The First Sunday after Pentecost: Trinity Sunday

Evensong



—  replacing some of your doing with a few moments of being

We will get to the why of Evensong, but first:

Who: The Falls Church 11:15 a.m. choir and a string ensemble of parish musicians

What: a liturgy of music and readings, without a sermon, usually about 45 minutes in length

Where: The Contemporary Church which, with its lovely acoustic and flexible space, will be a beautiful location for this traditional service.

When: This Sunday, June 4 at 5:00 p.m.

The service of Evensong has been a source of beauty and prayers, sung on our behalf in Anglican cathedrals and monasteries, for more than 500 years. Gathering as the day ends, we are given a time to contemplate the mysteries of our faith and come to some deeper understanding of God’s love for us. If you’ve visited British cathedrals on your travels, you may have felt an invisible world of prayers and intentions swirling around you. That is what Evensong breathes into the stones and bricks of a building.

At its most glorious, the music of Evensong is sung by well-rehearsed choirs as part of a liturgy, not in performance. For the congregation, listening becomes worship. At The Falls Church this coming Sunday, the choir which normally sings at the 11:15 a.m. service will offer Evensong as a close to the program year before taking a break for the summer. They will sing music by Orlando Gibbons and Gabriel Fauré, among others. Prayers are chanted by the choir, the rector serving as officiant, and sometimes by you too. The intent is to give the congregation an opportunity to pray in ways that are quite different from the morning services.

This Sunday will be my last until September. I leave you with a wonderful summer substitute, Todd Beckham. He invites anyone who is interested to join in singing with the Summer Choir, which will rehearse that day’s music at 9:00 a.m. each Sunday, in preparation for the 10:00 a.m. service. No robes, no fuss. Show up when you’re able, and if you’re not already involved in choir, give it a try and consider whether or not singing is something you would like to have as part of your life more regularly this fall.

It's always a pleasure to be with you on Sunday mornings. This week, I hope you’ll make space in your life to come for Evensong at 5:00 p.m. as well, so that you are sent out into the summer on a wave of music!

Faithfully,

Sonya Subbayya Sutton

Interim Director of Music

If you would like to support the blood drive by putting up posters in local businesses or by providing snacks on the day, please use the SignUp Genius.

SAVE THE DATE: All members of The Falls Church are invited to join together to march at Capital Pride 2023, Saturday, June 10.

We will be marching with the Episcopal Diocese of Washington and they have provided further details here.

Our own branded t-shirts for wearing at the march will be for sale during Coffee Hour on Sunday for $30 each. The design is below.

A meeting for those who identify as LGBTQ+ to gather, support one another, and help discern how The Falls Church lives into its identity as a beacon for the queer faithful.

If you are interested in attending or would like more information, please email Father Burl.

As part of 'Under the Fig Tree', our three-part workshop to help newcomers make their place at The Falls Church, we include a visit to the National Cathedral. The invitation for the spring class’ visit is open to all parishioners, however places are limited so please sign up early to avoid disappointment. The tour is roughly one hour.

To sign up, click here and enter FALLSCHURCH as the Special Access Code. This will bring you to our private tour where you can register for the amount of tickets you require.

You can register via Realm or by filling out this form and returning it to the parish office with a check for the deposit.

On Sunday, June 4, we continue with our Summer schedule of a single service at 10:00 a.m.. Nursery will be provided on Sundays throughout the summer. There will be no Children's Chapel or Children's Formation Classes until September 10.

Hogwarts VBS Prefect registration via Realm

Ways to serve

Click here to sign up.

Please use the Prayer List in your prayers for each other and the world. 



Praying for each other and the needs of the world is a powerful way to love our neighbors as ourselves! This week's Prayer list.

Click here to email Father Burl and add someone to the prayer list.

If you have questions about Realm or eGiving, please contact Claire Hardie