Upcoming Events
| Sunday, August 24: "Stuff the Truck"
Saturday, Sept. 27: Feed the Homeless
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Birthdays
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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
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Our Prayer List
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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.
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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
[email protected] 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.
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Saint Patrick's Ministers
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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
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The Vision of St. Patrick's
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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.
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Previous Issues of the Epistle | Please click here if you wish to see the previous issues of The Epistle
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St. Patrick's Organized for Missions and Ministry
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SAINT PATRICK'S ORGANIZED
FOR MISSIONS AND MINISTRY
Vestry Committee:
Senior Warden: Kathy Oliver; Junior Warden: Bill Houston;
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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Join Our List | |
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Photos
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Altar Flowers Lois Cascella & Nancy Burch Kregg Stovner, guest violinist Nancy Burch Bill Houston Mariko Hiller & Robert Van Beek Hong Pham, Tuyet Mai, Le Cao & Oanh Phan Loc & Tuyet Mai Joe & Mariko Hiller and Kregg Stovner |
Parish Notes
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- The flowers for Sunday August 24th are given in memory of Sylvia and Mark Houston by Bill Houston.
- 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!
- It is once again time to start thinking about our Westlawn Elementary School children starting back to school. Back-to-school supplies are needed. You can bring supplies to church and leave them in the office for Winnie Lebo. You can also donate money. Checks should be made payable to St. Patrick's Episcopal Church with Westlawn in the memo or money can be placed in an envelope with Westlawn on the outside and placed in the alms basin. - 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 [email protected].
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The Propers
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Sunday, August 24, 2014
This Sunday is the Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost
Texts:
Isaiah 51:1-6
Grant, O merciful God, that your Church, being gathered together in unity by your Holy Spirit, may show forth your power among all peoples, to the glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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Last Sunday's Sermon
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Given by Nancy Burch
August 17, 2014
Grant, O Lord, that the words of my mouth, and the meditations
of all our hearts, may be now and for ever acceptable in thy sight,
O God my strength and my Redeemer. Amen
I must have been off my trolley when I e-mailed Kathy that "I could do the sermon" today. When I sent that e-mail I was in up-state New York and had no idea that the drive back would take close to nine hours as opposed to the usual six -- but that is without getting a flat tire when you are only two hours into the journey!!
As I waited the 2+ hours for Triple A, I tried to reflect on the scriptures for today and the only thing that really came to mind was Kathy's sermon last week where she commented on the sign boards she had observed as she drove on I-95 - I, too, am familiar with those sign boards, especially the ones for "South of the Border". Stayed there once - what a dump!!
However, driving south on Route 15, through Pennsylvania - alongside the Susquehanna River - as I've done on many previous occasions, I couldn't help noticing the great number of - not sign boards - but "Adult" shops - this through the heartland
of Amish country! I also couldn't help noticing that even at 9:30 in the morning there were cars parked outside those seedy-looking establishments!
I thought about Peter asking Jesus to explain the parable to him and in part Jesus' response beginning in verse 18 "but what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a man. For out of the heart comes evil thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a man", and I couldn't help but feel pity for those who frequent places such as I was passing on Route 15.
Right there, in the heart of some of the richest farmland in the United States, among the God-fearing Amish community, were things that "defile a man". And I couldn't help being saddened that amidst all that beauty along the Susquehanna River, there was such ugliness.
I was also saddened at what could have happened to those two precious little Amish girls who were abducted last Thursday - because of "the evil thoughts, etc." that defile men. Those children were subsequently dropped off somewhere, fortunately unharmed. I ponder these things and pray on them - I pray that somehow we will be able to turn away from the sexual immorality which seems to be so prevalent now - in the world not just in the Susquehanna valley - I pray that we can focus our attention on more worthy topics.
No - I'm not going to speak about morality. When I got home, so much later (and much more tired) than anticipated I realized that I didn't have the time or the energy to research today's readings in depth to prepare a sermon so I decided to talk about something from a later chapter in Matthew's Gospel - Chapter 17 where Jesus and three disciples go up to the mountain top, because I feel that also bears on Kathy's sermon of last week.
After they had seen Jesus transformed the three disciples wanted to remain on the mountain top, because it had been such a wonderful experience.
But we can't remain on mountain tops because nothing grows on the tops of mountains, where temperatures plunge, winds howl, the air is thin, and breathing is difficult; bad storms can swirl about the climbers. Even the most hardy of climbers find mountain tops to be foreboding and hostile. Once the summit has been reached they are anxious to begin the descent before clouds engulf them and they become disoriented.
About 40 years ago, while traveling around the world, I went to see the sunrise over Mount Everest, in the Himalayas in Nepal. It was a breath-taking experience, but getting there was a hair-raising experience! The three-hour ride in a really old, rickety truck from our hotel to the appointed viewing place was over badly rutted roads. I thought I would lose my kidneys!
But the return journey was even more scary! On the outward trip we didn't see the great chasms on either side of the track because it was still dark when we left our hotel at about three o'clock in the morning -- but on the return journey, (the descent) my heart was in my mouth. I do think God was at the steering wheel, and He did a great job of getting us back to the hotel! The driver did make a comment that this was the last run of the season because the road was now QUOTE too dangerously rutted UNQUOTE for further trips until the following season!
Yes, although awe-inspiring places, mountain tops are also scary places.
For the past 20 years of so, we here at St. Patrick's have had a mountain top experience with our beloved pastor, friend, mentor and some-time auto-mechanic - Tinh. He has been a most wonderful companion on the journey, but just as the disciples wanted to remain on the mountain top with their beloved companion on the journey, we cannot remain on that mountain top with our beloved Tinh, because there are other mountains for us to climb; just as there is other work for Tinh to do. If we are to continue our respective journeys, Tinh to enjoy his well-deserved retirement, and we to continue to build up this wonderful parish - then we need to descend to the valley floor where the real work is done.
And so, we here at St. Patrick's have some really scary times ahead of us as we move forward with developing the Parish profile, forming a search committee, and working on a million other things that go into the calling of a priest to guide this wonderful parish in the years ahead.
I pray that as we go forward and into that valley our footsteps and determination will not falter, and - like any good mountaineering team - we will remain harnessed together - not just to each other, but also to Jesus our constant companion on the journey - so that we can reach yet another summit and find a new pastor who will become our companion and friend (if not our auto mechanic) as we continue our spiritual journey, and as we continue to build up this wonderful community we call "St. Pat's".
And now to God the Father, God the Son and
God the Holy Spirit, be ascribed, as is most just,
all might, majesty, dominion and power. Amen
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