Weekly E-News

Monday, February 12, 2018

Ash Wednesday Service at Westmoreland: Wednesday, February 14 at 7:00 pm

Join us this Wednesday, February 14 at 7:00 pm in the Sanctuary for a service on the day that marks the beginning of Lent.

Lent is a challenging season. It is often thought of as a time of contemplation and penitence - a time when we acknowledge and seek forgiveness for our weaknesses and transgressions. Yet, Lent ought not to be principally about cataloguing our faults -- but more about examining in the days leading up to Easter who we really are, how we can be our best selves, and what it means to be created in God’s image. Join us this Ash Wednesday in the Sanctuary as we begin our Lenten journey with worship that culminates in the imposition of ashes.

Worship Last Sunday, February 11:

Rev. Tom Lenhart preached "What Do You Value."



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Construction Update

Construction has begun inside the building, starting with the kitchen, meaning that the kitchen has been completely sealed off. The Dalecarlia entrance, the Sanctuary doors, and the Conservatory entrance are available to use to get into the building, and there are signs helping to guide people into and through the church.

The stairs from the parking lot to the building are still accessible, and there will always be a number of parking spaces in the lot available to use. When parking on the neighborhood streets, please do so with respect to our neighbors and don't block their driveways or walkways.

Because the kitchen is sealed off , Coffee Hour is now held in the Mabry Room. Please let Samantha ([email protected]) know if you have any questions!

UNRWA Funding Crisis – Issues and Implications

Middle East Committee Meeting/Program This Sunday

Westmoreland’s own Beth Ferris will be the guest speaker at the Middle East Committee meeting on Sunday at 11:45 in the church parlor. Beth, currently a Research Professor at Georgetown University and nonresident Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, has spent her career on issues related to displaced persons and humanitarian assistance. She will address the administration’s recent decision to withhold $65 million from a scheduled payment of $120 million to UNRWA. UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees, is funded almost entirely from contributions by UN member states. Everyone is invited.

Men’s Group Presentation -

“Hamilton: The Musical, the Politician, the Urbanist”

All are welcome to a presentation by Kent Watkins on Alexander Hamilton on February 21 at 7:00 pm in the Mabry Room. Kent’s presentation will be based on a four-day course he developed for American University after seeing the musical Hamilton many times. Wine and cheese will be provided by the Men’s Group. The presentation will address, among other things:

 - Who was Hamilton?

- How did Lin Manuel Miranda transform him from Ron Chernow’s book to the stage as a musical?

- How do we compare our current political environment to that of the Founding Fathers?

Please RSVP to Samantha ([email protected]).

A Lenten Study Opportunity - Shantung Compound

In 1940, Langdon Gilkey, then a recent college graduate, went to China to teach English. Two years later, the Japanese interned all the foreigners in China. Three thousand people, including Langdon, were shipped to Shantung and imprisoned. For the next four years, those 3000 people had to create a society that provided housing, food, schools, and medical care to the internees. Langdon kept a detailed diary of those four years, and 20 years later, he wrote about his experience in an acclaimed book entitled Shantung Compound.



You are invited to discuss this book on Sundays, March 11 and 18 before worship at 9:00 am in a Lenten study led by Tom Lenhart. The book is available on Amazon and is a quick and compelling read. RSVP to Tom by emailing him at [email protected]. 

Music Sunday, March 11 - A Journey of Latvia

On Sunday, March 11 ^th , the Festival Chorus will present Ēriks Ešenvalds’ “Passion and Resurrection” along with music by other Latvian composers. This year, the Baltic States celebrate their centenary of Independence, so the Festival Chorus has joined with the Latvian Embassy to plan a program that will serve both as a Lenten Reflection and a celebration of Latvian culture and music. Our soprano soloist Aani Bourassa will be featured, along with members of the Apollo Orchestra, for this dramatic and beautiful telling of the Passion Story, with ‘Mary Magdalene’ as narrator. Portions of the program will be presented during the 10:00 am service here, and the full concert will be at 4:00 pm later that day, at Latvian Lutheran Church in Rockville.

Youth Summer Mission Trip

We are returning to Hazard, KY to work with the Housing Development Alliance. The trip is scheduled for June 24-30, 2018. The cost per youth will be $100. All youth going must have completed 6th grade. If you have any questions or concerns, be sure to ask the youth who went last year about the experience! RSVP by March 18, 2018 to [email protected] .

Calling All Thespians and Theater Nerds...

On Palm Sunday, March 25 ^th, a short play telling the story of Holy Week will be performed during morning worship in lieu of the sermon, and we are in need of participants! It will be a “read” play and no one is expected to memorize their lines. There are 15 to 17 parts, including narrators, scribes, and disciples as well as ones for Jesus and Herod. No experience is necessary. This play has been performed before and the participants have found it to be fun and an interesting way to understand Holy Week. There will be at least one (and possibly two) brief read-throughs before Palm Sunday.  Please let Tom know by email ([email protected]) or in person if you might be interested. He can tell you more about the range of opportunities to participate.

Female Chaperone Needed for Youth Spring

Break Retreat

We need a female chaperone for the Youth Retreat trip to Emerald Isle, NC from March 24 to 28. Contact Adam at [email protected] for more information or to volunteer to spend four days at a beautiful beach house in North Carolina with a great group of youth!

Register for Peace Camp

All children in kindergarten through rising 6th graders are welcome to register for Peace Camp, which will be held from June 18 to 22, 2018 from 5:00 to 8:00 pm!

Peace Camp is an annual summer experience for elementary school-aged children that explores themes of peace and co-operation. We will meet in the Maby Room each day for a light supper, music, art projects, games, and storytelling. This year, our broader theme will be 'Living in Palestine,' focusing on five cities in Palestine, their biblical significance, and what life is like now for children who live and go to school there.

For more information, please contact Pat Nelson at [email protected]. Click here for the Registration Form!