I am anticipating my own Fourth of July activities as I write this Moderator’s Memo and I am reflecting on the rich conversation we had Sunday during coffee hour with DC clients of the Asylum Seeker Assistance Project (ASAP). Since the discussion was so close to July 4th, we focused on holidays, in particular Independence Day. We learned about independence day traditions in countries as disparate as Syria, where it is called Evacuation Day (Google it to get the
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Moderator's Memos
Here is a collection of our Moderator's Memos to our congregation, updating them on church activities, goals and achievements.
From Our Moderator
Open and Affirming
Every Sunday morning, as I (like moderators before me) welcome people to our church service, I reaffirm that we are an “open and affirming” congregation and that “whoever you are and wherever you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here.”
To be open and affirming simply means that our extravagant welcome into the full life and ministry of our church extends to everyone, regardless of sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions. It also means
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From Our Moderator
Joy as Resistance
Several years ago at one of the Spiritual Practice Sessions led by Kris Davis, Pat Lindsey mentioned to me the UCC Stillspeaking Daily Devotional. Many of you remember Pat; she and her husband Andrew Clark were integral members of our church community during their time in Washington before they returned to Canada, their home country.
Following Pat’s suggestion, I checked out the Daily Devotional and subscribed immediately. I now get it delivered via email every morning
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From Our Moderator
More than Words
Widening Our Welcome for the 21st Century – 2nd Century Challenge – A New Foundation – Caring for Our Community – Building the Future – Renewing Our Foundation – Widening Our Welcome
These are some of the more popular suggestions for our Capital Campaign name that came out of our brainstorming session on Saturday morning and Coffee Hour on Sunday morning. I don’t know whether we will end up choosing one of these phrases or whether
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From Our Moderator
“I believe the children are our future ….”
“I believe the children are our future, teach them well and let them lead the way” – So begins a song, “The Greatest Love of All,” made popular in the 1970s by George Benson and again in the 1980s by Whitney Houston. It remains one of my favorites.
Those of us fortunate enough to be at church on May 5, Children’s Sunday, can have no doubt about the wisdom of those words.
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