This Sunday at Westmoreland – 7/25/2010
July 23rd, 2010We continue our well-attended and highly touted “Summer on the Circle.” Betsy Bennett has lauded the program so much I asked her for a squib for this week’s “This Sunday.”
Summer on the Circle at Westmoreland is excellent!
David and I are still going to take our planned vacation next week, but we’re sorry we’ll miss even one of these special summer Sundays. All three parts of the morning are wonderful, beginning with a class from 10-10:40, then our worship all together from 10:50-11:30, then our “tell me about your class” conversations at coffee hour. Each person there believes he or she has been to the “best” of the classes, and honestly, the only difficult part of the morning is deciding which class to attend at 10! Each is a single lesson, not dependent on having attended previous sessions of that class, and each has its own special focus.
Art: In the art class, Wesley Seminary graduate student Amy Gray leads a lively discussion of three paintings of a particular New Testament story. We’ve done Annunciation and Nativity so far, and she has introduced two incredible contemporary, illustrated Bibles to us.
Music: Alejandro is teacher, story-teller, and performer as he leads the enthusiastic exploration of classical masterpieces of specific regions. He shares some music of that region with all of us in the prelude and postlude parts of worship. He has taken us to Spain and Eastern Europe; next week it’s Latin America!
Bible Study: Bob and Jessica lead energetic discussions of a particular quandary presented in the Gospel of Luke, in their adult and youth Bible study groups. Each class is an exciting investigation, a teaching and learning complement to the scripture from Luke and the sermon on that scripture.
“Galactic Blast”: This cosmic adventure praising God is an active class for the children, but adults have been invited to help with their field trip to the Udvar-Hazy National Air and Space Museum on July 25. What a treat! Remember that the chaperones get to learn and ask questions and enjoy the lunch, too!
“Summer on the Circle” at Westmoreland is excellent! Betsy Bennett
So there you have it, a commercial from a real live participating Westmorelander. I hope you will make it this Sunday.
Church School for Everyone 10:00-10:40
Worship for everyone 10:50-11:30
Coffee Hour 11:30
For this week, at 11:45 a congregation-wide Church Council meeting in the Social Hall to hear what the Executive Committee has projected for the rest of the interim period until a new Senior Minister is in place. Moderator-Elect Pierre Toureille will be hitting the ether shortly with the full story. Stay tuned.
The worship service features some of our own again. John Forrest Douglas, a member of Westmoreland, now in care as he seeks UCC ordination, and a rising third-year student at Wesley Seminary, will preach. His topic from Luke 11:1-13 will be “The Praying Quandary.” He will also participate in the Bible discussion at 10:00 AM in the chancel. Ben West and Doreen Mannion, herself in care, will assist in the service. Ben Maddox will sing “The Lord’s Prayer” and then with Robert Benton a duet arrangement of the Prayer of St. Francis “Eternal Life.” Alejandro and I are around to fill in the blanks.
A Note from Elizabeth Benton:
We’ve launched our “Galactic Blast” summer program for our elementary age children and have enjoyed the journey. We’ve planned a special field trip to the Udvar Hazy Air and Space Museum (by Dulles Airport).
When: This Sunday, July 25
Time: 11:30-2:30
Location: meet at the church in Jessica’s office/the library
Cost: $16.00 (includes space simulator and lunch at McDonald’s– in the building)
Do you want to chaperone?
Does your teenager want to chaperone?
Please contact Elizabeth, 202-550-1812 if you are interested in joining us for our field trip!
Also of happy note: By Sunday the Air Conditioning should be up and running to the extent of our present system. You probably saw the memo from the Trustees earlier in the week about the temporary fix being levied on the system. If anyone has an extra $200,000 tucked away under the mattress you want to put to a good cause, let the Trustees know. They face the financially daunting task of doing a long-overdue complete rebuild in the next months.
Lots of people on vacation. If you are in town, come to Westmoreland. You’ll be glad you did.
Next Sunday our annual communion service served in the pews with a joint sermon by Jessica and me. Gordon Forbes preaches on August 8.
Bob Maddox




