All Souls Weekly                 
Volume 3, Number 13, February 21, 2010

EPISCOBASICS: THE RENEWAL OF BAPTISMAL VOWS AS A WAY OF LIFE

Even when someone has grown up in the Episcopal Church, various parishes can differ in how they celebrate the Eucharist, how they observe seasons of the year, and even how they understand their faith.  On Sunday afternoons in Lent, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. in the conference room (off the hallway from the church, or accessible from the Woodley Place door) we will offer an overview of some of the basics of what we believe as Episcopalians.  We will frame our discussion around the vows from the Book of Common Prayer that are made at baptisms.  These are also the same vows used whenever we renew our baptismal vows as a congregation.  They can be found in the Prayer Book beginning on page 292.  Join us for one or any of our five sessions.

February 21: Introduction and Discussion of the Holy Trinity (John Beddingfield)
                        Do you believe in God the Father?

                        Do you believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God?

                        Do you believe in God the Holy Spirit?

February 28: Worship & Sacraments (Ed Perlman)

                        Will you continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship,

                        in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers ?

March 7: Confession and Conversion of Life (Seth Walley)
                        Will you persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever you fall into sin,

                        repent and return to the Lord?

March 14: The Bible and the Authority of Scripture (John Beddingfield)

                        Will you proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ?

March 21: Charity, Mission, Vocation & Calling (Cameron Soulis)

                        Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?

                        Will you strive for justice and peace among all people,

                         and respect the dignity of every human being?

At each class we will reserve some time at the end for questions regarding the topic of the day or questions about any other aspect of the Episcopal Church you might want to ask.  Though the class is open to anyone at any place in their Christian journey, those who might wish to prepare for Confirmation at the cathedral on May 1, 2010 are especially encouraged to attend. John Beddingfield

Around the Parish . . . The Adult Forum continues on Sunday, February 21 at 10 a.m. in the undercroft. Zeyneb Salim returns this Sunday to lead us in a discussion of prayer and scripture in Islam . . . The Wise and Mature Lunch will take place on Wednesday, February 24 following the Noon Mass.  Please RSVP to the parish office if you plan to attend . . . Attendance on Sunday, February 14 (even in the snow and ice) at the 8:30 a.m., Mass, 28; at the 11 a.m. Mass, 86 . . . Total pledge offerings for the week were $10,807.00 and the plate offering was $928.00;  pledge offerings for the previous week (ending with February 7) were $3,541.00 and plate offerings were $671.00.

Your prayers are asked for . . . Bob and Louise Osborne, Joan Shapiro, Ann Dixon, Lorenzo Martinez, Family of Tom Martin, Hugh Yeomans, Helen Horne, Erling Hansen, Tim Dill, Mona Bauer, Mary Backus, Sandy Jenkins Dixon, I. Kathryn McKewen, Thais Blanchard, Bruce MacDonald, Bob Colborn, 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 and Sally Jason, Arthur Andrew Warren, , Mary Beth McCutcheon, Bryan Powell, Regina Dading, Julia Gutierrez, Ted Field, and for the repose of the souls of Walter Jason and Florence Senger Burn . . 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 Susan Morrison on the death of her father, Walter Jason, on February 14, 2010 in Ohio.    Please pray for the repose of the soul of Walter, for his wife Sally, for Susan, Paige, and Sarah, and for all who mourn. 

The parish also extends its sympathy and love to the family of Florence Senger Burn, on February 8, 2010.  Mrs. Burn was predeceased by her husband, Richard C. Burn, in 2002.  A memorial service will be held at All Souls on March 12, 2010, after which her interment will be at Arlington National Cemetery. Please pray for the repose of the soul of Florence, for her family, and for all who mourn. 

Liturgical Notes . . . During Lent the altar frontal and the priest’s vestments are of an unbleached linen and known as “lenten array.” Their simplicity is meant to call to mind the sackcloth and ashes of the biblical penitent. Lenten array, rather than purple, is an ancient custom associated with the Sarum use (from Salisbury Cathedral) since at least the eleventh century . . . Stations of the Cross is offered each Friday evening in Lent at 7 p.m. Join us for this forty-five minute devotion as we move through the church with prayers, silence and song . . .The sanctuary candle burns to the glory of God and in memory of Rick Forster, on the anniversary of his birth; given by Bob Publicover . . . With the exception of the Fourth Sunday in Lent (Laetare Sunday) flowers are not used at the altars, adding to our understanding of Lent as a season of penitence and fasting.

All Souls are Green . . . invites you to consider a “carbon fast” as part of your Lenten discipline.  All Souls are Green is the committee that is working to make All Souls Church a greener, more environmentally-friendly place. We have found a Lenten calendar with suggestions for daily small changes to reduce your own energy use.  This calendar, written by the people of the Greater Washington Interfaith Power and Light, is available in the narthex and in the undercroft. If you’d like to go paperless, you can also find the calendar on the main page of our parish website. 

Yoga in Lent . . . Join All Souls parishioner Richard McKewen, RYT, (registered yoga teacher) as he leads yoga classes every Saturday morning during Lent in the undercroft. Classes will meet from 10:00 to 11:30 on February 20, 27, March 6, 13, 20, and 27, and are open to everyone, from beginners to experienced yogis. Part of learning to still the mind is learning to still the body through various physical poses. So be sure to wear loose, comfortable clothing (gym clothes are ideal) and bring a large towel. We will have a limited number of yoga mats available for people to use, so if you have your own, please bring it with you. And try not to eat for at least an hour beforehand. The classes are free, but donations will be gladly accepted, to be shared between All Souls and a charity to be decided by the class. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Richard at stoligimlet@hotmail.com or 202-309-3566.

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

2300 Cathedral Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20008-1505;Voice: 202-232-4244, Fax: 202-232-8593

Email: allsouls1@aol.com; website: www.allsoulsdc.org

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