All Souls Weekly                 
Volume 3, Number 6, January 10, 2010

FINDING WISDOM THROUGH FOOLISHNESS

On January 6, the church celebrated the Epiphany of Our Lord Jesus Christ. For the next five weeks, until Ash Wednesday, we will continue to reflect upon the Epiphany and what it means for each of us.

The Epiphany refers to the realization that Christ is for all people, not just the Jews, but everyone.  This is exemplified in the Gospel which tells the story of the wise men who journey from the East, looking for the child who has been born to be “king of the Jews.”  Though King Herod wants the wise men to let him know where the baby has been born, the wise men listen to a dream and are smart enough to leave Bethlehem by a different route and avoid the King altogether.

The wise men find Jesus, and in so doing, they find wisdom, ultimately.  But along the way, they must have seemed foolish to others.  What kind of “wise men” would leave their homes and follow a prophecy?  What kind of people would follow a star to a small town, and then follow it right into a manger on a back street?  What kind of wisdom is it that leads someone to bring costly gifts and lay them at the feet of a little baby?  What kind of wise men would deliberately defy the request of the king? 

Tradition says they were called Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar, though we really don’t know what their names were.  But we do know something about their wisdom.  Though they may have been astrologers, magicians, or the scientists of their day, the wise men gain wisdom precisely when they risk looking foolish.  Even though this is a common theme in many of the scriptures, it’s something that most of us forget, or at least, if you’re anything like me, it’s something that’s hard to do.  It’s hard to look foolish or admit that we don’t have all the answers.  It’s hard to admit we don’t know where we’re going—just imagine trusting that God was leading us with a star!  It’s sometimes very hard to turn to God and admit that we’ve run out of ideas, out of words, out of options. 

The wise men reportedly give gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  But they also seem to give a part of themselves—they give their attention, their humility, their trust, and a bit of their love. May we learn their kind of wisdom this season.  John Beddingfield

Around the Parish . . . During the weekdays of January 11 through 22, the rector will be attending classes at Virginia Theological Seminary as a part of the Doctor of Ministry program.  He will be checking phone messages and emails at night and will have his cell phone with him, in case of any emergencies, 202-510-7454 . . . Attendance on Sunday, January 3 at the 8:30 a.m, Mass, 27; at the 11 a.m. Mass, 91 ; Attendance on Wednesday, January 6, at the Epiphany Mass, 23;  . . . Total pledge offerings on Sunday were $8,890.00. The plate offering from Sunday was $581.00.

The parish extends its sympathy and love to the family and friends of Steve Collins, who died on December 31, 2009.  Steve will be remembered by many as the choir member who sang and also occasionally accompanied the choir on flute. A memorial service was held on Saturday, January 9 in Leesburg, Virginia, a Mass giving thanks for Steve’s life will be held at some point in the future at All Souls. Please pray for the repose of the soul of Steve, for his father and family, and for all who mourn.

Your prayers are asked for . . . Bob and Louise Osborne, Ann Dixon, Lorenzo Martinez, Family of Tom Martin, Hugh Yeomans, Helen Horne, Erling Hansen, Tim Dill, Mark Hoffman, Mona Bauer, Mary Backus, Sandy Jenkins Dixon, I. Kathryn McKewen, 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, Martha Holdgate, Chip Meyers, Walter Jason, Arthur Andrew Warren, Louise and Robert Osborne, Mary Beth McCutcheon, Bryan Powell, Regina Dading, Julia Gutierrez, Ted Field and for the repose of the souls of Steve and Sheldon. . . 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 . . . There is an old tradition predating the widespread use of calendars that on the Day of the Epiphany, significant liturgical dates for the upcoming year are announced during the Mass. While we don’t need to announce things in exactly that way, it is worth mentioning that Ash Wednesday is February 17 this year—not that far away.  As in the past, we will burn Palms from last year’s Palm Sunday service just before our Shrove Tuesday Pancake Dinner on February 16. 

Stewardship update . . . To date, we have received 157 pledges, totaling $466,146.00. The Vestry passed a continuing resolution for parish spending into January.  The finance committee meets again in January and will recommend a final budget for vestry approval later this month.

Endowment Grant Applications . . . Applications for grants from the All Souls Endowment Fund for 2010 are available in the parish office and on the bulletin board in the undercroft. Grants may be made for projects in ministry or mission as well as for capital improvements. All applications are due in the office by January 29, 2010 and will be acted upon by the Board and Vestry.

A Service Celebrating Absalom Jones . . . Absalom Jones was the first African American ordained to the priesthood in the Episcopal Church. The Washington Chapter of The Union of Black Episcopalians presents the 32nd Annual Absalom Jones Service and Celebration for the benefit of the historically black Episcopal colleges' scholarships and endowment funds. The event is set for 3 p.m. February 14 at Calvary Church (820 Sixth Street, NE, Washington, DC  20002). The snow date is February 21. Derrick Humphries will receive the annual Absalom Jones Award at the service of Holy Eucharist. All are welcome. For more information, contact Janice Wormack at (202)829-6445 or jwormack@washingtonube.org

A Prayer for the New Year . . . O God, whose years never fail and whose mercies are new every morning: fill us with faith and love that we may approach the new year with joyful hearts, through him who is the beginning and the end, thy Son, Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Adapted from Common Worship, liturgies from the Church of England)