Quest. Volume LV, Number 12. March 7, Pass on the Light: Pledge Sunday is March 11 by Marie Reed, President, Board of Trustees

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1 SUNDAY WORSHIP Sunday, March 11, 10:00 a.m. The Light of Love and Justice (Daylight Savings Time begins.) We will honor and share our passion for our faith and our congregation, as we bring forward our pledges for next year s operating budget. There is a fire burning deep within the love and blessing we feel at UUCR. On this special Sunday, Rev. Lynn Strauss will preach and we will Pass on the Light that keeps our church strong. Come prepared to fill out your pledge card and renew your commitment to this amazing congregation. Both the Adult Choir and the Children s Choir will sing. First Fifteen Preschool-Sr. High, teachers and helpers will gather in the Sanctuary for the beginning of the service. Sunday, March 18, 10:00 a.m. What Is Your Life's Soundtrack? Our annual Senior High-led worship service. Join our UU youth on this exploration. First Fifteen Preschool-Sr. High, teachers and helpers will gather in the Sanctuary for the beginning of the service. Quest The Newsletter of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Rockville, Maryland: A Welcoming Congregation Spiritual Freedom Beloved Community Social Responsibility Volume LV, Number 12 March 7, 2012 Pass on the Light: Pledge Sunday is March 11 by Marie Reed, President, Board of Trustees Editor: Alberta Maschal Desktop Publisher: Nancy Gregory One way of thinking about money is as a stored form of life energy. Where do you want to direct your life energy?... to renewing and sustaining practices?... to working for justice?... to building community? How can you put your stored life energy to best use? By making a generous pledge to UUCR, of course. Where else can you be sure of dividends for yourself and your family as well as doing good in the world! This year, we have specific budget initiatives that invest in the present and future of UUCR: paid staff position to grow membership upgraded website to better support our programs and attract new members full support to UU organizations to strengthen our national voice Besides our initiatives to brighten the beacon of liberal religion in Montgomery County, UUCR faces a significant budgetary challenge to replace nearly $25,000 in pledges received last year that we know we will not receive this year because of moves, illness, and other life circumstances. Please help us Pass on the Light of religious freedom, beloved community, and social action. Make your 2012 pledge a statement of your commitment to our ideals. Consider, if you possibly can, reaching to pledge according to the UUA s fair share guidelines. See the bottom of the page at for more information on these guidelines. (continued on page 2) (continued on page 2) Quest deadline: Thursday, March 15, 2012 at 8:00 p.m., for mailing on March 21, to Beth Irikura: beth.irikura@verizon.net March 7, 2012

2 Unitarian Universalist Church of Rockville 100 Welsh Park Drive Rockville, MD Quest Staff Minister: Rev. Lynn Thomas Strauss Intern Minister: Nathan Ryan Director of Religious Education: Deborah Kahn Director of Music: Jennifer Rodgers Beach Pianist: Justin Furnia Youth Coordinator: Jennifer Maschal-Lorms Church Administrator: Nancy Gregory Administrative Assistant: Ginny Scher Bookkeeper: Diana Chimes Buildings & Grounds Manager: Thia Beach Nursery Care Provider: Vacant Board of Trustees Marie Reed, President Fran Lowe, Vice President Ted Sherr, Interim Secretary Marianne Miller, Treasurer Carole Danielson Irene Eckstrand Andy Moore Nancy Blum, Immediate Past President Officers Interim Secretary: Ted Sherr Treasurer: Marianne Miller Assistant Treasurers: Eric Burch Dick Gilbert Quest Staff Editor-in-Chief/Coordinator: Alberta Maschal Editors: Beth Irikura, Alberta Maschal, Elizabeth Sullivan Desktop Publisher: Nancy Gregory Proofreader: Nancy Gregory Quest, the regular newsletter of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Rockville, is published semimonthly at the church office at 100 Welsh Park Drive, Rockville, MD 20850, and distributed without charge to members, guests, and friends. Postage is paid at Rockville, MD. All rights reserved. Postmaster: Send address changes to Circulation Manager, Quest, 100 Welsh Park Drive, Rockville, MD Sunday Worship (continued from page 1) Sunday, March 25, 10:00 a.m. Justice and Compassion for All Women and Girls Responding to this month s theme of Social Responsibility and to the continuing abuse and control of women s lives across countries and cultures, Rev. Lynn Strauss will reflect on these issues. Why is it that men running for political office in America want to limit women s access to abortion and contraception? Why is it that social norms in some countries allow genital mutilation or stoning of women? Why is it that domestic violence is so common the world over? What happened to Women s Liberation? How can we protect our daughters? The Adult Choir will sing. Preschool-fifth grade will gather in Founders Hall for Children s Worship before classes. Sixth grade-senior High will gather in the lower level of Building 5 for Youth Worship before classes. Sunday, April 1, 10:00 a.m. Are We Fools to Be Foolish Sometimes? Rev. Lynn Strauss s answer, I think not. Anyone who can juggle, tap dance, swallow a sword or train a lion is encouraged to contact Rev. Strauss for a chance to participate in the service. Preschool-fifth grade will gather in Founders Hall for Children s Worship before classes. Sixth grade-senior High will gather in the lower level of Building 5 for Youth Worship before classes. Pass on the Light: Pledge Sunday (continued from page 1) I hope to see you at the Fellowship Dinner on Saturday, March 10. And be sure to spring your clocks forward that evening, so you can make it to the church on time on March 11 to hear Rev. Lynn s inspiring sermon, listen to some wonderful music, and help assure the financial well-being of your church community in the year to come. For the most current information on upcoming events, visit the UUCR church calendar online at At the top of the home page, click on the tab labeled For Members. Click on the link labeled Room Schedule Calendar and you ll be taken to another website where you can view the entire UUCR calendar of events. Quest 2 March 7, 2012

3 DeLynneations Reflections of the Whole We make a pledge, of money and of heart To this congregation we will be true For we are each others keepers Each of us part and reflection of the whole. Remember when you stood before the tri-fold mirror In the department store and watched yourself multiply That is what a faith community is like; a multiplication Each of us, a replica of the other and of the whole Remember when you were a child, a youth, in Sunday School or RE The children and youth at UUCR today look a lot like you Remember when you walked in protest or support For justice and for peace We still walk together, our circle drawn larger, more diverse Each of us a replica, a microcosm, a reflection of the whole Holding in our prayers, and in our song the gift of religious community We make a pledge of money and of heart To this congregation we are true We are keepers of the light... until we pass it on. Come to the Fellowship Dinner. Come on Sunday, March 11, to make your pledge. Blessings, Lynn Get Ready To Welcome Our Newest Staff Member! Donna Taylor will be our new church administrator beginning March 16. Donna is a long-time member of the Washington Ethical Society where she has served on the Board of Trustees. She has had a career in business management and customer service at Datatel Corporation, developing software for universities. Donna is someone who likes to create management procedures and to work with others to solve problems. Donna lives in Kensington with her husband and teenage sons. She is eager to take on the office management and building management work of the church administrator. Nancy Gregory will be moving into the vacant office position as Director of Communications and Membership and providing support to the minister. Let s welcome Donna and give both Donna and Nancy time to ease into their new positions. I will be introducing Donna in the worship service later in March. Welcome, Donna! Quest 3 March 7, 2012

4 Internal Musings A few weeks ago, I crammed into the back seat of a minivan. I was hungry and we were stuck in traffic on the beltway. Seven of us had left from the church at 4:00 p.m. on our pilgrimage to Annapolis to lobby for the right of lesbians and gay men to marry legally. This was my first time, but many others in the church had made this trek so often it had become routine. We joined hundreds in a rally outside the Maryland governor s mansion. While the crowd was so thick that I could barely get a view of the speakers, I was able to see a large bright yellow Standing on the Side of Love banner just behind the podium. Without exception, a boisterous and raucous cheer arose from the crowd each time a speaker listed Unitarian Universalists among the many groups supporting the bill. After the rally, we connected with ten others from our church. We joined the hundreds already in line to lobby the Maryland legislature. I was almost brought to tears by the site of a line of advocates that wrapped all the way around the corner! After an hour of meeting with staffers and representatives, tired and hungry, we piled back in the van for our trip home. I am honored to be the intern minister of a congregation with such dedication. I am honored to have a spot in the back seat of a mini-justice-van. And I hope you will join me for the next Saturday Evening Vespers Service and All-Church Potluck on Saturday, March 17 at 4:30 p.m. (potluck begins at 5:30 p.m.). All ages are welcome at vespers! Nathan Vernal Equinox Celebration Sunday, March 18 ~ 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. A gathering to celebrate Spring and our connection to the Earth in ritual, poetry, and song. Quest 4 March 7, 2012

5 LIFESPAN RELIGIOUS EDUCATION REflections March! A great month to practice mindfulness, when a certain slant of light and a bed of daffodils (tulips, hyacinth, wildly-branching forsythia!) can enfold us in mindfulness with ease. A few March Mindfulness suggestions (to go along with Nature s call to burst forth in new growth and seeing): Being aware and present - Read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle A Year of Food Life, by Barbara Kingsolver ( for information about the book). Being aware and present - Go to the UUA website, search ethical eating and check out some of the UU resources for the Ethical Eating: Food and Environmental Justice statement of conscience (the Ethical Eating Worship Research Supplement has some gorgeous food pictures as well as beautiful readings, chalice lightings, meditations, sermon excerpts, and more). Being aware and present - Attend the Adult Ed-sponsored program on Wednesday, March 21, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Cooking with Nathan. Cooking and eating together and talking about Unitarian Universalism. What could be a better evening? (Nathan says it will be a simple meal to prepare; no cooking experience required. Plus, if 6:30 is too early for you to arrive from your work commute, you can arrive later and join in the eating and conversation.) Being aware and present Bring non-perishable food to contribute to our congregation s Manna collection. Being aware and present Set aside a time daily for re-creation, a time that respects the creative cycles of work by making time to rest and enter more deeply into the sacred continuum of all that is. Without such meaningful remembrances,... we may also forget to exist in harmony with the living world and so fall out of tune with life itself. Caitlin Matthews Warning: Practicing mindfulness can deepen your spirituality, open your heart to broader and deeper fellowship with others and all life, and strengthen your social justice action. Wishing you a Mindful March. Blessings, Deborah Quest 5 March 7, 2012

6 LIFESPAN RELIGIOUS EDUCATION Adult Education and Enrichment Programs Sponsored by UUCR s Adult Education and Enrichment Committee All are welcome! Child care is available with one-week advance request. March 14 (Wednesday) from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. in Founders Hall We Were There Too: Nurses in the Civil War, portrayed by Candace Ridington. Candace portrays a nurse reminiscing about her time of service at Union Hotel Hospital in Washington, DC during the Civil War: its challenges, its rewards, and its sadness. Her character also recreates some of her interactions with other historic nurses. You will catch first-hand glimpses of nurses Louisa May Alcott, Walt Whitman and others. The performance, both informative and poignant, will help you imagine what it was like when the nursing profession was new. March 21 (Wednesday) from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. (note earlier time) in Founders Hall Cooking Vegan with Nathan, led by Nathan Ryan. An opportunity to cook a vegan meal (and eat it!) with Nathan, learn why he has been eating vegan for many years, and what place this decision has in his Unitarian Universalist faith. March 25 (Sunday) from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Room 51 UU History Rocks: Forrest Church, led by Nathan Ryan. Forrest Church was a self-proclaimed 21 st century liberal Universalist evangelist and gave liberal theology its contemporary credentials as a viable way of religious life. He was senior minister of UU Church of All Souls in New York City for 30 years. March 29 (Thursday) from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. in Founders Hall School Board Candidate Forum. Co-sponsored by the Rockville Community Coalition and the Montgomery County League of Women Voters. (See the article on page 9 for more information.) April 4 (Wednesday) from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. in Founders Hall Immigration As A Moral Issue, led by the UUCR Immigration Team. Session One: Understanding the Causes of Migration April 11 (Wednesday) from 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. in Founders Hall Poetry and Music Coffee House, led by Celia Young. Join us for this annual favorite our spring Poetry and Music Coffee House! Contact Celia if you have poetry (your own or a favorite) you would like to read or a musical piece you would like to share. April 15 (Sunday) from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Room 51 UU History Rocks: Sophia Lyon Fahs, led by Nathan Ryan. Sophia Lyon Fahs was one of the creators of modern American theological liberalism and progenitor of American Unitarian religious education. She revolutionized liberal, systematic theology and was ordained at age 82 by Cedar Lane UU Church. April 18 (Wednesday) from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. in Founders Hall 12 Steps to a Compassionate Life by Dr. Karen Armstrong, a book discussion led by Deborah Kahn and Celia Young. Karen Armstrong believes that while compassion is intrinsic in all human beings, each of us needs to work diligently to cultivate and expand our capacity for compassion. In this book, she sets out a program that can lead us toward a more compassionate life. She makes clear that a compassionate life is not a matter of only heart or mind, but a deliberate and often life-altering commingling of the two. Quest 6 March 7, 2012

7 CHURCH WORKS Board Talk: The C in UUCR Lessons in Governance by Marie Reed, President, Board of Trustees Governing a UU congregation is an art and a growing experience. Board members have lots of opportunities to learn, listen, discern, to visit and revisit issues, large and small. We don t have the answer; we make the best decisions we can, try to focus our time on what we discern to be the most important issues, all the while remaining open to new perspectives. Last summer, I asked the Board to take on resolving the question of whether to change the name of our organization from church to congregation so that we could erect a new permanent sign in lieu of the oilcloth by the Sanctuary. The Board agreed to do so, invited thoughtful comments, put them on our website and made them available on Sunday mornings. As we considered the comments, we felt that resolving the issue well would take much more energy and time than we had realized; so we put the issue on the back burner. Since then, we have been talking with members and friends at the recent congregational meeting and afterwards. We found that a good number of our members do want to have this issue resolved some prefer congregation, others prefer church, and others want to not have this issue simmering. And so the Board and our minister (see her DeLynneations column in the next issue of Quest) reignited its discernment process on this issue. At the February 23 Board meeting, your Board decided to call for a vote on whether to change the C from Church to Congregation at the May 20 Annual Congregational Meeting (6:00 p.m., after a lively potluck). We decided not to open the question further to alternative names because the discussion over the past several years has revealed only minimal interest in alternatives. As you may recall, we asked for comments on this issue earlier in the year, and they are posted on the Members Only section of UUCR s website. Soon we will publish, for general consideration, a summary of the major points made, as well as a schedule of the process we will be using so that members and friends can listen to and add to the conversation. The schedule will include the upcoming Town Hall Meeting on March 25, for which we will provide guidelines for thoughtful (and time-limited) comments. Please note that the church s bylaws require that only members in good standing for at least three months before a vote can vote. So only those who became members before February 20, 2012 will be able to vote at the Annual Congregational Meeting. But we are interested in the perspective of all those interested in this issue. And, if you are saying to yourself keep me out of this, please open your heart and ask someone during coffee hour: Do you prefer church or congregation? And why? I really want to know. You may be surprised and touched by what you learn. Quest 7 March 7, 2012

8 SOCIAL JUSTICE Environmental Justice and UUCR Coordinated by Terrie Barr and Mary Lanigan, Co-Chairs, Green Sanctuary Team This is the second in a series of reports from members of the Environmental Justice class, Our Place in the Web of Life. The class gathered information on UUCR s use of energy, water, food and waste in order to explore UUCR s environmental impact on our local community and beyond. This report on energy was provided by Mary Lanigan. Jon Landenburger has been compiling the statistics on the church s energy usage from the bills. Like many people in the congregation, the church obtains electricity from PEPCO. Electricity is used to power the lights, air conditioning, computers and appliances. Electricity usage for the fiscal year July 2010 to June 2011 was $20,763 for a total of 158,667 kilowatt hours. Gas is obtained from Washington Gas and is used to power the furnaces and hot water heaters. Gas usage for same period totaled $10,395 for a total of 7,223 therms. These totals represent the power needed so our buildings can be used for worship, religious education, host conferences, rent space to two childcare centers during the week, etc. According to information provided to all PEPCO customers twice a year in their bill, 49% of electricity provided by the PJM Interconnection (the Mid Atlantic electricity grid) comes from coal, 12% comes from gas, 35% comes from nuclear, and 4.4% comes from renewable energy sources. The coal fired electricity comes from the closest generating plant at Dickerson in Montgomery County (owned by GenOn Energy, formerly Mirant). According to ilovemountains.org ( my-connection), 18 generating plants within 150 miles of us, including Dickerson, purchase coal directly from mountaintop removal strip mines in Appalachia. According to the website, the Dickerson plant purchases coal from the Whitetail Kittanning Mine near Ki, WV. The closest residential community to Ki is Buffalo Mountain, to whom we are connected by our energy use. On February 29, twenty-six of us began a conversation about installing solar panels at UUCR with the Montgomery County Student Environmental Activists. These high school students approached us in December to consider the possibility of going solar, and... they will help with fundraising! There is a good report posted on the Greater Washington Interfaith Power and Light (GWIPL) website at outlining how seven congregations have installed solar electricity systems including the Mt. Vernon Unitarian Church. As part of the Green Sanctuary process, we feel compelled to explore solar energy since our roof and site make us a good candidate and since we want to use less mountaintop coal! Save The Date Saturday, April 14 Join the 24th Annual Potomac River Watershed Cleanup sponsored by the Alice Ferguson Foundation. From 9:00 a.m. to noon, UUCR volunteers will help save the Potomac by clearing trash along a Muddy Branch tributary. We will meet in the parking lot at Route 28 and Dufief Mill Road in Gaithersburg/North Potomac. Questions? Call Bennett Rushkoff at Quest 8 March 7, 2012

9 SOCIAL JUSTICE Passover Seder for Social Justice and Fellowship on April 1 by David Marks Please join us on Sunday, April 1 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. for a Passover Seder and potluck dinner. Rev. Lynn Strauss will lead the Seder with families participating and learning about this Jewish tradition. Families are asked to bring a side dish. The cost is $5 per adult; children 12 and under are free. We also welcome any additional donations in support of the social justice cause of promoting human rights and eradicating slavery worldwide. Please sign up to attend at the information table in Davies Fellowship Hall after the worship service on Sundays, or Dave Marks (jrmeow@aol.com) or Diane Marcus (dimarhere@aol.com) by March 25 to reserve your place. In addition, anyone willing to help as a volunteer, please sign the volunteer list at the information table. You can also call Diane ( ) or Dave ( ) or us with any questions you may have. We look forward to a successful and festive evening with everyone s participation in this wonderful UUCR tradition! Want to Know More About Beacon House? by Alberta Maschal, UUCR Liaison On Monday, February 21, Beacon House and Rev. Donald Robinson were featured on WUSA's Hero Central. Follow this link to view the segment and be inspired! Way to go Beacon House! We have brochures available which describe the children and youth programs at Beacon House. Please contact Alberta Maschal at amaschal@gmail.com if you would like more information. And,... a very special thank you to Jennifer Rodgers Beach, the Adult Choir and the Music Committee for including Beacon House in their Benefit Concert Series. School Board Candidate Forum at UUCR by Roald Schrack and Alberta Maschal SHARING THE MINISTRY The Rockville Community Coalition, the League of Women Voters of Montgomery County, and the Unitarian Universalist Church of Rockville are presenting, A Forum for District 2, Montgomery County School Board Candidates for Primary Election, April 3, The candidates are: Saqib Ali, Susan Byrne, Jeanne Ellinport, Fred Evans, and Rebecca Smondrowski. The candidate forum will be held at UUCR on Thursday, March 29 at 7:00 p.m. Come and see them, hear them, and quiz them. You may prepare your questions beforehand. Bring your questions on a card to give to the moderator. Your questions require more than a simple yes or no to really find out how well the candidates know the topic. (continued on page 10) Quest 9 March 7, 2012

10 SHARING THE MINISTRY School Board Candidate Forum (continued from page 9) School Board races are non-partisan! You may vote for them in this primary election on April 3 whatever your party registration. The two highest vote getters will then compete in the general election on November 6. When you go to vote on April 3, vote for one candidate from District 2 and one candidate from the at-large list. You can learn where you go to vote on the website: All voters in Montgomery County may vote for all districts 2, 4 and at-large. There are only two candidates in District 4 so you do not have to vote for them; they will both be carried over automatically to the November 6 ballot. Further information on all candidates, both partisan and non-partisan, for the April 3 primary may be found in a printable version of the League of Women Voters Voters Guide available online at Printed copies of the Voters Guide will be available at the March 29 forum as well as at local libraries and other public facilities. The League of Women Voters is holding a forum for all School Board candidates on Monday, March 26 at 6:15 p.m. at the Wheaton Library. See: LWVMC_NSL_March_2012f.pdf. Greeting/Holiday Cards Are Needed by the Craft Group by Sherry Henry and Gretchen Jones, Craft Group Co-chairs Help the Craft Group and the environment by putting old greeting cards in the Crafters box in Davies Fellowship Hall. We are recycling used cards (writing inside is fine!) and any unwanted new ones as well. We are going green and giving old cards new life by making collaged cards, etc. Look for the Statue of Liberty box in Davies Fellowship Hall on Sundays. A Personal Ad by Jan Popp Vibrant, thoughtful, spiritual committee seeks new members. Do you enjoy the Sunday morning worship services? Come and be a part of making them happen. Worship Committee members help set the stage (with candles and microphones), do chalice lightings and readings and even plan some of the summer services. If you have a spiritual gift to share from lighting a candle to leading a service consider joining the Worship Committee. For more information, see Rev. Lynn Strauss or any of the committee members (Steve Eckstrand, Cynthia Thurston, Doris Lee, Jake Pittleman and Nathan Ryan) or contact Jan Popp at jpopp120@comcast.net. Quest 10 March 7, 2012

11 Thinking of You Coordinated by Ethel Gilbert and the Caring Committee THINKING OF YOU Connie Bertka s father is in hospice care in Ohio. Connie, Yingwei Fei and their children were there last week, and Connie will return to his bedside soon. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family. We celebrate the birth of Daniel Nastick. Daniel was born February 4 and weighed 7 lbs 7 ozs. Mother, Jane Christenson, father, Tom, and big sister, Katie, are doing well, as is Daniel. We received a call this past week from Ruth Pauli, whose husband Denzil died in November. We are glad to hear from her and look forward to seeing her at Sunday services soon. Len and Martha Taylor just welcomed another grandchild, Stella Ruth Derks, born on February 13 to their daughter, RobinTaylor, and her husband Eric Derks, who resides in Uganda. Robin, Stella and her 5-year old brother Benson are staying with Len and Martha. All of them will be traveling to Uganda in April to reunite the family. If you would like your announcement included here, please contact Ethel Gilbert. From the Editors... When writing your article for Quest, please: (1) give it a title/headline; (2) include your name, telephone number and address; (3) write in simple, clear sentences; (4) keep your article brief, no more than about 250 words; (5) use Times New Roman, 12; set your page layout as Format: Paragraph: Line Spacing Before and After at 0; Line Spacing at Single. If you wish to have a special format for your article, so indicate in a note at the beginning of the article; (6) the subject line of your should include the words For Quest and the title of your article so that we know it is an article. Quest 11 March 7, 2012

12 Quest Unitarian Universalist Church of Rockville 100 Welsh Park Drive Rockville, MD NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID ROCKVILLE, MD PERMIT NO. 121 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED March 7, 2012 DATED MATERIAL Our Vision The vision of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Rockville is a strong, vibrant, and loving religious community actively engaged in nurturing spiritual freedom and working for social justice. Our Mission The mission of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Rockville is to engage one another in a free and inclusive religious community that encourages lives of integrity, service and joy. We aim to: Nurture, sustain and challenge people to grow spiritually and find meaning in their lives through worship, religious education, social and creative opportunities; Grow together as a multi-generational, diverse and inclusive community; Lead social justice, community service and outreach activities to positively transform our community.