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LATEST ISSUE - Volume 57 Number 15           (download in PDF format)
August 23, 2010
Editor: Hubert E. Beckwith

If you want a glimpse of the future of faith, you need not look much further than the recent headlines surrounding author Anne Rice, who said on Facebook that she no longer could call herself Christian because she refuses to be anti-gay, anti-feminist, anti-science, or anti-birth-control.  Instead, Rice describes herself as “an optimistic believer in a universe created and sustained by a loving God. . . . Christ is infinitely more important than Christianity and always will be.”  She went on to say she prays and reads the Bible every day.  Quick to capitalize on the stir this created in the media, some of our UCC leaders in Cleveland launched a campaign on Facebook titled “You’d Like the UCC, Anne Rice!”

At the same time this was happening, I was reading The Future of Faith by Harvey Cox, a recently retired professor at Harvard Divinity School.  I strongly urge you to read this book, which we will discuss at Little River some time this year.  Cox believes we are moving into an Age of the Spirit where faith and discipleship will replace dogmatic beliefs and institutional religion.

With our emphasis upon freedom and faith, we in the United Church of Christ seem well positioned to welcome this Age of the Spirit although, over time, it likely will bring about significant changes to the church as we know it.  Along with Susan and Amanda, I look forward to discussing such matters with you in the program year ahead—my last here at Little River—as we once again come together for worship, education, service, and fellowship.

Verne

• Hymn Sunday, our celebration of the end of summer, falls on September 5.
• Worship at 9:30 & 11:00 resumes September 12 with communion at both services.
• Church school also starts September 12 at 9:30, with registration at 8:50-9:20.  “Our Whole Lives” class for ages 13 and up will start with a lock-in Friday-Saturday, October 8-9.  
• Pilgrim Fellowship youth groups start the season with a potluck barbecue Sunday, September 12.
• Confirmation class: An introduction for parents takes place Sunday, September 12 at 12:15; class starts Sunday, October 3.
• The adult Our Faith and the World education series starts Sunday, September 19 at 11:00.  
• Choirs: Sanctuary Choir starts Thursday, September 9 at 7:30.  Contemporary Choir will meet at 7:00 p.m. the first and third Tuesdays of each month.  Salt of the Earth children rehearse Sundays at 11:00 starting September 12; which is also when Joyful Noise youth have their first practice.
• Pathfinders: Progressive Christian Young Adult Ministry Bible study dinners in Vienna start Tuesday, September 14.
• Office hours of 9:00-4:30 are now in effect.
• Currents’ biweekly schedule resumes with the next deadline, Thursday, September 9. See the Submissions and Deadlines link on this page for the complete schedule.

Adventures in the Holy Land

Check out Youth Pastor Amanda Hopkins’s weekly updates from the Holy Land on this Web site: on the home page click Blog: “Read More” > “Adventures in the Holy Land.” Amanda was assisting her husband, David, at an archeological dig in Jordan until mid-August.

Interfaith Voices Host to Speak

Join Maureen Fiedler, SL, host of public radio’s Interfaith Voices, on Sunday, September 26 (New date: September 19) at 11:00.  To open the new season of our adult series Our Faith and the World, she will lead a discussion of “Women's Growing Leadership in Religion: An Interfaith Phenomenon,”  drawing on material in her recently released book, Breaking Through the Stained Glass Ceiling: Women Religious Leaders in Their Own Words. Signed copies will be available for purchase.

Maureen has been involved in interfaith activities for more than three decades as an active participant in coalitions working for social justice, racial and gender equality, and peace.  Her special interests lie at the intersection of theology and public policy.  She is a Sister of Loretto and holds a Ph.D. in Government from Georgetown University.  Interfaith Voices is heard locally at 4:00 p.m. on Sundays on WAMU-FM.

Women’s Covenant Group

The Covenant Group a small group of Little River women who have been meeting for the past couple of years to explore our faith in a small confidential group setting.  It’s been an enriching experience for us, and we are inviting others who are interested to join this fall.  We meet on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month from 10:30 a.m. until noon.  Members are expected to commit to attending the meeting regularly though we all miss an occasional meeting.  Since the goal is to keep the group small, we’ll facilitate the starting of a second group if there is sufficient interest.

The next meeting is September 8. If you would like to learn more about us, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Cleanup Day

Please join the Trustees on Saturday, September 11 from 9:00 to noon as we spruce up our building and grounds for the start of a new season of church school, two services, and full activities.  We will have indoor and outdoor projects available, so come rain or shine. Bring rakes or trimming tools if you have them. Refreshments will be provided.  Contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to volunteer or to find out more.

Confirmation Class

An introductory session for parents of students likely to enroll in the 2010-11 confirmation class will be held Sunday, September 12 from 12:15-1:00.  This year’s confirmation class is intended for ninth and tenth graders and any older persons who have missed the experience.  An orientation for students will be held at 12:15 p.m. Sunday, October 3; regular sessions will take place most Sundays at 4:30-5:30.  Please speak to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it if you would like more information.

Join Our Youth Groups!

The Junior and Senior Pilgrim Fellowships welcome all middle and high school youth to a Welcome (Back) Barbecue on Sunday, September 12 from 5:30 to 7:30.  Families are invited too!  Bring a side dish to share and ideas for the coming year’s activities.

The season continues September 19 as Junior PF meets 12:15-1:30 and Senior PF at 5:30-7:30.  On September 26 both groups will go on an outing from noon until (tentatively) 5:30.

Permission and covenant forms for the new season are available This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or at the barbecue. The September 26 outing requires a separate permission form.

Young Adult Happenings

Little River’s Young Adults group is for anyone in their 20s or 30s, or young at heart!  We are now part of a larger group called Pathfinders: Progressive Christian Young Adult Ministry (PCYAM), a group for young adults from various progressive churches in northern Virginia.

Please join us as we meet for dinner and Bible study on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month September-June, starting September 14. We meet at the home of the Johnsons in Vienna.  Supper begins at 7:00; food is provided, just bring your appetite.  After dinner and fellowship, we have Bible study lead by Kathleen Staudt, followed by a time for announcements and prayer requests.

If you have questions or would like to join our e-mail list, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  In addition to our Bible study suppers, we also meet for lunch at various restaurants one Sunday a month after church, and we gather for other social events, service projects, mission trips, and retreats.

The next retreat will take place Friday-Sunday, October 8-10 at Vienna Baptist Church’s Lost River Retreat Center in Lost City, West Virginia.  Watch for details.

Please join us!

Information, Please

The church office needs names, addresses, and e-mails for all new and returning college students for the directory.  Our college list is woefully out of date, and it is important that we keep in contact with these valued members.  Please This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , before you forget.  Other directory changes are also welcome.

Place Setters

It’s time to sign up again!  Place Setters gives individuals, couples, or families a chance to share several no-stress, low-work, companionable meals over a four-month period.  It’s a great way to get to know other church members better.  There are options for those who like to meet for dinner or for Sunday brunch, for people who do or don’t want to include children, and those who want to take turns hosting meals as well as those who prefer to meet in a restaurant. Place Setters makes sure there’s a group for everyone!

Just sign up in the narthex any Sunday through September 20 and indicate your preferences for the September-December round.  If you haven't done this in a while, now is a good time to try again.

Questions?  Please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Youthful Voices

Music is an essential part of every child’s education.  At Little River we are fortunate to have a seemingly endless array of musical opportunities.  Most notably, our youth choirs lead worship on a regular basis, sharing their wonderful voices and expanding our spiritual experience for most of the services each month.  If your children are any age between:

• 5 and 12 (grades 1-6), please bring them to Salt of the Earth choir rehearsals.  They practice Sundays at 11:00 starting September 12.  Parents may stay through rehearsal if they wish.  Questions?  Ask This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

• 13 and 18 (grades 7-12), then Joyful Noise is for them.  They rehearse selected Sundays at various times.  Contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Women’s Book Group: Little Bee

On Sunday, September 26 at 12:15 p.m. the Little River Women's Book group will discuss Chris Cleave’s highly acclaimed novel Little Bee. Little Bee is a Nigerian refugee and Sarah is a British magazine editor.  A chance meeting on a beach leads them to have profound effects on each others’ lives. That sounds like something of a novelistic cliché, but Cleave’s story defies cliché.  Little Bee is about the power and vulnerability of ties between people, about the choice between self-protection and sacrifice.

Bequest, Walkway, Internet

Summer has been a busy time for the Trustees and I  would like to share a few items with the congregation.

First, we have been blessed to receive the first portion of a bequest from the estate of our founding pastor, Hubert S. Beckwith.  This bequest will be placed in the church’s Endowment Fund, where it will contribute to generations of Little River members and enrich the church community that Beck and Elizabeth worked so compassionately to found.  Please join us in prayerful thanks for the many gifts that Beckwiths gave to Little River and continue to give.

Second, you might have noticed the new walkway leading to the playground.  This walkway and the picnic tables under the trees near it are a donation from the Annandale Cooperative Pre-School.  As you might recall, the old asphalt walkway was degrading and becoming very uneven and a bit of an eyesore.  We are also working to use the old asphalt once it is broken up to level out and re-grade the back driveway.

Next, we are pleased to announce that we have made the transition from our old Internet provider to FIOS.  This will enable Little River to improve its internet service and simplify its phone and data charges, providing long-term savings to the church.  Special thanks goes out to Dave Curtis, who has shepherded this process through many toils and snares.

In Christ,
Chris Weakley

Increase for Amanda

At a special meeting on August 11, the Church Council voted unanimously to increase Amanda’s work schedule from 15 to 23 hours per week.  This action, which was proposed by the Board of Deacons, will result in an increase in Amanda’s salary to reflect more closely the hours she has been spending on our youth ministry.  In addition, Amanda will receive a one-time stipend of $5,000 to compensate her in part for the extra hours she has worked since joining our ministerial staff last September.  Council is very pleased with the work Amanda has been doing and feels that the increase she will receive is both justified and affordable.

Bruce Douglas
Moderator

United College Ministries in Northern Virginia seeks nominations for the 2010 Emmett W. Cocke, Jr. Social Justice Award.  This plaque of recognition is presented to a person or organization “whose life and work reflect extraordinary commitment to social justice.”   Nomination forms are available at the UCM web site and are due at the UCM office Thursday, September 30.

The award will be presented at a fund-raising brunch Saturday, November 6 at St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church, for which volunteers are needed.

For the past two years Lindsey Dowell has served as our custodial assistant, helping prepare our building for worship on Sunday and keeping things tidy and clean.  Our thanks and best wishes as she starts her studies at the University of Virginia.