he word
St. Alban’s Episcopal Church
November 2014
Volume 14, Issue 10
From the Rector
In the past I have
written about my
joy as I have explored Ignatian
spirituality.
Ignatian spirituality
was developed by
St. Ignatius of
Loyola, a 16th C
Spanish nobleman,
priest and theoloFr. Jeff blesses Felix Howton’s monkey gian and founder of
at Blessing of the Animals on October 5. the Society of Jesus, also known as
the Jesuits. Ignatius created a set of prayers and exercises
to deepen and expand one’s relationship with God called
the Spiritual Exercises. Within the Spiritual Exercises is
a daily practice called the examen (or examination of conscience) which is designed to lead one through an examination of the events of the day and to see how God has
been active in one’s life.
The first step in the examen is “gratitude.” As we begin
the examen we look back and give thanks for the good
things received and the blessings that happened during
the day. The “good things” can be anything: a good
mark on a spelling test, a promotion at work, a smile from
a stranger, even the remembered fragrance of a flower.
And, we don’t just recall these good things and check
them off a list. We savor them. Fr. James Martin, author
and priest, says that we savor these good things because “savoring slows us down.” When we savor our
blessings and all the good things, we pause to enjoy our
experiences and in the process, we deepen our gratitude
to God.1
For the past few weeks we’ve been blessed to hear
from some of our fellow parishioners on Sunday mornings as they share their stories about what brought them
to St. Alban’s and why they stayed. Each story reflected the importance of community and a sense of
belonging and the theme that resonates throughout each
of the stories is thankfulness and gratitude: gratitude
that God led them to this parish, thankfulness for the
warm welcome they received and the good work that
the people of St. Alban’s do. And out of that thankfulness and gratitude comes a desire to give back to God.
As our 2014 annual giving campaign comes to an end I
invite you to think back to what brought you to St. Alban’s and why you stayed, and then savor those memories. Pause for a moment and be thankful. I know that
I am grateful for each of you: grateful for the good
work that you do, grateful for your spirit and your sense
of humor, grateful for your dedication and commitment
to Our Lord’s Gospel, and I am thankful that I am able
to walk with you on your journey of faith and discipleship.
-Fr. Jeff
1
Martin, James. The Jesuit Guide to (almost) Everything: A
Spirituality for Real Life. New York: HarperCollins, 2010.
Parishioners enjoyed a glorious weekend at Shrine Mont at the St. Alban’s 2014 Retreat on September 27 and 28.
Christmas Bazaar Saturday, November 15 9:00am – 2:30pm
From the Stewardship Committee
Photos on October 5: To right: Aaron Chilton and Cole Lieberthal carry collection plates at the early service.
Above: Robyn Leersnyder shares her perspective on stewardship at the 10:15 am service .
The Way Is Made by Walking
Thanks to all of you for making St. Alban’s a true community of God’s people. Thank you for all that you give and all
that you do.
Since the beginning of October we have been asking you to pray the phrase, “the way is made by walking” as you consider your annual giving commitment to St. Alban’s. We also have been talking about the idea that Stewardship is Discipleship. What does that mean? To me it means that we think about what we do with our time, talents, treasure, gifts, relationships, health and opportunities through the filter of “would God be pleased with this?” It means putting God first in
all aspects of our lives and trying every day and everywhere to live our faith and be God’s church.
Ann Voskamp, an author and blogger (A Holy Experience), puts it this way: “We’re not giving what we’re called to
give, unless that giving affects how we live — affects what we put on our plate and where we make our home and hang
our hat and what kind of threads we’ve got to have on our back. Surplus Giving is the leftover you can afford to
give; Sacrificial Giving is the love gift that changes how you live — because the love of Christ has changed you. God
doesn’t want your leftovers. God wants your love overtures, your first-overs, because He is your first love.”
It is not enough to say we believe in God. We need to walk our talk. None of us is or can be perfect, but we can get back
up when we fall, ask for forgiveness, and get back on God’s path. The way is made by walking.
-Allison Blanchard, Stewardship Chair
The Warden’s Pen
As we move into fall, you
will see some more improvements to our facility.
Frizzell Hall is being painted,
after which new curtains will be
hung. Due to some plumbing issues,
we will be replacing the vanities and two of the
ladies restrooms.
Your Vestry is also beginning a long-term look both
at where St. Alban’s has been and where we want to
be in the future.
Vestry Nominations for 2015
The Vestry is the elected lay leadership of our parish. Vestry
members serve a 3-year term, and any confirmed member of
the parish 16 years or older is eligible to serve.
Please prayerfully consider whether you are called to this important ministry of leadership and service to our parish, and let
Fr. Jeff or our wardens, Nancy Harrell and Chris Martin,
know.
If you wish to nominate someone, check with that person to see
if they are able to serve, then please let Fr. Jeff or our wardens
know. The election will be held at the Annual Meeting on
December 7.
-Nancy Harrell, Senior Warden
2
Choir Notes
Franz Schubert
For the first three Sundays of the month we will be singing portions of Franz Schubert’s
Deutsche Messe (German Mass), a work written near the end of the composer’s short life
(1797-1828). This work differs from the traditional Roman Catholic Mass of the time
(including six by Schubert) in several respects. First, not all of the eight movements (a ninth
was added by someone else after Schubert’s death) correspond to the traditional sections
of the Mass (Gloria, Credo, etc.), and those that do draw only lightly on the standard text.
Second, as the name implies, the text is in German rather than Latin. The Biblically-inspired
poetry was prepared by Professor J.P. Neumann of the Polytechnic School of Vienna. Third,
the music was intended to have wide appeal—including congregational singing—and as such
it is simpler in structure than that of Schubert’s other masses. The church authorities of the
day did not approve Schubert’s wonderful creation for liturgical use, but we are under no such
strictures. The members of the choir have been practicing their German pronunciation since
late September.
November 2. The four verses of the Zum Agnus Dei—the seventh section of Schubert’s Mass—reflect on salvation,
peace, and heaven. The English translation of the third verse—most appropriate for All Souls Day—implores:“Lord,
all our loved ones who already hence have gone into the land of peace, take unto Thyself! Let us one day find them
there! O blessed union, if we together may enjoy the peace of heaven.”
November 9. The text of the Evangelium und Credo (third section) strays far from the traditional Nicene Creed but
contains some familiar Biblical phrases about creation, faith, and love. An English translation of the last verse reads:
“Grant us strength and courage that we not only see the ways the Savior went, but that we also strive to follow them.
Let thy Gospel show us heaven’s message, and lead us, Lord, through Thy grace into the kingdom of joy.”
November 16. The English text of the opening section of Schubert’s Mass—Zum Eingang (Beginning)—starts:
“Where shall I turn when sorrow and pain oppress me? . . . To Thee, to Thee, O Father, do I come in joy and sorrow.”
November 23. We look forward to the a performance by St. Alban’s children’s choir.
November 30. To usher in Advent, the choir will sing Zion Hears the Watchmen’s Voices, from the Cantata No. 140
by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750). The selection we will sing is based a hymn tune originally written by the
German Lutheran pastor Philipp Nikolai (1556-1608). In a further tinkering with this well-known tune, we will perform
an arrangement by the contemporary English composer John Rutter (b. 1945), many of whose original works we have
performed over the years.
-Clarence Zuvekas
Publisher: The Very Rev. Jeff Shankles
Managing Editor, Photo Editor,
Design & Layout: Barbara Hallman.
Production and Distribution:
Monica Beniste; Sharon Belanger.
Contributors:
The Very Rev. Jeff Shankles;
Marty Barringer; Allison Blanchard;
Nancy Harrell; Camille Stern;
Clarence Zuvekas.
Photographers: Barbara Hallman; Fred
Holmes; Duncan McBride
Articles/photos welcome!
email to: [email protected]
Deadline Next Edition: November 15
St. Alban’s Episcopal Church
Annandale, VA 22003
Phone: 703-256-2966 www.stalbansva.org
Youth choir
meets right after the 10:15 am
service 2nd and 4th Sundays
of each month.
Muldoon Concert Series
January 4 4:00 pm Chuck Seipp - Trumpet
February 1 4:00 pm David Kelly - Organ
March 1
4:00 pm Malarky with Debbie Rosse
April 12 4:00 pm Brass of Peace
May 3 7:00 pm Carmina Early music vocal ensemble
3
Christmas Bazaar News
Bazaar Saturday November 15
It is hard to believe, but the St. Alban’s Christmas Bazaar is right around the corner! We’ll be
open Saturday, November 15 from 9:00 am to 2:30 pm.
While publicity for the bazaar is well underway, we are going to try a new approach to “getting
the message out” and have included a copy of the bazaar flyer in this edition of The Word. As a
congregation, we are asking you to help spread the news of this wonderful event! Please share
the enclosed flyer with your friends, your neighborhood, your book club, your bridge group, or anyone with whom you
come in contact. The more people who attend the bazaar, the bigger the reward for St. Alban’s! All purchases make possible our support to ACCA, Poe Middle School, Bethany House, Lockwood House, Bailey's Crossroads Community
Shelter, Our Little Roses School in Honduras for abandoned and abused girls, Holy Trinity Church in Haiti, and other
community organizations serving those in need.
The parish hall closet is open for your donations. Please place items in boxes or sturdy bags marked with what’s inside
As you are choosing items to donate, please consider what you or others would like to buy. All items should be clean and
in good condition. Please test any small electrical appliances and make sure any battery-operated items have a battery so
the customer can see that they work. We do not sell electronics or clothing at the bazaar.
Baked Goods, Homemade Candy, and Handmades will once again be big parts of the bazaar. AND, new this year – we
will have a raffle! The St. Alban’s Café will be open for coffee and lunch, and there will be face painting and pictures
with Santa for the kids along with a special boutique where children can buy a gift for a parent that will be a surprise!
Want to volunteer – even for an hour? Please get in touch with Nancy Calvert [email protected]
or Betsy Anderson at [email protected] to volunteer!
-Camille Stern
Seminarian Corner
With all these new people in the front of the church it can be hard to understand
who all is up front, what their titles are in the eyes of the Church, and what do
we call them? Here is a quick guide:
Name
Position in the Church
Referred to as
The Very Rev Jeff Shankles
Ordained Priest
Father or Reverend
The Rev Dr Andy Guffey
Ordained Deacon
Deacon or Reverend
Mark Chambers
Postulant (Seeker)
Mark
In all we remain brothers and sisters in Christ and pray all your times are blessed
by the many gifts of the one true God!
-Mark Chambers
Mark greets wife Emily on October 5.
The Rev. Dr. Andrew R. Guffey
We are happy to have The Rev. Dr. Andrew Guffey with
us as deacon. Deacon Andy was ordained as a transitional
Deacon in the Episcopal Church through the Diocese of
Virginia. He will be ordained to the priesthood on December 6th at Grace Episcopal Church, Alexandria.
Deacon Andy is from Iowa, where he taught courses in
religion at a small college. Andy and his wife Emily, who
is currently a senior at Virginia Theological Seminary,
moved to Charlottesville five years ago, when Andy began
his Ph.D in religious studies at UVA.
Andy and Emily have two little sons, Owen, age 3, and
Ezra, age 1. Welcome Guffey family to St. Alban’s!
4
All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small
were blessed by Fr. Jeff and Deacon Andy on October 5 at the St. Alban’s Blessing of the Animals. This year pet
attendance was at an all-time high, with dogs of all shapes, colors and sizes, cats, a turtle and other critters too!
More photos page 7. Please contact Barbara Hallman if you would like a digital copy of your pet’s photo.
5
Oktoberfest October 4
Thanks to the Parish Life Committee
for all its work to bring us this year’s
Oktoberfest festivities! Shown below
are Kathryn Cook, Fritz Gilbert,
John Clements, Leneice Wu, Fay
Froh and Carolyn Connelly.
To right, photos: Rubi Connelly
shows her artwork, while Nathan
Connelly ponders mustards.
The attendees were delighted by
Miss Lisa’s adorable dancers, including St. Alban’s own little Emily
Olkowski and the ever graceful
Hillary and Angela Leersnyder.
6
Blessing of the Animals October 5
7
St. Alban’s Parish Weekend September 27 and 28 at Shrine Mont—Parishioners gathered at
Shrine Mont retreat center in Orkney Springs, Virginia to pray, play, relax and enjoy each other’s company and the beautiful natural surroundings of the Shenandoah Valley. The theme for our parish weekend was “Different Paths.” Our Saturday morning activities were about different paths of prayer we each take in our relationship with God.
8
9
October 7, 2014
In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision yesterday not to review appeals from five states, including Virginia,
on same-sex marriage, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit issued an order at 1 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 6, that
same-sex marriages can begin in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
In an Aug. 20 letter to the Diocese of Virginia, Bishop Shannon Johnston outlined his thoughts on same-sex marriage,
both within and outside of communities of faith. In that letter, the Bishop said, "I pray that our actions relating to these
important issues will continue to be guided by our love for one another, and by our willingness to honor the voices of
those who call us in justice to move in new directions, as well as the voices of those who call us in faith to hold on to
the best of our tradition."
Today, Bishop Johnston released the Guidelines for Clergy and Congregations Regarding Marriage of Same-Sex
Couples in the Diocese of Virginia, which are now available online.
The Bishop concluded in his Aug. 20 letter, "It is at times like these when we can demonstrate to the world what it truly
means to love our neighbors. Witnessing for justice, living into our diversity in faith ... we are called to do both."
Poe School Feeding Program
Education for Ministry (EfM)
IF . . .
-You’ve wondered what the first churches were like.
-You wonder how to relate to neighbors and co-workers of different faiths.
-You keep trying to read the Bible, but never make it past “the begats.”
-You’ve never noticed how many Biblical heroes like Jacob and David were,
well, rats. Or you did notice but were afraid to say so.
-You’re not sure what modern Biblical criticism is all about, or how it affects
the authority of Scripture.
-You’ve come from another denomination that reads the Bible differently,
either as the inerrant Words of God or as a book too holy for folks like you
to interpret.
-At least sometimes, you’re not sure what – or even if – you believe.
-You’d like to be called to do something but aren’t sure what it could be.
-You’d like a fighting chance on SAM’s weekly trivia question.
-You’d just like to spend a few hours a week with other adults reading,
discussing, and reflecting on ideas that really matter.
THEN, EfM is probably just what you’re looking for.
St. Alban’s offers two EfM
classes (your choice):
The program for the current school year is
off and running. Team I served 250 very
grateful students. If you would like to help,
please contact Moira Skinner.
Shown here is Team I: John and Liz
Clements, Gean Martin, and Kathy Moore.
The J.E.B. Stuart Choral Department
presents its fall musical - a classic!
'The Sound Of Music'
Friday, Saturday Nov. 14,15 7.30 pm
Friday, Saturday Nov. 21,22 7.30 pm
Saturday November 22 2.00 pm
Monday evenings from 7 to 9:30,
Tickets are $10 adults and $8
beginning October 20.
students/teachers. Available at the door.
Wednesday mornings 9 to
J.E.B. Stuart High School
11:30, beginning October 22.
3301 Peace Valley Lane, Falls Church.
Late registrations welcome.
Group Sales - phone 703-824-3970
For more information, pick up a
brochure in the narthex (lobby), in
the tract rack at the entrance to the
parish hall, or the bulletin board
beside the church office.
Or contact Kay or Steve Lusk at
[email protected]
Steve and Kay Lusk discussing EfM with
Joan Jurenas in the narthex October 5.
.
10
The production features
St Alban's members:
Jackson Dillard - crew
John Lesko - Rolf
Angela Leersnyder - Sister Sophia
Hillary Leersnyder - Maria
Come support our thespians!
Thank you.
-Robyn Leersnyder
Family Ministry
Pumpkin Party!
Lots of fun was had by children and
their parents at the CONNECTIONS
pumpkin carving party. Jack-o-lanterns
of every shape and size were created!
Maggie Barker and mom on October 5
Surviving Teen Stress in
Northern Virginia
The Ravensworth Baptist Church in
Annandale is holding free (non-faith
-based) workshops on November 16
for both teens and parents on how to
manage the extraordinary amount of
stress students are under in our area.
For more information contact
[email protected] or go
to church website.
Gwendolyn Jillson with dad Carleton.
First Friday Lunch Bunch
November 7
Fiona’s Irish Pub
5810 Kingstowne Center, Alexandria
Please RSVP to Lynne Schrag
[email protected]
Helping West Africa
Episcopal Relief & Development has been working closely with the Episcopal
Church of Liberia and Anglican Diocese of Bo in Sierra Leone to help stem the
spread of the disease and care for those in need. You may contribute online. at
www.episcopalrelief.org. Thank you for your compassion and prayers.
November Birthdays
Moe Fraunfelder
Chet Fraunfelder
Nancy Harrell
Patricia Smith
Evangeline Clarke-Wiles
Nancy McSlarrow
Vivian Byrley
Courtney Ebersohl
Maggie Rutherford
Ann Gates
Evelyne Willis
Greg Melia
Gareth Clark
Jeff Shankles
Mindy Fitzpatrick
Mark Slacin
Marc Cheek
2
2
4
5
5
7
7
7
8
9
9
9
9
10
10
10
11
Rubi Connelly
Todd Clark
Debbie Haggard-Rosse
Anne Walker
Sophia DePasquale
Beth Olkowski
Penny Barringer
Jessica Trollinger
Emily Gamber
Harold Dobesh
Reese McCoy
Ryan McCoy
Susan Wade-Conrod
Heath Larson
Eli McCoy
Carleton Jillson
Jean Beniste
11
12
13
15
15
16
19
19
19
20
20
20
22
23
23
24
24
Lauren Walinsky
John Clements
Gail Allison
Olivia Devereux
Samantha Schrecker
Gay Haran
Nathan Krafft
Will Pickard
Linda Fleming
Susan Lavrakas
Connor Delaney
Dan Grady
Jackson Cherry
Happy
Thanksgiving!
11
24
26
26
26
26
27
27
27
28
28
28
30
30
St. Alban’s Episcopal Church
6800 Columbia Pike
Annandale, VA 22003
First Class Mail
U.S. Postage
PAID
Annandale, VA
Permit No. 38
Calendar Highlights
October 29
Feast and Faith
“Scripture Meets the Movies”
November 4
The Feast of All Souls Eucharist 9:00 am
November 5, 12 Feast and Faith “Scripture Meets the Movies”
Fr. Jeff is all smiles as he gets
a flu shot at St. Alban’s on October 12.
Have you had yours?
November 7
First Friday Lunch Bunch;
Fiona’s, Alexandria
November 15
Christmas Bazaar 9:00 am to 2:30 pm
November 27
Lockwood House Thanksgiving; for details see SAM
or contact Martina Hyde [[email protected]]
December 5
First Friday Lunch Bunch;
Saathi Indian Restaurant, Falls Church
December 6
Advent Quiet Morning 8:30 am to 12:30 pm
December 7
Annual Meeting 11:30 am; Vestry election
Christmas Bazaar 2014 November 15
Please contact Betsy Anderson to add your name to our email
list of volunteers: [email protected]
12