Quest 1. Sunday Worship

Transcription

1 Sunday Worship Services at 10:00 a.m. August 21 Sand: The Eternal Moment Rev. Lynn Strauss Rev. Strauss will speak of the fullness of each passing moment using images of sand as a symbol of the eternal. She will draw from the work of Annie Dillard. Music by the Glen Echoes and Terri Winkler. August 28 Creativity: A Theology of Worship Rev. Lynn Strauss Rev. Strauss will lead the service and share her theology of worship. What are the meanings of our elements of worship? Why do we light candles, sing songs, have a sermon? How has worship changed in our UU tradition? What is the place of creativity in our religious and spiritual lives? What about ethics and social justice? Music by Terri Winkler. September 4 Influence of Conservative Christian Movement Alonzo Smith and Irene Ekstrand This lay-led service will address Conservative Christian beliefs that influence the intellectual foundations of our country and public schools. Music by Terri Winkler. September 11 Intergenerational Water Ceremony Rev. Lynn Strauss and Deborah Kahn, DRE Bring water from a special place to share in community. Reflection on September 11, 2001 and the power of community. Our theme will be Healing Together. Quest The Newsletter of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Rockville, Maryland: A Welcoming Congregation Volume XLVIII, Number 20 Editor: François Martzloff Desktop Publisher: Lisa Petrovich Smith Gather Together and Dance! by Stephanie Kreps I hope you have noticed the flyers about the Welcome Dance and Celebration on Friday, September 9 at 7:00 p.m., and have put that date on your calendar. We heard through the grapevine that Rev. Lynn Strauss likes to dance, so we are having a dance party to welcome her. We are hoping it will be a fun way to kick off the weekend of Ingathering and express our joy for all the good things coming our way at UUCR this Fall. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to come and have a good time with your UUCR community. Irv Chamberlain will be our Master of Ceremonies and DJ. We will have refreshments of all kinds, provided jointly by the RE and Adult RE Committees. The Crafts Group is hard at work on providing decorations. We are hoping to have activities for kids in the Fellowship Hall. So put your dancin shoes on and I ll see you there. Benefit Concert Series The Music Committee and Social Justice Committee announce a special series of three musical benefit concerts to inaugurate our beautiful, new church home. The concerts, to be held on Sundays, October 16, 2005, March 5, 2006 and July 2, 2006 at 4:00 p.m., will benefit Community Ministries of Rockville, the Music Program of UUCR, and the Whitman-Walker Clinic. Please see flyer inside for more information. Quest deadline: Thursday, September 1, 2005 at 8:00 p.m., for mailing September 7, ( to Alberta Maschal, BertaM2628@aol.com) Quest 1

2 Quest Unit nitarian ian Universalist Church of Rockville 100 Welsh Park Drive Rockville, MD Fax: STAFF Minister: Rev. Lynn Thomas Strauss Director of Religious Education: Deborah McGrady Kahn Director of Music: Dr. Myra Tate Accompanist: Mary Gottlieb Youth Coordinator: Leah Davis Church Administrator: Lisa Côté Administrative Assistants: Keashia Bennett, Ginny Scher Childcare Coordinator: Leah Davis Nursery Care Provider: Jane Helton Sexton: Anthony Reeves Board of Trustees Sharrill Dittmann 06, President; Terrie McNulty 07, Vice President; Barbara Kawamura 06, Secretary; Dave Marks 08, Treasurer; Katie Calder 08; Karen Malley 08; John Beach 06; Phil Lowe, Immediate Past President Officers Secretary: Barbara Kawamura 06 Treasurer: Dave Marks, 08 Assistant Treasurers: Eric Burch 07 Ethel Gilbert 06 Quest Staff Editor-in-Chief/Coordinator: Lisa Petrovich Smith, Editors: Martha Beyerlein, Lee Blue, Phyllis Leonard, François Martzloff, Alberta Maschal, Genie Tillisch Desktop Publishers: Beth Irikura, Lisa P. Smith Proofreaders: Karl Irikura, Ginny Scher 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 DeLynneations... A column from our minister, the Rev. Lynn Strauss Waking up this morning, I smile. Twenty-four brand new hours are before me. I vow to live fully in each moment and to look at all beings with eyes of compassion. --- Thich Nhat Hanh What if I were to smile upon waking? To smile upon my husband, in silence. Complaints of tiredness, of disturbed sleep, of the too busy day ahead all overcome, even if only for a minute, by my smile. Just a smile. What if I were to smile upon the view from my window; upon the trees, the birds, the sky? Complaints of weather, of achy bones, of worries and sorrows overcome, for now, by my smile. Just a smile. This simple response to waking on this very morning would be as prayer. An unspoken gratitude, a bowing to the day now unfolding. Twenty-four hours are before me. Long brand new hours are before me. Hours waiting to be filled with meaning, with beauty, with passion for life. Each hour inviting me to fulfillment. Each hour open, new, waiting. Could I then vow to live fully each moment? Could I open to every possibility, to each sound and sight and smell? And could I face suffering, violence, and fear with eyes of compassion? And with eyes of compassion, could I see myself as I truly am, in shame, in struggle, in separation from myself and from creation? My faith calls me to this moment. My healing and joy will come in the realm of this world. It will come when I see the world with eyes of compassion. If I wake with a smile of gratitude welcoming the day before me, looking also upon myself with compassion, then the spirit of life will have come unto me and I will, for one more day, say yes to life. This is the promise of a faith that affirms the possibility of redemption and transformation as we live each new day in gratitude and love. May our faith give us courage for the struggle and joy of wholeness. May we smile at each new dawn. Blessings, Lynn Rev. Lynn Strauss Summer Office Hours Monday - Noon- 5PM Tuesday PM Wednesday PM Thursday - Sermon Writing Day Friday - day off Please feel free to make an appointment with Lynn. Her address is lstrauss@uucr.org Her office phone is x Quest

3 Lifespan Religious Education REflections I will be on vacation August 12-Sept. 5. The church office will have emergency contact information for me. Most of my vacation will be helping my daughter get ready for her freshman year in college and making trips back and forth to Drew University in Madison, New Jersey to take Alexandra for the beginning of pre-season soccer, then to take her stuff up for moving into her dorm room, then to go up for Orientation. The rest of the time I will be trying to make my adjustment to having my oldest child, Geoff, entering his senior year in college and my youngest child, Alexandra, entering her freshman year in college. Anticipating having some extra time as an empty-nester (although, as my husband reminds me, we still have the dog), I said yes to an invitation to be on the JPD (Joseph Priestly District) Baltimore Washington Growth Committee. The task of the committee is to implement the growth plan for vital Unitarian Universalist congregations in the Baltimore-Washington area. I look forward to learning more and sharing more with you. I am also anticipating missing both of my children very much we ve had some good family time this summer. To protect myself from the missing, I ve made plans to fill (overfill) my time; I pulled out my Greek textbook and learning-to-play-the-piano-as-an-adult book and started a list of other possibilities. Fortunately, at this point my daughter started to laugh at my unrealistic plans and I found this quote by Sue Bender, Perhaps each of us have a starved place, and each of us knows deep down what we need to fill that place. To find the courage to trust and honor the search, to follow the voice that tells us what we need to do, even when it doesn t seem to make sense, is a worthy pursuit. What I hope for all of us the rest of this summer is the laughter of a loved one to help shift our perspective and the courage to go deep within to glimpse what will fill our starved places and the courage to honor what we find there. See you at the Welcoming Dance for Rev. Lynn Strauss at 7:00 p.m. on Sept. 9! Blessings, Deborah Fall Brochure on Its Way by Stephanie Kreps, Chair, Adult RE Committee As I write this, I have just finished putting together the Adult RE Fall brochure. We have a good variety of programs for you on Wonderful Wednesdays, and Adult UU RE classes on Sundays. Also, we have added a new film series on two Friday evenings, which we are calling First Friday Freedom Films. Look for the brochure in your mailbox soon. Check out the classes, programs, movies, meditation opportunities and music made available to you by your UUCR Adult RE Committee. Summer RE Classes Three more Sundays, August 21, August 28, and September 4 RE held during Worship Service - 10:00 a.m. - Building #3 Nursery - Kindergarten, Room #36 1st - 3rd Grades, Room #34 4th - 6th Grades, Room #33 Quest 3

4 Help Preserve Affordable Housing? by Terrie Barr Do you wish you could help preserve Affordable Housing?... You can!! The Unitarian Universalist Funding Program has granted an award to the UU Affordable Housing Corporation to create coffee hour kits. Volunteers are needed to staff a table at UUCR to raise consciousness and knowledge and build advocacy groups around affordable housing. You know how pleasant it can be to browse the real estate section of the paper. We see our nest egg growing in value. People living in poverty have the opposite experience. Rising real estate values mean more doors closing for them and their families. Rising home values benefit their landlords; gentrifying neighborhoods are ones they can t afford to live in. We want more people to know what UUAHC is doing about affordable housing and to support this important social justice cause. For every dollar UUAHC can raise, UUFP will match it for a maximum of $10,000. You can help by donating money or by volunteering to learn more about the coffee hour kits. To donate, please go to uuahc.org/content.asp?contentid=361 to download a donation form. If you would like to sell books and house pins to raise money for affordable housing, please contact Terrie Barr. When you change your address, address, or phone number, please notify the UUCR office (uucr@uucr.org) so we can update our records. Social Justice Beacon House News by Alberta Maschal It s not too late to contribute school supplies for Beacon House. Purchase items from the following list and deposit them in the collection box in the lobby. If you don t have time to shop or would prefer to make a monetary donation, please make checks payable to Beacon House Community Ministry, mark your donation for school supplies and mail it to: Beacon House, P.O. Box 29629, Washington DC Supplies needed are: book bags (large, small, and medium) paper - wide and college ruled #2 pencils pens (blue, black, and red) composition books single subject notebooks rulers glue sticks Elmer s Glue (small and medium) crayons (Big 8 and 16 count) pencil boxes pencil bags (for notebooks) divider sheets scientific calculators pocket dictionaries. I will be delivering the supplies to Beacon House after church on Sunday, August 21. Become a Neighborhood Tutor Beacon House is looking for dedicated volunteers for our FOCUS on Excellence Neighborhood Tutoring Program. This is the fifth year we are sponsoring our own structured reading and math one-on-one tutoring program to children in the Edgewood community. In our fourth year, the FOCUS program saw an average increase of 1.6 grade levels in reading and an average increase of 1.5 grade levels in math in our students! Tutoring is held Monday or Tuesday from 5:45 p.m. 8:15 p.m., from late September 2005 to early June If you are up to it, you can tutor on both nights as well! No experience in teaching or tutoring necessary. Extensive training is provided; both a math and a reading training are required. We offer various training sessions to fit your schedule. If you are interested, contact Kim Palmer at or kpalmer@beaconhousedc.org. In addition to the regular commitment required by FOCUS there are numerous opportunities to volunteer for one-time or monthly activities and events. The first such event will be a trip to the Zoo on Saturday, September 24. Sharon Bradley of Cedar Lane is a docent at the Zoo and will be conducting us on our own private tour. We will need adults to help chaperone the children and some to prepare and serve a picnic lunch. More information about this trip will be included in the September newsletter. Note - UUCR Fall Services Under the leadership of Bill Childers (Terrie McNulty was out of town) and Rev. Lynn Strauss, the UUCR Council shared a positive experience of discernment and came to consensus that the worship and religious education time in the fall should remain at 10:00 a.m., with adult RE programs and forums following the service. 4 Quest

5 Never Too Soon to Plan for the Bazaar by Mary Lanigan About 25 people met on Sunday, July 10 to brainstorm ideas for this year s Bizarre Bazaar that will be held on Saturday, November 12. Here are some of the highlights from the meeting. Space: First and foremost on everyone s mind was whether we would be able to use the new sanctuary and basement level rooms, giving us much needed extra room. Building Committee guru Sue Hedges hopes we will have an occupancy permit for the new sanctuary by then, but said we shouldn t count on it. We agreed to plan for both scenarios and decide as the time gets closer. Hours: We discussed the hours for the bazaar in response to concerns raised that the bazaar is not open long enough. We decided to start a little earlier, at 8:30 a.m. (and offer breakfast foods) instead of 9:30 a.m. We also decided to have the sale rooms stay open until 2:00 p.m. instead of 1:00 p.m., have the Live Auction at noon, and close the Silent Auction at 1:00 p.m. We realize this will necessitate having more volunteers to cover the extra hours, but we believe the additional two hours of selling time will result in more income. The Bazaar and Action Auction are the two major fundraisers for the church. They provide a wonderful opportunity to make money, support our community and have fun. The Bazaar team has been meeting with the Action Auction team who has some new ideas for this year s Action Auction in February. Stay tuned. You can start your own bazaar planning now by using those lazy days of August to go through your closets, attic, basement, etc. to identify nice donation items for the bazaar. Sharing the Ministry UUCR Quilt 2005 by Louise Friedenberg The UUCR Quilters will soon be displaying at UUCR their appliqué hand-quilted Wild Birds quilt, which will be raffled at the upcoming Bizarre Bazaar on November 12. Because these appliqué birds are so detailed, and because the quilters have had an unusually busy vacation schedule this summer, the quilt is not quite finished and will not be entered in the Montgomery County Fair this year, which takes place August Quilt Raffle tickets will be on sale soon at UUCR, $2.00 each, 3/$5.00. Our Vision The vision of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Rockville is to bring progressive religion to our community and beyond through words, acts, and invitations; to grow as a healthy, vibrant congregation that embraces a diversity of people and ideas; and to create a center for intellectual, spiritual, and creative exploration. Our Mission For All Ages Potluck Celebration and Birthday Party by Allison Cox Please join us for a Potluck Celebration and Birthday Party on Sunday, September 25, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. All ages are welcome and encouraged to attend. We will honor our September birthdays with cake and, with guidance from Director of Religious Education Deborah Kahn, we will celebrate our food and community. Beth Irikura will teach us a sung blessing to begin our special meal. Bring a dish to share - main course, side dish or dessert. Milk, water and peanut butter and jelly will be provided. Also, the Junior High will be selling hotdogs to help finance the Boston Trip. Quilt photo courtesy of Barbara Harrison The Unitarian Universalist Church of Rockville provides a liberal religious home in Montgomery County, welcoming all who share our journey to seek truth, meaning, fellowship, and wholeness with open hearts and minds. Using Unitarian Universalist values as our guide, we strive to: Nurture intellectual, spiritual, and creative growth, Transform belief into action, Inspire insight and a sense of wonder through worship and religious education, Engage in social justice, community service, and global outreach. Quest 5

6 Advocacy in Quest by Sherry Dittmann An ad-hoc meeting was held July 21 to review some important Quest policies. I would like to use that occasion to remind readers and contributors that while Quest will report advocacy activities, it is not a forum for advocating. While this might seem to be a small distinction, it is an important one. As a principle, the principal purposes of Quest are to educate and inform. During the meeting, several ideas were discussed that would provide a more extended format for discussion of social and other issues. Some of these included chat rooms, continuing the Hot Topics meetings, periodic fora for discussing controversial issues, and an occasional editorial page for Quest. While not all of these may be practical or possible, some might. We have a wonderful newsletter that I eagerly look for in my (e-)mail box, and it s the product of a lot of work by a lot of good folks you! Let me know what you think! RE-Quest by Phyllis Leonard This newsletter Quest is as old as UUCR. Older than our church buildings, Quest began when the church began as the Rockville Unitarian Center, newly spun off from what is now Cedar Lane. Our first meeting place moved from Richard Montgomery High School to the West Rockville Elementary School. Our office was in first-staff-member Harriet Duncan s West Montgomery Avenue house. From there, Quest operations moved to the basement of our new parsonage on Brice Road where Penny Watts, succeeded by Betty Prestemon, managed its production and distribution. Quest has always been written by dedicated professional membereditors. Production and publication technology was by ditto, mimeo, and xerox; layout by cut-and-paste. Volunteers collated, folded, labeled, and stamped issues to be mailed to our ever growing list of readers. Almost fifty years and thousands of issues later, the system is more complex and sophisticated yet the volunteer operation is essentially the same (and still the best way to get to know UUCR and its people.). Folding Quest was my introduction to UCR in Now twice monthly, Quest is one part of the Publicity/Communication arm of UUCR. Each issue reaches an audience far beyond our church members and friends, sent throughout the denomination... to GWA, JPD, the UUA and to many local churches and community-serving institutions via U.S. Mail, , and website. Quest guidelines and creative process remain simple. Quest advises members and friends of Sunday services and other activities and programs sponsored or supported by the church and the denomination. It is a medium for the church membership to share information and personal news of members and friends of interest or concern to the rest of the church community. Items published in Quest are limited to those inserted by church members and friends, committees, groups or organizations, and staff. To communicate effectively, a newsletter should be easy-to-read and reread. Submissions that are simple, well organized and un-crowded, written in brief, conversational paragraphs or 3-4 sentences for a total of under 200 words will read well and be better remembered. There should be a contributor s byline. Submissions need not be formatted. Rotating editors collect items for each issue from or from a folder in the workroom by the deadline date. They edit for grammar and spelling, length, accuracy, style convention and duplication (see Editors Wish List ). Edited copy is then forwarded to the Layout Editor who uses Adobe Pagemaker to format and arrange the articles. The copy is proofread, checked again, then printed and finally reproduced by the office administrative staff. The mailing volunteer team collates, folds, labels, and mails the issue. Voilà! Volume XLVIII #20 appears!!! Editors Wish List by François Martzloff Here are some wishes that I probably share with the other Quest editors, that will make their task easier: Please give your article a title of your choice (the editors might tweak it), followed by your byline. When ing your article, rather than show Quest article as the message subject, please write your title, followed by for Quest. For instance, this article s subject line would be: Editors Wish List for Quest. That would make doublechecking sources and inputs easier. At the end of your article, please show your full name, phone number, and address, formatted as you can see them in the Contacts Box. Having you provide your current and accurate info will help the editors compile the Contacts box and avoid transcript (or obsolete info) errors when retyping from another source. Note: Per Quest policy, that information is removed from the web version unless you specifically request otherwise. And of course, an -transmitted electronic file is preferable, rather than a written-on-paper article deposited in the lingering slot of the workroom at the church. The editors team, including Desktop Publishers/Layout Editors serving as final Pagemakers, all aim to please and make your reading Quest an informative and UU-sharing experience. Looking forward to read you in the next Quest issues! 6 Quest

7 Online Bookstore Updates by Margaret Conelley UUCR s online bookstore at bookstore.uucr.org has some great new books for you to try: God s Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn t Get It, by Jim Wallis. In this bestselling new book, Wallis explains how true faith transcends political categories. Divided by God: America s Church-State Problem and What We Should Do About It, by Noah Feldman. This book examines the fascinating balance the United States has pursued for well over 200 years now the attempt at democratic government by the people in a country made up of many religions, and many highly religious people. Whose Bible Is It?: A History of the Scriptures Through the Ages, by Jaroslav Pelikan. Pelikan presents an outstanding introduction to the development, use and acceptance of the Bible over the centuries. Why the Jews Rejected Jesus: The Turning Point in Western History, by David Klinghoffer. The history of the Jews resistance to Christianity, by a noted historian and writer. After the Apple: Women in the Bible : Timeless Stories of Love, Lust, and Longing, by Naomi Harris Rosenblatt. Common-sense explanations of timeless Bible stories will appeal to both men and women. UUCR gets a percent of virtually all sales at Amazon.com if you reach them through any link on our online store. Amazon carries a huge range of products: music, movies, books, housewares, toys and more. Sharing the ministry Book Club News by Carolyn Pooley The next meeting of the book club will be September 16, 2005, at 7:30 p.m. in Room 44 at the church. Our book for discussion is Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books by Azar Nafisi. This book is about Ms. Nafisi and her seven female students who meet in secret in Tehran to read and discuss Western classics. Ms. Nafisi mixes literary analyses with her observations of the oppressive environment of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Volunteer Fair Save the Date: the UUCR Volunteer Fair will be held Sunday, September 18 after services. Each Committee or Group in the Church will decorate a table and provide snacks and games! Keep a green tree in your heart and perhaps a singing bird will come. - Chinese Proverb Quest 7

8 Calendar UUCR Calendar 8/17/2005-9/10/2005 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday August Upcoming Events: Sept :00 AM Ingathering Worship Service Sept :30 AM Volunteer Fair Nov. 12 Bizarre Bazaar Building Comm. Mtg: Rm.44 Quilters: FH 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM Caring Resources Comm. Mtg: FH Choir Rehearsal: WH 7:30 PM - 9:30 PM UUCR Book Group: Rm 44 9 AM - 4 PM Clean Up/Clean O 10 AM - 12 PM Women's Spiritua Group: Rm AM Publicity Committee Meeting: FH 9 AM Meditation: Rm AM REFRESHMENTS to WELCOME NEW MINISTER: FH 12 PM Clean Up/Clean Out 12 PM Amnesty Int'l: Rm AM - 2 PM Craft Group: FH 10 AM - 12 PM Staff Mtg: WH Adult RE. Comm: FH Quilters: FH 2 PM - 4 PM Family Support Group: Rm 44 Choir Rehearsal: WH Socrates Cafe: W September AM - 9:45 AM Meditation: Rm 44 7:30 PM - 9:30 PM Board Meeting: FH 10 AM - 2 PM Craft Group: FH 10 AM - 12 PM Staff Mtg: WH Quilters: FH Choir Rehearsal: WH 8 PM Quest Deadline 10 AM - 12 PM Women's Spiritua Group: Rm AM Meditation: Rm 44 11:20 AM Youth Adult Comm: Rm 44 11:30 AM Comp. Planning Comm: Rm 24 Labor Day 7:30 PM - 9:30 PM Dream Group: Bldg 3 Rm. 34/35 10 AM - 2 PM Craft Group: FH 10 AM - 12 PM Staff Mtg: WH 7 PM - 8:30 PM Planned Giving Comm: WH Quilters: FH Wonderful Wednesday Meditation: WH 2 PM - 4 PM Family Support Group: Rm 44 Choir Rehearsal: WH 7 PM - 10 PM Welcoming Dance for Rev. Lynn Strauss: WH, FH, Kit 9 AM - 2 PM RE Teacher Train 6:30 PM - 10 PM Dinners for Eight Members' Homes 6:30 PM Jr. Hi. OWL 8 Quest

9 Thinking of You by Judy Plumb, Caring Committee Elsa Tutwiler is excited to be a greatgrandmother again. Owen Scott Higgs was born on July 5 and lives in Rockville, so she gets to see him often. This makes five great grandchildren four boys and a girl for Elsa. Congratulations! We are saddened to report that Janet Greenblatt s brother-in-law, Raymond Ballinger, passed away on July 21st. He had been diagnosed with kidney cancer only three months prior to his passing. News from Betty Prestemon: Thank you to all the members of the UUCR family who have been so generous in their support; those who sent get well cards and called while Bob was sick; those who sent sympathy cards since his death; those who brought delicious food for our family; those who attended the celebration of Bob s life; those who brought wonderful goodies for the reception; and those who made a donation to the church in his memory. I feel blessed to be a part of this loving community. Please keep Connie Farrell, Margot Lawson and Margaret Conelley in your thoughts. They are at home and undergoing chemotherapy. All of them enjoy hearing from their friends. We wish them a speedy and complete recovery. Margaret, especially, enjoys receiving funny s. Sue Van Lenten reports that hubby Bill, who has Alzheimer s, is now living at the Andrus House on the corner of Old Georgetown Road and Tuckerman Lane in North Bethesda. Notes may be sent to Sue at home. Eileen and Roy Torcaso are well and send their regards to all. Eileen reports that Roy keeps as busy as ever at 90+ years. Cards and phone calls are appreciated. Sharing the ministry And this just in from Marie and Steve Reed: Son Alex is entering his junior year at Pomona College in Claremont, California majoring in Economics. He s loving the outdoors, camping, hiking, and mountaineering and dipping into hot springs. He plays the clarinet in a Bulgarian folk music ensemble, which plays in 80 s techno rock style (don t ask Marie nor me what that means!). Elliot starts Stanford Law School in September. His surgery for epilepsy last year was successful, and, after many adventures with the MVA, Elliot can now drive again! He is very happy to soon be living on his own. Marie and Steve are very sad that both their sons will be so far away, but look forward to exploring the West Coast and beginning the adventure of being empty nesters for the time being at least! After her high school graduation Helen Fenimore, daughter of Chuck and Natalie, enjoyed a trip to Russia. This summer Helen was an intern at the Interfaith Conference of Washington, DC and received a United Church of Christ Interfaith Youth Leadership Scholarship. This Fall Helen will attend the University of Maryland, College Park, studying Government and Politics. She s continuing her study of Arabic perhaps some day to be an Arabic translator. Please keep sending me your news. It s good to hear from you! For Young Adults (ages 18-35) Join the UU Young Adults of Maryland (UUYAM) on Sunday, September 25 for a trip to the Tarara Winery s ( Great Grape Wine Festival. Carpools will leave Cedar Lane UU Church (directions at after the second service, at 12:30 p.m. Admission is $12 for adults; $8 for designated drivers. For questions, please contact Megan at mrenner22@yahoo.com or Visit us on the Web at uuyam.uuyan.org! Gift Cards and Coupons by Judy Plumb, Finance Committee Do you shop for groceries? Do you want to help UUCR raise some money the old fashioned way? Well, we have a program that s just for you! EVERY Sunday between services we sell Giant and Magruder s certificates/ cards that are exactly like cash when you spend them. Giant uses gift cards and Magruder s uses coupons. These are in $20, $50 and $100 denominations. The church earns 4-5% on every dollar. So, if you purchase $100 worth of coupons each week, UUCR earns about five dollars. Coupons are also available during the week in the office... in case you run short. Safeway has phased out this program and are using script. You may sign up your Safeway card number for UUCR credit when buying groceries at Safeway. Sign up sheets are available on Sunday or during the week in the office. Every little bit helps... both you and the church. Please support this most worthy cause. There are several volunteers already in the selling department. If you would like to help sell on a Sunday morning routinely or once in a while, please contact me. Quest 9

10 Quest Unitarian Universalist Church of Rockville 100 Welsh Park Drive Rockville, MD RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID ROCKVILLE, MD PERMIT NO. 121 DATED MATERIAL From the Minister... May the blessings of peace and kindness, graciousness, goodness, and compassion flow among us and among all the communities and peoples of the world. - Shabbat Prayer from The Book of Blessings by Marcia Falk 10 Quest

11 Contents SUNDAY WORSHIP... 1 Gather Together and Dance!... 1 Benefit Concert Series... 1 DeLynneations A column from our minister, the Rev. Lynn Strauss... 2 LIFESPAN RELIGIOUS EDUCATION... 3 REflections... 3 Fall Brochure on Its Way... 3 Summer RE Classes... 3 Social Justice... 4 Help Preserve Affordable Housing?... 4 Beacon House News... 4 Note - UUCR Fall Services... 4 SHARING THE MINISTRY... 5 Never Too Soon to Plan for the Bazaar... 5 UUCR Quilt For All Ages Potluck Celebration and Birthday Party... 5 Advocacy in Quest... 6 RE-Quest... 6 Editors Wish List... 6 Online Bookstore Updates... 7 SHARING THE MINISTRY... 7 Book Club News... 7 Volunteer Fair... 7 CALENDAR... 8 SHARING THE MINISTRY... 9 Thinking of You... 9 For Young Adults (ages 18-35)... 9 Gift Cards and Coupons... 9 From the Minister Quest 11