The Courier Parish Newsletter, November 2020 Vol. XXXVI, No.1

afraser@sandglass.org (Andrew Fraser) — Sun, 01 Nov 2020 20:07:00 GMT

The Rector's Letter

Upcoming Changes to the Sunday Service Schedule

Beginning on the First Sunday of Advent, November 29, there will be one combined celebration of the Holy Eucharist at 11:15 a.m. This change comes in response to the pressure that has been placed upon the very small number of volunteers—Altar Guild, Flower Guild, acolytes, lectors, and ushers—who are able and willing to serve at the present time. Additionally, total Sunday attendance has been hovering around 50 individuals. Since Christ

Church can accommodate 100 people at appropriate social distance, consolidation of the two services makes a great deal of sense. The Coronavirus will be with us for some time to come and we seek to do what is safe as well as sustainable. As circumstances change, we will revisit the Sunday service schedule.

We will continue to post a virtual celebration of the Holy Eucharist each Sunday on the parish blog, Grace under Quarantine (www.ccgt.squarespace.com). Those who participate in the virtual liturgy have the opportunity to come t o Christ Church and receive the Blessed Sacrament one at a time (or by household) on Sundays from 1:00 to 1:30 p.m.

As in past weeks and months, those who wish to attend in person Sunday services must register in advance. The weekly deadline to reserve a space for you or your household is Friday at 8:00 a.m. If capacity has been reached, those who are unable to attend in-person worship on a given Sunday will receive first right of refusal to attend the next. For more information, contact the Parish Office.

A Word about Stewardship

Through Christ, then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God,

that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.

And do not neglect to do good and to share what you have,

for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

(Hebrews 13:15-16)

A Note from our Seminarian

Sunday School during COVID

While many aspects of church life have been limited by coronavirus, the Youth and Family Ministries Committee made the decision this summer that Sunday School would resume this fall even if that meant adapting the program. Although much was uncertain at the time, we are now six weeks into Sunday School and I am happy to report that the children of Christ Church, Georgetown, are as involved and engaged in faith formation and fellowship as ever.

In many ways, our Sunday School is unchanged. We continue to follow the same curriculum and are blessed by a team of returning teachers who give the program much-needed stability and connection to prior years. Of course, it is not exactly the same either. Every Sunday, one of the four classes (Caterpillars through 8th grade) takes a turn to meet in person “as usual” in the church garden or the auditorium, following all of the church safety guidelines. The other three classes and the high school class meet over Zoom. While we miss the fluidity of a face-to-face discussion when we can’t be in person, we are still learning a lot, getting to know each other, and reminding each other of what it means to be a Christian. For many families, Sunday School is the only church activity that they are participating in this year, and we are grateful to be able to be together as a church in this way.

As one teacher put it, “One important aspect of Sunday School is for our kids to have a connection with other kids and adults at Christ Church. While virtual isn’t always the same as in person, each week we consistently have more kids joining us than we did when we were in person. I hope that as the class explores the lessons and the message for our lives, we are also getting to know each other in a way that builds our Christ Church community.”

For the Sunday School teachers, this year has also been a chance to work more collaboratively with each other, and the committee is extremely grateful for their perseverance and dedication. The Caterpillars and Butterflies teachers are Zooming from their classroom as a team to be able to use the playthings so integral to the Godly Play curriculum. The 2nd–4th grade teachers, myself included, read and study the lectionary each week with their students and enjoy playing very competitive church bingo at the end of each Zoom class. Th e 5th- and 6th-grade teachers run overtime every time as they engage in the seminal stories of the Old Testament accompanied by appropriately themed Zoom backgrounds. The 7th- and 8th-grade teachers are leading discussions of what the Bible has to say about hard questions of faith and morality, and are getting the students to lead them, too! Our high school teacher holds classes on current topics of the day and is already planning for a class pilgrimage for this coming summer. As a teacher myself, I can attest the rewards are great. As one of my colleagues said, “Sunday School is a bright spot of the week, no matter what else crazy is happening around us. It is healing and invigorating for us teachers to see the sweet faces of our students. Bless all you parents for sharing them!”

Beyond Sunday School, the Youth and Family Committee has also held two All-Ins so far this year for all Sunday School and Babywise families: the teacher commissioning and Sunday School kick-off picnic in the Bishop’s Garden at the Cathedral, and a pumpkins and prayers event for Halloween at Butler’s Orchard. Normally both events would have been at the church, but moving to an outdoor venue allowed us to meet more safely and with plenty of room for the children to run around. Importantly, each included a short service, giving us a chance to worship together as well as be together. Perhaps they will become new traditions!

We are looking forward to continuing to grow in faith and community throughout this year, and pray in thanksgiving for the work God has done in our church during this challenging time.

—Katherine Brown, Chair,

Youth and Families Ministry Committee

Adult Formation

Contemplative Life Ministry

Hermitage Living: A New Reliance on the Inner Life

The Contemplative Life Ministry recently led a six-week series oriented to Thomas Merton’s insights on the inner life. The famous 20th-century writer and monk experienced this reality living in a hermitage on the grounds of his monastery in Kentucky, but in the time of COVID, many of us, too, are thrown onto our inner resources as outward commitments and involvements are put on hold.

The group—usually about ten people—met in the garden when the weather permitted, and in the spacious auditorium when it didn’t, safe distancing observed and masks in place.

In his book The Inner Experience: Notes on Contemplation, Merton urges us to trust experiences of emptiness, of not knowing, of setting ambitions and accomplishments aside. These are not easy places to linger for most of us, but Merton writes that “the mercy of God has transformed our nothingness into His temple.”

Merton also emphasizes the ordinariness of contemplative experience, urging his readers to avoid framing contemplative Christianity as an exotic or rarified aspect of following Christ. He also underscored the ways that a life of prayerful solitude can nourish a life of action.

In its gatherings, the group followed the ancient Christian practice of lectio divina, or prayerful reading. We considered a selected passage slowly, each person reading one sentence aloud. After that, a period of silence allowed each individual to notice which word, phrase, or image seemed strongly resonant or important. This approach, practiced for centuries in monasteries, is quite distinct from an analytical assessment of a text. It can be employed with scripture, poetry, or any writing that might serve as a doorway to larger understanding.

The six weekly sessions unfolded quickly, and the perspective of Thomas Merton—an active, engaged lover of solitude— seemed just right for the time we’re living through.

—Tim Carrington

Conversations on Race and Culture

As our country seeks a way forward to heal divisions around race and culture, Christ Church seeks to advance honest and constructive dialogue by inviting some leading voices in their field in the nation to share their insights and thoughts.

This fall, we have welcomed two excellent speakers: Professor Stephen C. Carter of Yale Law School joined us on October 1, in a conversation facilitated by our own parishioner, Eric Motley, who is the Executive Vice President and Corporate Secretary of the Aspen Institute. On November 16, our speaker was Marc H. Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League, in conversation with parishioner Rodney Hood, who serves as Chairman of the National Credit Union Administration.

Both conversations were attended by more than 200 parishioners, other Washingtonians, and interested individuals from across the country. If you were not able to watch live, recordings of both conversations are available on the parish website (www.christchurchgeorgetown.org/ conversations-race-and-culture).

The Parish Bible Study

The sources of authority for Anglicans come from what has been called the “three-legged stool” of scripture, tradition, and reason. For us as for all Christians, the word of God is at the center of our faith. Join the Reverend Melissa Hollerith on Monday evenings 6:00–7:00 p.m. for a new Bible study, open to the whole parish, focused this fall on the Gospel of Mark.

Through the lens of the fi rst gospel ever written, Mark, we look at the man who changed our lives forever. We study the life, teachings, and person of Jesus and his call for a gospel of action and change in the world. Themes we explore include forgiveness, justice, grace, love, and salvation. We put ourselves in the timeless narratives and parables with the hope that we will be challenged to make connections between the scripture and our experiences in the world today. Questions? Email Melissa (hollerith.melissa@gmail.com).

The Courier Parish Newsletter, February 2020 Vol. XXXV, No.3

afraser@sandglass.org (Andrew Fraser) — Sat, 01 Feb 2020 21:35:38 GMT

www-christchurchgeorgetown-org-km79hfwbu-v1

The Courier Parish Newsletter, November 2020 Vol. XXXVI, No.1

The Rector's Letter

Upcoming Changes to the Sunday Service Schedule

A Word about Stewardship

A Note from our Seminarian

Sunday School during COVID

Adult Formation

Contemplative Life Ministry

Conversations on Race and Culture

The Parish Bible Study

The Courier Parish Newsletter, February 2020 Vol. XXXV, No.3

The Rector's Letter