St. John's Episcopal Church - Centreville, VA
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Parish News - December 15, 2021
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Dear St. John's Parishioners and Friends:
Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7
"If you've ever been in a state of worry, did it help to have someone tell you, "Don't worry"? The answer is likely no.
We worry about very real things, such as disaster, health, conflicts and hunger. Sometimes, even with prayer, worry can seem insurmountable — it can freeze us and keep our minds running the same loop of worst-case scenarios.
This is why Paul elaborates on his advice of "do not worry about anything" with the statement, "The peace of God… will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."
Paul is not saying there aren't things to worry about. He is not saying that everything will suddenly get better. He is not suggesting that God will remove all the obstacles in your life. Rather, he is saying, the peace of God is with you in all that you do. Let your hearts and minds dwell in Christ rather than the worst-case scenario loop. Worry dissipates in the presence of Christ… not because the challenges in our lives have disappeared, but because the peace of God is greater than all worry.
What are you worrying about right now? What would it look like to invite the peace of God into that space? Can you dwell in the presence of Christ rather than the presence of worry? What might it feel like to respond to the challenges you see around you with God's peace?
This Advent, may you move away from worry and towards God's peace. May you dwell in the presence of Christ's love even in the midst of challenges and obstacles. May the peace of God guard your hearts and minds forevermore."
From Episcopal Relief and Development, Sunday, December 12, 2021
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You can sign up to receive daily meditations throughout Advent from "The Living Compass" by clicking on this link: Living Well Through Advent — Living Compass , then scroll down to sign up to receive the daily emails.
You can also sign up to receive daily meditations from "AdventWord", by clicking on this link:
The Rev. Carol Hancock
Rector
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The pictures of the aftermath of the tornadoes that ripped through Kentucky and several other states last weekend have been heartwrenching. The devastation is indescribable. Episcopal Relief and Development has set up a disaster fund to help those who have lost everything. If you would like to help, please go to www.er-d.org . Monetary donations of any size will be greatly appreciated.
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PARISH NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
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We are searching for a new non-profit group to use the parish hall during the week. If you know of any group looking for space, please tell them to contact David Thompson at St. John's (703-803-7500). We need to spread the word as widely and as quickly as possible. There are flyers on the back table in the church if you know of someone to send it to or a public bulletin board to post it. We have put an ad on Craigs List. If you know other websites, social media, or other places where we could advertise (preferably for free), please let Carol know. Without this income from a group using the parish hall during the week, we will have financial difficulties down the road.
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Our Christmas services are just around the corner! In just 9 days, we will celebrate the birth of the Christ child on Christmas Eve, followed by our Christmas Day and Sunday services. Many people are needed to help with these services. We still need the following help:
December 24 - 4:00 PM service - need an usher
9:00 PM service - need a crucifer
December 25 - 9:30 AM service - need a lector and a crucifer
December 26 - need a crucifer
If you can help with any of these positions, please click on to the sign up sheet below and add your name to the need that you can fill.
Please keep in your daily prayers all those who have been devastated by the tornadoes that tore through Kentucky and several other states this past weekend - those who have died (and their families), those who were injured, and those who lost their homes and businesses, that God's loving arms will surround them and give them strength.
Did anyone happen to pick up a plastic bag with paint brushes and rollers in it on Sunday? It was in the church office near David Thompson's desk. If you picked this up by mistake, please return it to the church office. It has an important receipt in it and some items that need to be returned to the store. Thanks!
Bishop Ted Gulick will be making a Bishop's Visitation to St. John's on Sunday, April 3. If anyone wishes to be confirmed, received into the Episcopal Church from another denomination, or renew their baptismal vows, please let Carol know as soon as possible. Classes for confirmation candidates will need to start in January.
Thanks go to Catherine Packard for volunteering to re-shelve the books in the library and get it organized.
Many thanks go to one of our Ministry Partners, the Seventh Day Adventists, who volunteered to paint the parish hall. We provided the paint and they provided the labor. It looks wonderful!
A volunteer opportunity - We need someone to staff the nursery during the 4:00 PM service on Christmas Eve. If you can help, please let Carol know. Otherwise, we will not have a nursery available for the visitors and families who would like to use the nursery for their small children.
More volunteers needed! We will have a "Cleaning and Greening" of the church this Saturday, December 18 from 9-11 AM to get ready for the Christmas services. Please bring gloves. Rags and cleaning supplies will be provided.
Save the Date - Put Friday, January 7 on your calendar now for a potluck dinner at the church and a time to socialize with one another. More details will follow closer to the date.
St John's Christmas ornaments for sale - If you need additional ornaments for your Christmas tree, or need a gift for a friend, a St. John's Christmas ornament might be the perfect gift. Ornaments are available in the church office for $10 each.
And we also have St. John's tee shirts for sale for $15. Most sizes available.
Vestry Candidates Needed - In February, we will have our Annual Parish Meeting where we will be electing new members of the Vestry. Three of our current Vestry members will be completing their three year terms. Six people will remain on the Vestry so we can elect up to six additional members. If you would like to have more information about the work of the Vestry, please feel free to talk with a member of the Vestry (listed on the back of the bulletin each Sunday) or to attend one of our meetings on Zoom. Just let Carol know ahead of time so she can send you the link. The Vestry currently meets on Zoom on the third Sunday of the month at 7:00 PM. Vestry members must be confirmed communicants in good standing.
The Falls Church Episcopal will be having live outdoor nativity scenes this Saturday, December 18 from 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM. All are invited to come and bring a friend.
The Diocese of Virginia Search Committee has recently completed its diocesan profile as it continues its process of discernment for the next diocesan bishop. The profile can be found on the diocesan website at www.virginiabishopsearch.org
The Bishop's Learning Series: My Story; Our Story; The Story
How fiction and poetry can take us deeper into our faith
Clergy: Thursdays at 4 p.m., January 12 - March 16.
Lay: Wednesdays at 3 p.m. January 12 - March 16 OR Thursdays at 1:30 p.m. January 13 - March 17.
As human beings we make meaning through story. Stories are how we connect with one another. When you are introduced to a stranger, you begin with your story: “Where I am from; what I do; what are my passions” and so on. In addition, the deeper truth can often only be reached through story. We know this from reading the gospels. People asked Jesus a complicated question, and he answered with a story: “Once there was a man who had two sons…”
This online series of classes is intended to deepen our awareness and our reservoir of story and image. We will read short stories and poems and use them as the way to go deeper into the Good News and how we encounter it in our lives. The class is not an English class but a Theology class that uses fiction and poetry as the doorway into the mysteries of our faith. If you wish to join the class, please email Anita Lisk and indicate if you are clergy or lay. Read the full class description
St Georges College in Jerusalem - St. George's College, where many parishioners went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, has announced they will reopen in January, following their closure for COVID. (This announcement was made before the Omicron virus and the current closing of the Israeli border to visitors). The staff is putting together 5 short videos about some of the sacred places in and around Jerusalem. Please click on this link for more information. SGC Open for Pilgrims; New Offerings
For those of you who may have missed it.... Carol mailed out a letter to the congregation last week announcing her retirement. Her last Sunday at St. John's will be Easter, April 17. In case, you missed it, the letter is attached.
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*Wood Bundles Now 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
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WFCM Christmas Holiday Food Collection
Those who took boxes with the list of food items to be purchased should return their filled boxes to the church by December 15. A few people have already volunteered to take the boxes on Friday to the drop off location. Monetary donations are also accepted. WFCM will use the money to buy the perishable food for these families. Make checks payable to St Johns with WFCM Christmas on the memo line.
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Western Fairfax Christian Ministries has put out their 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.
· Canned garbanzo beans (low salt preferred)
· Canned kidney beans, red beans, and black beans (low salt preferred)
· Canned pasta
· Pasta Sauce (low salt preferred)
· Canned Tuna and Canned Chicken
· Flavored pasta/rice
· Mashed Potatoes
· Oatmeal (Quaker Oats Healthy Old Fashioned Oatmeal)
· Canned vegetables (corn, carrots, spinach, beets) (low salt preferred)
· Canned Pineapple (no sugar added preferred)
· Tomato Paste (low salt preferred)
· Toiletries: Toilet paper, shampoo, conditioner, feminine pads, deodorant, baby wipes, shaving cream, mouth wash (NOTE: we are not currently in need of diapers due to our partnership with Greater DC Diaper Bank. Please only donate larger size pull ups or wipes if you want to donate items for babies.)
Outreach Opportunity to Help Our “Neighbors”
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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Service of Evening Prayer - Virtually
Every Wednesday, St. John's has a Service of Evening Prayer. 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, December 15
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THE ADULT LECTIONARY FORUM - IN PERSON & ON ZOOM
All are invited to join in, following the Sunday service. Here is the link to the Lectionary Forum via Zoom, in case you cannot attend in person:
PLEASE NOTE LINK updated
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Last Sunday's recorded service: December 12
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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 Fourth Sunday of Advent
December 19, 2021
The First Reading: Micah 5:2-5a
No matter how small or insignificant a person, an interaction, an event, or a place, the possibility of a world-changing effect is always present. Approach your life with appropriate wonder, especially its small moments.
The Psalm: Canticle 15, Page 91, BCP
The Second Reading: Hebrews 10:5-10
For true freedom, choosing to do the will of God is a sacrifice. It is the only choice that ends its journey in eternal life.
The Gospel: Luke 1:39-45 (46-55 optional)
Women are entrusted with a staggering privilege and responsibility in bearing the next generation. These cousins rejoice at the work they’ve been given to do.
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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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Yearning To Be Made New
Let’s be honest. It’s hard to get into the customary pre-Christmas frenzy. When I read that 795,000 people have died from Covid in this country alone, it’s hard to get excited about what’s under the tree. Then there are the worldwide deaths and the mess in Washington.
I will admit my playlist is retro because I have never gotten over the sixties. However, some years ago I found a singer named Ted Small. One of his songs has this line: “When gravity is getting you down, look up.” While walking around the neighborhood this week, I listened to this song, and I thought of the words in our Eucharist, “Lift up your hearts. We lift them up to the Lord.” I realized I need a reorientation.
This not about ignoring what’s going on in our country or in our world. It’s about remembering to hope. When we run out of what we can do, we are called to remember what God can and will do and to lift up our hearts to focus on that. My faith in our politicians to make our country or this world right is small, but my confidence in God’s ability to do so is unshaken.
In part, this is because of what God has done for me in my life. Without God I would never have gotten sober from alcohol or adopted two wonderful children or found Jo, my wife, or gotten into graduate school or gotten ordained or anything. “All things come from Thee O Lord, and of Thine own have we given Thee.” All things. To lift up my heart to the Lord is be reoriented. As the mystic Simone Weil said, “It’s up to me to think of God and up to God to think of me.”
Really, I don’t need anything under the Christmas tree. I need to lift up my heart and dare to hope for the Savior to break in and make all people new. I don’t need another blue sweater -- I have four -- and I have no more space for books. Instead of stuff, I need to ask, or more importantly, to pray for God to break into this world and turn everyone and everything right side up, beginning with me. I mean the return of civility; the birth of kindness and peace; the birth of genuine community; confronting racism and inequality, the birth of hope and no more despair -- 45,000 Americans committed suicide in 2020.
The poet Jane Hirschfield wrote, “Hope is the hardest love we carry.” This is the time to yearn for the birth and for our finding our heart’s deep home. The world’s mess is too deep for presents or ornaments or food to do much good. We need God to be born in us and in this world and to make everything new.
Come Lord Jesus.
Bishop Porter Taylor
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Longing
How might your relationship with God change if you were to recognize that all you desire is rooted in a deep longing which only God can fulfill? Imagine prayer undertaken not out of a sense of duty or obligation, but as a response to the deep longing God expresses for us.
-Br. David Vryhof
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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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