Shining the Light

Dear ones,

This coming Sunday we celebrate the Feast of Pentecost, the fiftieth and final day of the Easter Season. On this day, the Church celebrates the gift of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, often represented as a dove, or as a tongue of flame, or as wind. When Charlie was baptized on Pentecost last year, some friends sent us a box of pinwheels as a nod to the "rush of wind" that comes with the Spirit's presence in the Book of Acts. Charlie's attempts to get the pinwheels to spin by blowing puffs of air in an adorable though entirely ineffective way brought to mind other signs of the Holy Spirit's presence: joy, wonder, and laughter.

The Church teaches that one of the ways we recognize the presence of the Holy Spirit is when we experience love and harmony with God, with ourselves, with our neighbors, and with all creation. As we approach Pentecost, we can prepare for the Spirit's coming by turning our attention to the places in our lives where we already sense this kind of love and harmony. Where are you experiencing the joy and wonder of God's presence? Give thanks and dwell with God there.

Come Holy Spirit, come!

Love,

Dorota+

This Sunday at St. Andrew's  

10:00 a.m. Choral and Family Eucharist with Baptism

Readings: Acts 2: 1-21, 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13, John 7: 37-39

Duty officer May 28 - June 3: Jean Lynn

Saint Andrew’s summer seminarian, Redmond Self, will officiate evening prayer this Thursday at 5:30 PM in the nave (sanctuary). Come as you are for a time of fellowship and prayer!

On Pentecost, we will have one intergenerational service at 10:00 a.m. (no 8:00 a.m. service), which will include the baptism of Kamila Wright-Pruski! We will be joined by Rev. Dorota's friend, The Very Rev. Fran Gardner-Smith, as our guest presider so that Rev. Dorota can focus on being the mother of the baptismal candidate. A special reception will follow, hosted by Welcome and Fellowship. Join us!

This Sunday we will celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit with a multi-lingual reading of the Pentecost story. If you are willing to participate in the storytelling by reading a short portion of Scripture in another language, please email Rev. Dorota by Thursday, May 25. You'll be sent instructions and the citation; all you'll need to do is be prepared to proclaim it in whatever language you speak. The readings will be done simultaneously, so you'll be part of a glorious cacophony of tongues.

Each Wednesday at 8:30pm members of St. Andrew's meet via this Zoom Compline link for a brief service of contemplative nighttime prayers. All are welcome to join. For those who do not have a copy of the Book of Comon Prayer at home, you may download this Compline booklet.

After Christ's ascension to heaven but before Pentecost, the Apostles found themselves wondering: where is God right now? Rev. Dorota Wright-Pruski leads a guided meditation, based on a prayer of St. Patrick, to help us experience the presence of God, right now.

Starting May 30, summer seminarian Redmond Self will hold “café office hours” from 1:00-3:00 Tuesdays at the Lee Heights Starbucks (4526 Lee Highway, Lee Heights Shops, Arlington VA 22207). Please come on by for coffee and conversation!

Arlington Pride Festival: Saturday, June 24

Come support Arlington's Pride Festival with your fellow Episcopalians! The Episcopal churches in Arlington will be at Pride on Saturday, June 24 to celebrate God's love for all people. To help at the table, sign up here. The table will be open from 12:00 to 5:00 p.m. at Gateway Park in Rosslyn (1300 Langston Blvd), with activities and entertainment for all ages. This year, Pride includes a full weekend of festivities which you can read about here. 

For the next edition of The Net, we are focusing on all the large and small celebrations in our lives. Do you have a new grandchild or a new graduate in your family? Did you finally clear out those boxes in the attic? Did you master a new recipe or nail a project at work? We want to hear about it and celebrate with you!

Please email your celebrations to the Parish Administrator by May 26 to be featured in The Net. Photos to go along with your celebration very much encouraged! - Emily Blecksmith

St. Anne’s Guild is sponsoring the collection of socks, washcloths and undergarments to support the homeless shelter in Arlington. We are looking for men or women’s socks, tee shirts, and undergarments in adult sizes. Washcloths for showers have also been requested. According to the guidelines from the shelter, these items need to be new. White socks work best as these individuals are frequently experiencing foot injuries and abrasions that heal best with dye free materials. A labelled bucket will be placed in the Lounge for donations so please feel free to add your contribution at any time. The collection will end on Pentecost, May 28th. Thanking you in advance for your support of this need. Questions: Contact Karen White by email or call 703-356-4816; 323-573-2603.

Mark your calendars for breakfast at 9am in the undercroft on Sunday June 4!

On Sunday June 11, we will bid farewell to Mallory, Brandon, Finley, and Fletcher Nonnemaker as they go back to Georgia. Please join us for worship at 10am that day (no 8am service), followed by a special reception.

This week we pray for: Henry Schmidt, the people of Haiti, the people of Ukraine, Joe Feola, Zorah, Florence Jee and Joan Lawrence.

Would you like to add a name to the prayer list? If so, please email the church office with your request. Names will be kept on the prayer list for about a month unless otherwise specified, and will be published weekly in Shining the Light.   

Our next workday is Saturday, May 27th starting at 9:00am (Sunday, May 28th at 11:30am if it is too wet on Saturday). If you are interested in volunteering in the St. Andrew's Garden for Hope, You can sign up here on Sign Up Genius.    If you have questions concerning the sign-up, please contact Emily Blecksmith, our Parish Administrator.

If you are able to drive the donations to AFAC for a contactless delivery, please sign-up here.

Here is a list of items AFAC accepts.