1. society
2. social institution
3. marriage

POHICK POST
Pohick Episcopal Church
9301 Richmond Highway • Lorton, VA 22079
Telephone: 703-339-6572 • Fax: 703-339-9884
Let your light so shine (Matt. 5:16)
From The Rector
The Reverend
Donald D. Binder, PhD
B
y the time you read this, we will have started Lent,
the forty-day season leading up to Easter Sunday.
Within the story of Jesus’ earthly life, it represents the
period from when our Lord “set his face to go to Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51).
During this time, he repeatedly foretold to his disciples how this journey would end: “The Son of Man
is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill
him, and three days after being killed, he will rise
again” (Mark 9:31; cf. Mark 10:34).
The disciples did not know how to take these predictions. What’s more, “they were afraid to ask him”
about them (Mark9:34). Almost certainly this wasn’t
because they feared asking him a question. Throughout their years together with Jesus, the disciples did
not hesitate to ask him about lots of things.
No, they were not afraid of asking him the question; they were afraid of what he might answer! None
of them wanted to hear anything about death or suffering, neither for Jesus nor for themselves. Quite the
contrary. James and John dreamed of sitting on Jesus’
right hand and his left in his glory (Mark 10:35f ). All
of them argued about which of them would be the
greatest in the coming Kingdom (Mark 9:34).
In both cases, Jesus rebuked the errant disciples.
His true followers would be “last of all and servant
of all” (Mark 9:34); they would “take up their crosses”
and follow him (Luke 14:27).
MARCH 2012
Echoing these exchanges, Jesus’ teachings about
self-sacrifice and servanthood come to the forefront
during Lent. They form the overarching themes of the
season, themes we will be hearing about within our
readings, our liturgy and our preaching.
They were not popular themes with the disciples;
they are even less popular today.
That is because the last time the people of our nation were called to sacrifice was during the Roosevelt
administration, amid the life-and-death struggles of
WWII. While there have been occasional rhetorical
challenges since then - JFK’s inaugural address comes
to mind - otherwise the message to the masses has
been not one of sacrifice, but of excess consumption.
Indeed, it is often implied, if not openly stated, that
we are being unpatriotic unless we fill up our shopping carts as often as we can.
That is a point mostly lost during the recent harangue against the “one percent.” What I mean is this:
across the stretches of both time and geography, we
are the one percent - all of us. Should the end of time
come tomorrow, God will categorize us as such. No
other one percent of humanity has lived as well as we
do today in Northern Virginia, home of the richest
counties in the richest nation in the world, past or
present.
This is not to ignore or demean continuing concerns for poverty or inequality in our midst. Many of
those concerns are valid and worthy of deliberation
and action. But if they become the exclusive focus of
discussion, then we face the danger of trying to reContinued on page 2
Page 2 • March 2012
Pohick Episcopal Church
From the Rector: continued from page 1
move the speck from another’s eye while ignoring the log in our own (Matt 7:3ff ).
Lent provides us a yearly opportunity to focus on the latter: to bring our own excesses to the forefront so that
we might lay them on the altar and then take up our crosses and follow Christ in the service of others. In that way,
not only do we find freedom in Christ from the worldly things that weigh us down (1 John 2:15ff ), but we do so
for the benefit of the most needy.
In concrete terms, that might mean “living simply so others can simply live,” as our Outreach ministry regularly challenges us to do during this season. It might also mean spending time before God in worship, reflection
and prayer in lieu of other activities that have become part of your daily norm - like for two hours on Wednesday
evenings during our Lenten suppers, studies and services.
Whatever your Lenten discipline might be, I pray that all of us this year might share together a “Holy Lent,”
one that draws us nearer to God and our neighbor, propelled in those directions by the power of Christ’s selfgiving, sacrificial love.
Senior Warden’s Report
Mike Elston, Senior Warden
This year marches on, and Lent is underway. With
Lent comes many opportunities to prepare for the holiest day on the church calendar, Easter. One of the
most popular ways to participate in Lenten programs
at Pohick is the series of Wednesday night potluck
suppers. Attend one or all of them.
February was a great month with many events
and developments. The Ann Mason Guild sponsored
another great Chili Cook-Off. There was a sizeable
crowd and a good time was had by all.
Earlier in the month, Bill Brake, former rector of
Pohick, was laid to rest. Bill was an important influence in the lives of many at Pohick. His funeral service
was an honor to his memory, and the many years of
service he and his family devoted to Pohick. Thanks to
all who made this possible.
February also saw a generous response to the call
for support of the Renovations Committee’s plan for
the floor of the Common Room. An anonymous donor,
showing tremendous faith in Pohick’s future, stepped
forward with a donation of $15,000 to fully fund the
floor replacement, and start semi-annual professional
cleanings of the floor. The Vestry has accepted this gift
with thanks and pleasure. The fundraising efforts will
shift toward securing the funds needed for new chairs
in the Parish House. If interested in supporting that
effort, please contact any member of the Vestry.
At February’s meeting, the Vestry received reports
from all of the commissions and the activities of each.
Discussion of the draft alcohol policy continued, and
hopefully this will be finalized in the near future. The
Vestry also decided not to adopt a policy regarding
firearms on church property. Finally, the Vestry voted
to refurbish one of the Common Room chandeliers as
a test to determine whether to refurbish all of them.
Two meetings were attended by the Senior Warden on behalf of Pohick. At the Architectural Review
Board, a case was presented for providing handicapped
access at the northwest door of the church. The case
was supported by a phalanx of Historic Pohick Foundation members. Fortunately, the ARB was also supportive, and with a satisfactory design, there will be a
new ramp at the northwest door. Second, there was
a meeting relating to the plans to widen Route 1 between Telegraph Road and the Mt. Vernon Highway.
One iteration of the current plan would put a “flyover” on Route 1 in front of the Church property that
would allow northbound Route 1 traffic to turn left
onto Telegraph Road without stopping. Pohick’s concerns were presented, and the plans will continue to be
monitored with the intent of preventing the construction of urban blight in front of an historic church. It is
too early to write local, state, and national representatives to put a stop to this nonsense, but if it comes to
that support from the congregation will be requested.
SEND NEWS!
Articles for the April 2012 Pohick Post are due no
later than March 15! Forward input by email in Word
compatible format to Lori Buckius, [email protected].
Design concerns & items for the Sunday Service
Volunteers page should be addressed to
Carmel Hodge, [email protected].
Pohick Episcopal Church
From The Assistant Rector
The Reverend
Lyn Youll Marshall
You never marry the right person.
- Timothy Keller
How our culture misunderstands compatibility.
In generations past, there was far less talk about
“compatibility” and finding the ideal soulmate. Today,
we are looking for someone who accepts us as we are,
and fulfills our desires, and this creates an unrealistic
set of expectations that frustrates both the searchers
and the searched for.
In John Tierney’s classic humor article “Picky,
Picky, Picky,” he tries nobly to get us to laugh at the
impossible situation our culture has put us in. He recounts many of the reasons his single friends told him
they had given up on their recent relationships:
“She mispronounced ‘Goethe.’ ” “How could I take
him seriously after seeing The Road Less Traveled on
his bookshelf ?” “If she would just lose seven pounds.”
“Sure, he’s a partner, but it’s not a big firm. And he
wears those short black socks.” “Well, it started out
great...beautiful face, great body, nice smile. Everything was going fine - until she turned around.” He
paused ominously, and shook his head. “... She had
dirty elbows.”
In other words, some people in our culture want too
much out of a marriage partner. They do not see marriage as two flawed people coming together to create
a space of stability, love, and consolation, a “haven in
a heartless world,” as Christopher Lasch describes it.
Rather, they are looking for someone who will accept
them as they are, complement their abilities and fulfill their sexual and emotional desires. This will indeed
require a woman who is “a novelist/astronaut with
a background in
fashion modeling,”
and the equivalent
in a man. A marriage based not
on self-denial but
on self-fulfillment
will require a lowor no-maintenance
partner who meets
March 2012 • Page 3
your needs while making almost no claims on you.
Simply put - today people are asking far too much in
the marriage partner.
You never marry the right person
The Bible explains why the quest for compatibility
seems to be so impossible. As a pastor, I have spoken to thousands of couples, some working on marriage-seeking, some working on marriage-sustaining,
and some working on marriage-saving. I have heard
them say over and over, “Love shouldn’t be this hard,
it should come naturally.” In response, I always say
something like: “Why believe that? Would someone who wants to play professional baseball say, ‘It
shouldn’t be so hard to hit a fastball’? Would someone
who wants to write the greatest American novel of her
generation say, ‘It shouldn’t be hard to create believable characters and compelling narrative’?”
The understandable retort is: “But this is not baseball or literature. This is love. Love should just come
naturally if two people are compatible, if they are truly
soulmates.”
The Christian answer to this is that no two people are compatible. Duke University Ethics professor
Stanley Hauerwas has famously made this point:
“Destructive to marriage is the self-fulfillment
ethic that assumes marriage and the family are primarily institutions of personal fulfillment, necessary
for us to become “whole” and happy. The assumption
is that there is someone just right for us to marry and
that if we look closely enough we will find the right
person. This moral assumption overlooks a crucial aspect to marriage. It fails to appreciate the fact that we
always marry the wrong person.
We never know whom we marry; we just think
we do. Or even if we first marry the right person, just
give it a while and he or she will change. For marriage,
being [the enormous thing it is] means we are not
the same person after we have entered it. The primary
challenge of marriage is learning how to love and care
for the stranger to whom you find yourself married.”
Hauerwas gives us the first reason that no two
people are compatible for marriage, namely, that marriage profoundly changes us. But, there is another
reason. Any two people who enter into marriage are
spiritually broken by sin, which among other things
means to be self-centered - living life incurvatus in se.
Continued on page 4
Page 4 • March 2012
Pohick Episcopal Church
From the Assistant Rector: continued from page 3
As author Denis de Rougemont said, “Why should neurotic, selfish, immature people suddenly become angels
when they fall in love... ?” That is why a good marriage is more painfully hard to achieve than athletic or artistic
prowess. Raw, natural talent does not enable you to play baseball as a pro or write great literature without enduring
discipline and enormous work. Why would it be easy to live lovingly and well with another human being in light
of what is profoundly wrong within our human nature? Indeed, many people who have mastered athletics and art
have failed miserably at marriage. So the biblical doctrine of sin explains why marriage - more than anything else
that is good and important in this fallen world - is so painful and hard.
No false choices
The reason that marriage is so painful and yet wonderful is because it is a reflection of the Gospel, which is
painful and wonderful at once. The Gospel is - we are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared to
believe, and at the very same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope. This is
the only kind of relationship that will really transform us. Love without truth is sentimentality; it supports and affirms us but keeps us in denial about our flaws. Truth without love is harshness; it gives us information but in such
a way that we cannot really hear it. God’s saving love in Christ, however, is marked by both radical truthfulness
about who we are and yet also radical, unconditional commitment to us. The merciful commitment strengthens us
to see the truth about ourselves and repent. The conviction and repentance moves us to cling to and rest in God’s
mercy and grace.
The hard times of marriage drive us to experience more of this transforming love of God. But a good marriage
will also be a place where we experience more of this kind of transforming love at a human level.
Excerpt from THE MEANING OF MARRIAGE © 2011 by Timothy Keller with Kathy Keller. Published by Dutton,
A Member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. Excerpted with permission from the publisher. All Rights Reserved.
Historic
Pohick Church Docents
On Sundays after the
9:00 am and 11:15 am services, there is now a schedule of Pohick docents to
give tours touching on the
history of Pohick Church,
architecture, preservation,
and colonial church history. In addition to Sunday tours, opportunities
for special tours are now being offered during the
week for schools, clubs, and senior groups.
5th - 6th Grade EYC
Bring-a-Friend
Movie Night
Docent Training
March 18, 2012 • 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
The next docent training class will be on Saturday, March 24 from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. For
those interested in becoming a docent, or those
that just want to learn more about the history of
the Church, this is a great opportunity. For more
information, contact Charlotte Knipling at 703339-8196.
Cost: FREE
Movie will be shown on the “big” screen.
Popcorn and drinks will be provided!
Bring a blanket or chair
to sit on for the movie.
Pohick Episcopal Church
March 2012 • Page 5
Junior Warden’s Report
Stew Remaly, Junior Warden
What a great privilege it is to serve the Lord and
the Parish as a member of the Vestry, and especially
as the Junior Warden. The Property Commission has
started off 2012 with a full plate and ready to do God’s
work. Rodger Jones will be providing sage counsel as
the Deputy Chair for the Property Commission. This
next year will be one of continued renovation and new
beginnings.
A few people need to be recognized for their great
work and continued service. Mike Elston, last year’s
Junior Warden and now the Senior Warden, was instrumental in leading some significant improvements
to the physical plant. He also did a great job of establishing more efficient processes and leading the
Property Commission. John Sessums has contributed
a great deal of hard work, and he is wished a speedy
recovery. Thanks also to Fred Crawford for his leadership on the Renovations Committee, and to the
Cemetery Warden, Rusty Booth, for his great work
managing the day-to-day operations.
A number of projects will either be completed or
are currently underway. A new extension of the hand
rail leading to the lower door of the Parish House
should be complete thanks to the efforts of Bill
Bland. Pete Kind completed work on stabilizing the
hand rails on the southeast door of the Church. Jim
Hayes will complete the first draft of the Building and
Grounds Operations Manual. Mike Elston has prepared an excellent presentation on the disability ramp
location requirement for the Fairfax Country Architectural Review Board. Fred Crawford will provide a
Renovations Committee update in the very near future.
This next year, the Vestry is challenged to increase
the efforts on the Facilities Master Plan. So much has
been done by everyone to make the Parish a more
welcoming place for all seeking a relationship with
Christ. It is now time to take up the task of preparing the grounds for the improvement of the Christian
Education facilities. There will be much more to discuss on how to achieve the follow-on phases to the
Master Plan over the coming weeks. Blessings to all
in this New Year and, remember, the members of the
congregation are all Stewards of the property. Be sure
to report to the Vestry any items that may need repair
or appear unsafe.
Martha Guild
The Martha Guild will not meet in March so its members can attend the Lenten Suppers & Programs.
Happy Hats Workshop
Happy Hats will be made on Saturday, March 3 from 10:00 am until 12:00 noon
in the Common Room Annex. The Martha Guild is sponsoring another Happy Hats
Workshop and cordially invites the congregation to join in making these hats. The
hats will be delivered to hospitals and hospices for children facing hair loss from chemotherapy, life threatening illnesses, or those in pediatric burn centers. There are no
special skills required. Happy Hats are soft, wonderfully silly hats made from colorful
material. Come join the fun!
Save the Date: Friday, June 8, 2012
The Martha Guild will be hosting an evening at The Little Theater of Alexandria on
Friday, June 8. The performance for the evening will be All the King’s Women. The King is
alive and well in Alexandria! The story of Elvis Presley told through the eyes of 17 enthralled, appalled, and obsessed women. Luigi Jannuzzi’s award-winning comedy begins
in Tupelo, Mississippi where a 12 year old Elvis wanted a BB gun instead of a guitar; to
President Richard Nixon’s office and Andy Warhol’s studio; from Cadillac salesman to
Graceland guards. This touching comedy for every generation captures the effects that
fame, generosity, and just being a nice guy can bring to others. More details and tickets
will be coming soon. So for now, just save the date: June 8, 2012.
Page 6 • March 2012
Pohick Episcopal Church
Update on Issues in the Anglican Communion
Don Brownlee
This monthly report is part of the Vestry’s ongoing effort to inform 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-gender
unions, ordination of non-celibate homosexuals, interpretation of
Scripture, and breakdown of traditional boundary lines between
Provinces.
The Church of England continued to move slowly
but steadily toward allowing woman to be consecrated as
bishops. Efforts by the Archbishop of Canterbury to make
greater accommodation opponents were defeated again;
both sides are saying they will leave the Church of England
if they don’t get their way.
Most English parishes and dioceses have indicated
support for ordaining women as bishops; all but two dioceses voted last year in favor it. But a minority say they
cannot accept the authority of a woman bishop on theological grounds. Last month, the church’s General Synod
again considered draft legislation on the issue. As proposed,
it allowed a woman to “delegate” her episcopal authority in
cases where a parish felt if could not accept her. But did not
satisfy opponents; they wanted want to create “co-bishops”
who were autonomous, rather than having their authority
delegated by the female bishop.
The Archbishops of Canterbury and York pushed hard
for the “co-bishop” proposal. The Archbishop of York said it
was the only way to buy time to develop a long-term solution, while the Archbishop of Canterbury urged the Synod
to “leave the door open” for some future compromise.
But the Synod rejected their appeals, as it did a similar
proposal by the Archbishop of Canterbury last year. By wide
margins in all orders (bishops, priests and lay people), the
Synod voted to send the proposal to the House of Bishops
for further fine-tuning, but told the bishops not to change
it “substantially.”
The House of Bishops is expected to take up the proposal in May, and possibly send it back to the General Synod in July. It then needs support from two thirds of both
houses (the House of Bishops, which in the Synod includes
clergy, and the House of Laity) order to pass. Legislation
putting the plan into law would then have to be approved
by Parliament, and receive Royal Assent from the Queen.
***
Meanwhile, dioceses in the Church of England also
continue to consider and vote on the proposed Anglican
Covenant. In the days immediately before and after last
month’s General Synod, six more dioceses voted against
the Covenant, while one voted for it. That one diocese was
Canterbury. In most of the votes so far, the priests and laity have general voted against it by wide margins, while the
bishops have been in favor, or split.
Ten of the church’s 44 dioceses have now voted against
the proposed Covenant. Five have voted in favor of it. Eighteen of 29 the remaining dioceses will need to vote in favor
it the Covenant is to be returned for a vote at the church’s
General Synod. The Archbishop of Canterbury has made
adoption of the Covenant his highest priority, and rejection
by his own Church would be a stinging rejection.
***
The Standing Committee of the Diocese of Virginia
has announced a slate of six candidates for election as Suffragan Bishop. Three are from the diocese, and three from
outside:
The Rev. Randy Alexander
Rector of Christ Church, Pelham
Diocese of New York
The Rev. Canon Susan Goff
Canon to the Ordinary
Diocese of Virginia
The Very Rev. David May
Rector of Grace Church, Kilmarnock
Diocese of Virginia
The Very Rev. Dr. Hilary Smith
Rector of St. Paul’s on-the-Hill, Winchester
Diocese of Virginia
The Very Rev. Shirley Smith Graham
Rector of St. Martin’s, Williamsburg
Diocese of Southern Virginia
The Rev. Canon Sue Sommer
Subdean and Canon Pastor of
Grace & Holy Trinity Cathedral
Diocese of West Missouri
Canon Goff, who currently serves as Canon to the
Ordinary (overseeing the day-to-day operation of various
episcopal ministries, including the discernment and ordination processes; misconduct prevention and response, and
the transition process for clergy and congregations) formerly was rector of St. Christopher’s, Springfield.
Walkabouts for the nominees will take place the week
of March 19th, including March 20th at St. George’s Fredericksburg and March 22nd at Good Shepherd, Burke. The
election will take place April 21st. The delegates to this
year’s Diocesan Council will be the electing council.
Continued on page 7
Pohick Episcopal Church
Update on Issues in the Anglican Communion,
continued from page 6
The consecration is scheduled for July 28th. We are
electing a new suffragan bishop to replace the Rt. Rev. David Jones, who retired after this year’s Diocesan Council.
Elsewhere:
• One hundred twenty priests from the Diocese of London signed a letter asking the Church of England to allow
them to bless civil unions if they see fit. Since December,
British law has allowed civil unions to be blessed in churches, but the government has not required churches to do so.
The Church of England has forbidden priests from doing
so. Their letter did not ask for permission to marry same-sex
couples, but said priests should have the same discretion to
bless a civil partnership in church as they currently have to
decide whether to remarry people who are divorced.
• Bishop Charles Bennison of the Diocese of Pennsylvania, however, does not believe clergy should have discretion as to whether or not to bless same-sex unions. He has
told his clergy that in the event the General Convention
authorizes blessing of same-sex unions, they must do so
if asked. “Unless the implementing resolution [from the
General Convention authorizing same sex blessings] states
otherwise, none of us, should we be asked to bless the relationship of a same-gender couple, may refuse to do so on
the basis of their sexual orientation.” Failure to do presumably would subject a priest to disciplinary action. Bp. Bennison was convicted by an ecclesiastical court of failing to
act promptly and properly when his brother was engaged in
a sexual relationship with a minor. This charged dated back
to the 1970s, and an appeals court overturned the conviction, saying too much time had passed. Tensions with his
diocese remained, and he has faced continued pressure to
step down, including a call from the House of Bishops that
he do so.
• Three parishes in the Diocese of Albany (NY) are
considering requesting “Delegated Episcopal Pastoral
Oversight, or “DEPO,” a process under which a parish receives Episcopal oversight from someone other than its own
diocesan bishop. The process was developed by the House
of Bishops in 2004, in response to theologically conservative parishes in dioceses where the bishop, and diocese as a
whole, were theologically more liberal, generally on issues
related to human sexuality. In this case, however, it’s the
parishes that are more liberal on these issues, while their
bishop is more theologically conservative.
A similar concept, and its exact nature, was at the heart
of the Church of England’s votes on allowing women to be
consecrated as bishops, detailed above.
Under the guidelines established by the Episcopal
Church’s House of Bishops, the parish’s rector and vestry
first meet with their bishop in an effort to bridge the differ-
March 2012 • Page 7
ences. If they cannot be bridged, the bishop then appoints
some other bishop to visit the parishes for confirmations,
and otherwise provide the Episcopal oversight that he or
she normally would provide. The parishes, however, remain
part of the diocese and continue to participate in all aspects
of diocesan life.
Bishop William H. Love told the Albany Times-Union
he began meeting with the three parishes – identified by the
paper as St. Andrew’s in Albany, St. George’s in Schenectady and St. Luke’s in Saranac Lake – in December. Bishop
Gladstone B. Adams III of the Episcopal Diocese of Central New York participated in that meeting, and according
to the Times-Union story, may be named by Bp. Love to
provide their Episcopal care. “I’m happy to be involved in
the discussions with Bishop Love,” Bp. Adams told the paper. “ It has to do with extending real Christian charity to
accommodate different perspectives.”.
Bp. Love currently is providing alternative Episcopal
oversight to two parishes in the Diocese of Connecticut.
• The dioceses of Chicago and Quincy are considering merging. In November 2008, a majority of the Quincy
diocesan synod voted to leave the Episcopal Church and to
realign with the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone,
forming what was at the time called the Southern Cone
Diocese of Quincy. Those who left are now part of the Anglican Church in North America (ANCA) and the diocese
includes churches in Illinois, Wisconsin, Colorado, Tennessee, and Florida. Nine parishes remained with The Episcopal Church. Over the last year, those parishes and the Episcopal diocese have been trying to determine their future.
The Very Rev. Robert Dedmon, who chaired the “Committee on the Future of the Diocese,” said the consensus
of the committee is that reunification with the Diocese of
Chicago “the most reasonable, faithful course.”
However, many in the diocese of small towns and rural
communities are worried that they would be swallowed up
by the larger, and more urban-oriented Diocese of Chicago.
In last month’s meeting, leaders from Chicago attempted to
reassure them. “It’s a myth that we are all urban,” said Chicago Bishop Jeff Lee. “Chicago has many small rural congregations…” Large or small, rural or urban, “it’s all about
the mission. How can we best proclaim the mission?”
The Episcopal diocese of Quincy remains engaged in
litigation with the departed churches over property issues.
It is important to remember that despite all these controversies, the work of the Church - globally, nationally, and locally - goes on.
We contributed more than 600 pounds of food to LCAC in
January and February, and collected $500 at “Souper Sunday.”
Plans and fundraising for our summer Youth Mission Trip are
well underway.
Page 8 • March 2012
Christian Education
Frances Sessums, Director of Christian Education
Pohick’s Wednesday evening Lenten programs
will continue in March. Frances Sessums will be teaching a class for the preschoolers through third graders.
Rusty Booth will be working with the fourth grade
through senior high students. The nursery is available
with a paid attendant during class time. Please come
and participate in the Lenten program.
Mark the calendar! Pohick’s Vacation Bible School
will be July 9 through July 13 from 9:00 am until 12:00
noon each day. The theme is Gospel Light’s “SonRise
National Park.” The students will learn to trust Jesus
as their all powerful guide and Savior. This is a wonderful week for everyone involved!
VBS is available for children as young as three
years old through rising 6th grade students. The 7th 12th grade students are welcome to be assistant teachers and aides! Two and one half year olds will be able
to attend VBS if a parent stays to help in the program.
Please contact Frances Sessums for specific information. Volunteers are needed to make the week a success! Anyone interested in teaching, assistant teaching,
being an aide, snacks, nursery attendant, art assistant,
or helping in any way, please call Frances Sessums at
703 425-2857.
Pohick Episcopal Church
EYC News
Rusty Booth, Youth Minister
Planning for the Youth Mission trip is well underway with a group building meeting on March 11. The
EYC has raised $13,500 of the $16,000 needed for
the trip with the annual yard sale yet to come.
A big thanks to everyone who supported the many
fundraisers for the Youth Mission Trip to Rushville,
Indiana this summer! Hammers and nails will be provided to see what can be put together!
On March 18, the Jr. & Sr. High EYC groups will
be going to see Third Day in concert, and the 5th and
6th EYC will have a Bring a
Friend Movie Night with popcorn and drinks! Planning has
also started for the EYC Spring
Retreat, which will be held April
20-22. All three groups will be
going to the Brethren Woods
Retreat Center in the George Washington National
Forest. A permission slip and informational flyer will
be distributed the beginning of March.
Needlework Book
A new book about Pohick Church Needlework is now available for purchase. It has information on all the needlework that has been worked
or is being worked at Pohick Church.
Featured in the book are beautiful colored
pictures of the pew cushions, the carpet under the
altar table, banners, frontals, and kneelers. Included is the history of the
cushion, the designer,
the person who worked
the cushion, the pew
where it is located, and
why the cushion is in
that particular pew.
The book is selling for $25.00 and all
the proceeds will be
used for the upkeep of
the needlework. Copies can be purchased from the church office or by
calling Jacqueline Wells, 703-780-1472.
Pohick Episcopal Church
Health News
Carol Heddleston, Parish Nurse
Women and Heart Attacks Myocardial Infarction
Women rarely have the same dramatic symptoms that
men have when experiencing a heart attack. Men usually
experience sudden stabbing pain in the chest, cold sweat,
grabbing the chest, and dropping to the floor. Symptoms
for women are a bit different.
Here is the story of one woman’s experience:
I had a heart attack at about 10:30 pm with no prior
exertion and no prior emotional trauma. I was sitting all
snugly and warm on a cold evening with my purring cat in
my lap reading an interesting book and actually thinking
- aah, this is the life, all cozy and warm in my soft, cushy
Lazy Boy with my feet propped up.
A moment later, I felt an awful sensation of indigestion
like a hurried bite of sandwich that has been washed down
with a dash of water, and feels like a golf ball has been swallowed. It goes down the esophagus in slow motion, and it
is most uncomfortable. This was my initial sensation - the
only trouble was that I had not taken a bite of anything for
the last five hours.
After the “indigestion” seemed to subside, the next
sensation was like little squeezing motions that seemed to
be racing up my spine. In hind-sight, it was probably my
aorta spasms, which were gaining speed as they continued
racing up and under my sternum.
This fascinating process continued on into my throat
and branched out into the upper and lower jaw. ‘Aha! Now
I stopped puzzling about what was happening - we all have
heard about pain in the jaws being one of the signals of a
heart attack. I said aloud to myself and the cat, Dear God,
I think I am having a heart attack!
I lowered the foot rest, dumped the cat from my lap,
started to take a step, and fell on the floor instead. I thought
to myself, if this is a heart attack, I should not be walking
into the next room where the phone is or anywhere else...
but, on the other hand, if I do not move, nobody will know
that I need help.
I walked slowly into the next room and dialed the
Paramedics. I told the 911 Operator that I thought I was
having a heart attack due to the pressure building under
the sternum and radiating into my jaws. I did not feel hysterical or afraid. Just stating the facts. The 911 operator said
she was sending the Paramedics immediately, asked if the
front door was close to me, and if so, unlock the door, and
then lie down on the floor where the paramedics could see
me when they came in the house.
March 2012 • Page 9
I unlocked the door, laid down on the floor as instructed, and lost consciousness. I do not remember the medics
coming in, their examination, being lifted onto the gurney, or being put into the ambulance. I did briefly wake up
when we arrived at the hospital, and I saw that the radiologist was already there in his surgical blues and cap. He
helped the medics pull my stretcher out of the ambulance.
He was bending over me asking questions, but I could not
make my mind interpret what he was saying, or form an
answer. I nodded off again, not waking up until the cardiologist had already threaded the teeny angiogram balloon up
my femoral artery into the aorta and into my heart where
they installed two side by side stints to hold open the right
coronary artery.
All the actions at home only took about four or five
minutes before calling the paramedics, and both the fire
station and the hospital are minutes from my home. The
cardiologist was ready to go to the OR in his scrubs and
ready to restart my heart, which had stopped somewhere
between my arrival and the stint installation procedure.
Look for the warning signs and be ready to take action.
1. Be aware that something very different is happening
in your body. It is said that many more women than men
die of their first heart attack because they do not know
they are having one. It is often mistaken for indigestion.
2. Be sure to call 911. Do
not drive yourself to the ER.
3. If possible, take an aspirin.
4. Do not assume it cannot be a heart attack because
you have a normal cholesterol
count.
Lorton
Community Action Center
The Lorton Community Action Center is asking for gently used and not so gently used towels,
twin bed sheets, blankets, and comforters. They
also need bed pillows, but the pillows must be new.
Please leave items downstairs in the Common
Room marked for
New Hope Housing. LCAC thanks
the parishioners of
Pohick Church for
their support and
generosity.
Page 10 • March 2012
Pohick Episcopal Church
The Persecution Corner
Bob Munson
“We are hard-pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;
persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9)
On July 9, 2010 the country of South Sudan declared its independence, and a country born of religious persecution became free.
The former country of Sudan was the largest country in Africa. This massive nation stretched along the
Nile River from its Northern desert boundary with
Egypt to its Southern rainforest border with Congo
and Uganda. The Nile brought the people together
into one country even though it served as an axis for
conflict.
Looking back in history, Arab Moslems followed
the Nile south from Egypt not long after the rise of
Islam, and slowly converted many people to Islam.
In the 19th century, European mission Christianity
spread north along the Nile from the British colonies
of Kenya and Uganda, and also converted many people
to Christianity. These two religious movements met
somewhere in Southern Sudan. The British took control of Sudan in the 19th century without establishing a clear religious policy. They sometimes strongly
favored the central region around Khartoum, hence
Islamic groups and sometimes assisted the people in
the South, hence non-Moslems, many of whom were
Christian.
Sudan became independent in 1956, but the strife
began much earlier. While it is too simplistic to classify the conflict simply as Northern Moslems against
Southern Christians, this classification holds much
explanatory power for the ethnic conflict tends to fall
in-line with religion. As the British were preparing to
leave the country, the Southerners, fearing domination
from Khartoum, made their first attempts to resist, and
periodically plunged parts of the country into warfare.
Thereafter, the country was at war two thirds of the
time from 1956 until a peace agreement in 2005. This
peace agreement set up a referendum on independence
for Southern Sudan. The voting took place on the January 9, 2011, and the people voted overwhelmingly for
independence. A new country with a long memory of
persecution was born.
During the periodic warfare up to 2005, the Khartoum-controlled military targeted the people and
Christians in the South. The military directly struck
churches, hospitals, missions, or other Christian institutions, and indirectly targeted Christianity through
attacks on the people. During this time, over 1.5 million Southerners lost their lives, and over five million
were displaced.
The country of South Sudan is now free, although
not peaceful. With the division of the country, many
people - generally Christians - who lived in the North
are now attempting to move back to their “homes”
in the South. Large migration streams have formed,
which are bringing people to a very poor unfamiliar
country. The Southern government is inexperienced
and the country has little infrastructure or ability to
meet the people’s basic needs. Its near term future is
uncertain, however, it is free, and the people no longer
fear the bombs of the Northern military.
Despite the violence, over the last 30 years the
Christian church has grown significantly in the South
from 1.6 million Christians in 1980 to over 11 million in 2012. The new country enjoys assistance from
Christian relief organizations and churches around the
world, including many in local area. On July 8, 2011,
the United Nations Security Council established the
United Nations Mission in Southern Sudan to provide
security and help the country develop. This mission has
a mandate for up to 7,000 peacekeeping troops, and
the US has agreed to send five officers.
In the weeks ahead, please remember in prayer
the Christians in South Sudan. Remember also those
in the North who are being forced to migrate due
to their religion and ethnicity. While the freedom of
South Sudan helps to solve part of the problem of religious prosecution, it is not a panacea for the death and
destruction faced by the people for the last 50 years.
Many children have grown up without knowing peace
in their land. Pray for peace in their future. Perhaps the
Christians in South Sudan are like the treasure hidden in the jars of clay, as Paul wrote to the church in
Corinth (2 Cor 4: 7). They can now come out from
their hiding place, and reveal the power of God. The
Southern Christians were persecuted, but not abandoned by God or other Christians. They now can be a
witness for what He has done for them.
March 2012 • Page 11
Pohick Episcopal Church
Easter Flowers
To make contributions toward flowers for the Church at Easter, please fill out this form and return it to the Church office with payment no later than Sunday, April 1, 2012. Forms can be mailed to: Pohick Church, 9301 Richmond Highway, Lorton, VA 22079.
Name:__________________________________________________________________________________________
Address:________________________________________________________________________________________
Telephone: ________________________________________ Email: ________________________________________
Please write the memorial, thanksgiving, or other designation for publication in the Easter Bulletin:
 Enclosed is a check payable to Pohick Church, marked “For Easter Flowers”
in the following amount:  $11
 $22
 Other _________________
Please note “For Easter Flowers” on the memo line of check.
Page 12 • March 2012
Pohick Episcopal Church
Docent Guild
A few of the members
of the Historic Pohick Church
Docent Guild visited Christ
Church on January 27.
From the visit, lots of
wonderful ideas will be
incorporated in the Pohick
Church tours. It was also
wonderful to visit the
delightful gift shop.
Help!
Batman is missing! Somtime on Sunday, January 22, I lost my coffee cup at Pohick Church. The
cup is not valuable, but the yellow band with the
Batman logo around the cup was a gift from my
grandson. Many of you know what that means.
The cup is a tall, rather battered, metal Thermos travel mug with a yellow Batman band around
it. If you have seen it, please let me know.
Thanks,
Mo Faber, 703-440-9557
Hospice Volunteers Needed
VITAS Innovative Hospice Care of Northern
Virginia is now recruiting volunteers in northern
Virginia for “friendly visits” to patients at the end
of their life. Visits made by volunteers help patients and touch families. HELP by visiting patients or working in the office. Orientation and
assignments are made according to individual preference.
Please contact the Volunteer
Services Manager at 703270-4300 or VolMgrNoVA@
vitas.com.
Summer Camps
at Shrine Mont
Brochures for the many 2012 camps and
events at Shrine Mont are now available. Brochures can be found by the steps near the Church
office. More information can be found on the
website: www.camps.thediocese.net. Applications
and camper forms can be found there as well.
Specific questions or concerns can be directed to
Paris Bell or Kathlyn Jones at 1-800-DIOCESE.
Christmas Mart
Brainstorming Session
It is never too early to think “Christmas
Mart!” All Women of the Church are invited to
attend the Christmas Mart “Brainstorming Session” to be held on Saturday, March 10 from 10:00
am until 11:30 am in the Common Room Annex.
The Session is for all those that have been
involved, want to be involved, or just want to
find out more about the Christmas Mart. Bring
thoughts, ideas, and suggestions about the various aspects of the Mart. Improvements to a great
event are always welcome.
Direct any questions to Connie Myers at 703455-4652 or at [email protected].
Pohick Episcopal Church
Sunday
March 2012 • Page 13
Pohick Church Activities • March 2012
FEB 26
27
4
11
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
28
29
MARCH 1
2
5
6
7
8
9
10
12
13
14
15
16
17
23
24
30
31
Lent 1b
6p COH Training
7:45a HE I
9a HE II
10:15a Christian Ed,
Parenting Course
11:15a HE II
12:30p St. Cecelia
St. Alban Choir
5p Youth Conf. Class
6:30p EYC ( Jr&Sr),
Parenting Course
Lent 2b
6p COH Training
7:45a HE I
9a HE II
10:15a Christian Ed,
Parenting Course
11:15a HE I
12:30p St. Cecelia
St. Alban Choir
5p Youth Conf. Class
6p EYC Dinner
Night (all groups)
6:30p Parenting Course
Lent 3b
6p COH Training
7:45a HE I
9a HE II
10:15a Christian Ed,
Parenting Course
11:15a HE II
12:30p St. Cecelia
St. Alban Choir
5p Youth Conf. Class
6:30p EYC ( Jr&Sr),
Parenting Course
9:30a Staff Mtg.
2:30p HE/FX
7p Tutoring
9:30a Staff Mtg.
2:30p HE/FX
7p Tutoring
9:30a Staff Mtg.
9:30a Ann Mason Guild Mtg
2:30p HE/FX
7p Tutoring
7:30p Vestry
6p St. Francis
Choir
6:30p Potluck
Supper & Studies
8p HE II &
Healing
6p St. Francis
Choir
6:30p Potluck
Supper & Studies
7p Prayer Shawl
Ministry
8p HE II &
Healing
6p St. Francis
Choir
6:30p Potluck
Supper & Studies
8p HE II &
Healing
6:15p Bell Choir
7p EFM
7:30p Choir of
Pohick
8:30p AA
6:15p Bell Choir
7p EFM
7:30p Choir of
Pohick
8:30p AA
6:15p Bell Choir
7p EFM
7:30p Choir of
Pohick
8:30p AA
18
19
20
21
Deadline for
Pohick Post
22
25
26
27
28
29
Lent 4b
6p COH Training
7:45a HE I
9a HE II
10:15a Christian Ed,
Parenting Course
11:15a HE I
12:30p St. Cecelia
St. Alban Choir
5p Youth Conf. Class
6:30p EYC (all grps),
Parenting Course
Lent 5b
6p COH Training
7:45a HE I
9a HE II
10:15a Christian Ed,
Parenting Course
11:15a HE II
12:30p St. Cecelia
St. Alban Choir
5p Youth Conf. Class
6:30p EYC ( Jr&Sr),
Parenting Course
9:30a Staff Mtg.
2:30p HE/FX
7p Tutoring
9:30a Staff Mtg.
2:30p HE/FX
7p Tutoring
6p St. Francis
Choir
6:30p Potluck
Supper & Studies
8p HE II &
Healing
6p St. Francis
Choir
6:30p Potluck
Supper & Studies
8p HE II &
Healing
Shrine Mont
Cleanup Weekend
6:15p Bell Choir
7p EFM
7:30p Choir of
Pohick
8:30p AA
6:15p Bell Choir
7p EFM
7:30p Choir of
Pohick
8:30p AA
Shrine Mont
Cleanup
Weekend
3
Saturday
8a Brotherhood
of St. Andrew
9:15a HPCF
9:15a Property
Committee Mtg.
10a Happy Hats
8a Brotherhood
of St. Andrew
10a Christmas
Mart Brainstorming Session
8a Brotherhood
of St. Andrew
9:15a Renovation
Committee Mtg
6p St. Patrick’s
Day Dinner
Shrine Mont
Cleanup Weekend
8a Brotherhood
of St. Andrew
10a Docent
Training
8a Brotherhood
of St. Andrew
9:30a Pohick &
LCAC
Contact the Parish Secretary, Vonne Troknya, [email protected], to list group meetings or events on the calendar.
Page 14 • March 2012
Pohick Episcopal Church
SUNDAY SERVICE VOLUNTEERS
4 MARCH
7:45
9:00
Ken Evans
Rodger Jones
Mo Faber
Santos Garcia
John Godley
Grant Hodges
11:15 Kathy Kirkland
11 MARCH
Dru Hodges
Terry Mullins
Dennis Myers
Wes Speer
Steve Edgemon
Angela Edgemon
7:00
R. Stankwitz
F. Ayorinde
1:00
T. Rivenbark
J. Bireley
12:15 M/M Myers
Pasour/Remaly
AM
J. Sunderland
N. Bireley
A. Cannon
C. Heddleston
J. MacDonald
M. Merriam
R. Teale/B. Wagner
J. Wells
N. Sage
H. Parker
J. Buckley
C. Foster
R. Stankwitz
J. Brimmer
S. Homar
AM
7:45 M/M Altman
9:00 M/M Harding
11:15 M. Yezek
M/M Jacobus
AM
J. Elston
J. Hodges
Stew Remaly
7:45
Cenci (P)
P. Springer (R)
9:00
S. Harding (R)
M. Harding (P)
11:15 Muir (P)
Hayes (R)
Poad (P)
Heddleston (R)
Rick Nelson
Paul Walden
Stew Remaly
Jim Bartholomew
Bill Patton
Edwardene Pitcock
TBD
Don Homar
Mike Wooten
TBD
J. Bartholomew
A. Gurrola
R. Jones
K. Kirkland
T. Marsico
S. Remaly
Kirkland/Hoffheins
Heintze/Jacobus
M/M Thurston
J. Wells
N. Sage
H. Parker
J. Buckley
C. Foster
R. Stankwitz
BJ McPherson
J. Holm
A. Powell
J. Schmid
E. Pitcock
S. Caesar
A. Marsico
BJ McPherson
J. Holm
A. Powell
J. Schmid
E. Pitcock
S. Caesar
A. Marsico
M. Merriam
BJ/K McPherson
Flower Guild
M/M Jacobus
M/M Jacobus
M/M Bireley
K. Kirkland
M/M Heintze
M/M Thurston
TELLERS
ALTAR GUILD
FLOWER GUILD
M/M Don Homar
Faber (R)
Sage (P)
TBD
LOCK - UP
COFFEE HOUR
M/M John Godley
1 APRIL
Bob Davies
Lane Phillips
OPEN - UP
S. Caesar
25 MARCH
Tony Marsico
Mike Vaughn
Tom Bland
Jim Foster
Jim Heller
Jan Hoffheins
M/M Myers
7:45 M/M Paul Peterson
9:00 Roberta Fede
11:15 M/M Rick Nelson
Sunderland (P)
Cenci (R)
USHERS
Becky Wagner
Pam Orel
Sandra Caesar
18 MARCH
M/M Buckner
NURSERY
L. Look
Arnhart/Duggin
L. Look
B. Sweetser
TBD
Edie Bartlett
M/M Ken Evans
Doug Smith
M/M Randy Haufe
C. Hodge
Anne Cannon
GREETERS
M/M Fuzzy Thurston
LAY READERS
M/M Dennis Myers
M/M Dick Heintze
Thorson (R)
Marsico (P)
P. Springer (P)
Wagner (R)
Muir (R)
Thorson (P)
Homar (P)
Sassin (R)
Hayes (R)
Nelson (P)
Heddleston (P)
Cenci (R)
R. Booth (R)
M. Booth (P)
Gastrell (P)
Cockroft (R)
Faber (P)
Pasour (R)
The Sunday Service Volunteers Schedule is also available at Pohick Church’s website, www.pohick.org, under “Ministries.”
Pohick Episcopal Church
March 2012 • Page 15
SUNDAY SERVICE VOLUNTEERS
4 MARCH
7:45
9:00
LC Rachel P
LC Scott S
SC Casey L
T Amanda L
T Ben S
B Kathryn S
11:15 LC Travis F
SC Slayton S
T Will H
T Sydney H
B Keighan S
11 MARCH
LC Jonathan C
LC Dru H
SC Jacob H
T Mary B
T Mac M
LC Klint E
SC Mitchell F
T Parker L
T Emily L
9:00
Rita Stankwitz
Fred Crawford
11:15
Dick Hamly
Denise McHugh
18 MARCH
ACOLYTES
1 APRIL
LC Hunter G
LC David G
TBD
LC Kathryn V
SC Hannah V
T Mikey K
T Elizbeth K
LC Robert M
SC Hannah G
T William H
T Catherine H
B Melisa L
TBD
Carol Heddleston
Terri Hayes
Jackie Wells
Micheyl Bartholomew
Grace Delaune
Nancy Sage
LC Jordan C
SC Graham H
T Isabel H
T Emily E
DOCENTS
St. Patrick’s Day
Celebration Dinner
The Brotherhood of St. Andrew, Pohick
Chapter, will sponsor a dinner in honor of St. Patrick with traditional corned beef, cabbage, and all
the fixings. The dinner will be held on Saturday,
March 17 at 6:00 pm in the Common Room/Annex. This has always been a popular family event.
Please buy tickets in advance from any Brotherhood ticket salesman or call Fred Crawford, 703680-1664.
Don’t Forget!
25 MARCH
Daylight Savings Time begins
Sunday, March 11, 2012. Remember
to set clocks forward one hour!
LC Brad M
SC Keighan S
T Hayden S
T Sydney T
B Slayton S
TBD
Outreach
The Lorton Community Action Center is
providing food to a new family in the area. The
family could benefit from a queen size bed and
clothes/shoes for the children. The children are
boys: age 8, shoe size 1, pants and tops size 8; age
11, shoe size 6, pants size 12, tops size L. The children will start school next week while the parents
are actively looking for employment. Donations
for this family can be left in the Common Room
marked for the LCAC near the red food box. The
LCAC should be called directly if a bed donation
can be made.
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Permit No. 2
Lorton, VA
Pohick Church
9301 Richmond Highway
Lorton, Virginia 22079-1519
Return Service Requested
The Purpose of Pohick Church is to be a nourishing community where Christ’s love is experienced and taken beyond its walls.
VESTRY • GRAM
Sr. Warden:
Jr. Warden:
Treasurer:
Register:
Members:
Mike Elston
Stew Remaly
Jim Bartholomew
Kathy Kirkland
Femi Ayorinde, Jud Bireley,
Michele Booth, Tom Buckner,
Jonathan Cooke,
Andrea Gurrola,
Rodger Jones,
Tony Marsico,
Kristina Myers,
Tom Rivenbark,
Leslie Schwoppe,
Rita Stankwitz
Pohick Church Vestry
Date: _____________________ Subject: _____________________
To: The Vestry
From:
The Rev’d Donald Binder, PhD
The Rev’d
Lyn Youll Marshall
The Rev’d Dr. Ruth
E. Correll, Ed.D.
Daniel Cenci
Linda Egan
Frances Sessums
Rusty Booth
Vonne Troknya
Mike Morgan
John Sessums
Pohick Church Staff
Rector:
Assistant:
Priest Associate:
Seminarian:
Minister of Music:
Director of
Christian Ed:
Youth Minister:
Parish Secretary:
Finance Admin:
Sexton:
Telephone: 703-339-6572 • Fax: 703-339-9884
Church Office Email: [email protected] • Web Site: www.pohick.org