All Souls Weekly                 
Volume 2, Number 48, October 25, 2009

Smoke, Mirrors, Bricks, and Mortar

The trouble with having a beautiful church is that people can be misled into thinking that we have money. They can visit us (if they find the front door and don’t enter from the parking lot), admire our stained glass windows, music, and worship (and not need to use the tiny rest rooms with inadequate water pressure), and then leave through the front door and admire the garden (and avoid navigating the stairs to the undercroft, and possibly walking by the Sunday school classroom that still floods whenever we have heavy rains.) Such a visitor might think we’re a wealthy parish. But we accomplish a lot with smoke and mirrors. 

By “smoke and mirrors” I refer not only to incense and stained glass, but also to the various illusions that run our parish. Because of a very few, we are able to offer beautiful worship, hospitable breakfasts, coffee hours, and receptions, and a passable Sunday school for children. Because of a handful of people, there is amazing energy around mission, around environmental stewardship, and around our continuing to create and expand community. But we are not where we could be.    

Today begins our fall stewardship season, in which we ask parishioners and friends to pray about how they might be able to support All Souls in the coming year. Your commitment will translate directly into our budget. Your ability to place All Souls among your priorities will determine what we are able to do next year and who we are able to help.

Today also, is the first Sunday after the Vestry agreed to hire MTFA Architecture to help us plan and design renovations and expansions to our building. An elevator and accessible bathrooms are the minimum of what we need to do. But with additional faith, vision, and commitment, who knows how God might be calling us to be more welcoming, more active, and more effective at leading people to Jesus Christ? If we really believe that God is doing great things at All Souls and that God wants to do even more with us, then I have no doubt we can pay our bills and meet our budget for 2010.  I also believe that with God’s guidance, our faith, and our dollars, we will also be able to translate or faith into bricks and mortar, as well. May God show us how to be good stewards of all that we have.   John Beddingfield

Around the Parish . . . The Rector will be attending the Leadership in Ministry workshop in West Virginia Monday, October 26 through Wednesday morning, October 28.  Mother Caroline Kramer will celebrate the Noon Mass on Wednesday . . . The Wise and Mature Luncheon will be held on Wednesday, October 28.  Please RSVP to the parish office by Monday if you plan to attend . . . We will be publishing a new parish membership directory in November, just in time for the holidays.  If you have changes to your address or contact information, please make corrections on the hard copy in the undercroft or send your changes to the parish office . . . The deadline for submitting articles for the December/January issue of the parish bimonthly newsletter, The Message, is today, October 25.  Articles may be submitted to the parish office or they may be emailed to message.allsoulsdc@gmail.com . . . Attendance on Sunday, October 18 at the 8:30 a.m. Mass, 30; attendance at 11:00 a.m. Mass, 127 . . . Total pledge offerings for the week were $7,633.00. The plate offering was $588.50.

Your prayers are asked for . . . Ann Dixon, Lorenzo Martinez, Family of Tom Martin, Hugh Yeomans, Cielito Pilar, Helen Horne, Pat Latin, Erling Hansen, Tim Dill, Mark Hoffman, Mona Bauer, Mary Backus, Sandy Jenkins Dixon, , Steve Collins, I. Kathryn McKewen, Lexi Ball, Thais Blanchard, Bruce MacDonald, Bob Colburn, Elizabeth McKee, Freddie Cameron, Robert Long, 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 soul of Robert Konefal. . . 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.

The parish extends its sympathy and love to Michael Konefal upon the death of his brother Robert, on October 18.  Please pray for the repose of the soul of Robert, for Michael and his family, and for all who mourn. 

Liturgical Notes . . . The flowers at the high altar are given to the glory of God and in memory and celebration of the life of Ina R. Kazmin, mother of Katherine Nordal . . . On Sunday, November 1, we will celebrate All Saints’ Sunday. On Monday, November 2, at 7 p.m., a High Mass with choir will be celebrated in observance of All Souls. 

Adult Forum on Interfaith Dialogue . . . On Sunday, October 18, we welcome Dr.  Charles Jones, associate dean for graduate studies, School of Theology and Religious Studies, Catholic University.   Dr. Jones has conducted research in the history of Chinese Buddhism and the Christian practice of inter-religious dialogue. He has also taught courses for Virginia Theological Seminary and for the Smithsonian Associates.  Please join us at 10 a.m. in the undercroft.

Highlights from the Vestry . . . The Vestry began its meeting on October 20 with Mass in the church.  At the business meeting which followed, the Vestry received the following news: the Rector announced that Ms. Cameron Soulis, aspirant for Holy Orders, will be serving her discernment year at All Souls, beginning immediately.  The Rector also updated the Vestry on plans for the Vestry Retreat at Virginia Theological Seminary on Saturday, November 21, 2009;  the Treasurer reported that for the month of September, the parish is operating with a surplus of $2,981.36.  Year-to-date, the parish is operating with $31,128.76 in revenue over expenses;  the Treasurer reported that the Finance Committee, Wardens and Rector have chosen Anne Ware of Achieva Technologies to work as our on-site bookkeeper beginning with fiscal year 2010.  This should result in substantial savings to the parish; the Senior Warden reported that 2010 pledge materials have been mailed and also reported on a simplified and streamlined budget process that is currently underway;  the Junior Warden reported on the work done on the Goodhue stained glass window, the need for work to be done on gutters and drains, and on the pending proposal from MTFA Architects.   The Vestry took the following actions: approved an updated listing of persons who are eligible to receive stocks that are donated to the church; approved the proposal for Master Planning and Design Services by MTFA Architecture.