible, please bring your own feast gear so that we may minimize waste. For further information on MoonFire, click here or contact the MoonFire coordinators.


Early Christianities Study and Discussion Group - Wed, August 21, 7:30pm
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What do biblical manuscripts discovered at Qumran tell us about divergent manuscript traditions? How do they compare to the Masoretic texts?  What are alternative interpretations of the Qumran site and how do they bear up to scrutiny? The DVD lecture series, The Dead Sea Scrolls, by Professor Gary Rendsburg guides us through these and other questions. Contact is John Zeray.
 
Finding UUCA's New "Center" - A bridge to What is Possible
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UUCA is preparing to enter a new era for the exploration of how we nurture CGS - Connections, Growth, and Service.  What kinds of experiences would you like to see happening in our new addition - the "Center" - later this fall?

Community Connections - conferences, workshops, collaborations
Spiritual Deepening - speakers, retreats, arts
Prophetic Leadership - forums, trainings, public witness

Your ideas and dreams, your passions and personal connections are needed to fill our new building with the spiritual growth that calls us on to UUCA's future.  Who do you know?  What have you always wished we could offer at UUCA? Please be in touch with Barb Hynak, Susan Young, or Rev. Linda Olson Peebles
 
Covenant Groups in the New Church Year

Covenant Groups are a core of UUCA's community and ministry. People gather to meet in a group of 8 to 10 people monthly, with conversation guided by a trained facilitator. Many groups will follow readings and questions based on the monthly worship themes (see below), plus there are other groups who choose specific areas of interest. Old groups and new are being planned. Sign-up for Covenant Groups will begin in September. Watch for it!

Have you thought about being a Covenant Group facilitator? Because we'll have more groups than ever, we need new facilitators, and welcome nominations and suggestions. Contact [email protected] to explore what that might mean. 

2013 - 2014 Monthly Themes

September - Re-dedication to Our Mission

October - Revisioning Religion

November - Remembering Our History

December - Recommitting to Service

January - Reconciling Faith in War and Peace


Celebrate! UUCA Services Auction 2013 - November 2
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Right now, we are looking for folks to join our Services Auction Committee or simply to visit some businesses to ask for donations. Please contact us immediately if you can help. We also need everyone to start thinking about dinners, adventures, or talents you can donate. It's not too early to start digging through your valuables for donations to the Treasures and Jewel Box Rooms. We are accepting offerings through Sunday, September 29.  Contact [email protected] to volunteer or make a donation.
Social Justicejustice
Following the Path of UCCA Founders and the Anniversary March for Jobs and Freedom

MarchonWashington On Saturday, August 24, you are invited to celebrate the journey toward freedom that is part of our Church's history. UUCA members are planning to join with colleagues of All Souls Church and Unitarians from across the country in honor of the 50th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington's March for Jobs and Freedom.  A number of UUCA early members participated in the Freedom March of August 1963 where they heard Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream Address" and were moved by his peaceful advocacy. 1963 March participants were veteran demonstrators in Virginia actions for desegregation of schools, parks, housing and alleviation of economic bias. However, the March on Washington provided the first national effort to meet, sing, pray and advocate with others from around the nation.

The event on August 24 invites us not only to rededicate ourselves to realizing the "Dream" but also to put faith into concrete action. This event will be held Saturday, August 24, at 10am at the Lincoln Memorial. Visit All Souls Church website for details of the Friday night and Saturday activities.

The UUCA's participation in the 1963 March was preceded by more than a decade of Arlington Unitarian social action and educational programs directed at reducing bias, inequality and oppression in Northern Virginia and beyond. From its inception, the Unitarian Church of Arlington was founded on a vision that emphasized social action. In 1950 the church's mission planning committee stated that: "the Church should serve the community every day of the week with social service activities; liberal, intellectual and religious discussions; education and recreation for adults and children. Furthermore the 1950 mission emphasized that the Church must be open to all interested persons, regardless of "race, nationality or personal origin." (History of the Unitarian Church of Arlington, by Ruth W. Tryon) Read more.

Were you there?
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If you were at the 1963 March and would like to share your memories, please email Mary Shilton at [email protected]. For more information about becoming part of a UUCA group attending the August 24 event email [email protected].



Affordable Housing NOW in Arlington
Affordable Housing graphic
VOICE (Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement) is calling for your support for Affordable Housing Now in Arlington. Please add your name to the growing list of concerned constituents at the VOICE table in the Fellowship Hall on Sunday.
  • Housing costs are rising faster than wages.
  • 25% of housing units for projected job growth must be affordable to those earning less than $50,000.
  • Currently, "affordable housing" in Arlington is affordable only to families earning more than $60,000.
  • 46% of Arlington Public School employees cannot afford to live in Arlington.
  • Many children growing up in Arlington are being forced to leave.
  • Social diversity is being squeezed out of Arlington.
  • Traffic congestion is increasing as more people commute to work in Arlington. 
VOICE is proposing creative solutions to this issue. Ask questions and show your support for Affordable Housing Now.


Give-the-Plate 2013 - 2014
offering UUCA's Sunday morning offering collection is given to support work which extends our ministry into the community.  Everything that is placed in the offering basket, except for those gifts marked "pledge" and designated to support the general fund of the church, is given to a monthly recipient(s).

As in the past, recipients of the offering have been chosen based on their connections to members of the church, alignment with our mission, and being non-profits which can receive such gifts.  

This year, the recipients are being scheduled according to the themes of our worships:

September - Re-dedication

ALIVE!, AFAC, ASPAN. For many years, UUCA has dedicated itself to the care and support of those in our community who need help finding food and shelter.  These three agencies are effective and important channels for our faith to be put into action, to reach out to leaders and neighbors of diverse, races, ethnicities, ages, and abilities.  It is vital that we rededicate ourselves to support these agencies. (ALIVE! - ALexandrians InVolved Ecumenically! | AFAC - Arlington Food Assistance Center | ASPAN - Arlington Street People's Assistance Network)

October - Religion Revisited

UUs for Social Justice; Beacon House; the UU United Nations Office

November - History and Heritage

Culpepper Garden

December - Service

VOICE; UU Service Committee

January - Faith in War and Peace

Peace Camp

Feb - August Recipients

Dream Project of Northern Virginia; Partners for Arlington and Guatemala (PAG); PFLAG; People of Faith/Equality Virginia; and others.

As we continue the process of encouraging UUCA relationships with agencies in the community,  we invite new recipients to apply to receive our Sunday morning offerings.  Contact [email protected] if you would like to learn more about Give-the-Plate, or would like to be a part of the process of nurturing and selecting new connections.

Church Mattersmatters
Who will be our next Senior Minister? 
From the Ministerial Search Committee
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Before we answer that question, we must first ask questions of ourselves. You will get a chance to provide your answers to important questions that will be asked of you in the coming month.  We need your involvement in two key areas in September.  The Search Committee is hosting a series of Discovery Sessions in September, where we will gather in relationship and explore questions about leadership.  Also, the Congregational Survey will be available starting in early September, so please get ready to complete a survey, and attend a Discovery Session. You may contact the MSC with questions at [email protected] or email Warren Wright, MSC Chair. Visit the MSC website here.


Farewell Gretchen, from the deepest  
well of our hearts!

We are grateful for the many blessings we have received from you during your brief ministry with us. We pray that the universe will conspire in your favor as you receive professional credentialing, as you are ordained later this year by your home congregation in Houston, and as you search for and find a call to settled ministry with some other deserving congregation.

As a ministerial intern minister with a wealth of life experience, you have been my rock this past year as Board Chair, helping me to understand how to give and accept loving kindness, and teaching me what it really means to be a lay religious leader.  You had the backs of our professional minsters throughout this very active interim period. They have expressed their full confidence in your abilities by treating you as one of them and by naming you our summer minister.  With a professional eye and compassionate heart, you have been alert to who is in need. Also, you have been quick to respond, whether to take a person to hospital, sit with someone in crisis, speak comforting words at times of loss, inspire wisdom and courage from the pulpit, greet with a warm smile and attentive memory, or simply share a cup of coffee.

Thank you, Gretchen. You will be missed here and wherever you go may "all things flourish," because you are there.
 
Blessed be!
John Bohman, Chair Board of Trustees



Gather with Gretchen in Fellowship Hall following service on Sunday, August 25, to celebrate her brief ministry with us and wish her our warmest blessings as she seeks her call to serve others.

Wheel of LifeWheel
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Please keep in your thoughts and prayers Larry Bory and family. Larry continues in critical condition in ICU in Winchester, Viginia following an allergic reaction to an insect sting. Please no calls or visits, though cards may be sent to: P.O. Box 1889, Shepherdstown, WV 25443. 



Our condolences to Bill Peters, former UUCA Church Administrator, on the recent death of his father. A memorial service for William Peters will be held Saturday, August 17, 11am, at Greenspring Chapel, 7410 Spring Village Dr., Springfield, Va.

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Visit UUCA's online calendar for a complete list of events and happenings - click here.

You can also find online:
Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington
4444 Arlington Blvd, Arlington, VA 22204
703-892-2565 | This e-newsletter is published each week on Thursday. Submit announcements to [email protected] by noon on Wednesday.


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