All Souls Weekly                 
Volume 2, Number 32, July 5, 2009

FAITH AND INDEPENDENCE

James Madison, the fourth President of the United States, thought a lot about religion and the country he was helping to shape and lead. As a young lawyer, Madison defended Baptist preachers who were arrested for preaching without a license from the established Anglican Church.  Later, he wrote over a third of the Federalist Papers and is considered to have been the principal author of the Constitution. In an 1822 letter to Louisiana lawyer Edward Livingston, Madison reflected on the delicate balance needed between religion and government:

 
There remains [in some American states] a strong bias toward the old error, that without some sort of alliance or coalition between government and religion neither can be duly supported. Such indeed is the tendency to such a coalition, and such is the corrupting influence on both parties, that the danger cannot be too carefully guarded against…[R]eligion and government will both exist in greater purity the less they are mixed together…We are teaching the world the great truth that governments do better without kings and nobles, than with them. The merit will be doubled by the other lesson that religion flourishes in greater purity, without than with the aid of government. [italics added]

I sometimes think Madison’s words should be read more frequently by preachers and by politicians.  As we continue to reflect upon the anniversary of our independence, let us continue to give thanks for the freedoms we enjoy.  The Collect for Independence Day prays for the “grace to maintain our liberties in righteousness and peace.” That is a good thing to pray for today and always. John Beddingfield

Around the Parish . . . On Friday, July 10, between 10:30 a.m and 11 a.m., boys from the Bishop Walker School will arrive at All Souls for a trip to the Zoo.  We will provide 20 box lunches for them at the cost of about $5 per lunch.  If you would like to contribute financially or help distribute the lunches on Friday, please see Nancye Suggs . . . The Rector will be on vacation from July 6 through July 10 . . . Attendance on Sunday, June 28 at the 8:30 a.m. Mass, 37; attendance at 11:00 a.m. Mass, 104 . . . Total pledge offerings for the week were $8,251.00. The plate offering was $499.00.

Your prayers are asked for . . . Mona Bauer, Sandy Jenkins Dixon, Robert Konefal, Steve Collins, I. Kathryn McKewen, Lexi Ball, Helen Horne, Bruce MacDonald, Bob Colburn, Elizabeth McKee, Freddie Cameron, Robert Long, Frank Karel, Jane Titterson, Barb Chaffee, Harriet Martin, Chris Cobb, Landis Vance, Vickie Drell, Stephanie Russell, Ruth & Fred Huber, Jim St. George, Martha Holdgate, Chip Meyers, Walter Jason, Arthur Andrew Warren, Robert Osborne, Mary Beth McCutcheon, Bryan Powell, Regina Dading, Julia Gutierrez, and Ted Field . . . Pray for members of the parish in the foreign service or others who are working overseas, especially Daniel . . . Pray also for the members of our Armed Forces on active duty, especially Jack Severson, and Timothy Zlatich . . . If you wish to participate in our ongoing Internet Prayer Circle please contact Vicki Lowe at lowevg1@verizon.net.

Liturgical Notes . . . A reminder:  All Souls continues to offer both the 8:30 a.m. Low Mass and the 11 a.m. High Mass throughout the summer months . . . Flowers at the High Altar are given to the glory of God and in loving memory of Portia Hoffman, by her son, Mark Hoffman.

Newcomers’ wine & cheese . . . Please join us for a newcomers wine and cheese on Sunday, July 12 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the Undercroft.  Come to meet new friends and learn more about the ministry and life of All Souls Parish.

Chorworks Summer Workshop . . . Next week, our Director of Music, Philip Cave, is leading the Chorworks Summer Choral Workshop at the National Cathedral. This year's theme is "The Elizabethans - Music for Court, Chamber and Chapel from William Byrd to Orlando Gibbons." The choir will sing daily services at the Cathedral and at St. Alban's Church, and members of All Souls congregation, families and friends are warmly invited to attend . . . Wednesday, July 8, Thursday, July 9 and Friday, July 10: Choral Evensong in the Cathedral at 5:30 p.m. (about 45 minutes) and Compline at St. Alban’s at 9:00 p.m. (about 20 minutes) . . . Saturday, July 11: a Concert in the Cathedral (early evening, time to be confirmed) . . . Sunday, July 12: Eucharists at 8:45 p.m. and 11:15 a.m.; Choral Prelude at 3:30 p.m., and Choral Evensong at 4:00 p.m. Further details may be found at www.chorworks.com

Help for Honduras . . . Parishioner and postulant for Holy Orders, Shawn Strout, leaves for Honduras soon. If you would like to contribute to the Honduras earthquake relief, simply write a check payable to the Diocese of Washington (not Honduras) and in the memorandum line write, “Honduras earthquake.”  Checks may be given to Shawn this Sunday or sent to the Diocese. 

Highlights from Vestry . . . At the beginning of its June 30 meeting, the Vestry met with parishioner Lisa Zaina, who is concluding her year in discernment and is scheduled to meet with the Bishop in October regarding her possible postulancy to Holy Orders.  The Vestry received the following news: the Treasurer reports the parish is currently operating with $47,662 in revenue over expenses; the Senior Warden plans to organize a Centennial Celebration committee to begin meeting in the early fall [All Souls is 100 years old October 15, 2011]; the Junior Warden reports meeting with various vendors regarding repairs and maintenance; All Souls are Green continues to work to lower our usage of water, gas & electricity; the Buildings & Grounds Committee visited St. Alban’s Parish with architect Marc Fetterman to see that parish’s elevator and bathroom updates;  fifteen All Souls parishioners volunteered at the Diocese of Washington booth at the Washington LGBT Pride Festival and Parade; the Archive Room is undergoing ongoing cleaning and renovation;  children of the Bishop Walker School will visit the Zoo on Friday, July 10, with All Souls volunteers having the opportunity to provide lunch for the children . . . The Vestry took the following actions:  approved moving toward a new organization of Vestry committee participation which will include three groups addressing the general areas of Mission, Pastoral Care, and Christian Formation;  approved the Finance Committee’s recommendation to enable parishioners and friends to make contributions via PayPal; approved the Finance Committee’s draft of a request for proposals to obtain a new bookkeeping service providing an on-site person for a number of hours each week (instead of the current system in which bookkeeping is done off-site); approved the Endowment Board’s recommendation to grant $1,000.00 to Hoops Sagrado, an organization that helps youth from D.C. spend a month in Guatemala sharing basketball and learning another language and culture.  The next scheduled Vestry meeting is in September.  After being adopted in September, official minutes of the June meeting will appear on the parish website.

All Souls Memorial Episcopal Church

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

Mr. Isaac Borocz, parish administrator; Dr. 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

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