St. John's Episcopal Church - Centreville, VA |
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Parish News - February 24, 2021
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Dear St. John's Parishioners and Friends:
One of the daily devotion books that I am using this Lent is "Walking in the Wilderness: Seeking God during Lent" by Beth A. Richardson. I found this meditation especially meaningful:
"Jesus comes to proclaim that we are God's beloved children, that what the government says we are doesn't matter, that what the powers and principalities want us to believe doesn't matter, that our brokenness doesn't matter. We are God's beloved children, and this is what matters. We are commended to live as if we know how deeply we are loved. Anxiety and worry are not our inheritance. When we find our center, our calm heart in Christ, this is the peace that cannot be taken away by the world....Breath by breath we ask God's love to become our experience. Prayer by prayer we hold ourselves open to the possibility that we can live and feel and experience life as beloved children of God." (by Jane Herring, One Day I Wrote Back)
This Lent, may we "live and feel and experience life as beloved children of God."
The Rev. Carol Hancock
Rector
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From the Bishop’s Office
In our continually evolving circumstances, we’ve all been anxious to have the most current status updates, especially the status of worship protocols and regathering for public worship. Many of our policies are guided by the Office of the Bishop of the Diocese of Virginia.
And while we will always communicate the latest information from the Bishop’s office, you are eligible to get these updates directly from the Bishop’s office by subscribing to the diocesan e-news service.
There’s another important reason you should subscribe. Last year, the Diocese made the difficult decision to discontinue the printing of the quarterly magazine, the Virginia Episcopalian. In a time of decreasing budgets, a costly magazine was simply not a luxury that our church or the Diocese could afford to continue.
The good news is that the monthly diocesan newsletter, the eCommunique, will now be incorporating some of the great storytelling and features you enjoyed in the Virginia Episcopalian, but without the lag time and hefty price tag of a traditional print publication. By subscribing to the diocesan news service, you will receive the monthly eCommunique plus announcements from your Bishops as they happen. Rest assured that the diocesan offices will never share your information with any other parties.
We strongly encourage you to subscribe to keep up with what is happening in our diocese.
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Lenten Book Study - For our Lenten book study, we are discussing Presiding Bishop Michael Curry's most recent book, "Love is the Way: Holding on to Hope in Troubling Times." We are meeting on Monday evenings in Lent from 7:00 - 8:00 PM. We had 7 people at our first meeting but we hope to have more. We will be discussing chapters 3 and 4 next Monday. March 1. No need to pre-register - just join us on Monday night. The link for the Lenten book study is
Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper - Fifteen people joined us online for our first ever virtual Pancake Supper! Lori Wade made the most unique pancakes (actually called something else!) and Becca Bierman joined us from Georgia! Thanks to all who participated.
Ash Wednesday - Were you able to join us for the online service on Ash Wednesday? Did you share the ashes with those in your family, or by yourself? What was that like? Carol would love to hear about your experience. Please send a short email to [email protected] Thanks!
Lenten Resources - There are a variety of online resources as well as books you can order to enhance your Lenten journey. Here are a few:
--The Episcopal Church - Has various daily devotions and other Lenten resources from a variety of Episcopal organizations. Free
--Forward Day by Day - Provides daily devotions not only for Lent but year round. It is online (free) or you may purchase an individual subscription.
If you don't own your own Book of Common Prayer.... you can purchase one at www.churchpublishing.org . They range from $23 and up, depending on the size and the kind of cover, and if they include the hymnal or not. During this time of online services due to the pandemic, it would be easier to participate in the services if you had your own prayer book and hymnal.
Vestry Meetings - Have you ever wondered what the Vestry does and what goes on in Vestry meetings? Have you thought about serving on the Vestry? If so, you are welcome to join a Vestry meeting. They are open to members of the congregation, except if they have to go into an executive session to discuss something confidential, which is rare. The next Vestry meeting is this Sunday, March 21 at 7:00 PM on Zoom. If you would like to join us, please let Carol know and she will send you the link. The Vestry, which handles the business of the church, meets on the third Sunday of the month at 7:00 PM on Zoom.
New Treasurers - Tom McDermott was elected by the Vestry as the treasurer for this year and Penny Parker was elected as the Assistant Treasurer. Many thanks go to Denise Bellows who served as treasurer this past year.
Sunday readers - We are in need of people to sign up to be readers for the Sundays in March. Please click on the link below and sign up for the Sundays you would like. One person does the three scripture readings and one person does the psalm and the Prayers of the People. Or one person can do both. Carol will send you the readings and Catherine Packard will send you the prayers. The recordings for the service need to be sent to David Weir by the previous Thursday so he can put the parts of the service together.
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Be a Sunday service reader, from anywhere!
During this time of covid, St. John's holds a Sunday morning prayer service which is "aired" on Sunday mornings at 9 AM. The readings are
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...pre-recorded, and several parishioners have been doing a great job doing them, from different venues - no matter where they are! We welcome, need, and value your help! If you would like more information on how to do this, click here for the info page on SignUp Genius. Please sign up a week before the Sunday you would like to read, so we can get the readings to you and you can get your recording to David Weir by Thursday.
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Every Wednesday, St. John's has a Service of Evening Prayer at 6 PM. It is a peaceful way to end the day, and it's now being held virtually. Here is the link to this evening's service:
Wednesday, February 24
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Sully District Neighborhood College
Neighborhood College is designed for residents who want to make a difference but aren’t sure where to start. It is a FREE, seven-session civic engagement program (March 11 - April 29) open to residents interested in learning about Fairfax County and how to work with neighbors, community organizations and local government to strengthen neighborhoods, build community capacity and promote a sense of community. It is also a leadership program for residents who serve as officers on their homeowner or civic association board. To register, click on this link:
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The link to the Sunday service is sent out each Saturday as usual. Then join us for the coffee hour from 10:00 - 10:30 and the Adult Lectionary Class at 10:30 AM on Zoom. The links will be sent out in Saturday's email to all.
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FOOD COLLECTION - thanks to all who participated in the food drive-by in our front parking lot on Feb. 14. The team reports that we delivered 312.45 pounds of food in two deliveries and collected $500 in donations!
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"LIFT ME UP" FACILITIES CAMPAIGN
Thermometer reaches
$31,500 !!!
Is It True that St. John's has 7 HVAC Systems?
Yes, indeed and most were installed in the early nineties during the building of the parish house. The design provided for flexibility to cover the various spaces from the small unit for the choir loft to the large one that heats and cools the Parish Hall. However, many of the units have come to the end of their natural life span and over the
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past four years several have had to be replaced, along with the hot water heater and much of the roof. Unfortunately, a leaking heater will not wait for the end of Covid and the church has proceeded with needed repairs. Once the pandemic is over, however, St Johns and its facility will be well-prepared for another few decades of service to the the many groups that use the building. Your support for the Lift Me Up Facilities Campaign is helping us to meet our goals and undertake these repairs while incurring as little debt as possible. If you have not done so already, please consider making a donation by March 17, either directly to the church office or via the tithe.ly app. Thank you for your generous support of St Johns.
Lisa Heller and Andrew Wade
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SUNDAY WORSHIP & EDUCATION |
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The Adult Lectionary Forum
Now being held virtually via Zoom. All are invited to join in, following the virtual Sunday service. The links to the Forum and the service are sent out in a separate email on Saturdays.
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We can prepare our hearts & minds by reading ahead
for the Sunday Service lesson
The Second Sunday in Lent
February 28, 2020
The First Reading:
Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16
God transforms people even when they are old. It is never too late for God to make someone into a completely new person.
The Psalm: 22:22-30
The Second Reading:
Romans 4:13-25
God’s gracious blessing depends on his goodness alone, and on the faith we receive from him.
The Gospel:
Mark 8:31-38
Disciples of Jesus regularly lay down their desires and reorient themselves to God’s call. Even Peter and Jesus’s other constant companions needed reminders of God’s mission.
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Online Contributions
to St. John's
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St. John's now offers three buttons for online donations via Tithe.ly. You may use the buttons below to go directly to Tithe.ly, or you may download the Tithe.ly app on your phone or tablet. |
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The Pledge payment button may be used only to make your pledge payment (after signing up to be a pledger, which may be done at any time in the year. See Carol or Vestry)
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The Facility Campaign button may be used only for any contribution for the facility's buildings and grounds, or special facility campaigns.
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The Donation button may be used for any other type of donation to St. John's. To designate a special purpose (i.e. Organ Fund, Ministry Partner payments, etc.) please send a note to [email protected].
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Sermons from the Bishop's Online Chapel
Each week, one of our bishops or a member of the diocesan staff prepares and posts a sermon based on the Sunday's readings that can be used for online services. Here is the sermon posted for this past Sunday.
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A Meditation for the First Week of Lent:
Lessons for Lent from Dante
"In the middle of our journey in life I found myself in a dark wood where the straight way was lost."
This is the first sentence of Dante's Divine Comedy, and it seems to be a helpful sentence for the beginning of Lent. Let's explore how it might apply to our Lenten journey.
We are always in "the middle" because there is something before and after, we sense that we don't have time for the real work we are called to do. The work is looking at our failings and sins and then climbing up the Seven Story Mountain to Paradise.
It's "our journey" because men and women have gone before us and because we don't get to Hell or Purgatory or Heaven by ourselves. We grow together; we die together; we are always together. Part of the work of Lent is to recognize our connectiveness and to invest in the wellbeing of our brothers and sisters -- all of whom are on the path. Dorothy Day once said if we tried to get to heaven by ourselves the question St. Peter would ask at heaven's gates is, "Where are the others? You didn't think could come by yourself, did you?" We cannot hate our neighbors -- which means everyone -- and love God. So, to walk into Lent is to walk with others -- asking their help for our journey and offering our help for theirs.
"We find ourselves," which means we remember who we are. Just as the Prodigal Son "came to himself," so Lent is a time for us to remember who we are and why we are here. It's a time to let go of our distractions as well as our addiction to division and move our feet towards Paradise. When I would mess up as a teenager, which was often, part of my father's lecture was to ask me, "What's important?" I think of St. Teresa's words: "Remember that you have only one soul; that you have only one death to die; that you have only one life, which is short and must be lived by you alone; and that there is only one glory which is eternal. If you do this, there will be many things about which you care nothing." When we find ourselves, we remember who we are and recall the "one glory which is eternal." Then we can move our feet toward home even though it takes us into the Inferno and up the Mountain of Purgatory.
"We are in a dark wood." Jesus begins his ministry in the wilderness because it's not enough to know about people that have come before us; we must learn who we are and why we are here for ourselves. Lent is a time of introspection: a kind of internal garage sale. What should we let go of and what should we embrace? What indeed is food for the journey and what is simply baggage? The dark wood means the old ways are cut off and we must walk beyond the "straight road" to face our sins and embrace our image of God.
Thus, "the straight way was lost." Resurrection requires surrender. Lent is not some spiritual Olympics where we give up chocolate to deserve Easter. It's to enter the Cloud of Unknowing. It's to let go of our way of understanding the world so that we might be given a new vision of the world. As Cynthia Bourgeault says, we let go of our "operating system" which is our way of filtering reality into a meaning we can comprehend. Instead, we go the way of unknowing because losing ourselves is finding ourselves.
So practically, what does all that mean? Here are a few guesses but only guesses because we all must find our own way.
· Change your schedule. Our routines can put us on automatic while a change might increase our awareness.
· Carve out one part of the day for Holy Listening. The wise saying is, "Pray as you can, not as you can't." God doesn't care if you practice yoga or Centering Prayer or fast for forty days. What matters is our intention to open up to God and our actions based on that intention. We are to carve out a time for that openness.
· If it's "our journey" in life, then we pray for those we care for and those we don't. We must pray for our enemies or simply the people that drive us crazy, and we pray for our capacity to see them as children of God, just like us.
· Remember those who suffer and connect with them -- write, call, or pray. Again, it's "our journey."
· Admit what you don't know and don't feel. Place those before God and ask for your heart's desire. Once I had to pray for three months for the capacity to pray for someone because I was so angry at this person, I couldn't pray for him. Ninety days later I could.
· Embrace the truth that you are God's beloved and that it's God's love for you that will pull you through the Inferno and up the Seven Story Mountain into Paradise.
· Love. Love yourself; your neighbor; this fragile earth our island home; your enemies, and God.
· We walk step by step. We have the whole season of Lent on this path, and we get to the heavenly city one day, one step at a time. That means find the manna for this day and let it nourish you.
Finally, let us remember lines from the Ash Wednesday service: "that those things may please God which we do on this day, and that the rest of our life hereafter may be pure and holy, so that at the last we may come to God's eternal joy through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Bishop Porter Taylor
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Morning
When you wake in the morning, don’t open your internet, or read the papers, until you have first said good morning to God. Have a prayer, or a psalm that you say first thing, to greet God, to reaffirm who you are, and why you are. Rediscover joy first thing in the morning: think on what is true, and lovely, and honorable and pure, before you face the world – and Facebook.
-Br. Geoffrey Tristram
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and the office number is 703-803-7500.
May our ministry together spread God's love to all whom we encounter.
- Carol
The Rev. Carol Hancock, Rector
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