St. John's Episcopal Church - Centreville, VA
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Parish News - September 15, 2021
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Dear St. John's Parishioners and Friends:
As you probably already know, Reverend Carol is on a well-deserved vacation. It will be very important for us to let her have this time to rest and be with her family. Even Jesus tried on several occasions to take time away from the “crowds” to be with his Father, that precious time to hear what God needed him to do and to create the energy to get it done. We all need time to either be alone to rest and recharge our batteries or to be with those we love and who love us to hear and see where their lives are heading. And of course, anyone who has grandchildren knows the joy of being with them and I know Carol is looking forward to time with hers. God gave us a sabbath day, a day of rest to be with him and our family and friends. It is important for us also to take that time to worship God in his house, to be with our St John’s family, and to reenergize to accomplish the work God has given us to do, caring for the poor, the hungry, the lonely, the sick, and the immigrant.
As I said last Sunday, I’m sure God is smiling down on the congregation of St John’s for the outstanding support you have provided to the Afghan Refugees as well as the many other outreach programs over this past year. We will have additional opportunities to follow Jesus’ commandment to love our neighbors in the coming months as we continue working with the Western Fairfax Christian Ministries, The Shepherds Center, the Brigade of Mercy, and other organizations dedicated to helping those in need. I am also looking forward to the time when Covid is no longer a threat and we can visit sick or injured members of St John’s and our friends in the hospital or in their homes.
A Prayer for Travelers
“O God, our heavenly Father, whose glory fills the whole creation, and whose presence we find wherever we go: Preserve those who travel in particular your servant the Reverend Carol Hancock; surround her with your loving care; protect her from every danger; and bring her safely to her journey’s end; through Jesus Christ Amen.”
The Rev. Steve Busch
Deacon
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PARISH NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
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Blessing of the Bricks - Last Sunday after the service, we blessed the memorial bricks that parishioners ordered for our "Walkway of the Saints". They then selected where they would like their brick installed along the walkway.
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Vacation - Carol will be on vacation from September 13 - 25, spending one week in New England visiting her brother and sisters, and one week at the beach. The Rev. Anne Ritchie will be the preacher and celebrant on Sunday, September 19. The Rev. Deacon Steve Busch will preach the following week on September 26.
Many thanks go to Craig Staresinich for donating a new freezer for the kitchen. Our old one "died" several years ago. We will now be able to keep some food frozen that can be donated to WFCM. It will be used to keep food frozen for many other events as well. Thanks, Craig!
If you would like to make a donation to assist those who have been impacted by the hurricanes in Haiti, Louisiana and the East Coast, you may send your donation to Episcopal Relief and Development at episcopalrelief.org .
Pastoral word from Presiding Bishop Michael Curry on 20th anniversary of Sept. 11
As followers of Jesus, and with our siblings in other faith traditions, we place great value on the act of remembrance. As we reflect on the solemn anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001, we remember many loved ones lost and first responders who put their lives at risk, modeling the sacrificial love of Jesus, who said: “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
While 20 years have passed, I also want us to pause and remember the days that followed these tragic events. There was a moment in the aftermath when people came together. We were praying, grieving, and also working together. Because in that moment, however fleeting it was, we knew with immediacy and vulnerability that we need God, and we need each other.
Memories of that tender cooperation—of love for each other as neighbors—serve as guiding lights for the present. Amidst the ongoing pandemic and natural disasters that have taken so many lives and pushed first responders to their limits, and amidst a worldwide reckoning with the sin of racism, we are called to become the Beloved Community whose way of life is the way of Jesus and his way of love.
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St. John’s Second Annual Wood splitting Event:
Saturday Morning , October 2, 2021, 8:00 a.m. until....
The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) continues to wreak havoc on the trees on Mt. Gilead Green (the 1.3 acre field) behind the church. These Ash trees have been infested by the EAB for quite some time. There are currently five or six trees that are scheduled to come down. The good news from the last time is the Mt. Gilead Green has never looked better, as well as the drainage has been corrected.
The trees will be down before we arrive to cut them up, move the stumps to the splitter, and then neatly stack on pallets. From the pallets, the firewood will be bundled and sold in front of the church.
Please bring:
· Safety first: gloves, ear protection, & goggles
· Rakes
· Wheelbarrows and Dollys / handtrucks
· Extension Cords/Electric Chainsaws
· Gas/Gas Chainsaws
We will have bagels/donuts in the morning and lunch will be provided too. Water and Gatorade will be available all day. This is a fellowship/working event and everyone is invited and encouraged to attend. We are expecting many members of our parish as well as many volunteers outside of our community that are willing to participate in this project. The last time we did this project in February of 2020 (pre-pandemic), it proved to be a fun event and eventually became a little fundraiser as all of the wood was sold over this past winter. If you can make it during any part of this day,
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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 where we could advertise (preferably for free), please let Carol know.
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Online Service Videos
As we return to in-person worship, it will be important for us to continue our ministry of having our services online for those who cannot or choose not to come to church. Our videos are also sent out by parishioners to friends and family in other states. We need several people to take turns recording the service on Sunday mornings. Instructions will be given. Please join us if you can help with this ministry. We need several people so it doesn't fall on the shoulders of one person every week. Please let Carol know.
You may be on YouTube. As we are now recording our services in the church and posting them on YouTube, you might be recorded in the service, particularly when you are going up to communion or returning to your seat. If this is a problem for anyone, please let Carol know.
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Helping to meet the Immediate Needs for Afghan Refugees
UPDATE: To date (9/14/21) St. John's has received the following:
- 7 medium & large suitcases
- 7 duffle bags
- 31 pairs of new shoes; 3 pairs new sandals
- 148 pairs of socks
- 2 bras
- 9 towels
- monetary donation (not yet totaled)
Eight members of The St. John’s Outreach Committee met on Sunday, August 29, 2021. We engaged a local nonprofit: www.brigadeofmercy.org. We learned that there are many immediate needs as thousands of Afghan refugees arrive here locally. Many refugees are arriving without shoes and without bags for the many donated clothes that they have been given. This may or may not be a temporary stop as this is a fluid situation.
St. John’s has been asked to help with just three immediate needs over the next few weeks: New Shoes: Adult Men’s and Women’s Size 7 -12. Tennis/Jogger types. (Ex. $9.99 Wal-Mart); Men/Women’s Socks; Gently used luggage and/or duffle bags
Please leave in the office at the church. If you need someone to pick up any supplies or would like to give funds for someone else to make the purchases, please contact the church office @ 703-803-7500. If you have any other questions, please contact Andrew Wade: [email protected] / c: 703-477-8980
Envelopes will be on the back table in the church for those who would like to make a monetary donation to assist the Afghan refugees. Checks should be made out to St. John's Church, with the notation of "Afghan Relief" in the memo line.
The Outreach Committee
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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, September 15
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THE ADULT LECTIONARY FORUM - IN PERSON & ON ZOOM
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Last Sunday's recorded service: The Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost, September 12, 2021
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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 Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost
September 19, 2021
The First Reading: Jeremiah 11:18-20
No one can hide themselves or their deeds from God. This cuts both ways; those hidden good works are laid bare before the Lord, as is the evil done in secret.
The Psalm: 54, p. 659 BCP
The Second Reading: James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a
Receiving God’s grace is not a complicated formula or a mysterious trade; submitting to his work and his will, following the example of Jesus Christ, these things bring God close.
The Gospel: Mark 9:30-37
Jesus’s followers are called to have God’s precepts on their mind rather than their own worries.
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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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A Meditation for the Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Inspection
By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches. Proverbs 24:3-4
When Carrick and I were living in DC and looking for our first house, I dragged him to a beauty that I had found in a lively multicultural neighborhood not too far from our offices. The house had been built in the 1900’s and I loved it. It had tall, drafty windows; uncertain fireplaces; gas jets at ankle AND light fixture level, and a kitchen that did have some electricity, I think, but not much else. The hardwood floors and the millwork needed some TLC (everything inside and outside the house needed TLC, on a good day). Somehow I talked him into submitting a contract, for full price but with an inspection contingency. The contingency was rejected – these were land-office real estate days – and the house sold over the weekend, as is, for well over the asking price. To somebody else.
Every time I think about that house, I hear Garth Brooks singing: some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers.
We were young and we were crazy (well, I was; Carrick was pretty skeptical about this project). But not crazy enough to buy a old house without an inspection. We weren’t “flippers” or investors or, heaven knows, amateur contractors. We were looking for a home. As young lawyers, we had fewer than zero hours to spend on humongous projects that we didn’t know how to do. Carrick has remarked, more than once, that had we gotten that house, we might not be still be married, or alive. Beyond the obvious cosmetic and functional issues, there was no telling what the structural issues were. We knew nothing about the foundation, the framing (the wiring was obviously suspect), or the roof. We did not know what we did not know. So we found a nice, solid little brick bungalow (the inspection confirmed the solidity) in an odd little neighborhood a bit farther out, where it took us about five years to get beyond living in our small, dormered bedroom all summer because it had the only window A/C unit in the house.
Accepting a house that you want to live in, without a house inspection, is foolhardy – ask your friendly mortgage banker. House inspections reveal the things you can’t see when you’re smitten with hardwood floors or claw-foot tubs or useless and probably dangerous gas jets.
This is just as true with the metaphorical house I wrote about in my last meditation – the Church in our corner of Christ’s vineyard. We may look at it and think that everything about it is indisputably solid. It’s been here forever! It has housed us for generations! Or we may look at it and think, I know there are some pretty major cracks in those walls, and that means something in or near the foundation is amiss. Just as we may find treasures in old attics or magic in the wardrobes, we may pull back old wallpaper or plaster and find toxic mold. There may be bad wiring that threatens to burn the place down, or architectural evidence of a past that needs to be explored and healed before a house can feel like a home. The house may be worth the investment, but it is folly to proceed with redecorating if the foundation is compromised or the framing needs reinforcement or the roof leaks like a commercial-size colander. Renovation comes before redecoration, and inspection comes before renovation.
One reader of the first essay, “This Old House,” named one of the things that is true of the metaphorical church house in Virginia and of many of the actual old residential houses: the legacy of slavery, and of the continued oppression of Black people, was built into both. The experiences of it remain vivid in the families who came and went in both of those houses, especially those who were enslaved or exploited and disrespected workers. Architectural remnants remain, whispered about but not always publicly discussed – separate doors, separate galleries. The back stairs were sometimes a dangerously steep route for people carrying heavy loads. Like an unwanted issue revealed in a house inspection, it is there, and it won’t go away by wishing it weren’t, or trying to divert attention by changing the subject to the new subway tile in the kitchen. Like any serious structural or systems defect, we ignore it at our peril. The fact that the house is not currently burning does not mean that the wiring is really okay. If we face it, if we do whatever is needed to make it right, we may be able to have a better future, instead of simply going for years without turning on the lights because the wiring is bad (or living in one room because the wiring won’t support central air until it is corrected). There is much more to say on this later, and there are other structures and systems to inspect. The goal here is not to name them all, nor to prescribe a fix, but simply to name the process, and to acknowledge that it is better to know than not to know. It is better to face the reality, because there’s no point in renovating unless there has been an honest inspection.
That does not mean that the deal is off our metaphorical house, or that everything about it is problematic. Our goal is renovation. We do have to live in one house or another, and there are a lot of us, and it’s going to require a lot of rooms. It needs to be safe. Another of our values, I believe, is that we love beauty, both natural and created, so we want our house to be beautiful. We all know that beauty in a home is quite subjective, and that’s okay. Our Anglican house was built more like the Burrow inhabited by the Weasleys of Harry Potter fame than like the Parthenon – it’s a little quirky. We may find staircases that don’t actually go anywhere – or that move. We may have some debates about the actual purpose of some of the rooms. We will undoubtedly find that some of the ingenious bits were designed not by the architects, but by the workers. We may find beautiful hardwood under grimy shag carpet. We might find some termites. But we need not fear, if our house is built on the Rock.
I am grateful to all of you who have engaged this idea in dialogue, in emails, and in personal and congregational conversations, and I invite and encourage you to continue to work with it. This work is not light or inconsequential. It is Gospel work. I hope that we can approach it with a sense of exploration and imagination, with a desire to learn from one another, and with determination to take any and all action that is needed to make sure that this is a home that is really home, safe and welcoming, for us all.
Blessings,
Bishop Jennifer Brooke-Davidson
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Hope
In an age, and a world, and a nation marked by bitterness, division, suspicion, and even hatred, we are all desperate for that gift which changes lives. The promise of Jesus, known to Paul, and discovered by countless since, is the promise of hope. Today, the world needs hope. Clinging closely to Jesus, you and I can be people of hope, and when we are, we can change the world.
-Br. James Koester
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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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