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In This Issue
Photos
Parish Notes
The Propers
Last Sunday's Sermon

Upcoming Events

Tuesday, August 19:
Vestry Meeting

Sunday, August 24:
"Stuff the Truck"

Altar at Easter 2013

       

Birthdays

August

2   Mark Mills

2   Jim Ellis

2   Grace Payne

2   Olamide Thomas

8   Bich-Thuy Diep

9   Victoria Kennedy

11   Jonathan Burgess

15   Heather Stefl

15   Christofer Johnson-Harbers

16   Dang Pham

23   Carrie McCall  

24   Frank Harbers


September 

1   Felix Spinelli

1  MyChi Haan

4   Laura Kennedy

8   Lucille Selby

8   Nghia Dao

10   Rachel Burgess

11   Oanh Phan

13   Debbie Clark

13   Doan Huynh Tucker

13   Michael Knowles

14   Thanh Nguyen

18   Pauline Leonard

23   Hannah Knowles

24   Deani Coker

24  Margot Deanna Miller

28   William Houston

29   Justice Lebo

30   Michael Spinelli

 

 

Our Prayer List

We remember in our prayer:

 

Cathy Anderson, Dee Bailey, Kari Boeskov, Brandon, Rachel Burgess, Jane Chapman, Marie Cosimano, Tim Clary, Dorothy Connelly, John Davis, Michael Dickinson, Loretta Dougherty, Steve Escobar, Nance Finegan, Luis Garay, Carolyn Gawarecki, Louise Gibney, Jean Graham, Katherine Hafele, Margaret Ellis Harris, Alek Hensley, Leslie Hogan, Cindy Hogman, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., Michael Horn,  Lindsay Johns, Gray Johnson, Jamie Kaplon, Laura Kennedy, Quinn Kimball, Alice King, Michael Knowles, Ashley Kolitz, Peter Kosutic, Susan Lawrence, Thai Lee, Bruce Lineker, Evelyn Morgan, Danielle Morgan, Que Nguyen, Chick Nixon, Mary Esther Obremskey, Tom Olander, Olive Oliver, Jim Owens, Gary Owens, Cathy Riley-Hall, William Ross, Fern Shuck, Irene Skowron, Josh Smithers, Inez Stanton, Candi Stewart, Patrick Stefl, Barbara Stefl, Kara Stryker, Walter Sushko, George Thomas, Elizabeth Trigg, Tammy Vanphung, Michael Weekes, Warren Weinstein, The Crowley Family, The Westfall Family, Meredith Wiech, Bernard Williams, Rev. Letha Wilson-Barnard, Rudy Zimpel.

               ____ 

 

Note: If you have a loved one or friend who needs prayer please call the church and leave a message at 703-532-5656, or write to Winnie Lebo at

thelebos@verizon.net  or call her at 703-536-2075.  Also, should a name need be removed from the list, please let Winnie know promptly, and give the reason.  

 

 

Saint Patrick's Ministers 

The Ministers of Saint Patrick's Church are the People of this Parish

 

We serve our Lord as part of the Diocese of Virginia

 

led by

our chief pastors

 

The Rt. Rev. Shannon Sherwood Johnston, Bishop

 

The Rt. Rev. Susan Goff

Bishop Suffragan 

 

and  

The Rt. Rev. Ted Gulick,

Assistant Bishop 

The Vision of St. Patrick's

Saint Patrick's Episcopal Church is a community of care, called to be Christ-centered and multicultural in worship, Christian education and action to proclaim  Christ's love to the world.

   

Previous Issues of the Epistle
Please click here if you wish to see the previous issues of The Epistle

St. Patrick's Organized for Missions and Ministry 

 

SAINT PATRICK'S ORGANIZED

FOR MISSIONS AND MINISTRY

 
Vestry Committee:
Senior Warden: Kathy Oliver; Junior Warden:  Bill Houston;
Registrar: Winnie Lebo;
Treasurer:  Kathy Oliver; 

Other members of the Vestry:   Elisabeth Nguyen, Milton Thomas, Victoria Kennedy, Ann Nelson. 

 

GROUPS AND ACTIVITIES

 

Altar Guild:  Lois Cascella;  
Bell Choir:  Mariko Hiller; 
Sunday Service Bulletin:  Diem Nguyen, Steve Lebo;
Offering Counters:  Bob Cascella; Diocesan Council Delegate: Bill Houston (Kathy Oliver, alternate delegate);
St. Margaret's Circle:  Ann Nelson; Telephone Chain:
Alice King; Feed the Homeless:  Elisabeth Nguyen;
Odeon Chamber Music Series:  Mariko Hiller;
Westlawn Elementary School:  Winnie Lebo;
Falls Church Community Services: Catherine Dubas;
Hypothermia Shelter Program:  Hao Nguyen; 
The Epistle Newsletter Editors: Winnie Lebo; Flea Market:
Prison Ministry: Nancy Burch;
Meals-on-Wheels: Sunrise/Bluemont:
Michael Knowles   

 

 

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August 14. 2014
Photos

Altar Flowers

Bob Cascella & Dr. Kathy Oliver

Nancy Burch

Nancy Burch, Kathy Oliver & Bob Cascella

Dr. Kathy Oliver

Le Cao & Tuyet Mai

The Ellis Family

Kim-Anh Huynh & Mariko Hiller

Kim-Anh Huynh, Jean Wetrich, Wanda Nolan & Pat Gardner
Parish Notes
-  The flowers for Sunday August 17th are given by Pat Gardner.

 

-  As the Ebola virus is escalating in West Africa, Cheryl Thomas has asked for our prayers and help in providing supplies to the medical personnel working with the sick. A list of needed supplies follows: 
Gloves
Face Mask
Hand Sanitizer
Soap
Bleach
Overalls
Medical shoes and boot covers
Alcohol Pads
Cotton
Scrubs
Wipes
Etc
These supplies are being sent out weekly. Please bring supplies to church and leave them in the box in the narthex. If you wish to make a monetary donation, please make checks payable to Saint Patrick's Episcopal Church with "Ebola relief" in the memo.

- Please bring non-perishable food and paper products for the FCS "Stuff The Truck" effort. We'll stuff our donations in the truck on August 24th. For more information, contact Catherine Dubas at 571-242-2591. Thank You!

 - The Director of the Montesorri school downstairs has a stand-up piano that she is looking to donate to someone.  Is there anyone interested in this used piano?  If so, please contact Kathy Oliver at koliver@fcps.edu.

The Propers 

Sunday, August 17, 2014
This Sunday is the Tenth Sunday after Pentecost

Texts: 

Isaiah 56:1,6-8

Almighty God, you have given your only Son to be for us a sacrifice for sin, and also an example of godly life: Give us grace to receive thankfully the fruits of his redeeming work, and to follow daily in the blessed steps of his most holy life; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Last Sunday's Sermon

Given by Dr. Kathy Oliver   

August 10, 2014

 

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.

Recently, my family gathered in South Carolina to spend a week at the beach celebrating my mother's 90th birthday. One of my responsibilities was to get my mother to the house that we had rented. I drove from Northern Virginia to South Carolina where my mother lives; I drove her to the beach, and then at the end of the week I drove her back home; and, finally, I returned home myself. In all, I drove more than 1,400 miles-most of them in the car alone. There was a lot of time to think on this trip, and I frequently found myself thinking about Saint Patrick's.

God blessed us for more than 20 years with a wonderful, caring pastor and friend; when will the feelings of anxiety that we now feel, after his retirement, go away?

When will we be able to focus more on looking forward, instead of finding ourselves tempted to try and hold on to the past?

When will we have an interim rector in place who'll help us through this period of transition?

Driving from Northern Virginia to South Carolina you cannot miss the hundreds of billboards along the highway. Billboards are those large, outdoor advertisements along the road.

Many billboards just tell us what hotel, restaurant, or kind of gasoline is nearby. The name or logo on the sign announces that a Hampton Inn or Hilton Hotel, a McDonald's or a Cracker Barrel restaurant, an Exxon or Shell gas station is just down the road. The billboards only announce the presence of these businesses. They don't tell us anything special about the particular restaurant or hotel that's nearby. They rely completely on what we already know about the brand that they're advertising.

On the other hand, from the Virginia border through North Carolina to South Carolina there are approximately 100 brightly colored billboards advertising a place called South of the Border. South of the Border is a rest stop or roadside attraction with restaurants, motel rooms, gift shops, fireworks and entertainment located just as you enter South Carolina. The first time I saw all those signs I could hardly wait to get there, cross the border, and see this place for myself.

South of the Border spends most of its 40 million dollar advertising budget on these billboards; and, as a result, more than 8 million people a year pull off the highway there for gas, food, gifts, or lodging. They are not after repeat business. One stop was all it took for me to know that I didn't want to stop there a second time. But, 8 million people equal almost 22,000 people a day, 365 days a year.

I saw several new signs on this trip that advertised auditions for Actors, Models, and Talent for Christ. I wondered what that advertisement was all about. And, I questioned whether these signs were legitimate or some sort of scam.

I saw two United States Marine Corps recruiting billboards. These billboards pictured a young marine in dress uniform with an American flag and the words "We don't accept applications, only commitments." Those signs provided food for much thought-don't just apply, commit.

Commitment thins the ranks; eight million people aren't likely to show up at a marine corps recruiting office, but those few who do will probably stay.

The Episcopal Church sign at the bottom of Brush Drive is sort of like the billboards along the highway that advertise well-known brands. It just says we're here, but is that enough?

I'm not suggesting that we erect a billboard on Annandale Road; but we need to know who were are and what our message is. What would we put on a billboard for all the world to see? What message do we want to share with an Interim Priest or a new Rector? Who do we say that we are? What is the journey that we are inviting them to travel along with us?

Most days on my vacation we had 12 people living under the same roof-4 generations-from my mother who is almost 90 to my youngest grandson who is less than a year old.

My children and my grandchildren call my mother "Oma." They call me "Nana." Most days you could hear my daughter gently and quietly reminding her three children-Have you said good morning to Oma? Have you given Nana a hug today? Have you given Oma a kiss goodnight?

These hugs and kisses and greetings, though prompted, are still precious. I wouldn't trade them for the world; but one night, Reed, my daughter's middle child, was clearly up to some mischief.   He had memorized my password to get on the Internet; he had his family's iPad; and, without permission, he was downloading an application from the Internet. When I saw what he was doing, I figured that he was going to be in big trouble before the evening was over.

But, I was wrong. It wasn't long before he was back-dancing about the living room with a big smile on his face. Rap music was blaring from the iPad. He had downloaded an application from the Internet which takes phrases uttered in a conversational tone and turns them into rap music. The rap music he was playing had been created from these simple words that he had put together and entered into the application:

This is for Oma.

It is her birthday.

My Oma's awesome.

Happy Birthday,

Oh yeah, Oma, Happy Birthday!

 

Before long, we were all making up our own rap music. None of us were as successful as Reed had been; but a great grandson had truly connected with his Oma; and soon we were all laughing and sharing this special time together.

 

Again, I am not suggesting that we start writing rap music to include in our Sunday worship services. But I do think that our efforts at telling people about our church have been more like my daughter's gentle suggestion to give Oma a hug before going to bed than like Reed announcing that his Oma is awesome.

 

We don't need to download a program to write rap music, but we do need to craft a message that can be understood by people a century apart in age and continents apart in experience.

 

Today's New Testament lesson is about facing storms. It's about facing the difficult and challenging times in our lives. The disciples were probably angry with Jesus. It was Jesus who sent them ahead so that he could go up into the mountain, by himself, to pray. And now, here the disciples are, stranded in a boat, in the middle of a storm. They are being battered by the waves, and they are far from shore. They are frightened. They are unhappy, and they believe that Jesus abandoned them.

 

And then, in the early morning light, Jesus comes to them, walking on the sea, through the terrible storm. When thy see him coming across the water, the disciples become even more frightened; they think he's a ghost. But Jesus calls to them and tells them to take heart and to not be afraid.

 

And then, at Peter's request, Jesus commands Peter to come to him on the water. Enthusiastically, Peter jumps out of the boat and starts walking with confidence on the water; but it doesn't take long before Peter becomes frightened again and begins to sink. When Peter cries out, Jesus immediately reaches out his arm, catches Peter and saves him.

 

We worship and serve an awesome God. He loves us even when we stumble and fall, even when we lose heart and become frightened. He comforts us in our sorrows, and he reaches out to encourage and support us when we feel as though we are sinking amidst the difficulties of life.

 

My questions and concerns haven't gone away. I still keep asking myself...

 

When will these feelings of apprehension and anxiety go away?

When will we begin to focus more fully on the future, instead of being tempted to try and hold on to the past?

When will an interim rector be in place to help us through this period of transition?

Perhaps the message that we need to share with each other and with the world around us, on that billboard in our minds and as part of that rap music in our hearts, is simply this...

We worship and serve an awesome God. His Son, Jesus, continually reaches out His hand to support, encourage, and guide us. Jesus, truly, is the Son of God. He will not abandon us. He is here with us now and forever more. Amen.

 

 


 

 



 

May God bless and keep you, and may God grant us peace.  

Please pray for Saint Patrick's throughout the process of transition 

 

Saint Patrick's Episcopal Church

Falls Church, Virginia