Thursday, March 1, 2018
The Coming Week
Wednesday, February 28

Board of Trustees monthly meeting . Congregants are always welcome to attend. 7:00 pm, library.

Friday, March 2

Y oung Souls Monthly Potlucks , held at members’ homes, are great for newcomers. Please bring a dish or drink to share with everyone. RSVP on Facebook . Visit the Young Souls Blog to see photos of previous potlucks. Questions? Contact Claire (claire.adrian.tucci@gmail.com). 7:00 pm, this month hosted by Lucianna Harrington near All Souls (check Young Souls listserv for address).
 
Sunday, March 4

Why Is the Buddha Crying? Rev. Hardies. “Why is the Buddha crying?” asked a child who’d seen a figurine of a weeping Buddha. The answer to her question may offer a way forward through our own grief. 9:30 and 11:15 am.

About All Souls. Want to know more about the church and Unitarian Universalism? Join us for a one-hour, casual introduction and discussion. After service, grab some coffee and come upstairs to the Longfellow Room.

Mindful Souls provides an opportunity to meet in community regularly at the church for meditation, followed by discussion led by congregants or others from our broader DC community. We welcome all who wish to attend. Every Sunday, 1 pm, classroom 2; second/fourth Sundays also at 11 am, Longfellow Room.

Join the All Souls Sanctuary Movement Support Committee for a rally at the White House (15th and Constitution NW) calling to uphold protection for individuals in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA). All Souls members have written letters and made phone calls in support of the 800,000 “dreamers” currently in the U.S. We’ll join with the ACLU in rallying for action. Meet in the lobby at 12:30 to travel to the White House together.

Retiring and Celebrating Fair-Trade Sales. For 15 years this month, we offered fair trade products for sale at All Souls Church to spread word of the benefits to the farmers, their families, and broader communities. The coordinator during all this time has been Marc Ferrara, who has greatly appreciated the loyalty and ethics of All Souls members. Marc is ready to retire, no one else is interested in taking on the task, and fair-trade products are relatively easy to obtain nowadays, so Marc and the staff have agreed to retire the program. The final sale dates will be Mar. 4 and 18 (and 25 if necessary). We will celebrate Marc and the program’s many years of success in worship on Sun., Mar. 18.

Wednesday, March 7

Classical Readings in Liberal Religion: William Ellery Channing’s Unitarian Christianity . See ASD box.

Thursday, March 8

First Annual Celebration of Harriet Tubman Day Washington DC: An Evening with Harriet. Learn more about the amazing life story of Harriet Tubman as presented by historians and our very own Jubilee Singers, singing music from the period of her life. Free and open to the public. Reception: 6-7 pm; ceremony: 7-8:30 pm, Charles Sumner School Museum and Archives (1201 17th St NW @ M, WDC).

Sunday, March 11

The Church Council will sponsor a lay-led, open-forum meeting with an agenda informed by congregants’ concerns and questions regarding the departure of Rev. Susan Newman Moore. The meeting’s intent is to give voice to these concerns and ways of moving forward. Childcare and ASL interpretation will be provided. Please contact Co-Moderators Paree Roper (plroper@verizon.net) or Brenda Barron (bbarron74@gmail.com) with questions or concerns. Sun., Mar. 11, 1:00-4:00 pm (after the second service and lunch).
Open Forum on the Departure of Rev. Newman Moore
The Church Council will sponsor a lay-led, open-forum meeting with an agenda informed by congregants’ concerns and questions regarding the departure of Rev. Susan Newman Moore. The meeting’s intent is to give voice to these concerns and ways of moving forward. Childcare and ASL interpretation will be provided. Please contact Co-Moderators Paree Roper ( plroper@verizon.net ) or Brenda Barron ( bbarron74@gmail.com ) with questions or concerns. Sun., Mar. 11, 1:00-4:00 pm (after the second service and lunch) .
Rainbow Souls highlights Black History Month
Audre Lorde (1934-1992). Lorde was a self-described “black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet,” and described her identity as a relationship of many divergent perspectives once perceived as incompatible. A daughter of Caribbean immigrants, Lorde was deeply involved with several social justice movements in the United States. Her work created spaces for uncomfortable conversations on issues of racism, immigration, sexism, sexuality and class. Audre Lorde’s writing helped conceptualize intersectional theory. Lorde famously said, “Those of us who stand outside the circle of this society’s definition of acceptable women; those of us who have been forged in the crucibles of difference – those of us who are poor, who are lesbians, who are Black, who are older – know that survival is not an academic skill. It is learning how to take our differences and make them strengths. For the master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house.”
All Souls
Inter-generational
Passover Seder

Save the date: Saturday, March 24.

Sign up after services in Pierce Hall on Sundays, Mar. 11 and 18.

Adult Spiritual Development
The new Classic Readings in Liberal Religion series gives All Souls members and friends an opportunity to learn more about the development of our religious traditions through short, two-session courses. In the first session, the instructor will provide historical and theological context and hand out readings. In the second session, the class will discuss the readings and share their responses. No prior knowledge is necessary—the only prerequisite is your curiosity!
William Ellery Channing, “Unitarian Christianity”
Wed., Mar. 7 and Wed., Mar. 21, 7:00-9:00 pm, All Souls
Instructor: Kevin McCulloch; fee: $5 fee for materials. Register .
Channing preached “Unitarian Christianity,” also known as the Baltimore Sermon, at the 1819 ordination of Jared Sparks. Much more than the customary affirmation of a new colleague’s ministry, the sermon defined the principles of liberal Christianity at the time and became a rallying cry for the first generation of American Unitarians. We will read the sermon together, consider its roots in the intellectual culture of the early 19th century, and discuss its relevance for Unitarian Universalists today.”
Roots & Wings. Co-led by Meredith Higgins Hargrave and Gregory Ford, this interactive six-session class fosters an exploration of All Souls, Unitarian Universalism, and your own spiritual journey. It introduces members, new and old, to the history of our church and governance as well as the denomination. It’s also a great way to bond with a smaller group of your fellow congregants. Sundays, 1-3 pm, April 8, 15, 22, 29, May 6 and 20 (skipping Mother’s Day), Eaton Room. Register .
All Souls is excited to announce the start of Beloved Conversations, a powerful pathway for spiritual growth and relationship building that advances our dream of beloved community. A transformative curriculum grounded in spiritual practice and our UU faith, Beloved Conversations is a learning laboratory for how to live healthily in a multiracial, multicultural, theologically diverse community, and how to work for a racially just world, both within and beyond our congregation. Led by Dr. Mark Hicks, Meadville Lombard Professor of Religious Education, Beloved Conversations opens with a 1.5-day immersive retreat at All Souls (Fri.-Sat., Apr. 13-14), followed by eight 2-hour sessions, every other week, in small cohorts of 10-15 people. Your participation is invited and encouraged! For more information, contact Minister of Adult Spiritual Development Rev. Dr. Rebecca Parker ( rparker@allsouls.ws ). Registration will open once the small-group schedules have been determined.
Children and Youth Religious Education
OPPORTUNITIES and EVENTS

  • Sunday, March 18th All Morning – Children’s Clothing Swap. Drop off clothes in size baby-teen, on March 11th-17th. Sign Up to help.
  • Saturday, March 24th - Annual Seder for All Ages. Let Dolores know if your child or youth would like a speaking role.
  • Sunday, April 1st, Easter- back by popular demand, Bob Brown Puppets. During both services, for children K and up, followed by Egg Hunt. Younger children are welcome with a parent/guardian. Also looking for “chaperones”. Please let me know if you can help.

Contact Dolores Miller, Director of Religious Education for Children & Youth (dmiller@allsouls.ws; 202-517-1469).
Opportunities
Pastoral care beyond All Souls clergy. If you would like to access pastoral care from a Unitarian Universalist minister not connected to All Souls, please contact Rev. Keithan ( rkeithan@allsouls.ws ) or Rev. Parker ( rparker@allsouls.ws ) and they will provide a referral. 

Believe in radical hospitality? Act on those beliefs! Worship services can be magical, but they don’t happen magically. In addition to the ministers and staff, we depend on the time, effort, and good will of volunteer congregants. Interested in helping? You have a choice of roles to play, and each is important.
  • Worship Associates speak from the pulpit five or six times a year to welcome the congregation and introduce the offering collection. Worship Buddies help setup before services. Training occurs once or twice a year. Contact Jana Owens (jana_owens@hotmail.com).
  • Ushers welcome congregants and visitors, hand out the orders of service, and help everything run smoothly and safely. The commitment is only one service each month, so it’s a great way to get involved. Contact Mark Matthews (markhowardmatthews@gmail.com).
  • Greeters welcome visitors and answer their questions, both before and after services. Really important, but easy—once a month commitment and no meetings! Great way to meet people, and you’re already qualified! Contact Sarah Puro (sarahpuro@yahoo.com).
  • Counters receive the offering plates, tally the numbers, and lock everything away in the safe. You’ll serve once a month after the second service and meet a nice group of folks. Contact John Crowe (babaloo913@gmail.com).
  • The Lunch Ministry nourishes the congregation with a homemade, healthy meal about once a month. Stretch your culinary skills! Visit all-souls.org/lunch or contact Jerri Husch (ascu.lunch@ gmail.com).
All Souls Church Unitarian | 1500 Harvard St NW, Washington DC 20009
202.332.5266| www.all-souls.org