All Souls Weekly                 
Volume 2, Number 50, November 8, 2009

WHAT IF?

The song always leaves me wondering if there are ways that I am limiting God.  Am I expecting too little of God?  Are my prayers too timid or doubtful?  Do I expect too little of myself, or of our parish, or of our community?  What if?

This month we are asking all of our parishioners and friends to pray about their commitment to God and their commitment to God’s people in this particular place, All Soul’s parish.  What if we were a parish that gave of itself sacrificially?  What if we were a people who imagined doing great things for the glory of God?  What if we were people who were willing to do whatever it might take in order to invite others into the love of God?

Most of the people who will read this newsletter know, like the second part of the song,  that there is MORE. There is love, there is joy, there is beauty.  And there is hope, and if we close our eyes and jump, then there is not only God to catch us, but there are also a lot of people in this community who are there to help catch us.  What if our commitment grows to match our faith?  What if?  John Beddingfield

Around the Parish . . . A new parish directory will be published very soon (in time for holiday cards), so if you have changes to your address, please send them to the parish office by Wednesday, November 11 . . . Attendance on Sunday, November 1, All Saints’ Day, at the 8:30 a.m. Mass, 33; attendance at 11:00 a.m. Mass, 151 . . . Attendance on All Souls Day, November 2, at the 7 p.m. Mass, 69.  Offerings from the week of October 25: Total pledge offerings were $5,739.00. The plate offering was $1,442.00. Total pledge offerings this week were $9,747.00. The plate offering this week was $836.50.

Your prayers are asked for . . . Laurie Kam, 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, Robert Konefal, 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 Mary Ruth . . . 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 Vicki Lowe upon the death of her mother Mary Ruth Lowe, on November 1.  Services will be held on Friday, November 13, in Lakeland, Florida. Please pray for the repose of the soul of Mary Ruth, for Vicki, and for all who mourn. 

Liturgical Notes . . . The flowers at the high altar are given to the glory of God and in loving memory of Jason M. Fenwick, given by Michael McLaughlin . . . The flowers at the altar in the Mary Chapel are given to the glory of God and in thanksgiving for the ministry of the Rt. Rev. Jane Holmes Dixon, given by All Souls Parish.

Welcome Bishop Dixon . . . Today we welcome a great friend of the parish, the Rt. Rev. Jane Holmes Dixon, as our celebrant and preacher at the 11 a.m. Mass.  Bishop Dixon served as Bishop Suffragan of the Diocese of Washington from 1986 to 2001 and as Bishop Pro Tempore from 2001 to 2002.   In “retirement,” Bishop Dixon leads the Foundations for Spiritual Leadership program (a Lilly Endowment program) through Christ Church, Alexandria and is as busy as ever, speaking, writing, and preaching.

Adult Forum on Interfaith Dialogue . . . On Sunday, November 8, at 10 a.m. in the undercroft, we will hear about Zen Buddhism from Bruce Bowers and Baiba Kelley. Bruce Bowers (Doshin) is a student of Jiro Andy Afable, a member of Ka Shin Zendo (The Zen Buddhist Center of Washington DC) and leads the Saturday morning service . . . Baiba Kelley is a former parishioner of All Souls and continues to be a great friend of the parish.  She is also a student of Joshu Sasaki Roshi and a member of Ka Shin Zendo as well.  Baiba is a psychotherapist in private practice in Washington DC and is also a student of Japanese Tea Ceremony . . . On Sunday, November 15, we will explore Sikhism, which was founded in the fifteenth century.  Sikhism derives from "Sikh," which means a strong and able disciple. There are about 16 million Sikhs worldwide . . . Join us as we continue to learn about other ways of understanding God. 

Archives Guild Meeting . . . There will be a meeting of all persons interested in helping with the All Souls Archives on Saturday, November 14 at 10:30 a.m. Please enter through kitchen. Light refreshments will be served.  For more information please contact: Nancye Suggs, (301) 740-2486 or fatnancat@aol.com

Thanksgiving Day, November 26 . . . Join parishioners and friends for Mass at 10 a.m. and a grand Thanksgiving meal later in the afternoon. We’ll pop champagne corks at 3 p.m. and serve dinner shortly thereafter. Contributions of food, beverages, and funds are most welcome, as are helping hands in the kitchen. Please email Jennifer Johnston at jcjohnston38@msn.com or call the Parish Office if you plan to come, bring something, or help in the kitchen.