May 2006
Happenings
A publication of Emmaus United Church of Christ,
Vienna, Virginia
As
Emmaus celebrates its 40th anniversary—we look to the future with
great hope while building on the accomplishments of the past.
Yet,
where is the present moment in this celebration?
Is
there a “nostalgia for the future” that creeps into our meetings, our plans,
and our prayers for our spiritual community?
Is
there an “ideal” Emmaus out there, in your memories of the past or in your dreams
of the future?
To
paraphrase Thich Nhat Hanh, if we take care of this moment, it will take care
of the rest.
Taking
care of this moment means that we can take stock of what is strong and what is
not so strong about Emmaus.
Taking
care of this moment means that we care for our building, our grounds, our
children, our programs, our worship and most importantly, our community of
people.
There
is no secret to church growth—it is simply being present to one another and
ourselves in the unbounded care of this Covenant of God’s radical Love.
As
we recognize and live into this Covenant in this present moment, we will bring
about a hopeful and blessed future.
Peace,
Rev. Bill
All Sunday Services begin at 10:30 a.m.
5/7 Musical Sermon
Children’s Day
5/14 “Love
to God”
40th Anniversary Celebration
Mother’s Day
Holy Communion
5/21 “Accent on the Wrong Syllable: Part One”
5/28 “Accent on the Wrong Syllable:
Part Two”
Rev.
Bill is thrilled to announce that OASIS, a gathering around the weekly sermon
text, returns on May 16th at 7:30pm in the Parlor. This is an
excellent opportunity to read a text both widely and deeply. All you need to
bring is yourself, your perspective, refreshment if you like, and your humor.
We are pleased that Ian
Garret, returns to our Church Office beginning May 7th through
August. In addition to his duties as
Church Secretary and Assistant to the Senior Minister, Ian will be responsible
for Building Use activities. Please
take a moment to welcome Ian back!
Michael DeSoto leaves us to go back to school. We extend our appreciation to Mike for all he has done this year and wish him Godspeed on his journey.
Message From the Moderator
Are you over committed, but want to give just a little time to Emmaus?
Or, are you afraid of commitment and need to take involvement in baby steps?
There are opportunities for you to serve at Emmaus. Each Board
needs a full complement of members who can commit for at least a year and
attend the monthly meetings to plan and implement the Board's program for the
year. For those of you who have been able to do so, you know that it is quite
rewarding to be a part of the work of Emmaus.
But each Board has
certain functions that can be managed by one or more individuals under that
Board's auspices, without the commitment to be a full Board member. You can
serve in a capacity where someone can mentor you, or you can bring your talents
and work independently. The Board of
Service and Mission has several such projects in need of a new guardian, and
Council is also looking for someone to take over the maintenance of the Emmaus
web page.
Here is what else your moderator is hearing at Council, at the Board meetings
and around the pews:
·
This year will bring
more lively discussion on how to educate ourselves, our children, and others as
to what it means to be a small congregational church with a Bible-based,
free-thinking tradition, and a strong national presence.
·
There will be more and
different opportunities for fun and fellowship for all of us.
·
The fellowship will
continue with opportunities for service in projects sponsored by our Board of
Service and Mission.
·
And - last but not
least, we are all grateful that Reverend Bill's brief but unnerving brush with
an obscure disease is fast receding, with no more consequences for him than
those he has already experienced.
Susan Rees
Moderator
Christian
Education Notes
Join us
for our annual Children's Day service on Sunday, May 7th. The children
have been preparing a wonderful musical, “The Tale of the Three Trees,” during
Sunday School this past month. They have worked diligently on
planning the service, practicing the songs, making props, and much more.
We hope you'll join us to see the final production!
Parents, please remember that our final rehearsal is on Saturday
May 6th from 10:00 - 11:30 am in the Sanctuary. All children need to
attend so please contact Nancy Osborne or Heidi Warrington if there are any
conflicts.
Our regular Sunday School classes will resume on May
14th. The theme of our workshops in May will be the Early Church and
we are looking forward to introducing the children to Paul!
We still need workshop
leaders for June, so if you’re interested in teaching, please contact Heidi
Warrington or Julie Holec. The theme
for the June workshops is The Kingdom Parables.
The Bagels Playgroup will
meet during the month of May on Wednesday the 10th at 1:30 in the
afternoon and Thursday the 26th at 9:30 in the morning. If you are interested in adding your name to
the email reminder list for the bagels playgroup, please see Julie Holec.
There is one more class remaining in Doug Norell’s series on the Abrahamic
faiths. Even if you’ve missed the other
classes, feel free to drop in on May 21st from 7:00 – 9:00 pm and
enjoy the final class entitled “Stereotypes, Spanish Golden Age, Options for
Dialogue.”
Christian Education
Tips from Evangelism – Frustrated with Her Daughters
A woman explained to my
father how she got her two teenage daughters to agree to join my father's
church in New England. The mother had visited one church after another
with her daughters, and after each visit, the daughters complained that the
people in the church they had just attended were not friendly. Out of
frustration with her daughters, she had them to stay home on the Sunday planned
to attend my father's church. She went by herself, and at every
opportunity took the initiative and introduced herself to whoever was near her.
The next Sunday, she
returned with her two daughters. They were impressed by how many people greeted
their mother and in turn, introduced themselves to the daughters. Of course,
most of these people were the ones their mother had introduced herself to the
previous Sunday. When they got home, the daughters talked about what a
friendly church it was. Not long afterward, they became members.
Whether in church, sitting near a new visitor or a member you don't know, or in
some other social situation, why don't you decide to be the one who takes the
initiative in making introductions - someone has to! A lot of interesting
people visit and attend Emmaus. Don't miss the opportunity to meet and
get to know them.
Skip Wolfe, Chair
Church Growth/Evangelism Committee
Spring
is here, and the flowers and weeds will both need attention for the next four
months. At last month’s Property Board meeting, members thought that their
fellow church members would "dig in" if they only knew what was
needed. I'm often at the
church—mornings, afternoons, evenings—to take care of the gardens and would
welcome company. No experience needed!
I
might suggest the 1st and 3rd Saturday mornings at 8:30 a.m., Tuesday
afternoons at 2:00 p.m., and Thursday evenings at 6:30 p.m. If is raining hard, forget it!
Or
you may want to sign up to care for one area and keeping it trim for the
season.
I’m
open for suggestions. I'd love to hear
if you are interested. I'm flexible.
Most of all, the gardens need you!
Corky Hanna
Property Management
Red Tent Book Discussion Group
The group continues to
meet about every other month at different homes with different
facilitators. On Sunday, July 9, at
7:30 p.m., we will meet at Sue Clark’s home for a discussion of Carlos Eire’s
memoir, Waiting for Snow in Havana.
Sharon Lynn and Ruth Moe will facilitate the discussion. For any new folks that would like to join
us, please call or e-mail me and I will add you to my electronic mailing list.
Marsha Komandt
Health
and Wellness Coordinator
Please
send your contributions to Carmen Sanchez.