In the video above, Rev. Aaron McEmrys and LeeAnn Williams -- accompanied by the Caped Crusader -- share what's in store for us on Easter Sunday. It's an All Worship Service where children stay with their families throughout the service. Rev. Aaron gives a homily titled, "Surfacing" -- How we come back up into the sun after being pulled down by life's waters. And, it's a service filled with music and special guests: Sanctuaries DC will perform; Maddie Ashton sings Afterlife by Ingrid Michaelson; Clerestory Choir sings Lift Your Voice and Sing by Jason Shelton and Mary Katherine Morn; and our children choirs Chalice Choir and TrUUbadours sing , Firework.

People of liberal faith have a unique role and opportunity to play in tapping into the power of creativity to help restore people's positive engagement in our representative democracy. Find inspiration, not despair, as we imagine how to reclaim the meaning, values, and civility that is the true essence of politics.

Rev. Aaron is excited to announce a fall 2016 pilgrimage to Bhutan open to members of UUCA. His trip last fall was an incredible spiritual journey that he is eager to share with others to expand and deepen their spiritual awareness and connection to the Buddhist teachings that so closely align with our Unitarian Universalist values. Travel dates are October 8-21 and the total cost per person will be approximately $5,000 (including airfare). Participants will be required to take four orientation classes prior to the trip. Space is limited and participants will be chosen by application which must be submitted by March 27. For more information or to receive an application, please see Bea Ann Phillips this Sunday or bphillips@bplannng.net.

Week 1: Mon., June 27 to Fri., July 1 ($275)

Week 2: Tues., July 5 to Fri., July 8 ($240)

Since the beginning of February, 686 UUCA households have committed $1,249,849.32 in financial support for the 2016-17 fiscal year, which starts in June. As the overall coordinator of Stewardship, and as a congregant who loves this church, I extend my thanks to every individual and every family who has pledged to support the financial demands of fulfilling our mission. I'm happy that so many of us -- young, old, and in-between -- have chosen to commit. 

-- Diane Ullius, coordinating Stewardship under the Green Umbrella

This Sunday our RE kids will celebrate Easter by participating in an All Welcome worship service. After church, kids will gather for the annual Hunt for Justice. If you haven't heard of the Hunt for Justice, here is how it works. Kids enjoy the same mad dash, filling their baskets with bright colored eggs. But, instead of the end game being all about candy, our kids will use the eggs to vote for a social justice activity they would like to support. Last year, our kids voted to assemble emergency food kits for AFAC (Alington Food Assistance Center). We mistakenly posted last week that the Hunt for Justice winner for Easter 2015 was bingo at Goodwin House. So sorry for the confusion.

Those who have not yet picked up their order are asked to do so this Sunday from the CASE table in Fellowship Hall. Orders are no longer being taken but a limited number of styles and sizes will be available for purchase on Sunday. Shirts are $20 and proceeds support the mission of the church and the CASE program for youth who are not yet in high school. For more information about the program or the t-shirt sales project, contact Annie Parker, annie@douglass.org or Kate Gallup, gallupk@gmail.com. 

A big THANK YOU to the enthusiastic and energetic group of kids who joined the Bellissimo and Polymnia handbell choirs for the Handbell Children's Chapel last Sunday, March 20.  Everyone had a lot of fun trying out a variety of bells and chimes, and the kids made some great music together.  If you and/or your child(ren) are interested in exploring handbells further, the UUCA handbell program is open to ringers of all ages (2nd grade and beyond) and all levels of experience. Please contact Ken Bissell, Director of Handbells, at kenbhandbells@aol.comor 703-622-2849.

Arlingtonian Jeffrey Gorsky will talk about his new book Exiles in Sepharad, the Jewish Millennium in Spain. The book describes the dramatic one-thousand-year history of the Sephardic Jews in Spain. They flourished under both Muslim and Christian rule, enjoying prosperity and power. Their cultural contributions include important poets; the great Jewish philosopher Moses Maimonides; and Moses de Leon, author of the Zohar, the core text of the Kabbalah. The Sephardic Jews also endured considerable hardship. Fundamentalist Islamic tribes drove them from Muslim to Christian Spain. In 1391 thousands were killed and more than a third were forced to convert by anti-Jewish rioters. A century later the Spanish Inquisition began, accusing thousands of these converts of heresy. By the end of the fifteenth century Jews had been expelled from Spain and forcibly converted in Portugal and Navarre. After almost a millennium of harmonious existence, what had been the most populous and prosperous Jewish community in Europe ceased to exist on the Iberian Peninsula. Gorsky's book vividly relates this colorful period of Jewish history, from the era when Jewish culture was at its height in Muslim Spain to the horrors of the Inquisition and the Expulsion. All are welcome. For further information, contact Jere Cummins, 

All UUCAers are invited to attend this family-friendly community event planned and led by neighbors of UUCA (including some of our own members) who live near and have been disturbed by the planned opening of a gun shop in the Arlington neighborhood of Lyon Park. Rev. Linda will speak and offer our support for their witness to peace and creativity in the face of fear and negativity. Location:  Lyon Park, 414 North Fillmore Street, Arlington.

A UUCA delegation will travel on an intercultural exchange to Rabinal, Guatemala this fall to visit the scholarship students that UUCA sponsors and to meet with activists from ADIVIMA, a Mayan human rights organization. The Mayan community in the Rabinal area has been working for social justice after many families experienced genocide in the Civil Unrest in the 1980's. The trip will not only include meeting the students and their families, but also opportunities to learn about the Mayan midwives who are an integral part of their community and there will be a visit to the Chixoy Dam which displaced many Mayan families. The trip will be from Oct. 18-27 and the cost is $500 plus airfare. Lodging will be at the Biltmore Hotel in Guatemala City and in a local hotel in Rabinal with in room baths. For more information or to apply for the trip, contact Anne McKnight at amcknight4646@gmail.com.

Our work for a peaceful and justice-seeking world begins with meeting one another and hearing each other's stories. Invite your friends -- from UUCA and the wider community -- to attend the following: 

Please plan to attend the Arlington County Board meeting on Tuesday, March 29, 7:00 p.m. We will stand in solidarity with designated VOICE  (Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement) speakers calling upon the Board to approve a FY 2017 budget that fulfills the promise of the county's Affordable Housing Master Plan. Thanks to many of you, the Board passed its master plan unanimously last September, with the goal of distributing affordable housing throughout the county to ensure that Arlington remains an inclusive diverse community. We need your support now to make sure there is adequate and reliable funding. Come to the Arlington County Board Room, 3rd Floor, 2100 Clarendon Blvd. RSVP to David McTaggart at dmctagg@gmail.com or 703-835-6944.

Congratulations to  VOICE  for a recent achievement in the city of Alexandria. VOICE helped compel the mayor and city council to put people first when planning affordable housing --  click here. UUCA is a founding member of VOICE, which organizes people to work for justice in Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax County, and Prince William County.