pohick post, december 2015

POHICK POST

Let your light so shine (Matt. 5:16)

Pohick Episcopal Church9301 Richmond Highway • Lorton, VA 22079Telephone: 703-339-6572 • Fax: 703-339-9884

DECEMBER 2015From The RectorThe ReverendDonald D. Binder, PhD

L ast December I walked into the den of the rec-tory as the rest of the family were watching the holiday edition of the reality TV program,

“Shark Tank.” That’s the show where aspiring entrepre-neurs pitch their products to ultra-wealthy businessmen and women such as Mark Cuban and Lori Greiner. In the Tank that night, a rather affable man was touting his idea of a holiday book-and-doll combo that he called, “Mensch on a Bench.” “Mensch on a Bench!” I exclaimed. “What in the world is that?!” “Oh,” responded another family member, “It’s es-sentially a Jewish version of ‘Elf on the Shelf ’.” To which I replied, “What’s ‘Elf on the Shelf ?’ ” An incredulous look was cast in my direction. “You don’t know about ‘Elf on the Shelf ?’ ” queried the voice. “Never heard of it!” I said. “You know...,” came the rejoinder, “You really need to get ‘with it’!” Well, I’d be the first to admit that I’m not always up-to-speed on the latest consumer fads gripping our country. After all, there are only so many hours in the day. Still, I do like to have a working knowledge of items that might be of potential interest to members of our congregation. And so I looked it up. “Elf on the Shelf ” is a storybook-and-doll combi-nation telling the tale of how Santa’s elves help him dis-

cover the particulars of which children are naughty and which are nice. Since it was mass-marketed last decade, many families around the country have purchased this product. Just after Thanksgiving, the parents read their children the story and then, for nearly the next month, the elf doll appears around the house in various hiding spots so that he can observe the children’s behavior and eventually make his report. While this holiday specialty item has proved popu-lar in some quarters, it has not won universal approval. One commentator, for instance, has suggested that the surreptitious elves prep children to be comfortable with the notion of an Orwellian state run by the NSA! While I won’t comment on that political discussion, as a priest in God’s service, I would like to offer some theological reflections on such a cultural narrative, since even children’s stories have a way of embedding them-selves in our psyches, coloring our worldview well into adulthood. To begin with, God doesn’t need elves to know whether we’re naughty or nice. Since God is omniscient, even before he created us, he knew we would choose to be naughty. It has been said that the one Chris-tian doctrine that can be empirically proven is the notion of Original Sin. All you need to do is to turn on the television, browse the Internet, or open the newspapers.

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Pohick Episcopal Church • December 2015

From the Rector: continued from page 1

Sin abounds in the world, as it has across the stretch of time. Yet despite knowing this in advance, God de-cided to create us all anyway. That was the first act of grace. During Advent and Christmas, we celebrate the start of the second act. When John at the beginning of his Gospel writes about “grace upon grace” ( John 1:16), this is what he means. More than two thousand years ago, a star blazed brightly over Bethlehem. On that night, God decided to be born into his naughty creation, not in a royal mansion, but in a humble stable nestled within a small village that time had seemingly long passed by. The announcement was made not by heralds at the gates of Jerusalem’s holy temple, but by angels over lone-ly shepherds’ fields located at the outer edges of society. That humble birth foreshadowed the loving nature of God’s purpose. The words immediately following that most famous verse of John 3:16 sum it up succinctly: “For God sent his Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.” All that followed in the life of the savior born that night was an unfurling of God’s redemptive grace. In the words that he preached, the gifts that he gave, and the life that he laid down, he showed us the way back home to our heavenly Father. He revealed to us that right is not by our might, but by the power of God’s Spirit. If there is to be any progress in the world, if we are to be “progressives” in the deeper sense of that word, then the story whose tale begins during Advent and Christmas is the one we must all embrace. It is the one we must teach our children, and our children’s children, down through the generations. For the loving God who created us seeks to welcome back home all his naughty prodigals, as well as all those who are too proud to come in from the fields to be reconciled to their wayward brother or sister. Sadly, I find none of this message of Christmas hope and joy within the elf storybook being read to many children across our nation during these sacred seasons. In fact, if I had to choose between the two for my family, I’d buy “Mensch on a Bench,” since at least the “Mensch” is a rabbi who retells to the children the religious story of God’s redemptive grace to his people at Hanukkah.

But since St. Nicholas was a bishop and his helpers were deacons, I have a proposal for any young entrepre-neur reading these words: go on to “Shark Tank” and pitch a product for next Christmas called “Deacon on a Beacon.” The “beacon,” of course, is the lantern of light that shines forth the news of Christ’s birth. While I’m not hopeful that the Sharks would go for it - for the very notion of needing a heavenly sav-ior cuts across the business world’s defining image of the self-made millionaire - I’ll throw the idea out there for any reader to use. I only ask that if the deal goes through, when you sign your commitment card, cut Po-hick Church in for ten percent! In the meantime, it’s up to the rest of us to let that light of Christ shine within our homes to our children, as well as to the communities that surround us - indeed, to all the world. We must be the Deacons on the Bea-cons, Santa’s true helpers - ones who don’t report back to him whether we’re naughty or nice, but announce to the world how at Christmastime we can begin the journey from the dreary depths of naughtiness to the starry heights of salvation through placing our faith in the saving deeds of that holy child born on Christmas eve, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Christian EduCationFrances Sessums, Director of Christian Education

The annual Christmas Pageant, “The Gift,” will be held on December 13 following the 10:00 am service in the Church. A reception will follow in the Common Room. Once again, Jim From is doing a wonderful job of directing the Pageant. Mike Elston is assisting him. Jim has been working hard with the students and staff. All of the church school students play a part in the pageant. The preschoolers through sixth graders are working hard on their parts and songs. The seventh and eighth grad-ers are writing and practicing the introduction while the senior high students are coaches, stage crew, or ushers. Please plan to attend this wonderful event! On the day of the pageant, Preschool, Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade students who are participating in the pageant should be in their classrooms before the church service begins. The Stable animals, 5th & 6th, and Junior High students should be in the Common Room prior to the start of Church.

Pohick Episcopal Church December 2015 •

From The Assistant RectorThe ReverendDr. Ruth E. Correll, Ed.D.

doping rEligionsand thE rEmEdy of advEnt

At the time I was writing this article in mid-No-vember, NPR-WETA was reporting the large scale use of PED (performance-enhancing drugs). When this violation has been discovered, the IOC (International Olympic Committee) has stripped Olympic athletes, including our own USA athletes, of their medals. The news reporter mentioned several sports that are “un-raveling” because official have failed to reveal to the IAAC (International Association of Athletics Federa-tions) breaches within their own sports organizations. However, uncovering systemic state supported PED in Russia has made these violations acutely odi-ous. They swindle millions of spectators and superb athletes in contests that represent years of strenuous training. They defraud the financial investments of participants, fans, and sponsors. Such breaches even cast a shadow of suspicion over the reputations of honest trainees and coaches. There are no quick fixes to doping sports since PED are used months before the contest to strengthen endurance during training. “Everybody’s doing it” fails to cut muster. So why am I writing about something so far from my area of expertise? The report made me wonder what an international code of rules and penalties for violations in religions might look like. Certainly re-ligions, with atheism and secularism on the list of faith groups, have done their share of swindling and defrauding that have cast shadows of suspicion over populations for centuries. Even more insidious, fund-raising schemes and false practices are only the tip of the iceberg of religious PED “profit-enhancing de-bacles” that cheat trusting adherents and make money for unscrupulous religious officials and their institu-tions. Often the invisible nature of religious claims and the hidden qualities of spiritual life require time and patience to discern their authenticity, no matter how respectable their sponsored institutions and charitable works may seem. Some groups finally unravel because of dishonesty while others continue to thrive despite

their wobbly assertions. At stake are the non-empir-ical but foundational virtues of faith, hope, and love. Even life itself is at risk. Case in point: the terrorist attacks on Friday the thirteenth of November in Paris turned the news me-dia from PED scandals to terrorist acts in the name of religion. Within hours, various Muslim leaders is-sued denunciations of the atrocity and declared that ISIS is not Islam. Thank you! The world needs to hear that message loud and clear, and to witness commen-surable action. Here is the good news that Advent heralds: God has visited this earth in history. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to be with us. He made the invisible reality of God’s character and actions empirically ob-servable. Jesus exposed religious shenanigans to his dying day and his Resurrection has unseated the Fa-ther of Lies. Advent anticipates the day when Christ shall return to set all things straight with truth, justice, and mercy. Advent calls us to look and live. Folks, we live in a world where we can no longer give scant attention to our faith commitments. Despite efforts to relativize all belief systems, religions still do compete for the loyalty of their followers. Thankfully, we live in a nation that grants freedom of worship and freedom for conversion to another faith community. If there is a better way, and, dare I say it, a better object of faith, we need to commit to it for God’s sake and for the sake of the world God loves.

JaCkson-fEildSanta brings gifts for children at Christmas, right? Not so for many young residents of Jackson-Feild Homes in Jarratt and Richmond. Begun as an Episcopal orphanage for girls in 1855, Jackson Feild now serves at-risk girls and boys ages 13-18 with shelter, education, counseling and vocational training. Again this year, the Ann Mason Guild hopes to help at least 15 young people have a Mer-ry Christmas. Pohick parishioners have been ex-tremely generous in the past in helping make this possible. Please consider supporting these young people by writing a check to Ann Mason Guild, with Jackson-Feild on the memo line. Contribu-tions can be put in an alms bag or in Ann Mason mailbox in the office. Questions? Call Anne Poad, 703-455-1616.


Who arE WE?His family moved the first piano into

the Wyoming territory (by wagon train).He ran into Wolfman Jack -

literally ran into him - at Reagan Airport.“We met because he needed an olive for a martini.”

“Our best man is a former memberof the Grateful Dead.”

“Living in Alaska the first year of marriagethere were no in-law problems!”

We Are Pohickians!

musiC notEsLinda Egan, Minister of Music

This Advent and Christmastide, we will sing the Lord’s Prayer during the service instead of saying it. The tune can be found at S-119 in The Hymnal 1982, the blue hymnal we sing from each week. Music that begins with S in that book refers to service music. The tune is a simple plainsong melody, sometimes known as Gregorian chant, which uses only five differ-ent pitches. It is a tune traditionally associated with the Great Thanksgiving, or anaphora, and so is called an ana-phoric chant. It is thus appropriate to the Lord’s Prayer, which comes at the end of the Great Thanksgiving. Charles Winfred Douglas adapted the melody for use with the English language. Of Douglas’ many ac-complishments as musician, composer, priest, and schol-ar of the liturgy, his music directorship of the Commu-nity of St. Mary, an Episcopal Benedictine convent in Peeksill, NY, from 1906-1944, gave him the opportunity to explore the use of plainsong in the daily liturgy. He translated the Latin texts of many hymns and pieces of service music into English and fit the English to the notes of the plainsong chants traditionally used with the texts. Much of the music dates from as far back as the 7th century. Through his study at the Abbey of Solesmes in France, known worldwide for its beautiful and long tra-dition of plainsong singing, he was able to introduce to the convent, and later to the Episcopal Church, through his editing of The Hymnal 1916 and The Hymnal 1940, the wonder and joy of plainsong singing as a devotional practice. Many of the plainsong hymns we love today are the result of his work. It’s hard to imagine Christmas with-out #82 “Of the Father’s love begotten,” or Good Friday without #159 “At the cross her vigil keeping,” or commu-nion at any time of year without #314 “Humbly I adore thee.” This Advent we have the opportunity to discover how singing the Lord’s Prayer can focus and deepen our worship at the end of the Great Thanksgiving, which is the highest and holiest time in the Eucharist. Our Service of Lessons and Carols is Sunday, De-cember 20, at 10:00 am. The service calls us to hear “the story of God’s loving purpose from the time of our rebel-lion against him until the glorious redemption brought to us by his holy Child Jesus,” and to “make this place glad with our carols and praise.”

We will all sing Advent and Christmas carols and hymns; the bell choir will ring as we sing the opening and closing carols; the Choir of Pohick will sing an anthem, “Wondrous majesty” by David Ashley White, written in 2014; and we will sing the Magnificat to a familiar chant tune. Our celebration of “the glorious redemption” will be summarized in Charles Wesley’s hymn on the pur-pose of the incarnation, “Hark! the herald angels sing.” Christmas Eve at 6:00 pm the St. Francis and the St. Cecelia St. Alban Choirs will lead a service filled with familiar carols, joyous prayers, and anthems by the two choirs: “God’s own Son in a manger lay,” “Holy manger,” and “Medieval Gloria.” At 10:30 pm, the Carol Service will be led by the Choir of Pohick, the Early Church Music Ensemble, and bell ringers from the Pohick Bell Choir. The mem-bers of the brass quartet which accompanies the carols and plays many of its own have something in common: they are all members of the President’s Own, the Marine Band! During the Carol Service, the anthem will be “I heard the bells on Christmas Day,” arranged for piano and choir by Denis Moreen, with handbells arranged by Don Brownlee. Soprano Gloria Jackson will sing a special Christmas Eve solo. During the Christ Mass at 11:00 pm, the offertory anthem will be Handel’s “And the glory of the Lord.” During the Eucharist, the Early Church Music Ensemble will sing the Spanish carol “Riu, riu chiu,” with baritone Jeff Parker as soloist. We will all sing Christmas carols throughout the services. On the last Sunday of December, the Pohick Bell Choir will ring “In the bleak midwinter” in an arrange-ment combined with “He is born.” More carols will be sung by all of us as we celebrate Christmastide. And the Choir of Pohick will sing the early American “Shep-herd’s Carol,” by Billings.

Pohick Episcopal Church

Every Sunday at Pohick Church “[w]e pray for peace in the Middle East, especially for the church in… Iraq.” This petition remains as poignant as it has been since 2003 after the fall of Saddam Hussein and the ethnic and reli-gious persecution it unleashed. What the post-Gulf War chaos did not accomplish in attempting to extinguish the historic Christian communities in Iraq, the advance of the Islamic State (ISIS) in the last two years continues with more ferocity. Iraq has historically been the home of ancient as well as more modern Christian churches/denominations. In the recent past, the majority of the Christians have been the Catholic-linked Chaldean Church, but the Assyrian Church of the East was always significant. The latter traced its roots, according to tradition, back to three apostles of Christ in Mesopotamia: St. Thomas, St. Thaddeus and St. Bartholomew. Other Eastern churches such as the Arme-nian Apostolic and Syrian Orthodox Church as well as a small number of Anglicans and other Protestants could also claim a home in the modern Iraq. While numbers are difficult to find, the great majority of Iraq’s estimated 1.5 million Christians in 2003 at Sad-dam’s ouster have probably fled their homes, either to the Kurdish enclave in northern Iraq, or overseas. Many who fled to Syria have been pressed further on by that conflict. One other estimate held that at least 400,000 Assyrians fled Iraq between 2003 and 2009. These numbers are cer-tainly only general estimates, but they clearly illustrate a decimation of the Iraq Christian population. With the rise of the Islamic State in 2014, Christians have faced an even increased threat, leading to more human death and the destruction of churches as well as Christian culture and symbols. As ISIS forces swept across north-ern and central Iraq, the June 2014 ISIS occupation of the northern Iraqi city of Mosul forced 100,000 Christians to flee the city overnight. ISIS gave this minority population the nominal options of converting, paying an exorbitant fee, or fleeing (or simply being executed). Shortly thereaf-ter, in August 2014 ISIS overran Qaraqosh, Iraq’s largest Christian city. Qaraqosh was an historic Assyrian town of 50,000 people, approximately 20 miles southeast of Mosul. While not a large town, it symbolically showed the ‘victory’ or ISIS over the minority religion. Elsewhere, the fate of the Christians in northern Iraq under ISIS and outside the Kurdish areas, compares to that in Syria under ISIS. One might ask what this intense, and long-enduring oppression spells for the future of the Christian communi-

ties in Iraq. Certainly, the Iraqi government has not been able to quickly meet the ISIS scourge and the international community only plays a small role. Nevertheless, I remain optimistic by thinking back to experiences during my 2008 deployment in Iraq. A few of us held a weekly Bible study and one of our translators, who we only knew by the name “Senior” often joined us. He as well as his son had con-verted to Christianity from Sunni Islam. Most of the rest of his family abandoned him because of this step, but he remained committed. I also met several Iraqi-American Christian translators who worked for the US military be-cause they wanted to do something for their land of birth. While these are only my limited experiences, I believe that this dedication foretells a perhaps promising future for the Christian communities in Iraq which want to remain. While the communities are small, they still hang on and want to reclaim their place and “will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which [they] are suffering.”

thE pErsECution CornErBy Bob Munson

Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faithin all the persecutions and trials you are enduring. All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right,

and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. 2 Thessalonians 1: 4-5 (NIV)

December 2015 •

nEW hopE housingChristmas gifts & dinnEr party

Pohick supports children in the New Hope Hous-ing organization by providing them with holiday gifts. The tags for these children may be found on the FAB-RIC Christmas Tree that is hanging on the partition between the Annex and the Common Room. These tags have the child’s age and the particular item they are hoping Santa will bring them. Please take the cho-sen tag(s), buy the designated item, and return UN-WRAPPED with the gift tag taped to the gift or bag. These items must be returned to Church by Sunday, December 6.

On Monday, December 7 at 6:00 pm, Pohick will host the Christmas Dinner Party for the individuals and families of New Hope Housing. On the bulle-tin board at the bottom of the stairs near the Annex, please find a poster listing all the food needed for the evening - please sign-up to contribute.

Volunteers are needed on Monday afternoon to set-up the room, decorate, and prepare food for the evening. Help is also needed during the party with the food, conversing with the guests, and with clean-up. Contacts are Edwardene Pitcock, [email protected], or Connie Myers, [email protected].


updatE on issuEs in thE angliCan CommunionDon Brownlee, Co-chair, Policy and Planning Commission

This monthly report is part of the Vestry’s ongoing effort to in-form and update the Parish about the ongoing controversies within The Episcopal Church (TEC) and the Anglican Communion. These controversies largely involve the blessing of same-sex unions, ordi-nation of non-celibate homosexuals, interpretation of Scripture, and breakdown of traditional boundary lines between Provinces. The tenth term Church of England’s General Synod held its inaugural sitting in mid-November, with both Queen Elizabeth II and the Preacher to the Papal Household stressing unity in Christ. “At the beginning of this new Synod,” the Queen said, “as you put your hand into the hand of God, my prayer is that, as we sang in that joyous hymn this morning, ‘His glorious light may shine ever on our sight, and clothe us round, the while our path illuming.’ “ She noted that the previous Synod “will be particularly re-membered for the way in which, after prolonged reflection and conversation, even in the midst of deep disagreements, it was able to approve the legislation to enable women to be consecrated as bishops. “This new Synod too will have to grapple with the difficult issues confronting our Church and our world. On some of these there will be many different views” – a reference to upcoming debates over whether to approve blessing in some way of same-sex marriages, and whether to allow ordination of non-celibate homosexuals. The Queen quoted St. Paul to say that all Christians “as am-bassadors for Christ, are entrusted with the ministry of recon-

ciliation. Spreading God’s word and the onerous but rewarding task of peace-making and conflict reso-lution are important parts of that ministry.”

“So too is the Church of England’s particular vocation to work in part-nership with those of

other faiths and none, to serve the common good in this land.” Noting the upcoming meeting of the Primates of the An-glican Communion to discuss possible changes in its structures, and in relationships among its provinces, she said, “I am sure that members of the Synod will pray earnestly that the gathering in January of the Primates of the Anglican Communion will be a time when, together, they may know what is God’s will.” The synod’s inaugural session was preceded by a Eucharist at Westminster Abbey. The sermon was given by Father Raniero Cantalamessa, the Preacher to the Papal Household. He noted the upcoming 500th anniversary of the Reformation, and said, “It is vital for the whole Church that this opportunity is not wasted by people remaining prisoners of the past, trying to establish each other’s rights and wrongs,” he said. “Rather, let us take a qualita-tive leap forward, like what happens when the sluice gates of a

river or a canal enable ships to continue to navigate at a higher water level. “The situation has dramatically changed since [Reformation times]. We need to start again with the person of Jesus, humbly helping our contempo-raries to experience a personal encounter with Him. ‘All things were created through him and for him’; Christ is the light of the world, the one who gives meaning and hope to every hu-man life - and the ma-jority of people around us live and die as if He had never existed! How can we be uncon-cerned, and each remain ‘in the comfort of our own well panelled houses’?” He, too acknowledged differences over human sexuality, but said, “We should never allow a moral issue like that of sexuality divide us more than faith in Jesus unites us.” “Unity is not a simple matter. One has to start with the big Churches, those that are well structured, putting together that which unites them, which is vastly more important than what divides them; not imposing uniformity but aiming at what pope Francis calls ‘reconciled diversities’. Nothing is more important than to fulfil Christ’s heart desire for unity expressed in today’s gospel. In many parts of the world people are killed and churches burned not because they are Catholic, or Anglican, or Pentecos-tals, but because they are Christians. In their eyes we are already one! Let us be one also in our eyes and in the eyes of God. Fr. Cantalamessa added, “The Anglican Church has a special role in all of this. It has often defined itself as a ‘via media’ (a Middle Way) between Roman Catholicism and Reformed Chris-tianity. From being a ‘via media’ in a static sense, it must now become more and more a via media in a dynamic sense, exercising an active function as a bridge between the Churches.” “The presence among you of a priest of the Catholic Church, in circumstances of such special significance, is a sign that some-thing of the kind is already happening.” He urged them, as Zerubbabel and Joshua were urged in the day’s Old Testament lesson from Haggai, to take courage. “Take courage, Your Majesty, Sovereign of this nation, courage, Justin, Archbishop of Canterbury, courage Sentamu, Archbishop of York, courage, you bishops, clergy and laity of the Church of England! To work, because I am with you. Says the Lord!” Unlike The Episcopal Church’s triennial General Assembly or our diocesan Annual Council/Annual Convention, the Church of England’s General Synod is elected for a five-year term, and meets two or three times a year. The Queen by law is the Supreme Governor of the Church of England.

Continued on page 7


* * * When the primates gather for that meeting in January, The Episcopal Church will be represented by our new Presiding Bish-op Michael Curry. He was installed as the 27th presiding bishop of The Episcopal Church at a service at the National Cathedral on November 1st. He began by praising the service of outgoing presiding bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori saying “In a time when there is often debate and genuine consternation as to whether courageous, effective leadership is even possible anymore, let the record show that The Episcopal Church has had a leader in Kath-arine Jefferts Schori.” Bp. Curry acknowledged that we live in a complex and dif-ficult time, and life is not easy. “t is an understatement to say that these are not, and will not be, easy times for people of faith. Churches, religious communities and institutions are being pro-foundly challenged. You don’t need me to tell you that.” “But the realistic social critique of Charles Dickens rings true for us even now. “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” “But that’s alright. We follow Jesus. Remember what he said at the Last Supper, just hours before he would be arrested and executed? “In the world ye shall have tribulation; but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” ( John 16:33 KJV) “As that great biblical scholar has said, borrowing from what might be Bobby McFerrin’s paraphrase of Jesus’ words: Don’t worry. Be happy! “God has not given up on the world, and God is not finished with The Episcopal Church yet.” He quoted the familiar parable of the Good Samaritan, then said to “imagine the same parable with slightly different charac-ters. A Christian was walking the road from Jerusalem to Jeri-cho and she fell among thieves. Another Christian came by, but passed on by. Another did the same. And still another follower of Jesus passed on by. A brother or sister who is Muslim came by and stopped and saw her in need and helped her. Imagine. Who is the neighbor?” “It could be a young black or Hispanic youth who is hurt, and a police officer who helps. Or the police officer hurting and the youth who helps. Imagine. “Do you see where Jesus is going? He’s talking about turning this world upside down. He concluded, “The Spirit has done evangelism and recon-ciliation work through us before. And the Spirit of God can do it again, in new ways, now beyond the doors of our church build-ings, out in the world, in the sanctuary of the streets, in our 21st-century Galilee where the Risen Christ has already gone ahead of us. “Yes, the way of God’s love turns our world upside down. But that’s really right side up. And in that way, the nightmare of this world will be transfigured into the very dream of God for human-ity and all creation. “My brothers and sisters, God has not given up on God’s world. And God is not finished with The Episcopal Church yet. “God has work for us to do.

Update on Issues in the Anglican Communion,continued from page 6

“Jesus has work for us to do and it’s the Jesus Movement. “So don’t worry. Be happy!”

* * *Elsewhere: • The St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Richmond has begun removing the Con-federate battle flag and other symbols of the Confederacy from on and within its walls. The decision came after a period of discern-ment that included two “prayerful conver-sations” among members of the parish. St. Paul’s is sometimes referred to as “The Cathedral of the Confederacy.” Rob-ert and Mary Lee worshiped there during the Civil War, and Jef-ferson Davis became a member in 1862. Famously, Davis was at services there April 2, 1865 when he received word that Lee could no longer defend Richmond against Union troops. He left the service and fled the city. A plaque noting that historic event will remain. The church said in a statement,“While the Vestry does not believe that St. Paul’s should attempt to remove all symbols re-flecting St. Paul’s past during the Civil War, the Vestry is united in agreement that it is not appropriate to display the Confederate battle flag in the church.” The needlepoint kneelers bearing the flag have already been removed from the sanctuary, and church’s coat of arms will be retired. The two plaques on opposite walls of the sanctuary hon-oring Lee and Davis will be removed and placed in an exhibit somewhere else in the church campus, as will a plaque installed in 1961 memorializing Confederate soldiers. Stained glass windows depicting Lee and Davis as biblical figures will remain. • In the Diocese of Southwestern Virginia, a majority of the Vestry of R. E. Lee Memorial Church in Lexington voted to re-move Lee from the church’s name. But the 9-6 vote fell one vote short of the supermajority needed to approve changing the name. The church was founded in 1840, and called Grace Church when Lee arrived in Lexington in September, 1865 to assume the pres-idency of Washington College, now Washington and Lee. He joined the church as its senior warden, and worshiped there until his death in 1870. The name was changed to “R. E. Lee Memorial Church” in 1903, through no records can be found as to the exact circumstances on any debate about it. The vote came after a five-month discernment. The Vestry did agree to add “Episcopal” to the church’s official name, and place a new sign that add the phrase “Founded as Grace Church” to the name. The 78 General Convention this summer passed a resolution which said display of the Confederate battle flag in churches was “at odds with a faithful witness to the reconciling love of Jesus Christ,” and urged individuals, governmental bodies and churches to stop displaying it.

It is important to remember that despite all these controversies, the work of the Church - globally, nationally, and locally - goes on. As Bp. Susan observed, we consciously refuse to be a “museum church.” Our Stewardship Commission continues to remind us of the ways we at Pohick carry out that work, and spread the good News. We continue to “be the only Bible some people will ever read.” Through youth mission trips, food donations to LCAC, donations of school supplies and backpacks, the Gunston School tutoring program, and the Community of Hope, Pohick continues to “leak the love of God” to those in need.


Let me open this month’s Stewardship Corner by answering that question: I have no idea how we did. That’s because you’re reading this about 10 days after Stewardship Sunday and I’m writing it a full week in advance of that event. It all has to do with deadlines. Instead, let me take the opportunity to thank some people, starting with my committee who put up with helping me develop and proof all those bulletin Stew-ardship Perspectives, offered advice on various issues like how we might spend an increase in giving, put together the two activities fairs, and of course, helped put together all those pledge packets. Forty five min-utes has to be a record! I’d like to thank Mike Morgan who patiently an-swered dozens of questions, provided us with numbers and ideas, did much of the printing, and ordered most of the supplies we used. His assistance was invalu-able. Thanks also to our priests, Don and Ruth, who patiently reviewed much of what I wrote and offered suggestions to keep me out of heresy territory while still giving me wide latitudes. Thanks to the leadership of the various ministries we highlighted over the past nine months, and espe-cially to those who wrote the articles themselves, es-sentially giving me a week off. By the way, if we didn’t get to your ministry and you’d like it highlighted, send me an email or see me at coffee hour. Thanks to our treasurer, John Pasour who was a sounding board for me and who stayed in town to do the first stewardship talk in spite of the death of his mom. Thanks to Susan Hayward-Costa and Lori Buckius for occasionally cutting me some slack in get-ting things into the Post and the bulletin even when they arrived just a bit late. Thanks also to Carmel Hodge who performed her wizardry in putting to-gether the brochure. Finally, thanks to all the parishioners of Pohick who represent the true “saints-of-God” on a daily and weekly basis; who give selflessly of their time, talent and treasure to make Pohick and our community a better place; and who read my musings. Stay tuned for the January Post where we’ll try again to answer the “how’d-we-do” question.

stEWardship CornErso, hoW’d WE do?

By Fuzzy ThurstonthE martha guildConnie Myers

musiC sChEdulE • dECEmbEr 2015Sunday, December 6 • Second Sunday of Advent9:00 am Choir of Pohick, St. Cecelia St. Alban Choir11:15 am Gloria Jackson, soprano

Sunday, December 13 • Third Sunday of Advent10:00 am Choir of Pohick, St. Francis Choir, Early Church Music Ensemble

Sunday, December 20 • Fourth Sunday of Advent10:00 am Service of Lessons and CarolsChoir of Pohick, Pohick Bell Choir

Thursday, December 24 • Christmas Eve6:00 pm St. Francis Choir, St. Cecelia St. Alban Choir10:30 pm Carol Service and 11:00 pm Christ MassChoir of Pohick, Early Church Music Ensemble and Brass Quartet from the Marine Band

Sunday, December 27 • First Sunday after Christmas Day10:00 am Choir of Pohick

• Warm-up rehearsals for Pohick musicians for 10:00 am services are at 9:00 am. Christmas Eve warm-up rehearsals: 5:00 pm St. Cecelia St. Alban Choir; 5:30 pm St. Francis Choir; 9:15 pm Choir of Pohick and Early Church Music Ensemble.

The Martha Guild will be going out to dinner for the December 2 meeting. Check the Sunday bulletins for the specifics for time and place. All women of the Church are cordially invited to attend. Any questions, contact Connie Myers, 703-455-4652. Send News!

Articles for the January 2016 Pohick Post are due no later than December 15. Forward input by email in Word

compatible format to Lori Buckius, [email protected] concerns & items for the Sunday

Service Volunteers page should be addressedto Carmel Hodge, [email protected].


Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday SaturdayNOV 29 30 DEC 1 2 3 4 5Advent 1c7:45a HE I9a HE II10:15a Christian Ed11:15a HE I/II

7p EFM/VH 9:30a Staff Mtg4:30p Dove Board Mtg

10a CD Center-piece/Setup2p HE, the Fairfax6p COH/COC6p St. Cecelia St. Alban Choir6p St. Francis Choir7:30p Blue Christ-mas w/COH

10a CD Center-piece/Setup6:15p Bell Choir7p Boy Scouts7:30p Choir of Pohick8:30p AA

10a Candle-light Dinner Setup

8a Brotherhood of St. Andrew1p Docent Tour6p Candlelight Dinner

6 7 8 9 10 11 12Advent 2c7:45a HE I9a HE II10:15a Christian Ed11:15a HE I/II12:15p Vestry Forum2p Baby Shower6p EYC Dinner

New Hope Dinner Party6p COC/COH7p EFM

9:30a Ann Ma-son Guild Mtg9:30a Staff Mtg7:30p Vestry

2p HE, the Fairfax6p Alpha6p St. Cecelia St. Alban Choir6p St. Francis Choir7:30p Healing Service

6:15p Bell Choir7p Boy Scouts7:30p Choir of Pohick8:30p AA

10a Break-fast w/Santa Setup

8a Brotherhood of St. Andrew10a Breakfast w/Santa/LCAC

13 14 15 16 17 18 19Advent 3c8a HE I10a HE II11:15a Christmas Pageant5p EYC Christmas Party

7p EFM 9:30a Staff Mtg

Pohick Post Deadline

2p HE, the Fairfax6p Alpha6p St. Cecelia St. Alban Choir6p St. Francis Choir7:30p Healing Service

6:15p Bell Choir7p Boy Scouts7:30p Choir of Pohick8:30p AA

8a Brotherhood of St. Andrew

20 21 22 23 24 25 26Advent 4c8a HE I9a Jewelry Fund-raiser10a Lessons & Carols

7p EFM 9:30a Staff Mtg 2p HE, the Fairfax7:30p Healing Service

Office Closed6p Family Eu-charist8:30p AA10:30p Carol Service11p Festival Eucharist

Office Closed10a HE II

8a Brotherhood of St. Andrew

27 28 29 30 31 JAN 1 2Christmas 1c8a HE I10a HE II

Office Closed7p EFM8p Sheffield Rec HOA

9:30a Staff Mtg 2p HE, the Fairfax7:30p Healing Service

Office Closed8:30p AA

Office Closed 8a Brotherhood of St. Andrew1p Docent Tour

Pohick Church Activities • December 2015

Contact the Parish Secretary, Susan Hayward-Costa, to list group meetings or events on the calendar, [email protected].

Christmas martTo ALL the wonderful ladies who worked so hard on making the 56th Annual Christmas Mart another successful event - THANK YOU! Thanks to all in the congregation who made donations of Baked Goods, Frozen Casseroles, Attic Treasures, Jewelry or crafts, as well as their time. To the wonderful men who helped with “rearranging” of the furniture, during set-up and clean-up - another hardy THANK YOU! The profits from the Christmas Mart are divided between the Ann Mason Guild, Martha Guild, and Women of the Church, and will be used by these groups as they continue to support efforts within the Church, as well as Outreach programs in the community.


The Sunday Service Volunteers Schedule is also available at Pohick Church’s website, www.pohick.org, under “Ministries.”

SUNDAY SERVICE VOLUNTEERS6 DECEMBER 13 DECEMBER 20 DECEMBER 27 DECEMBER 3 JANUARY

7:45 Tony MarsicoRodger Jones

Alan MayberryBecky Wagner

Stew RemalyMike Vaughn

Rodger JonesBecky Wagner

Tony MarsicoAlan Mayberry

9:00 Chris BrownJim FosterJan HoffheinsHal Yarwood

10:00 Dan DerbesBrent GoellerAngela EdgemonSteve Edgemon

10:00 Rick NelsonSandra CaesarDru HodgesBill Patton

10:00 Tom BlandDon CookeGrant HodgesPaul Walden

Mo FaberKathy KirklandDennis MyersJohn Pasour

11:15 Bill BlandHank Foresman

Dave BillingsleyRita Smith

7:00 C. Herbert C. Cockroft TBD TBD TBD

1:00 H. Parker D. Derbes TBD TBD TBD

12:15 Faber/Hoffheins M/M Thurston TBD TBD TBD

AM BJ McPhersonA. Powell, J. SchmidM. TonkinD. TrussellE. PitcockA. MarsicoM. Yezek

J. SunderlandN. BireleyA. CannonC. HeddlestonJ. MacDonaldM. HartigR. Teale, B. Wagner

J. SunderlandN. BireleyA. CannonC. HeddlestonJ. MacDonaldM. HartigR. Teale, B. Wagner

J. WellsN. SageC. FosterJ. GeschickterJ. MullinsH. ParkerR. Stankwitz

J. WellsN. SageC. FosterJ. GeschickterJ. MullinsH. ParkerR. Stankwitz

7:45 Stew Remaly Edie Bartlett Riat Stankwitz M/M Sam Biddlecomb Judy Byrne

9:00 M/M Bob Armstrong M/M Chris Brown B. Bland/K. Girten M/M Tom Bland M/M Mason Botts

11:15 C. Hodge Leslie Aqueron Lynn Jonas Mohammed Kanu Paul Walden

7:45 Sunderland (P)Rickenbaker (R)

8:00 Elston (R)Pasour (P)

Marsico (P)Sunderland (R)

8:00 Nelson (R)Foresman (P)

TBD

9:00 M. Harding (P)S. Harding (R)

10:00 Heddleston (R)Nelson (P)

Lessons &Carols

10:00 Gastrell (P)Ayorinde (R)

TBD

11:15 Elston (P)Choi (R)

TBD

OPEN - UP

LOCK - UP

TELLERS

ALTAR GUILD

USHERS

GREETERS

LAY READERS

Join The Celebration At PohickSunday, December 13 • 8:00 am and 10:00 am: Holy Eucharist • 11:15 am Christmas Pageant

Sunday, December 20 • 8:00 am: Holy Eucharist • 10:00 am: Lessons and CarolsChristmas Eve, Thursday, December 24 • 6:00 pm: Family Holy Eucharist • 10:30 pm: Carol Service

11:00 pm: Festival Holy EucharistChristmas Day, Friday, December 25 • 10:00 am: Holy Eucharist

Sunday, December 27 • 8:00 am and 10:00 am: Holy Eucharist


goldEn dovE gift shopEnd of Summer Display in Common Room

Thanks to all who made purchases from the dis-play, and also in the shop. All proceeds go to the church for outreach and other needs. Visit the Golden Dove Gift Shop on Sunday mornings, during docent tours, and other special events.

Regular Hours:Sundays 8:00 am - 9:15 am and 10:15 am - 11:00 am

THE GOLDEN DOVE WILL HAVEA SPECIAL DISPLAY IN THE COMMON

ROOM AGAIN DURING DECEMBER.Note the date and times in upcoming bulletins.

Become a Golden Dove volunteer - one hour shift only one Sunday a month. Training provided.

Join the team by contacting Pamela Nelson [email protected] or 703-932-3378.

lCaC Christmasgifts & food baskEts

Pohick is continuing outreach to LCAC by pro-viding Christmas gifts and food to those in the area that are less fortunate. On the artificial tree in the Common Room by the glass doors, please find gift tags for children with the desired item. Take the tag(s) of choice, buy the designated item, and return UN-WRAPPED with the gift tag taped to the gift or bag. To ensure these families have food for the holi-days, the following is a list of the items needed for the Holiday Food Baskets:2 cans each: green beans, peas, corn (low sodium if possible)1 pound bag of rice2 cans of fruit1 – 6oz box of stuffing (no bags)1 bottle of Canola oil1 brownie mix or cake mix with frosting2 boxes of pasta1 container of pasta sauce1 large box of cereal (18oz or larger)3 – 10 3/4 oz cans of soup (no broth)$20 gift card (if possible) to Shoppers or Food Lion Both the gifts and the food baskets must be brought to the Common Room by Saturday, Decem-ber 19 at 11:00 am. At that time, these items will be delivered to LCAC. If for some reason the 11:00 am deadline at Pohick is missed, please deliver the gifts and/or food to the Moose Lodge, 9612 Fernedge Lane, Lorton, off Route 1 after the Lorton Library but before Gunston Road, between the hours of 11:00 am and 3:00 pm. Thanks for the continued support of Pohick’s Outreach programs. Contact Edwardene Pitcock, [email protected], or Connie Myers, [email protected] with questions. Gift cards for either the gifts or the food may be given to Edwardene or Connie.

Warm Coat outrEaCh proJECt For some it may be hard to imagine, but when the temperature gets colder, some families need to make a choice between paying their utility bill and purchas-ing a warm coat for their growing child. Help keep families warm this winter by donating clean, used coats to help families right here in southeastern Fair-fax County! It is estimated that over 500 coats will be needed to meet their needs. To help those in need, Pohick Church is having a “Coat Drive” to assist LCAC with providing clean, gently used coats or new ones for the upcoming cold weather. Coats of all sizes, especially children and larger-sized adult coats, are needed. Gloves, mittens, scarves, or hats are also welcomed. Clean out the closet and consider bringing in ‘outgrown’ coats for LCAC. In addition, there will be a collection of coats, gloves, mittens, scarves, and hats from now through Sunday, December 6, when they will be delivered to LCAC. Bring donations to the Common Room and place them on the table in the back corner near the closets. Thanks in advance for continued support of outreach projects! Any questions, contact Edwardene Pitcock, [email protected], or Connie Myers, [email protected].

Pohick Church9301 Richmond HighwayLorton, Virginia 22079-1519

Return Service Requested

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

P A I DPermit No. 2Lorton, VA

The Purpose of Pohick Church is to be a nourishing community where Christ’s love is experienced and taken beyond its walls.

Pohick Church Staff

Rector:

The R

ev’d Donald

Binder, PhD

Assistant: Th

e Rev’d D

r. Ruth

E

. Correll, E

d.D.

Seminarian:

James R

ickenbakerM

inister of Music:

Linda Egan

Director of

Christian Ed: Frances Sessum

sYouth M

inister: R

usty BoothParish Secretary:

Susan Hayward-C

ostaFinance Adm

in: M

ike Morgan

Sexton: John Sessum

s

Telephone: 703-339-6572 • Fax: 703-339-9884C

hurch Offi

ce Em

ail: [email protected] • W

eb Site: www.pohick.org

Pohick Church Vestry

Sr. Warden:

Reed H

eddlestonJr. W

arden: C

lint Herbert

Treasurer: John Pasour

Register:

Don Brownlee

Mem

bers: A

manda C

hoi,

Caroline C

ockroft,

Fred Crawford,

D

an Derbes, H

elen Parker,

Edwardene Pitcock,

Z

ach Smith, Fuzzy Th

urston,

Russ W

yllie

VE

ST

RY

• G

RA

M

To: The Vestry

Date: _____________________ Subject: _____________________

From:

pohick post, december 2015

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