Sunday, March 4
Second Sun. in Lent
Janet Parker, preaching
Wednesday, March 7
Lenten Vespers
Sanctuary
Hank Fairman, Leader
7:00-7:30 pm
Sunday, March 11
Third Sun. in Lent
Chuck Wildman, preaching
Amistad Sunday
Wednesday March 14
Lenten Vespers
Sanctuary
Janet parker, Leader
7:00-7:30 pm
THE NEXT TWO ROCK SPRING NEWS DEADLINES ARE MONDAY FEBRUARY 26 & MONDAY MARCH 12
Deuteronomy 26:1-11 Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16 Romans 10:8b-13
Luke 4:1-13
Sunday March 4, 2007
Genesis 15:1-12,17-18
Psalm 27
Philippians 3:17-4:1 Luke 13:31-35
SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER NEEDED
We're looking for a volunteer to join a team of teachers for the 11 a..m. Pre-Kindergarten class. You'll be responsible for teaching once every three
weeks until the end of June. The curriculum is easy to follow and the children are fun. If you have any questions or are interested in
teaching, contact Rev. Fairman at hank@rockspringucc.org or Laura Jackson, a member of the
teaching team, at hempstead@mindspring
.com.
SHAW COMMUNITY MINISTRY
"Shaw Community Ministry is launching a Saturday Academy for
inner-city youth in the Shaw neighborhood of the District of Columbia.
One of the activities will be providing the young people with an
opportunity to speak to individuals with interesting careers, travels,
hobbies, or other life experiences to share. That's where you come
in! We welcome all who would like to share their life stories in an
informal setting for an hour or so on a Saturday morning. To
volunteer, or for more information, contact: Leslie Nickel
(703-237-8446) or Carol George (703-536-6510).
WOMEN'S
FELLOWSHIP $$ IN ACTION
Women's Fellowship Katrina Response benevolence for 2006 helped fund
rebuilding a house in Biloxi, MS. Like all houses that the Habitat for
Humanity of Northern Virginia team completes, this house is now renewed
inside and out with all new doors, windows, siding, insulation, wiring,
plumbing, HVAC, wallboard, trim, bathroom and kitchen fixtures,
flooring and lighting. It was completed during a January build effort
that John & Robin Overholt participated in. The house belongs to
an elderly man, Richard, and his disabled adult son, Leonard who are
looking forward to moving from the FEMA trailer in the backyard of
their new home.
UP AND COMING JFFAL EVENTS(Just For Fun And
Laughter)
JFFAL Lunch & Wine Tasting
JFFAL invites you to lunch and wine tasting at Naked Mountain Vineyard (NM) www.nakedmtnwinery.com
on Saturday, March 10th! A caravan will leave at
10:30, returning
around 2:30, and the cost is $20 per person. The lasagna lunch is a
15-year tradition at NM and comes highly recommended. To sign-up
contact
Catherine Gahres, (703) 237-8611, or cgahres@verizon.net,
by Feb. 24th
(indicate if you'd like sausage or vegetarian lasagna). There is only
space for 24, so sign-up early! Carpools will be arranged. Visit the NM
web
site for details about their delicious lunch and wine offerings!
GOT YORS?
Senior High YORS
Senior High YORS has voted to change meeting times. We'll meet on Sundays, from 1:00-3:00.
We'll share in a fun lunch, a fun time, and some fun planning on what
is fun! Look to the E-News for the upcoming "cultural immersion"
menu!
Upcoming Dates:
2-25 - How about some Breakfast?
Middle School YORS
"Destination: Easter" Program Beginning Feb. 25: Hank
will lead us through the season of Lent with a series of very special,
fun-packed
activities. More information will follow, but we will need some extra
help from parents to manage activities during this program.
End of Year Trip: Save the Date! Weather permitting, we plan to have an overnight at the Morland's Shenandoah River cabin the night
of Saturday, June 2 with canoeing and outdoor activities on Sunday, June 3.
GREEN ACTION:
To help keep cold air out of your home, install safety
plugs to cover the holes in your home's electrical outlets that are on
walls backing up to the outside of your home. Try it! Brought to you
by
Rock Spring's Eco-Justice Committee.
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Top
LEARN ABOUT
OUR
POTOMAC
ASSOCIATION
Visit the new association website: www.potomacucc.org. Thanks to our own Sara Fitzgerald, who serves as the President of the CAC Conference Board of
Directors.
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BI-WEEKLY
CHURCH CALENDAR
My apologies, the first separate Biweekly Calendar should not have said please review and send comments, although your comments have
been very helpful. In an effort to create the most effective e-news for you, we are
starting a 3 issue trial of sending the bi-weekly calendar in a
separate email.
Please look for it in your inbox. This should reduce the number of printed pages to less than 10 and make the calendar easier to read and
understand.
-- Ben Eckman
HAVE A MINUTE?
by Hank Fairman
Lent always comes upon me like an uninvited guest. Right after the joy of Christmas and before the warmth
of summer, here comes the painful reminder of how much God cares for me! 40 days of reflection, followed by the betrayal, crucifixion, and
death of the one I call my savior, and two days of mourning.
It always starts out for me with these words:
A Voice calls out in the wilderness:
Prepare the Way of the
Lord,
and make straight the pathway of
our God!
Okay, so we don't live in the wilderness (not like the one that Isaiah is talking about in his prophesy). We're part of a burgeoning society,
in a metropolitan city, in an industrial giant of a nation. What does Isaiah's message mean to us today?
This same passage is echoed by John the Baptist. On the day that Jesus came to be baptized (so scripture tells us), John says he is not worthy,
that his work is not good enough, that society is dirty and ill-prepared for the coming of God's own son, the Messiah. In John's time, he lived
in the burgeoning Roman world, near to metropolitan Jerusalem, in the heart of the Fertile Crescent (the ancient industrial powerhouse).
These simple words, this simple challenge reaches out to us. Prepare the way!
Every year, I start my Lenten walk of faith with a devotional guide. Over the years, I have collected quite a few. My first was called
Prepare the Way, making straight the pathway in my heart. A couple of years later, I found Behold His Cross, challenging me
to take up my cross and follow. The one that stand out in my mind the most is Seven Words to the Cross. This one came to me when
I needed to hear God's Word through the story of Christ's Passion and Victory more than ever--when I was lost and seeking.
In the end of this study (far from where we begin our Lenten walk), the author says this:
"Rejoice in this life. See the extent of its possibilities. Celebrate it with others. And hold it fast, even as you give it
away The victories that have come through the weeks of Lent can be a foundation for continuing strength, beauty, gladness, and
service."
Lent has just begun, and our journey towards Easter is but a few steps old. While we make our individual paths straight, we walk
together. On the road to Easter morning, keep this in your heart, for it is the truth of the Good News of Jesus Christ!
But on that third day, all is made new again! On that third day, all the promises of God are completed. Christ is Risen! Christ is
Risen indeed!
See you in Church!
Pastor Hank
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We keep many in prayer for health and peace, including, Netty Wesselink, Donn
Henricksen, Janet Moore, Anna Barber, Catherine Carlston, Bob Schmidt, Bob Vandivier...We pray for Rock Spring young
men in uniform who are stationed in dangerous places, including Robert Morris (Afghanistan) and Ryan Frederick (Iraq). Are
there others? Please let us know.
IN REMEMBERANCE OLIVE SWINNEY We give thanks for the
glorious life of Olive Swinney. Olive's earthly journey ended at Deer Isle, Maine near her daughter Lael and family, February 8. A
memorial service will be held at Rock Spring on April 14. Her last days were filled with family, friends, quiet
music and peace. We give thanks that Olive now rests in God's eternal love and care.
A FRIENDLY REMINDER
A long established practice at Rock Spring Church is that we do not advocate for or against political candidates, incumbents, or parties in services
of worship
or other official presentations of the congregation. Thanks. -Chuck
LENTEN BOOK STUDY OFFERED
BY ECO-JUSTICE
COMMITTEE
3 Wednesday evenings after Lenten Vespers, beginning at 7:30 in the Saegmuller Room February 28, March 7, March 14
Lent offers a wonderful opportunity to spend some time in study and
reflection together on issues of importance to our spirituality and the
world we
live in. This Lenten season, the Eco-justice Committee invites one and
all to come and join us in reading and discussing Thomas Berry's
well-known
book, The Great Work: Our Way Into The Future. Janet Parker
will facilitate the sessions. To quote Ursula Goodenough, professor of
Biology
at Washington University in St. Louis, "Thomas Berry is one of the most
eminent cultural historians of our time. Here he presents the
culmination of
his ideas and
urges us to move from being a disrupting force on the Earth to a benign
presence. The transition is the Great Work--the most necessary and
most
ennobling work we will ever undertake." Berry is a former Catholic
priest, and his work is deeply spiritual, and broadly interfaith in its
reach. Purchase or order the books in the Saegmuller room after
services on Sunday, or buy through Amazon.com or your local bookstore.
Our reading schedule will be as follows:
February 28:
Read the Introduction through chapter 6
March 7:
Read chapters 7-11
March 14:
Read chapters 12-17
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CONGREGATION DISCUSSES MARRIAGE
EQUALITY
Final Listening and Discussion Session for the Proposed Revision of our Open
and Affirming Statement
The congregation has been engaged in a process of studying and reflecting upon the topic of marriage equality since October of 2005, most intensively
since the fall of 2006. Over the past two months, a series of listening and discussion sessions have been held as part of the consultation process
for
the March 18 Congregational Meeting which has been called to consider a
proposed marriage equality amendment to our Open and Affirming Statement. One final session will be offered after both services on March 11. At this
session, the congregation will have the chance to discuss, ask questions and respond to the final version of the proposed revision to our
Statement. It is possible that this version will have changed from its previous form in response to the listening and discussion sessions we
have had in January and February, further consideration by the Marriage Equality Study Committee and Social Action Board, and depending on action by
Council at its February meeting. So we encourage attendance at the March 11th session so
that everyone will be prepared for our March 18th congregational meeting. For information on our process and this topic, see the ONA section of the
Rock Spring website or the materials in the library and Saegmuller Room.
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The Church Staff
| Senior
Pastor |
Charles L. Wildman |
|
Pastor for Parish Life
|
Janet L. Parker |
| Pastor for Children, Youth & Families |
Henry E Fairman |
| Director of Music |
Elizabeth Kluegel Niblock |
| Asst. Director of Music |
Edward Roberts |
|
Children's Music Ed. Director
|
Amy McDowell
|
| Office Administrator |
Ben Eckman |
| Administrative Assistant |
Lisa Mikell |
| Bookkeeper |
Lisa Mikell
|
| Property
Manager |
Don Bauman |
| Nursery
Supervisor |
Fern Lawrence |
| Infant Care
Supervisor |
Maria Elena Cortez |
|
Custodians
|
Willis Gardner &
Vicki Morales
|
| Bus Driver |
Rico Picarriello |
|
