Volume 1
Issue 4
Inward
Springs
Deep within us there is an inward spring - a source of meaning and hope.
Legacy
What do I want to leave behind? What
do I want my legacy to be? Certainly
these are big questions for the very
meaning of our lives. In the grand scheme
of things, there is plenty of mulling to be
done about what will remain at the end of
my days. But right now, in the middle of
a busy week much like so many of your
busy weeks, I’m pondering legacy on a
rather smaller scale.
What do I want to leave behind me, not in life more generally, but in the room
when I get up and leave? What should remain of my presence, or of yours, when
we’ve left the dinner table or the office party or the business meeting?
I want to leave a sense of actual presence so that whatever the task of any
given moment, I can walk away knowing I actually showed up for it. When I ask
my daughter how her day was, I want to walk away with her knowing I really
heard her answer. When I negotiate my way through a conflict, I want to stand
up and know that every person in the room felt like there was room for them at
the table. When I leave RRUUC, I want to feel like I’ve left one honest word,
trailing behind in my wake.
As you go forward to leave legacies large and small this month, I wish you
blessings. Every breath you take has its lasting impact. May yours be peaceful,
intentional and full of gentle grace.
Peace,
From OctoberOctober-May, many of
our congregational programs
are organized around monthly
spiritual themes. These themes
provide focus for greater
depth in our congregational
and spiritual lives. They are
metaphors held in common, a
way to approach big
questions together.
Inside this issue:
• Because We are Lovers of
Beauty
• The Courage My Mother
Had
• Erin Go Bragh
• Everything is Possible
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• REflections
• Religious Education
4
• Hands–On Legacy
• Legacy and Spiritual
5
Questions
Discipline
•
•
•
•
Chalice Tuesday Offerings
Spirit & Silence Service
Chalice Circle
Films That Make You Think
• Unitarian Universalist
•
Service Committee
Our Partner Church Legacy
• The New Jim Crow:
Common Read &
Discussion Groups
River Road
Unitarian
Universalist
Congregation
6301 River Road
Bethesda, MD 20817
301-229-0400
[email protected]
www.rruuc.org
Nancy Ladd, Senior Minister
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Inward Springs
Because We are Lovers of Beauty
Legacy is often thought of as what has been “handed
down from the past”—what gift has been left. One of the
most important legacies given to River Road, in my
opinion, is the “Religious Significance” statement
reported by the 1962 Building Committee of River Road.
This was at the heart of why our building and our
religious community was created. In the poetic words
written by Building Committee Chair, Dale Wright:
Our church shall be designed to contribute to and
reflect the warmth of love, the lift of the human spirit in
moments of exaltation, and the integrity of the intelligence
engaged in the search for truth. Our church shall
symbolize the attitudes and aspirations of our
congregation. Because we are a unity in diversity,
imposing no dogma but believing in the freedom of mind
and spirit, our church may incorporate materials and
aesthetic qualities which create a unity of effect. Because
we are dedicated to the brotherhood of man, our church
shall have a universal quality. Because we have a concern
for people and an openness to the world, our church shall
be warm and inviting rather than cold and forbidding.
Because we are a religious community, our church shall
not have an institutional character; it shall be a place
where we can grow as a religious fellowship and as
religious persons. Because we use our heritage creatively,
our church shall be creative and artistic, yet honest and
simple, a combination of modern and traditional
materials and design concepts in a contemporary
structure. Because we are lovers of beauty, both in
human works and in nature, our church shall be beautiful
rather than sensational or bizarre, and it shall achieve an
integration of building with terrain and interior space
with surrounding nature. Because our church is not an
end in itself, it shall be designed to provide an
appropriate and functional setting for the activities of our
congregation.
The Courage My Mother Had
The courage that my mother had
When with her, and is with her still:
Rock from New England quarried,
Now granite in a granite hill
The golden brooch my mother wore
She left behind for me to wear;
I have no thing I treasure more:
Yet, it is something I could spare.
Oh, if instead she’s left to me The thing she took to the grave! That courage like a rock, which
Has no more need of, and I have.
Blessings,
Ginger Luke
Minister, Religious Education & Congregational Life
~ Edna St. Vincent Millay
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Volume 1 Issue 4
Page 3
Erin Go Bragh
After my father retired he became
interested in exploring his Irish heritage. He
read books about the Great Potato Famine
and researched the immigration records of
my great-grandfather. He and my mom
took several trips to Ireland including a
visit on the 1000th anniversary of Dublin.
He ordered all kinds of knickknacks from
Irish merchandise catalogs and became
very fond of Celtic music. But by far his greatest passion was St. Patrick’s Day. He had a box of flags and large shamrocks that he
decorated the outside of the house to show the whole world that he was proud of being Irish. He donned bright green clothes from
head to toe, which made him look like a jolly leprechaun since he was barely 5 feet tall. Dad’s obsession with his roots spoke to a
deep yearning to reclaim the legacy of his ancestors. He found a deep sense of belonging in the historical lineage that encapsulated
his religion, culture and world perspective. He grew up in a poor working class part of Philadelphia where the Irish people were
still feeling the effects of discrimination. He was a card carrying union man who always felt a kinship with oppressed people. He
realized that his skin color gave him privileges so he dedicated his life to advocating for and helping others who continued to
struggle for equal opportunities. He passed on to me an awareness that my connection with humanity extends backwards and
forwards in time and what I do now in my lifetime affects others.
Doug
Doug McCusker
Ministerial Intern
I had an inheritance from my father,
It was the moon and the sun.
And though I roam all over the world,
The spending of it‘s never done.
~ Ernest Hemingway,
from For Whom the Bell Tolls
Everything is Possible
You can be anybody you want to be,
You can love whomever you will
You can travel any country where your heart leads
And know I will love you still.
You can live by yourself, you can gather friends around,
You can choose one special one
And the only measure of your words and your deeds
Will be the love you leave behind when you're gone.
~ lyrics from a song by
Fred Small
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Inward Springs
REflections
REflections
daughter grow strong and independent, able to prosper
no matter? Will the home I live in be as good to the next
family as it has been to mine? When I wash the trash (as
my mother-in-law was fond of describing recycling
efforts) am I helping those I will never live to see?
Living with legacy in mind, not mine but yours, helps
me to live in the stream, not work to redirect it. How
does it change your living?
Prior to serving River Road, I served two historic
congregations, both founded in the early 1800’s within
fifteen years of each other, by members of the Cranch/
Eliot family, yet separated by 1000 miles. I learned
quickly to serve in the context of legacy. “That which is
handed down” is the word’s definition giving us a
framework with which to continue what our Jewish
brothers and sisters refer to as tikkun olam – repair of the
world. Working with legacy mindfulness creating what
others can carry forward or transform as need demands.
In some ways, I work as if my departure is imminent.
Can that which I did today continue -- is a question that
concludes my day, almost every day. Have I helped my
Peace be with you,
Gabrielle
Gabrielle Farrell,
Director of Children’s Ministry
Religious Education & Questions to Reflect Upon
•
•
•
•
Spirit Play (9:15 & 11:15 am)
Stories this month in Spirit Play
Hammer of Justice
RRUUC Fellowship Hour and Cookies
Jan Hus and the Goose
Ruby Bridges
Sacred Spaces (9:15am Only)
Story for January – Hammer of Justice
Art Space – River Road UUC History in Stepping Stones
Discovery Space –Learning to Knit Our Way to Justice
Drama Space – UUSC Guest At Your Table
Field Trip – How to be an Ally (TBD)
Neighboring Faiths, Values, and OWL
Classes begin with questions related to peace. These
questions, suggested by Beth Irikura, Director of Youth
Ministry, make excellent discussion starters for all ages.
Bring together what you heard in the sermon with what
your child talked about in Religious Education.
• How do you want people to remember you?
• What are some of your family’s values that have been
passed on to you?
• Who is your favorite Unitarian Universalist from
No legacy is so rich as honesty.
history and why?
• Who in your extended family’s history has influenced
you and how?
~ William Shakespeare
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Volume 1 Issue 4
Hands-On Legacy
youth have the opportunity to walk around
Walden Pond and see where Unitarian Henry
David Thoreau spent his years in the
wilderness, but also see that the train tracks
into town rattled his small cottage. Youth get
to stand at the very pulpit where the famous
Unitarian, William Ellery Channing preached
at the Arlington Street Church. They attend
services at King’s Chapel, a Unitarian church
that is still quite Christian and can flip through
the Book of Common Prayer uniquely written
for that church to exclude mention of the
trinity.
These UU legacy experiences enhance,
inform, and inspire these youth’s belief
statements, the culmination of the Coming of
Age program. I hope that in the spring
everyone will be able to come to their
ceremony and hear these statements, our
youth’s legacy to us.
Every other year, Ginger and I take the youth in the Coming of
Age class on a heritage trip to Boston. So much of our
denomination’s legacy comes from there. We tell the stories, but it
comes alive when they can actually be where the action was. The
Beth
Beth Irikura,
Director of Youth Ministry
Legacy and Spiritual Discipline
Legacy provides a special avenue for
spiritual direction. If you feel so invited,
as you lie in bed each night (or any other
time that might work better for you, but
do this regularly at the same time of
day), say out loud or to yourself:
• I am the daughter (son) of and name
your mother (or your father),
• Who is the daughter (son) of and
name your grandmother (or your
grandfather),
• Who is the daughter (son) of and
name your great-grandmother (or
your great-grandfather),
• Who is the daughter (son) of and
name your great-great-grandmother
(or your great-great-grandfather).
(Do this as far back as you know the
first name of these relatives. Feel to
include both maternal and paternal
ancestors.)
My body to this very day receives
blessed, complicated and sometimes
difficult gifts, from these ancestors.
• the shape of my body
• the way my heart works
• the way I speak
• even how I see physically and
metaphorically
• where I grew up and who I think of
as family.
• These ancestors are still a part of
me.
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I am a part of them. History lives in my
breath and blood.
May I always be grateful. May I carry on
their legacy.
We don’t inherit the earth
from our ancestors, we
borrow it from our children.
~David Brower
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Volume 1 Issue 4
Chalice Tuesday, January 8
Join us for a nutritious supper at 6pm. $7/adults, $3/
children. Afterward, participate in all ages learning
experiences including children and youth choirs,
quiet rooms for reflection and study, and these
opportunities:
The Chinese Dragon, 7pm
Create a dragon head for the Children’s Chapel Lunar New Year
celebration.
Ancient Wisdom in Modern Society - Renaissance of
Traditional Chinese Culture, 7- 8:30pm
Join staff from the Shen Yun Performing Arts, (at the Kennedy
Center late January), as they share the legacy of the universal and
timeless principles of classical Chinese dance and traditional
Chinese culture. This legacy was silenced during the Cultural
Revolution, but as is true of many legacies still remained to rise
again as a new paradigm shift for culture and a model for each of us
as we face life's challenges.
Spirit & Silence, Sunday, January 13
Allison Choppick
Meditation, Music and Silent Reflection
7pm, Sanctuary
In the busy rush or our lives, sometimes it is important to rest long
enough that the spirit might move in us. Join Rev. Nancy, Joy Rains
and River Road Musicians for this alternative worship service.
Chalice Circle, Monday, January 14, 7pm
Chalice Circle is a covenant group that explores the spiritual
journey prompted by the Inward Springs theme for the month.
It is an open group—newcomers and people whose schedules
do not permit perfect monthly attendance are always welcome.
Join us whenever you can.
Upcoming Inward Springs Themes
February
Truth
March
Courage
Stories and poetry about legacy will guide us through much
of this experience led by Rev. Ginger Luke.
April
Memory
Films That Make You Think, Friday, January 25, 7:30pm
Zeitgeist: The Movie (2007)
Peter Joseph explores the controversial links between organized religion, the global financial markets and the
international power structure in this thought-provoking documentary that probes several well-known conspiracy
theories.
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Inward Springs
Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC)
National Youth Justice Summit Presentation
UUSC or the people they empower to be a "guest at your
table" through January 27. Membership forms and "Guest at
your table" boxes will be available on January 6 in the
Fellowship Hall following the services.
Coffee, Conversation & Controversy (CC&C)
Contemporary Issues Forum
Sunday, January 6, 10:25am, Fireside Room
The legacy created by the UUSC is highlighted when Jamie
Harmon and Rosie Cohen share from their experience at the
National Youth Justice Summit in Boston last summer
UUSC Month at River Road
UUSC Membership and
Guest at Your Table
Each of us has the opportunity to continue the world
changing legacy of the Unitarian Universalist Service
Committee. You can join UUSC ($40 individual
memberships; discounts for seniors and students) and also
participate in "Guest At Your Table." This program invites us
to contribute each day the amount we would spend if we
invited someone to be a guest at our family table. Invite the
Carve your name on hearts, not tombstones. A legacy is etched into the minds of others
and the stories they share about you.
~ Shannon L. Alder
Our Partner Church Legacy
Part of the legacy of our Unitarian tradition comes out of
the history of Unitarianism in Transylvania. Our National
Partner Church movement is what has kept knowledge of that
legacy alive for many years.
This year as River Road celebrates its 20 year partnership
with the Unitarian congregation in Fiatfalva, Romania, our
congregation is honored to host a one-day UU Partner Church
Council (UUPCC) conference on January 19.
This workshop offers an opportunity to learn the basics of
partner church work and to share in the inspiration that results.
Visit www.uupcc.org for details.
If you are willing to offer a guest room to a conference
attendee or if you are interested in learning about the work our
RRUUC Partner Church Committee is doing, please contact
Joel Schrag.
You can also discover more about our partner church
movement – and the origins of Unitarianism – by traveling to
Transylvania! UUPCC is organizing an affordable pilgrimage
RRUUC’s Partner Church in Fiatfalva, Romania
to Transylvania in May, 2013. Visit www.uupcc.org/
trips.html for more information.
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Inward Springs
Common Read—The New Jim Crow
Throughout Unitarian Universalist communities
in the United States, people are participating in a
“common read” of The New Jim Crow. You are
invited to join in on that common read and on the
spiritual journey it may take us.
The New Jim Crow:
Mass Incarceration in an Age of Colorblindness
Michelle Alexander
Available in the RRUUC Bookstore
What is the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King? His
dream lives on, as does the work of creating a fully equal
society that truly bends the arc of the moral universe toward
justice. In this searing and important study of the American
criminal justice system and its impact on young black men,
Michelle Alexander argues that, “we have not ended racial
caste in America; we have merely redesigned it.” This book is a
call to action, an invitation to continued pursuit of freedom, and
a difficult reminder that the work is never done.
The New Jim Crow Discussion and Study Opportunities
Our legacy can be what has been
left for us. We choose what to do with
that legacy. Sometimes legacies have
been hidden from us for years.
Sometimes we choose to ignore
legacies because we are embarrassed
by them or frightened by them, or they
are simply too painful to face.
Michelle Alexander in The New Jim
Crow addresses such a legacy—a
legacy which shapes the very being of
this country and thus ourselves, and
yet a legacy we have chosen to ignore.
Ms. Alexander calls us to face the hard
truths about a radicalized caste system
in the United States so that we may
begin a journey of change and healing.
She calls for the spiritual work of
building a movement to dismantle a
system that has tainted us politically,
legally, economically, culturally, and
above all, morally.
This month RRUUC has a number
of opportunities for you to examine and
discuss the book with others in our
community. It is important to read the
book for participation in these
workshops. (If you cannot read the
whole book before the sessions, start
with chapter 5.)
Adult Enrichment Sessions
Register for these sessions on our
website under Adult Enrichment,
(www.rruuc.org/ae,for one or all of the
following:
• Single two-hour session,
Sunday, Jan 13,12:30-2:30pm
(Whole wheat bread, hummus and
peanut butter to make simple
sandwiches will be provided.)
Or
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• Two one-hour sessions,
Sunday, Jan. 13, 12:30-1:30pm and
Sunday, Jan. 20, 12:30-1:30pm
Racial Justice Task Force members
will facilitate these discussions.
And in February:
• Chalice Tuesday Workshop,
Feb. 12, 7-8:30 pm; Focus on
February’s theme Truth (Facing the
truth in The New Jim Crow)
Book Groups
(No Registration Needed)
Evening Book Group
Monday, Jan. 14, 7:45pm, Room 31
Contact: John Hansman
Morning Book Group
Friday, Jan. 18, 9:45am, RRUUC
Library (Rooms 7 & 9)
Contact: Candace Ridington