Clergy Reflection
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
The Gospel appointed for this fourth Sunday in Lent brings together many themes of the Lenten readings and our current political debates about healthcare in our country. In the Gospel reading Jesus comes upon a blind man begging in the public square. He heals the man but does so in a way that demonstrates core principles and priorities in Anglican spirituality and the Episcopal Tradition.
Notice how Jesus heals the man. The passage says that Jesus spat into his hands and mixed mud from the ground with his own saliva. Jesus applies this divine dirt to the eyes of the man and the man sees. Jesus declares "I am the light of the world," and in this healing, he gives a concrete example of bringing light into darkness.
What is both Anglican and Episcopal about this account is first that Jesus reaches beyond the wealthy and the healthy and brings his love and grace to someone on the edge of society, someone who had fallen off the edge of communal care. Secondly, Christ uses the earth itself to be a source of healing. Acts of divine grace in our tradition do not come with wands or wishes but often come to us in the simple materials of the world made sacred. The offertory moment in every Eucharist is meant to give everyone a chance to place the materials of our daily lives on the altar, to be mixed with and transformed by the presence of Christ. Jesus uses the soil of the earth on the blind man's eyes as a sign that the incarnation means God enters, blesses, and redeems creation from the inside out. This act of healing is reminiscent of the ashes imposed on our foreheads just four weeks ago.
We continue to pray that all of you are finding God this Lent, in both the dirt and dance of your daily lives.
Tricia
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Mission & Ministry
Worship at Epiphany
Upcoming Coffee and Conversations
Willard Room, 9:30-10:30am
Sunday, March 26:
In 2015 many French towns agreed to accept refugees from war-torn Afghanistan in response to the request from the French national government. Join us for a thought provoking presentation from French resident and political activist Kersti Colombant, who will share in detail her experiences of resettling refugees and the challenges of helping them to become acclimated in to a new social and economic structure.
Sunday, April 2:
S
eminarian
Mary Matthews will lead
"A Theological Reflection on Transgender Rights" based on Presiding Bishop Michael Curry's words.
Easter Sunday Coffee Hour
The Coffee Hour committee will be setting up a festive coffee hour after the
11:00
service. We ask for donations of food and drink, table-ready if possible. We would also appreciate help with set-up, serving and clean-up. This is a chance to share a favorite Easter or spring dish, and to participate in the ministry of hospitality.
It will not be the same without you!
Please contact any member of the committee for more information:
Floral Donations
Celebrate Easter with a floral donation! Suggested Donation: $25. All tributes will be listed in the Easter bulletins. Please submit your dedication to the parish office no later than Sunday, April 9.
You can also submit your donation online.
Calling Committee Update
The Calling Committee is grateful to announce that we have completed our charge and have provided the Vestry with the names of three candidates for the next Rector of the Church of the Epiphany. We are truly grateful for all of the candidates who presented themselves and for all that we learned from them and we ask your prayers for each of them in their ministries. The three candidates whom we presented to the Vestry each have differing gifts, but are truly gifted priests and each would be a wonderful shepherd for this very special place and people. Please hold the Vestry and the candidates in your prayers as we move forward to call a new Rector.
Stations of the Cross
March 1, 2017 - April 16, 2017
The journey continues -- Be sure to download the app 'Alight: Art & Sacred' or visit
artstations.org to continue your pilgrimage to all 14 of the stations and for info on upcoming events.
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Meditation in Music
Regarded as a musical masterpiece by the great 20th century organist & composer Marcel Dupré (1886-1971),
Le Chemin de la Croix
(The Stations of the Cross) was conceived originally as an improvisation and was a musical interpretation of the poetic and incisive evocations of the Station imagery by Paul Claudel (French Ambassador in Washington, DC in the 1930s). Although the poetry was written originally in 1911, the great artistic collaboration of Dupré's music being performed with Claudel's poetry did not occur until 1931. Our Meditation in Music for Good
Friday
recreates this profound combination of text and music.
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Music & The Arts
Tuesday Concert Series
March 28, 2017 at 12:10pm
The Chamasyan Sisters
, featuring Monika and Armine,
violins
, and Marina,
piano
,
pr
esent
From Armenia with Love:
A special program showcasing music by Armenian composers.
Admission is free but a donation of $10 is suggested to support the Concert Series.
New CD from the Epiphany Choir
Copies are available now for just
$15
in the church office or by contacting our Director of Music,
Jeremy Filsell
.
Avanti Orchestra
March 24, 2017 at 8:00pm, proceeds to benefit the Tuesday Concert Series
Led by Pablo Saelzer, Avanti performs Dvorak Wind Serenade; Dvorak Biblical Songs, Javier Arrey, baritone, Metropolitan Opera; and Mozart Symphony No. 38.
DC's Different Drummers
March 25, 2017 at 7:00pm
DC's Different Drummers
is a lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender music organization welcoming ALL musicians as it fosters pride, inclusivity, and engagement with the greater Washington, D.C. region through music. The ensemble will explore the works of numerous LGBT composers, including Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland, Ronald Fallas, Julie Giroux, Jennifer Higdon, Elton John, Cole Porter, Steven Reinke, & Peter Tchaikovsky. With a repertoire spanning the centuries & multiple styles, this will truly be a memorable performance celebrating the LGBT community's contribution to the music world.
Washington Men's Camerata
March 26, 2017 at 4:00pm
Eat, Drink and Be Merry!
- A lively program of music from the Renaissance to the 21st century, featuring songs about our favorite pastimes with music by Orff, Arne, Este, Schubert, Grieg and more!
Learn more about musical events at Epiphany by visiting our
website.
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Service in Mission & Ministry
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How might you become more involved in the mission and ministry of our parish? There is so much going on at Epiphany and we are so grateful for the contributions you all offer towards making this happen. There are a few areas where we could really use your help! Please have a look at the list below and think where you might feel you could benefit from and contribute to the life of our community.
The Welcome Table team are looking for more volunteers to help in the kitchen and dining room. Please contact Maria Hunter if you are interested in getting involved in this important aspect of our ministry at Epiphany (
[email protected]).
Coffee Hour after the 11am service. Pat Pickering and John McDermott do a fantastic job, but they can't do it every week. Coffee Hour can be as simple or as elaborate as we want to make it. What's important is that we have a time of fellowship after worship. Please contact Catriona if you can help (
[email protected]).
Liturgical Leaders: We are always looking for people to help with the important ministries that make our Sunday worship possible. We welcome new additions to the ranks of greeters, ushers, readers, lay Eucharistic ministers, as well as the flower guild, and altar guild. If you are interested in learning more about any of these roles, please contact Catriona (
[email protected]).
Weekdays:
Office Volunteers: We are looking for volunteers to sit at the front desk between 10am-2pm on weekdays. Bertha does a great job on Tuesdays and we're looking for others to help throughout the week. If you want to find out more, talk to Bertha and please contact Catherine in the office if you can help (
[email protected]).
Music Library: Epiphany's music director would appreciate a volunteer to help with organizing the music library, including alphabetizing, rearranging shelves, labeling boxes, and updating the music library spreadsheet. Please email Jeremy at
[email protected].
If you are interested in learning about one or more of these ministries, you can also complete our Epiphany volunteer poll here.
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Prayer & Pastoral Care
Prayer List
We invite you to add those on your heart to our prayer list.
We will pray for them aloud on Wednesdays at our 12:10 Healing Service and will add them to the Sunday list. Contact the church office with the name of the person and what we need to know about them.
Pastoral Care
If you or someone you know is in need of prayer or conversation, please contact the church office. We would rather hear from many than miss the opportunity to connect with someone.
Wednesday Silent Prayer
Come and join us for 20 minutes of silent prayer and meditation followed by a short time of prayer for the parish. We will meet in the sanctuary on Wednesdays at 11:30am. All are welcome. To find out more, contact Catriona: [email protected].
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Blogs & Websites
Episcopal Cafe
S
ite featuring Episcopal news, commentary, and meditations
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