For
Lent this year, I am going to give up:
---fighting
those ridiculous little daily wars against traffic and errands,
---never
remembering where I park,
---actions
based on fear,
---making snap judgments based on my conditionings and expectations,
For
Lent this year, I am going to
---foster
peace all day, every day,
---be
mindful of the little things,
---act
based on love,
---be
aware of how my conditioning and expectations infuse my decisions.
What about you? What will
you give up on the way to Easter? What spring is ready to bloom in your heart,
mind and body? How will you embrace the open-ended spaciousness of living into
the resurrection of your life? How will
you embody the ultimate truth—compassion in the service of justice? Does it not start in the all the little
moments that make up the bigger moments that make up the hours, the days, the
months, the years that are our lives?
Peace,
Rev. Bill
All Sunday Services
begin at 10:30 a.m.
3/5 "Ideas
in Conflict"
Skip
Wolfe preaching
3/12 "Questions
& Answers"
Holy
Communion
3/19 Rev.
John Deckenback, Conference Minister Central Atlantic
Conference, preaching
3/25 "Open Ended"
"Hi! I'm
_________. Have we met before?"
This is always a good way to start a conversation after church with
someone that is a new visitor, or a church member you have not talked with
before. The people who come to Emmaus are usually very interesting people
- don't miss your chance to meet them!
Notes
from the Moderator
Even before I begin my
tenure as Moderator, here is what I saw: Emmaus UCC is a congregation of
high-spirited individuals each of who is committed to his/her personal beliefs
and equally committed to the common good of our families, Emmaus, and the world
beyond.
I personally have twin
concerns for my tenure: to keep Emmaus youth in our church family in a way that
will resonate the rest of their lives, and to keep our church involved in the
public debate. I am not sure that they aren’t really just one goal, and
for both, Skip Wolfe said it best last month: “in presenting ourselves to the
public, we should be proud of our liberal heritage. “
After
all, our denomination has historically been on the cutting edge of
change. It was one of the leading voices in the anti-slavery
movement and was active in the Underground Railroad. It was one of
the first to act upon the idea the blacks and whites, and men and women, should
be educated together in the same educational institution. It has
also been a leader in the integration of women into church leadership and
ministry, and the equal treatment of gays and lesbians. In
presenting our church to others, instead of downplaying our liberal background,
we should celebrate it.
Susan Rees
Christian
Education Notes
In February, the Board of Christian Education met for the first time with all
of the new members. Many
thanks to Carol Roach for the wonderful job that she did as chair of the board
during the last year. We’d also like to thank Heidi Warrington for
continuing to do an excellent job in her role as Director of Christian
Education. We are looking forward to
another exciting year in Christian Education at Emmaus.
This month, in
the Road to Emmaus workshop Sunday School, the theme
has been the Prodigal Son. The children met the Prodigal Son in our
Caravan Camp workshop and he told his story of selfishness, exploration and
repentance. In the Divinity Diner, the children cooked up a celebratory
meal and the Inchworms celebrated with a party. The children made
wire sculptures in the Creation Station and used them to interpret the
emotions and interactions of the father, the Prodigal Son and the elder
son. Thanks to our workshop leaders – Scott Holec, Teri Beth &
Stuart Wallace, Joby Warrick, and Meredith
Peterson. And as always, thank you to our great shepherds – Wendy Cardany, Linda Norell, and Laurie
Forbes. Our youngest class, the
Bumblebees, have been learning God is Love. They explored this theme
through songs, stories, arts and crafts, puzzles, and playing with
blocks.
Exciting plans
are in place for next month! We'll finish up another set
of workshops, centered on the theme of the Woman with the Alabaster Jar,
and then we'll start preparing for our big Children's
Day musical! Please mark your calendars with the following dates:
·
March 19, March 26, April 2, and April 9 – Rehearsals
will be held during the usual Sunday School hour.
·
April 23 – Full rehearsal during the regular
Sunday School hour
·
Saturday, May 6 – Dress rehearsal in the
Sanctuary. Time to be determined.
·
Sunday, May 7 – Children’s Day. Children should arrive by 10:00 am.
Our Jr. High continues to
meet during church time in the Sr. High room.
They are discussing plans for a Jr. High overnight at the church. Unfortunately the Sr. High ski trip was
cancelled for February, but the Sr. High is currently busy planning for the
Shrove Tuesday Pancake Dinner.
In adult education, a large group of people enjoyed the first session of Doug Norell’s class on the Abrahamic
faiths. The class will continue to meet once a month from February
through May. Below is a schedule of the
remaining dates. Feel free to drop in on
one or more of the classes. They are
from 7:00 to 9:00 on the following Sunday nights:
·
March 19th
Christianity; heir of Abraham, Jesus, Paul and the Bible
·
April 30th
Islam; Heir of Abraham, Jesus, Muhammad & Qur’an
·
May 21st
Stereotypes, Spanish Golden Age, Options for Dialogue
Heidi Warrington and
Julie Holec
Deacons’
Notes
In February, the Board of
Deacons met to welcome its new members and thank its returning ones. Those who serve on the Board are: Laurie Barber, Rhodes Cook, Kim Engman, Laurie Forbes, Tom Frazier, Ron Habegger,
Carol Higgs, Marsha Komandt, Christine Lindquist,
Jayne McLaughlin, Erin Omba, Beth Slucher
and Britt Weaver.
The Board has a busy year
planned, including the 40th anniversary of the founding of Emmaus, a
new photo directory, the hiring of a new Music Director, and the continuation
of the many Emmaus traditions. The
Hospitality Committee will continue to provide coffee hour and compile the
HUGENS list whose volunteers make our Sunday worship service run smoothly. Notes will be written to visitors, and
receptions for new members will be held.
Deacons will assist the minister each Sunday with the worship service,
and music and flowers will enhance the beauty and joy of our services.
This Board of Deacons is
committed to serving the members of Emmaus in many different areas, including
Worship, Hospitality, Membership Music and Flowers. If any of you have any suggestions that you
would like to share with any member of the board, please see us at church, give
us a call or send us an e-mail.
Kim Engmann
Board of Deacons
Blood Donor Contributions
For those of you that are
used to my monthly blood donor reminders with an attached calendar from Inova Blood Donor Services, you may have noticed a
"dry spell". There seems to
have been some changes in the notification process of which we are trying to
straighten out. In the meantime, donors
can go to the Web site www.inova.org/donateblood
to check the calendar for the closest center where you could easily donate. If
you have any questions on eligibility, guidelines are also available on this
site. I hope to be able to report to you
soon the number of contributions our congregation has made for the year. Because of confidentiality, even as Emmaus'
Blood Donor Coordinator, unless you report to me that you have given, I have no
way of knowing who has contributed (and how often) and who is eligible for
attending Inova’s blood donor recognition
events. From records I have kept for
those who have notified me during this past year, there were about 15, but I am
hoping our total was much higher than this.
Since 200 blood and platelet donations are needed on a daily basis, I
would like to think we at Emmaus have been a contributor to the wider
community's efforts. If any of you are
not already on my e-mail reminder list and would like to be included, you are
more than welcome to jump on board. Call
me at 703-938-1264 or send an e-mail to mgkomandt@verizon.net.
Red Tent Book Discussion Group
The group continues to meet
about every other month at different homes with different facilitators. Our most recent book the end of February was
one of Jeremy Taylor’s books on dreams: Where People Fly and Water Runs Uphill. On April 7, we will meet at Susan Rees’s home
for a discussion of Marilynn Robinson’s
A New Year: A
Look at Taking Care of Ourselves
As we are into a new year,
what better time than to reflect on how we take care of ourselves? Following is an excerpt from the January 2006
issue of Inova Health System's Congregational Health
Partnership E-Health Bulletin, permission granted to be used for distribution
in faith community publications.
Make Time for Yourself
Think for a moment. When
was the last time you did something just for you? For better health, set aside at least a
couple of hours every week just for you.
Ending each day stressed
and overly fatigued is not healthy. Stress plays a role in high blood pressure,
migraine headaches, colds, heart disease and many other illnesses. Taking a
little bit of time to take care of yourself may be the single most important
thing you can do to reduce stress and prevent serious illness.
Take Care of Your Body
and Mind
Taking time for yourself
goes beyond the things that you would normally do, such as eating a nutritious
diet and sleeping well. This is an opportunity to make small adjustments in
your life so you don’t feel overwhelmed.
If you are already taking
time for yourself, keep doing it until it becomes an integral part of your
routine. If you are looking for ways to get started, here are some
suggestions:
·
Start small.
You won’t be able to take huge blocks of time for yourself on a regular basis,
but even 15 minutes every other day will be a good habit-forming start.
·
Seek
connections that soothe your soul. Participate in a retreat once a year –
secular or religious – to renew your commitment to your well being.
·
Be realistic
about what you can accomplish in a day. Plan room for unexpected demands on
your time and events you can’t control.
·
Ask someone to
relieve you at least once a week if you take care of an ill family member.
·
Send your
children to bed early. They will begin the next day refreshed, and you can use
the time to do something other than chores.
·
Redistribute
responsibilities with your partner if you are the only person caring for the
children and tending to household needs.
·
If your after work social life seems too hectic, learn to say
no; stay home and enjoy a hot bath instead!
And if leading a fast-paced
life and taking care of others is what you truly love, just make sure your own
needs are still being met. When you
choose to do things you enjoy, you’ll lead yourself down a path to better
health year-round.
Blessings to you all as you
take care of yourselves and each other.
Marsha Komandt
Health and Wellness
Coordinator
March 25 is Buildings and
Grounds Day
The annual spring cleaning
of Emmaus’ buildings and grounds will take place on Saturday morning, March
25. Bring your favorite shovel,
rake, or furniture polish—or just bring yourself and we’ll supply the
rest. New Emmaus members often find this
a great way to make new Emmaus friends while helping the church maintain its
good looks. We’ll start at 8:30 and go
until 1 p.m. or so, but even an hour or two of your time can make a big
difference. If it’s raining, we’ll work
strictly inside (no galoshes necessary!)
Robert Gibbs
Property Management
Sunday, March 19, Noon