For the month of May we will be exploring the theme of Embodiment. You can find the theme packet here. And all of the links from the theme packet can be found on the WES Pinterest page at https://www.pinterest.com/ethicalsociety/.

 

The photo for this month by 2016-2017 theme artist Carol Clayton is below along with her statement:

The most preoccupying topic for many of us now is the direction in which the US is headed.  With a new President and fresh executive orders almost daily, in a world where trusted news sources have been labeled by our Commander-in-Chief to be “fake news”, and news sources that are generally held to be actual fake news held up as true, up is down and black is white.  We have all fallen down Alice’s rabbit hole.  So the word “embodiment” speaks to me directly as that which embodies this great experiment in government, the so called United States (though it feels to be so divided and fractious now).  And that would be the law.  We have rule of law.  And our laws lay out courses of action which are measured, reliable, and generally fair, although there are glaring and painful exceptions, and what I believe to be fair may not be what you believe.  Still-we don’t duke it out with swords (yet).  We rely on the Constitution to guide us. And we rely on the Supreme Court and lower courts, to interpret what is fair, what is legal, and what is possible.  So far, for the most part, our courts have protected us against the onslaught of hate legislation and orders.  It  is my hope that it will continue to prevail, setting right that which is so frequently wrong.

Our platforms for the month will be:

May 7, 9:30 & 11:30am — “Bodies: The Good, The Bad, and the Gross” Amanda Poppei, Senior Leader. Join Amanda as we begin our monthly theme of Embodiment, and she explores the idea of having a body…and the way our bodies exist within society. Are our bodies beautiful? Disgusting? A little of both? Music from singer/songwriter Lea.

May 14, 9:30 & 11:30am — “Parenting to Transcend: Teaching, Protecting & Loving Black Bodies,” Monique Miles. We will continue to explore the theme of Embodiment with a emphasis on the black body. What does it mean to have a black body in current society? In particular, what does it mean to mother a black child? We will explore the lessons and tools that are critical to nurture, protect, love and transcend the structural and individual threats to the black body.

May 21, 9:30 & 11:30am — “Founder’s Day: The Way We Were” Cayo Gamber, Sera Morgan, Perry Saidman, and Amanda Poppei. Ten years ago, WES was in the midst of transition–a capital campaign, a building renovation, a Leader search. This Founder’s Day, we look back at this moment in time and celebrate the leap of faith it took for WES members to embody their values and embark on a new chapter in our community’s life together. Music from Nicole Rumeau, Joshua Long, Jason Lange, and Tom Bishop.

May 28, 9:30am — “Into the Woods!” Amanda Poppei, Senior Leader, and friends. Join Amanda at the WES Camping Trip for a special platform around the picnic tables. The woods often call to us as a place of escape and mystery. What does it means to get lost in the woods? How do we embody the journey of the woods in our own lives?

May 28, 11:30am — “Immigration: Embodying Our Values” Forum Theatre actors and WES Sanctuary Task Force members. Join us for this very special platform as actors from Silver Spring’s Forum Theatre share scenes from their new play, “Building the Wall,” join members of WES who have been working on issues around immigration and deportation. This will be a challenging and inspiring platform–one not to miss. Music from the WES Chorus led by Bailey Whiteman.

 

In addition to our Platform Services and art work, we are asking everyone to fully embody the theme of Embodiment with us throughout May. Following the calendar below, each day we are asking you to post a photo on social media using two hashtag (#WESembodiment and #”word of the day”). For example if the word were RUN, you may post a photo of a dog running across the yard with the comment #WESembodiment #Run. As we progress through the month, we invite you to watch our community share in our experiences. You can follow all of the photo using this link: https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/wesembodiment