November 17, 2011

Dear Friends,

With a new pastor, a new vision and new energy to carry us forward, we are at an exciting time in the history of our church.  As I mentioned Sunday, we have an opportunity right now to do amazing things in support of our mission of nurturing love of God and love of neighbor in the world.

Of course, fully realizing this opportunity necessitates contributions of time, energy and financial resources. If I may quote from the eloquent Don Clarke:

As we embrace our vision, we must take our fair share of responsibility for its realization. Of course, our still-speaking God and the Holy Spirit among us will play no small role in guiding how we nurture love of God and love of neighbor in the world, but there can be no Vision, no Mission without our joyful contribution of treasure and talent.

We are at the mid-way point of our Stewardship Campaign, and still awaiting responses from most of our members and friends.Please take the time to conclude your deliberations and send your pledge in the stamped, addressed envelope included in your pledge packet.  You may also bring your pledge to church on Sunday and place it in the collection basket.

We’re especially looking forward to hearing from those of you who will be pledging for the first time, helping us reach our goal of 100% participation!

Although we’ve only received 16 pledges, there is every indication we are in reach of our goal in Mission CPC: Launching Our Vision.  We have $54,000 in pledges – 25% of our goal.  I’m also excited to report that one-third of our pledges are from first-time pledgers!

Everything is pointing in the right direction, so please get your generous pledges in now and we can proceed into the Advent season firmly secured in our plans to launch our vision in 2012!

Pastor Ellen’s Installation: This Sunday

At 4 pm on Sunday, Nov. 20 we will have a special service to install Pastor Ellen Jennings.  This is a wonderful opportunity for the congregation and Ellen to affirm their commitment to one another, and we would love to have a strong turnout.  Please attend if you are able.

Thanks to John Voll

On behalf of the congregation I want to thank John Voll for his wonderful work in leading our service on Sunday.  At a time when it seems so much of the world chooses to focus on division, particularly between Christians and Muslims, John’s words of unity, understanding, and love of neighbor were powerful and thought provoking.

Help the Homeless Walkathon

We’d love to have you join the CPCC team for this event on Saturday!  Go to www.helpthehomelessdc.org to register.  Our team is “Cleveland Park Congregational UCC.”  Walkers will meet at the exit of the Smithsonian metro stop at 8:45 am on Saturday, 11/19.  For more information, please e-mail njpaulu@aol.com

Warm Regards,

Don Marshall

November 3, 2011

Dear Friends,

In an earlier email, I mentioned the ‘rush of wind’ that blew through the house of the Apostles, and our own sense at CPC is going through a similarly dramatic renewal.  If any further evidence was needed that this is indeed the case, it was certainly provided these past two weeks!

On Sunday we celebrated the addition of twelve new members into our congregation. It was a wonderful affirmation that, whether you are married or single, young or not-exactly-young, straight or gay, you are welcome here!  (Heck, we even welcome people who are not Red Sox fans). Please join me in again welcoming our newest members:

Joshua Blume                                                Emily Lanza

Justin Chappell & Ben Spangenberg      Melissa Loughlin & John Tichy

Julia Churchill                                                Thomas Russell

Mark Corrales & Ellen Jennings               William Tweedley & Daniel Sack

In the last couple of weeks we also had three events that generated wonderful fellowship.  As Ellen mentioned, over 40 people participated in our dine-around.  Meanwhile, more than 60 animals and their human companions were blessed in our annual event (and someone from the community blogged about it – read it here), and nearly 20 people braved cold and rain to support the CPC team in the AIDS Walk – which raised over $2,000 for Whitman-Walker.

But of course, renewal, fellowship and religious services require more than just a willing spirit and lots of participants.  And so, this past Sunday we began our 2012 stewardship campaign, with the theme “Launching our Vision.”

That theme serves as a reminder that we are indeed embarked on a new path, which Ellen outlined in our mid-year meeting, and also that we each have a role to play in helping turn the vision into reality.  If you haven’t already, you will soon be receiving stewardship information in the mail.  Please take time to think about what CPC means to you, and make your pledge.

For all those interested, you can find Ellen’s most recent sermon here.

And now, onto to some upcoming activities…

Help the Homeless Walkathon

Please join us for this annual walk on Saturday, Nov. 19.  If you’re interested in participating, e-mail Nancy Paulu-Hyde at njpaulu@aol.com.

Pastor Ellen’s Installation

On Sunday, Nov. 20 at 4 pm, we’ll have a special service for the installation of Pastor Ellen. All are welcome and encouraged to attend!

Advent Wreath Making and Lunch

After service on Nov. 22 we’ll hold a special lunch to join together and make Advent wreaths.  If you want to participate, please sign up in the parlor.

Our Community

There have been so many people recently who have contributed to our church community, including Kris Davis who organized the AIDS Walk, the hosts of our dine-around – Barbara and Jim Goff, Lorna Aldrich and Margaret Goodman, Mary Kurtz, and Mary Jane and Robert Glass – and everyone involved in the blessing of the animals.  We thank them all – and, in particular, I want to thank Don Clarke, who accepted our “invitation” to chair the stewardship campaign.  His experience and grace, which we saw on full display this past Sunday, are very appreciated by all of us (and, most assuredly, by a certain moderator).

Warm regards,

Don Marshall

Friends -

“We don’t always make respectful and loving choices…we often err on the side of selfishness, vanity and greed.” 

Believe it or not, that not a quote from the show Jersey Shore or The Real Housewives. It’s actually from Ellen’s sermon this past week in which she discussed God’s recognition of our need for guidance in order to fully appreciate life’s blessings.

The passing of Rosh Hashanah, a time when “God’s great gifts” are celebrated, is a good time to think about how we individually embrace the blessings that we’ve been given. There are great lessons and so much inspiration to be found in the stories of those who face life’s most difficult challenges and yet still cherish God’s love and embrace the beauty of life.

I personally find inspiration in my grandmother, who at 93 and struggling in the closing days of her life, got on her feet and walked to church as often as she could, greeting everyone she passed with a smile.  And of course, I think of the stories of faith and perseverance that rise out of human tragedy – none greater than the Holocaust. Ellen mentioned the Holocaust victims who sang Ani Ma-Amin – I believe – as they were being taken to their death. And she discussed the story of Etty Hillesum, an extraordinary woman who wrote a diary full of compassion and love, even in the face of persecution.  She, too, sang as she was being taken to Auschwitz.

For more about Etty Hillesum’s diaries, you may want to visit:

• Books with her diaries and writings
• Etty Hillsum Foundation

Ellen mentioned a video, with a soundtrack of the Miami Boys Choir singing Ani Ma-Amin – you can view that here (have tissues nearby).

And now, onto some business…

Dine Around – October 22^nd

Please join us for a fun evening of house-to-house dining, and then dessert back at the church.  If you plan to participate, use the sign-up sheet in the church parlor or get in touch directly with Mary Jane Glass (casaglass123@yahoo.com).

Blessing of the Animals – October 23^rd

We don’t discriminate – bring cats, dogs, birds, gerbils, three-toed sloths, or even pictures of beloved animals that have passed on.  All are welcome — as long as you consider the animal a pet and he or she is reasonably well behaved! The event takes place at 4 pm on the church lawn.  Feel free to invite friends and neighbors.

AIDS Walk – October 29^th

We will join thousands of other walkers for the 25^th anniversary AIDS Walk on Saturday, October 29.   The CPCC team will gather at 1301 Pennsylvania Avenue, on the northeast corner of Freedom Plaza, at 8:30 a.m. for the walk, which begins at 9:15 a.m.

Please join our team!  To do so, or to make a donation, click here. Each walker must complete a separate registration. Please contact Kris Davis (krisdavis@starpower.net) if you have questions or would like assistance with online registration.

Our Community

Our great friend and loyal Financial Secretary, Michael Durst is being honored with a Benjamin E. Cooper award for his service to the Community Council for the Homeless. Since Mike is one of “our own” and CCHFP is one of our mission priorities, this is great news! This special event is at Friendship Place on October 24^th; for more information, please e-mail Ellen at pastor@cpcchurch.org.

Warm Regards,

Don Marshall

September 7, 2011

Friends -

I just returned from a summer trip, but did have a chance to read Pastor Ellen’s most recent sermon.  I noted that, around the time she was discussing hail and thunder, and other plagues cast upon Pharaoh, I was caught on my motorcycle in torrential rains and thunder.

I’m guessing it was not because my heart has hardened (more likely because I take weather forecasts too lightly).  But the experience did lead me to think about her sermon in the context of recent severe weather and disasters.  In discussing the importance of loving your neighbor and your enemy, Ellen talked about a “God who invites the outcast and the stranger to his table and will go to any length to find the lost and welcome them home.”

I had a chance to observe these words in action as I traveled through Vermont, and saw volunteers providing support to people who had lost their homes and seen their towns devastated.  It served as a reminder that, at CPCC we also have many ways to put action to these words, whether through the work of the Mission Committee or simply through the warm and supportive welcome we give to all who cross our threshold.

And with that, I will simply remind everyone of the upcoming calendar of activities and events…

Ongoing – Meals on Wheels. CPCUCC  supplies one driver and one jumper to deliver mealson the 2^nd Saturday of each month. Teams can consist of individuals or family members.  The route takes about an hour, some time between 10:15 am and 12:30 pm.  To learn more,contact John Osborne at jlo@g-risk.com.

9/11 – Acolyte Training:  K-8th Grade Children & Youth are invited to learn the candle lighting ritual for the worship service.  The training will take place during Coffee Hour.

9/17 (Saturday) – Sunday School Supper:  5-8 pm at the church.  A fun potluck will be followed by kids’ activities while the adults gather to learn about the K-8th Grade Sunday School Program and receive some important teacher/assistant training.

9/18 – Fall Bible Study Begins:  9:30-10:20 am each Sunday.  Please contact Rev. Dit Talley at dittalley@aol.com for information about the book the class is reading this fall.

9/18 – Cabinet Meeting:  After worship.  All Cabinet Members and any interested congregation members are encouraged to attend.

9/25 – Deacons Meeting:  After worship.  All Deacons and those interested in worship and member care are invited to attend.

9/27 (Tuesday) – Interfaith Meditation:  7:30-8:30 pm in the Sanctuary.  Rabbi Gilah Langner and Ani Rinchen Khandro will lead us in an evening of contemplative prayer and meditation in the Jewish and Buddhist traditions.  Sponsored by the Mission Committee.

10/22 (Saturday) – Dine-Around:  Details still to be determined.  Please e-mail Kimberly if you can host one of the dinner groups and/or help to organize this fun CPC tradition!

10/23 – Blessing of the Animals:  4:00 pm on the church lawn.   You’re invited to bring live pets or pictures of pets (either those who don’t tend to do well around lots of animals or those who are departed) for a blessing.   Please invite your friends and neighbors!

10/29 (Saturday) – AIDS Walk:  Gather early (before 9 am) and walk together as a congregation, wearing our new CPC t-shirts!  More details to come.

10/30 – New Member Ceremony:  We’ll welcome a large group of new members into our congregation during the worship service.   Please contact Mary Jane Glass at casaglass123@yahoo.com if you’d be interested in sponsoring a new member or new member family.

11/20 – New Pastor Installation:  4 pm in the Sanctuary.  Pastor Ellen was “called” in April, began serving CPC in June, and will be officially installed as Pastor at this formal service.  The entire congregation is invited and encouraged to attend!

Warm Regards,

Don Marshall

August 25, 2011

Friends –

I’ll confess that when I hear the question “who are you” – which was the centerpiece of Ellen’s sermon this past week – my first thought goes to the iconic song from The Who, and not to the lesson of Matthew or the words of Frederick Buechner.

But if you’re like me and you cherish those classic rock songs (on vinyl, preferably), rest easy – Pete Townsend’s song about losing your way actually fits nicely with words and lessons of Matthew and Rev. Buechner.

In fact, they merge around a question that has fascinated, thrilled, perplexed, and challenged people since, well, probably since we stopped being hunter-gatherers.  What are we meant to be doing in the world and to whom do we answer?  Or as Ellen put it so beautifully in quoting a poem from Mary Oliver, “What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life.”

It’s a vital question, and Ellen’s words on Sunday provided a tremendously interesting and useful exploration of it – along with an invitation to discuss it individually with her.  With that, this seems like a good time to give a plug for the fact that we are now posting all sermons on the CPCC website.  To read the sermon from this past week (which I encourage!) or other weeks, visit:

http://www.cpcchurch.org/clark/sermons

Pastor? Reverend?

Ellen suggested in her recent email that we’re free to call her what we wish (well, preferably using one of the two titles mentioned above), but it seems that some among us have strong feelings on this topic.  In fact, one (anonymous) member went so far as to compose a limerick on the subject.  Enjoy…

When the pastor-v-reverend issue arose

We were really quite surprized.

It didn’t really matter much,

(Or, so we had surmized).

Now, some of our brethren

May choose to use “reverend”

But most think that’s unwise.

For, just like our milk

and things of that ilk,

We like you pastor-ized.

Mark your Calendar

August 28:  Pastor Ellen will conduct a New Member Inquiry Session after church.  Please email her at pastor@cpcchurch.org if you or someone you know wants to participate.

August 28:  Rev. Dick Dodds, our Minister Emeritus, and his wife, Margaret, will be joining us for worship and coffee hour.

September 25:  The church Cabinet will meet after service.

September 27 (Tuesday):  The second in our series of guided meditations with inter-faith religious leaders. 7:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Our Community

One of the most impressive things about our community lately is, quite simply, the level of engagement.  Typically our quietest months, July and August have seemed to be more active than usual – with more members gathering Sunday, a number of visitors and potential new members at service, and plenty of activity around our non-service related activities.  It’s a pleasure to see, and to be a part of!

Warm Regards,

Don Marshall

August 18, 2011

Friends –

With a new pastor settling in and the dog days upon us, you would be forgiven for thinking that CPCC is quietly plodding along through these summer months.  In fact, thanks in part to Joseph and his fancy coat, we’ve had two consecutive weeks of lively and intriguing lessons focused on families. More to the point –dysfunction in families.

I think it’s fair to say that family relationships rank right up there among the most difficult, and yet important, considerations in our lives. After all, much of who we are and how we act is the result of lessons gained through family life.

No family is perfect, and some produce quite painful and difficult environments.  But in discussing the tumultuous life of poor Joseph (who, as Dit said, truly defines the notion of familial dysfunction), Ellen made the point that we absolutely are not condemned to perpetuate the pain we may have endured.

“We have the capacity to transform,” she said.  “We have the ability to heal. And we have the grace of God to help us do both.”

Our own church family (surely free of any dysfunction!) also counts on the grace of God, and the inspired contributions of so many people, to do the work we do.  And with that, a few matters of church business…

Updated Bylaws

Attached to this email, you will find a new version of our church bylaws and constitution.  Relatively minor changes have been made recently to our bylaws – this year we added two cabinet positions to represent our church to the broader UCC community, and last year we added a Vespers representative.

New Member Inquiry Session

Pastor Ellen will conduct a New Member Inquiry Session after church on Sunday, August 28.  If you are on this email because you’ve visited our church and are considering membership, this session is for you!  And if you are already a member and have friends who may be interested in joining, this is a great opportunity for them to learn more.  Please email Ellen at pastor@cpcchurch.org if you or someone you know wants to participate.

Rev. Dodds Visit

 As Ellen mentioned previously, August 28 will be special for another reason – Rev. Dick Dodds, our Minister Emeritus, and his wife, Margaret, will be joining us for worship and coffee hour on that day.

Our Community

As I was looking at the fairly blank sign-up sheets for greeters, readers, and more, I was reminded of the role that Richard and Susan Bambach play in our church.  Whether they’re greeting us at the front door, reading scripture, or volunteering in any number of ways, their willingness to serve seems inexhaustible, and is clearly one part of what makes our church special.

And yes, this is also a not-so-subtle reminder that we would love to have your help with coffee hours, greeting, scripture reading and more.  Please take a moment to sign up using the sheet in the parlor.

Warm Regards,

Don Marshall

August 5, 2011

Friends,

During service, Pastor Ellen asks us to “heed God’s call and honor our need for Sabbath and rest.” This time of year, when many of us are taking a break from work and enjoying a bit of rest, is a very good time to consider the joy of slowing down and the importance of reflecting on our faith.  In addition to providing an excuse to eat too much, vacation affords us a little extra time for rest and reflection.

And speaking of vacations, even in the midst of the summer season we had a very well attended service and Mid-Year meeting on the 24^th.  For more details about that, and other church business, please read on…

 Church Committees & Deacons

A good suggestion was made during the Mid-Year meeting to make certain all in our congregation are aware of who is serving in the church Cabinet (and therefore, who is heading up the various church committees), along with who the deacons are.  With that, I have compiled and attached a list of these people, along with their contact information.

Our Community

Warm Regards,

July 19, 2011

Friends,

Here, we are family.  This is something I sensed when I first walked into our church a few years ago and was so warmly greeted.  I’ve felt it in the sharing and conversations over coffee after service.  And, perhaps most poignantly, I’ve seen it when one in our congregation is suffering.

As Pastor Ellen discussed in her sermon this week, we can make good choices in life, but ultimately we are not fully in charge – a virtuous life does shield us from suffering.  However, as we’ve seen this past week, we most certainly can and do support each other when suffering occurs.

In addition to our ongoing prayers, last week our church family offered support for Lori Sonderegger, providing a chair so her mother’s caregiver has a comfortable place to rest.  We also joined in prayer for LaTia Wilson and her family, who are suffering under the loss of a loved one.

On Sunday, LaTia stood before the congregation for a solo performance of Give Me Jesus.  It became much more than simply a song.  LaTia asked for our prayers, as her uncle had just passed away.  Fighting back tears and lifted by the support and prayers of the church, LaTia delivered a truly beautiful and powerful performance.

As with any family, all who were present shared LaTia’s pain, along with the beauty and love of her song.   And while it was a special moment, it is wonderful to be able to say that it was one among many that we have all experienced as part of the CPCUCC family.

Onto some business – this week, I want to focus on just one important item:

Mid-Year Meeting:  This Sunday

I strongly encourage all church members to attend the mid-year meeting after service this Sunday, July 24.  A number of important items will be addressed, including:

• Review of our budget
• Vote on a bylaw change to allow for a new Cabinet position
• Pastor Ellen’s discussion of her vision for CPCUCC

The last item will be particularly valuable for the congregation, as it is our first opportunity to hear Pastor Ellen’s thoughts on the future direction of our church.  As we are still early in the planning process, it will provide an opportunity for the congregation to provide feedback and suggestions.

Warm Regards, Don Marshall