Originally Blessed! 


    April 17, 2015     
 
    eNewsletter from 
EVOLVE

the Creation Spirituality Ministry of the
United Church of Christ of Annapolis
Christianity Beyond Convention
IN THIS ISSUE
Sacred Gathering the 19th of April
From the Minister's Keyboard
Youth Fundraiser Yard Sale
Sunrise over DC
Open Arms April 28
Action Alert Re: Fracking Moratorium
Weekly Food & Goods Collection
From Erine: "The New Jim Crow"
Earth Water Faith Festival
Creation Spirituality Communities
Evolve P.O. Box Closed
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Join our Sacred Gathering on Sundays normally at 6 PM at
8 Carvel Circle
Edgewater, MD 21037

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Sacred Gathering 
April 19, 2015 at 6 p.m.

5th Sunday on the Path of 
Transformation
Celebrating Earth Day
 
United Church of Christ of Annapolis 
8 Carvel Circle
Edgewater, Maryland 21037

Reflection by the Rev.Dr. Wayne Schwandt
 
Gathering Leaders:
Set-up/Put-Away: Wayne Schwandt
Greeter/Usher: Suzie Robertson
Reader/Communion Assistant: Chuck Riley
Community Hour Hosts: Chuck Riley and Wayne Schwandt

From the  Minister's Keyboard
The Rev. Dr. Wayne Schwandt
 
Pastor Wayne
The flowers are blooming, my eyes are watering, the birds sing though my open office windows at home, the sun is shining.  All seems to be pulling me towards an attitude of awe and wonder, except of course for those watering eyes. 
 
This Sunday we will open our sacred circle with gratitude and singing "For the Beauty of the Earth." Seems like the perfect opening song for a fifth Sunday on the path of transformation and celebrating Earth Day!  How can we as a community be more grounded and take more care of the planet with which we have been blessed? How can we impact public policy which has more to do with profits than prophets?  How will we advance the dream of our Creator for all the Human Ones?
 
How we live out our life in community should be grounded in our understanding of reality, of truth, of the message of Jesus whom we profess to follow. This is sometimes easier to hold up as a goal than to make any concrete progress at its achievement.  
 
It is hard to share our differing understandings when we fear rejection.  But the only way to create genuine community is to share from our core highest self  It does not good for us or the world for our spiritual community to be one more place where we hide behind a mask of inauthenticity.  If our spiritual community doesn't get to see our true selves, then where in the world can we find a liberated, supportive, unconditionally accepting and loving group of people to risk sharing our deepest fears, dreams and selves?
 
Inauthentic living results in inauthentic community. What is your dream for Earth?  Is it one of sacred community or gross consumption?  
 
Have you ever thought about how many "earths" it would take for more than 7 billion human inhabitants to live like you do?  How much fuel and other petroleum products, food, water, housing, recreation facilities, would be needed?  
 
The task is daunting but putting our head in the sand of ignoring the issues isn't the Christ Way. Active reflection and engagement with Truth, Life, Love, and Justice is the Christ Way.  And it is a Way we seek to follow at Evolve.  

I hope you will choose to join us on our path of Creation-based and Progressive Spirituality.

Peace, Wayne
Youth Fundraiser Yard Sale This Saturday
April 18 from 8 AM to 12 Noon, rain or shine!
at the United Church of Christ of Annapolis
 8 Carvel Circle, Edgewater, MD

The Fundraiser is in support of the UCCA youths' trip to Cleveland, Ohio to attend the General Synod this summer.

Evolve will also have a space at the yard sale. So please bring your items to sell as a fundraiser for Evolve as well.  Set-up will be at 7 A.M. Call Rev. Wayne (202-253-9828) if you have any questions.


"Sunrise brightens the Washington, DC cherry blossoms and skyline."  Photo by Rick Dove.
There is in all things 
an inexhaustible sweetness and purity, 
a silence that is a fountain of action and of joy. 
It rises up in a wordless gentleness 
and flows out to me from the unseen roots 
of all created being. 
-Thomas Merton 
Open Arms Tuesday April 28 at 6:30 PM

We will continue our discussion of the DVD, Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey with Neil DeGrasse Tyson and dinner.  Location to be determined. All are very welcome! Call Rev. Wayne at 202-253-9828 or email him (SchwandtW@aol.com) for more information.

At its heart, the journey of each life is a pilgrimage 
through unforeseen sacred places that 
enlarge and enrich the soul.

~ John o'Donohue
ACTION ALERT ABOUT THE FRACKING MORATORIUM FROM:logo and head
 
Maryland lawmakers just voted to send Gov. Larry Hogan a two-year ban on fracking......  This is the first time the legislature has voted to block fracking, and it buys us two years of breathing room to work for a permanent ban on this dangerous and unnecessary drilling practice. But despite broad, bi-partisan support in both legislative chambers, Governor Larry Hogan-- a strong ally of the frackers--still might veto the bill.

Call Gov. Hogan's office at 1-855-971-2589 and tell them: "I'm calling to ask Governor Hogan to keep fracking out of Maryland, and to start by signing the fracking moratorium bill this session."
Weekly Food/Goods Collection at EVOLVE
Our brothers' and sisters' needs are urgent.  Please bring a donation when you can and put it by our Community Table.  Suzie will deliver it to the Food Bank.
From Erine: 
             
             The New Jim Crow
              It hit my gut;
              I cried...
              I screamed...
              I remembered my own life
              I remembered Mike,
                                    Our relationship of black and white
Of people telling...
He was from the South,
Back in Jim Crow Days
I was born in the early Flower Power-
I saw my whiteness...
Not a proud moment!
The raw data and our experiences 
Why must they stack the deck...
We all are born
We all must live
And death will meet...
Why?
Why do nothing...
Stand together and change...
Change the lies
And open the truth...
It opened ME!
Anger is okay
When it heals!!!

EARTH WATER FAITH FESTIVAL 


Fun-Filled Family-Oriented Afternoon of Music, Art & Inspiration

Sunday, April 26, 2014 - 2:00-4:30 p.m. 
Annapolis Towne Centre
RAIN DATE:  SUNDAY, MAY 3TH

Interactive Kids Activities by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation

 * T-Shirt Decorating  * Eco-Art * SPECIAL CHILDREN'S MUSIC PROGRAM * FACEPAINTING by the 'FACE PAINT LADY" *

Musical Opening with The Harmonic Fifth 
Greetings and Faith Readings
SPECIAL MUSICAL FEATURE: THIRD SUNDAY BAND  

All Children's Chorus of Annapolis 

Faith Readings & Messages
                   Appreciation and Closing "SING-ALONG"

The United Church of Christ of Annapolis is one of the participating congregations. Let's get as many of our members to participate in this event as possible!

 


             Wage Peace
                                   by Judyth Hill
 
Wage peace with your breath
Breathe in firemen and rubble,
breathe out whole buildings
and flocks of redwing blackbirds.

Breath in terrorists and breathe out sleeping children
and freshly mown fields.
Breathe in confusion and breathe out maple trees.
Breathe in the fallen
and breathe out lifelong friendships intact.

Wage peace with your listening:
hearing sirens, pray loud.
Remember your tools:
flower seeds, clothes pins, clean rivers.

Make soup.
Play music, learn the word for thank you in three languages.
Learn to knit, and make a hat.
Think of chaos as dancing raspberries,
imagine grief as the outbreath of beauty
or the gesture of fish.
Swim for the other side.
Wage peace.

Never has the world seemed so fresh and precious.
Have a cup of tea and rejoice.
Act as if armistice has already arrived.
Celebrate today.

CSC banner
Creation Spirituality Communities

is a network of communities ranging from intentional groups to alternative churches, which are grounded in the tenants of Creation Spirituality and revere the sacredness of all creation. Through study, ritual, celebration and action, these communities support justice, compassion, transformation and sustainability for the Universe and for all living beings.  It is both tradition and movement, celebrated by mystics and agents of social change from every age and culture.  Our online community, Chesapeake Creation Spirituality Community, is waiting for you to join:   http://originalblessing.ning.com.   
Many thanks for reading Originally Blessed!!  Remember to send your articles, poems, news, photos, announcements, petitions, pictures, cartoons, and whatever else you might like to see in our newsletter to EvolveSylvia@gmail.com by Thursday night.
Photo by Rick Dove

Visit our website:  www.EvolveChesapeake.com 

Evolve has closed the post office box, so please update your records
to show our address as:  8 Carvel Circle, Edgewater, MD 21037