Universalist National Memorial Church

From the heart...

Most of our Sunday guests find us on the web. They may have seen our new colorful banners and gone to the internet or they may have started with an internet search and found us that way. Some guests are invited by members or friends, and others have simply walked by and dropped in; but the majority of our guests find us on the web.

We have a significant number of guests every week, and it is a joy to welcome them to our church each Sunday.

From 2006 to 2008 we have had a 34% increase in Sunday worship attendance. That is a significant increase.

However, our membership numbers are not significantly higher. And, it is membership growth that will keep our Universalist presence in this region alive and well. If we don’t increase our numbers, there is a risk that Universalist Christianity will die in this region.

We need to ask ourselves, “Why is it important that this church survive?” And, “What are the challenges we face in keeping it alive in an age where fewer and fewer people are going to church?”

A good portion of my non-spiritual reading is on “church growth,” and I can tell you with reasoned discovery that church growth is a complex issue. When you include the challenges of an urban church, as well as the Universalist factor—universal salvation—it becomes even more complex.

Words by Rev. Lillie

In Toni Morrison’s book Sula, two young girls grow up together, closely sharing the drama and joy of childhood. Their lives change and they do not see each other for many years. Morrison describes what the loss of that friendship looked like to one of the women.

"There was something just to the right of her, in the air, just out of view. She could not see it, but she knew exactly what it looked like. A gray ball hovering just there. Just there. To the right."

Change can be joyous or tragic, wanted or resisted. But, no matter what, it carries with it that “gray ball” that hovers just outside our consciousness reminding us that we are rooted in something that goes with us forward into the change.

It is that way with individuals and with churches. Our response to change depends upon our willingness to embrace the mystery of what might happen as a consequence of the change.

Words by Rev. Lillie

Reading

Often I am asked for suggestions on books to read. Most of the time, the requests are for books on Universalism. However, I have two favorites that I’m recommending this month. Below you’ll find my thoughts on them. If anyone reads them and wants to begin a book discussion group, let me know; I’d be glad to participate.

Why God Won’t Go Away is a book by Andrew Newberg, Eugene D’Aquili, and Vince Rause. It is a very good read. It is the kind of book that can be meaningful for every kind of theology one might hold—from mystics to secular humanists. It explores and offers a deeper understanding of the physiological roots of mysticism. In it we find:

"Logic suggests that what is less real must be contained by what is more real, just as a dream is contained within the mind of a dreamer. So, if Absolute Unitary Being truly is more real than subjective or objective reality—more real, that is, than the external world and the subjective awareness of the self—then the self and the world must be contained within, and perhaps created by, the reality of Absolute Unitary Being…

Again, we cannot objectively prove the actual existence of Absolute Unitary Being, but our understanding of the brain and the way it judges for us what is real argues compellingly that the existence of an absolute higher reality … is at least as rationally possible as is the existence of a purely material world. "

Words by Rev. Lillie

There are exciting things happening at UNMC. The leadership retreat was well attended with long-time members and friends, as well as newcomers who are already taking leadership roles in the church. There were twenty-four people who participated throughout the day.

The intrinsic benefit of the retreat was the significant amount of sharing—personal stories, hopes for the church, and thoughtful, creative communication. One of the small groups that formed out of our “challenges” was a group that looked at enhancing the spirituality of our congregation. One of their suggestions was to increase adult religious education.

There is one covenant group forming as this is published. It is a group that will explore “Spiritual Practices and Prayer.” Lisa Harris will be facilitating this group.
Someone has volunteered to present “Universalist History,” and another person has offered to facilitate a Christian, Universalist perspective on “A Course in Miracles.” Both will be announced in March and if enough people sign up, they’ll begin in April. I am working on a curriculum for “Prosperity and Abundance.”

Words by Rev. Lillie

As a New Year begins, the idea which is paramount on my mind is church growth.

Each of us has our own reasons for wanting the church to grow. For most of us, the reason is pretty simple: we want to share this beautiful religion. What would it look like for us to “share” this religion?

First, more of us need to ask our friends and acquaintances to visit our church. We need to be enthusiastic about our church to people we work with or people we meet in secular activities! If we are growing to grow, we have to ask people to visit our church. Research shows that non-church-going people visit churches and later join them because they were invited!

Second, we need to start talking about our mission to “…create a loving community for worship and service in the spirit of Jesus Christ” and to “… welcome all and respect individual beliefs as we grow together.” We have a wide range of theological and Christological beliefs here at UNMC. And that is very affirming to all of us. If this free-religious faith is meaningful to us, don’t you think it would be the same for others? People in our world are hungry for spiritual nourishment in a religious community that accepts them with love. Our congregation’s mission clearly affirms this and we need to make it part of the “fabric of our lives.”

The hard question: Are we being selfish by not sharing our experience, speaking out, telling others about our own religious community?

Third, we need to learn more about this Universalism we love so much.

Words by Rev. Lillie - Music

Joyous, spiritual, love-filled music is one of the vital components of a fulfilling worship service. The growth of our church requires a vibrant music ministry. As our moderator announced in his Message from the Moderator, we have a talented and dynamic, newly-hired music director. But now, we need singers and choir members.

Words by Rev. Lillie

It is strange how our minds bring snapshots of memories to our consciousness.

I can be driving, or walking, and all of a sudden there is a vision of my brother and me playing tag in Grandpa Jim's cornfield. Laughing, running, and occasionally a little foot would whack into those corn plant roots and cause abrupt, searing pain between our toes! It is all there, the joy, the fun, the pain, and the beauty of being a little girl, playing in the country garden.

This phenomenon of intrusive memories is common to all human beings, and occurs throughout our lives.

Words by Rev. Lillie

See flowers blossoming in the summer fields
And understand the passion
Each one has to grow. (Gwen Frostic)

Summer is here and for a few weeks or a few months many of us will have respite from our usual routines. We will go to the shore, or mountains, or even the desert. At church yesterday, two people told me they are going to New England for the summer.

We will “catch and miss” each other this summer, being away and in town at different times. It will be joyous to see each other on our return and hear about each other’s holidays and vacations.

Words by Rev. Lillie

My father said, more than once, “Never argue about religion.”

I don’t know whether it was my father’s wise words, or my own nature, but I’ve never been inclined to debate or argue religion. I have had discussions about religion, but when the other person(s) become argumentative, I find a way to extricate myself from the discussion.

I won’t argue, because my father was correct. Beliefs and religion are highly-invested and internalized, and it takes more than words to change personal beliefs.

What people believe are their experiences, and what changes their minds and their lives, is living out the stories of their lives.

Words by Rev. Lillie

In a few weeks, you will install me as your minister. I will be the eighth settled minister of Universalist National Memorial Church. It is an honor for me to be here in ministry with you.

The act of installation is covenantal and grounded in the rituals of tradition.

In the nineteenth century in New England, it was not uncommon for Congregational, Universalist, and Unitarian ministries to be thirty, forty, or even fifty years long. They were covenantal unions created to share the ministry of Jesus’ call to create God’s kingdom here on earth.

Our installation means the same to me: a covenantal commitment to each other to share the ministry of UNMC. A ministry that reaches out to the greater community in service and reaches inward to each other in love, joy, spirit, and support.

Words by Rev. Lillie

Recently, I was talking with someone about life’s blessings. Happiness came up, and he said, “I think being grateful is part of happiness.”

That got me to thinking about a movie I watched recently titled Three Wishes, and it is about a man who is terribly unhappy in his youth because his father is supposedly killed in action in Korea. It is a magical movie; Patrick Swayze is a ghost—not the first time he played a ghost— who travels about the land giving families three wishes.

Words by Rev. Lillie

In the early Christian churches there was, historically, a time of fasting and prayer before the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection. This observance lasted forty hours.

Sometime during the middle ages, this time of fasting and prayer was extended to forty days and became Lent. According to some scholars, it became a time dedicated to remembering the sacrifice of Jesus and his trials and tribulations. Today, most Catholics and Orthodox Christians, and some Protestants observe Lent by giving up something for the forty days between Ash Wednesday and Easter.

Words by Rev. Lillie

TWO WORDS – CHURCH MEMBERSHIP

Soon we will begin focus group meetings to talk about what the church means to each of us and what we need from the church.

We are entering this process, because research shows that people want and need expectations when they join a church. They have their specific reasons for joining, and part of that is the need to contribute, to be connected, to become a part of something greater.

Words by Rev. Lillie - Grace

Grace is giving unearned—sometimes undeserved gifts—or unconditional love to another.

For example, when we are a young child, no matter how mischievous or provocative, compliant or dutiful we might be, we still get a present on our birthday!

The most profound example of grace I know is the hijacked United Airlines Flight 93 that was flying to Washington, DC on 9/11. Experts tell us that it was very likely going to crash into some building in DC that is a prominent symbol of our country. Yet, despite the terrorists’ intentions, Flight 93 crashed into a field in Pennsylvania. Because a few passengers were courageous enough to take matters into their own hands, a DC building was spared and grace happened for some workers. What a wonderful example of grace given to those who certainly did not earn it and were never even aware of it.

Our Universalist heritage is about grace. Grace is the best word in our language to describe God’s unconditional love for us.

Christmas Shopping

Christmas shopping on-line? Amazon.com a favorite site?

You probably know that you can buy most anything at Amazon. But, did you know that if you use the Amazon link at our web site, the church will receive a small percentage of your purchase price? Even gift certificates (if purchased before March 31) will contribute to the Pastoral Discretionary Fund, which helps Pastor Lillie address the unmet needs of church members and the wider community.

What are we reading at UNMC? What's So Amazing About Grace? is our Advent study book.

Words by Rev. Lillie

Joy

How much joy is in your life?

Sometimes, when you’re driving down the road, or sitting on the Metro riding home, or waiting for the bus, does a feeling of joy come over you? Do you pay attention to the feeling and recognize from what thoughts this joy came?

Rev. Lillie Mae Henley's Arrival

We have a lot to be grateful for at UNMC – a dedicated and caring group of members and friends, a beautiful building, a wonderful music program that enlivens our worship hall every Sunday, and a deep respect for each other’s beliefs as we untangle our individual faiths. Now we have one more thing to be grateful for: Rev. Lillie Mae Henley – our new settled minister.

The Pastor's Ponderings

How do you say, "Goodbye." Not easily. The "ride" here at UNMC has been exhilarating - mostly. I have enjoyed myself with you and come to know you as a stimulating, tough thinking, congregation with an insatiable quest for what is true. You have kept me on my tippy-toes.

The Pastor's Ponderings

Carl Jung had a dream, when he was about 35. He was entering an old, heavily overgrown temple and walking toward an altar with a candle on it. Just before he arrived at the altar he noticed a monk with his head bowed, praying in the first pew. He stood there for a while wondering who he was. He then lifted the hood of the monk and discovered to his amazement his own face looking back at him. “Ah,” he said later thinking about the dream, “there is a part of me inside dreaming me up.”

From the Pastor's Desk

February is the month for lovers. Valentine's Day is the Fourteenth and everyone is supposed to get a card or gift on that particular day from the one they love. Sometimes, however, we must feel like Charlie Brown, waiting in front of his mailbox, to learn if he has received a card or letter from the Red Headed Girl with whom he is secretly in love - and he waits in vain.

From the Pastor's Desk

“O My, ‘05 Is Gone”

Ah, another year! The old one is gone and a new one has arrived. New Year’s Day is pretty much like yesterday or tomorrow. It is only one ordinary, twentyfour hour period. Our calendar, however, has made this moment of time a special one. It establishes a brand new interval. It is the beginning of a fresh 365 day cycle.

Deacons Corner: Honor Our Good Intentions

When someone makes a suggestion about how we might improve things at UNMC, what do you hear? A complaint? A demand on your time? Yet another reason to stay home from church? The deacons considered this issue at their monthly meeting in November, drawing on the guidance found in the congregational covenant, which we adopted last May. It states that in our relations with one another, "We will act in good faith and assume the good intentions of the people with whom we are interacting."

It certainly is true that our limited human resources are often strained to get done everything around the church that seems to need attention. Therefore, our first reaction to a suggestion may be to dismiss it as impractical or not in keeping with our tradition or simply too expensive—anything to avoid the burden of more church business. That's the kind of reaction common when one lives in a culture of scarcity. However, Mary Katherine Morn observed, during her service as our interim minister, one of the things we can have in abundance is love. As the deacons see it, this means that when we hear a suggestion, we should listen first for the love and caring that someone is bringing to the church community.

From the Pastor's Desk

Many Christmas stories end with some kind of a miracle: a piano explodes and food comes out or a person is suddenly able to exceed his skill level. Some are more outlandish than others, but it seems to be the trend for a paranormal experience to occur at Christmastime.

Then, just maybe, by its very nature the Season invites us into a magical and enchanting world. The Harry Potter stories have softened up the broader populace to that possibility and since Harry can fly, there is ever the likelihood that we can fly as well!

Sharing Connections

We come together this day to share worship and service in the spirit of Jesus Christ.

We connect to the God of Moses and of Jesus of Nazareth, the first inhabitants of this land, and those who established liberty and justice for all.

From the Pastor's Desk

Usually things go well in Churches until someone mentions money. Then all kinds of responses occur. That is a major reason why I have always been reluctant to discuss or explore this “electric “ topic. Yet in a very real sense the Church is engaged in and pursues a program which resembles in every respect a commercial enterprise. It has a building to maintain, property for which to account for, a staff, which includes musicians, to compensate and a mission program to generate for the poor and broken of the world. It’s tough to do any one of those tasks without funds.

A Pastor’s Reflections

“Where there is no vision, the people perish.” So writes the Old Testament sage in Proverbs 29:18. That is good old King James English. It has been used many times by clergy and others to motivate Church folks (and others) to establish some common goals for a common objective and move toward them. The saw was used to focus attention and inspire loyalty and purpose. Get a big picture, hold it in your mind and, like an army, march toward it.

A Pastor's Notes

"What are you doing here?" is a question with several different connotations or implications. One is "What are you, a United Methodist, doing here in a Universalist National church?" That is a relevant question and I am agnostic on a simple answer. Another facet is, "What are you going to do while you are here?" That answer is clearer to me, so let me address it.

Marking time or waiting for something better to happen, are not on my "to do" list. Just to "fill in" while a real pastor is located is not on my agenda either. I have the sense that God was in the process of my being here and that there are things which God wants to do with us in the "interim." I am not just sure of what "they" are at this moment, but through prayer, meditation, a collective waiting on God, we can sense God’s leadership. I am trusting that our direction will open up for us.

Musings from Mary Katherine

Dear Friends,

I want to thank you for this opportunity to serve as your Interim Minister. I have learned so much in this time we’ve shared. I have come to share your passion for Universalist National Memorial Church. I believe deeply in the potential for a lively, progressive Universalist Christian Church in the city. I will no longer be your minister (which means I am not permitted to serve in official pastoral roles for you), but I will continue to advocate as I am able for Universalist National Memorial Church. And you will remain in my prayers as you carry forward this vision.

Love,

Mary Katherine

Musings from Mary Katherine

Dear Friends,

Not too long ago I received a note and packet from the Rev. Vanessa Southern, former minister of this church. In the packet she included a copy of a statement Dave Skidmore made at a service on August 11, 1996. With Dave’s permission, I want to share with you how he closed his reflections that day on what Universalist National Memorial Church means to him.

We all know that in the past few years this church has had some low points along with the high points. We shed one minister, recalled a beloved former minister and hired a young, passionate associate minister. In between, we opened our pulpit to a series of guest preachers and listened with forbearance as each found a new, and incorrect, way of pronouncing the Romaine-Van Schaik Room.

Musings from Mary Katherine

Dear Friends,

This month we have three very important events—all of which I hope you will attend. I know that’s a lot for a little church... but, I think you will be glad you made the time.

First is our May Day Community Open House on May 1st. Please join us for worship at 11:00 and bring a friend or several! If you are able to bring food to share for the open house, please let Mary Katherine know at mkmorn@universalist.org. To prepare for this event some of us will gather at the church on April 30th to do some spring cleaning. Join us if you can between 10:00 and 4:00.

Musings from Mary Katherine

In early March I spent two days with Unitarian Universalist ministers in Maine. While I was there to participate in their business meeting as a representative of the national executive committee, I also attended their continuing education program on the subject of “appreciative inquiry.”

Through small group work and lecture we learned about this approach to organizational development. As I understand it, appreciative inquiry invites individuals in organizations to focus on strengths and successes. The proponents of this approach believe this maximizes strengths and success even in the midst of challenge or conflict.

Musings from Mary Katherine

Dear Friends,

We have made our way through the first part of Lent, including our community covenanting activity. The Committee on Ministry (Vicki Pepper, Clint McCully, and Al Templeton) will be taking all that was shared and attempting to craft a covenant for us.

That document will be circulated and your comments solicited. We sincerely appreciate your participation in this process.

As most of you know by now, I have accepted an invitation to be the candidate for ministry at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fairfax. I will be gone the week of April 2-10 doing my candidating with them. If they call me, I will begin my ministry there in August. I will complete the commitment I made to your search committee to serve as your Interim Minister for one year, ending July 31.

Musings from Mary Katherine

Dear Friends,

During Lent, I prefer the practice of adding something to taking something away. Some years I have added journaling or writing letters or daily meditation. This year my Lenten practice will be a time of prayer for UNMC. Each day (or at least most days) I will set aside some time to open my heart in prayer on behalf of our church.

It has been my experience that prayer changes things, well, I mean, changes me. I don’t know beyond that—but that is a lot. Or even if it isn’t a lot—it is really all I can do. And so I will do that.

I invite you to consider some practice for yourself during this Lent. Only you can know what your spirit needs. Only you can decide to answer your spirit’s yearning. Only you can embrace the gift of this season to look deeply and challenge yourself to grow.

During the season of Lent we will also have the opportunity to consider what the spirit of this congregation needs; what our community yearns for; how we will embrace this season for the growth and deepening of Universalist National Memorial Church.

Ministerial Search Committee

We are currently engaged in one of the crucial early steps in recruiting our next permanent minister – organizing a search committee. (Rev. Morn is serving as an interim minister and, as such, cannot be considered for the permanent position.) Applications to serve on the committee are available on the information table in the Romaine-Van Schaick Room or from the church office. You can put your completed application in the envelope on the bulletin board in the hallway, return your application to any member of the Nominating Committee (Lynn Cook, Richard Hurst, Sue Mosher), or send it to the church office. The deadline is January 9. During the month of January, the Nominating Committee will interview those who are interested in being on the search committee and
prepare a slate for the congregation to vote on at a meeting to be scheduled in February.

A poster on the bulletin board in the hallway outlines the process and tentative timeline for the ministerial search, which will take place March 2005 through April 2006. We are fortunate in that we don’t need to rush the process and can spread out the work to locate just the right person.

Members of past search committees have said they were honored to serve and found the experience very rewarding. The Nominating Committee urges everyone to consider whether you feel called to help with this effort and will be happy to answer any questions about the process of selecting the search committee.

Mary Katherine's Musings:

Happy New Year Friends!
May it be a blessed time for each of you and for Universalist National Memorial Church.

One of my favorite books is For the Time Being by Annie Dillard. In it
she challenges the reader in a number of ways. Here's a passage that
offers a challenge for us at the beginning of another year.

"There were no formerly heroic times, and there was no formerly pure
generation. There is no one here but us chickens, and so it has always
been: a people busy and powerful, knowledgeable, ambivalent,
important, fearful, and self-aware; a people who scheme, promote,
deceive, and conquer; who pray for their loved ones, and long to flee
misery and skip death. It is a weakening and discoloring idea, that
rustic people knew God personally once upon a time-or even knew
selflessness or courage or literature-but that it is too late for us.
In fact, the absolute is available to everyone in every age. There
never was a more holy age than ours, and never a less."

Musings from Rev. Mary Katherine Morn (December 2004)

This past month has been a good month at Universalist National. I've felt a shifting in our energy. The board, the Deacons, and the committees of the church seem to be clarifying the work that needs to be done-and seem ready to do it. And having visitors come on Sunday mornings and express their interest has been a real boost.

The next few months will be full with visioning and planning. If you are not already involved in a committee or project and would like to be, I encourage you to talk with me, Greg Wigle (moderator), or Sue Mosher (chair of the nominating committee). More hands and hearts are needed for the work ahead.

For now, though, I'm thinking about this season of Christmas. We embrace Jesus as our teacher, exemplar of life lived well in response to God's love. During this season of the celebration of his birth, I'm hoping we might use some of our good energy to share the joy of living our faith with others.

I spoke with the Rev. Don Robinson this week and he asked me if we might be able to help with some of the teenagers served by the Beacon House Ministry. He told me how easy it is for them to lose touch with the teenagers-and how important it is for the teens to be acknowledged and supported. Even in small ways. Rev. Robinson asks that we bring
new items of clothing for the teens. Sweatshirts, t-shirts, socks, and underwear are needed.

I hope that many of us might be able to shop for these teenagers and bring these items during the first three Sundays in December. I'm planning to make a trip to the store with Caleb, so he can help me pick some things out. Then we will bring at least one item each of those Sundays. There will be a place to put the gifts you bring outside the sanctuary.

May your holiday be blessed with love given and love received.

Mary Katherine

Rev Morn's office hours:

Rev. Morn spends time at the church office at least three days a week. Typical office hours are Mondays 9:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., Wednesdays 10:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., Thursdays 9:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Please call before coming by to make sure she is in. You may leave a message on the church answering service at any time. Rev. Morn checks for messages several times a day.

Revival 4 Impressions

by Sue Mosher

Richard Hurst, Dave Skidmore, and I were warmly welcomed along with more than 100 other attendees to the fourth Revival organized by the Unitarian Universalist Christian Fellowship. It took place at First Unitarian Church in Worcester, MA (http://www.firstunitarian.com/), a 200-year-old downtown congregation that survived both a devastating hurricane in the 1938 and a fire in 2000 that caused $4 million in damage. Yes, their sanctuary has been rebuilt not once but twice!
 
We all participated actively in the program – Dave and Richard led small groups, and I presented a workshop on “Jesus and Hospitality” that will be refined into a sermon on “Holy Hospitality” for January 9 – and made many new friends. Many people were aware that we’ve been through a tough year and genuinely wanted to know how things were going.

Musings from Rev. Mary Katherine Morn (October 2004)

I want to express my gratitude to all the folks who came out in early September for our quick start workshop.  Richard Speck, from the Joseph Priestly District, guided us through conversation that was very helpful for me as your new Interim Minister. 

During the workshop three goals were set: to increase attendance at worship; move toward making our church building pay for itself (a report is forthcoming in the next Anchor); and bring a greater sense of peace to our experiences at church.  An interim ministry is a short period by definition but it seems possible to me to begin work on all of these goals during our time together. 

The welcome and membership committee, along with what will soon be the worship committee will focus on the first goal.  Al Templeton is gathering a group to look at the second.  And I will be exploring various ways to address the goal of bringing more peace to our experiences at UNMC. 

One thing I would ask of you, all of you, if you are not currently actively engaged in a spiritual practice, please consider what you might do for your own spiritual deepening/relationship with God.  While I believe it is the responsibility of the church to offer opportunities for spiritual growth; I also believe it is our individual responsibility to bring the best that we are to our religious gatherings.  In fact, working on our own spiritual growth is one of the obligations that I believe is implicit with church membership.  (The others are presence, participation, and sharing our resources.)

Bringing our own deep confidence in God's love for us will surely give us the strength we need to share love with others.  As we cultivate the holy light within, our ability to recognize the light in others will be sharpened. 

May we meet one another with a generosity of spirit cultivated by prayer, or meditation, or some other spiritual practice.  May we always assume that we share an affection for and commitment to UNMC,  that the intent of others is good even if the result is never perfect.  And may our prayer be for peace.  Amen.

In shared ministry,
Mary Katherine

Rev. Morn can be reached in the church office at 202-387-3411 or by email at mkmorn@universalist.org.

Musings from Rev. Mary Katherine Morn

In the Interim 

I was a little disheartened recently when someone laughed at my pride in getting around the area by car with such ease. "Just wait until September! Then you'll see what it's really like." Oh well, I'm still pretty proud of myself.

I'm getting accustomed to things changing. For the last year, my life has been full of change. The most dramatic change in my life this past year was my mother's death. And that came in a period that included my changing jobs and homes and schools for Caleb (my son) and many other more ordinary things. Things I'd love to tell my mom about. When I think to tell her something I remember how change always brings a measure of grief. Even when the change is overwhelmingly positive.

Maybe all these changes in my life position me well to be an Interim Minister. Interim ministry is just like ordinary ministry in some ways - pastoral care to provide, worship to lead, meetings to attend, and so on. In addition, though, my ministry with you focuses on navigating this transition to new ministry. That means change.

This aspect of Interim Ministry creates freedom for us in this relationship. We can try new things without panicking. Our mistakes are all important information. Our successes are foundational.

Our ministry together has a great deal of potential. The key, I believe, is good communication. I will do my best to communicate openly with you. I hope you will do the same with me.

In a community of caring and commitment much is possible. Gratefully, we can trust that we share a desire for Universalist National Memorial Church to be the best that it can be. I have already heard from some of you what vision you have for this beloved community. Please contact me if you would be willing to share your vision and passion with me.

Yours in shared ministry,
Mary Katherine

Rev. Morn can be reached in the church office at 202-387-3411 or by email at mkmorn@universalist.org.

Greetings from Rev. Mary Katherine Morn

Dear New Friends at UNMC,

By the time you receive this, I will have started as your Interim Minister.  I am so pleased to have this opportunity to be a part of this special religious community and to offer myself to this ministry. 

I am slowly learning about your history and your special needs.  This interim period is a time of unique opportunity.  I hope to work with you to use this time well.  In our first weeks, I will be working hard to get to know you and learn from you what you hope for from UNMC and from me as your Interim Minister.

Kimberly and I are working on systems that will make it easy for you to reach me.  I'll have an office e-mail address and my own voicemail on the church phone.  Many thanks to Jorn Dakin for setting me up with a computer that I can use in the pastor's study.  In about a month, I will let you know what my regular office hours will be.  In the meantime, you can try to reach me at the church and if I'm not there, just leave me a message.

I would like to say a special thanks to the Interim Minister Search Committee for welcoming me so kindly.  Vicki Pepper has helped in many ways with my transition to the area.  Thanks to moderator Greg Wigle for his help with some of the paperwork involved with our moving.  And, I also want to thank Sue and Bob Mosher for the opportunity to house-sit and cat-sit while they were away. 

Perhaps like me, you are feeling some apprehension about this new beginning.  It's fitting for a new beginning to have within it uncertainty.  Hopefully, these feelings are balanced by a sense of excitement and anticipation.  I know you love this religious home of yours.  I am grateful for the opportunity to join you in ministering in this holy community.  I anticipate learning a great deal from you; and, I hope we will join our heads and hands and hearts in the work of answering the gifts of God by blessing each other and the world with our ministry together.

Faithfully,
Mary Katherine

August 2004 Anchor (church newsletter)

August Anchor

Greetings from Rev. Mary Katherine Morn
Special Thanks
Welcome Team
News from the Buildings and Grounds Front
To Be a Pilgrim
The Art of Listening Well
Be A good Dupong Circle Neighbor
Jesus in 21st Century Spirituality
Chalice Lighter Training
Graphics Whiz Needed
Webmaster Needed

Around Our Church

Special Thanks
The following members have been nominated to receive special thanks for quietly and generously giving of their time and resources to make UNMC a more vibrant place to worship at and enjoy fellowship.

Donna Simonton for donating the organ-shaped desk now located in the vestibule and providing an eye-catching display of church materials for both the organ fund drive and other activities.

Richard Hurst, Sue Mosher, and Dave Skidmore for leading last month’s Inquirers’ Classes and Donna Simonton and Mary Templeton for helping out with class refreshments.
 
Jorn Dakin for tracking down a new computer for our new minister, having the church office's laser printer repaired in record time, and also, along with Brian Pepper, for plumbing work on the kitchen sink.

News from the Buildings and Grounds Front

by Jorn Dakin, Chair

Quite a bit of activity has been occurring on the B&G front this past few weeks.  I would first like to thank Al Templeton for all of the work that he has been doing in connection with supervising the painting and other renovation work on the parsonage condominium apartment, as we prepare it for rental in the near future.  It has not been in bad condition by any means, but like any space inhabited by human beings, it requires paintup and fixup from time to time.  This work will be particularly beneficial to the church inasmuch as it should allow the church to rent the parsonage for a higher rental than it might otherwise receive.  Al was also the person responsible for arranging the removal of the various junk items that had been collected into a single room during the church “field” day earlier this spring.  Now that this material has been removed, it is clear that other items likely remain, and that more space could be freed by further removal efforts later this year.
 

July Anchor 2004 (church newsletter)

July Anchor

New Interim Minister to be Hired
Welcome Team
Special Thanks
Learn about Universalism and UNMC
Trained Wheelchair Lift Operators
Parish Notes
Chancel Flowers
UUCF Bible Chat Online
Don't Forget the Summer Souvenirs!

June 2004 Anchor (church newsletter)

June 2004 Anchor

Draft Minutes of the UNMC 2004 Annual Meeting
Two New Members
Welcome & Membership Committee Chartered
Welcome Team
Children's Religious Education
Youth Group Visitors
Bridging Ceremony a Success!
"Theology is a Vision of God"

May 2004 Anchor (church newsletter)

May 2004 Anchor

Toward Improving Stewardship
Copy of UUA Interview Available for Review by Members
From the Trustees
Improving Stewardship Report from the Treasurer
Ministerial Interim Search
Notice of UNMC Annual Parish Meeting
Changes to UNMC's Bylaws
Finishing with Faiths
Singing/Visiting Ministry News
Welcome Team Update
Let's Make UNMC Fully Accessible
Buildings and Grounds Report

Toward Improving Stewardship: Strengthening UNMC's Culture of Appreciation While Embracing Our Community Culture of Generous Donation

In a Christian context, "stewardship" refers to the responsibility we have for the gifts that God has bestowed.  In a Church setting, stewardship has been characterized as sharing our time, talent and treasure.
 
Pledging/financial offering is the primary way in which members and friends of UNMC share their treasure with our community of faith to fulfill stewardship obligations, but it is not the only way. We have a long-standing tradition in this Church of augmenting our budget by individual members quietly stepping forward to meet needs of the Church--whether by underwriting an unanticipated major building expense, in kind donations of unbudgeted-for office equipment, donating professional services that the Church otherwise could not afford, or the like. Newer members of our community may not be aware fully of this fact, and even long-time Church members may at times take for granted the often-unsung generosity that abides in this community.

Similarly, many members of the UNMC family quietly and tirelessly donate countless hours of their personal time and talents for the greater good of our community of faith. Those contributions
similarly risk getting lost in UNMC's often shy culture of quiet reserve.

There is always a risk when you give public thanks of leaving someone off the list, but a fear we might forget someone is no excuse for not publicly thanking anyone. Instead, let us just acknowledge up front this list is far from exhaustive. Consider this a "first installment," a way of getting the ball rolling in a concerted community effort to do a better job of letting each other know that we appreciate each other's many contributions to our community. This time of transition presents a real opportunity for our community of faith to step up ongoing efforts of purposeful self-examination and cultural modification and improvement.
 
The Board of Trustees will get us started this month by offering on behalf of the UNMC community special thanks, in no particular order, to the following individuals and groups:
 
Donna Simonton, for her recent generous donation of much-needed new curtains and drapes
David Skidmore, for his longstanding service as Leland Place coordinator Our Welcome and Membership Committee for its many ongoing efforts toward improving our hospitality, and particularly also to our greeters recruited as an important part of this effort
Al Templeton for reorganizing the Romaine-van Schaick kitchen space
Paul Hannah & Al Templeton for their ground-breaking service as Building Usage Coordinators
Jorn Dakin, for stepping up to chair the Building & Grounds Committee in its time of need
Rob Bertram & Richard Hurst for serving as our Worship Coordinators during this transition time, as well as our liturgists Richard Hurst, Sue Mosher, Jennifer Sandberg, and David Skidmore for continued high quality worship at UNMC
David Fox for representing UNMC at the inauguration of his brother and our minister emeritus Dr. William L. Fox as President of Culver-Stockton College in Missouri
Kimberly Durham Bates, our Administrator, for continued conscientious, good-natured service as the glue that holds UNMC's operations together
Donna Simonton for serving as impromptu "cantor,"leading us in hymns when the choir is not present
Kirk Denton, who somehow continues to make musical magic for us no matter what we or the Gottfried organ manage to throw his way
David Fox, who quietly plays various key roles in keeping things running smoothly for us Sundays 
Sue Mosher and Richard Zierdt for transferring the Church to a new hosting service and updating it with current material as well as a growing sermon library   
Brian Pepper and Clint McCully, who toil for us endlessly dealing with UNMC's many financial issues
Russell Chapman, who continues to share his background knowledge and counsel as "Verger Emeritus Extroardinaire" whenever we need him (despite his personal needs to step back and take a break)  
Mary Simmons for taking over as Chancel Flower Coordinator, thereby easing Russell's burden
David Burton for his "think piece"suggesting a myriad of activities the Church can undertake to help it grow (several of which already have been acted upon)   
 

April 2004 Anchor

April 2004 Anchor (church newsletter)

Let Everyone Who is Thirsty Come
Apologies of an Appropriationist
Around Our Church
News from the Building and Grounds Front
The Pastoral Discretionary Fund
Singing Visiting Ministry News
Uber Update
Lunch Bunch
Rev. Bill Fox Inaugurated
Our Church Affiliations
Congregational Open Forum; Interim Minister

Apologies of an Appropriationist (by Richard E. Hurst)

The son of Mary, Jesus, hurries up a slope
as though a wild animal were chasing him ...

"I say the Great Name over the deaf and the blind,
they are healed. Over a stony mountainside,
and it tears its mantle down to the navel.
Over non-existence, it comes into existence.
But when I speak lovingly for hours, for days
with those who take human warmth
and mock it, when I say the Name to them, nothing
happens. They remain rock, or turn to sand,
where no plants can grow. Other diseases are ways
for mercy to enter, but this non-responding
breeds violence and coldness toward God.
I am fleeing from that. As little by little air
steals water, so praise dries up and
evaporates with foolish people who refuse
to change. Like cold stone you sit on
a cynic who steals body heat. He doesn't feel
the sun."

Jesus wasn't running from actual people.
He was teaching in a new way.

Jalal al-Din Rumi, 13th century Muslim Mystic from
his poem "What Jesus Runs Away From."

I do not pretend to know much about Islam, or the Koran, but I do know when I like a piece of poetry or other writing.  I do not suppose that I would need to know that in the Koran, Jesus is called a Prophet, Messiah, the son of Mary, Spirit of Truth, and unique among Koranic prophets, he is regarded as still being alive (although I cannot tell you precisely what that means, except to say that I presume it bestows some amount of prestige upon him) to make use of such writings.  It strikes me as no small irony that there are likely Unitarian and Universalist Christians whose Christology does not rise to the Koranic view of Jesus.  I have this dim idea about Islam that Muslims believe, at a minimum, that their God is the God of Abraham, and that monotheism is what Jews, Muslims and Christians share, amongst an assortment of overlapping prophets.

Let Everyone Who Is Thirsty Come (by Sue Mosher)

Tucked among the processions of Palm Sunday, the solemnity of Good Friday, and the joy of Easter morning, Maundy Thursday may be the least widely observed of the days of Holy Week. Yet, it may be the one day of the Christian cycle when we can come closest to understanding the kingdom of God that Jesus proclaimed and experiencing that message as the disciples themselves might have heard it.

That message, I believe, was one of inclusion, something that resonates with all of us who have been exposed to the Universalist hope for the “final harmony of all souls with God.” Sharing a meal, often with outcasts, was one of the great distinguishing activities of Jesus’ ministry. As Marcus Borg explains in Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time, “the meals of Jesus embodied his alternative vision of an inclusive community.” Sitting down with “tax collectors and sinners” -- not to mention women -- was a radical act, challenging the Jewish purity system and proclaiming a higher “ethos of compassion,” as Borg puts it. These meals might have invoked the great messianic banquet of Isaiah 25:6, when, “On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines, of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wine strained clear.”

March 2004 Anchor

March 2004 Anchor (church newsletter)

March 14 Congregational Open Forum and Lunch
Talk about the Passion
Thoughts on the Meaning and Purpose of Life
Inquiring Minds Want to Know!
Spring Fling
Building and Grounds Report
Feed Your Soul - Dinner at Leland Place

Some Famous Universalists

Articles from the Dictionary of Unitarian & Universalist Biography:

Hosea Ballou
P.T. Barnum
Clara Barton
Olympia Brown
George de Benneville
Mary and Daniel Livermore
John van Schaick - UNMC Minister 1900-18, 1920-22, emeritus 1923-49

February 2004 Anchor

February 2004 Anchor (church newsletter)

The Darkest Hour
Awakening to Buddhism
New Greeter Schedule
Sunday Social Hour Signup
Inquiring Minds Want to Know!
Ash Wednesday Service
Sunday, March 14, Congregational Open Forum and Lunch
Building and Grounds Report
Interested in Starting a Visiting Music Ministry?
Remembering Frances A. Ambursen
Recipe Corner

January 2004 Anchor

January 2004 Anchor (church newsletter)

An Exciting Opportunity for UNMC through Its Music Ministry!!!
Special Congregational Meeting January 11
In the Interim
UU World on Tape
Winter Wonderland
Religion Discussion Group
Jacob Studley's Baptism
Nursery Reminder

October 2003 Anchor

October 2003 Anchor (church newsletter)

Semi-annual Meeting
Über Fellowship of Light
Telling Our Story
Chorister Returns under Spotlight
Leland Place Outreach
Children's Religious Education

July-August 2003 Anchor

July-August 2003 Anchor (church newsletter)

Why Marriage?
June 9 Board of Trustees Meeting
June 15 Special Legal Meeting
General Assembly Primer
New Church Directory

June 2003 Anchor

June 2003 Anchor (church newsletter)

The Way We Worship, Summer Version
Annual Meeting Report
Notice of Special Legal Meeting June 15
Sunday School
Universalist Camping Association (UCA)
A Word from the Pew
Proposed Bylaws Revisions

May 2003 Anchor

May 2003 Anchor (church newsletter)

Making Right Speech
April Board of Trustees Meeting
UNMC Annual Parish Meeting
UNMC Board Affirms UUA Relationship
Inquirers' Class to Meet
Hungry for a Faithful Response
Putting First Things First
Welcome Special Visitors
Building & Grounds Needs You ... or "I Fought the Lawn and the Lawn Won"
In Memoriam: Jean Jacobs

April 2003 Anchor

April 2003 Anchor (church newsletter)

Obituary: Janice Bodor
Putting First Things First
Youth Visit from Reston
Leland Place to Expand
Get Married on Easter Monday; Tell Friends
Old Testament Class to Organize
UNMC Attends Religious Education Workshop

March 2003 Anchor

March 2003 Anchor (church newsletter)

Directing Ourselves to Growth
January & February Board of Trustees Meetings
Compassion on the Menu for Lent
And thanks for Revival!

February 2003 Anchor

February 2003 Anchor (church newsletter)

Making a New Understanding with "Unitarian Universalism"
The Rev. Virginia Knowles Visits UNMC Pulpit February 9
Chili Cookoff Attracts the Best
A Message from the Glove Fairy
What Is Revival? Some Questions Answered

Church Bylaws

We, the members of the Universalist National Memorial Church, Washington, D.C., hereby unite for the public worship of God, the study and practice of the religion of Jesus, and the maintenance of the ordinances of the Christian Church. We acknowledge the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Unitarian Universalist Association. (read more)