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Volume 37 Edition 2 February 2019

Rev. Charlotte’s Word-Weavings Groundhog Day

February 2nd has a long association with Pagan and Christian traditions. It was the Pagan goddess holiday of Imbolc, on the cross-quarter day halfway between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. Pagans lit candles to banish the darkness.

Christian holidays were frequently aligned with the Pagan ones – determined by the cycles and seasons of the natural world – in order to supplant these traditions as they strove to Christianize the world. February 2nd is 40 days after Christ’s designated birthday, and mirrors the ancient tradition of the baby’s name day (or “christening”) coinciding with when the mother could once again enter the temple or church (her having given birth was thought to make her unclean).

According to the official website for the official groundhog, Phil, in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, the legendary history of this holiday goes something like this: February 2nd was named Candlemas because this is the day Christians would take their candles to church to have them blessed. They did this in order to have continued blessings through the remainder of the winter. It was sometime later that the day took on weather forecasting as seen in these lyrics from an English folk song:

If Candlemas be fair and bright, Come, Winter, have another flight; If Candlemas brings clouds and rain, Go Winter, and come not again

Continued on page 2

Bull Run Unitarian Universalists

February 2019 Crossroads

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Word Weavings, continued…

The next evolutionary step was the addition of the hedgehog; apparently, it was the Germans who said that if the animal saw his shadow, there would be “a Second Winter” lasting six more weeks. There are no hedgehogs in the United States; so German immigrant settlers found another “hibernating animal” – the groundhog to fill the gap.

With the sleeper success of the 1993 film “Groundhog Day” starring Bill Murray as a meteorologist trapped in a time-loop, the term groundhog day came to mean “a recurring situation in government and military arenas.”

I wonder if we’re experiencing some groundhog day-like recurring situations in our socio-political lives. How do we stop doing the same, ineffective responses to situations that require us to act thoughtfully and compassionately?

As a geologist and the daughter of a geologist, I have a fondness for Groundhog Day that originates in my family. At some point, my father decided that it was too much to schedule the office holiday party during the month of December. So, Groundhog Day was chosen as apropos for a bunch of dirt-diggers to enjoy some warmth and cheer in snowy and cold Minnesota. As such, we stepped out of the holiday frenzy into a more sane time for enjoying each other’s company.

Truth be told, the astronomical season of winter begins November 1st, peaks on the Winter Solstice – turning towards the rebirth and renewal of life – and ends on February 2nd. We are starting the spring season when we reach Groundhog Day, the peak of which will come on the Spring Equinox and end with Beltane at the beginning of May.

Whether the first six weeks of spring prove to be cold and drear like winter or warm and bright like spring, we don’t need to get caught in an endless loop, repeating the same old thing over and over again. May we think outside the box and be open to new ideas and possibilities, creating the world we dream about through our choices and actions. Rev. Charlotte Rev. Charlotte’s Study Leaves February-June 2019 I will be taking study leave periodically throughout the remainder of this fiscal year. My plan is to take 1, 2 or 3 days during the week leading up to Sundays that I am not in the pulpit. On those days, I will be working from home and not answering e-mails. What is “Study Leave?” Built into the minister’s letter of agreement is a different type of time away from the regular, daily, weekly or monthly duties of the minister from the usual sick (or personal) leave and vacation leave. It is called “study leave” recognizing that minister’s need to be able to set themselves apart of the routines of congregational life in order to attend to planning writing and professional development. Sometimes, study leave involves attending conferences, trainings, or courses. When I went to Scotland for a weeklong workshop on creativity, I took study leave to do so. Another example is a 2-day training on employee supervision in late August for which I have registered. Participation in denominational activities such as minister’s meetings and General Assembly are not part of study leave; it is expected that ministers be involved in the life of the denomination just as you expect to have your minister participate in the bigger events in the life of the congregation.


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Other times ministers take study leave to have time for planning and preparing worship or classes, which includes time for uninterrupted reading and writing. Although similar to setting aside one day each week for sermon writing, typically, study leave involves more extensive time-blocks of several days or a week. When a minister is on study leave, they do not respond to non-emergency communications. If there is a true pastoral emergency – such as a sudden death or a fire in the church building – leadership will contact the minister to apprise them of the situation. Ministers may be asked to “come back” from study leave to handle such life crises. Rev. Charlotte

FROM ANNEASE Annual BRUU variety show Feb 9 at 7:00. If you want to share a talent (poetry/story reading, skits, music, magic acts etc.) please contact me ([email protected]) ASAP to be part of the show. All ages are welcome to participate. Don’t miss out on this fun-filled evening. Annease Hastings, Music Director

"New to UU" Orientation on Saturday, February 9th

What does BRUU offer you? If you'd like to learn more about Unitarian Universalism in general and BRUU in particular, please join Rev. Charlotte Lehmann and the Membership Committee for an overview of BRUU and Unitarian Universalism. You’ll learn about the story of Unitarian Universalism, including some theology, polity, and general church history, and discuss what it means to be a UU. Please join us in the Flamingo Lounge (downstairs at BRUU) on Saturday, February 9th from 10:00 am to 1:00 p.m. Childcare will be provided upon advance request. Lunch will also be provided. Please note if you have any dietary restrictions. RSVP to Tina Cox at 703-361-6269 or [email protected].


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February Worship Service Descriptions

February 3 – Deeper Than the Skin (Greg Greenway and Reggie Harris)

Coming on the heels of Saturday night’s concert by Greg Greenway and Reggie Harris, Deeper Than the Skin takes on additional intensity in the worshipful setting of a UU service. Concentrated into one hour, their presentation takes a more anthropological/cultural bent that consistently makes congregations glad to have seen both the full presentation and the worship service. The music flowing from their stories becomes even more central to the emotional experience. The remarkable story of a 30-year friendship by two men, one white, one black, one from the North, one from the South, brings into focus the principles that ground us in community each week. How did they come together, how can we all come together? How do we take on the life-long commitment required to make a more racially just world?

February 10 – Surprised by Joy (Aileen M. Fitzke, Pulpit Guest)

Joy is not happiness but rather a burst of wonder, sometimes fleeting, that acts as a sign of hope, even in our troubled times. In fact, Joy may be a Radical Act of Resistance, a way to undermine fear and despair. Using the Dali Lama and Desmond Tutu’s Book of Joy as a starting point, this service will explore how simple acts of joy and beauty are perhaps our best responses to chaos and uncertainty and lay the groundwork for exploring creative alternatives to that chaos.

February 17 – The Spirituality of Imperfection (Rev. Charlotte Lehmann)

Among 12-steppers, recognizing the spirituality of imperfection is a life-saving practice. In the face of despair, grace, possibility, and hope abound.

February 24 – Afterlife (BRUU YoUUth)

The senior high school youth lead worship today. Be prepared to have your mind opened about diverse spiritual traditions about life after death.

Service Dog Use at BRUU: A regular participant in weekly meetings in the Lounge at BRUU will be bringing a Service Dog with them. Please let the office know immediately if you have an allergy problem with this arrangement. [email protected]; 703-361-6269, ext. *#.

Does anyone at BRUU have a graphing calculator that they or their student no longer needs, a TI-83 or TI-84? We have a new college student who would give it a great home! If you have one to spare, please email Megan Adair Casteel at [email protected]. Thank you!


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February 2019

2/02 Myers Briggs Workshop, noon Deeper than Skin Concert, 7 P 2/03 Social Justice Com, 9 A Fellowship Com, 11:15 A 2/05 UupBeats, 12:45 P Psychology of Aging, 7:30 P* 2/07 Crafting for Calm, 1:30 P* Master Naturalists, 6:30 P 2/09 BRUU in a Nutshell, 9 A Variety Show, 7 P 2/10 Membership Com, 11 A Finance Com, 11:15 A BRIC Investment, 11:30 A 2/11 SASS, 1:30 P 2/12 Food Pantry, 9:30 A Board Meeting, 6:30 P

Psychology of Aging, 7 P* 2/15 USDA Food Pantry, 9:30 A 2/17 Town Hall, 11 A

Fundraising Com,11:30 A Program Council, 11:30 A

2/18 Nuuners, noon Wind - Breath of Earth, 7 P* 2/19 UuPBeats, 12:45 P 2/21 Master Naturalists, 6:30 P 2/24 Chili Cook off, 11 A RE Committee, 11:30 A 2/26 Food Pantry, 9:30 A Worship Committee, 7:30 P

*Adult Learning Enrichment Classes

NUUners to Resume Gathering NUUNers will meet on Monday, Feb 18th at Noon in the Fellowship Hall. While munching on our brown bag lunches we will view a short film that premiered recently at the US Institute for Peace. The documentary film, entitled "A Single Step, of Women Leaders," was inspired by a world conference on women. Rather than waiting years for government aid for projects perceived to possibly cost millions of dollars, five visionary women made their nearby world better, often in simple and less-costly ways. Sally Field narrates the film showing projects in China, Fiji, India, Japan, and Liberia. Bring a brown bag lunch, enjoy the film, and share your thoughts. Questions about this activity can be emailed to [email protected]


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About 40 people gathered at BRUU on the evening of January 3 to hear Brian Cannon, the head of OneVirginia2021, explain the issues with gerrymandering and bipartisan efforts to address its impacts through redistricting reform. He outlined the pros and cons of recently instituted redistricting models in other states and explained the design for a bipartisan commission proposed to the state legislature this session.

Assistance for BRUUers affected by the Federal Government Shutdown

The staff and leadership of BRUU recognize that our members and friends are impacted by the continuing government shutdown. Some have been furloughed and told not to report to work; others may be required to work without pay because their jobs are considered essential. Additional untold numbers of people are employed by contractors, impacted because their services are not currently needed or billable. The effects of this shutdown go far beyond the above-named groups as customers of local businesses and services trim expenditures in an effort to get-by on their dwindling savings and without knowing when they will receive a paycheck again or how much back-pay they might eventually be given.

If you are in need of food assistance, please do not hesitate to come to the two food pantries run by BRUU volunteers.

• The BRUU food pantry takes place on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of every month from 9:30 am – 1:00 pm. The next scheduled food pantry is Tuesday, January 22nd! • The USDA food pantry is the 3rd Friday of each month from 12-2 pm. This month that’s Friday, January 18th!

There are also other food pantries that are assisting affected federal employees. You may contact Tina Cox in the Church Office ([email protected] or 703-361-6269) for more information or to make other arrangements.

If you are in need of other assistance during this difficult time, please contact Rev. Charlotte ([email protected] or request a phone call through Tina). BRUU does have limited funds available for community assistance, which includes congregation members and friends in need.


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Committee on Shared Ministry (COSM)

BRUU has a Committee on Shared Ministry (COSM), consisting of Martin Crim (chair), Dionne Stephenson, Rita Romano, Deborah Buckingham, Gretchen Almstead, and Rick Flaherty. Members serve three-year staggered terms. Martin and Dionne’s terms end June 30, 2019. We are meeting monthly. BRUU has many ministries. Besides the obvious one of Sunday morning worship, we have outreach to the community, service to our own members, and faith formation. Even coffee hour is a ministry, and a very important one to many of us. The COSM’s role is to take a “balcony view” of BRUU’s ministries and make recommendations. This means that COSM will observe, with some emotional distance, how BRUU operates. Because Rev. Charlotte is in preliminary fellowship, COSM also has a role in evaluating her ministry (in parallel with the Board). Rev. Charlotte’s next evaluation will be due November 1. COSM does not have responsibility for conflict resolution or visioning. However, there will be visioning activities coming up, and COSM will perform its balcony view role in relation to them. If you have feedback, questions, or thoughts about any of BRUU’s ministries, please give them to one or more members of COSM. COSM’s members will soon have ribbons on their name tags announcing their membership, so look for those. We want to hear from you! Because we want to hear from you, COSM will arrange some feedback sessions with the congregation in 2019. These will be similar to the cottage meetings (or Searchlight Gatherings) held by the Settled Minister Search Committee in 2017. Be on the lookout for announcements of these meetings, and please sign up! Additional resources about COSM, what it does, and how it does it, are available on the BRUUNet knowledge base at http://www.bruunet.org/page/committee-on-ministry Respectfully submitted, Martin Crim, COSM Chair


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The Way I See It I’ve spent some time recently digitizing a bunch of old Kodachrome slides, and one of the pictures reminded me of a long-ago adventure that turned out to be a lesson. It sounds like a parable, only in this case, it happened in real life. I learned something that I still value, and I’d like to share it with you. The year was 1972 and the place was Brazil. Martha and I were well into our three-year Peace Corps stint, and we had driven our sturdy Willys Jeep to the remote settlement of Culturama in the far corner of Fatima do Sul County. One of the prime activities in our extension service program was to encourage the formation of 4-S Clubs – just like 4-H in the U.S., but all those “H” words in English translate to “S” words in Portuguese. We had spent part of the day meeting with the Culturama club, followed by a party for the members in the evening. The only setback had been arriving late due to a flat tire; we were told later that a truck carrying merchandise to the general store in Culturama had gotten into an accident on the main road, and spewed forth an assortment of nails, bolts and miscellaneous hardware onto the dirt roadway. By the time we started back it was dark. And I don’t just mean the sun was down – except for the light from our headlamps, on a road with no other traffic at night, it was DARK. Rural electrification was still several years in the future in Fatima, and nighttime illumination was limited mainly to candles. And as luck would have it, we passed over the same collection of nails and were rewarded with another flat tire. Since the only spare had already been used, that was the end of our evening trip by car. We knew that we were about a kilometer from the town of Vila Vicentina, which was big enough to have a small boarding house, where we hoped to bed down for the night, then get help with the car at the one local gas station in the morning. The light of the moon ensured firm footing, and other than an encounter along the road with a very determined watch-dog (Eyes straight ahead!! No sudden movements!!), we made our way to the boarding house. By this time it was getting on toward midnight, and there was no light or sound from within. Rapping and then banging on the door got no response, so I started calling out, turning up the volume at intervals. Still nothing. At this point Martha chimed in, calling out that our car had broken down and we needed a place to stay. Almost immediately, the owner came to the door. She explained that she was sorry not to respond right away, but one of the local drunks had been harassing her the last couple of nights, and she thought he’d come back. (I can only guess that it was the accent or fatigue that was making my Portuguese sound inebriated.) So the moral of the story: --I was the wrong voice, in the wrong place, at the wrong time. --Martha was the right voice, in the right place, at the right time. There are many opportunities in the current day for making our voices heard. We should all be thinking of speaking out about legislation pending in the Virginia legislature, resolving the gridlock that is paralyzing the federal government, letting our representatives know about our demands for peace and understanding in the world. Always remember that your voice may be the one that needs to be heard – the voice that can make a difference. Art Muirhead, President, BRUU Board of Directors, [email protected], 703-266-1949


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From our DRE

Young Adults Group Forming This group is yours for fellowship and nourishment in (nearly) anyway you choose to steer it. The intention is that each participant will have an activity to share: a hike, dinner in your home, a theatre visit.... whatever you like to do and share with others. You could also decide to hold worship or study/discussion groups open only to YA or take on a community service project. We’d like to see this group pairing with High School youth to help keep connections after graduation, and some guidance as they enter “the real world.” We're hoping for a minimum of one gathering a month. You might decide to spend a bit of time at each gathering discussing future activities and any structure that you wish to incorporate. For now, Kristin will be the information hub for getting announcements to you all. Contact me with the details or any questions. If you have an idea, but not sure how to bring it to fruition, I can help with that, too. If there is interest, I can arrange child care at BRUU for events also. Please also contact Tyler at [email protected] , coordinator of a Regional UU Young Adults Group. The coordinator for this group envisions area YAs taking turns hosting & visiting other church YA groups; using the power of numbers for regional service and/or activism; and of course, fun and fellowship.

Kristin Worthington, Director of Religious Education


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February 2019 Family Calendar

3 – children’s choir 11:15-11:45 am 3 – youth choir 11:15-12:15 9 – variety show 7-9 pm 10 – children’s choir 11:15-12:15 (followed by lunch) 10 - LAMB Book Club meets at Ground Central Station, 8:00 am

17 - OWL, Grades 10 – 12. Lunch begins at 11:30 am, workshop will begin immediately after choir practice.

17 – youth choir 11:15-12:15

23- 11:00 – 2:00 pm, Youuth Service practice, lunch will be served

24 - Annual Senior Youuth Service

28 – youth choir 6:30-7:30 pm


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Saturday, February 2 Concert Experience

Deeper Than the Skin” is a experience of singing and listening… of experiencing a connection so deep that it makes you laugh, smile, cry and reconsider what you know about our history. It’s an invitation to open your heart and mind to a story of shared humanity that resonates with your own. Two friends… one Black, one White… one from the North… one from the South! Musicians, storytellers, students of history and world travelers… born 3 day apart! Two separate narratives forged into one powerful friendship aimed at finding common ground and helping others to do the same. Deeper Than the Skin brings together a remarkable journey that started 30 years ago and is now offering hope to people all over the nation. It’s a presentation that ends with an open dialogue that moves the audience from emotion into action…that gives voice and direction to the question “What can I do?”

Sunday, February 3 Worship Here's a description of our service for Sunday Feb 3, which will be preceded by a Saturday evening concert / experience.

“Deeper Than the Skin” is an experience of singing and listening… of experiencing a connection so deep that it makes you laugh, smile, cry and reconsider what you know about our history. It’s an invitation to open your heart and mind to a story of shared humanity that resonates with your own. Two friends… one Black, one White… one from the North… one from the South! Musicians, storytellers, students of history and world travelers… born 3 day apart! Two separate narratives forged into one powerful friendship aimed at finding common ground and helping others to do the same.

Don’t Miss these events!!!

Deeper Than the Skin Greg Greenway and Reggie Harris

Saturday concert February 2nd and

Sunday worship February 3rd


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You have just spent 90 minutes in a meeting, and you leave feeling faintly dissatisfied. What was the meeting’s purpose? What am I supposed to do next? Why was everyone so distracted? If this sounds familiar, come join the Leadership Development Team on Sunday, February 24, and learn some tips and techniques for Running Effective Meetings. Dianne Lane, a trained facilitator, will lead you through an interactive workshop on how to get the most from your teams during your meetings and make your meetings value-added to your mission. Your role as an attendee is to come with paper and pen for taking any notes (no electronics, please) and be a willing participant. My expectation is you will leave our session with at least three new tools/techniques to improve your meeting management style. If you regularly attend meetings, this session will help you offer feedback to your meeting leaders with specific suggestions. The Running Effective Meetings session will start promptly at 12:30 in a TBD location at BRUU with a brief survey and will end no later than 2:30. Please RSVP to Nina Lomax ([email protected]) by February 20, 2019, to ensure we have enough supplies on hand: attendance is limited to 20 people. Questions please reach out to me, Dianne Lane, @ 703-628-3195, or this email. Thanks.


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BRUU Board of Directors: January 2019 Meeting Highlights

Members of the new Leadership Development Team (LDT), led by Nina Lomax, provided an update on activities to date. They received around 30 surveys from congregants on potential priorities for the Team. A series of leadership development classes will commence in February with a session on using the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator, an assessment tool that promotes better understanding of differing psychological preferences in individual perceptions and decision-making. Subsequent classes will address Running Effective Meetings and Communications for Success. The Team is also working on the procedures to be followed when congregants wish to request funds for outside training courses. A discussion ensued on the upcoming need to constitute a new Nominating Committee prior to the BRUU Annual Meeting, and how the LDT might be involved in the nominations process. Art Muirhead will prepare a proposal to circulate to Board and LDT members on the potential structure and mandate of future Nominating Committees. Kathy Sobrio and Mike Cleary provided an explanation of the template they prepared for carrying out a congregational visioning process. They plan to utilize the data gathered during the Ministerial Search survey, and will look at other sources, such as the aspirations and promises that were expressed during the Ministerial Start-Up Workshop. The process is expected to start with a Sunday service where a few people offer personal vision testimonials, followed by cottage meetings, circle dinners, and workshops in visioning. As the process is refined, we will also need to address the length of future time that will contemplated in our vision statement, and the degree of specificity needed to ensure that the vision statement is meaningful and useful. Art provided an overview of the interest on the part of the RE Committee in having a Youth Member on the BRUU Board of Directors. Our Bylaws state that, “The number of Directors-at-Large may be increased or decreased from time to time as determined by a vote of the Members.” This means that we could invite a Youth Member to join the Board on a provisional, non-voting basis, but we would need to change our Bylaws to make a Youth Member permanent. Board Members approved a motion to begin the process for establishing a Youth Member position on the Board, adopted from criteria that were used successfully by the UU Congregation of Freeport, NY. Art briefed the Board on the status of BRUU’s Responsible Behavior policy. The lead for dealing with threatening or dangerous behavior at the time of our previous Settled Minister resided with the Committee on Ministry; however, the new Committee on Shared Ministry prefers not to take on this role. Consultation with Bruce Roemmelt led to the recommendation that the Safe Congregation Committee convene a panel of experts to draft a new policy in which a designated group with the right training and background will assume the lead in instances where there are breaches of Responsible Behavior. The Board endorsed this approach. The next Board meeting will be held on February 12, 2019 (second Tuesday) at 7 pm. Contact me if you have questions or concerns at [email protected] or 703-266-1949 (home). Art Muirhead, President, BRUU Board of Directors


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NOW IS THE TIME TO CARE FOR ONE ANOTHER

BECAUSE WE LOVE AND ARE LOVED

Now is the time to care for one another because we love and are loved “May we go in peace and love and share them with the world.” This refrain never fails to stir my heart as I clasp hands with fellow BRUUers and sing along at the end of each service. It speaks to me about how love grows when shared. I think of this now, as we approach the 2019 pledge campaign. I pledge because I see it as an important way to support loving action within BRUU and in the community. Until I became a member of BRUU, I did not pledge or tithe to any faith group. “So Cherie, what’s different now,” you may well ask me. In BRUU, I have found a real sense of community, one that both nourishes my spiritual curiosity and satisfies my need for warm, authentic human interaction. For me, our mission statement--A safe community for seeking and service--is not just words. It’s my lived experience at BRUU. I am not asked to close my mind to science or my heart to people of different genders and worldviews. Shared laughter, spirited discussions, warm smiles, inspiring sermons—oh, and the singing—are an ongoing source of delight for me at BRUU. In the current age of divisiveness, I am blessed by the opportunity to channel financial support to a community that cares for each other with open hearts and minds. --Cherie Romanek This Column Is A Monthly Series Dedicated to Rethinking Stewardship and Offered for Your Consideration; Comments Welcomed. Brought to You by Your Stewardship Team ([email protected])

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