July 14, 2022

The joke goes, the framers of the U.S. Constitution finished their work at Independence Hall in Philadelphia in the morning, then in the afternoon walked across the street to Christ Church to write the same for the newly-independent Episcopal Church. The two documents are incredibly similar, down to three branches of government! There are ecclesiastical courts (though we haven’t done a heresy trial since the 50s), the Presiding Bishop’s office is executive in its scope, and the fully democratically-elected General Convention is the legislature that is the final say on matters of the Church. GC is even bicameral as well, with a House of Bishops (elected as well, as we know) and a House of Deputies (laity and clergy from each diocese). General Convention meets every three years, barring a global pandemic, and they met for the 80th time this past weekend. I’ve been tasked with giving a rundown of their work, so forgive a bit of a longer opening article!

As always, many non-binding resolutions were passed to indicate the mind of the church, from affirming a climate emergency to supporting trans people as children of God. This was accompanied by a number of resolutions changing the systems of the national church to pursue equity, including an audit of the church’s financial resources to learn where they came from (including historical profits from enslavement). Plans were put in place to consider San Juan, Puerto Rico for the 2027 GC (especially important considering the Conference injects about $15 million into the local economy!). GC also approved full communion agreements with more churches, including the Church of Sweden and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, “that they all may be one,” (John 17:21).

Some of the most important work was setting the stage for the next General Convention, where significant revision of the Book of Common Prayer is expected. Don’t worry, your prayer book isn’t going anywhere, but GC expanded the definition of the BCP to include material outside of the bound book (including the non-gendered marriage rites we use often here at St. George’s) and opening the door to a wider panoply of resources for the Church.

Finally, an emotional moment for me came as GC approved the merger of two dioceses. The Episcopal Church in North Texas (Fort Worth) has suffered from bitter legal disputes since its bishop and most of its people left (with their property) over the inclusion of queer people back in the early 2000s. One of my closest friends from seminary recently led her people out of their sanctuary for the last time after the Supreme Court of Texas decided it belonged to the breakaway congregation. On Sunday, her small but mighty Diocese rejoiced as it merged with the Diocese of Texas and opened a new path to support and resurrection.

It might seem boring and pusillanimous, but General Convention quietly puts in place the systems our Church needs seek out and follow God’s mission in the world, all in a democratic way.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. Will

We are continuing our summer COVID-19 precautions (masking required at 10 am service and discontinued coffee hour) as local infection rates remain high and a new, potentially more contagious and serious variant is present in our community. We are also being more cautious while many other places are not. Why are we doing this?

When will we ease these precautions? We want to give additional time for younger children to have the opportunity to be fully vaccinated. We also want to see lower community levels and to assess the impact of the new variant. If you would be willing to help host coffee hour once we do resume, please let us know, so we can plan ahead.  

Bring a friend for these special sermons (no prior knowledge of the topics is required to enjoy the sermon!): 

Please drop off donations by July 24 during office hours or in the narthex on Sundays.

St. George’s hosted our first Quinceañera ceremony on July 9 for Sophia Rodriguez (pictured with her parents Gabriel and Carol along with Pastor Joe and Fr. Will).

The Quinceañera is a tradition in many Hispanic communities that celebrates the transition from childhood to young adulthood at age 15.

The church service included Holy Eucharist with Sophia reaffirming her faith as we prayed God’s blessing upon her in this new phase of her life.

All Youth Group Members (and rising 6th Graders) are invited to a free afternoon of tubing on the Rappahannock River, courtesy of the Virginia Outdoor Center. The Tubing Afternoon is Sunday, July 17 from 1 – 4 pm and we will meet at 3219 Fall Hill Avenue Fredericksburg 22401. Please wear sunscreen and closed toe shoes (no flip flops). To sign-up, email or text Amy Bogardus (bogardae@yahoo.com, 540.226.5183). Note that all parents / guardians must complete a VOC waiver for each youth attending. You can complete the smart waiver ahead of time here.

Do you or someone in your household wish to be baptized? Our next dates for the sacrament of Baptism, to take place in the midst of the congregation, will be September 4 (Labor Day weekend), November 6 (All Saints Sunday), and January 8 (Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord). A series of three preparation sessions, plus a rehearsal, will take place in August for the Labor Day baptisms, and in September and November for the later dates. If you are interested in any of these dates, please contact Jan Meredith in the St. George’s office.

Afghan Allies is helping to resettle members of another family into their new American home. This time we have fewer needs, but we would appreciate donations of gently used living room furniture, including sofas, lamp and coffee tables, and lamps. We have a dining table but need chairs for seven people. Please respond to afghanallies@stgeorgesepiscopal.net by Sunday, July 24.

We are now hiring a part-time Ministry Assistant to join our ministry staff at St. George’s. The ministry assistant is responsible for assisting with communications, data management, and general administrative support. This position is 25-hours per week. The Ministry Assistant is a collaborator at heart who enjoys helping and encouraging others through communications and general office support. Click here to read the position description and apply.

Please consider becoming a part of this important ministry that truly makes a difference in our community. We are looking for volunteers to assist on the second and third Monday in July. We are also looking for donations of desserts to share with our neighbors. You may sign up directly using this SignUp Genius link. If you have any questions or need assistance signing up, please contact Diane Young and Angela Devine at CommunityDinners@stgeorgesepiscopal.net. Spread the word!

Plans for our annual Parish Weekend at Shrine Mont are well underway! We will gather in the mountains on October 7-9, 2022. Our programming this year will include reflecting on ways to rediscover our Joy after dealing with the pandemic for 2.5+ years, as well as our much loved traditions of Game Night, Bonfire, and Worship in the Shrine. We need to give our firm count to Shrine Mont in early July. The deadline to register was July 5, but you can still join the wait list. Please email Danielle to be added to the list: danielle@stgeorgesepiscopal.net.

The Avis Harris ECW will gather for lunch on Wednesday, July 20, at 1:00 pm at Basilico New York Deli’s Harrison Crossing location, 7013 Harrison Road. Lunch, snacks, and beverages will be available for individual purchase. The meeting will be an informal opportunity for members and those interested in learning about ECW to meet. Please RSVP by Monday, July 18 to Paula Seamon at phseamon@gmail.com. ECW membership is open to women of all ages, and we look forward to welcoming prospective members. For inquiries, contact Vicki Lewis vlewis007@verizon.net.