Advent: The Lesson is About Christian...

November-December 2013

There is wishful thinking, optimism and hope. Advent is about

Christian Hope. Wishful thinking is the formation of beliefs and the

making of decisions according to what might be pleasing to imagine

notwithstanding evidence to the contrary. It is about playing the lottery. Optimism is an

outlook on life such that one maintains a view of the world as a positive place. It is the op-

posite of pessimism. Optimists generally believe that people and events are inherently

good, so that most situations work out in the end for the best. It is about an affirmative outlook on life. Hope

is a belief in a positive outcome related to events and circumstances in one's life.

A Message from

Rev. W. Bruce McPherson

Advent: The Lesson is About Christian Hope

Continued on Page 4

For the parishioners and visitors at St. John’s Episcopal Church, Georgetown

Luke 2:25-30 At that time there was a man named

Simeon living in Jerusalem. He was a

good, God-fearing man and was waiting

for Israel to be saved. The Holy Spirit was

with him and had assured him that he

would not die before he had seen the

Lord's promised Messiah. Led by the

Spirit, Simeon went into the Temple.

When the parents brought the child Jesus

into the Temple to do for him what the

Law required, Simeon took the child in

his arms and gave thanks to God:

“Now, Lord, you have kept your

promise, and you may let your

servant go in peace.

With my own eyes I have seen

your salvation.”

The Sentinel

Parish Life @ St. John’s Parish Life @ St. John’s

By Emily Rowell Brown

The children of St. John’s have

enthusiastically participated in

Sunday School and fellowship

events this fall.

Adult volunteers have helped

teach a semester-long unit on the

prophets and have encouraged the

children engage the old stories and

traditions through art, theater,

multimedia, and liturgy.

The children have considered

what it means to be a prophet—

both thousands of years ago and

today. Whether making scented

oils to remember how Esther ap-

proached the king to save her

people, or using Skittles candy to

consider the unequal wealth dis-

tribution in Amos’s day, Sunday

Schoolers have discovered the

richness and diversity of the

prophets.

The children have also led and

participated in a weekly chapel,

discovering we have many won-

derful readers, crucifers, and aco-

lytes among us! Liturgy consti-

tutes an important part of chil-

dren’s Christian formation, which

the St. John’s children seem to

know instinctively. .

As the semester draws to a close,

we plan to continue such opportu-

nities for fellowship, especially

during Advent. During the 10

a.m. coffee hour, St. John’s chil-

dren will be invited to make Ad-

vent wreaths and calendars.

The Christmas pageant will arrive

before we know it, so rehearsals

will soon be underway.

All the while, during the Sunday

School hour, we will consider the

stories of important figures sur-

rounding Jesus’ birth, such as

Elizabeth, Zechariah, Mary, and

Joseph.

For all of those children, parents,

and volunteers who have joined in

so far, thanks for a great fall, and

to everyone else, please consider

stopping by the chapel at 9 o’clock

to see what is happening with the

St. John’s children’s ministries!

Children ‘Prophet’ from Sunday School

New Saints on All Saints Sunday

A remarkable All Saints Sunday was Nov. 3, when four babies were baptized.

They are: Annika Liv, daughter of Miranda Berge; Charlotte Mosser

Knapp, daughter of Kim and Hubbell Knapp; Claire Marie Geltzer, daughter of

Katherine Boone and Josh Geltzer; Liam Chapman, the son of parishioners

Katie Boehret and Kevin Sheives.

November – December 2013

palms facing downward, releas-

ing to God our worries, concerns

and fears.

Receiving — at the center we

shifted our palms upward to re-

ceive whatever gifts of insight

and peace God would offer us.

Thanksgiving — we left the

labyrinth with hands in prayer,

thanking God.

Afterward we shared dinner

and discussed the experience;

Our St. John’s-Grace Youth

Group is doing lots of fun and in-

teresting things under the guid-

ance of leaders Jeanne Jennings

and Patrick Scanlon. Following

the group’s recent visit to the

Georgetown Labyrinth, Jeanne

wrote the following:

The youth group was blessed

with a lovely fall evening to walk

the labyrinth in Georgetown's Wa-

terfront Park. The sun was just

setting over the Potomac, provid-

ing a beautiful backdrop to our

exercise — a perfect setting.

We broke our labyrinth walk into

three stages:

Releasing — we walked to the

center of the labyrinth with our

here are a few thoughts from

youth group members:

I was happy and energetic, not

like crazy bouncing-off-the-walls

jumpy. "

I felt enlightened. I felt refreshed,

like I had clicked the refresh but-

ton on a Webpage. It was like I

had gotten everything out of my

system.

It was good to walk around and

not talk, to just relax for a few

minutes."

Parishioners ages 12 to 18 are

invited; watch for an email on the

November event. Not on the list?

Contact [email protected].

Animals Blessed by Their Attendance at Church Oct. 6

Youth Labyrinth Outing Was A-Mazing

Dogs and even hedge-hogs received a bless-ing Oct. 6 on the lawn of St. John’s in ob-servance of the Feast

of St. Frances of Assisi.

Parishioners brought their critters for this

popular annual event.

At left, 8-year-old Sumner Hood’s hedge-hog Aphrodite received a blessing from Interim Rector W. Bruce

McPherson.

November – December 2013

Hope implies a certain amount of perseverance — i.e., believing that a positive outcome is possible even

when there is some evidence to the contrary. This is what Advent is about.

Advent comes to us each year as the world grows darker and colder. It meets us in the hard places of our

lives and says to us that, even though the days are dark, we live in hope that God is making everything new

and that the new creation, of which we will be a part, will be a world in which love, joy, peace, gentleness,

kindness and generosity will abound. Advent is about the hopeful anticipation of the coming of God’s king-

dom on earth – God with us – Emmanuel.

But there is a necessary word of caution. Theodore Levitt, a professor in the Harvard Business School

wrote not long ago about the decline of the railroad industry. Railroads did not cease growing because people

and freight no longer needed transportation. Levitt says that they declined because they were emotionally tied

to the train business, not the transportation business. They confused means (trains) with ends (transportation).

We live in a world badly in need of hope. If people have stopped going to church in some places, it is not be-

cause they have stopped looking for the hope that gives meaning to life and life to meaning. They are finding

it elsewhere. Could it be that the church is too caught up in being the church with all that implies and have for-

gotten to convey hopeful meaning?

Meaning can be found in lots of different places. It is in art and music, poetry and story, liturgy and drama,

all of which the church does pretty well. But it is also found outside of the walls of the church, most im-

portantly in relationships with others. Perhaps that is why Christmas is so important. Christmas brings people

together like no other time of the year. We not only tell the Christmas story, but we also act it out in the way

we are with one another.

St. John’s will bring people together this Christmas in the Children’s Pageant, in the story and music of the

Advent Festival of Lessons and Carols and, this year, in the Community Christmas, a party for everyone. It is

in all of these ways that we convey the meaning and the hope that is fundamental to a Christian way of life. I

don’t know about you, but I’m looking forward to the joy and the fellowship that comes with Christmas and to

the hopeful anticipation of God with us. And that’s not wishful thinking.

Bruce+

Continued from Page 1

Rector’s Message: Our World Needs Christmas Hope

A Note About This Sentinel’s Cover

It is a combined image of a parishioner’s granddaughter superimposed over a

stained glass panel in the St. John’s sanctuary. The Bible verse was chosen be-

cause it clearly demonstrates that Christ’s salvation is evident to those who

seek God. In the liturgy of Evening prayer in the Anglican communion, tens of

millions of Anglicans recite the Nunc dimittis – or sing about this event in the

Evensong canticle known as the Song of Simeon – almost every single evening.

The Sentinel

A Report From Warden Karim Zia

The Vestry has been actively focused

on a number of fronts recently. Finan-

cially, the Parish is on track to meet its

full year operating budget goals of

$627,000 of revenue, while maintain-

ing a roughly balanced budget.

Driving these healthy results have been a combi-

nation of factors: strong pledging (thanks to the ef-

forts of stewardship chair Tom Cooke), a highly suc-

cessful House Tour, a robust Concert Series, contri-

butions from the Preschool and new rental income

from the Rectory.

On the last revenue source, the strategic planning

committee has analyzed several possibilities for

transforming the rectory into a long-term income-

producing asset and the Vestry will study these op-

tions in greater detail in the near future.

With minimal endowment distributions for the

first time in ten years and strong investment perfor-

mance, the endowment has now re-

versed its decline and has grown to

approximately $1.4 million at the end

of October.

Led by the tireless efforts of Mike

Applin, property repairs have continued in an effi-

cient and cost effective manner.

In total this summer, over $60,000 of projects were

completed on time and on budget, including roof re-

pairs; repairs and painting of the Bell Tower, Parish

Hall, windows, doors; and much of the remaining

exterior. Additional minor projects are under consid-

eration for Fall implementation.

The combination of these efforts will put St.

John’s on a healthy financial and facility footing in

advance of the arrival of a new Rector next year. Spe-

cial thanks goes to the Search Committee, led by

Laura Scanlon and Greg Mocek, in the process of

calling our next permanent rector.

Warden’s ReportWarden’s Report

Healthy Year of Financial Stewardship and Property Repairs

Epistle Keeps Parishioners Informed

Our newest communications tool, The Epistle,

was launched in early autumn. It arrives as an

email in parishioner’s inboxes by mid-week

bringing news of church activities and a weekly

meditation from our clergy. For more infor-

mation, contact [email protected]

Julie Cooke and Martha Wilson, members of the

property committee, convened a meeting on Nov.17th

of those with an interest in St. John's grounds.

Stephanie Bothwell, parishioner and landscape ar-

chitect, sketched out a plan combining years of her

thoughts and input solicited from the congregation.

From all the various ideas she produced a design,

which was approved by the vestry on Nov. 21. The

design concentrates primarily on the space in front of

the church and parish hall, emphasizing what can be

done right now, before hard frost, to prepare the

grounds for the winter. Funds for this preliminary ti-

dying-up phase will come from the Property Reserve

Fund and the Memorial Fund--our outside space is, as

an integral part of the church, memorial ground.

When Stephanie has perfected the details of the de-

sign, it will be in Blake Hall for all to see admire, and

comment upon.

Grounds Improvements Underway

November—December, 2013

By Carol Seaver A new enterprise in ecumenical ministry is under-

way in Georgetown. On an invitation from Holy

Trinity Catholic Church in early October, St. John’s

and a few other churches met to see

what it would take to feed 60-70

homeless every Saturday night, year

round.

Word spread quickly. By early No-

vember, six churches -- Holy Trinity Catholic,

Mount Zion United Methodist, Grace Episcopal, Je-

rusalem Baptist, Georgetown Presbyterian, St. John’s

Episcopal -- and the Georgetown Campus Ministry

agreed to initiate a pilot project that would determine

how best to deliver this service, by whom, and where.

The question of where was quickly decided: Pastor

Johnsie Cogmans of Mount Zion United Methodist

Church proclaimed ebulliently that Mt. Zion United

Methodist would be the single site for every supper.

“I will not have the brothers and sisters trying to keep

track of our schedules!”

Experience from two pilot suppers on Nov. 9 and

16 has provided answers to the other questions.

Producing a Saturday Supper of three main dish op-

tions (one vegetarian), salad, bread, beverage and two

dessert choices requires 15-18 volunteers for prep-

ping, serving, and clean-up. Diners are welcome to

go back for seconds’ and may take leftovers with

them; bags are provided.

Serving a Saturday Supper requires set-up teams

arriving an hour before doors are

opened at 5 p.m. A prayer of blessing

is said by all before the meal. Guests

depart by 6 p.m., followed by volun-

teers. Survey results from guests

brought good ratings and such joyful reviews as:

“Thanks for feeding us! We were not treated like

homeless, which is great. The vegetarian lasagna

was just what I was hoping for! ”

There’s something holy going on here, a transform-

ative rendering, making ‘us and them’ into ‘we.’

Those ‘others,’ those not like us, those symptoms of

dysfunction, become brothers and sisters .

NOTE:St. John’s Episcopal volunteers will be on

duty the last night of the pilot—November 30, the

Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend. Currently, our

commitment is for the meal only, but we foresee

forthcoming a rich multi-parish collaboration across

all roles. To express interest in this Saturday Supper

ministry, please contact Carol Seaver at

[email protected]

“There’s someThing holy going on here”

St. John’s young adults have enjoyed gathering for brunch and structured spiritual conversations in the past,

and they only hope to build on previous events. Katie Boehret and Kevin Sheives, chairs of the Parish Life

committee, continue to find new ways to engage the twenty-thirtysomethings at St. John’s. With the help of

several other young adults in the congregation, they convened a successful meeting with Jason Evans, the

Young Adult Lay Missioner for the Episcopal Diocese of Washington. From the meeting emerged a consen-

sus that young adults would like to participate in regular events together.

Already, monthly events centered on the topic of “Faith and Work” are in the works for 2014. The three

Georgetown Parishes hope to collaborate and sponsor these events together, inviting young adults to enjoy

drinks and presentations by speakers from the congregation.

As the young adults plan for a great 2014, they seek to ensure that all interested young adults stay in the loop

about opportunities for gathering and fellowship. Interested young adults should be sure to join the Facebook

group “St. John’s Georgetown 20s/30s” and to look in the Weekly Epistle for announcements.

20-30somethings Seek a Deeper Spiritual Dive

Churches Join to Serve Saturday Supper

The Sentinel

Christmas Events Fill the SeasonChristmas Events Fill the SeasonChristmas Events Fill the Season

ADVENT ACTIVITIES —

Sunday Dec. 1 is the first day of

Advent. Advent is the time we

are invited to prepare inwardly

for the coming of God’s own self

in the form of a baby named Je-

sus. One excellent way to pre-

pare to receive this mind-

boggling gift is to join St. John’s

Wednesday evening service in

the Chapel of the Carpenter at

5:30 and 6:30 pm. The service

begins with a simple Eucharistic

service, followed by silent pray-

er. All are welcome. For more

information, call Joan Maxwell

(202) 363-1388.

ADVENT BIBLE STUDY –

Ever wonder why there are four

different Gospels, but only one

nativity story? Ever wonder why

Joseph is merely an ornament in

the crèche for Luke’s familiar sto-

ry? And, by the way, what does

all this have to do with me and

you? You might want to partici-

pate in the Advent Bible study.

Advent I, Dec. 1 – The Nativity

Story in Matthew; Jesus’ forbear-

ers.

Advent II, Dec. 8 – Joseph in the

Nativity Story; really now!

Advent III, Dec.15 – The Story

according to Luke; shepherds and

angels.

Advent IV, Dec. 22 – The Story

according to Mark and John; what

does it mean to say that Jesus is

the son of God and the Word of

God?

COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS

The Greens Sale is a wonderful St.

John's tradition, and we plan to

continue aspects of it such as

selling a few greens, engag-

ing children, and lots of holi-

day spirit. However, this

year's event will be different

and re-themed

"A Community Christmas."

The event will be Dec.15

from 3:30-5:00pm in Blake

Hall before the 5 p.m. Festi-

val of Lessons and Car-

ols. We hope it will bring

parish members together to

celebrate the holiday, and

welcome communi-

ty members who typically

come to the Greens Sale to the

Festival of Lessons and Carols for

worship following

A Community Christmas. Contact

Katie and Kevin

at [email protected] .

And...Following Lessons and Car-

ols the staff will host a reception

as a way of saying thank you for

the faithful commitment of the

people of St. John's.

Christmas Music at St. John’s

On Dec. 8, 11 a.m.

Excerpts from

George Frideric Handel’s

On Dec. 8, 5 p.m.

Festival Choral Evensong

A Festival of

Nine Lessons

and Carols

Sunday, Dec. 15

at 5:00 pm

St. John’s Episcopal—Georgetown Parish

3240 O Street NW

Washington, DC 20007

stjohnsgeorgetown.org

2013-14 Season

Georgetown Concert Series Underway

SPRING 2014 FAMILY CONCERT!

The Kennedy String Quartet

Kinderkonzert

Sunday, March 2, 2014, at 4 p.m. In this lively program for ages 4 and older, a string quartet from the National Symphony Orchestra, featuring, Jane Bowyer Stewart, violin, Holly Hamilton, violin, Jim Deighan, viola, and David Teie, cello, engage the audience with musical contrasts, from the technical to the emotional.Explore simple musical opposites such as high and low, loud and soft, fast and slow, then hear excerpts of the masters, Beethoven, Haydn, and Tchaikovsky. Enjoy hands-on fun with the musical instrument “petting zoo,”

which gives children a chance to get up close with the instruments.

“…a friendly and often hilarious introduction to the string quartet…

as big on theatrics as it was on playing. Hugely enjoyable!”

- The Washington Post

Can you hear the applause pouring from St. John’s? We began in October with

the brilliant recital of concert organist Nathan Laube on our magnificent new

Casavant pipe organ. Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir. November brought

the sublime sounds of the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir. Both these

events filled our church with music-lovers and brought glory to God.

Advent: The Lesson is About Christian...

Documents

Transcript of Advent: The Lesson is About Christian...