christ church, georgetown the courier...the courier—november 2019 3 dear friends in christ, i’m...

The Rector’s LetterDear Friends,

I am sure this is an intense time of the year for all of us. It is almost like someone is standing off to the side of our lives with a big handle that they are winding faster and faster producing music of increasing tempo to which we, like puppets, have no choice but to dance round and round! Maybe our personal dance seems all the more frantic as we look around us at the antics of our politicians and the media machines that feed off their words and actions.

You probably know the ancient Greek story about Pandora’s box. As a wedding present, Zeus, in order to punish the world of newly created humanity for having received the stolen gift of fire, gave Pandora a jar or a box, but warned her never to open it. Pandora, Zeus knew, was created to be curious, and would not be able to stay away from the box. Sure enough, the urge to open the box overcame her. When she lifted the lid horrible things flew out of the box: greed, envy, hatred, pain, disease, hunger, poverty, war, and death. All of life’s miseries were let loose upon the world. Pandora quickly slammed the lid of the box back down, but it was too late. All the evil had escaped. Looking inside, however, she saw that not quite everything had gone. One thing remained inside the box, as the eternal possession of human beings: hope.

As we approach the great Season of Advent, I am struck at how full of contrasts this time of year is. Our minds have been focused on remembrance in two remarkable services, both very profound, both very moving. First, the Duruflé Requiem for All Souls, when we remembered all those who have gone before us in the faith. Then Remembrance and Veterans Sunday, where all the staff and military personnel from several embassies gathered to remember the fallen on the beaches of Normandy 75 years ago this year. Then Christ the King, the last Sunday of the Christian year, where we reflect on his divine Kingship shown in the Cross rather than in the force of arms that all human kingdoms rely upon. Following in the wake of these, we turn to focus on the great themes of Advent with all their somberness that is yet underpinned by joy. Often referred to as the last things (death, judgment, heaven, and hell), these Advent themes are woven together in the dark purple Advent cloth along with the great clarion call of hope that opens our hearts and minds to the coming of Christ, now and at the end of all things.

What a combination of emotions, ideas, and challenges we seem to be presented with in just a very few weeks! Yet, there is a stillness to be found in it all, I think. Or at least there can be. Each day, as we say our prayers, we offer up the chaos of the world and the mad whirl of our lives to God, and, like Pandora, we return to the precious box that God leaves for us in the silent places of our hearts. It contains the Christian hope. It is not that we shut our hearts and minds to the turmoil. Rather, we find in God the perspective that puts all the madness in its place and find that we can, despite all of it, step onward toward the light that hangs over the distant stable and our lives.

A blessed, holy, and hopeful Advent to you all,

The Reverend Timothy A. R. Cole, Rector

Christ Church, Georgetown

The CourierParish Newsletter, November 2019Vol. XXXV, No. 2

2 The Courier—November 2019

Inclement Weather PolicyFor the most up-to-date information on scheduled activities, call the Parish Office (202-333-6677) or visit our website (www.christchurchgeorgetown.org).

During periods of inclement weather, a liberal leave policy will be in effect for staff. So, while the parish may be open, individual activities, meetings, etc. may still be cancelled due to a staff member’s inability to get safely to the church. Staff will be available via email.

On weekdays, Christ Church follows DC Public Schools (DCPS). If they are closed, the parish is closed and all meetings and activities, including the thrift shop, are cancelled. If DCPS announces a delayed opening, all meetings and activities scheduled before the delayed opening time are cancelled. All activities beginning after the delayed opening time will occur as scheduled. Except in extreme conditions, daily services will take place.

On Sundays, while individual activities such as the forum, Sunday School, and meetings may be canceled, worship services will occur as scheduled (except in very extreme conditions) and parishioners are asked to use their best judgment as to whether they can safely get to church.

Call or check the website for the most up-to-date operational information.

The Christ Church CourierThe parish newsletter of Christ Church, Georgetown, published periodically between September and June.

Timothy A. R. Cole, RectorCrystal J. C. Hardin, Assistant to the RectorJohn McDuffie, Interim Assistant to the RectorJonathan M. Pucik, Seminarian Thomas P. Smith, Organist and ChoirmasterPaul J. Barkett, Director of AdministrationJack Fenton and Tonika Hilliard, Parish CoordinatorsTyrone Moore, Head Sexton

3116 O Street, NWWashington, DC 20007-3198202-333-6677www.christchurchgeorgetown.org

Parish Register

Weddings Eleanor Laws Worthy & David Addison ShepardLinden Frelinghuysen van Rojen & Edward Barnes RackleyJoHannah Kristen Torkelson & Jarred Howard HarringtonStan Kelly & Christopher T. CushingCharlsy Anne Panzino & Lars Bernard Waldo Meghan Elisabeth Carter & Mitchell Ryan SamsPaige Alona Sass & William Kenan TorransCornelia Kathleen Lluberes & Timothy William PowersGina Alexanderia Cook & Stephen Edward Brody Cheryl Lamae Jones & Walter Brashear LeisersohnAmy Beth Berkowitz & Gunnar Ghent GregoryMenaka Mischella Felix Jayachandran &

Michael Andrew ParrishLaura Ann Wynn & John Harrison Baker, Jr.Bowman Bates Johns & Michael James HennessyElise G. Passamani & James Nicholas Schulz

Baptisms Virginia Louise Onnen John Whitney Struse

Sebastian William DuranTalitha Jane NeilJames RothEva Hyejung FrelinghuysenLillian Lanae ShenemanMax WangLillian Maria Cecilia Gomez-

JacomeKnox Vizzi AkridgeRobert Charlton HolladayJohn Chapin BrunnerCharlotte Hare Cassatt Kidd

Lily Rose BlakemoreAnders William IsackeHenley Herrington AllenMadden Elizabeth McGloneIsabelle Lufkin MatherKane Andrew InnisKiran Ananda InnisMiguel Allen InnisVickie Bliss InnisIndia Elizabeth RogersVirginia Anne WhiteAnne Louisa Drake

Funerals Anthony de Santis Nancy Maguire Gray Pyne

Christer Dillon LucanderE. A. CarmeanJanina PedersenMyrna J. O. FirestoneRuth Buchanan

Robin Bradley MartinPamela Jane HowarCynthia A. ThomasRobert Alton MangrumAngela Hogan LeithNan Elizabeth ToddThe Hon. Kenneth Martin Worthy

The Courier—November 2019 3

Dear Friends in Christ,

I’m honored to be serving at Christ Church, and I truly look forward to taking part in the life of this parish in Advent, Christmas and Epiphany, as a new year in the life of the Christian Church begins.

Typically, we think of Advent as the season that encompasses the four Sundays before Christmas; but for me, Advent really begins in mid-November. The Gospel lessons appointed for Sunday morning take on a stern tone of solemnity. There are words pointing to the end of time, the last of days, and periods of great calamity and unrest. Themes of judgment come to the fore, and I am reminded of a gag T-shirt that a friend of mine bought for me as a present many years ago. It bears a simple inscription: “Christ is coming; look busy.” All this is going on as everywhere at the same time we see decorations and television commercials proclaiming: “Happy Holidays!”

Advent nevertheless pulls us into a time of reflection and self-examination. We can think of the whole state of Christ’s Church and the world, and ask, “Where have we been over the last year, and where are we going?” In so many ways the world, and the human condition, looks as broken as it ever has looked, and, if we dare, we can ask that question of whether the faith commended to us makes any difference—or we can rush headlong into holiday saturnalia and try to forget.

I am helped each year in this season by two simple reflections that I carry in my personal memory bank. One comes from the British writer G.K. Chesterton. I recall that in his book Orthodoxy, he writes of how many of the religious faiths before Christianity revolve around the unchanging cycles of the seasons of the year: winter, spring, summer, and fall. It would seem that all life is but like a great circle, that goes from generation to decay, and then back to generation. A circle is a symbol for a closed world that goes round and round, and the more everything changes, the more it is the same. But Chesterton remarks that the central symbol of our faith is the cross. A cross is the intersection of two straight lines, and any student of Euclidean geometry will recall that a straight line is infinite! We are not simply moving in a circle—for we are following the life, death, and resurrection of a man that stretches us into something vast and infinite.

Another similar reflection comes from Louis Bouyer, a French Roman Catholic priest who was one of the principal architects of the liturgical renewal that took place in the second Vatican Council of the 1950s and ’60s. In his book Liturgical Piety, Bouyer notes that the church year at first glance looks like a closed circle: we begin in Advent, and then proceed through the seasons of the year until we begin again in Advent. However, Bouyer invites his readers to think of the church year as being like a spiral, instead of a circle. We come back each year to what looks like the same old place; and yet, no matter how infinitesimally small it may seem in the economy of eternity, we have actually moved one small step further outward from the year before, toward the reign of God. We must therefore travel with endurance and hope.

I like to think of Jesus’ parable of the seed growing secretly during the season of Advent. That parable helps me to come again to regard how the mystery of the birth of a tiny child in Bethlehem is the beginning of salvation for the world. “Thunder entered her,” wrote the 4th-century poet Ephrem the Syrian of the Virgin Mary, “and came out bleating like a lamb.” In this child God gathered into one things earthly and heavenly.

So I invite you to pause and reflect in this holy season of Advent. Where have we been, and where are we going? And let us simply and prayerfully know that each time we are called to remember our baptismal covenant and act on it—particularly in seeking and serving Christ in all persons, loving our neighbors as ourselves, and striving for justice and peace, and respecting the dignity of every human being—we are moving, one step at a time, toward the full coming of the Kingdom. May each of you be blessed with joy, peace, and hope as we expectantly travel together!

Faithfully and sincerely, The Reverend John McDuffie

Interim Assistant to the Rector

“Where have we been, and where are we going?”

The mystery of the birth of a tiny child in Bethlehem is the beginning

of salvation for the world.


As the season and four Sundays of Advent prepare us for the Nativity of Christ and the Epiphany, so we witness an enrichment of Christ Church’s ornamentation in anticipation of Christmastide.

The Altar Guild attends to both the changing ecclesiastical seasons’ colors of the altar, pulpit and the lectern, while adding what always seems an extra gleam to the Eucharist vessels and candlesticks. The Flower Guild enhances the services of Christmas—and the church itself—with breath-taking floral presentations, especially on the altar’s reredos.

Some years the Flower Guild’s Christmas celebration might interweave flowers and fruits with green plant elements. This presentation is occasionally miscalled “a Della Robbia garland,” after the Italian Renaissance family of ceramic master artists, who often added a sculptured mixture for the cast frames they included around their boldly colored relief sculptures.

The Della Robbias

The della Robbia dynasty in Renaissance Florence began with Luca (1400–1482; the family members were remarkably long-lived). Already a noted artist, he invented a boldly colored tin glazed form of sculpture soon praised by other noted artists of this center of extraordinary creativity. His closely held technique, perfected for cast compositions in terra cotta, created polychrome sculpture at once brilliantly colored and remarkably durable—right to the present day. Luca’s technical secrets were passed on to his nephew Andrea, and in turn to two great nephews, continuing the della Robbia studio well into the 16th century.

Two Washington area museums offer a treasure of Della Robbia reliefs. The Walters Art Gallery in Baltimore has four works, including two Nativity compositions. The National Gallery holds a total of nine reliefs, including

the major The Nativity, a glazed terracotta by Luca della Robbia, and dated to around 1460.

A Nativity

Luca’s Nativity presents its figures in white—a bold Renaissance change from the polychrome painting or natural wood or stone of medieval sculpture (Kenneth Clark noted the exteriors of medieval cathedrals and churches were once as brightly colored as Tibetan temples). It shows a protective Joseph looking upon the infant, forecasting how he will soon lead the Holy Family to their flight to safety into Egypt. Mary’s maternal attention is amplified by a gesture of prayer and a suggestion of her recognition of the miracle of her son’s birth.

The Christ child, “wrapped in swaddling clothes,” lies in a woven manger upon a bed of green hay—this symbolizing the new world begun in the Nativity. (Christian symbols can be confusing; many paintings and crèche scenes place the Holy Family in a broken-down stable, not to illustrate Luke’s story, but to underscore that the new era—the New Testament—is born within the old.)

Atop the composition, four adoring angels appear in a blue-glazed band of clouds, citing the “multitude of the heavenly host” who appear to the shepherds in Luke’s text, directing them to Bethlehem: “And this will be your sign; you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger” (Luke 2:12). On the right, the interior angel has a pointing finger, a medieval sign that a figure is speaking.

“ . . . and lying in a manger”

We know this Della Robbia composition is a Nativity—the Florentine family also did numerous “Madonna and Child” compositions—because of the presence of a cow

A Della Robbia Nativity

Dear Friends,

This article is made all the more special since E.A. Carmean wrote it for the parish in the weeks before his death. E.A. was a most eminent writer in the field of Art and Religion and many of you will have followed his regular articles in The Wall Street Journal on the subject over the years.We have this piece and one more, which will appear in the next Courier. As always, it is insightful and informative and opens up reflection on the work itself, but also the spiritual nature of its subject. We will miss E.A. as a friend and parishioner, but we have these and many other writings from him with which we can lift up the hearts and minds of the Christ Church faithful now and in years to come. —Tim

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and a donkey at mangerside. Long represented in paintings and in crèche scenes, real animals appeared in the first “living crèche” presentation introduced by St. Francis at his Midnight Mass in Greccio, Italy, on Christmas Eve in 1223: “I want to something that will recall . . . how he lay in the manger and how the ox and ass stood by.”

Christians are often surprised to learn this animal duo make no appearance in either Luke’s or Matthew’s account. Rather they come from a passage in the Book of Isaiah read by early church fathers as a reference to Christ’s Nativity as the repeal of the prophet’s centuries-old dictum: “The ox knows its owner; and the donkey the manger of its Lord, but Israel has not known me” (Isaiah 1:3).

Today, we see this Nativity under the clear, excellent lighting of the National Gallery’s design team, rather than the way Luca della Robbia’s bold, glazed colors originally projected under candlelight illumination in a darkened chapel. At Christ Church, a similar condition awaits the Service of Maundy Thursday, when the “Stripping of the Altar” under candlelight evokes the physical ambiance of the medieval church . . . and, ironically, the mystery of the Nativity’s Holy Night.

—E. A. Carmean

An essayist on art and religion, often for The Wall Street Journal, parishioner E.A. Carmean was an art historian and a Canon in the Episcopal Church.

Luca della RobbiaThe Nativityc. 1460, cast terra cottaNational Gallery of Art, Washington Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington

Come see our own nativity from Christmas Eve through the Feast of the Epiphany (January 6).

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“As each has received a gift, employ it for one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.” (1 Peter 4:10)

A friend sent this to us recently from a Christian website: “Following Jesus means a radical centering in God in which our own well-being resides, reconnecting to a center of meaning and purpose and energy in our lives. It means a passion for compassion and justice in the world of the everyday.” Christ Church is that special place we get to call our parish home, offering all ages a wide range of opportunities for glorious worship, spiritual education and formation, community service, and, yes, a place to explore your passion for compassion! Three opportunities include the Feeding Ministries: SOME, Winter Shelter, and the CCG Soup Kitchen and Grate Patrol.

SOME (So Others Might Eat) is a longstanding CCG mission partner, and for over 15 years, CCG early-risers have been providing and serving a hearty breakfast meal to nearly 400 homeless guests on the fifth Tuesday of the month, all year long. SOME is an interfaith, community-based service organization that exists to help and support D.C. residents experiencing homelessness and poverty. SOME offers a variety of services, including affordable housing and counseling, and helps meet immediate daily needs by providing food, clothing, and healthcare to those in need.

The Georgetown Ministry Center (GMC) Winter Shelter has been a CCG staple for more than 25 years—serving hot, healthy, and hearty meals and equally heaping doses of loving fellowship and providing a warm, safe, and welcoming place for our homeless neighbors to sleep in the coldest winter months. What started as a six-month experiment has resulted in an annual six-month program experienced by up to 10 homeless women and men, who rotate among 12 Georgetown congregations. The 2020 shelter returns to CCG for three weeks on Sunday, March 8, and runs through Sunday, March 29, so stay tuned for upcoming volunteer

opportunities. Christ Church is a founding member of Georgetown Ministry Center, an organization devoted to guiding chronically homeless individuals toward stability and housing with kindness and care, through street outreach, medical and psychiatric care, showers, and laundry in their drop-in day center, open 365 days a year. They help with daily needs by providing clothing and food.

The CCG Soup Kitchen and Grate Patrol serves over 10,000 of the most vulnerable in our midst year-round, on the third Sunday and Monday of each month, by making homemade and healthy meals, soups, pastas, sandwiches, and more in the Parish Hall 2nd-floor kitchen. We are 100 percent volunteer run and would love to have you join our growing ranks of more than 200 volunteers. You can join us in the kitchen to prep, chop, or bake meals 4:30–6:30 p.m., and on Grate Patrol to serve meals, in partnership with the Salvation Army, 6:30–8:30 p.m. Or, donate seasonal items to our Clothing Closet any time—toiletries, (new) tees, hand warmers, (new) socks, thermals, mittens, and hats are always welcome.

With Advent on the horizon, and its ancient themes of peace, hope, and goodwill soon illuminating the dark days of winter, what better time to celebrate the season than to explore your passion for compassion—as we help one another, the church, our community, and the world!

To learn more about the Feeding Ministries at Christ Church, email parishioner Liza Ballantine ([email protected]) or contact the parishioners below for more information on the specific program that interests you.

SOME (So Others Might Eat) Rich Bland ([email protected])

GMC Winter Shelter Program Rick Shewell ([email protected])

CCG Soup Kitchen and Grate Patrol Liza Ballantine ([email protected])

The Feeding Ministries at Christ Church


Christ Church, Georgetown (CCG) sponsors seminarian lay support team ministry committees that help in the formative ministry of seminarians from the Virginia Theological Seminary (VTS). During their second (or middler) year, seminarians are selected by parishes as part of their required field education to gain practical knowledge and a deeper understanding of their own commitment to ministry.

CCG has two lay support teams made up of a cross-section of CCG parishioners. Anna-Stina Erickson has faithfully served as a convener of one of these committees for a number of years, helping to usher in the next generation of religious leaders in the Episcopal Church. Our current assistant rector, Crystal Hardin, is one such example.

Offering hands-on experience is critical to the growth and maturation of a seminarian. You can’t learn everything from the classroom or a book, even if that book is the Bible.

CCG is able to offer a variety of learning experiences for its seminarians. You can see them assist in the liturgy, youth education, and parish mission work, and twice a semester they offer sermons. This kind of experience helps seminarians determine their ministry path after graduation.

Teams usually meet once a month with their seminarian, sometimes in a committee member’s home, or more often in the parish hall. We share thoughts about our ongoing lives and listen to the seminarian’s joys and challenges while balancing their school and church commitments. Few can truly appreciate the tremendous workload that a seminarian carries each semester.

It is one of the seminary’s worst kept secrets that CCG is a highly desired field education site. It’s because CCG has strong supportive clergy, beautiful liturgy and music, and friendly and engaging parishioners.

Our current seminarian, Jonathan Pucik, is in his final year at VTS and his second year at Christ Church. Our current lay support team consists of parishioners Firoze Rao, Martha Webb, Martha Van Dale, Gordon Silcox, and me. We are always looking for new members, so we can maintain a high level of support for our seminarians.

Please contact the parish office if you think this may be of interest to you.

—Alan Coker, Convener for Jonathan Pucik’s Lay Support Team

Seminarian Lay Support Team Ministry

Why we serve on Grate PatrolOne of our favorite and most treasured aspects of being part of the Christ Church community is the opportunity to work with the Soup Kitchen. It is so indescribably rewarding to come together with other parishioners to prepare and deliver meals made in the CCG Soup Kitchen for D.C.’s homeless, at approximately 7–9 locations throughout D.C.

In partnership with Grate Patrol, the Salvation Army’s mobile canteen, we are able to serve the most vulnerable of our neighbors, who so often lack sufficient food or clothing, especially this time of year when the temperatures drop. The Grate Patrol’s recipients are always so incredibly appreciative and gracious, demonstrating a kindness that belies their hardships and strengthens our faith. We will be forever grateful to Christ Church for the Soup Kitchen—for the people we’ve been blessed enough to serve, for the friends we’ve made, and the lessons we’ve learned along the way. We can’t recommend it enough!

—Cornelia and Tim Powers, Volunteers and Grate Patrol Team Leads


I’ve had many conversations over the past few months about how parents might best approach mission and outreach with their children. It is an important topic to be sure, as the call to love our neighbor stretches beyond the walls of our church. Our faith-based actions should spill out into our greater community. I often wonder how my children experience the world around them. Do they realize how privileged they are? Will they grow up conscious of all that we have and strive to serve those who are less fortunate? Or, do they take their situations for granted? What is my role to play, and how do I best serve my children in this area as they grow into adulthood? These are normal concerns, and I know that many of you share them. I have also spoken to many who desire service opportunities for their children through Christ Church. It is my hope that Christ Church’s Family, Youth, and Children’s Ministry can be a resource for families grappling with these questions and a partner in discerning how Christian families should answer the call to love our neighbors.

Future initiatives include parent education/conversation sessions on this topic, a youth confirmation class dedicated to the subject of mission and incorporating service at GMC’s Soup Kitchen, a summer youth mission/service trip to Appalachia, and other family service opportunities (the first of which is detailed below).

This Advent, in partnership with the CCG Soup Kitchen, we will collect items from the congregation that will be used by our families, children, and youth to create care kits for our homeless neighbors. Often we might wonder what to say to our children about the homeless women and men we may walk by each day, but our actions speak far louder than what we say. Knowing what to do, though, is no easy task. I’m often confused about the best way to help those I pass on the streets. Part of that confusion comes from not knowing what they might need.

On January 12, 2020, at our Care Kit Epiphany All-In, families, children, and youth will learn more about our homeless neighbors, what they need from us during the winter months, and how to offer what is most important: our empathy and love. We will then create bags to distribute to our homeless neighbors.

This is one way you can helpFrom December 1 to January 5, we will collect items that will be put into the care kits. Here is what we need:

• Socks: Doing laundry is a luxury for many homeless women and men, so basic necessities are often re-worn and then thrown out, repeatedly. A pair of fresh, clean socks can make such a difference. New, white socks only. Sizes large and above.

• Chapstick: Homeless women and men are often out in the elements for extended periods of time. In all seasons, chapstick or lip balms provide protection and relief.

• Hand and foot warmers: Warmth on a cold wintry day.

• Granola bars and protein bars: Single-serving granola bars and protein bars are lightweight and nourishing and have a long shelf-life. Please buy the soft, chewy ones, as hard bars can be challenging due to possible lack of dental care.

• $5.00 metro cards: Aid in getting around town to visit social workers, to go to doctor appointments or a shelter, or to get other services.

• Finally, gallon-size zip-lock bags: We will pack items into these bags, which can be reused and protect against water, dirt, and frost.

You can bring any (or all!) of these items to Keith Hall or to the Parish Office during Advent and Christmas. There will be a box for you to put them in. You can also purchase them from our Amazon wish list and have them sent directly to the Parish Office: bit.ly/CCGAdventWishList2019

Our goal is to collect 1,000 items during Advent and Christmas. Please join us in serving our homeless neighbors.

—The Reverend Mother Crystal Hardin

Answering the call to love our neighbors

The call to love our neighbor stretches beyond the walls of our church. Our faith-based actions should spill out into our greater community.


Christ Church is becoming Babywise

As a parent I’m often in conversations with other parents about where to find the answers when it comes to our kids. Just this week, my kids’ school PTA listserv was a constant flurry of emails from parents seeking advice, offering resources, and recommending books and seminars to address the need we all have to try and parent “the right way.”

But one thing is constant—there is only one book we need and it’s the word of God. Time and time again when I struggle to find the answer, I am led back to the truth found in the Bible. It’s so simple but the hardest thing to do without complicating things.

My husband, Graham, and I sat in these pews before we were parents, and now we blink our eyes and want to stop time from changing our baby boys into young men. I remember those days when I wasn’t sure if my prayer to become a mom would be answered. And later feeling like I was the only parent with a crying baby during a particularly quiet service. I relished in the precious moments when our sons were baptized and pronounced “the world’s newest Christian.” I love hearing my children’s little voices now able read the words to the Psalm 23 board book that I flipped through with them when they were just babies. Looking back, wrangling three boys under the age of four wasn’t easy, but I also wasn’t alone. God was there in everything.

I hope the young parents-to-be and new parents in our midst know this truth. It is really all you need to know among the noise (both figurative and literal). There are so many parishioners among you who want to step in and offer help and support!

The Babywise community is growing each day. We are gathering to hear from you and find out ways we can love and support one another. In addition to the many wonderful offerings at the Sunday Forum and children’s Sunday School, Christ Church is excited to be working on some specific opportunities for Babywise families, including:

• Welcoming all parents at the all-in Advent wreath- making event.

• Sharing Advent prayers and how to keep Jesus the reason for the season. We will be looking for a baby Jesus volunteer for the Christmas pageant!

• Rectory reception and focused discussion with the clergy on how the sermon applies in particular to young parents and your babies.

• Memorial Room reading hour with a resource swap and book exchange and a CliffsNotes discussion of some favorite and clergy recommended books such as Faith at Home: A Handbook for Cautiously Christian Parents by Wendy Claire Barrie.

• Parent Prayer Time (with nursery care during the Sunday School hour) when adults can gather in the chapel for prayers and a blessings by the clergy.

• Casual coffee hour discussions and connections with other parents in the Memorial Room, 10:00–11:00 a.m.

• Celebrations of baptisms and blessings for our newest Christians (with a focus on recent and upcoming baptisms grouped around baptism dates).

• Special baby-focused musical sessions with the Youth and Family sing-along instrumental musician.

• A reading of Psalm 23 and the children’s book Found, under the Good Shepherd stained glass window at the church. Discussion of how to speak to babies at their level using various translations and versions of the Bible.

• Social events like the one on November 17 at a family’s home around 1 p.m. on Sundays.

If any of these activities appeal to you, or if you have ideas of your own, we welcome you to come and connect with others who are sharing with you in this exciting time in the life of your family. We hope you will be able to take part.

May God bless you and your family!

—Kimberly and Graham Hill, parents to Hayden (10), Oliver (8), and Graham (6)


An overview of our Sunday School programSunday School at Christ Church is in full swing! This year we have Crystal Hardin’s ministry to guide us, many new Sunday School teachers, a dedicated Youth and Family Ministry Committee, and our wonderful children all engaged in learning, living, and sharing our faith. It is a great joy to be part of this ministry, and I am happy to share with you some of what happens at the 10 o’clock hour in the Parish House.

This year we have realigned and combined a number of classes to help foster a sense of community among the children and to match the instruction to their stages of development.

Our youngest scholars—Caterpillars (nursery/pre-kindergarten) and Butterflies (kindergarten/1st grade)—follow the Godly Play curriculum. Godly Play introduces children to the seminal stories of the Old and New Testaments and to the parables with small figures and objects that illustrate the teacher’s narration. Our Godly Play teachers recently met for a training on how to engage the children and tell stories in these special classrooms.

Our 2nd, 3rd, and 4th graders meet together for Bible study, worksheets, and crafts based on the lectionary for the week. We are also learning the 23rd Psalm. This year we have multiple sets of siblings in this class and a strong class feeling which makes for a fun and fruitful time together.

The 5th and 6th grade r s are connecting with God’s big story using videos, Bible exploration, and hands-on projects, and our 7th and 8th graders are exploring the “Sticky Faith” curriculum. Together they explore their tough questions about God, the Bible, and Christianity. Our goal is to foster a faith that will stick with children as they grow into young adults.

This year the high schoolers have decamped to the basement lounge, where they and their teachers explore topics of their choice every Sunday. Many of them have the shared experience of the mission trip (with another on

the horizon) , as well as years of Sunday School together. Building faithful community among our high schoolers and providing a safe, solid environment in which to explore their faith (and how it impacts their lives) is our primary goal. In addition, a series of pre-confirmation classes led by our ministers is offered throughout the year for anyone in grades 9–12 seeking to be confirmed.

Sunday School celebrates the seasons of the church year with a number of traditions, including the Halloween pumpkin carving and service by the light of the jack o’lanterns, the upcoming Advent wreath making, the Christmas pageant, greens sales, the Church House of Pancakes, and the mission trip and youth pilgrimage. These are also times when we enjoy sharing the liveliness of Sunday School with parents and the rest of the parish.

In all of these things, and in our worship together, with God’s help the Christ Church family is raising children in the knowledge and love of God.

—Katherine Brown, Chair

Drawing closer through teachingThe community of Christ Church enveloped me into its warm embrace from my first days of attending services back in 2017. Like many, I immediately felt at home among the prayers, stained glass, and people. That sense of belonging in the Christ Church community has only been strengthened through my experience as a Sunday School teacher. While it’s easy to fall into the comfortable routine of Sunday services, recognizable prayers, and familiar scripture, I find that teaching Sunday School is an opportunity to serve God and the Christ Church community in a very intentional way.

As a Sunday School teacher, I feel blessed to have the opportunity to join the students on their spiritual journey. With each lesson, I believe I learn as much from them as they do from me. I feel blessed by the relationships I’ve built with my fellow teachers. I’m inspired by their faith and dedication to sharing God’s word. I feel blessed by

Reflections on Teaching Sunday School

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More than 20 people accepted the call to teach Sunday School this year, and their ministry has already enriched the lives of our young people (and the greater church). Some stepped out in faith into unknown waters, others took up a familiar call, but all have committed themselves to walking alongside our children and youth as they explore their faith and root themselves in our beloved community. I am incredibly grateful for our teachers’ service, vulnerability, and willingness to commit themselves to such an important task. What a gift they are! I leave you with some of their reflections. —The Reverend Mother Crystal Hardin


the opportunity to be closer to God. My own spiritual journey is strengthened as my Christ Church community of students, teachers, and fellow parishioners grows.

In all of these ways, teaching Sunday School has brought me closer to the Christ Church community. With each new connection into the community, Sunday services feel a little more special, the stained glass a bit brighter, and the prayers even more powerful

—Lydia Hackert, Teacher

The streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets. (Zechariah 8:5)

This spring our family moved to Georgetown and settled into a home down the block from Christ Church, Georgetown. Since moving in, we have been blessed with the warm and welcoming community of this parish, including personal outreach from the clergy and vestry, and even the joyous occasion of my brother’s wedding at the church over this summer. Of particular significance, we have been given the weekly gift of the 9:00 am family service and the following 10:00 am Sunday School and Sunday Forum hour. This time is so special for us as a family: our boys have learned from their teachers, and my husband David has been enriched by the discussions and fellowship of the Sunday Forum. Most joyfully for me,

I have been able to teach the Caterpillar class (K–1st grade) with my amazing co-teachers, Amy Dean, Kathryn Walker, and Cornelia Lluberes. My youngest child is a pupil in the Caterpillar class, and we have both enjoyed the enrichment, learning, and gladness created at each one of our Sunday Godly Play sessions. To see the children happy and engaged, and interested in talking about values, history, and faith has been deeply rewarding. God’s children—particularly the little ones!—bring such beauty into the world and fill it with abundant hope and promise; my family and I have been so lucky to spend time with the families and congregants of this parish.

—Cybil Roehrenbeck, Teacher

Can I ask that?In my second year of teaching Sunday School at Christ Church, I wish I could say that I have all the answers to questions about our Christian faith. I wish I could say that I know exactly how to communicate that faith to our youth. The reality is that youth, like their Sunday School teachers, are full of questions at the intersection of God, faith, and everyday life, and not every one of these can be answered with absolute certainty on this side of glory. Parents know to fear the day when their child begins to ask questions that have no easy answers, and that fear is certainly a part of teaching a 7th and 8th grade Sunday School class. However, our current curriculum, entitled Can I Ask That?, invites us to do this very thing. The material raises eight tough questions about God and faith, and these questions don’t have easy answers. They are designed to lead students in critical conversations about their own faith while inviting them to consider the perspectives of scripture and the Christian tradition.

In my experience, the joy of teaching these youth alongside my co-teachers has come not as the result of finding the right answers, but in connecting with one another on the basis of our shared curiosity. I love the moment when a student perks up with a renewed interest in the lesson, moved by a spirit of inquiry in discovering how God is at work in the world. I love learning from my co-teachers as they courageously bring their full selves to Sunday School, coming alongside our students to explore together how Christ is present in our community. It is a gift to watch the Holy Spirit at work when we gather as a class to explore the mysteries of faith. My hope and prayer is that these students leave class knowing that their journeys are not traveled alone. The Gospel is about a God who meets us right where we are, in the midst of all our uncertainty and fear. For our community of questioners, this is good news indeed.

—Jonathan Pucik, Seminarian

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Many of us—myself included—had the opportunity and privilege to serve as acolytes when we were young. Carrying the big processional cross and serving at the altar during Eucharist occupied a significant part of my own personal experience with the Church while I was growing up in Richmond, Va. Looking back, I see that this was just the beginning of what has been an ongoing journey and passion throughout my life. Helping to facilitate or enhance people’s experience at worship is a powerful act of service. My actions, and those of others—priests, chalice bearers, deacons, choristers, lay readers, other acolytes—help to create that space where people come face-to-face with the very real presence of Christ right here on earth.

At Christ Church, we provide such an opportunity for our young people. Through reading scripture, leading the intercessions, or serving at the altar, our youth acolytes and lectors are an important part of our parish’s worship services every Sunday morning. From 5th graders up to seniors in high school, these young people offer their service to Christ Church in ways that will affect them more than they realize. Not only are these young people learning about our worship services from new angles and new perspectives, but they are also gaining valuable life skills along the way.

During the gospel procession, acolytes learn about teamwork and cooperation. Crucifers learn how to be leaders and to set an example for the younger acolytes. Lectors and acolytes alike learn that they can stand in front of the congregation with confidence while they undertake

their various duties. They learn the importance of taking on a meaningful job, sticking to a schedule, and upholding their obligations by showing up at church on time and ready to serve.

The sacraments of the Church are not simply one single activity. They are more than distributing the bread and wine. They are more than the sermons. They are more than the hymns. The sacraments and liturgies of the Church are a multitude of actions, both large and small, that comprise the entire service. It’s the music, the movements, the colors, the words, the prayers, and the sermons. It’s the kneeling at the rail, the turning to face the gospel book, the offering of a sign of peace to your neighbor, and the standing to sing a hymn or recite the creed. It’s all these things and much more. And acolytes and lectors are right in the middle of it all. Their work is so important and so necessary. They play a special role that others do not or cannot play.

So next time you see a young acolyte or a youth lector, take a moment to thank them for their service. It’s important for them to know that their efforts are important, they are noticed, and they are appreciated. As they grow up, they will often recall what they learned as an acolyte or lector at Christ Church, Georgetown. If they look carefully, they will see how their service then informed their own spiritual journey throughout their lives. It’s a wonderful gift we provide our youth.

— Marshall H. Ginn, Youth Acolyte Master

Youth in service: Small acts in a greater whole

Vestry Update

At its September meeting, the vestry• Accepted the parish’s 2018 financial audit performed by Hozik and Company. The audit was “clean”

in all material aspects;• Received an update on Youth and Family Ministries from the Reverend Mother Crystal Hardin; and• Approved a contract for a comprehensive (church, rectory, and parish house) facilities assessment.

At its October meeting, the vestry • Received a stewardship update from committee co-chairs Bill Burns and Harry Volz;• Received an update on the parish’s planned giving efforts from committee chair Tom Crocker; and• Reviewed the first draft of the parish’s 2020 budget.

—Submitted by Paul Barkett, Director of Administration


A Service of Lessons and Carols for AdventSunday, December 1, at 5:00 p.m.

The annual Service of Lessons and Carols for Advent, sung by the Choir of Christ Church, will feature works by Stephen Cleobury, George Frideric Handel, Paul Manz, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, Elizabeth Poston, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Jan Sandström, and Charles Wood, as well as classic congregational hymns such as O come, O come, Emmanuel, Creator of the stars of night, and Lo! he comes with clouds descending. A reception will follow.

A Service of Lessons and Carols for ChristmasSunday, December 15, at 5:00 p.m.

Modeled after the famed service held each year at King’s College, Cambridge, this festive, candlelit liturgy will include works by Benjamin Britten, Bob Chilcott, Morten Lauridsen, William Mathias, Martin Neary, Boris Ord, Stanford Scriven, and David Willcocks. Arrive early to ensure seating. A reception will follow.

Fifth Annual Parish Potluck Dinner and Hymn-singFriday, January 31, at 6:30 p.m.

The Parish Potluck Dinner and Hymn-sing has become a highlight of parish life at Christ Church. Participants of all ages will gather in Keith Hall at 6:30 p.m. The main dish, as well as wine and non-alcoholic beverages, will be provided. Attendees are encouraged to bring a nut-free salad, side dish, or dessert to share. After dinner, a good old-fashioned hymn-sing, led by Organist and Choirmaster Tom Smith, will take place in the nave. Participants will have the opportunity to request the first stanzas of their favorite hymns. Proceeds raised through the “sale” of additional stanzas will benefit next summer’s youth mission trip. All are welcome.

An Afternoon with the Choristers of Christ ChurchSaturday, February 8, at 4:00 p.m.

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to see and hear members of the fully professional Choir of Christ Church in a concert setting—all vestments off! The eclectic program will feature soloists and small ensembles singing a wide array of vocal and choral literature: from sacred arias to familiar works from the Broadway stage; from medieval madrigals to beloved opera classics. The performers will be accompanied by Howard Breitbart, one of Washington’s most sought-after pianists. All proceeds from the free- will offering will benefit Georgetown Ministry Center. A reception will follow.

Upcoming Liturgical and Musical Events


Tuesday, December 24—The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ: Christmas Eve

Family Eucharist with Christingle Liturgy and Blessing of the Crèche, at 1:00 p.m.

This year, the 1:00 p.m. Eucharist will include a brief Christingle liturgy. What is Christingle? A Moravian tradition that developed in mid-18th century Germany, Christingle (a word of German origin meaning Christ Child) was originally a special service, held just before Christmas, at which children were given a lighted candle with a red ribbon tied around it. This represented Christ, the Light of the World. The liturgy’s final prayer read: Lord Jesus, kindle a flame in these children’s hearts, that theirs like thine become. The custom took hold in various parts of Europe and, as it did, evolved over the years. The current iteration of the Christingle, which became increasingly popular in the United Kingdom during the 20th century, is comprised of an orange that is decorated with red tape, sweets, and a candle. We think the children and youth of Christ Church (and maybe some adults too!) will find this addition to our Christmas Eve worship both interesting and meaningful. We hope you will join us.

Festal Holy Eucharist, at 4 p.m.

The 4:00 p.m. Eucharist will include choral works by William Mathias and John Rutter, as well as congregational carols accompanied by organ and brass. Historically, this has been the most well-attended Christmas Eve liturgy at Christ Church. Arrive early to ensure seating.

Choral Prelude with Congregational Carols, at 10:00 p.m.

Join us for an extended prelude to the 10:30 p.m. Eucharist. Music will include seasonal organ repertoire, choral works by Will Todd, David Willcocks, and Charles Wood, and beloved congregational carols accompanied by organ and brass.

Festal Choral Eucharist, at 10:30 p.m.

The 10:30 p.m. Eucharist, the most formal liturgy of Christmas Eve, will include choral works by William Mathias, John Rutter, and Tomás Luis de Victoria, as well as congregational carols accompanied by organ and brass. The ordinary of the Eucharist will be the charming Missa ad praesepe, or Mass at the Crib, by noted British organist, choir trainer, and composer George Malcolm.

Wednesday, December 25—The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ: Christmas Day

Festal Choral Eucharist, at 11:00 a.m.

The only liturgy of Christmas Day, the 11:00 a.m. Eucharist will include choral works by William Mathias and John Rutter, as well as congregational carols accompanied by organ and brass. The ordinary of the Eucharist will be Malcolm’s Missa ad praesepe.

Christmas Worship at Christ Church

Christmas and New Year’s ClosuresThe Parish Office will be closed December 24–26 in observance of Christmas. There will be no public recitation of the Daily Office from December 24 through January 1.

The Parish Office will close at noon on December 31 and remain closed on January 1 in observance of the New Year holiday.

We’re always grateful for end-of-year gifts to Christ Church. Please note that gifts must be hand-delivered to the Parish Office by noon on Tuesday, December 31 or postmarked by that date to receive tax credit for 2019. For questions, please call the Parish Office (202-333-6677) or email Paul Barkett ([email protected]).


December 29—The First Sunday after Christmas Day

Choral Introit: O little one sweet—German carol, harm. Johann Sebastian Bach

Preces and Responses—Martin NearyEvening Service in C—Charles Villiers StanfordAnthem: A Spotless Rose—Herbert Howells

January 5—The Eve of the Epiphany of Our Lord Jesus Christ

Choral Introit: Arise, shine, O Jerusalem—adapted from Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina

Preces and Responses—Philip MooreEvening Service in A minor—T. Tertius NobleAnthem: There shall a star from Jacob come forth,

from Christus, Op. 97—Felix Mendelssohn

January 19—The Second Sunday after the Epiphany

Choral Introit: Lord, we beseech thee—Adrian BattenPreces and Responses—Luke FrelsEvening Service in F—Harold W. FriedellAnthem: Save us, O Lord—Edward C. Bairstow

February 2—The Presentation of Our Lord Jesus Christ

Choral Introit: The Lord is in his holy temple— Gerre Hancock

Preces and Responses—Philip RadcliffeEvening Service in D—Charles WoodAnthem: Hodie beata Virgo—William Byrd

February 16—The Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany

Choral Introit: A Prayer for the Evening—Michael SittonPreces and Responses—Bernard RoseEvening Service in E flat—Healey WillanAnthem: Abendlied, Op. 69., No. 3—Josef Rheinberger

Choral Evensong will continue on first, third, and fifth Sundays of the month, at 5:00 p.m., through the month of May. Each service is followed by a reception in Keith Hall. Christ Church is one of a very few parishes in the U.S. to offer this beautiful, quintessentially Anglican liturgy with such frequency. Please plan to join us . . . and bring a friend.

Choral Evensong


Around Christ Church

Have you ever wondered what happens to the beautiful altar flowers after the Sunday services? The Flower Visitors repurpose them for clergy and volunteers to take to members of our church community in consolation or celebration. The church office, with the help of the clergy, writes a note to be delivered with a small flower arrangement to a hospital or to a person’s home. We also make arrangements to honor the contribution made by flower memorial donors on their donation Sunday. Flowers go out from Keith Hall after the last service every Sunday, except during Lent and Advent. Please contact the church office if you have a name to suggest to receive an arrangement. We joyfully welcome volunteers to help support this ministry by making deliveries, usually three or four each week, to Virginia, Maryland, and D.C., following the 11:15 a.m. service or evensong.

—Anna Brooke, Chair

Flower Visitor Ministry

christ church, georgetown the courier...the courier—november 2019 3 dear friends in christ, i’m...

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