I cannot begin to tell you all how excited I am about the new season that is upon us at CPC! Sure, it may seem simply like "back-to-school" time once again, or even just another turn of the calendar. But from where I sit it looks like a whole new thing being born in our midst.

To begin with, we're welcoming our first new staff person, Mary Lynn Hickey, as we start living into the new ministry model we adopted together last spring. Drop by the church office Tuesday through Thursday and welcome Mary Lynn! (More on Mary Lynn below.)

When I returned to church following a truly refreshing sabbatical last month I came back to the predictable pile of mail and unanswered phone calls. Answering the calls led to unpredictable conversations, including three with strangers who wanted to hear about the ministry at CPC. Along with the news that late August saw a small but steady stream of visitors to the wee kirk, these calls underscored that something new and promising is happening in our midst.

For us to seize this moment, perhaps all that is required of us is the faithful work of showing up and, together, being the church of Jesus Christ. So, with this new season upon us, I encourage you to come and worship this Sunday with the expectation of encountering the living God who is breathing new life into our community. Come and see!

Come and worship!
 
peace,

David

Join us Saturday, September 15, as we feed our neighbors at the Arlington Food Assistance Center. We'll gather at AFAC (2708 S. Nelson Street) at 8:30 a.m. to participate in the weekly food distribution program. This is a hands on, face-to-face opportunity to help AFAC's clients "shop." Our volunteers will be setting things up, helping welcome clients, guide them through the distribution process, and restocking shelves throughout the morning. The center opens for clients at 9:00 a.m. and closes at 11:00 a.m., and we'll be finished with cleanup by 11:30. This is one of the many ways we live directly into our mission at Clarendon, and I hope you can join us.

Please e-mail me if you can be part of the team this month. (AFAC needs to know by next week how many volunteers we'll have from Clarendon so they can fill in the gaps, so your RSVP is urgently needed. Thanks.)

Next month we will hold a series of "exploring membership" gatherings for anyone interested in learning more about Clarendon, about the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and about what it means to become a member of this congregation. Our meetings will provide a great opportunity for learning, growth and meeting other folks who are also exploring. Participation is open to anyone, and "exploring" does not mean "joining."

The first gathering will be Sunday, October 7, following coffee time, and will last no more than 45 minutes. During that time we'll schedule two additional meetings. It will help us prepare for you if you let David know if you intend to participate. Thanks!

The reading group will reconvene on Tuesday, September 11 at 7 PM at Karen and Marty's home to discuss Wendell Berry's novel, Jayber Crow.

An orphan and seminary dropout, Jayber was the barber, grave-digger, and church sexton in Berry's created town of Port William, Ky., through the middle years of the 20th century. His keen-eyed observation of the town and its people provide a beautiful and compelling take on community, faithfulness and love.

Later this fall we'll read Timothy Beal's The Rise and Fall of the Bible: The Unexpected History of an Accidental Book. As you would guess from the title, this one is a work of nonfiction. The author, a professor at Case Western University in Cleveland, is a friend from our days in Ohio, and he's crafted a deeply personal and also deeply researched account of the history of the Bible both as sacred scripture and as hot commodity. His previous book, Roadside Religion, was named best religion book of the year by the New York Times.

A small group of creative Presbyterian clergy will launch the "Busboys and Poets Liturgy Group" on Tuesday, September 18, at 7:00 p.m. at Busboys in Shirlington. Inspired by the Wild Goose collective at Iona (Scotland), we want to bring together lay people and clergy to think about the way we worship and to create liturgy for our communities grounded in the common experience of living in the broader metro community. We want creative folks -- artists, poets, readers, builders, explorers, students -- from all walks of life who long to experience worship in ways that engage us body, mind and spirit. We're throwing out the God-box and the church-box and every other box that constrains the way we praise God, as we work together to create fresh, authentic ways to do "the work of the people" in our congregations.

If you're interested, let David know, or just show up at Busboys. What's the worst thing that could happen? A fun evening of engaging conversation over the beverage of your choice?