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NOTE: If you prefer, you may download and print a paper copy of
this newsletter in Adobe Acrobat format. |
St. George’s Banner
September 2008
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Adult Forum
returns
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September sees the return of many activities to our parish,
including our Sunday morning Adult Forum. We have a great slate of Forums
planned for you. We will cover a wide range of topics such as worship, the
Lambeth Conference, the Food Pantry, prayer, the environment and Christianity,
and what the church has to say about sex.
We will kick off the new Adult Forum year on September 14
led by our very own Bishop Ted Eastman and his friend Lister Tonge,
a priest from England. They will talk about the Lambeth Conference, a conference
of all the active diocesan bishops and Primates from around the Anglican
Communion (with the exception of the Rt. Rev. Gene Robinson, openly gay
and partnered diocesan bishop of New Hampshire who was not invited) that meets
in Canterbury England every 10 years.
On September 21 rector Ron Crocker, senior warden
Norma Kacen, junior warden David Grahn, and vestry member Lyn
Crawford will talk about a new vestry initiative called “We Care.” The
vestry is working toward making St. George’s a community in which all members
can say that “we care” for each other. This forum is a chance for you to hear
what the vestry is up to and to become a part of this initiative.
On September 28 I will lead a forum on worship. This forum
will take a look at what worship is all about, why we worship, how it has
changed, how it has not changed over the last 2,000 years, why it changes, and
why it needs to change.
The October 5 Forum will be led by Al Brevard,
Wesley Ann Godard, and other Food Pantry leaders. They will share some basic
information about what the Food Pantry does and who it serves. Then they will
share their personal stories about what the Food Pantry means for their
Christian faith and how their Christian faith informs what they do in the Food
Pantry.
Please join us for these Forums. Each will begin at 10:00
AM in the parish hall, and will end at 10:50 AM or so. If you have any
questions, please contact me
(srohman@saintgeorgeschurch.org
or 703-525-8286).
Please visit
St. George’s Web site
to see the full schedule.
-- Suzannah Rohman, Associate Rector
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Adult Forum returns Ron’s Reflections:
The second half
National Acolyte Festival 10/11
Warden’s Word
New Year’s resolutions
Youth confirmation classes ahead
Please note
Group discernment in the Urban Abbey
Men’s group returns 9/6
Announcements
Exodus: Gateway to the Bible
Trivium: A group for 20s and 30s
EYC car wash for the Food Pantry
Safe children 10/4 |
Ron’s Reflections
The second half
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There is no definitive statement from the
members of the St. George’s community describing the early days of their
life together. Starting a new congregation at the previous turn of the
century was no easy task.
I do imagine that St. George’s founders experienced a mixture of
excitement and worry. They were starting something new, and that starting
would cause anticipation and excitement. Seeing dreams become plans and
those plans become a reality is exciting. At the same time, the details of
finding a meeting place, acquiring clerical help, organizing, gathering, and
executing those plans could be worrisome.
I further imagine that our early founders found it difficult to tell the
difference between worry and excitement. That is the way with seeing big
dreams come to fruition.
We have entered the second half of our centennial celebration year, the
part that celebrates our future. Just as our beginning sisters and brothers
had their problems, worries, and excitement, so do we in our present day. We
worry about meeting the goals of our budget for 2008 even with its deficit.
We worry about programs for youth and children, elderly care, outreach to
the poor and homeless, building operations, and pastoral care to our
members. How do we attract people from our neighborhood to make the
congregation grow in number and spirit? How do we find the time and money to
accomplish the goals of program and community life? We worry about money for
next year and how that will affect our operations and program. Our concerns
are a hundred years old.
Just as God was with us in our beginning and walked with us through one
hundred years, so God is with us now. God accompanied us through some very
tough times and helped us find our way. God’s guidance may have not been
like the pillar of fire the Israelites enjoyed during their escape from the
financial and program problems of slavery in Egypt, but God was with us to
encourage us (give us courage) to step into the future with hope mixed with
prayer and with elbow grease.
We continue to spread the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ, from the
place we have occupied for a hundred years. We continue to offer community
and fellowship, education, and worship as we serve our neighbors. We
continue to feed our neighbors with food pantry and altar, the kind word to
the stranger, and the Word of God from our hearts and Scripture. We face the
demands of the day with the same faith in God. We tentatively hold the
future with the same open hand that allows the influence of God and the
involvement of others.
The task of the second half of our centennial celebration is to look to
the future with hope and determination. No one person can find success
alone: not I, not the leadership, not the congregation… no one. God will
bless our works, and the more we depend on God, the more God will pour out
blessings on us. We all know that these things are true because we all have
experienced them in big and little ways. And just like the Israelites guided
by God’s pillar of fire, the people must come together to follow the
guidance and enjoy the blessings that God pours out on the people, on the
community, that the Body of Christ may prosper.
In practical terms, what does this all mean for St. George’s community?
It means that we must work together. It means we must care for one another.
It means that we must reach out to others. That is the duty of all
Christians—to follow Christ, to come together week by week for corporate
worship; and to work, pray, and give for the spread of the kingdom of God (Book
of Common Prayer, p. 856) That was the answer in 1908 and is the
answer now: follow Christ, work, pray, and give for the spread of God’s
kingdom.
Do you suppose that God has sustained us in this place for a hundred
years so that we can be in this place today to face the challenges and
opportunities of a downtown urban congregation surrounded by busy, hungry,
transient adults and young families, drawn here with the taste of power and
success only to experience an ill-defined hunger? Do you suppose that God
continues to place us here because God knows we have what will satisfy their
hunger?
--
Ron Crocker, Rector
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 As you plan
your activities for this fall, in the hustle and bustle of back to school,
please keep in mind that the annual National Acolyte Festival will be held at
the Washington Cathedral on Saturday, October 11, which is on Columbus Day
weekend. If you want more information about the Acolyte Festival, check it out
on the cathedral website:
www.cathedral.org/cathedral/worship/acolyte.shtml. We will register as a
group, so you don’t have to fill out the form. The deadline for registration is
September 26, so Mary Martha Churchman will be putting out a call for
participation.
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Warden’s Word
New Year’s resolutions
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I urge you
to make New Year’s resolutions. In September? Well, yes! September signals, for
me, a fresh start, a new resolve. Schools open. The new football season starts.
My work’s fiscal year begins. Even at church, although the liturgical year opens
with Advent, September begins the new program year. So every September I
resolve: to get control of my schedule, to prioritize my activities, etc., etc.
You know the drill.
I’ve been a
slow learner, but finally I learned that I can’t do everything—at least not at
the same time! My first challenge now is to identify one thing—just one—on which
to work. By chance, I came upon words of the Filipino theologian, Melba Maggay. It
was an “Aha!” moment. “The lack of a caring community that
incarnates the Word,” she wrote, “makes us more and
more incapable of being heard.” We’ve talked again and again about making
God known in this place. Intuitively, I knew I wanted to support a caring
community, focused on sharing God’s love, where all people work together to care
for one another.
We are as
different as the fingers on our hands. Some of us are more contemplative, some
of us more activist. Yet, can you imagine your hand with the loss of even one
finger? In a caring community, each one plays a role. What I can do? I can try
always to live my role.
Now this
sounds like I’m setting the bar pretty low. I’ve thought about that. I don’t
think so. Impatience is one of my afflictions. Sometimes my words are harsh,
revealing my impatience. And sometimes I just throw up my hands and my
impatience is very visible. Anger and even cynicism are my too frequent
companions. Curbing my knee-jerk reactions won’t be easy. I say a prayer for
guidance.
I like to
think of my New Year’s Resolutions as guideposts, not hurdles. I’ve experienced
the Chinese proverb: “Fall down seven times; get up eight.” Guideposts help me
with the getting up.
My guideposts (for which I’m indebted to
Sojourners’ “Verse and Voice.”)
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“There is no
valid leadership acknowledged in the Bible, whether it be of people or of
institutions, that does not fulfill itself in servanthood.” (E. V. Mathew,
lawyer and YMCA leader in Bangalore, India)
(Message to myself: Don’t sit and stew. I can lead through serving.)
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“We all
blossom in the presence of one who sees the good in us and who can coax the
best out of us.” (Desmond Tutu)
(Message to myself: Encouragement costs nothing. Surely I can give that.)
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“Our Lord asks
but two things of us; Love for God and for our neighbor. We cannot know
whether we love God…but there can be no doubt about whether we love our
neighbor or no.” (Teresa of Avila, Interior Castle)
(Message to myself: Focus on honoring God. The church is more than an
organization. And don’t be so quick to judge. Listen and hear my neighbor.)
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“Of the seven
deadly sins, anger is possibly the most fun. To lick your wounds, to smack
your lips over grievances long past, to roll over your tongue the prospect of
bitter confrontations still to come, to savor to the last toothsome morsel
both the pain you are given and the pain you are giving back—in many ways it
is a feast fit for a king. The chief drawback is that what you are wolfing
down is yourself. The skeleton at the feast is you.” (Frederick Buechner,
Wishful Thinking)
(Message to Myself: Recognize when my anger, my own “want” is blinding me to
love for God and for my neighbor … when my anger is doing harm to my
community.)
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“We often feel
so overwhelmed and disempowered by the stresses of modern life that we
convince ourselves we can't make a difference. So we don't even try. We bury
our talents in the ground and let our spirits wither on the vine of life. I
hope we will bestir ourselves at least to say every day as an anonymous old
man did: ‘I don't have the answers, life is not easy, but my heart is in the
right place.’” (Marian Wright Edelman, Guide My Feet)
(Message to myself: Don’t allow cynicism to become my excuse to just give up.)
There you
have it. God willing, I will try to honor my role one day at a time:
- No
blaming a lack of leadership from others if I am unwilling to lead through
serving;
- No
gunny-sacking old wounds without considering the price I pay to be always
right;
- No
withdrawing into my private capsule of indignation; ending support to a
vibrant, hospitable, and caring community that shares God’s love both inside
and outside our walls.
- And
when I fall, as I know I will, help me, Lord, to get up and move on. “God’s
delays are not God’s denials.”
My
resolutions notwithstanding, I need partners to stay the course. I would
welcome your company.
Happy New
Year!
--
Norma Kacen, Senior Warden
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As I write this there is some ambiguity in
the bishops’ visitation schedules, but on either Palm Sunday or Easter Sunday,
April 5 or 12, Bishop David Jones will visit our congregation.
Traditionally during a bishop’s
visitation we present to the bishop those members of the congregation who would
like to be confirmed. If you were born between 1991 and
1996, now is the time to decide if you would like to be confirmed during this
visit.
To help you and your parents make this
decision, let me say a few words about confirmation. According to our catechism,
confirmation is “the rite in which we express a mature commitment to Christ, and
receive strength from the Holy Spirit through prayer and the laying on of hands
by a bishop. It is required of those to be confirmed that they have been
baptized, are sufficiently instructed in the Christian faith, are penitent for
their sins, and are ready to affirm their confession of Jesus Christ as Savior
and Lord.” In other words, since you were all baptized as infants or young
children, and your parents and godparents took your baptismal vows for you,
confirmation is the opportunity to affirm these vows for yourself. Confirmation
is an adult affirmation of your faith in Christ. If you are not ready to make
such an affirmation at this time, it is OK. Please wait for another year when
you do feel ready. It is not necessary that you be confirmed.
However, if you do feel ready to affirm
your baptismal vows, or you would like to explore the possibility of being
confirmed, I ask that you join in our youth confirmation program. The program
this year will have two parts. The first part will begin in September and run
through December of 2008. During these four months you will meet five times
with a mentor (a person chosen by me from St. George’s). You will use a program
called “Keeping the Promise” which gives specific topics for you and your mentor
to discuss. From January-March you will meet four more times with this mentor.
Also, beginning in January you will attend a youth confirmation class, led by
me. This class will meet for thirteen Tuesday evenings from 5:00 to 6:15 PM,
beginning January 6 and ending on March 31. We will have a rehearsal on April 4 at 10:00 AM.
Confirmation will be held at the 11:00 AM service on either Palm Sunday, April 5,
or Easter Sunday, April 12. Only one absence from this class will be allowed for
reasons other than illness.
If you will be taking part in this
confirmation program, please let me know by September 15, 2008 (srohman@saintgeorgeschurch. org
or 703-525-8286). Once I know you will be participating, I will contact you to
discuss who will be your mentor.
-- Suzannah Rohman, Associate Rector
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 Our
Sunday services return to their regular (non-summer) times of 7:45, 9:00, and
11:00 AM on Sunday, September 7.
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On Saturday,
September 6,
from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM, the EYC (youth) groups will hold a car wash in St.
George’s parking lot. In exchange for a squeaky-clean car, the EYC requests a
monetary donation to the Food Pantry. For those who will be attending the Sunday
School teachers’ breakfast beginning at 9:00 AM, car washers will be available
after the breakfast, so please stop by.
This year, the EYC members have decided
to focus on addressing hunger. In October they will participate in the CROPWalk on October 18. EYC members will also partner with the Outreach
Committee on several hunger-related events, beginning with the car wash. Also,
EYC members will work with the Outreach Committee on a hunger meal and related
events for next February.
--
David Grahn, an EYC leader
NOTE: Those in sixth through twelfth grades are invited to a potluck picnic
at 4:30 PM on Sunday, September 14, that will be held at Rebecca Hill’s
house. Please contact Rebecca (703-237-6465) to RSVP and for directions.
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When we are baptized, the priest prays, asking God to grant
us “an inquiring and discerning heart.” It is easy to understand the first
part—we know what an inquiring heart feels like. We are naturally inquisitive,
asking questions from the moment we can talk, and our questioning continues
through adolescence and into adulthood. What is the purpose of my life? What is
God calling me to do or be? The second part, discernment, is more difficult.
Here the priest is asking God to grant us the ability to find the answers to our
inquisitive questions, but we often struggle with even knowing what discernment
means.
Discernment is not the same thing as deciding. When we make
a decision, we gather information, weigh the pros and cons, seek advice of
others, and carry on with a variety of brain-centered activities to arrive at a
decision. In discernment, though, we are asked to use our hearts to listen to God
for guidance and answers. Discernment is just this: turning inward and finding
that authentic space within each of us where God speaks. Here is where we can
learn who God is calling us to be. Here is where we come to know the work God
has given us to do.
We normally think of discernment as something only
individuals do, but we can also practice discernment as a group. For a number of
years, members of the Abbey have been practicing a form of group discernment
through the Listening Groups. These small groups meet monthly and practice
sitting in silence and listening to God for each other. The process can be quite
difficult. Abbey members often find their own thoughts and urges intruding. It
is hard to separate those thoughts from the authentic voice of God, even harder
to suppress our human urge to give advice. With practice, though,
discernment—for ourselves and others—becomes easier. Group discernment is a
skill that can be learned and improved through practice.
On September 27, members of the Urban Abbey will gather at
Virginia Theological Seminary (VTS) for a community meeting. A nominal fee
(probably between $10 and $20) will be charged to cover lunch and rental of the
meeting rooms at VTS. At this meeting, Abbey member Angela Churchill will
lead small groups through the steps of successful listening-group practice,
reviewing the group discernment process for those of us who have been in the
Abbey for a number of years and introducing it to newer members and visitors. If
you have considered joining the Abbey or the idea of group discernment intrigues
you, please join us for a day of reflection and renewal.
-- Raima Larter, Abbess, Urban Abbey
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St. George’s Men’s Group will have a light breakfast at
8:00 AM followed by a discussion at 8:30 AM on Saturday, September 6. The
meeting is in Room 212. If you encounter a locked door when you arrive for the
meeting, please call 703-300-6574.
To find out what people might be interested in talking
about this year, here is a list of potential topics. Please number them in order
of greatest interest and add to them any other topics you may want to discuss.
E-mail your answers to
churchm3@comcast.net. If you have any questions, please call me at
703-532-6375.
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_____ Are we saved
by faith alone?
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_____ Must we love
our relatives? How do our Christian beliefs affect our marriages?
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_____ Is there a
heaven? Is there a hell? How do we prepare for death?
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_____ What are the
core beliefs of a Christian?
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_____ Why do bad
things happen to good people?
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_____ How should
our Christian beliefs influence the way we interact with people at work?
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_____ Because we
have Jesus’ teachings, why do we need theology?
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_____ What role
does the church have in our spiritual lives?
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_____ What is
spirituality? What is the soul?
-- John Churchman
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Visit St. George’s
Calendar or
Announcements pages to find out what’s happening. Our
worship schedule is online, too!
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Teachers’ breakfast 9/6
St. George’s Sunday School teachers will meet for
breakfast from 9:00 to 11:00 AM on Saturday, September 6. At this meeting we
distribute curriculum and talk about plans for the new school year, which will
begin on September 14.
Big events 9/7
St. George’s will celebrate “homecoming Sunday” on
September 7, the day when folks typically
return from their far-flung summer vacation spots and the new program year
begins. We will have the opportunity to bless backpacks and briefcases (and
the like) at all services on this date. We will hold our annual Ministry Fair
to share information about our many programs. And we will have registration
for all parents to enroll their children in Sunday School (if they have not
yet done so online).
Sunday School registration
The first day of Sunday School is
September 14. We ask that everyone please
register before the start of the Sunday School year. You can do so at the
Ministry Fair on September 7, or you can
do it now online on
our Sunday School page.
Join a choir
The St. Cecilia Choir and The Bells of St. George’s
(our handbell choir) will hold their first rehearsals of the season on
Thursday, September 4, with the bell
rehearsal beginning at 6:45 PM and the choir at 7:45 PM. We invite you to come
and visit these rehearsals as a possible bell ringer or singer. For the
handbell choir, basic instruction will be provided and for the vocal choir, a
packet of music. All you need to play handbells is a basic knowledge of rhythm
and devotion of 45 minutes per week for rehearsal. As a possible choir member
you do not need a solo voice or the ability to read music; just a willingness
to learn and glorify God in music. In the fall we will be preparing for an All
Saint’s Choral Vespers and the music for Advent and Christmas. Questions?
Contact Dr. Jane Tavernier (703-525-8286).
Join a children’s choir
Are you a child who loves to sing? Talk to your
parents about joining a children’s choir at St. George’s. Need more
information? Contact Rebecca Hill (703-237-6465).
 Food
Pantry benefit concert 9/14
Eric Hutchins and Joe Farrell are
performing a Food Pantry benefit concert, to be held at St. George’s at 7:00
PM on Sunday, September 14. Please plan to
come and donate generously to St. George’s Food Pantry.
Parish picnic 9/21
St. George’s will hold its annual parish picnic on
Sunday, September 21, at noon at
Bluemont Park. Plan to enjoy food, fun, and fellowship in
the beautiful outdoors!
Tutors needed at Iglesia Santa María this fall
Last year members of St. George’s served as tutors
for adults at Iglesia Santa María in Falls Church, and we are planning to do
so again this coming program year. We plan to begin the fall semester with
registration on September 22 and the first classes meeting on September 29.
Classes will be held on Monday and Thursday evenings from 7:30 to 9:00 PM. We
will be expanding, so we will need people to teach at the beginning,
intermediate, and advanced levels. Lesson plans are provided ahead of time. No
classroom or Spanish language experience necessary! If you can help, or for
further information, please call Kathie Panfil at 703-524-5197.
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CROPWalk is coming
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 CROPWalk is
a hunger relief effort sponsored by Church World Service to raise money to fight
hunger at home and abroad. Last year’s CROPWalk was the most successful
Arlington has ever had. The walk yielded $46,116 in contributions from 21
organizations and nearly 200 walkers.
St. George’s has long participated CROPWalk, contributing $600 in 2005,
$3,792 in 2006 and $2,355 in 2007. Of the amount collected, 25% is returned
directly to the Arlington Food Assistance Center, a food bank for indigent
people in Arlington. In just one year, there has been a nearly 30% increase in
families getting AFAC’s assistance.
CROPWalk will be on Saturday, October 18, which—as of September 1—is only 47
days away! We need people to walk, sponsor walkers by their monetary support,
and staff a refreshment stop at St. George’s on the day of the walk.
To be or sponsor a walker, talk to John Churchman (703-532-6375). To
help with the refreshment stop here at St. George’s, talk to Katherine Harris
(703-531-1089).
-- Jo Belser, Parish Administrator
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During the program year
(September-June) a group of St. Georgians meets every Monday at noon for a Bible
study that is open to everyone. We will begin again this year on
September 15. This year from
September-January we will be studying the Old Testament Book of Exodus using the
Kerygma Bible study series. The cost of the resource book is $23 (scholarships
are available).
The Book of Exodus is a
foundational book for both Judaism and Christianity. Christian children
throughout time have been told the stories of Exodus, from the story of baby
Moses set adrift on the Nile to Israelites walking through the sea on dry land
to the gifts of water and manna in the wilderness. African slaves in American
found great comfort and hope in the texts of Exodus. In recent times the Ten
Commandments, which appear first in Exodus, have been a source of debate in the
public square. Should they be posted in public places? Are they something to
which all people should ascribe, even if they are not Jewish or Christian? Many
Christian theologies have drawn on texts from Exodus. Many parts of the Exodus
are often (literally) found within the New Testament. This is a book that forms
and shapes us as Christians in an infinite number of ways.
The Kerygma study course of
Exodus that we will be using, uses the book of Exodus as a gateway to the rest
of the Bible:
As we
follow the story of God’s redemption of the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt and
the establishment of the covenant relationship at Sinai, we shall be led to
reflect on much that Scripture says about God, about human nature, and about
what God has done for us (Exodus: Gateway to the Bible Resource Book,
page 3).
If you would like to
join us for this journey, please contact me (Srohman@saintgeorgeschurch.org
or 703-525-8286).
-- Suzannah Rohman, Associate Rector
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If you are in your 20s or 30s we have a group for you: Trivium. This group
brings together young adults from three Episcopal Churches in Arlington County:
St. George’s, St. Peter’s, and St. Mary’s.
Trivium has two regular events every month: a Bible study and a fellowship
event. The Bible study is at 8:00 PM on the second Thursday of each month at
Cosi, a restaurant on the corner of Fairfax Drive and North Monroe Street. Each
month we study a different passage from the Bible. Most months we take a look at
the Biblical passages assigned for the upcoming Sunday’s worship. Our
topics of conversation often move far away from the assigned passage but usually
have something to do with spirituality. The fellowship event is at 6:30 PM on
the fourth Thursday of every month at a restaurant for after work drinks and
dinner. The restaurant usually changes each month but is always Metro
accessible. For either of these events you can always park in St. George’s
parking lot if space is available. The group also does other activities each
month, such as going to a Washington National’s game, white-water rafting, or
wine tasting. If you would like to be added to the E-vite list for this group or
have any questions, please contact me at
Srohman@saintgeorgeschurch.org or 703-525-8286.
-- Suzannah Rohman, Associate Rector
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On Saturday, October 4, from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM,
St. George’s will host a Diocesan Sexual Misconduct with Children Prevention
Workshop. This workshop is designed to help parishes and individuals learn
how to create a safe environment for our children. If you work with children
at St. George’s in any capacity (Sunday School, Kids’ Gospel Time, EYC, or
children’s choirs) or are a member of the vestry, you should plan to attend.
Please RSVP to Suzannah Rohman (Srohman@saintgeorgeschurch.org
or 703-525-8286). Lunch will not be included, but we will provide
refreshments and light snacks.
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