The Rev. Brent H. Thalacker, Pastor
(C) 571.236.4976
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Nativity Connect
June 9, 2021
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We invite you to join us each Sunday morning as we gather in assembly. Service of the Word arrives in your email and we celebrate Holy Communion drive in style (88.5 on your FM dial) at Nativity. So whether we are on the lawn, in our cars or on our screens our hearts and minds are in the same place. We are together in worship.
Saturday, June 12, 10:00 am– Work detail. We will help move donated items and the memorial garden from Messiah to its new home at Nativity.
Sunday, June 13th, 9:00 am:
3rd Sunday after Pentecost.
Holy Communion
Final Outdoor service.
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Sunday, June 20, 9:00 AM – First Day of Summer, Father's Day and Holy Communion Indoor service. This is our planning date to return to the sanctuary. Look for details in the weekly edition of Connect.
Sunday, June 27, 9:00 AM – Holy Communion Indoors and Fellowship (outdoors). This will be Pastor Brent’s last service as our pastor. Please come celebrate his time with Nativity!
Wednesday, July 1. Pastor Mitch Watney assumes pastoral responsibilities.
Sunday, July 4, 9:00 AM – Independence Day. Holy Communion. Pastor Mitch officiates his first service as our pastor.
Sunday, July 11, 9:00 AM – Holy Communion and Fellowship. Worship and Welcoming Reception for Pastor Mitch.
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SEEK to grow in God's Word
TELL the story of Jesus' love & forgiveness
ACT as God's Hands in the world
REACH OUT to welcome all
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I've never used this space much to account for my whereabouts and share my schedule for the week ahead, but I thought the next few days on my calendar relate to the way we think about time as past, present, and future. And with time running out for me at Nativity, these four appointments signify for me our looking back, around, and ahead as we remember and rejoice together.
Wednesday: I will be at Arlington National Cemetery, where we shall lay to rest Annaliese Betz. 'Grandma' Betz signed the charter of Nativity Lutheran in April, 1965, and for every year since she was faithful in both presence and support. Her resiliency in trial and fierce hope for both her family and this family of faith are representative of the many in our seven decades who have helped build our church from the beginning to today. It was an honor to be Annaliese's pastor for these years, and I am privileged to lead this goodbye to her for family and friends.
Thursday: Pastor Mitch Watney and I have planned to meet in the morning; I will be saying hello to someone who I don't know (yet). I have promised not to bore him with my takes on people and program or the mistakes I may have made. Mostly I will introduce him to our building and grounds and offer info that might assist him in a 'heads up' or head start manner; I hope to answer as best I can any questions and relay pastoral concerns. The virtue of being new often times is found in finding one's way on one's own, but we figure it wouldn't be a bad thing to help him map how Nativity got to where we are. By any measure this transition occurs in difficult times; based on past performance for both PM and the good folk of Nativity, you will rise to the challenge. The future arrives 3 weeks from Thursday!
Saturday: Join us at 10 a.m. if you can for a memorable morning; it will be a 'moving day' of sorts. Our members and folk from Messiah, along with our partner congregation 'Christo te llama', will effect the transfer to Nativity of some of the cherished furnishings disbursed due to our sister congregation's closure. Rich paraments, crocheted kneelers, cross, chairs...these and more we humbly receive with gratitude. Most meaningful is the migration of Messiah's Memory Garden to our grounds; we will continue the remembrance of their dearly departed as now ours in what will become a lovely setting. And we hope that many of the living members might find a home at Nativity as well! This is truly a moving day...we are certainly deeply moved by the generosity, trust, and hope on display that day. It will be a time where past and future meet in and as our present.
Sunday: We are outdoors and on auto's FM one last time, saying 'so long' and thankful for our corner of creation; this setting has served us well over the year past, and we shall take the opportunity to recognize God's goodness in making it so for us. What used to be a patch of asphalt to park cars and a lawn we passed on our way into church became for us a holy sanctuary...I shall never forget how we got there, nor will I forget how we 'naturally' managed to make it a platform for our gathering in faith, hope, and love. And as we then move to summer and inside on Father's Day we now know that while our future mission and ministry will happen outside our walls, our worship can as well!
A lot of hellos and goodbyes for the days and weeks ahead...all good, nothing bad, far from indifferent. Rather a foretaste of a feast come, and a commitment to making a difference in our community. I pray in your week you might find your way to think back on your faith journey, feel the excitement for the time ahead, and know the beauty and peace of each day. Bless God for assuring us from whence we've come, being by and on our side for the years gone by, and for the promise to lead us home.
Three more Connects till I disconnect!
Pastor Brent,
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Dear Family and Friends:
It has been a wild ride the last couple of weeks and I had many days where I couldn't do or even want to do anything at all. There was some drama that only I could provide - blocked central line halfway through the pheresis (they had to stop the process and were going to continue the next day, but didn't need to as there were enough cells), a couple of unexpected, out-of-time symptoms/side effects, but all is now on track. I seem to have a consistent low potassium and am now very well versed on high-potassium foods, and that is pretty much all Terry gives me!! I completed a successful harvest of stem cells on June 1 (they called me an overachiever as they have never gotten so many cells in such a small volume), and all follow-up labs are great. I am now home for a few days of rest - if you can get any rest with Scout on top of you all the time! I will return to Baltimore Sunday for the start of killer chemo - melphalan - to eradicate the rest of my bone marrow - on Monday, June 7 and Tuesday, June 8.
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Then DAY ZERO - Transplant Day on Wednesday, June 9 - that I will henceforth remember as a new birthday. I will start all kinds of infection precautions and prophylactic medications (much of which I am familiar with from my 37 years as an HIV nurse) as I will be like a newborn with no immune system and have to rebuild day-by-day. They can't tell me exactly how I'll feel but I am believing that the gratitude for the opportunity of new life and support of so many of you who have prayed for me will carry me through the rebuilding process. I thank each and every one of you for your many gestures of kindness and support. That feeling has sustained me through some difficult days over the last few weeks and months.
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Terry is a Godsend of course, and I am grateful that I think I will be feeling well enough to go to dinner with him at our favorite special occasion restaurant, Cedar Knoll, to celebrate his birthday on Friday, June 4 - I guess now we will both be Gemini - but I will probably never give up my Scorpio ways!! |
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Based on past experience and knowing what awaits me, I probably won't be well enough to communicate for a while, but please keep me in your prayers on my Rebirthday and I will be in touch on the flip side. With immense love and gratitude,
Debbie Bowers
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Following worship service on June 27th, we will host a small Fellowship to celebrate Pastor Brent’s retirement. Coffee, juice, and light refreshments (finger-foods only) will be served on the lawn. If you would like to contribute, please contact Megan Armenti (msarmenti@gmail.com).
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Gifts of Hope has a New Look and Website Address! |
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Gifts of Hope, the alternative gift-giving ministry of the Metro D.C. Synod, has gotten a makeover! Gifts of Hope worked with Evoke Engagement Experts on a rebrand and improved communications to make it easier for you to participate in our alternative giving program.
Check out the new look, the new website, and the new online shopping experience at www.giftsofhopedc.com. Please bookmark this new URL in your favorites so you can find it when you need to make a gift all year around!
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ELCA Youth Gathering 2022: Apply to be a Volunteer |
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Would you like to volunteer at the Gathering and help our young people grow in faith and encounter Christ? Serving the youth of this church is a vocational calling that requires careful discernment.
There are three volunteer categories: local volunteers, Gathering Volunteer Corps (GVC) and servant companions. Although responsibilities and commitments vary by category, every volunteer must agree to follow the terms of a volunteer code of conduct and complete a background check by the ELCA.
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Lutheran Outdoor Ministries Summer Camps Hiring Staff for Summer of 2021 |
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Many of the Lutheran summer camps around the United States are still looking to hire camp staff for the summer of 2021. Please spread the word to those who might consider such an opportunity! Lutheran Outdoor Ministries (LOM) has a new app to make it easier for interested persons to find a summer camp that is right for them.
The Camp MatchUp app allows users to receive quick and easy access to information about camps. Camp MatchUp is a touch tool for camps to connect with interested applicants and to assist applicants in their camp discernment process.
All are encouraged to share this app with all who might be in a position to consider working at an LOM camp this summer.
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Feel Good Friday
ELC Registration Opens, Zen Dens and Creekside's New Look
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ELC Registration is Now Open: We're excited to announce that United Community's Early Learning Center is now accepting registration for children ages 6 weeks to 5 years. We can't wait to welcome little learners back to the ELC on July 1st!
Our ELC provides an enriching environment, with special emphasis on social-emotional development along with an evidence-based curriculum to ensure that children are prepared to learn when they enter Kindergarten.
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Creekside Gets a Fresh New Look: This week Creekside Village Community Center got a fresh new paint job, thanks to volunteer sister missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. They did an amazing job! It feels like a completely different space!
We can't wait for our Summer Camp Kids to see it in a few weeks!
Sacramento Neighborhood Center and Creekside Village Community Center are still looking for paid Part-time and Full-time Camp Counselors.
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Creating Trauma-Informed Spaces: When working in the human services field, it is important to consider the mental health of those we serve and those we work with.
By creating safe spaces in our work place, we seek to realize, recognize, and respond to traumatic experiences and actively resist re-traumatization, as well.
Early Learning Center Director Torria Baker takes us on a tour of United Community's "Zen Dens" -- two trauma-informed spaces at United Community's main office at 7511 Fordson Rd.
These spaces were created thanks to generous funding from the Fairfax County Trauma Informed Network
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"Be The One" Campaign - We all want our kids to learn, thrive and grow. Just $125 can sponsor a child at our STEAM Tinker Thinkers Camp for one week!
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From your Editor
Marianne
We have been sending the Connect and Worship via email for many months now and will continue to do so even as we gather again. I am always looking for a funny picture, anniversary, graduation, birth or an intercession for someone close to you whom we can pray for, an insight, idea or something to lighten everyone's spirit...feel free to email them to me at momwendel57@gmail.com. This is something Pastor does on Sunday...but not often enough! I would love to share these special moments with our whole church family by adding them to our Connect.
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New Address
As a reminder, please use the new PO Box for donations, or bring your donation to church on Sunday and deposit it in the familiar collection plate (same plate-different location).
If you need it, here is the PO Box info:
Nativity Lutheran Church
PO Box 8083
Alexandria, VA 22306-9998
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ELCA
Below are the links to our Church websites where you will find up to date info about what is being done by and for Lutherans across our nation and the world.
Quick Links
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The Rev. Brent H. Thalacker,
Pastor
bthalacker@cox.net
Carrie Brutscher, Music Director and Council Secretary
Bob Kehler, Council President
Eric Remick Vice President
Debbie Bowers, Treasurer
Donilou24@gmail.com
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Joe Mattis, Stewardship
Sandi Kottman, Council Member (at large)
Brian Bauman, Council Member (at large)
2brianbauman@gmail.com
Marianne Wendel, Administrative Assistant (Volunteer)
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Address:
1300 Collingwood Road,
Alexandria, VA 22308
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