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"A GERMAN REQUIEM" by Johannes Brahms Fifteen years later, in Bremen Cathedral, on Good Friday, April 10, 1868, this prophecy was fulfilled. While the Requiem is the product of a man whose faith was more a set of questions than a set of answers, it has become for Christians a "wonderful glance" into the profound questions of our faith. The majestic sweep of its phrases, its masterful use of tonal resources, its sensitive response to the influence of human experiences all lead us to a higher plane. It is, in fact, a resurrection story. In his own spiritual journey, Brahms gave new life to the traditional “requiem” and used it to expose our human condition to the sunlight of a new day. The Foundry Choir and orchestra, soprano Theresa Severin and baritone Darren Perry will offer this extraordinary piece of sacred music, sung in English – one of the most “faith-building” pieces of music written. We hope that your Lenten journey will be greatly enhanced by the worship experience on this day. The Pastoral Corner Jane and I had a great two weeks visiting our daughter Nancy in Guatemala, where she has moved to teach. The land is beautiful beyond description, the culture is rich; the people are grace-filled. Rev. David Young, a Foundry member who is now a United Methodist deacon, works in the embassy in Guatemala. He arranged for us to meet some Guatemalan Methodists. There are about 60 Methodist churches in Guatemala, mostly located in rural highland communities, mostly in Quiché Province and neighboring provinces. About 80% of Methodist church members belong to the indigenous Mayan group who speak the Quiché language. Jane and I had the opportunity to spend a few hours talking with a half-dozen pastors, hearing about Methodism in Guatemala. One question I asked the pastors was why they were Methodists? They answered quickly and with one voice. "We are Methodists," they said, "because Methodism is a movement that cares about the whole person…body and mind as well as spirit." They told us that Methodists are concerned about people's spiritual lives, believe in prayer, and the presence of Christ in our hearts, but Methodists also believe in making sure people have food to eat and access to health care, education, and just social structures. They had an amazingly clear sense of what Methodism stands for and why. The conversation reminded me of something I read recently in the electronic newsletter UM Nexus. United Methodist missionaries Bob and Ada Lower of the Dakotas Annual Conference reported that a tribal historian shared his language research recently during church and Sunday School at the Spirit Lake Reservation. It seems the Dakota and Lakota Sioux nations named the various religious groups that worked on their reservations. Most of the names were based on some physical characteristic, such as the Sioux name "Sinasapa" ("They wear black robes") for Catholics. However the Sioux name for Methodists is "Awacinecunpi," which translates in English as "They do good/God's will." “Expectation 2007” - A Lenten Devotional This year’s Lenten Devotional booklet has the theme: “Expectation 2007.” The offerings in the booklet by members of Foundry provide personal stories and reflections on how expectation has had an impact on the life of the writer. Written for each day of Lent, these writings can help guide us through our Lenten journey. Here is one example of a daily devotional, written by Sunny Branner: Saving the Day Noise from the kitchen “Do whatever He tells you to do,” – Advocates for Survivors of Torture and Trauma (Editor's note: ASTT uses space at Foundry Church during the week.) The dedication to social justice espoused by Foundry Church was one of the key reasons I started attending weekly services and then became a member. The importance of alleviating the suffering of people worldwide, as well as promoting equality, also drew me to become an intern at the Advocates for Survivors of Torture and Trauma (ASTT). The mission of ASTT is to reduce the pain of those who have experienced the trauma of torture, educate the local, national and world community about the needs of torture survivors and advocate on their behalf. Amnesty International documents torture in at least 140 countries in the world, so clients of ASTT come from all over including Ethiopia, Albania, Cameroon, Egypt, Indonesia, Burma and Republic of Congo. Many ASTT clients have suffered because they were committed to democratic reform and social justice. In their homelands, they were professionals, students, teachers, labor leaders, human rights activists and other citizens seeking social and political change. As a doctoral student in clinical psychology, my primary role has been to provide psychotherapy to political asylum seekers and refugee torture survivors. In addition to counseling, ASTT offers psychological assessments and expert testimony for asylum cases and facilitates access to social services and resources. Providing therapy to torture survivors has been an intense, but highly rewarding experience for me. My clients are inspirational people who fought for democracy but, unfortunately, have horrific stories of extended imprisonments, beatings, rapes, psychological manipulation by government officials and the loss of loved ones. They had to abruptly flee their countries to save their lives, so they arrived in the U.S. deeply traumatized with many needs including housing, medical care, legal aid, language training and employment. ASTT assists them with all of these needs. I have been very impressed with the compassion, professional skills and kindness of the ASTT staff. Clients feel relieved, comforted and safe, often for the first time since entering the U.S., after meeting with staff members. I am honored to be part of the organization. After becoming a client, one said, “ASTT is a light for me, a guide for me now.” ASTT has many clients in the D.C. area, but clients have great difficulty getting to the main office in Baltimore. In order to better serve these clients, we approached Foundry Church asking for space on Mondays and Wednesdays to visit with clients. Three staff members from ASTT – myself, a psychologist and a social worker – now meet with clients at Foundry and are incredibly grateful to the church for allowing us to use this supportive environment for our work. Clients feel very safe and secure meeting in a church as many of them survived their trauma through their faith in God. We deeply appreciate the charity of the Church which has enabled us to reach more torture survivors and to help alleviate their suffering. To learn more about ASTT, please visit the website www.astt.org. The Power of Relationships: Foundry’s Outreach to Day Laborers
A group of people with little in common except the will to provide for their families joined together with the support of the church and other local entities to establish an organization to improve their work conditions, create unity among workers and relationship with the community and DC government, and work towards the goal of a workers center. With the help of Foundry’s Day Laborers Mission outreach and dedicated volunteers, La Unión de Trabajadores de Washington DC (The Washington DC Workers’ Union) was born.
Please continue to hold the workers of La Unión de Trabajadores in your prayers in their efforts to improve the situation of day laborers in Washington DC. If you would like to become involved in Foundry’s Day Labor support, please contact Janis Bowdler at yourfavoritejan@gmail.com, Yadira Almodóvar at yadiraalmodovar@yahoo.com, or Jana Meyer at 202-332-4010, jmeyer@foundryumc.org. Foundry Offers Two Scholarships for Members, Families Applications are available for two Foundry scholarships for the 2007-08 academic year, the Scholarship Committee has announced. The two awards, offered to Foundry members and their families, are:
Beginning on Sunday, March 4, applications for both scholarships will be available at the Education table in Fellowship Hall, at the church office, and on Foundry's Web site. All applications must be returned by U.S. mail, postmarked on or before May 6. Please direct questions to Emily Sama Martin, Scholarship Committee Convener, at emsama@gmail.com or (202) 363-4899. Deryl Davis Leaving Foundry’s Staff We are grateful for Deryl's outstanding work during his year as part of the Foundry staff and celebrate this new opportunity for him to use his tremendous skills. Deryl came on board full-time as a Foundry staff member last July, and has since overseen our adult education, children's, and families’ ministries. During this time, Deryl has worked with lay members to start three new Sunday morning adult Christian education classes, a once-a-month children's church at the 9:30 hour, and has continued with the popular Disciple Bible Study series on Wednesday evenings. We wish Deryl well as he begins his new work. Deryl, his wife Whitney, and their children Nate, Eliza, and Caroline will continue to be part of the Foundry community. Foundry's staff and Staff-Parish Relations Committee will begin work immediately to replace Deryl in these two critical aspects of our ministry. Church Council Begins to Wrestle with Same-Sex Union Policy United Methodist Church bylaws prohibit same-sex marriages on church property and forbid clergy from performing them. If ministers do officiate at same-sex unions or permit them in churches where they are appointed, they could be subject to disciplinary action. Foundry has begun a process of discerning its policy toward recognizing same sex unions, an effort that could result in the most profound decision on inclusion it has made in a dozen years and put it in opposition to Methodist Church rules. In its January meeting, the Foundry Church Council opened a discussion of how to handle same-sex unions by outlining what two other churches do. Broadway United Methodist Church in Chicago does not conduct any wedding ceremonies in its building, reasoning that it is unfair to exclude same-sex couples from the same rites that can be conducted for heterosexual couples. Off-site celebrations occur with a minister in attendance, and then are “recalled’ or “remembered” during a celebration in the church sanctuary. In Omaha, First United Methodist Church conducts heterosexual marriages in its building as well as “remembrance” ceremonies for same-sex unions that are consecrated elsewhere. But the same-sex unions are not performed in its sanctuary. The two methodologies for same-sex unions highlighted by the churches in Chicago and Omaha may become the basis for deliberation by the entire Foundry community. No decision has been made on the format or timing. “We have to struggle with this as a council (to determine) how to begin this discussion in the In a November sermon, Foundry Senior Minister Dean Snyder challenged the church to tackle the same-sex union conundrum. He says that as a matter of conscience, he’s not sure how long he can uphold the Methodist prohibition because he is forced to deny an important ministry to a large part of the church population. “This is the first time I’ve faced a situation where the church requires me to be a bad pastor by denying pastoral care to a portion of my congregation,” Snyder said during the January council meeting. Blessing a marriage before God is a powerful manifestation of God’s love, Snyder argues. In a February 11 sermon, he said that blessings can transform lives and constitute a “thin place” where people can glimpse the glory of God. “To withhold our blessing from someone is a very powerful and serious thing,” he said. In 1995, Foundry became a reconciling congregation. It actively encourages homosexuals and transgender people to participate in the life of the church and become members. Lenten Retreat The Spiritual Life Committee is sponsoring a Lenten Retreat in Lewes, Delaware, Friday through Sunday, March 30 - April 1. We will read together and discuss some writings in Bridges to Contemplative Living with Thomas Merton and focus on "Entering the School of Your Experience". We will continue the theme of telling our stories. There will be time for prayer, journaling, and walking the town Labyrinth, and we'll make free time for combing the beach. Cost is $100 for shared B & B lodging and food is on your own. Come prepare for Easter. Contact Jeanette Barker at (202) 232-8526 for a reservation. Foundry 20s/30s Retreat The Foundry 20s/30s Plus Group will hold a retreat on April 14-15 in West Virginia at the Kidwell farm. Discussion sessions will explore the theme of forgiveness. There is a fee of $25 to cover food expenses. For more information, contact Wendy King: 501-952-6726, wendypking@gmail.com. GLBT Group Retreat at Rehoboth Beach Discover Your Gifts – Rev. Dee Lowman Join us for the Foundry Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender group's annual retreat to be held once again in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, Friday through Sunday, April 20 -22. Foundry's new Associate Pastor, DeeAnne Lowman, will be leading the retreat, and anyone who has met her or heard her preach knows that we are in for a treat. Register in Fellowship Hall after services March 4, 11, and 18, or through mailing a registration form that is available at http://www.foundrylgbt.org/2007-registration.pdf (deadline for the group rate at the Breakers is March 21). There is also a link to the form on the GLBT group email. You can sign up to be on the email list by sending an email to info@FoundryLGBT.org. Help us Make our Stewardship Goal! We have now received 447 pledges amounting to $1,346,000 which puts us just $154,000 short of our goal of $1,500,000. We are at 90% of our target. Only you can decide what is possible and appropriate for you as you make your decision about your pledge. Every gift makes a difference – no matter what amount. The pledge total to date is composed of many diverse gifts. We encourage those who have previously pledged to increase their pledge this year by 10% if you are able. If you have not pledged before, we hope you do so this year. Pledge cards can be found in the pews and at the office. You can also download a pledge form. |
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In 1853, Robert Schumann wrote a famous article about the music of Brahms entitled "Neue Bähnen" or "New Paths." In this article, Schumann wrote the following prophetic words about the twenty year old Brahms, "If he sinks a shaft with his magic wand into the power of the Mass with chorus and orchestra, a form which is especially suited to his talents, there will appear to us yet another wonderful glance into the secrets of the spiritual world." 
Imagine that you are from another country far from home. You do not speak the language. You have no job and little or no money. There are no friends or family to reach out to for support. You are a face among many faces in a place where it is difficult to meet people or establish relationships. The men and women that wait hours for work at the corner of 15th and P Street and the parking lot at Home Depot on Rhode Island Avenue are such people.
Although these are great accomplishments, we still have a long journey to achieve many of the day laborers’ dreams and goals. For this year the Union has identified three primary goals: 1) a workers center; 2) funding for the Union; and, 3) vocational skill training. Recently the Union met with Ward 5 Councilmember Harry Thomas who expressed his vision of a multicultural center which will serve both Latino and African American workers and promote collaboration between these two communities.
Deryl Davis, our Director of Christian Education and Minister to Children and Families, has resigned to accept an exciting new position at The Washington National Cathedral. Beginning in early March, Deryl will become the Sunday Forum Manager at the Cathedral. Deryl will help to create and produce a new Sunday program with Cathedral Dean Samuel Lloyd on the intersection of Christian faith and contemporary issues. Deryl also will be teaching in the Cathedral College and overseeing some Cathedral symposia.Foundry United Methodist Church
1500 16th Street, NW * Washington, DC 20036
Phone: (202) 332-4010 * Fax: (202) 332-4035
Email: foundryumc@foundryumc.org
Web: www.foundryumc.org
Pastoral Care Emergency Phone
(after normal office hours): (202) 306-2659