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CCC NewsNotes January 7, 2003 From Jim,
Service
of Leave Taking,
Between
Christmas and Lent,
Note from Greg Linden, Social
Witness Month,
CCC
PARTICIPATION IN PEACE-RELATED INITIATIVES From JimI am writing this on New Year’s Eve, December 31st, my last official day with you before beginning my sabbatical leave tomorrow, returning April 1, 2003 (No fooling!). At the December 29th Sunday services my sermon dealt with the vision for my sabbatical and specific plans. That sermon is posted on the CCC Website and copies are also available in the church office. Following the sermon, those present took part in a short “Service of Leave Taking” (printed below). It spells out our covenant expectations together for the duration of my leave. As I said in my sermon, I leave at this time confident of the leadership in place in our congregation – Linda Carder as Acting Senior Minister, Dale Ostrander and John Touchton offering leadership and pastoral care, our outstanding lay leaders, Jackie Walters and Dave Main, and our peerless support staff of Ruth Avery, Dick Meyer, Archie Freeman, Cory Gray, and David Gayer. All will be well. Let us continue to keep each other in our prayers. Blessings! Jim Moderator: As Jim Todhunter begins his three-month sabbatical on January 1, 2003, let us mark this time with mutual affirmations. Congregation: During this period we release Jim Todhunter from all responsibilities for pastoral care and congregational leadership. We will respect his need for rest, prayerful reflection, and Sabbath. Our only expectations are that he return to us safe, healthy, refreshed, and ready to resume an active pastoral ministry. We pledge to pray for him and Lois on a regular basis. We affirm Linda Carder as acting senior minister during the sabbatical period. We pledge to honor her in that role and affirm all the responsibilities that come with it. We pledge to support all the CCC Staff during this period with honesty, forthrightness, and loving patience. Jim: I embark on this sabbatical with gratitude for this opportunity to take my leave of you. While I will not be functioning as your senior minister during this time, I pledge to you my commitment to deepen my spiritual journey and to the pastoral ministry. My intention is to return to you rested, spiritually enriched, and empowered in ways that, with God’s help, will enrich our mutual ministry. You and the CCC Staff will be in my prayers. Moderator: This leave taking is a mutual one. For this sabbatical time, this congregation and its Senior Minister will journey separately. Do you both pledge to honor the importance of these separate journeys and to avoid any activities that would confuse or undercut the integrity of each journey? Jim Todhunter and Congregation: We so pledge. Moderator: And do you pledge to pray for one another during this time? Jim Todhunter and Congregation: We so pledge. Moderator: And do you pledge to mark the time of Jim’s return with thoughtful and prayerful planning for celebration and recommitment to your mutual ministry? Jim Todhunter and Congregation: We so pledge. Moderator: Let all the people say Amen. All: Amen! Between Christmas and Lent the church celebrates the Season after Epiphany. The word Epiphany means “manifestation,” “revelation” or “showing forth.” On Epiphany we read the story of the magi, which is a story of the manifestation of God in Christ to all the nations of the world. On the Sundays during the season after Epiphany we read the early stories of Jesus: his baptism by John, his calling of the disciples, and his early ministry. Through all these stories, God’s power and mercy are made known and God’s word of hope and love and life is proclaimed. The star is a symbol for Epiphany, recalling the star of Bethlehem that led the magi to the Christ child. The star symbol also points to light in general and to Christ the light of the world. Like a light in the darkness, God’s love surrounds us, challenges us and directs us. Many churches use this time after Epiphany to focus on mission and service as a way of helping people see how the church makes Christ known to the world. During the month of January here at CCC, the Board for Social Witness will provide Mission Moments during each service of worship. These will be designed to help all of us see how CCC is now and will continue to make a difference in our world. There will also be materials and videos on that week’s topic available during coffee hour. The Board is also providing information in the bulletin and News Notes about opportunities to work for justice and peace during the New Year. The star may be a particularly appropriate symbol for CCC at this time. While Jim is away following his spiritual star, we too, need to be finding our spiritual star, to be on a spiritual journey together, learning to seek and discover God’s word for our lives. We are hoping that during this time we will be able to offer opportunities for persons to join in small spiritual support and sharing groups as a part of this journey. There may be other small group offerings and some daylong retreats for holistic care and nurture. We will be on this journey also. Linda has just called together a spiritual support group for nurture through Jim’s sabbatical and on to the time of her retirement. We have great hopes that this will be as rich a spiritual journey for us as Jim’s time will be for him. Linda and Dale I will be leaving the State Department in early January. I have been selected from an international field of applicants to head up the Information Systems Branch of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW.org) in The Hague, Netherlands. The organization is a technical secretariat of the UN and its name tells its 5+ year old story. I will effectively become the CIO of the organization and be charged with rebuilding a broad and troubled IT organization. During my years at State, I have had an immensely interesting experience that has taught me innumerable lessons in leadership, technical competency, cross-agency information sharing, and diplomacy. I wish each of you individually much success in the future and am confident that the State Department and Federal government more generally will continue the present positive course to effectively define and meet an evolving and demanding set of missions. As I transfer to the UN system I retain re-employment rights, so I may be back sometime in the future and hope to contribute once again. Until then, I can be reached via email shortly at Greg.Linden@opcw.org . Take care and be well. Gregory Linden January will be Social Witness Month at Christ Congregational Church, during which the Board for Social Witness will seek to inform the congregation about current topics and projects at the Sunday services. In addition, the Board invites interested persons – members and visitors – to participate in the peace-related activities discussed in the separate article below. CCC
PARTICIPATION IN PEACE-RELATED INITIATIVES Anyone distressed by the apparent U.S. march away from peace and toward war with Iraq is encouraged to become part of a UCC/CCC presence at one or more of the following events in January: Annual Interfaith Prayer Service in honor of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. - 3:00 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 12, National City Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Thomas Circle, Washington, D.C. The featured speakers will be the senior pastor of National City Christian Church, the Rev. Alvin O. Jackson, and Devadatta Gandhi, great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi. The event is being sponsored by the Christian Church-Capital Area, The Church Association for Community Service, the Downtown Cluster of Churches, The Inter-Faith Conference, the Martin Luther King Jr. DC Support Group, and Call to Renewal/Sojourners. The Board for Social Witness has agreed to be a supporter of this event, and a group will be meeting in the church parking lot at 2 p.m. to travel together to the service. Call Gregg Brown, Board for Social Witness co-chair, 301-589-1080, for more information. National March on Washington, D.C - Saturday, Jan. 18. Rally at 11:00 a.m. on the west side of the United States Capital. March to Washington Navy Yard. There will be a UCC presence at this march to say no to war with Iraq. To more information about joining a UCC/CCC group, contact Anne Weissenborn, Board for Social Witness co-chair, 301-681-6042, or watch for updated announcements in the Sunday bulletin. Martin Luther King Day Prayer Service - 2:30 p.m., Monday, Jan. 20, Washington National Cathedral. (Note apparent change in time from earlier announcement.) Call to Renewal/Sojourners is a key organizer of the event, which will focus on peace and justice and the connection between war and poverty and which may include a candlelight march to the White House. Call Anne Weissenborn, BSW co-chair, 301-681-6042, for more information on plans for CCC participation or watch for updated announcements in the Sunday bulletin. Board for Social Witness The Adult Education Class will meet at 9:15 a.m. in the Meeting Room. The book to be discussed is A Third Testament, by Malcomb Muggeridge. The CCC Book Group will meet at 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, January 12, at the home of Mary Stone to discuss the book Bel Canto by Ann Patchett. This is the rescheduled discussion for the meeting that was cancelled because of snow. New members are welcome. Sacrament
of Baptism After the 11:00 a.m. service, those interested will gather in the Conference Room to discuss the Sacrament of Baptism in the UCC. This discussion may be of particular interest to those who have questions about the meeting and procedures surrounding this sacrament, which may be performed at any age. Can you help either as a regular (one Sunday per month) or substitute usher (as needed)? Please call Peter Boyer (301-589-0544) or Clark Prichard (301-384-7126). The Keystones Capital Campaign comes to a close on February 28, 2003. Please remember to complete your pledge payments. Take Time Out for Yourself at a one-day retreat for women, “Taking Care of Ourselves,” on Saturday, Feb. 8 at CCC. Sponsored by the Women's Committee, the day will begin with fellowship and refreshments at 9:30 a.m., followed by morning workshops from 10 a.m.-noon, a healthy lunch, and afternoon workshops from 1-3 p.m. Topics/activities will include spirituality, nutrition, fitness, Reiki, meditation, and more. Come for the full day or stop by for a morning or afternoon session - & bring a friend! Contact Linda Phelps (301-622-3174,lphelps@gazette.net ) or Gretchen Wiederrecht (301-439-2674, robwied@erols.com) to register and to let us know if you need childcare. Many thanks go to Shirley Boettner and Ruth Haigh for the stunning poinsettia arrangement and to all who so generously contributed poinsettias. Also, thank you to Jean Caswell for the lovely arrangement on the Chancel table Christmas Eve. Joanne Hollcroft Please join the Bethesda Chamber Singers for an a cappella concert in celebration of Christmas past and Spring to come. Sunday, January 19 at 4 p.m. in the Sanctuary. Free-will offering. Reception following. Call Marcy Gustafson at 301-587-5756 for more information. The calendar for giving memorial flowers on Sundays throughout 2003 is now posted on the board near the office. Please sign up to provide flowers for the church on a Sunday of your choice. Free to good home with preschooler(s) -- 2
almost-new Century booster car seats for 4-7 year olds. Call Jim Gifford
or Sara Watson, 301-879-7692, saradwatson@aol.com. Sisters for SistersSisters for Sisters will meet for lunch in the upstairs conference room on Sunday, January 19, after the 11:00 service. Please bring your own sandwich; drinks and dessert will be provided. PLEASE NOTE: Deadline for the next issue is THURSDAY, January 16, 5:00 P.M. Please submit articles via: email - mojobo@aol.com, phone - 301-236-0025, or paper copy - drop off in the News Notes box in the church office. Thank you, Joan Boyer, Editor The Rev. Jim Todhunter, senior minister; the Rev. Linda Carder, assoc. minister; John Touchton, director of music; the Rev. Dale Ostrander, director of programming for older adults; Richard Meyer, property administrator; Ruth Avery, office administrator; Archie Freedman, Custodian |