POHICKPOSTLet your light so shine (Matt. 5:16) NOVEMBER 2010 Pohick Episcopal Church 9301 Richmond Highway • Lorton, VA 22079 elephone: 703-339-6572 • Fax: 703-339-9884 From Te RectorTe Reverend Donald D. Binder, PhD Continued on page 2 Recently, I paid a visit to the Smithsonian’s Ameri- can Art Museum in order to see a special exhibit oseveral dozen Norman Rockwell paintings and sketches. Tese come, interestingly enough, rom the collections oGeorge Lucas and Steven Spielberg. It turns out that the two Hollywood directors inde- pendently nurtured a great love oRockwell’s work, largely because ohis genius in telling a story in a sin- gle rame. Tat, ocourse, is akin to the director’s taskwhen shooting a lm. One oSteven Spielberg’s avorite Rockwell paintings is entitled “Te Diving Board.” It depicts a young lad with wide eyes, peering out over the edge oa twenty-oot high dive. Says Spielberg in the accom- panying documentary: “We’re all on diving boards, hundreds otimes during our lives. aking the plunge or pulling back rom the abyss...is something that we must ace. For me, that painting represents every mo- tion picture just beore I commit to directing it - just that one moment, beore I say, ‘Yes, I’m going to di- rect that movie.’ ” In the case o“Schindler’s List,” he added, it took him eleven years beore he decided to take the plunge. Spielberg’s observations here are apt, and especial- ly so or the Christian. Tat’s because Christ’s manychallenges throughout the Gospels are never about sticking your toe into the water. Tey’re about taking a plunge othe high dive. “Iany want to become myollowers,” said Jesus, “let them deny themselves and take up their cross and ollow me” (Matt 16:24). Tere are no hal-measures in that charge, no slowly wading into the water. You must go to the end othe diving board and jump in. Tat’s hard to do. In act, it’s impossible to do con- sistently on our own. As in taking that initial plunge othe high dive, we must make a leap oaith, con- dent that God won’t let us drown ater plunging into the deep. One area where contemporary Christians have a particularly dicult time in making that leap is in the practice otithing - giving a tenth otheir income or sacred purposes. Recent studies have revealed that the median American Christian donates to his or her church each year a mere $200,just over hala percentoater-tax income. And these studies were all done beore the present economic crisis! Obviously , ew churches could eectively minister on such a level ogiving, and so it is ortunate that those on the upper end othe spectrum (the majorityowhom are not particular ly wealthy) are so generous. Still, just ve percent oAmerican Christians provide 60 percent othe money that churches use to oper- ate. As the authors oone recent study write in their bookPassing the Plate: “A small group otruly gener- ous Christian givers are essentially ‘covering’ or the vast majority oChristians who give nothing or quite little.” Tese same authors estimate that committed Christians in the US (dened as those attending
Pohick Episcopal Church9301 Richmond Highway • Lorton, VA 22079
elephone: 703-339-6572 • Fax: 703-339-9884
From Te Rector Te ReverendDonald D. Binder, PhD
Continued on page
R ecently, I paid a visit to the Smithsonian’s Ameri-can Art Museum in order to see a special exhibit
o several dozen Norman Rockwell paintings andsketches. Tese come, interestingly enough, rom thecollections o George Lucas and Steven Spielberg.It turns out that the two Hollywood directors inde-pendently nurtured a great love o Rockwell’s work,largely because o his genius in telling a story in a sin-gle rame. Tat, o course, is akin to the director’s task when shooting a lm.
One o Steven Spielberg’s avorite Rockwellpaintings is entitled “Te Diving Board.” It depicts a young lad with wide eyes, peering out over the edge o a twenty- oot high dive. Says Spielberg in the accom-panying documentary: “We’re all on diving boards,hundreds o times during our lives. aking the plungeor pulling back rom the abyss...is something that we
must ace. For me, that painting represents every mo-tion picture just be ore I commit to directing it - justthat one moment, be ore I say, ‘Yes, I’m going to di-rect that movie.’ ” In the case o “Schindler’s List,” headded, it took him eleven years be ore he decided totake the plunge.
Spielberg’s observations here are apt, and especial-ly so or the Christian. Tat’s because Christ’s many challenges throughout the Gospels are never aboutsticking your toe into the water. Tey’re about takinga plunge o the high dive. “I any want to become my
ollowers,” said Jesus, “let them deny themselves take up their cross and ollow me” (Matt 16:24). Terare no hal -measures in that charge, no slowly wadiinto the water. You must go to the end o the divinboard and jump in.
Tat’s hard to do. In act, it’s impossible to do consistently on our own. As in taking that initial plungo the high dive, we must make a leap o aith, condent that God won’t let us drown a ter plunging intthe deep.
One area where contemporary Christians have particularly di cult time in making that leap is in thpractice o tithing - giving a tenth o their incom
or sacred purposes. Recent studies have revealed tthe median American Christian donates to his or hechurch each year a mere $200, just over hal a perco a ter-tax income . And these studies were all donbe ore the present economic crisis!
Obviously, ew churches could e ectively minion such a level o giving, and so it is ortunate tthose on the upper end o the spectrum (the majorio whom are not particularly wealthy) are so genero
Still, just ve percent o American Christians provi60 percent o the money that churches use to opeate. As the authors o one recent study write in thebook Passing the Plate : “A small group o truly geneous Christian givers are essentially ‘covering’ or vast majority o Christians who give nothing or qulittle.”
Tese same authors estimate that committedChristians in the US (de ned as those attendin
From the Rector: continued rom page 1church at least twice a month) earn some $2.5 trillion dollars every year. Were they to tithe their a ter-tax incothey wouldincrease the amount that churches could use or ministry by a staggering $46 billion. Even i that thas decreased somewhat because o the present economic downturn, the list o outreach ministries and initiathat could be unded by those additional dollars is staggering and would literally trans orm the country.
Te same could be said or the ministries o Pohick Church. While I don’t know the incomes o our parishners or their level o giving, just extrapolating rom these numbers suggests to me that were just our active mbership to tithe their a ter-tax income, our church would be trans ormed. Finance Committee meetings woulbe spent quibbling over a dollar here or a dollar there, trying to make ends meet. Instead, they would be joi visioning sessions with the Vestry about how we could best use a surplus o donations to minister to the spirand temporal needs o a growing community.
Could such a thing actually happen at Pohick Church?Yes, but only i we as individuals and amilies are willing to take the plunge. Te authors o Passing the Pla
observe that one o the reasons that Christians do not give more generously is because they are not asked ithing is seldom a sermon topic, and o ten ministers themselves are not such shining examples o this spirdiscipline.
Well, I’m asking. I’m asking you to join my amily in tithing to the ministries o our church. I’m asking y walk out hand-in-hand to the edge o that diving board and jump in. I have aith enough to say with con dethat God will keep those who do sa e rom drowning. And the splash we’ll together make will be like nothingseen in these parts - ever seen, that is, at least since another group o Pohickians once decided to do the same
Tat was back in 1774.
G od is not o ne
“At least since the rst petals o the counterculture bloomed across Europe and the United States in the 1960’s, it has been ashionable to a rm that all religionsare beauti ul and all are true.”
Tus begins the introduction to Stephen Prothe-ro’s latest book,God is not One . Prothero, author o theNew York imes bestseller Religious Literacy, wrotehis latest book in part as a response to those who read
his dismay at the abysmal lack o religious knowledgein North America and wanted to do something aboutit.
“No one argues that di erent economic systemsor political regimes are one and the same. Capitalismand socialism are so obviously at odds that their di -
erences hardly bear mentioning...Yet scholars contin-ue to claim that religious rivals such as Hinduism andIslam, Judaism and Christianity are, by some miracleo the imagination, essentially the same...”
He says that one reason that we are o ten willing
to believe in what Prothero calls “religious antasieo religious unity” is because we have become unco
ortable with argument. Prothero, a pro essor at Boton University, says that his students are good wit“respect ul” but allergic to “argument” and argues t“the ideal o religious tolerance has morphed into tstraightjacket o religious agreement.”
But the idea o religious tolerance necessarily sumes that we have di erences, and what Prother wants us to do is to learn some o those di erencHe uses a simple our-part approach: Each religiohe says, articulates
a problem,a solutionto this problem,a technique or moving rom the problem
to the solution andan exemplar who chart this path romproblem to solution.Prothero admits that this model is simplistic bu
says that it is a starting point that illuminates important di erences. He then gives an example; in Christianity the problem is sin, in Buddhism it is su erin Te solution in Christianity is salvation, in Buddhismit is nirvana. Are Buddhists trying to achieve salvatihe asks, “o course not, since they don’t believe in s
From Te Assistant Rector Te ReverendLyn Youll Marshall
Are Christians trying to achieve nirvana? “No, sinceor them su ering isn’t something that must be over-
come. In act it might even be a good thing.”How can we possibly know what drives people in
di erent parts o the world i we have ailed to un-derstand even the rudiments o their religion, or eventhe lack thereo , since Prothero also includes a brie chapter on atheism. His other chapters address the world’s main religions, namely Islam, Christianity,Con ucianism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Yoruba religion, Judaism, and aoism.
In his earlier book Religious Literacy, Prothero ex-plained that his brie or religious literacy “proceedson secular grounds, on the theory that Americans arenot equipped or citizenship or, or that matter, cock-tail party conversation without a basic understandingo Christianity and the world’s religions.” Memberso the “spiritual but not religious” camp, which, saysProthero, includes, the likes o Karen Armstrong,“have been obscuring – in the name o compassion-crucial di erences between Buddhism and Christian-ity, Hinduism and Judaism.” Te costs o perpetuatingreligious ignorance” he says “are too high in a worldin which aith moves, i not mountains, then at leastelections and armies...And it puts America at risk to
remain ignorant as a society o the belie s and prac-tices o Buddhists in Sri Lanka, Hindus in Kashmirand Muslims in Iran.”
In one o his introductory courses, Prothero gavea religious literacy quiz to his students. Here’s a sam-ple: (answers below)1. Name the our gospels2. Name a sacred text o Hinduism3. What is the name o the holy book o Islam?4. What are the rst ve books o the Hebrew Bibleor the Christian Old estament?
5. “God helps those who help themselves”: Is this inthe Bible? I so, where?6. Name the Four Noble ruths o Buddhism.7. What are the seven sacraments o Catholicism?8. What is Ramadan? In what religion is itcelebrated?9. Name the en Commandments?
God Is Not One. Te Eight Rival Religions Tat Run the World – and Why Teir Diferences Matter . Stephen Prothe-ro. Harper One. 2010.
Answers1. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. 2. Possibilities include: the Vedas, Brahmanas, Aranyakas, Upanishads, Puranas, Mahabharata,Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana, Yoga Sutras, Laws o
Manu, and the Kama Sutra.3. Quran4. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers,Deuteronomy5. No, this is not in the Bible. Te words areBen Franklin’s.6. Li e is su ering. Su ering has an origin. Su ercan be overcome (nirvana). Te path to overcomingsu ering is the Noble Eight old Path.7. Baptism, Eucharist, Reconciliation/Con essionConfrmation, Marriage, Holy Orders and Anointino the sick.8. Ramadan is a Muslim holiday characterized by month o asting.9. ake a look at the ront o the church!
From the Assistant Rector: continued rom page 2
F rozen C asseroles • C hristmas m art
Frozen Casserole donations are needed orthe Christmas Mart. Tese casseroles usually sell very quickly and all contributions o casserolesoups, stews, and sauces are welcome. Each casse-role should be in an aluminum baking dish, cov-ered with oil, and then placed in a zippered plas-tic bag. Soups, stews, and sauces should be storedin hard plastic containers rather than bags. Oncethe items are prepared, they need to be rozensolid be ore bringing them to the Church on theNovember 15, 16, or 17, and placed in one o thekitchen reezers.
Labels will be made or each item, so oncethe rozen dish has made it to the home reezer,
please send an email to Carol Heintze with thename o the rozen item, a list o ingredients, anthe baking directions. In order to match labels with casseroles, write the contributors name andthe name o the item on a piece o paper, and placeit in the plastic bag. Also, it would be a good ideato put “Christmas Mart” on the package.
Any questions, please contact Carol Heintzeat 703-550-8231 or at [email protected]. Many thanks or all contributions!
s enior W arden ’s r eportStew Remaly,Senior Warden
Hope ully everyone has received their Steward-
ship letters and has prayer ully considered pledging aportion o personal treasure in the service o God andin support o the wonder ul works o the Parish. Tisis the time o year when the Parish li e is in ull swingand the congregation will soon prepare to give thanks
or all the blessings God has bestowed upon this greatnation and individual lives.
As a Parish, Pohick is ortunate to share in Christ’slove by participating in the many ministries, worshipservices and outreach events throughout the year. Po-hick is blessed with a clergy and sta that go the extramile to serve its spiritual needs. Although a challengesometimes to maintain, the buildings and grounds o Pohick are some o the most beauti ul o any in thearea, and the historical Church remains a beacon orthose seeking a place to worship and to share in a re-lationship with God.
It is wonder ul to give personal time and monetary treasure to the greater glory o the Lord. Just imagine what can be accomplished as a Parish i all can givegenerously in His name.
October Vestry Meeting •Met and welcomed Mike Morgan, who has been
hired as Finance Administrator ollowing Pat Osisek’sretirement.
• Reviewed the slate or the upcoming Vestry elec-tion. om Buckner, Mike Elston, Dru Hodges, Teron Jackson, Marlene McCabe, and om Rivenbark haveagreed to stand or election. Additional candidates areneeded. For those interested in serving, please see acurrent Vestry member.
• Approved the reasurer’s Report. Plate andPledge income or September was below the histori-cal range - monthly income as a percentage o theamount budgeted or the year are at the low end o the historic range or the year-to-date. Parishionersare urged to bring and keep their pledges current. Po-hick is acing a signi cant de cit or the year unlessincome reaches pledged levels.
• Discussed e orts to reduce bank ees, and im-prove interest earned, on various banking, savings, andinvestment accounts.
• Reviewed the status o e orts to improve sinage. Continue to work to overcome bureaucratic obstacles that are preventing the Church rom movin
orward.• Continued discussions about the best way to im
prove handicapped access to the Church.For more in ormation see a Vestry member anremember to use the Vestry Gramm or airing cocerns or making recommendations.
Junior W arden ’s r eport Je Parker, Junior Warden
It does not seem possible that this is the penultimate Junior Warden report. ime fies while having
un. Or, should it be time fies when people are busyAnd, this is the busy time o year or Pohick. N
that the Country Fair and all clean-up are in thpast, the congregation can look orward to a seasonthank ulness and celebration.
Te Renovation Committee is hard at work withthe continued project o upgrading the Commoroom and Annex. Next on the agenda are improve
urniture or the annex, upgrade to the electrical, akitchen improvements.
Renovation on the trailers should be complet Te replacement o the outside stairs is an EagScout project, and the EYC has been working on thinterior.
Te next major project is replacing the leaking rooover the oyer to the Parish Hall. Once the leaks astopped, repairs and painting o the oyer can proce Ten the “temporary” blue chairs in the oyer will breplaced.
Tis is the time o year when the property committee is preparing next year’s budget. Tere are two
things that the congregation can do to assist in thbudgeting task. Be sure to keep up to date on la year’s pledge because it is a terrible burden on ne year’s budget to start with a de cit. Also, prayerconsider an increase to the annual pledge. Remember in past years the Church hasoperated with a de cit budget. With a sound budget and proper
nancial support, the congrega-tion can continue to do God’s work at Pohick Church.
C hristian e duCationFrances Sessums,Director of Christian Education
Church School is o to a great start! Seventy-nine
students have registered or Church School. Everyoneis looking orward to a very rewarding and exciting year o working with all the children and youth o Po-hick! Te Church School has 40 wonder ul teachersand sta volunteers. Pohick is truly blessed to havesuch outstanding volunteers!
Once again, Godly Play is being used as the cur-riculum or the Preschoolers through 4th graders, andthe Living the Good News is being used with the 5ththrough 12th grade students. I anyone would like toreview the curriculum, it is available in Frances Ses-sum’s o ce any time.
For students in 5th - 12th grade, who attendChurch School and then the 11:15 am service, please wait in the Common Room until the 9:00 am ser- vice ends be ore going to the trailers. Tis allows theteachers to prepare the classrooms and not end up ina one on one situation with a student, which is againstthe teacher student policy. Tanks or assistance in
this matter. Jim From has volun-
teered to be the Christ-mas Pageant Director this year! Te Pageant will beheld on Sunday, December12 at 4:00 pm. Mark thecalendar now! Te dressrehearsal will be Saturday,
December 11, 10:00 am until 2:00 pm. Tis rehearsalis or Kindergarteners through 8th grade students.
Starting November 14, the 4th, 5th, and 6th gradestudents will be rehearsing during class time. It is
very important that the students who are musiciansor have speaking parts be present every Sunday. I achild must miss a rehearsal, please be sure to let Jim orFrances know. Te preschoolers through third gradestudents will continue with their Godly Play stud-ies and practice their parts during class time. Te 7thand 8th grade students will be writing and rehearsingan introduction or the pageant as well as continuingtheir study o the Sunday’s liturgy during their classtime. Any questions can be directed to Frances Ses-sums at 703-425-2857.
a dvent W reath m akinG
and p otluCk d inner
Pohick’s annual Advent Wreath making will takplace on Sunday, November 21 at 5:00 pm in the Common Room. Te potluck dinner will be at 6:00 pm. Tere will be a sign-up sheet or the materials o thadvent wreaths in the Common Room during co ehour. Tere will be a sample wreath on display as welas a handout or the use o the advent wreath at hom Tese are easy to make and are a meaning ul additioto the home or the observance o the Advent seas Te cost will be $7.00 per wreath, and the price in-cludes everythingneeded to make a wreath. It would
be appreciated i parishioners couldbring additionalgreenery. For thosethat already have the
rame and candleholders, these piec-es can be reused andthe cost can be adjusted accordingly. Tis promises tobe a wonder ul time or ellowship. Any questionsbe directed to Frances Sessums at 425-2857.
t he m artha G uild
Connie Myers
Te Martha Guild will meet on Wednesday, No-
vember 4 in the Common Room Annex at 7:30 pm Te agenda will include a review o the nal detaor the Christmas Mart as well as uture plans or
group. All women o the church are cordially invitto join in the un and ellowship o the group. Aquestions, please contact a member or Connie Myeat 703-455-4652 or at [email protected].
W aitresses n eeded ! WAN ED : gracious waitresses to serve guestsat luncheon on Christmas Mart day, November18. Te lunch seatings are 11:00 am, 12 noon,and 1:00 pm. Colonial costume will be supplied.Please call Anita Stribling, 703-550-0444, assoon as possible!
C eCil FranCes a lexander ,hymnist and poetCecil Frances Alexander was born in Dublin in
1818 and began writing verse at an early age. Her re-ligious thought was infuenced by W. F. Hook, Deano Chichester, whose interest in the education o chil-dren as a duty o society few in the ace o the com-mon practice o the time or long hours o child la-bor each day. She was also subsequently infuenced by John Keble, who edited herHymns or Little Children,published in 1848.
Troughout her li e, she had great devotion to the
religious education o children. She believed that chil-dren should understand the Apostles’ Creed and theduties and devotion o a Christian throughout the li-turgical year. She wrote a hymn or each o the clauseso the Apostles’ Creed and taught them to her Sunday School classes.
Tese include “Once in royal David’s city,” (hymn102) which we sing at Christmas, “Tere is a green hill
ar away,” (hymn 167) which we sing during Lent, and“He is risen, he is risen!” (hymn 180), which we sing atEaster.
m usiC n otesLinda Egan, Minister o Music Ø
“All things bright and beauti-ul” (hymn 405) was written to
illustrate the clause “I believe inGod, the Father Almighty, makero heaven and earth.” In this text
she celebrates the beauty o natureand the joy in creation we have while worshiping the Creator.
She wrote “Jesus call us o’er the tumult” (hym549/550) or adults. She also translated the Lorica St. Patrick into English. We know it as “I bind untomysel today” (hymn 370) which we sing at con rmtion.
She issued Verses or Holy Seasons(1846), and Te Lord o the Forest and his Vassals(1847), an allegory children. Her poem “Te Death o Moses,” published
anonymously, was described by Al red ennysonone o the ew contemporary poems he wished he h written.
She married Rev. William Alexander in 1850. H was appointed bishop o Derry and Raphoe in 186She supported a home or unwed mothers, helped develop a district nurses service, and was known atireless visitor to the poor and sick.
A ter her death in 1895, her husband collecteand edited her poems into one volume:Poems o Late Mrs. Alexander (1896).
I WOULD LIKE O MAKE A DONA ION OWARDS HEPOINSE IAS AND GREENS HA DECORA E HE CHURCH A CHRIS MAS IME.
Given By:_____________________________________________________________________________In Memory or Tanksgiving: (Written the way you wish it to appear in the Christmas Bulletin.)
______________________________________________________________________________________Please make checks payable to Pohick Church • Designate or Christmas Flowers
Te price is $10.00 • Te dead ine is S nday, December 12 Tis orm with check may be returned to the desk o the Church Secretary or dropped in the alms basket.
Te Pohick Church Christmas Mart will take placeon Tursday, November 18 rom 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. Tis annual event is sponsored by the Women o Po-
hick Church, the Ann Mason Guild, and the MarthaGuild. Many women have been busy or months plan-ning or this wonder ul event.
Te Parish House and the Vestry House will betrans ormed into a estive Christmas atmosphere- rooms are lled with beauti ul arts and cra ts, at-tic treasures, and consignments. Also, there will bemany delicious items to tempt the taste buds, includ-ing resh baked goods, items rom the pantry shel ,and the ever-popular rozen casseroles. A deliciousluncheon is served by ladies dressed in traditional co-lonial costumes. Tere are three seatings or the lun-cheon - 11:00 am, 12:00 noon, and 1:00 pm.
Tere are MANY opportunities or the wholecongregation - both women and men - to participatein making this another success ul Mart. Here are justa ew o the ways to volunteer time and talents. Attic Treasures (Beverly Peterson, Jane Goeller)Clean out the closets and bring in those unwanteditems. Please make sure items are clean and in use-able/working condition. Also looking or Christmasdecorations: old/unwanted lights, ornaments, knick-knacks, etc.
Christmas Shoppe (Ann Mason Guild, Wendy Remaly) Donate handmade cra t items, also items de-picting Pohick Church.
Consignment & Art Show (Edith Bartlett) Finechina, glass, silver, and cra ts are sold on consign-
ment.Decorations (Susan Homar) Help trans orm thebuildings into a beauti ul Christmasy atmosphere.
Frozen Casseroles(Carol Heintze, Helen Parker)Donate homemade rozen main dishes, soups, sauces,casseroles, etc.
Jewelry(Cammie Liddle, Anne Poad, Pat Osisek)Contribute old jewelry, both ne and costume.
Luncheon (Connie Myers) Volunteer to help inthe kitchen preparing the delicious lunch served onMart day.
Waitresses(Anita Stribling) Volunteer to be oneo the lovely waitresses dressed in colonial costumserve the delicious luncheon.
Outside Crafters (Connie Myers ) A ew tables arented to outside cra ters, who add to the a air anhelp draw the crowds.
Advertising & Publicity(Connie Myers) It is im-portant to get posters and fyers into the communityas well as in local newspapers.
Docents(Diana Bland) Te Church will be openor tours or the guests during the Christmas Mart,
Docents will be needed.Greeters (Lyn Youll Marshall) Greet the guests a
the ront door o the Parish House and hand out thMart Booklet.
Set-up and Clean-up (Kathy Kirkland) Tis is where the MEN o the Church are encouraged to geinvolved - or their “muscle-power.” Te main set-up which is the moving o the heavy urniture, takes plon uesday evening, November 16, and clean-up begins immediately ollowing the 2:00 pm closing timon Mart Day.
Mini-Mart On the Sunday ollowing the Mar which is November 21, a Mini-Mart will be set up ithe Common Room to o er remaining items or sal Tis gives those who were not able to attend the Marton Tursday an opportunity to purchase remainingcra ts, baked goods, or Pantry shel items.
Tere are many ways to get involved with theChristmas Mart. It is a great way to meet new rienand share hours o un. Please look or the ChristmMart Newsstand in the Common Room. Tere willbe sign-up sheets and in ormation on the event. Teproceeds raised rom the Christmas Mart are dividamong the Ann Mason Guild, the Martha Guild,
and the Women o the Church. Funds will be useby these groups in various outreach programs. Tere will be many announcements and requests or h
rom now through November18. Hope ully, there will be a volunteer opportunity or all.Please direct questions to Con-nie Myers at 703-455-4652, [email protected] or Pru-dence Brooks at 703-913-7076,[email protected].
One o the most interesting things about attendingan Episcopal church in Northern Virginia is the oppor-tunity to host one or more seminarians, and to be ableto participate in the molding o the next generation o
Episcopal priests. Pohick is seldom without a seminar-ian, and most people do not realize how these studentscome to Pohick or, or that matter, to the Virginia Teo-logical Seminary (V S). What is a seminarian?Te seminarians are secondand third year students at V S. For most students, sem-inary is a three year course o study. Beginning in theirsecond year, seminarians embark on a eld educationprogram or which they receive three hours credit persemester. ypically, the seminarian will continue withtheir eld education program through their second and
third year. What is feld ed cation? In a nut shell, eld edu-cation is the congregation at Pohick. Field educationgives the seminarians an opportunity to put what they learn in class to work in a parish. Te church is a labora-tory. In eld education sites such as Pohick, seminar-ians develop/polish their worship and preaching skills,practice leadership and pastoral skills, learn to interact with people in a church environment, learn how to re-late their knowledge o Christian heritage to the peopleo the congregation, and develop in their spiritual li e. How does a seminarian choose a feld ed cationsite? Seminarians visit churches with eld educationopenings at the end o their rst year. Tey attend ser- vices, mingle at cofee hour, and they meet with the rec-tor. Te choice is mutual between the seminarian andthe priest who will be their eld education sponsor. How does Pohick se seminarians? ypically,seminarians play speci c roles in worship service eachSunday. Tey may be lay Eucharistic ministers one week, participate in children’s church the next week,and preach the third week. Tey may even get a week of now and again. At Pohick, the seminarian will beinvolved with the youth groups, attend staf and Vestry meetings, participate in special parish activities, and leadLenten study programs. While they are at Pohick, they are under supervision o a priest, usually Father Don,and they meet regularly with a lay committee selected
rom members o the parish. Te V S guidelines oreld education suggest the seminarian spend no more
than 12 hours a week on average to keep “ eld ed” inbalance with their academics. Most o the seminariansdo exceed that slightly, but it is important to understand
that eld education represents just three o 15 to 18 hours o academics the seminarian is pur-suing in any semester.
How does an applicant or ordination end p at VTS? Each applicant goes through a discernment procbe ore being approved to attend seminary. Tis proccan take as much as 10 years, though three to vprobably more typical. Tis process is the responsibity o the bishop o the applicant’s home diocese. Oapproved, applicants will typically be given a limchoice o seminaries. Most bishops will steer applictoward a seminary experience that will be challengand even take the applicant outside their com ort zo
What happens when seminarians grad ate?Ongraduation, the seminary will make a recommendatto the sponsoring bishop to ordain the graduate inthe diaconate or not, but the nal decision is the bisop’s. Seminary graduates are typically ordained in tsponsoring diocese or in the diocese in which they winitially serve.
Wo ld a seminarian who has served at Pohick evcome to Pohick as a frst ch rch?It has happened. In
act, at least one past seminarian has returned to Pohas Rector. Have any o Pohick’s past seminarian ever becoa Bishop?Yes, even this has happened! What abo t Pohick’s new seminarian, DanCenci?Daniel has a very interesting background. Cathim at cofee hour and ask him about the journey thbrought him to V S and to Pohick!
When will he preach next?Daniel is next scheduled to preach on Sunday, November 14 at all three s vices.
s eminarians
C onsiGnment r oom
Tanks to those putting things into the Con-signment Shop at the Christmas Mart. Remem-ber items can be donated or consigned. Consignorsreceive 75% o the purchase price and the Churchreceives 25%. Desired items include nice knicknacks, silver, bowls, crystal, etc. New cra ters a very much welcome - items that have been knittedor crocheted, wreaths, baskets, needlework, or anything that might sell. Call Edie Bartlett, 703-780-6809 or email at [email protected] and she will sendirections or consigning.
Cancer begins in cells, the building blocks thatmake up tissues, which make up other parts o thebody. Normal cells grow and divide to orm new cellsas the body needs them. When normal cells grow oldor get damaged, they die and new cells replace them.Sometimes, this process goes wrong. New cells orm when the body does not actually need them, and oldor damaged cells do not die as they should. Te build-up o extra cells o ten orms a mass o tissue calleda lump, growth, or tumor. umors can be benign ormalignant. Benign tumors are not as harm ul as ma-lignant tumors.
Breast Cancer Breast cancer is a orm o cancer that develops in
tissues o the breast. Breast cancer occurs in both menand women, although male breast cancer is rare. In2010, there will be approximately 207,090 new caseso emale breast cancer and 1,970 new cases o malebreast cancer. In 2010, 39,840 women will die o breastcancer and 390 men will die o breast cancer.
Un ortunately, there is no known cause or breastcancer. Doctors do know that bumping, bruising, ortouching the breast does NO cause cancer. And,breast cancer is not contagious. Although some risk
actors, like drinking alcohol, can be avoided, a ractor like amily history cannot be avoided.
Early detection o breast cancer through mammgrams and sel exams is very important. Women ovthe age o 40 should have a mammogram every one
two years. Women over the age o 20 should condumonthly sel exams.Breast Cancer Risk Factors
• Age• Personal Health History • Family Health History – risk is higher i imm
diate amily member has had breast cancer• Reproductive and Menstrual History
o Te older a woman is when she hasher rst childo Women who never have childreno Women who had their rst menstrualperiod be ore the age 12o Women who go through menopausea ter age 55o Women who take menopausalhormone therapy or many years
• Race - Caucasians have the highest incidence obreast cancer
• Overweight a ter menopause• Lack o physical activity • Drinking alcoholHaving a risk actor does not mean that a woma
will get breast cancer. Most women who have risk ators will never develop breast cancer.
C allinG a ll C raFters !Love to CRAF ? One o the many ways to
support the upcoming annual Christmas Martis by donating handmade cra t items to theAnn Mason Guild Christmas Shoppe, located inthe Vestry House on the day o the ChristmasMart.
Donations can be le t in the church o -ce or with any Ann Mason Guild member.
Please designate the cra t item to theChrist-mas Shoppeand with asuggested sale price. Any questions, please contact Wendy Remaly, [email protected] or Angela Edge-mon, [email protected].
Tis monthly report is part of the Vestry’s ongoing ef- fort to inform and update the Parish about the ongoing
controversies within Te Episcopal Church ( EC) and the Anglican Communion. Tese controversies largely involve the blessing of same-gender unions, ordination of non-celi-bate homosexuals, interpretation of Scripture, and break-down of traditional boundary lines between Provinces.
In mid October, a convention o the Diocese o South Carolina overwhelmingly approved six resolu-tions, which have two potential outcomes. Te reso-lutions could aim to distance the diocese rom TeEpiscopal Church, or to protect it against “uncon-stitutional intrusions into our corporate li e in SouthCarolina.” Te resolutions remove language rom thediocesan constitution that give “unquali ed accession”to the Constitution and Canons o Te EpiscopalChurch, and various requirements to con orm to bothits Constitution and Canons. Another change deletesa diocesan canon, which says all property is held intrust or the diocese and the Episcopal Church, while yet another resolution rejects changes to the disciplin-ary canons ( itle IV) o Te Episcopal Church en-acted by the General Convention in 2009.
Supporters o the changes ramed them as a mat-ter o local sovereignty. Supporters said that “the Dio-cese o South Carolina, as a ounding Diocese o theEpiscopal Church, has reely exercised its sovereignty in acceding to the Constitution and Canons o theEpiscopal Church.” Changes in itle IV “contradictthe Constitution o Te Episcopal Church and… (are)an unacceptable change in our polity and an inde en-sible in ringement upon the rights to due process o all the clergy o this diocese.” Tey claimed that ratherthan a move to split with Te Episcopal Church, the
six resolutions “preserve our ability to continue under[its] Constitution.”Te resolution on property was based on a Sep-
tember 2009 South Carolina Supreme Court rul-ing that allowed the majority o the members o AllSaints Church, Pawley’s Island, who le t the EpiscopalChurch and the diocese in 2003, to retain the parishproperty. Tis is the only property case nationwide in which Te Episcopal Church has lost control o prop-erty to those who want to leave the Church. It is alsothe only case in which the diocese did not attempt to
protect its claim to the property in court.Te Reverend Canon Kendall Harmon, canon
theologian or the South Carolina diocese, told thEpiscopal News Service that the convention’s actio“enables us to pursue [Bishop Mark Lawrence’s] vsion o making biblical Anglicans or a global while resisting the national leadership’s attempts change our polity in violation o our own constitutiand the basic principles o justice and due process.
Others in the diocese saw it di erently. A groucalling itsel “Episcopal Forum o South Carolichallenged the legality o the convention, which wre-convening a ter a previous session in March, acalled the actions “schismatic.” “It’s clear that theresolutions are an implicit intent to separate rom thEpiscopal Church, although the diocesan leadershiall state that they have no such intention,” said Ro Wendt, senior warden o Grace Church, Charlestoand a lay member o the diocesan convention. Tgroup has asked or help rom the national church abishops o other dioceses.
Bishop Mark Lawrence repeated his o t-stateposition that it is not his intention or the diocese tleave the Episcopal Church. He said that he had been“warned” by Presiding Bishop Katharine Je erts Scori about taking these actions. She replied in a statement to the Episcopal News Service, “I grieve theactions, but I especially grieve Bishop Lawrence’s pception o my heart elt concern or him and orpeople o South Carolina as aggression. I don’t seekchange his aith ully held positions on human sexality, nor do I seek to control the inner workings othe diocese. I do seek to repair damaged relationshipand ensure that this church is broad enough to includ
many di erent sorts and conditions o people.”Some o the changes will have to be approved asecond diocesan convention next March.
Closer to home: Late in September, the VirginiaSupreme Court turned down the CANA Congrega-tions’ request that it reconsider its decision in the Viginia property cases. While most legal observers dnot expect the Supreme Court to agree to the reques
urther action in the property cases was on hold wh
it was pending.Te “CANA Congregations” - parishes that want
to leave the Diocese o Virginia and align with oth-er provinces o the Anglican Communion - had at-tempted to claim their property under a Civil Warera law known as the Division Statute. Te SupremeCourt agreed with them that there had been a “divi-sion” in Te Episcopal Church and Diocese o Vir-ginia, but said a Fair ax County Circuit Court judgeerred the way he applied the law. It sent the case back to him or urther proceedings on the dispute “consis-tent with the views expressed in this opinion.” Te ullSupreme Court ruling can be ound online. o date,no urther proceedings have been announced by theCircuit Court.
• Last October, Pope Benedict XVI unveiled aplan to allow disa ected Anglicans rom the Churcho England to join the Roman Catholic church, whileretaining many Anglican traditions, including theability o priests to marry. Initial predictions were thato er would prompt thousands o Anglicans, and doz-ens o bishops, to leave the Anglican Communion, which some re erred to as “swimming the iber.” A year later, the rst Bishop rom the Church o Eng-land has announced he will join the Catholic Church. Te Rt. Rev. John Broadhurst, the Bishop o Fulham,said he will resign by the end o the year, and join oneo the new Roman Catholic “Ordinates,” when they are ormally established.
• Te Secretary-General o the Anglican Consul-tative Council (ACC) has removed a representativeo the Province o the Southern Cone rom an inter-
aith committee. Te move came a ter the Provincedid not respond to his inquiries about its position on
interventions in the li e o Te Episcopal Church, or“border crossings.” Several dioceses, which attemptedto leave EC have aligned themselves with the Prov-ince o the Southern Cone, which is based in SouthAmerica. Secretary-General Kenneth Kearon had tak-en similar actions previously against representatives o Te Episcopal Church on the committee. Both movescarry out a proposal by the Archbishop o Canterbury to remove members o provinces, which breach one o the “moratoria” on blessing o same-sex unions, ordi-nation o non-celibate gay bishops, and interventions
other provinces rom Anglican committees engagin ecumenical dialogues with other aiths.
• Te Archbishop o Canterbury announced latein September that he would convene a meeting o thPrimates o the Anglican Communion in January. Te
immediate question that arises is how will primaterom the “Global South” that oppose EC react. Noone primate, the Archbishop o the Indian Ocean, hasaid he will boycott the meeting i Presiding Bish Je erts Schori attends.
It is important to remember that despite all these coversies, the work o the Church - globally, nationallocally - goes on. In recent months, 20 bags o baand school supplies were provided to the Lorton munity Action Center, and more than 200 pounds owere contributed to LCAC. Te ninth mission group Pohick journeyed to New Orleans in mid-October. ARector has said, “ we will continue to go back as lonare able and as long as the need to continues to be soTe Carpenter rom Nazareth, we eel, would not haany other way.”
Update on Issues in the Anglican Communion,continued rom page 10
h ospiCe v olunteers n eeded
VI AS Innovative Hospice Care o NorthernVirginia is now recruiting volunteers in northern
Virginia or “ riendly visits” to patients at the eno their li e. Visits made by volunteers help patients and touch amilies. HELP by visiting pa-tients or working in the o ce. Orientation andassignments are made according to individualpre erence. Please contact the Volunteer ServicesManager at 703-270-4300 or [email protected].
FAll ClEANuP
Te Pohick Fa C ean pis sched ed or Sat rday,
November 13 beginning at 9:15 am. Te work s a y ends at 2:00 pm.Bring g oves
Donate a Meal!Te Lorton Community Action Center (LCAC)
will be collecting ood baskets to share with localamilies. Tis year the need is very great. Please help
bring some holiday happiness to a amily that will havenothing without help. Tanksgiving Food Basket• 2 cans each o corn, green beans and carrots• 2 cans o ruit• 1 large can o sweet potatoes• 1 small bag o brown sugar• 2 cans o evaporated milk • 1 box o single serving instant oatmeal• 1 box o brownie mix• 2 cans o tuna• 1 bottle o cooking oil• 1 container o poultry seasoning• 1 $20 gi t card to purchase meat
Drop of date - Sunday, November 21, 2010 by 11:00 am. Deliver all Tanksgiving donations in stur-dy boxes or plastic containers with lids to the Pohick Church Common Room. A group will deliver the oodto Te Moose Lodge located at 9612 Fernedge Lane, which is just of Richmond Highway in Lorton. For
those able to assist the delivery caravan, please contactSusan Homar at [email protected]. Christmas Food Basket
Due to the ever increasing number o amiliesLCAC is serving or the December Holiday Out-reach, and the limitation o space at the Moose Lodge,LCAC is requesting ood gi t cards in lieu o ood todistribute to amilies.Please purchase two food gift cardsinstead of a meal, and LCAC will distribute them.
unwrapped gi ts collected or client amiliesOn Sunday, November 21, 2010, an angel gi t
card tree will be in the Common Room. Please takeas many as possible and know that this generosity willpositively impact children in the community. Drop of date - Saturday, December 18, 2010 by 11:00 am.Deliver all donations or LCAC to: Gi t cards to Su-san Homar and angel tree gi ts to the Common Room with the tag taped to the gi t.
Christmas Party On Monday December 6, Pohick will host the
annual Christmas party or the clients o New HHousing. Volunteers are needed to attend the party well as help with set-up and cleanup. Tis is a much aticipated event or the clients o New Hope Housand its success is due to the support o the Pohick ily. Gi t tags will be available in the Common Roa ew weeks prior to the event. Return the unwrapgi ts to the Common Room with the gi t tag attacno later than Sunday, December 5. Sign-up sheets
ood donations, set up and cleanup will be postedthe bulletin board at the bottom o the stairs.
Break ast with SantaOn Saturday, December 11, Pohick will ho
Break ast with Santa or LCAC client amilies. Vteers are needed to assist with the set-up and servbreak ast. In addition, volunteers are needed to h with a cra t activity or the children. Please see theup sheet on the bulletin board.
For questions or additional in ormation, regardany o these activities, please eel ree to contact Homar at [email protected] or 703-550-60
s easonal o utreaCh
With the approaching holidays, there are some wonder ul opportunities to engage in meaning ul Outreacthe community. Listed below are a variety o ways to engage and have an impact.
C hristmas m art k itChen v olunteers
Te delicious luncheon served at the ChristmasMart is always a big hit. Preparing the 300 lunchesserved requires a lot o help. Te schedule o th“behind the scenes” work in the kitchen includes:
• Saturday, November 13 at 9:30 am: Chop-ping the turkey. Bring a sharp kni e and meet in thekitchen.
• uesday, November 16 a ter 1:00 pm: preparation or Mart luncheon.
• Wednesday, November 17 a ter 9:00 am: continue with preparation o the ood. Homemade turkey noodle soup is available to ALL Mart worker
or lunch!• Tursday, November 18 beginning at 8:00
am: nal preparation, serving Mart luncheon, andcleanup.
Please contact Connie Myers at 703-455-4652or via email at [email protected] to voluntee
or any o the above dates or or additional inmation. Come volunteer or an hour or or the da- any time will be appreciated!
7 NOVEMBER 14 NOVEMBER 21 NOVEMBER 28 NOVEMBER 5 DECEMBER
7:45LC Scott S. LC William P. LC Sarah W. LC Zach P. BD
9:00 LC Dru H.SC Jacob H. Steven C. Emily E.B Rebecca B.
LC Hunter G.SC Melisa L.
Ben L. Sydney .B Rachel P.
LC Klint E.SC Casey L.
Amanda L. Kathryn S.B Kirsten H.
LC Jonathan C.SC Jordan C.
Wade P. McFerrin W.B Andrew W.
BD
11:15 LC Kathryn V.SC Hannah V. Mary B. Andrew B.B Hannah G.
LC Robert M.SC Katherine V.
Sean J. Keighan S.B Slayton S.
LC Julia M.SC Sarah B.
Catherine H. William H.B Parker L.
LC Brad M.SC Steven C.
Mikey K. Isabel H.B Graham H.
BD
SuNDAY SERVICE VOluN EERS
ACOlYTES
n eW o rleans o utreaCh
A team o six volunteers rom Pohick just returnrom the ninth trip to New Orleans, continuing eorts to help in the rebuild process. eam membe
included Jim Heller, Robin Muir, Robert Muir, ScoGreig, Candy Devou, and Susan Homar.
Te week was spent working in the Lower 9th Ward. Te homeowner is a breast cancer survivor withtwo children. She was raised in the home, and hastarted renovating it when Katrina struck. Te majori-ty o e ort was spent installing foors, ceramic tile alinoleum squares, and the construction o a pantry.
Fortunately, the homeowner was on the job sittwo o the ve days and told her story. Like so mashe received some unds or rebuilding and reliedcommercial contractors. Te contractor work was noup to par. She is now purchasing supplies as she can tcomplete the process and working through EpiscopCommunity Services o Louisiana with volunteersget the house to satis y the occupancy permit proce
On a break, the team was able to visit with ono the homeowners that was helped last visit. He an
his amily have moved into their home, though mu work remains to be completed. While visiting, he aske when the team would be coming back to New Orlean Tinking that he wanted speci c projects completedhe replied that he just wanted a visit. Te connection made withhim and with other homeownersover the years is substantial mo-tivation to return. As always, thesupport received rom the parishcommunity is most appreciated.
G unston p artners p roGram
Volunteers are needed to support the GunstonPartners Program, a joint tutoring e ort between Po-hick Church and Gunston Elementary School. Tis year the program starts on November 9. Tis outreache ort consists o tutoring an elementary student orone hour on uesday evenings. Te tutoring is done inPohick Church Parish Hall rom 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm.Volunteers are needed to be regular (weekly) tutorsas well as substitutes. Each regular tutor is paired toone student or the “tutoring” school year, which runsuntil May 17, 2011. Te students are selected based onrecommendations rom their teachers. Te teachersidenti y the work to be done each week, the tutor justshows up with a willing heart. Te only requirementis being able to read and write. Tis is only a one houra week commitment that can make a big di erencein the lives o these students, and it is very rewarding
or the tutor. Please give consideration to supportingthis Outeach. I interested, contact Doug Smith at703-644-0480 or Diana York, 703-915-4838 or [email protected].
Send News!
Articles for the December 2010 Pohick Post are due nolater than November 15! Forward input by email in Wordcompatible format to Lori Buckius, [email protected].
Design concerns & itemsfor the Sunday Service
Volunteers page should beaddressed to Carmel Hodge,
