All Souls Weekly                 
Volume 2, Number 45, October 4, 2009

Blessings

Someone recently asked me one of those questions that has kept me thinking for several weeks.  He asked me, “What does it mean when something is blessed?”  We bless animals on St. Francis Day.  We bless church furnishings and ornaments when they are installed.  The Church has blessed boats and battles.  At All Souls, we bless relationships—any that are brought before God.  And then, in an old liturgical book called simply “A Priest’s Manual,” there’s a fantastic prayer to be used for, “The Blessing of Anything Whatsoever.”

We know what a blessing sounds like and we sometimes know what a blessing feels like, but again, there’s that question, “What does it mean to bless something?” 

At its simplest, to bless something is simply to place it before God and ask that God would take care of it, would protect it, would help it to grow, or function, or perform, or live to the fullness of God’s intention for that thing or person.  When we bless a boat or a house, we’re asking for God’s protection, and at some level, we’re acknowledging our own reliance and trust of God.  When we ask God’s blessing on a union of two people, we’re asking that God would help them to grow into the unity and wholeness intended by God in creation. 

I love blessings.  I like saying them over food, couples, children, friends, and over animals.  I love thanking God for all the people who are blessings in my life, that is, all those people who help me to see the sacred and special in the world.  These people bless me as they show me some new insight into God. 

Blessings run throughout scripture.  Especially in the Psalms, there’s a lot of blessing going on.  There are psalms that encourage us to bless God, and psalms that suggest that if we praise God, we will be blessed.  The blessing goes back and forth—just like love that is given, and received, and given again. 

This afternoon, as we celebrate St. Francis Day, we will bless animals.  We will also acknowledge the ways that we have been blessed by all the critters who have come our way and be our friends.  John Beddingfield

Around the Parish . . . Attendance on Sunday, September 27 at the 8:30 a.m. Mass, 22; attendance at 11:00 a.m. Mass, 111 . . . Total pledge offerings for the week were $3,756.00. The plate offering was $836.00.

Your prayers are asked for . . . Taylor Smith, Family of Tom Martin, Hugh Yeomans, Kiah Kramer, Cielito Pilar, Helen Horne, Pat Latin, Erling Hansen, Tim Dill, Mark Hoffman, Mona Bauer, Mary Backus, Sandy Jenkins Dixon, Robert Konefal, Steve Collins, I. Kathryn McKewen, Lexi Ball, Thais Blanchard, Bruce MacDonald, Bob Colburn, Elizabeth McKee, Freddie Cameron, Robert Long, Frank Karel, Barb Chaffee, Harriet Martin, Chris Cobb, Landis Vance, Vickie Drell, Stephanie Russell, Ruth & Fred Huber, Jim St. George, Mark Henderson, Sheldon Odland, Martha Holdgate, Chip Meyers, Walter Jason, Arthur Andrew Warren, Robert Osborne, Mary Beth McCutcheon, Bryan Powell, Regina Dading, Julia Gutierrez, Ted Field, and for the repose of the souls of Tom and Cedric . . . Pray for members of the parish in the foreign service and others who are working overseas, especially Chuck Hunter, Steve Kerchoff, Brad Moore, and Michael Pate . . . 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 . . . The flowers at the high altar are given to the glory of God and in celebration of 35 years together, given by Don Albert and Jimmie Roberts . . . the Sanctuary candle is offered to the glory of God and in memory of Edith Aherne, given by Nancy Aherne and Marko Zlatich.

St. Francis Day Blessing of Animals . . . Join us in the front yard of the church this afternoon, October 4, at 3 p.m. for a brief service of Evening Prayer with the Blessing of Animals.  We welcome all species, regardless of creed, faith background, or housetraining.  Please invite your friends and neighbors.  A video of last year’s service, made by Bob Publicover, is at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6Vwn4coEWw

Adult Forum on Interfaith Dialogue . . . On Sunday, October 4, Father Beddingfield will lead the Bible study, “Deepening Our Understanding of Christ in a Religiously Plural World.”  We will examine how we understand Jesus, given scripture, tradition, and our own cultural contexts.  We will discuss how this might influence our conversations with people those other faiths . . . On Sunday, October 11, Laura Tomes will lead a discussion of the video, “The Imam and the Pastor,” about two religious leaders in Nigeria and Christians-Muslim dialogue. 

Sunday School Halloween Party . . . Get those costumes ready! On Saturday, October 17 at 6 p.m., the Sunday school families will celebrate a Halloween party in the undercroft.  Bring your children and feel free to invite their friends.  For those who have teenagers who might need some community service hours, their help will be needed to organize childrens’ games and to help in the kitchen.  So that we are sure there will be enough food and treats, please RSVP to Marcia Anderson at marcia513@verizon.net.   

Flu & Pneumonia Vaccinations. . . Will be available on Saturday, October 24, from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. in the Undercroft.  Contact our own Dr. Al Muller if you have questions or need more information, 301-657-1671

Centering Prayer Group . . . On Wednesday nights at 7 p.m. a handful of people gather in the church for silent prayer.  If you’re new to Centering Prayer, and would like a brief introduction, please join us at 6:50 p.m. Both the main church door and the Woodley Place door will be unlocked.

A Prayer attributed to St. Francis

Lord, make us instruments of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let us sow love;

where there is injury, pardon; where there is discord, union;

where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy.

Grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;

to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.  Amen.

All Souls Memorial Episcopal Church

The Reverend John Beddingfield, rector; The Reverend Christopher Worthley, adjunct clergy; Mr. Seth Walley, seminarian; 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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