River Road Unitarian Universalist Congregation

To grow and deepen in Community, Spirit, and Service



eWeekly

April 25 - May 2, 2024

Worship Under the Trees, at the Retreat

One service, in-person ONLY at Seneca Creek State Park

April 28, 10am

This week our service is ONLY at the Retreat. Join Rev. Nancy, Clif Hardin, and drummer Katy Gaughan for a service under the trees.

We will NOT be in the River Road building this Sunday. If you come to the building - Mandy Kelly will give you chores to do!

There's still time to register for the Retreat! You can also register day-of at the pavilion welcome table.

A Note from our COVID Advisory Committee

Our COVID Advisory Committee continues to monitor viral trends. Sunday services and other in-person RRUUC activities are mask-optional; masks are available in the RRUUC main entryway. We ask everyone to be considerate of those in our communal care: if you feel unwell, or have symptoms indicating illness, please refrain from attending in-person activities. Please utilize our virtual offerings (live-streaming and recordings) available via the eWeekly and the RRUUC website.

April Extend the Offering: Trans Maryland

Trans Maryland is a multi-racial, multi-gender, trans-led community power building organization dedicated to Maryland’s trans community. By trans folks, for trans folks.

You may donate to Trans MD all month long by making online contributions (select "Extend the Offering") or by making check donations to RRUUC (designate Trans MD).

Annual Meeting News

Sunday, June 2, 2024, 11:00am to 12:00pm

This year’s RRUUC Annual Congregational Meeting is scheduled for Sun., June 2, 2024.

The Annual Meeting will take place in the Sanctuary and will be preceded by a slightly abbreviated 10:00am Sunday service. There will be a brief break after the service for coffee and snacks. The Annual Meeting will also be broadcast virtually.

Voting for new Board of Trustees and L&N (Leadership and Nominations) Committee

members will occur electronically prior to the beginning of the Annual Meeting.

See below for the list of candidates recommended by the Leadership and Nominations

Committee. Their bios can be found on the Annual Meeting webpage.

In addition, any member of RRUUC may nominate themself or another member to serve

on the Board or the L&N Committee, provided that the member has confirmed with the nominee that the nominee is willing to serve. The member’s submission of the nomination must be received by the RRUUC office no later than May 18, 2024, which is 15 days prior to the Annual Meeting.

Instructions for how to vote and a link to the voting website will be sent to RRUUC members eligible to vote, consistent with the Bylaws.

Candidates for Elected Positions

Board of Trustees 3 year terms:

• Beth Dewey
• Diana Gilpatrick
• Rose Sokol

Board of Trustees 1 year terms:

• Linda Bleadingheiser
• Stefan LoBuglio

L&N 2 year terms:

• Sue Burnett
• Vonna Heaton
• Arthur Paterson
• Lauree Sails

L&N 1 year term:

• Ann Bradley

Draft Budget Town Hall

The Board of Trustees invites any interested RRUUC members and friends to learn more about the draft RRUUC budget for the upcoming fiscal year, 2024-2025, which begins on July 1. The Board will offer two sessions:

• Sunday, May 5 (in person) immediately after the service
• Thursday, May 9 (via Zoom, link to be sent in advance) at 7:30pm

The Finance Committee will be available at both sessions. After considering input from the congregation and the outcome of the Financial Stewardship Committee's pledge drive, the Board will approve a final budget for the congregation at their June meeting.

Notices & Online Ministry Offerings

All-congregation Retreat – It’s not too late to register!

And remember - RRUUC’s Sunday service is at the retreat this Sunday.

There is still time to register for the retreat, April 27-28 at Seneca Creek State Park in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Check out our program of fun and stimulating programs, and make plans to be there one or both days. Register here! Note: the registration page was temporarily down this past Monday, April 22. If you attempted to register and were told the registration period is over - it's not! Try again! Sorry for any confusion.

Sunday’s service will be at the retreat – so why not register for Sunday, enjoy the service in the park, and plan to stay for the drumming circle, workshops, and a delicious cookout lunch?

If you have any questions or need help registering, email retreat@rruuc.org.

See you in the park!

Auction Time is Almost Here!

Spring has sprung, and here comes our Spring Services Auction! It is the last week to donate your time and/or talent towards Growing Our Connections. What can you offer your River Road community? Will you host a dinner or a tasting party to bring people together? Offer a vacation stay? Professional performance or sports tickets? Guide a tour? Give an introductory lesson to new software, apps, or social media? Or donate gift cards and certificates from local businesses? Many more ideas listed here. Online bidding will run from May 5-19.

We need YOU to make the Auction a success! Please submit your donation via this online donation form by April 30! Check out the RRUUC Auction webpage or contact auction@rruuc.org with any questions.

There's Still Time to Make Your Pledge!

As of last week, we are 84% of the way to our goal of $960,000, with 216 pledges so far. We must reach our goal to balance our budget for 2024-25.

Pledge TODAY for the upcoming fiscal year - don't forget, do it here and now!

Note to the artists: Your fabulous Paper People will be coming off the bridge windows, so if you want to take yours home, please find them!



- The Financial Stewardship Committee

Last chance for "Light, Shadow and Texture"

Richard Levine's exhibit "Light, Shadow and Texture" is now on display in the Fellowship Hall until April 28.

Richard, born in Newark, NJ, is a painter and photographer whose professional career has spanned more than 30 years in the graphic arts working for prominent design firms and corporate clients. He has exhibited widely on the East Coast from Virginia to Maine in both solo and group shows. Learn more about Richard's career on our website.

About his work, Richard says, "I find myself especially drawn to the vernacular architecture of rural New England and Nova Scotia The simple, clean geometry of farm barns with their angles and planes, weathered texture, and shadows elicit a strong response in me. They represent a connection to tradition, a timeless bonding with the land. These structures are rapidly disappearing from the American landscape, so, in a way, to paint them is to also document and preserve their presence."

Upcoming Fine Arts Exhibit

An exhibit of landscape photography by RRUUC member Mark Leatherman will be on display in the Fellowship Hall beginning Sun., May 5. Mark's work has been shown at RRUUC in the past, as well as at Art-o-matic, Glen Echo, and other UU's in the area. This exhibit will mostly include images produced in the past year, both locally and at National Parks.

An opening reception will be held on May 5, beginning with the coffee hour in the Fellowship Hall and lasting until 1:30pm.

Mark says this about his work: "Most people have experienced a feeling of deep connection to natural beauty. It is, I believe, a trait hard-wired into our psyches; a link to both our own spiritual basis and that of the Earth and universe. My goal is to depict that feeling that I experienced and to evoke it in the viewer."

Join Earth Ministry at Seneca Creek State Park for Saturday programs at the Retreat on green banking and investing, invasive plant management, and climate poetry. If you're not attending, check out the good news from the 2024 MD legislative session in this summary by Bruce Davis, or use the time to check out this guide to Buying Green Electricity for Your Home prepared by the Montgomery County Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions. 

Middle East Task Force - open to all!

The task force focuses on the current Israel/Palestine conflict, now in its seventh month, with activities ranging from information to activism. 

If you're interested in the METF, please sign up for our mailing list. Thanks and hope to hear from you! 

Child Dedication May 12

We are offering the rite of passage of Child Dedication on May 12 during worship. At RRUUC, the ceremony introduces the children to the congregation and the congregation commits to love and support them as they learn and grow in their spiritual lives. Children of all ages can be dedicated. If you'd like to participate, please contact Beth Irikura, Director of Lifespan Religious Education.

General Assembly at RRUUC

This year's UUA General Assembly is online and we'll broadcast it at RRUUC. No need to be a delegate or have gone to a General Assembly in the past. Come check out the general sessions and some of the amazing worship services in our own sanctuary! General Sessions start at 1pm on June 20, 2:30pm on June 21 & 22, and 3pm on June 23. Sun., June 23, we'll have a light brunch at noon followed by worship at 1pm. Stay tuned for more information, especially for high school youth and young adult programming. Contact Beth Irikura for questions.

West Virginia Service Learning Trip 2024: REGISTER ASAP

Registration is open for our 10th service learning trip to McDowell County, WV to work with Big Creek People in Action. We spend the week working to help make people's homes safer and more accessible. We also learn about the rich Appalachian culture. August 4-10. Cost is $500 with a sliding scale. Sign up here. Contact Beth Irikura with questions. Register as soon as possible so we can begin planning!

Join the UU Climate Justice Revival

Reimagine Together: From An Extractive Age To A New Era

September 28-29, 2024

Learn more and check out some frequently asked questions.

UUs are coming together to inspire, reawaken, and transform our churches through climate justice. Bring your justice teams, problem solvers, and dreamers. The planning team will provide everything needed: facilitation toolkits, training, music, projects, coordinated justice action, and more. No matter your congregation’s size or resources, you can join and together we will enter a new era of climate action. Let's go—appoint two volunteer facilitators who will be trained to participate.

Friday Morning Book Group

The book group meets on the third Friday of the month beginning at 10am to discuss a book selected by the group. In the coming months we will be discussing the following books:

May 17, 2024: Bearing Children: A Memoir of Choices by Andrea Abrams and Rubicon: The Love Story of Emily Dickinson's Brother, Austin, and Mabel Todd, the Woman Who Saved Emily's Poetry by Candace Ridington. This special meeting will be in person starting at 10am in the Fireside Room. Each author will give a presentation about her book and then respond to questions.

June: No meeting

July 19, 2024: In our Zoom meeting we will share books that we recommend and that we've read outside the River Road book group.  

Contact the River Road office to be put on the email list for the group.

Parents of Young Adults Book Discussion

Save the date and read the book! Join other parents at this point in their parenting journey on Wed., May 15 at 7:30pm to discuss the book You and Your Adult Child by Laurence Steinberg.  

Register Now for Voter Mobilization Organizing School

Sat., April 27, 10-3pm at All Souls Church 

Whether your congregation has a long history of voter mobilization or you’re just starting to think about it, we hope you’ll join with other UUs from DC, MD, and VA for Organizing School! We are all more effective when we gather together in our power. Organizing School is a chance to gather in person for spiritual grounding, relationship building, and concrete skills training–all towards the goal of engaging as many people as possible in the 2024 election. We strongly encourage congregations to send teams of at least 3 people to help build momentum. Congregations that start in the spring are best positioned for success later in the year! Also, we are excited to welcome youth and offer programming to several other age groups in conjunction with the organizing school. Click here for more information and registration. 

DRUUMM Public Worship

When: Wed., May 8, 8:00pm

Register

Each year DRUUMM hosts a worship service that is open to all. As our ministry and membership grows, this worship is also our major fundraiser to support our pastoral care, community organizing, and antiracism work. This year's donations and sponsorships will specifically help us establish a new DRUUMM Fellowship for seminarians and young organizers. You are an important part of our community. We hope you will join us and share the word with your networks. We invite you to join us for:

Choosing Joy! DRUUMM Public Worship

Rev. Ali K.C. Bell, Guest Preacher

Saunder Choi, Musical Guest

Wed., May 8, 2024

8:00pm Eastern

OPEN TO ALL

Available via Zoom & Livestream

Our worship is grounded in the theme of Choosing Joy! Living with Intentionality and Purpose. Be with us as we explore sustaining joy amidst adversity, inspired by Proverbs 17:22: "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." Discover how a joyful heart can be your sanctuary, even when spirits are tested. A celebration of resilience, purpose, and the healing power of joy. Rev. Carol Thomas Cissell is our liturgist.

Kiplinger Lecture: ‘A Promise Unfulfilled: The Future of the Right to Vote’

Sat., May 18, 3:00-4:30pm in the Cedar Lane Sanctuary and on YouTube

Professor Franita Tolson, Professor of Law and Dean of the University of Southern California Gould School of Law, will present. Prof. Tolson is a scholar of voting rights and voting access. Her presentation will explore protections in the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the 14th and 15th Amendments to the Constitution, and recent federal and state laws and judicial decisions.

Russ Feingold, President of the American Constitution Society and 4-term past US Senator from Wisconsin, will moderate.

Opportunity for questions and a reception to follow.

Planning for Capital Pride! 

River Road is joining with other local UU congregations for the 2024 Capital Pride parade! Planning is already underway. For more info or a link to the next meeting, please contact Rev. Amanda. 

April Extend the Offering: Trans Maryland

Trans Maryland is a multi-racial, multi-gender, trans-led community power building organization dedicated to Maryland’s trans community. By trans folks, for trans folks.

You may donate to Trans MD all month long by making online contributions (select "Extend the Offering") or by making check donations to RRUUC (designate Trans MD).

Lost to Gun Violence

As part of our ongoing commitment to the activists who are interrupting gun violence on the streets of our cities, we are saddened yet honored to memorialize the names of those in our area lost to gun violence recently. These lives continue to matter: Baltimore: one person with name withheld, Robert Lee Johnson, Kennard Murray. Capitol Heights: Michael Cooper. Cockeysville: one person with name withheld. District of Columbia: Niomi Russell. Every life lost to gun violence shatters the world for each of us, and every life saved by those who interrupt the violence helps knit us back together.

RRUUC Land and Labor Acknowledgement

We acknowledge that the land on which we worship is the traditional land of the Nacotchtank and Piscataway people and the land through which other Indigenous Peoples traveled. We acknowledge that enslaved African people and their descendants likely labored and lived on this land. We recognize these and other people displaced, enslaved, or harmed by past injustices.

We pledge that we will follow our faith in love and work to make our congregation and our larger community more accessible, inclusive, and equitable. We pledge that we will be good stewards of the land by encouraging healthy ecosystems. We pledge to remember the past while building a more just and welcoming future for all. 

River Road Unitarian Universalist Congregation

6301 River Road, Bethesda, MD 20817 | 301-229-0400 news@rruuc.org | www.rruuc.org