All Souls Weekly                 
Volume 3, Number 19, April 4, 2010

TOUCHING AND NOT TOUCHING

The museums in Washington are filled with two kinds of signs.  Most remind the viewer to stay at some distance from the painting or exhibition.  They say something along the lines of “Do not touch.” Alarms are attached. But increasingly, there are museums and installations that invite the participation of the viewer and invite children’s fingers to feel and sense and experience.  Some museums actually have signs that say, “Please DO touch.”

To touch or not to touch, to hold or not to hold – these are questions for Easter Day, but they’re also questions for the way in which we live out our faith.  The cover for our Easter bulletins is from Giotto’s series of frescoes in the Arena Chapel in Padua, Italy.  The image portrays the interaction between Jesus and Mary Magdalene.  After Mary recognizes the risen Jesus, she cries out to him and seems to move toward him.  But Jesus keeps her at a distance saying, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father” (John 20:17).  Surely there are many possible meanings to the words of Jesus, but among them, I think Jesus is cautioning us about the dangers of holding on too tightly the images, the ideas, the meanings that we attribute to Jesus. 

As Christians, we believe that Jesus died for us, that he was raised from the dead, and that he continues to live in the fullness of God the Holy Trinity.  Jesus came to give us life and works through us to extend that life to others throughout the world.  But we restrict that life when we hold on too tightly to our own understandings of who Jesus is and how he calls us to be faithful.

 
As Anglicans, we continue to use scripture to be a primary lens through which we try to understand ourselves and the world around us.  Our understanding of scripture is guided by tradition and informed by reason, and we discuss our continuing understanding of faith in community with other believers.  We hold on to Christ in faith and in hope, but we do well to hold on loosely, allowing Christ to reveal himself to us in his own good time, according to the will of God.  And so, we touch and we do not touch.  We hold on and we let go.  May the Risen Jesus Christ continue to show himself to us, to guide us, and to lead us into the presence of God.  Happy Easter to you all. John Beddingfield

Around the Parish . . . A special thanks to those who have helped with our Easter Day coffee hour, among them, Marcia Anderson, Heidi Fritschel, Susan Morrison, and Nancye Suggs . . . Attendance on Palm Sunday, March 28 at the 8:30 a.m. Mass, 46; at the 11 a.m. Mass, 196 . . . Total pledge offerings were $5,957.00 and the plate offering was $1,305.00.

Your prayers are asked for . . . Susan Kornacki, Clark Ball, Frasier, MaryJane, John Matthews, 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 soul of Scott . . . 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 . . . Thanks to all who have contributed to our Easter flowers and music. We continue to sing and say our “alleluias” for the fifty days from Easter Sunday until Pentecost. 

Are you new to All Souls? . . . Please join us for a newcomers wine and cheese on Sunday, April 11 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the undercroft to learn more All Souls and more about becoming involved in our parish family.  This is a wonderful time to meet others in a casual atmosphere.

Country Western Night . . . The February blizzard forced us to postpone, but it has given us extra time to work on our two-step and to perfect our chili recipes. Join us on Sunday, April 11, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. for a Chili Cook Off and Country Western Night.  We’ll do some eating, some drinking, and lots of dancing.  If you would like to lend a hand in the planning or execution—bartenders and kitchen help always needed—please contact Marcia Anderson at Marcia513@verizon.net.

Thanks to the Lenten Yoga Participants . . . On Saturdays during Lent, Richard McKewan led yoga in the undercroft.  Rather than accept any payment for his leadership, Richard suggested that participants contribute money and that the group determine the cause on its last Saturday.  Thanks to that group’s generous donations,  $546.00 has been raised, to be split between All Souls Church and Christ House. 

Join us for the Adult Forum . . . While the Adult Forum does not meet on Easter Day, the series on “The Evolution of Belief, ” led by Joe Howell, continues on Sunday, April 11.  The topic will be  “The Long Road to Monotheism.” The earliest religions were polytheistic. When and how did these evolve into belief in one God? Who figured this out first? How has monotheism changed and evolved? Which religions are monotheistic today? Are there down sides to monotheism? Come and find out.

Men’s Fellowship in April . . . The Episcopal Men’s Fellowship group will be meeting next on Thursday, April 15 at 7 p. m. in the Undercroft. Our speaker will be Norman Whitmire, who will talk about life in the seminary after his first two years of study at the Virginia Theological Seminary and his upcoming summer assignation. We will be providing a tasty meal and drinks for the always low price of $15. To RSVP please sign up in the Undercroft or else email ike.brannon@gmail.com.

Adopt an apartment . . . All Souls is furnishing an apartment for a homeless family through the Transitional Housing Corporation's Adopt-an-Apartment program. Move-in day is Saturday, April 17. If you can help in any way, please contact Heidi at hfritschel@verizon.net.

Readings for the Daily Office