St. John's Episcopal Church - Centreville, VA
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Parish News - March 2, 2022
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Dear St. John's Parishioners and Friends:
Today is Ash Wednesday, the day that begins the 40 day season of Lent. It is a time of penitence, prayer and self-denial. Many people give something up, like wine or chocolate, while others take something on, like daily devotions or additional prayer time or additional acts of kindness. Each time we deny ourselves something that we want, or reach out to others, we remember that Jesus died for our sins as we acknowledge that we are penitent sinners.
We will have our Ash Wednesday services at 12:00 noon and 7:30 PM TODAY in the historic church. St. Anthony's of Padua, one of our Ministry Partners, will join us for the evening service, which will also include music. Please wear masks.
To reflect the penitence of the Lenten season, there are several changes that we make in our Sunday services. This Sunday, March 6, we will chant the Great Litany, as we usually do on the first Sunday in Lent. We will not sing or say "Alleluia"; there will be no altar flowers, but greens instead; the color of the altar hangings will be purple, a penitential color; we will use the Rite I liturgy which is more penitential and has different congregational responses than Rite II. (The exception will be March 13 and 20 when we will have baptisms. Because the baptismal service uses more contemporary language, we will use Rite II on those two Sundays.)
Do what makes Lent meaningful for you. There are lots of resources online, some of which are listed below. May this be a holy season for you as we journey with Jesus to his death and resurrection.
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The Rev. Carol Hancock
Rector
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JOIN US THIS SUNDAY AS WE RETURN TO IN-PERSON WORSHIP AT ST. JOHN'S! We will continue to wear masks and socially distance ourselves as much as possible. We will also continue our "safe" way of having communion by using the individual cups for the bread and the wine.
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The services will continue to be live streamed at 9:30 AM on Sunday morning, and they can be watched later as well. The link to the online service is found below and will be the same link every Sunday. On Saturday, we will resend the link, along with a link for the bulletin and the lectionary class.
SUNDAY LIVESTREAM LINK:
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PARISH NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
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Lenten program - Our Lenten book study will use the book "Soul Stages: Surviving and Thriving in the Second Half of Life" by Christopher Chamberlin Moore (2021) We will be looking at times of transition and change in our lives, as we look ahead to transition and change at St. John's. Please order your own book, which can be found on Amazon. We will meet on Wednesdays at 7:00 PM on Zoom during Lent, starting on March 9.(Please note the starting date is March 9, not March 2 as was previously stated.) Please read the first chapter of "Soul Stages" for March 9. The Zoom link is below. No need to register! Just read the book and join us on Zoom!
There are many online resources for Lent, including daily prayers and reflections. Here are a few:
If there are other online resources for Lent that you would like to share, please send the links to Carol and they will be included in the E Notes.
Our newly formed Garden Committee is up and running......and planning for the spring planting season! Committee members Gail Weirich, Bev Milunec, Mimi Spear, Susan Davis and Dick Griffith have met to plan a small garden to raise some "easy to grow" vegetables. They plan to have 3 raised beds on the patio and will begin planting in early May. If you would like to help with the garden, or want to learn more about it, please contact Mimi or Bev who are the co-chairs. Vegetables that are raised will be donated to Western Fairfax Christian Ministries.
A Celebration of the Life of Helen Rusnak has been scheduled for Saturday, April 9, at 1:00 PM in the historic church. Burial will be in the St. John's Cemetery after the service, followed by a reception at the church.
As the Russian invasion of Ukraine escalates, please continue to pray for all those involved in this conflict.
God of peace and justice, we pray for the people of Ukraine today. We pray for peace and the laying down of weapons. We pray for all those who fear for tomorrow, that your Spirit of comfort would draw near to them. We pray for those with power over war or peace, for wisdom, discernment and compassion to guide their decisions. Above all, we pray for all your precious children, at risk and in fear, that you would hold and protect them. We pray in the name of Jesus, the Prince of Peace. Amen
(written by Archbishop Justin Welby and Archbishop Stephen Cottrell)
The recording of the Wednesday Evening Prayer services is being discontinued. This is due in part to the amount of time it takes do put together, record and post the service, and the low number of people who watch it. The service can be done by a lay person. If anyone is interested in taking on this ministry, please let Carol know. It is possible that this service might be restored when a new permanent Interim/Priest-in-Charge/Rector is called and if there is more interest in having this service. The last two years of recorded services can be found on the St. John's YouTube channel.
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SAVE THE DATE!
SUNDAY - April 3, 2022 - 5 PM
A Gathering to Celebrate the Ministry of The Rev. Carol Hancock
As many of you know, Carol will be taking a long-awaited sabbatical following her last Sunday, Easter Sunday, as St. John's Rector, and then will enter into her next chapter of life, her retirement.
The celebration will be held in the Parish Hall (lower level), and will be a catered dinner, dessert and tribute for Carol.
Reservations: If you wish to attend, please send Susie Pike a note with number of attendees, and a check for the cost of $25 per adult (nothing for children if attending with an adult, just let Susie know they are coming) to cover the meal costs. Checks should be sent to Susie Pike at her home at: 15334 Oakmere Pl, Centreville 20120, or dropped off at the church office. Susie should receive payments by March 18.
We are excited for Carol that she will be able to take her long-planned sabbatical and wish to show her how much she is appreciated, loved, and will be missed, at the dinner event.
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SPECIAL REQUEST
A video tribute for Carol is being developed. If you have any pictures of Carol you would like to include please email them to me. If you wish, you can also email me a short video of your thoughts on her departure. Request your video be no more than a minute long. Please have any pictures and videos sent to me NLT March 18th. My email address is:
David Weir and Sandy Jones are assembling a video and photo tributes for Carol. If you have any photos you would like included, please email them to David at [email protected] or Sandy at [email protected]. Please have all videos and photos sent no later than March 18th.
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*Wood Bundles For Sale*
The price is still nominal at $5 per bundle and the bundles are located outside the breezeway. Donations can be put in the envelopes provided and put in the secure adjacent mailbox.
Andrew Wade
The Church that Stacks Together, Stays Together!
The "seasoned" wood is selling out fast and we don't have a lot left. If you need some firewood to get you through the chilly days of March, please buy them now!
We anticipate having at least one more ‘log splitting’ day on Mt. Gilead Green, sometime in the next month or two. Please be on the lookout for follow up announcements.
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A Lot of Wood
has been bundled recently, many thanks to the efforts of the team, some of whom are shown here.
And it's been selling like hotcakes!
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OUTREACH and VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
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The Katharine K. Hanley Family Shelter is located nearby and currently house up to 12 families onsite, 12 families in hotel sites and serve over 40 families in their prevention and rapid rehousing programs. Seeking volunteers for:
- On-call movers: 3-4 volunteers with a pick-up truck or U-Haul Rental Truck, must be able to lift and move furniture and other household items.
- Volunteer Delivery Driver (VDD): Provides essential help in getting items to community members, residents, and Shelter House Program Participants. This position requires a working vehicle, license, and personal ability to navigate to new places.
- Volunteer On Call Moving Assistant (VOCMA): Requires the ability to lift, carry, and drive. They work directly with residents who are moving out of shelter or relocating This position does not include the transportation of people. (Ages 18+)
- Volunteer Shelter Assistant (VSA): A versatile position that participates in
onsite tasks such as cleaning, organizing, and various hands-on activities depending on the needs of the shelter determined by the Building Manager and/or Community Coordinator. (Ages 16+)
- If you are interested in any of these opportunities, please contact Rev. Deacon Steve at [email protected] who will coordinate with KKHFS Community Coordinator to get you started. Note: positions may require training from the KKHFS particularly those involving direct contact with clients.
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Western Fairfax Christian Ministries updated list of the foods that they need the most. You can bring your non-perishable items to the church on Sunday mornings, or drop them off in the box outside the door by the breezeway during the week and they will be delivered to WFCM.
Most needed items in the food pantry this month, Feb 2022:
- Canned Vegetables (low salt spinach, collard greens, corn)
- Juice (100% Fruit in plastic containers)
- Syrup - Jelly/Jam
- Flavored Rice/Pasta - Canned Pasta
- Pasta Sauce - Tomato Paste
- Canned Pineapple
- Jello/Pudding
- Dried Lentils
- Maseca flour - Sugar
- Granola Bars and Individual Snacks (chips, crackers)
- Condiments and Salad Dressing (family size not miniature packs)
- Baby Cereal and Baby Food
- Similac Baby Formula (Blue Label/Advance)
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Toiletries: Toilet paper, shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, feminine pads, body wash, (NOTE: we are not currently in need of diapers size 0-4 due to our partnership with Greater DC Diaper Bank. Please only donate larger size diapers, larger size pull ups, or wipes if you want to donate items for babies.)
The Western Fairfax Shepherd Center is still accepting volunteer drivers to support clients who need help getting to appointments, shopping trips (for food), and to deliver food from WFCM to clients. Please contact the Shepherd Center at 703-246-5920 or email [email protected] and copy Deacon Steve at [email protected].
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Sign Up: Sunday service reader or usher We welcome, need, and value your help! The lector will read the 2 lessons and the psalm. The usher will hand out bulletins and bring the elements and offering to the altar. If you would like to do either of these, CLICK HERE.
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Sign Up: Altar Flowers
Please indicate how you wish your flower donation to appear in the Sunday bulletin. (Wedding anniversary, in memory of someone - something special you want to remember by providing flowers.) CLICK HERE
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The Adult Lectionary Forum - IN PERSON & ON ZOOM
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SUNDAY WORSHIP & EDUCATION
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THE ADULT LECTIONARY FORUM - HELD EACH SUNDAY
All are invited to join in, following the Sunday service, in the library. Or use the link to the Lectionary Forum via Zoom, in case you cannot attend in person, found above.
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We can prepare our hearts & minds by reading ahead
for the Sunday Service lesson
The First Sunday after the Epiphany
March 6, 2022
The First Reading: Deuteronomy 26:1-11
As a show of gratitude and trust, we offer to God the beginning of our harvest, our first fruits, knowing that we would have nothing without God’s gracious love and that he will provide sufficiently for us.
The Second Reading: Romans 10:8b-13
God draws all sorts of people in all sorts of ways to the foot of the cross and to salvation through his Son, Jesus Christ. Whether by word or by deed, all glory is to God.
The Gospel: Luke 4:1-13
Jesus is tempted, just as we are, and shows us the way to resist the devil, which is to find truth in God alone.
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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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Going There
Black History Month – the official calendar event – is drawing to a close. I had expected to observe it by posting a list of books that I recommend to other white folks who are delving into this vast subject and would like some suggestions. But Black History Month took another turn for me.
Bishop Porter Taylor issued an invitation to a group of bishops last fall to form a Sacred Ground circle to experience the videos and reading and discussion together. We journeyed through the 10-session curriculum over several months. We encountered information none of us had known, though many members of the group grew up in the south in the 50’s and 60’s and most of us serve in southern dioceses. The legacy of imperialist genocide, human trafficking, enslavement, the doctrine of white supremacy, Jim Crow and the KKK, and racist mass incarceration are as evil as anything humanity has ever done, and even worse was the active engagement of the Anglican/Episcopal Church in much of it. To say it was sobering is a gross understatement. But just as shocking to us, and just as damaging to people of color, was our ignorance of so much of our own history and the continuing oppression and suffering of so many of our siblings in Christ.
Please click here to read the rest of this article:
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Alignment
Lent is upon us tomorrow. The forty days of Lent remind us of Jesus’ forty days in the wilderness. For Jesus, those forty days were a time to re-align himself with why God had given him life: to claim the right purpose, the right power, the right voice God had given him. He was in the desert to be purged of anything in the world that tempted him to stray from his reason for being.
-Br. Curtis Almquist
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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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Please note: If you choose to unsubscribe below, please be aware that you will no longer receive either St. John's sermons or E-Notes, which are sent weekly. If you do unsubscribe and later want to be added back in, that needs to be done through the provider, Constant Contact. Please email St. John's office with the request: [email protected].
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