Happenings [December 2006]: Emmaus UCC

A Message from Reverend Bill

The Advent and Christmas texts deceive us with their familiarity. These stories of annunciation, visitation, and birth are messages of an invitation to live in radical relation with all of Creation. These texts, which so many know by heart, are metaphors for our ongoing journey to the manger; that place where the Christ is born.

Dieterich Buxtehude’s sublime “Membra Jesus Nostri” is a series of six cantatas which meditates on the body of the crucified Jesus. The music and spirit of the piece is very moving yet the words of the text, though typical of their time, are a bit gruesome. Inspired by Buxtehude’s format, my sermon offerings for this season will be meditations on the body of the newborn Jesus – feet, knees, hands, side, breast, heart and face. As we ponder the promise and possibility of the Holy Baby, my prayer is that we will experience the Incarnation in our own “bodymindspirit.” That melding of words is deliberate.

May the power of this season be born in you. May you be drenched in Love.

Grace, Peace and Blessing

Worship Schedule

12/3	First Sunday of Advent Holy Communion “Love Caused Your Incarnation” 10:30AM Service of the White Gifts 7:00PM
12/10	Second Sunday of Advent “Love Brought You Unto Me” 10:30AM Potluck Dinner & Senior High Play 5:00PM
12/17	Third Sunday of Advent Christmas Concert & Homily 10:30AM
12/24	Fourth Sunday of Advent “O Love Beyond All Telling” 10:30AM CHRISTMAS EVE 7:00PM First Watch Service with Holy Communion 10:30PM Candlelight Communion
12/31	Mary Barrino Smith preaching

Note from the Moderator

I used to have a chapter in my autobiography entitled "How to Teach Sunday School When You Don't Believe In God." That chapter is gone, and in its place is a chapter entitled "I Learned All I Needed to Know from JoAn Post." I am still learning by teaching in the newly constituted Junior High (6th, 7th, and 8 th grades). We have a new Bible-based curriculum, added to assist in preparing the students for confirmation class. We read passages from the Hebrew Scriptures for their unutterable beauty, for the spiritual connection with Judaism and Islam, and for the connection to the history of our beliefs. We also read Jesus' words, and we talk about how those words apply in our life.

Does this sound too bible based, too doctrinaire? It is not. Have no fear. Emmaus students, like all Emmaus members, are free thinking to a fault, and we have not changed from our traditional mix of topical discussion and fellowship. Those of you who participate in the Red Tent know that Carmen Sanchez provides the class a rich literary perspective (as well as being a consummate organizer), Charlie Andrews has his finger on current events and sports stories that never fail to capture attention, George Schleh (currently on “sabbatical”) thinks outside the box which often resonates best with our particular crowd, and Jennifer Chamberlin provides administrative back up. And our newest addition, Dave Stevens, taught the perfect class on Sunday. First, he gave a recap about Ruth from last week (a good idea in any class, but necessary at Emmaus because of our casual attendance practice), then the story of Hannah (read aloud by volunteer Steven Day) with Dave eliciting discussion, followed by his casual but effective relating of the story of Hannah to the story of Jesus. Just enough content, not too much, before we degenerated into counting who ate the most cookies, and a not quite random discussion about the constitutional separation of church and State raised by our resident skeptic, Ben Gibbs, with Karina and Eric Stevens participating.

One year I mentioned to my daughter Julia that I thought that year’s class of 5 th/6 th graders was my favorite. Her response was, “Oh mother. You say that every year.” That particular class had pressed me to admit that they were the “baddest”class ever. I did not give them the satisfaction of that title. Most of them are in the current confirmation class, and I hug myself with pleasure at the thought of them being gifted with Doug and Mary, and vice versa. But, this year's Junior High class just might really be my favorite. . . .

Susan Rees, Moderator

Thanks for the Mulching Memories

Our last Building and Grounds Day of 2006 was a huge success. We came closer to completing Corky Hanna’s official task list—my personal measure of success—than we have in quite a while. Many thanks to the nearly two dozen volunteers who gave up a beautiful bright Saturday morning in October (or had dropped by earlier in the week) for the beautification of Emmaus, among them: Charlie Andrews, Anita and Bill Bruck, Wanda and Charlie Butler, Wendy and Kevin Cardany, Sue and Tony Clark, Aaron Garritz, Corky and Howard Hanna, Carol and Lynn Higgs, Julie and Scott Holec, Alan Jensen, Geneve Mantri, Boyd Post, Judy Smith, and Skip Wolfe.

Rob Gibbs

Drivers Needed for the Week of December 4 th

Emmaus, as part of the Committee for Helping Others (CHO), is responsible for coordinating transportation for people in need during the week of December 4 th. CHO is an all-volunteer organization of the Dunn Loring, Merrifield, Oakton, and Vienna area that provides simple, loving charity to those in need of goods and services they are unable to provide for themselves or obtain from government social service organizations. If you are available during the day, please consider giving your time and companionship to someone in need of a ride. Many elderly clients are very lonely and a trip to the doctor with a caring driver is a bright spot in their day. Please contact Carrie Fisher for details if you are available.

Beth Zelenski

Road to Emmaus Sunday School Update

In our Road to Emmaus Workshop Sunday School, we’re continuing to explore the idea of Messiah. November’s focus has been the 23 rd Psalm. In the Mary & Martha’s Bed & Breakfast workshop, the children have had fun exploring each line of the Psalm using their senses; sounds, smells, and visuals were used to help them learn this important passage. Our children learned about the daily life of a shepherd in our Caravan Camp and made terrific 3-D landscapes in our Creation Station. Thanks so much to Nancy Osborne, Patti Chronister & Courtney Starkey for their outstanding teaching!

Thanks also to everyone who has already signed up to teach this spring! We still have plenty of openings so please consider joining us for three weeks. The sign-up sheet is posted on the Christian Education bulletin board outside the Parlor.

As we look ahead to December, please note that the children are invited to the regular church service on Sunday, December 24 th. Care will be provided for our toddlers and babies but there will be no Sunday School that day. And on Sunday December 31 st, we’ll have our first ever New Year’s Eve Party during our regular Sunday School hour. We have crafts, games, and special snacks planned for the kids.

Julie Holec and Heidi Warrington
Christian Education

Neighbors in Need and Hunter School Fund Raiser

On Saturday, November 4, over seventy members and friends of the Emmaus community enjoyed an evening of good food and fellowship at the Fall Fabulous Fund Raiser. As a result, over $2200 was raised for the UCC Neighbors in Need (NIN) fund and the Richard Hunter School in Liberia.

Those attending the annual Board of Service and Mission’s Fund Raiser were treated to a variety of chilies and soups prepared by over a dozen members of the congregation. Many members of Emmaus donated to the event. Among the contributions for the silent and live auction were art work and photographs, splendid gift baskets, tours of the Washington Post and National Geographic, garden plants, and gifts for children. Emmaus’s own famous auctioneer, Bill Fowkes, conducted a live auction which included many desserts contributed for the occasion – most of which were immediately consumed before the evening was over.

Many thanks go to Elizabeth Hawkins for coordinating the Fund Raiser and the many members of Emmaus who all pitched in to help. . Thanks also go to members of the Emmaus Youth Group who helped care for the younger children.

The funds raised will be well used to help children in Liberia receive an education and by the national UCC church to help our neighbors most in need in our country. Information about the Hunter school in Liberia can viewed on their Web site at www.rchunterss.org.

Allen Jensen
Chair, Board of Service and Mission

A Christmas Memory

Our daughter Tara had been born in June of 1973. As the youngest baby in the congregation, she would play the infant Jesus and the Komandts were to be the Holy Family in the White Gifts service. But heavy snow cancelled the service, the only year it had ever been cancelled in all the years that Emmaus has had the White Gift Service. So the Komandts’ one chance in our life time to be truly holy and look the part slipped through our fingers!

Marsha Komandt

Mass Mailing Effectiveness

Several years ago I attended a week-long seminar on church growth, held in Phoenix, Arizona. The host church had grown from 70 members to over 6,000. One Easter, the church sent out an expensive mass-mailing to thousands of people, encouraging them to come to their Easter service. Unfortunately, they gave the wrong time for the service. Out of the thousands who had received the mailing, only two people showed up at the wrong time. As a result, the church made no more mass mailings. After studying their membership, they realized that friends inviting acquaintances was the most common reason why people had come to their church.

If you have acquaintances who you feel would find Emmaus meaningful in their lives, why not invite them to join you for a Sunday morning service.

Skip Wolfe, Chair
Church Growth/Evangelism Committee

Beautify the Sanctuary with Poinsettias

Emmaus members and friends are invited to donate poinsettias to bring the color of the season to our sanctuary this Christmas. The plants are available in red or white and cost $18. They may be given in honor or memory of others, and their names and the names of the donors will be listed in the Christmas Eve bulletin. The plants are yours to keep and may be taken home after the 11 p.m. Christmas Eve service. Or you can also arrange for pick-up later. We encourage you to take your plant but those that are not taken home will be distributed throughout the area.

Forms can be found in the Sunday bulletin. Please fill one out and place it with your check, payable to Emmaus, in the envelope provided in the narthex. The last day to order is Sunday, December 3.

Tom Frazier

My Jewish Memories of Christmas

Who doesn't enjoy a birthday party? The line in the Scriptures about Jesus’ birth, "Where is he that is born King of the Jews for we have seen his star in the East, and are come to worship him," sounds like a birthday party to me. And yet, as a Jewish child, I stood on the periphery of this huge celebration. I loved hearing Christmas carols like “Joy to the World,” “The First Noel,” and “Silent Night.” Friends and neighbors decorated with aplomb, the smell of sugar cookies wafted out of nearby apartments and the department stores were full of wonderful gifts for all. Santa Clause set a mood of happiness and good cheer— ‘Peace on earth, good will toward men" seemed to surround me.

Hanukkah, while joyful, I considered a minor feast because children attended classes and adults went to work. There was no decorating particular to this holiday. We were celebrating the triumph of good over evil, deliverance from tyrannical Syrian rule, and the oil which miraculously burned for eight days in the Temple in Jerusalem. We ate potato pancakes and lit the menorah for eight nights in commemoration and thanksgiving. We looked forward to a gift each of those nights. It was indeed a festival of light and joy. While it was a special family time, I didn’t think of it as an all-out birthday party.

I now realize that gladness, comfort, and security permeate both celebrations. Both are a time of joy and healing, love and light. Our desire to serve a Higher Power enables us to experience the joy and beauty of Christmas and Hanukkah, if we open ourselves to their message. Certainly, God invites us all to enjoy Christmas at whatever level befits our own religious experience, and that invitation is what makes it a “wonderful time of the year.”

Happy Holidays to one and all!

Ruth Moe

Emmaus Senior High Youth Group

We are currently working on an original play to be performed at the Christmas Dinner on December 10, 2006. Two meetings are scheduled to practice/write the play. The Senior High will meet on November 19 to complete writing the play and to assign parts and on December 10 from 3 to 6 at the Vienna Community Center to practice for our performance at 7 p.m. Because time is short, we may need to schedule an additional practice. Please be sure that your Senior High student is available on these dates so that they can take part in the play. This is one of the only times during the year that full participation is needed.

Our meeting on December 17 will be a Kwanzaa celebration. As part of our tradition to respect other religious thought, we will be studying this religious observance.

January is just around the corner. We have two meetings planned for January on the 7 th, and 21 st. In addition we will have a service project on January 26. We will be working on a Habitat for Humanity house. This is an excellent opportunity to help others.

Mary Barrino-Smith and Mike Roach
Senior High Youth Group

Some Thoughts on the Recent Midterm Election

One of the healthiest of civic exercises is voting. And no doubt many Emmaus members cast ballots in the recent midterm elections. As such, some of you played a hand in providing the Democrats with their last critical victory in the party’s takeover of the U.S. Senate. Jim Webb’s victory over Republican incumbent George Allen by less than 10,000 votes in the Virginia Senate race was largely accomplished by a huge 65,000-vote majority in Fairfax County.

And for good measure, county voters in the state’s largest jurisdiction made a statement by decisively rejecting the proposed constitutional ban on gay marriage in Virginia. While the amendment was approved statewide, voters in Fairfax County and a number of other Northern Virginia jurisdictions – such as Alexandria, Arlington, Falls Church and Fairfax City - voted against the ban.

Polls often provide information on how Catholics, Jews, Protestants, and ‘born again’ Christians vote. They even show the political proclivities of those who attend church a lot (overwhelmingly Republican) and those who hardly attend church at all (decisively Democratic). Unfortunately, data on the partisan preferences of UCC members is non-existent (or at least has yet to reach these quarters).

Still, it is noteworthy that New England, the stronghold of the Congregational wing of the UCC, has trended strongly Democratic in recent years. This once Republican region has become so Democratic that the party’s presidential candidate carried every state from Connecticut to Maine in 2004, and Democrats now hold every U.S. House seat in New England except that of moderate Republican Christopher Shays of Connecticut, who was reelected this fall with 51% of the vote.

All of this may never get the UCC on the cover of Time or Newsweek as a counterpoint to the Religious Right. But it is an example of the influence that involved church members can have when they participate in one of the healthiest of civic exercises.

Rhodes Cook
Deacon

White Gifts Service

All Emmaus members and friends are invited to our annual White Gift Service, Sunday, December 3 at 7:00p.m. This wonderful service includes music and the arrival of the three wise men to Bethlehem. This is a comfortable setting for children to bring gifts for the children at the Northwest Settlement House in Washington, D.C. Our Service and Mission committee helps these DC children ages 5-13 enjoy the holidays with age appropriate gifts wrapped anonymously in white paper. On Sunday, November 26 we will have a list of children’s names with a few requests. Please join us in this celebration of sharing.

Benefit Concert for Emmaus

Mark your calendars for Saturday, December 9, at 8 p.m. Euan Morton, Tony-nominated singer for Taboo, will be doing a concert to benefit Emmaus. Euan is the son-in-law of former member Laura Armitage and released a CD in the spring; his concert at Arlington’s Signature Theater sold out earlier this year. The tickets will sell for $20, with half the proceeds going to Emmaus.

Health and Wellness Corner

Flu Shots Scheduled for December
If all goes according to plan, flu shots will be available this winter. Emmaus has scheduled a flu vaccine clinic for Sunday, December 3, from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM immediately after church in the Christian Education building. The cost is $25 and is covered by Medicare Part B. Please remember to bring your card! Those of you who have their Medicare benefits with an HMO or other managed care plan must receive the shot from your primary provider unless you wish to pay for it at the clinic. Cash, checks and money orders are accepted, but no credit cards. Who should receive a flu shot and how can you avoid the flu bug? The excerpt below is from the Inova Congregational Health Partnership “For Your Health” article in their September 2006 edition.

Influenza: Avoiding the Bug
Most major flu outbreaks occur during the winter months. Typically, flu season runs from December through March or April. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that between 10 and 20 percent of the United States population will come down with the flu each year. An average of 114,000 people are hospitalized every year with flu-related complications and 36,000 unfortunately die every year.

You can avoid the fever, headache and fatigue, dry cough, sore throat, nasal congestion and body aches that make the flu miserable by getting a flu shot each year. Flu can lead to serious complications, especially in seniors or people with chronic conditions such as asthma, diabetes or heart disease. Flu shots are especially vital for these high-risk individuals, but are a good idea for most others. The flu shot is recommended for everyone over 6 months of age. Protection provided by the flu vaccine lasts just through the season, and flu viruses can change from year to year, so you need to get a new flu shot every year to prevent the virus.

Washing your hands is the most important step you can take to prevent the flu or any other infection. Wash for 15-20 seconds (two cycles of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”) before and after meals, after using the restroom, after coughing, sneezing or blowing your nose.

Blood Contributions
I hope you will consider giving the gift of life during the holidays by donating blood through Inova's Blood Donor Services (IBDS). We may have an opportunity to donate in January with Lewinsville Presbyterian Church in McLean. I will keep you posted as the plans take shape.

Women's Red Tent Book Group
You may want to ask Santa to bring you Gene Cheek’s The Color of Love, A Mother’s Choice in the Jim Crow South, the next book we will discuss in the Red Tent Book Group. Discussion will be facilitated by Jayne McLaughlin and Laurie Forbes on Sunday, January 14. The home for our potluck brunch and discussion is undetermined at this point but consider opening your home for our social, fun and enlightening gathering. Please let me know if you can, or tell me if you would like to be added to my e-mail list.

Wishing you rich and joyful blessings of Christmas as you enter into the most blessed and sacred holidays of the year.

Marsha Komandt
Health and Wellness Coordinator

A Note about the Quarterly Statements

Please look at your third quarter statement. The statements have all contributions that were posted as of October 8 th. We ask that you please verify that your name and address are the way you would like them to appear on your statements. Please also note that Christmas weekend will be the last opportunity to make a contribution for 2006.

The pledges contain the following information: the dates of the pledges, starting with the first entry of the year, either a pledge payment or other contribution, until the date of the last payment or contribution; the amount pledged for 2006; payments towards the pledge amount (noted as adult pledges), loose offering amounts not counted towards the amount pledged, and the total amount of payment on the amount pledged to date. Note that the amount pledged minus the amount of adult pledges through October 8 is the total remaining on the pledge. The total at the bottom includes not only pledge amounts but the amounts given for special (loose) offerings.

If you have any questions or corrections, please contact me.

Chuck Irons
Financial Secretary

From the Deacons

During November, the Deacons celebrated their annual Festival of the Boards, a chance for members of the congregation to discover the wonderful opportunities there are to be an active participant in the life of Emmaus. During December and January, the nominating committee will be contacting those of you who expressed an interest in serving to become members of the various boards.

As Advent approaches, we all look forward to the wonderful Emmaus tradition of the Christmas potluck, which will take place on December 10 at 5:00 at the Vienna Community Center. Please plan to join us for a fun evening of fellowship, Santa and the Senior High Play.

The lovely Christmas Eve services will be held at 7:00 and 10:30 p.m. The church is beautifully decorated with garland and poinsettias, and candles lend a quiet beauty to the service. Communion will be offered at both services.

May God bless you all during this most beautiful time of the year, and may the impending celebration of Jesus’ birth add special joy to your lives.

Kim Engmann

Shepherd's Center Events

Lunch n' Life, Monday, December 11, Noon, Emmanuel Lutheran Church, $7.00

Adventures in Learning Open House, January 11, 10am to noon, UUCF, 2709 Hunter Mill Road. Oakton

AIL Classes begin on Jan. 18:

Forever Young TV Show , Monday, December 18 at 3 p.m., 1014 Country Club Dr. NE, Vienna. See the Shepherd's Center's Bill Kirby, Janice Holmblad, and Jerry Shelton on Fairfax Cable Channel 10.

Wanda Butler

Letter from Pakistan

Pakistan has a history of strong divisions within society, in from its legacy from India, colonial rule, and its roots in Moghul emperors and tribal clans. “Khan,” for example, a common name around Islamabad and the northern areas, initially meant “landowner,” and still usually describes people of wealth. There is a certain assumption on the part of the wealthy that they have a right to large houses, big cars, and many servants. The serving class, like my guards, cook, and driver, are also clear on their subservient roles. When I invited the driver to wait for me inside the house (where it is warm), he asked if I had luggage for him to carry. When I said no, he announced he would wait outside.

I set this context to talk about where Christians fit into the hierarchy, as there is a particularly interesting history here. When missionaries came to the British Indian territory (which included Pakistan), they worked often among the Untouchables who were not permitted to be educated, could not own land, and took only the most menial jobs. If the shadow of an Untouchable fell on a Brahmin, the rich man went home immediately to bathe. Thinking they would have a better life as Christians, many converted from Hinduism to Christianity. As Muslims do not recognize Untouchables as such, many moved to Pakistan at the time of Partition (1947). Now they are Pakistan’s servant class, eligible for education to a certain point, but living in ghettos and still at the lower end of the social hierarchy. (One interesting example: in scoring exams for access to universities and medical schools, extra points are given to those who can recite the Koran, so Christians more often find themselves without a place.)

So, what does this mean for the Christianity now practiced here? First, it is dominated by Catholics, with all their hierarchy, the requirement of confession, and the idea that a layman cannot talk directly to God but must go through a more educated man – the priest. The Protestant churches (of which I have found three in Islamabad) tend to be Baptist and fundamental – long on obedience to authority, with ministers who clearly tell parishioners what to believe and how to behave. Even the American Embassy boasts a conservative Baptist.

I am finding myself worshiping alone, relying on my D. Min. listserv for spiritual support, and enjoying the bits of sacred music that sneak into the repertoire of the Islamabad Chorale, a group of English-speaking ex-pats with whom I’m singing. I’m also valuing the emails that several church members have sent and I invite more.

Lorie Brush

My Grandmother’s Christmas Memory

My grandmother was born in 1866 and loved to tell me of Christmases past. She remembered that her father would drive a wagon loaded with winter vegetables to St Louis to the Soulard Market to sell. He did this right before Christmas so that they would have extra money for some small presents for all of the children. The one Christmas that stood out most clearly for her was the Christmas when there was a terrific snow storm and he did not come home that evening before they went to bed. They were worried about their father and also that they might not be any presents. However, when they got up in the morning, they found the traditional big white bowl full of oranges on the table in the kitchen. Oranges were a really big treat. Of course, my great-grandfather had driven almost all night to make sure that when they woke there would be the big bowl of oranges. And in spite of his tiredness, he still managed to sing “O Tannenbaum” with his family while they all danced around the tree that Christmas.