All Souls Weekly                 
Volume 1, Number 6, March 16, 2008

I had a friend in college who wore a t-shirt printed with the words, "They will know we are Christians by our jewelry."  The slogan was a slightly cynical (but I thought, very funny) slant on the refrain of the well-known hymn sung by youth groups and informal worshippers of all kinds, "We are One in the Spirit."  My friend’s t-shirt raised the question: If we have turned an instrument of torture into a trinket of beauty, what effect might this have on our theology, our worship and our relationship with the risen Christ?  It is a good question to mull over next week.

Our worship during Holy Week—the Liturgy of the Palms and the hearing of the Passion, the Low Masses on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and the liturgies of the Triduum, the Great Three Days—all present us with various perspectives on the cross.  In the first part of the week, the cross looms and threatens.  We are reminded of places in the world where Christians face serious threats simply by following Jesus, and we recall those times and places when we may have risked something for the sake of our faith or belief.  On Thursday we begin to draw power from one another, just as Jesus and his disciples found strength in their bonds, their friendship and their service to one another.  Friday brings us to the foot of the Cross, as we remember the death of Jesus, as we venerate an image of the cross (in gratitude for its power over death) and we are fed by the Blessed Sacrament.  On Saturday night the cross gives way to life.  Upon entering the church that night, there is the unmistakable smell of lilies and flowers, of incense and the burning of new candles.  There will also be the cries and laughter of a baby, as we prepare to baptize Dilara Natalie Brannon, and through her baptism, remind ourselves of our dying and rising again in Christ.

On Easter, as we begin to look anew at the crosses in our church, now with the veils off, we may notice a new beauty.  That beauty comes not from something so trivial as the workmanship or material or ornamentation of the cross.  Rather, it comes from the power of the cross over sin, over evil, over death.  What the Church sings on Good Friday, we learn to live out in Easter:  “We glory in thy cross, O Lord, and praise and glorify thy holy resurrection; for by virtue of thy cross joy hath come unto the whole world.”  May the joy of this season begin to fill our hearts in this Holy Week.      John Beddingfield

Your prayers are asked for . . . Bryan Powell, Arthur (Buddy) Ball, Roger Dixon and family, Veronica Horn, Walter Jason, Martha Holdgate, Chip Meyers, Mary Backus, Mike Berman, Xavier de la Renaudiere, Trent, Owen Basil, Regina Dading, Julia Gutierrez, and Ted Field.  In addition to this prayer list, if you wish to participate in our ongoing Internet Prayer Circle please contact Vicki Lowe.

Around the Parish . . . Thanks to Gary O’Neill, Robin Jones and Susan Morrison for the Lenten dinner . . . The nursery is still looking for another paid attendant.  If you know of anyone please speak with the Rector or Heidi Fritschel . . . The Heifer Project concludes with Palm Sunday, but it’s not too late to add your support. Look for the display and table in the Undercroft . . . Attendance Friday, March 7 for Stations of the Cross: 13; Sunday, March 9, 8:30 a.m.: 48; 11:00 a.m.: 118. . .Total pledge offerings received this week were $5,863.00.  Total plate offering received was $750.00.

Liturgical Notes . . . The Sanctuary Candle burns this week to the Glory of God and in loving memory of Blanche B. Lewis, by her son, James W. Lewis . . . Remember to fill out your Easter Flower and Music form by Palm Sunday if you would like to included in this year’s listing.  The form may be downloaded and printed from the parish website or picked up in church.   

A Special Palm Sunday Coffee Hour . . . When Jesus and his disciples entered Jerusalem for the Passover, they went to celebrate the great Jewish holiday with the Seder meal and the retelling of the Exodus story.  We also make a spiritual journey to Jerusalem during Holy Week and it seems appropriate to provide a festive coffee hour honoring that journey into Jerusalem.  The Seder plate reflects the history of the Great Exodus: green vegetables are dipped into salt water, the tears of the captive Jews; bitter herbs are also eaten, symbolizing the harshness of slavery; a roasted egg represents mourning over the destruction of the Temple; charoset, chopped apples, wine and nuts, represent the mortar that captive Jews formed to build Egypt’s storehouses; and a roasted lamb shank symbolizes both the sacrificial lamb and the new standing of former slaves to eat meat.  Susan Morrison 

The Bell Guild Needs You . . . The ranks of the Bell Guild have thinned, and in order to have our beautiful Tower Bells rung regularly for Sunday services we very much need new people. The time commitment and necessary skills are minimal but the rewards are “resounding.”  The benefits reverberate.  If you would like to try your hand, contact George Barnum at 202-986-2998.

The Adult Forum at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, March 16, will be led by parishioner Ike Brannon.  “Faith and Belonging” is his topic and has to do with the importance of community in faithfulness.  We will discuss the importance of belonging to a group of like-minded individuals to achieve something beyond what any one individual can do transcends religion, and the possible tensions and problems that can come about even amid the cohesiveness and camaraderie.  Ike will discuss his experiences both in his church communities as well as outside of the church and what lessons he has learned from being a part of and in creating such groups.

Picturing the Parish . . . We currently have 68 sessions scheduled for our photo directory, though we would like to have as many parishioners as possible sign up . . . The professional photographers from Lifetouch will be at All Souls on April 3, 4 and 5.  Please sign up online through the church website or in the Undercroft after service.  While you’re there, pick up a copy of the Portrait Sitting Guide which will offer tips and information about your photo session . . . Volunteers are still needed to help telephone members who have not yet signed up, to make reminder calls, or to serve as a host or hostess during the photography sessions.  If you can help, please contact Tony Domenico at (202) 364-5349 or call the parish office.  You may also contact Tony by email.

Readings from the Daily Office come from the lectionary in the back of the Book of Common Prayer.  Psalms are traditionally read according to the headings in the Prayer Book corresponding to the day of the month.

All Souls Memorial Episcopal Church

The Reverend John Beddingfield, rector; The Reverend Christopher Worthley, adjunct clergy; Mr. Isaac Borocz, parish administrator; Mr. Arthur Roach, interim director of music and organist; Mr. Oscar Prado, sexton
2300 Cathedral Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20008-1505
Voice: 202-232-4244, Fax: 202-232-8593
Email: allsouls1@aol.com
www.allsoulsdc.org

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