All Souls Weekly                 
Volume 2, Number 14, March 1, 2009

STATIONS OF THE CROSS

Many of you were at All Souls in the mid-90s when our current Stations of the Cross were crafted by Joan Gardiner of Middleburg, Virginia and installed in the church. They are one of the first things I noticed about All Souls. Many churches have no stations. Others have badly painted, cheaply crafted stations that sometimes are more a distraction to prayer than an aid. But All Souls is uniquely blessed. Father John David, Ms. Gardiner, and others worked to create stations that would be evocative, yet beautiful; strong, yet sedate. The more one looks, the more one sees. When we walk Stations of the Cross, as we will do every Friday night in Lent at 7 p.m., we are given an opportunity to see each station with new eyes. We are invited to hear the scripture with new ears. We are invited to respond to the Way of the Cross, and indeed, to the Way of Christ, with new hearts.

The devotion known as Stations of the Cross, sometimes known as the Way of the Cross, is thought to have begun in fourth century Jerusalem, as pilgrims sought to be close to the places where Jesus walked. The number of stations, or places where Jesus paused on his way to be crucified, has varied with tradition and time. Monks and nuns who visited the Holy Land took the idea of the Way of the Cross back to their  monasteries, and so, by the 16th century, a number of monasteries and convents had small artistic representations of the Stations of the Cross in their chapels. Prayers and devotions would be said at each representation and this practice eventually spread to churches. The number of stations, which at first varied widely, finally became fixed at fourteen. Of these, eight are based directly on events recorded in the Gospels. The remaining six (stations three, four, six, seven, nine, and thirteen) are based upon tradition.

Participating in the Stations of the Cross allows us to pray with our imagination. We imagine what it must have been like for Jesus to walk through the city of Jerusalem, carrying his cross. We imagine what the people who saw him must have thought. We imagine how we might have reacted or not reacted. And perhaps most of all, we can imagine where God must have been in the midst of that struggle. To recognize God in such times is at the heart of Lent. May God use this season to give us eyes to see and hearts to perceive. John Beddingfield
 

Your prayers are asked for . . . Freddie Cameron, Robert Long, Connie Maffin, Richard Aherne, Frank Karel, Jimmy Hobbs, Mark, Jane Titterson, Barb Chaffee, Jim Capen, Harriet Martin, Chris Cobb, Landis Vance, Vickie Drell, Stephanie Russell, Ruth & Fred Huber, Jim St. George, Martha Holdgate, Chip Meyers, Mary Backus, Anne Marie Morotte, Ron Biggs, Steve Coon, Dorothy, Cindy Harvey, Jerome & Mary Ann Gariff, Walter Jason, Arthur Andrew Warren, Robert Osborne, Mary Beth McCutcheon, Bryan Powell, Regina Dading, Julia Gutierrez, Ted Field, and for the repose of the soul of Dorothy Whitmire, aunt of Carolyn Farmer. . . Pray also for the members of our Armed Forces on active duty, especially Jack Severson, David Jones, and Timothy Zlatich . . . If you wish to participate in our ongoing Internet Prayer Circle please contact Vicki Lowe at lowevg1@verizon.net.

Around the Parish . . . A number of Lenten devotional are still available in the narthex, or foyer, of the church . . . Thanks to all who helped make the Shrove Tuesday Pancake Dinner and Wednesday’s Wise and Mature Luncheon so successful. Special thanks to Mark Hoffman . . . Join us for the Adult Forum this Sunday morning as we continue to explore ethical questions around life, death and in-between. The discussion this Sunday is led by Dr. Al Muller and meets at 10 a.m. in the Undercroft . . . The Rector will be away March 4 through March 7 attending the Consortium of Endowed Episcopal Parishes meeting in New Orleans. The conference includes workshops on such topics as planning for growth, church/corporate collaborations for funding, stewardship and fundraising in times of crisis, and models for church leadership . . . Attendance Sunday, February 15 at the 8:30 a.m. Mass, 39; at the 11 a.m. Mass, 137 . . . Total pledge offerings this week were $4,713.00. The plate offering was $784.00.

Liturgical Notes . . . During Lent the 8:30 a.m. Mass begins with the Penitential Order. On the First Sunday in Lent, the 11:00 a.m. Mass begins with the Great Litany. The altar frontal and the priest’s vestments used during the season of Lent are of an unbleached linen and known as “lenten array.”  Their simplicity is meant to call to mind the sackcloth and ashes of the biblical penitent. Lenten array, rather than purple, is an ancient custom associated with the Sarum use (from Salisbury Cathedral) since at least the eleventh century . . . Stations of the Cross is offered each Friday evening in Lent at 7:00 p.m. Join us for this forty-five minute devotion as we move through the church with prayers, silence and song . . . Except for the Fourth Sunday in Lent,  flowers are not used at the High Altar until Easter . . . The Sanctuary Candle burns to the glory of God and in thanksgiving for the founding of All Souls Parish on March 5, 1911, given by members of the parish.

 
Wednesday Nights in Lent . . . On Wednesdays, March 4, 11, and 18, we will gather in the Undercroft for a simple dinner and Lenten discussion. On March 11 and 18 the discussion will focus on the Episcopal Church and global mission, looking at several areas in which the church is active. Join us for this time of fellowship and learning.

Prayer Shawl Ministry . . . Anyone interested in being part of the Prayer Shawl Ministry?  Please join the group following coffee hour today in the Conference Room. Father John will join us to talk about prayer shawls, and then we’ll get started knitting or crocheting and make plans to meet again at church. Shawls can be made independently as well as in community, so the Rector and I hope this project will appeal to many church members who may have limited time to meet at church. Would you like to support the group without picking up a knitting needle or crochet hook?  We accept donations of money or unwanted needles. Watch The Message and All Souls Weekly for information about our progress.  Martha Domenico

Volunteer for the Diocese of Washington . . . The Episcopal Church House, located next to the National Cathedral, is looking for volunteers to be their receptionist. Barry Huber is the coordinator and will develop this activity. Please see him if you are willing to give 4 to 6 hours a day, once a week, for this service.

Problems with the Premises? . . . Look for a new Problems? form at the Undercroft kiosk. This will work as a kind of maintenance request form for the church staff. If you see something that needs repair, cleaning, replacement, or adjustment, just fill out the form and return it to the envelope on the kiosk, slide it under the Parish Administrator’s door, or place it in the Inbox of the Junior Warden (in the office where the photocopier is located).   

Readings for the Daily Office

All Souls Memorial Episcopal Church

The Reverend John Beddingfield, rector; The Reverend Christopher Worthley, adjunct clergy;

Mr. Isaac Borocz, parish administrator; Mr. Philip Cave, 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

To receive this by email, sign up at http://lists.allsoulsdc.org/mailman/listinfo/asc_update