Have a Minute?

By Hank Fairman

There are some days that the God’s word comes to us in the most interesting moments. I was out to lunch the other day with my colleague, Janet Parker. We were supporting our local businesses, sharing a cultural immersion moment at Oriental Gourmet. They, of course, share in the wonderful tradition of completing a meal with esoteric predilection—the Fortune Cookie.

As fortunes go, I find their to share wisdom beyond the crust…or cookie. Now, to be honest, this was not my first trip to the OG (It was actually the second time I had been there in as many days). I found in these recent visits wisdom so deep that it colored my walk in faith.

Do you remember Fulgum’s book on life’s lessons, “All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten?” All I really needed to remember, I learned from the Oriental Gourmet.
One of the folks with whom I shared a meal received, “You display the wonderful traits of charm and courtesy.” She quipped about the need to remember this while driving on I-66. Another cookie read, “To one who waits, a moment seems a year.” Especially when one only has set aside fifteen minutes for a half-hour lunch. My cookie from that lunch with Janet stated plainly, “You Love Challenge.” That, and my lotto numbers were 10 23 13 41 22 26. The former was strangely apropos for the day, the latter proved not to be so.

Now, I have come to find that the Fortune Cookie, while imparting Confucian wisdom, is a treat native to our shores. Beginning in the early 1900’s, the cookies were served in several different immigrant populations in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Both Chinese and Japanese immigrants have laid claim to the sometimes tasty (or tasteless) conclusion to Lo Mein. Wherever the origins, we have all engaged our future with these simple statements of Sibylline wisdom.

What do we learn from these simple phrases? We learn what we should already know:

“The best path towards hope you have is yourself.”
“The best friend in the world is the friend you are to others.”
“But I say unto you, love your enemies.”
“Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”

Wait, those bits of wisdom come from a different source. As you crack into your next fortune cookie, think also of the other places where God’s wisdom comes to you. And give thanks for each of them!
May this season of Lent bring you to ever deeper moments with our still-speaking God.

To Submit articles to the Rock Spring News or the Sunday Bulletin's "This Week @ Rock Spring" section please send them via email : publish@rockspringucc.org

Bi-Weekly Church Calendar

Please click here to view the current Rock Spring bi-weekly calendar.

Spring Clean-Up at Rock Spring

Saturday, March 15, 2008, From 9:00 to 12:00. Please come and bring garden gloves, rakes, and any other tools you think will be useful.

From the Church Council President: The Wildman Retirement

Dear Friends,

On April 13, 2008, we will be saying farewell to Chuck and Anne Wildman, and thanking them one last time for almost 20 years of faithful ministry to Rock Spring and the greater Washington community. You should have received information recently through the mail and in the Rock Spring News about events that are coming up in the near future where we will be celebrating Chuck’s ministry in a variety of ways.
We would like to honor Chuck at the Farewell Dinner on April 5 with a generous cash gift from the congregation, as a way of showing our appreciation for his dedicated service. If you wish to contribute to this cash gift, please send a check payable to Rock Spring UCC, with Wildman Purse in the memo line.

Lastly, we are putting together a memory book of the years at Rock Spring for Chuck and Anne. We would welcome your fond memories, pictures, and/or family generated projects to incorporate in this lasting memory, which I am sure will become a treasure for the Wildmans. Martha Jolkovski is coordinating this project. Please submit your memories to the church either my mail attn Martha J or by depositing them in the Box provided near the audio recording and coffee sales no later than March 23.

On Chuck’s last day, April 13th, we are planning a Church Family Picnic on the lawn. This is geared for the entire family and will involve activities for children and adults. Please plan to attend the Service of Decommissioning in the morning and then join us at the Picnic for one last ”say good-bye”.

While it will be difficult to see Chuck and Anne leave us after 20 years of being a ‘church family’, we look forward to the spectacular events that we have planned to honor and celebrate Chuck’s service, and we hope you will join us at one or more of these events.

Howard University will honor Chuck on April 19th with presentation of one of the James Floyd Jenkins “Pillars of Faith” awards. The award will be presented to chuck at a Luncheon in Greenbelt Md. Many Rock Springers will attend that luncheon to celebrate with Chuck. If you would like more information about this call me.

If you have questions, please contact Jim Meehan

Sincerely,
Jim Meehan
President 2008 Rock Spring Church Council

Green Action Tip of the Week

by Jim Alverson

To conserve water when handwashing pots and pans, put some water in the pots/pans and let them sit for a while, instead of letting the faucet run continuously. Afterward, you can dump the water outside, rather than pour it down the drain (which adds to the amount of water that treatment facilities have to clean). Try it! Brought to you by the Rock Spring Ecojustice Committee.

Earth Sunday 2008

Integrity of the Earth Sunday 2008 -- This year, Rock Spring will celebrate Earth Sunday on April 20 during both worship services and during an after-church event.  The Eco-Justice Committee is planning fun, interactive, and educational indoor/outdoor activities for all to celebrate Earth Day and to remind us of our stewardship responsibility to care for God's creation.  Ideas include a pot-luck (or picnic, weather permitting); demonstrations to learn what's what about wattage and compact fluorescent lightbulbs; and a planting project to help "green" our church grounds.   Mark April 20 on your calendars and stay tuned for more details.  

March Ladies Lunch Out

All women of Rock Spring are invited to our March Ladies Lunch Out at the Oriental Gourmet in the Lee Harrison Shopping center on Harrison Street. Our group will meet on Wednesday March 19th at noon, and order from the menu. The cost is estimated to be $12.00. Please call Barbara LaPlante at 703-533-1928 or e mail at www.barbara@barbaralaplante.com, if you can join us and if you need a ride.

Iraqi Family Update

by Marti Weston

Our Iraqi family members were thrilled by the potluck and enjoyed getting to meet Rock Springers who have been supporting them behind the scenes. Still they were surprised that so many people would come to lunch just to meet them. They have plenty of furniture and plenty of clothes. What the family needs most right now is contact with other people.

Please feel free to call them and go over to introduce yourself. Send me an e-mail, and I'll be happy to give you phone numbers. If you have a child near the age of one of the kids, bring your child along and perhaps you can arrange an outing. Already the two youngest have been to the zoo, the oldest girl has visited one friend, and the whole family has made two trips to museums on the Mall. Ahmed is yearning to discover more about the museums, and several of the kids have heard about a game called - bowling. All are always eager to go to the library. They would love in ones and twos to go to a carefully selected movie. Recently they loved a theatre production at the Unitarian church. Any play dates, dinner dates, or other activities are most welcome. A calendar is kept on the shelf by the door, so you can note your arrangements there.

Salam's resume is finished, and we have a cover letter. We are close to sending it out to people in the congregation to see who might have ideas about a basic entry-level position in a law firm, NGO, or other office setting. He has had several interviews through the Fairfax County job center. With his education and his fluent spoken and written Arabic, he will offer much an employer as his English progresses.

OWL Arrives at Rock Spring

by Christina Fairman

There will be two information sessions for people who want to learn more about the OWL program: March 2 at 12:30 PM and March 9 at 10:00 AM. All Rock Springers are invited to attend. Both sessions will be held in Carpenter Hall and will be led by the certified OWL Leaders of Team 3 AM: Ashley Martinage, Allen Moore and Anne Moredock. Team 3 AM will be teaching OWL Grades 4-6 at Rock Spring.

Children who are currently enrolled in 5th or 6th grade, are eligible to enroll in Our Whole Lives / Sexuality and Our Faith (OWL) classes. The first step to enrolling a child is to pre-register for a mandatory Parents’ Meeting that will take place on March 30, 2008 at 9:00 AM in Carpenter Hall. The meeting will last for one and a half hours. To pre-register for the Parents’ Meeting, e-mail parent/guardian name(s), email address, phone number, and name of child/children to owlgrades456@rockspringucc.org no later than March 24, 2008. Be sure to register early, because participation in the OWL classes is limited. Team 3 AM will then email parents a participant registration packet. The cost of the OWL Grades 4-6 class is $60.00, which includes books and materials. Completed registration packets and payments are due at the Parents’ Meeting.

After the Parents’ Meeting, a Parent/Child Orientation is scheduled for April 6, 2008 from 12:30 PM-3:30 PM. OWL classes will begin at 9:00 AM on April 20, 2008 and will run weekly through June 15, 2008. (No class will be held on May 25, 2008.) For more information, please pick up an OWL brochure in the Saegmuller Room or at the entrance to the Sunday School hallway on the second floor of the Hunter Building. E-mail questions to the Team 3 AM at owlgrades456@rockspringucc.org or to the OWL Launch Team at owl@rockspringucc.org.

Coming Soon: A Communication Class for Parents

Want PEACE in your home? Are you frustrated with your relationship with your kids? Try "How to Talk so Kids Will Listen and How to Listen so Kids will Talk." A Communication Class for Parents. Thursdays at 7:00 -
8:45, RSC, $115. Questions? Ask Bill Clarke, Rose Mary Garcia or the CE Board.

Sunday School News & Notes

With Easter and Spring Break approaching, our CE Programs Calendar will have some special events:

3/09/08 The Many Names for God continues
3/16/08 Special All-Ages Sunday School activity, both services
3/24/08 Easter Celebration, with Egg Hunt and crafts, 9:00 & 11:00

Come share in the Holy Season with your Rock Spring family!

For more information on all of our Christian Education programs, please visit www.rockspringucc.org/html/education.

Confirmation Class

With the varied and busy lives our youth lead today, this year’s Confirmation Class agreed to meet on Sunday mornings from 9:00-10:30, on a (mostly) every-other-week schedule. Upcoming dates and homework for Confirmation are:

March 9 Chapters 20-23: Our Church’s Mission & Outreach and OCWM
March 30 Chapters 20-23: Our Church’s Local Mission and Outreach

Senior High YoRS Summer Mission Experience 2008

Got a hammer? Let’s put the final nails in this year’s Summer Mission experience! Our criteria for selecting a mission site for this year’s trip were: 1) Home construction/rehab work; 2) With other youth groups; 3)  in an urban setting.

We’ve met all three!  The Pittsburgh Project (Pittsburgh, PA) is a community development organization with a 22-year track record of developing leaders and serving the city’s most vulnerable residents. This program performs free home repairs for Pittsburgh’s in-need elderly homeowners, and spearheads economic development and anti-violence efforts in our Pittsburgh neighborhood.  You can read more about them at:  pittsburghproject.savvior.com

A big thanks to Taryn Roman and Jason Henderson for volunteering to chaperone this year’s trip! We still have two slots for adult leaders (one male, one female). If you are interested, and available, please contact yors@rockspringucc.org.

The Details:
Who: High School Youth, who have completed 9th grade
When: June 29-July 5 (as agreed)
How much: $450, with food/lodging/transportation included
**Please note: the cost per person will go down, based on our fund raising.  In the case of financial need, please contact Pastor Hank personally (and confidentially).

Registration:
Our YoRS Mission Experience Group Covenant form, Rock Spring Medical Release form, and a $50 deposit are due by our meeting on 3/3. These are available from Pastor Hank. Please make checks payable to Rock Spring Congregational UCC, with a memo of “Senior High Mission Experience 2008” Forms are available via email yors@rockspringucc.org. The balance of fees is due 4/27.

Senior High YoRS Dates

For more information on our Middle High and Senior High Youth Ministries, please email yors@rockspringucc.org.

Youth of Rock Spring (YoRS)

For our journey through Lent, the Middle High YoRS group will be investigating The Many Names for God in our world. This will be an immersion journey into religious traditions other than our own! Members and Friends of Rock Spring, if you have shared in the traditions of Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Orthodox Christianity, Mormonism, or one of the many faces of God, we’d love to have your help sharing the faith and practices. Please contact yors@rockspringucc.org, and we’ll work out the weekly presentation schedule.

Middle High YoRS Dates:

For more information on our Middle High and Senior High Youth Ministries, please email yors@rockspringucc.org.

Church Staff