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Gracias! Lots of Notes of Thanks that We Should Share
| Thanks to Travis for hosting a delicious coffee time Sunday. We look forward to the hospitality of Molly DeMaret-Tahu this Sunday.
Coffee hour hosts are listed on the church calendar on our web site. There is a sign up sheet on the bulletin board outside of the church office. We need hosts for summer Sundays.
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Mark Your
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Coming soon to the wee kirk:
Worship planning team, Sunday, May 22, following worship.
MLP Worshipful Celebration, Sunday, May 22, 5:00 p.m. at Western Presbyterian.
A-SPAN food distribution, Tuesday, May 24, 5:45 p.m.
Choir practice, Thursday, May 26, 7:00 p.m.
NoVA Pride Interfaith Celebration, Wednesday, June 8, 7:00 p.m.
Capital Pride parade, Saturday, June 11.
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A-SPAN Feeding
| Tuesday evening, May 24, we again feed our neighbors in need with the Arlington Food Assistance Network.
Meet up at church at 5:30 p.m. to organize food and transportation. We'll hit the first distribution site at Virginia Square at 6:00 p.m. and the second one in Roslynn at 6:30. We'll be back at church by 7:00.
In that hour we'll feed 50-60 folks.
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Heeding God's Call
| Gun violence is a lot like the weather: everybody complains about it but nobody does anything about it.
Are you tired of the steady drumbeat of news about gun violence? There are ways to respond, and folks from National Capital Presbytery are leading the way in creating a new chapter of Heeding God's Call.
Join an interfaith coalition as it begins a campaign to change the business practices of Realco Guns in suburban Maryland.
The campaign begins in worship, Sunday, June 5, 4:00 p.m., at the Holy Christian House of Praise for All People in Washington. The worship kicks off three months of public witness outside of Realco.
According to a report in the Washington Post this spring, a year-long investigation revealed that "Since 1992, more than 2,500 guns recovered by police and tied to crimes in the Washington area have been traced to their original sale at Realco Guns in Forestville, Md. The total is four times that of the dealer with the next highest number of gun traces.
Heeding God's Call, a movement that began in Philadelphia, aims to bring public pressure to bear on gun dealers to encourage them to agree to a code of conduct drawn up by Mayors Against Illegal Guns.
Heeding God's Call is one of the ways that the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship is responding to the nonviolence overture that came out of our session last year.
If you'd like to be part of this effort, please contact David.
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End Times or New Beginnings?
Progressive ... Inclusive ... Diverse |
May.2011
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Greetings!
 You've probably heard about the prediction that the world will end this Saturday. I'll be spending much of the day at the May meeting of National Capital Presbytery, and despite what you may have heard about such things, it's not the end of the world just the ruination of a spring Saturday. I saw somewhere this week that some are blaming the end on the decision last week by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to clear the way for ordination of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Presbyterians. That decision may shake up some, but it is not literally earth shaking! So, despite the predictions, we're still planning to gather here Sunday morning and worship. We worship the God of life and new life, not a god who wrathfully destroys what has been created good by a loving Creator. So join us for worship this Sunday morning at 10:00. The church's one foundation is Jesus, the Christ, and that foundation is not quaking. grace and peace, David PS: We'll continue our focus on sacramental living this weekend, with a focus on the sacrament of vocation. We're going to sing a 'new-to-us' song from Iona, the tune to which you can listen to here. If you check it out now, it will be familiar Sunday morning! |
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Come Out and Celebrate the Passage of 10-A!
 Come and celebrate!
We've worked together for more than a generation to create a church that welcomes all. We've earned a celebration!
This Sunday, May 22, at 5:00 p.m. at Western Presbyterian, the Open Doorschapter of More Light Presbyterians is holding a worshipful
celebration of the passage of "Amendment 10-A," removing the barriers
to ordination of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender candidates for
church office. Join us in the celebration. It will be fabulous!
Our own Lisa Prillaman and Heather Murray are going to share a bit of their own story as we look beyond 10-A to the continuing work for justice. Come out and celebrate, and support our sisters!
Meanwhile, the voting continues. As of this week, 94 presbyteries have affirmed 10-A. The new language takes effect in July when all of the presbyteries have voted.
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Presbyterians With Pride
 The annual Capital Pride celebration presents Presbyterians with several opportunities to join in the festivities in worship and witness.
The fifth annual NoVA Pride Interfaith Celebration, sponsored by People of Faith for Equality Virginia, gathers Wednesday, June 8, at 7:00 p.m. at the Celebration Center in Falls Church. Come out to Celebrate Progress with Pride!
The annual Pride parade kicks off around 6:00 p.m., Saturday, June 11. Open Doors/More Light Presbyterians will meet up at Church of the Pilgrims and walk together in the parade. Watch this space for further details.
The Pride festival will be Sunday, June 12. Open Doors/MLP will have a table at the festival. Stop by and visit.
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AFAC Volunteer Appreciation Party
 Over the past 12 months CPC members have given more than 1,000 hours to the work of the Arlington Food Assistance Center, and hundreds of pounds of groceries. Just this week, 20 of us showed up for the monthly grocery bagging and filled 500 bags to be distributed to clients this week.
All of that effort deserves a party, and AFAC is throwing one. Sunday, June 5, 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. AFAC is hosting its annual volunteer appreciation picnic for all volunteers and family members. Good food, fun prizes and festive tunes will be the order of the day. Contact Amber Hodgen for further details.
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NoVA Pride Interfaith Celebration!
 People of Faith for Equality Virginia presents "Celebrating Progress With Pride," PoFEV's 5th annual Northern Virginia Interfaith Pride Worship Celebration, Wednesday, June 8, at 7:00 p.m. at the Celebration Center for Spiritual Living in Falls Church.
The past 12 months have brought great strides toward justice that we celebrate:
- The beginning of the end of Don't Ask, Don't Tell.
- Marriage equality advances in DC, Delaware, and New Hampshire.
- Strides in faith communities including the Lutheran and Presbyterian church's changes in ordination rules.
- Public opinion shifts toward justice, including more than 50 percent of Virginians favoring same-sex marriage rights.
Join People of Faith to Celebrate!
People of Faith for Equality in Virginia is an interfaith network of people who all share one thing: a deep commitment to our faith traditions, which kindles our deep commitment to social justice. As rabbis, ministers, priests, and lay people, we are all dedicated to working for equal rights for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender community in Virginia. God loves and sustains all of creation and we must act when any part of that creation is endangered - physically, emotionally, or spiritually - by misunderstanding, hate, and discrimination.
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Presbyterian Disaster Assistance in Alabama, Elsewhere
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is on the ground in various places struck by the massive wave of tornadoes last month. At least seven Presbyterian churches sustained damage in the storms, including five in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (including Covenant Presbyterian, the church where Pastor David was baptized a few years ago).
At this point the biggest need is financial support. To contribute to the relief efforts through Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, click here for a link to PDA's secure giving site.
The Arlington Interfaith Council last week received a request through local disaster assistance networks for volunteers to help in the clean up in southern Virginia. If you are interested in further information, please contact David.
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Nominating Committee Begins Its Discerning
Sunday, June 5, following worship, the nominating committee will meet to begin its discernment for a slate of three people to fill the session class of 2014. We hold the election of officers as part of the October meeting of the congregation. All members of the congregation are eligible to stand for election to the office of elder. The term of service is three years, and it begins in January, 2012. If you are interested in exploring your own sense of call to serve in this vital ministry, or if you have suggestions for the committee to consider, please contact either of the elder members of the committee: Amber Hodgen or Marit Simenson.
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