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November-December 2013
There is wishful thinking, optimism and hope. Advent is about
Christian Hope. Wishful thinking is the formation of beliefs and the
making of decisions according to what might be pleasing to imagine
notwithstanding evidence to the contrary. It is about playing the lottery. Optimism is an
outlook on life such that one maintains a view of the world as a positive place. It is the op-
posite of pessimism. Optimists generally believe that people and events are inherently
good, so that most situations work out in the end for the best. It is about an affirmative outlook on life. Hope
is a belief in a positive outcome related to events and circumstances in one's life.
A Message from
Rev. W. Bruce McPherson
Advent: The Lesson is About Christian Hope
Continued on Page 4
For the parishioners and visitors at St. John’s Episcopal Church, Georgetown
Luke 2:25-30 At that time there was a man named
Simeon living in Jerusalem. He was a
good, God-fearing man and was waiting
for Israel to be saved. The Holy Spirit was
with him and had assured him that he
would not die before he had seen the
Lord's promised Messiah. Led by the
Spirit, Simeon went into the Temple.
When the parents brought the child Jesus
into the Temple to do for him what the
Law required, Simeon took the child in
his arms and gave thanks to God:
“Now, Lord, you have kept your
promise, and you may let your
servant go in peace.
With my own eyes I have seen
your salvation.”
Page 2 The Sentinel
Parish Life @ St. John’s Parish Life @ St. John’s
By Emily Rowell Brown
The children of St. John’s have
enthusiastically participated in
Sunday School and fellowship
events this fall.
Adult volunteers have helped
teach a semester-long unit on the
prophets and have encouraged the
children engage the old stories and
traditions through art, theater,
multimedia, and liturgy.
The children have considered
what it means to be a prophet—
both thousands of years ago and
today. Whether making scented
oils to remember how Esther ap-
proached the king to save her
people, or using Skittles candy to
consider the unequal wealth dis-
tribution in Amos’s day, Sunday
Schoolers have discovered the
richness and diversity of the
prophets.
The children have also led and
participated in a weekly chapel,
discovering we have many won-
derful readers, crucifers, and aco-
lytes among us! Liturgy consti-
tutes an important part of chil-
dren’s Christian formation, which
the St. John’s children seem to
know instinctively. .
As the semester draws to a close,
we plan to continue such opportu-
nities for fellowship, especially
during Advent. During the 10
a.m. coffee hour, St. John’s chil-
dren will be invited to make Ad-
vent wreaths and calendars.
The Christmas pageant will arrive
before we know it, so rehearsals
will soon be underway.
All the while, during the Sunday
School hour, we will consider the
stories of important figures sur-
rounding Jesus’ birth, such as
Elizabeth, Zechariah, Mary, and
Joseph.
For all of those children, parents,
and volunteers who have joined in
so far, thanks for a great fall, and
to everyone else, please consider
stopping by the chapel at 9 o’clock
to see what is happening with the
St. John’s children’s ministries!
Children ‘Prophet’ from Sunday School
New Saints on All Saints Sunday
A remarkable All Saints Sunday was Nov. 3, when four babies were baptized.
They are: Annika Liv, daughter of Miranda Berge; Charlotte Mosser
Knapp, daughter of Kim and Hubbell Knapp; Claire Marie Geltzer, daughter of
Katherine Boone and Josh Geltzer; Liam Chapman, the son of parishioners
Katie Boehret and Kevin Sheives.
November – December 2013 Page 3
palms facing downward, releas-
ing to God our worries, concerns
and fears.
Receiving — at the center we
shifted our palms upward to re-
ceive whatever gifts of insight
and peace God would offer us.
Thanksgiving — we left the
labyrinth with hands in prayer,
thanking God.
Afterward we shared dinner
and discussed the experience;
Our St. John’s-Grace Youth
Group is doing lots of fun and in-
teresting things under the guid-
ance of leaders Jeanne Jennings
and Patrick Scanlon. Following
the group’s recent visit to the
Georgetown Labyrinth, Jeanne
wrote the following:
The youth group was blessed
with a lovely fall evening to walk
the labyrinth in Georgetown's Wa-
terfront Park. The sun was just
setting over the Potomac, provid-
ing a beautiful backdrop to our
exercise — a perfect setting.
We broke our labyrinth walk into
three stages:
Releasing — we walked to the
center of the labyrinth with our
here are a few thoughts from
youth group members:
I was happy and energetic, not
like crazy bouncing-off-the-walls
jumpy. "
I felt enlightened. I felt refreshed,
like I had clicked the refresh but-
ton on a Webpage. It was like I
had gotten everything out of my
system.
It was good to walk around and
not talk, to just relax for a few
minutes."
Parishioners ages 12 to 18 are
invited; watch for an email on the
November event. Not on the list?
Contact [email protected].
Animals Blessed by Their Attendance at Church Oct. 6
Youth Labyrinth Outing Was A-Mazing
Dogs and even hedge-hogs received a bless-ing Oct. 6 on the lawn of St. John’s in ob-servance of the Feast
of St. Frances of Assisi.
Parishioners brought their critters for this
popular annual event.
At left, 8-year-old Sumner Hood’s hedge-hog Aphrodite received a blessing from Interim Rector W. Bruce
McPherson.
Page 4 November – December 2013
Hope implies a certain amount of perseverance — i.e., believing that a positive outcome is possible even
when there is some evidence to the contrary. This is what Advent is about.
Advent comes to us each year as the world grows darker and colder. It meets us in the hard places of our
lives and says to us that, even though the days are dark, we live in hope that God is making everything new
and that the new creation, of which we will be a part, will be a world in which love, joy, peace, gentleness,
kindness and generosity will abound. Advent is about the hopeful anticipation of the coming of God’s king-
dom on earth – God with us – Emmanuel.
But there is a necessary word of caution. Theodore Levitt, a professor in the Harvard Business School
wrote not long ago about the decline of the railroad industry. Railroads did not cease growing because people
and freight no longer needed transportation. Levitt says that they declined because they were emotionally tied
to the train business, not the transportation business. They confused means (trains) with ends (transportation).
We live in a world badly in need of hope. If people have stopped going to church in some places, it is not be-
cause they have stopped looking for the hope that gives meaning to life and life to meaning. They are finding
it elsewhere. Could it be that the church is too caught up in being the church with all that implies and have for-
gotten to convey hopeful meaning?
Meaning can be found in lots of different places. It is in art and music, poetry and story, liturgy and drama,
all of which the church does pretty well. But it is also found outside of the walls of the church, most im-
portantly in relationships with others. Perhaps that is why Christmas is so important. Christmas brings people
together like no other time of the year. We not only tell the Christmas story, but we also act it out in the way
we are with one another.
St. John’s will bring people together this Christmas in the Children’s Pageant, in the story and music of the
Advent Festival of Lessons and Carols and, this year, in the Community Christmas, a party for everyone. It is
in all of these ways that we convey the meaning and the hope that is fundamental to a Christian way of life. I
don’t know about you, but I’m looking forward to the joy and the fellowship that comes with Christmas and to
the hopeful anticipation of God with us. And that’s not wishful thinking.
Bruce+
Continued from Page 1
Rector’s Message: Our World Needs Christmas Hope
A Note About This Sentinel’s Cover
It is a combined image of a parishioner’s granddaughter superimposed over a
stained glass panel in the St. John’s sanctuary. The Bible verse was chosen be-
cause it clearly demonstrates that Christ’s salvation is evident to those who
seek God. In the liturgy of Evening prayer in the Anglican communion, tens of
millions of Anglicans recite the Nunc dimittis – or sing about this event in the
Evensong canticle known as the Song of Simeon – almost every single evening.
Page 5 The Sentinel
A Report From Warden Karim Zia
The Vestry has been actively focused
on a number of fronts recently. Finan-
cially, the Parish is on track to meet its
full year operating budget goals of
$627,000 of revenue, while maintain-
ing a roughly balanced budget.
Driving these healthy results have been a combi-
nation of factors: strong pledging (thanks to the ef-
forts of stewardship chair Tom Cooke), a highly suc-
cessful House Tour, a robust Concert Series, contri-
butions from the Preschool and new rental income
from the Rectory.
On the last revenue source, the strategic planning
committee has analyzed several possibilities for
transforming the rectory into a long-term income-
producing asset and the Vestry will study these op-
tions in greater detail in the near future.
With minimal endowment distributions for the
first time in ten years and strong investment perfor-
mance, the endowment has now re-
versed its decline and has grown to
approximately $1.4 million at the end
of October.
Led by the tireless efforts of Mike
Applin, property repairs have continued in an effi-
cient and cost effective manner.
In total this summer, over $60,000 of projects were
completed on time and on budget, including roof re-
pairs; repairs and painting of the Bell Tower, Parish
Hall, windows, doors; and much of the remaining
exterior. Additional minor projects are under consid-
eration for Fall implementation.
The combination of these efforts will put St.
John’s on a healthy financial and facility footing in
advance of the arrival of a new Rector next year. Spe-
cial thanks goes to the Search Committee, led by
Laura Scanlon and Greg Mocek, in the process of
calling our next permanent rector.
Warden’s ReportWarden’s Report
Healthy Year of Financial Stewardship and Property Repairs
Epistle Keeps Parishioners Informed
Our newest communications tool, The Epistle,
was launched in early autumn. It arrives as an
email in parishioner’s inboxes by mid-week
bringing news of church activities and a weekly
meditation from our clergy. For more infor-
mation, contact [email protected]
Julie Cooke and Martha Wilson, members of the
property committee, convened a meeting on Nov.17th
of those with an interest in St. John's grounds.
Stephanie Bothwell, parishioner and landscape ar-
chitect, sketched out a plan combining years of her
thoughts and input solicited from the congregation.
From all the various ideas she produced a design,
which was approved by the vestry on Nov. 21. The
design concentrates primarily on the space in front of
the church and parish hall, emphasizing what can be
done right now, before hard frost, to prepare the
grounds for the winter. Funds for this preliminary ti-
dying-up phase will come from the Property Reserve
Fund and the Memorial Fund--our outside space is, as
an integral part of the church, memorial ground.
When Stephanie has perfected the details of the de-
sign, it will be in Blake Hall for all to see admire, and
comment upon.
Grounds Improvements Underway
Page 6 November—December, 2013
By Carol Seaver A new enterprise in ecumenical ministry is under-
way in Georgetown. On an invitation from Holy
Trinity Catholic Church in early October, St. John’s
and a few other churches met to see
what it would take to feed 60-70
homeless every Saturday night, year
round.
Word spread quickly. By early No-
vember, six churches -- Holy Trinity Catholic,
Mount Zion United Methodist, Grace Episcopal, Je-
rusalem Baptist, Georgetown Presbyterian, St. John’s
Episcopal -- and the Georgetown Campus Ministry
agreed to initiate a pilot project that would determine
how best to deliver this service, by whom, and where.
The question of where was quickly decided: Pastor
Johnsie Cogmans of Mount Zion United Methodist
Church proclaimed ebulliently that Mt. Zion United
Methodist would be the single site for every supper.
“I will not have the brothers and sisters trying to keep
track of our schedules!”
Experience from two pilot suppers on Nov. 9 and
16 has provided answers to the other questions.
Producing a Saturday Supper of three main dish op-
tions (one vegetarian), salad, bread, beverage and two
dessert choices requires 15-18 volunteers for prep-
ping, serving, and clean-up. Diners are welcome to
go back for seconds’ and may take leftovers with
them; bags are provided.
Serving a Saturday Supper requires set-up teams
arriving an hour before doors are
opened at 5 p.m. A prayer of blessing
is said by all before the meal. Guests
depart by 6 p.m., followed by volun-
teers. Survey results from guests
brought good ratings and such joyful reviews as:
“Thanks for feeding us! We were not treated like
homeless, which is great. The vegetarian lasagna
was just what I was hoping for! ”
There’s something holy going on here, a transform-
ative rendering, making ‘us and them’ into ‘we.’
Those ‘others,’ those not like us, those symptoms of
dysfunction, become brothers and sisters .
NOTE:St. John’s Episcopal volunteers will be on
duty the last night of the pilot—November 30, the
Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend. Currently, our
commitment is for the meal only, but we foresee
forthcoming a rich multi-parish collaboration across
all roles. To express interest in this Saturday Supper
ministry, please contact Carol Seaver at
“There’s someThing holy going on here”
St. John’s young adults have enjoyed gathering for brunch and structured spiritual conversations in the past,
and they only hope to build on previous events. Katie Boehret and Kevin Sheives, chairs of the Parish Life
committee, continue to find new ways to engage the twenty-thirtysomethings at St. John’s. With the help of
several other young adults in the congregation, they convened a successful meeting with Jason Evans, the
Young Adult Lay Missioner for the Episcopal Diocese of Washington. From the meeting emerged a consen-
sus that young adults would like to participate in regular events together.
Already, monthly events centered on the topic of “Faith and Work” are in the works for 2014. The three
Georgetown Parishes hope to collaborate and sponsor these events together, inviting young adults to enjoy
drinks and presentations by speakers from the congregation.
As the young adults plan for a great 2014, they seek to ensure that all interested young adults stay in the loop
about opportunities for gathering and fellowship. Interested young adults should be sure to join the Facebook
group “St. John’s Georgetown 20s/30s” and to look in the Weekly Epistle for announcements.
20-30somethings Seek a Deeper Spiritual Dive
Churches Join to Serve Saturday Supper
Page 7 The Sentinel
Christmas Events Fill the SeasonChristmas Events Fill the SeasonChristmas Events Fill the Season
ADVENT ACTIVITIES —
Sunday Dec. 1 is the first day of
Advent. Advent is the time we
are invited to prepare inwardly
for the coming of God’s own self
in the form of a baby named Je-
sus. One excellent way to pre-
pare to receive this mind-
boggling gift is to join St. John’s
Wednesday evening service in
the Chapel of the Carpenter at
5:30 and 6:30 pm. The service
begins with a simple Eucharistic
service, followed by silent pray-
er. All are welcome. For more
information, call Joan Maxwell
(202) 363-1388.
ADVENT BIBLE STUDY –
Ever wonder why there are four
different Gospels, but only one
nativity story? Ever wonder why
Joseph is merely an ornament in
the crèche for Luke’s familiar sto-
ry? And, by the way, what does
all this have to do with me and
you? You might want to partici-
pate in the Advent Bible study.
Advent I, Dec. 1 – The Nativity
Story in Matthew; Jesus’ forbear-
ers.
Advent II, Dec. 8 – Joseph in the
Nativity Story; really now!
Advent III, Dec.15 – The Story
according to Luke; shepherds and
angels.
Advent IV, Dec. 22 – The Story
according to Mark and John; what
does it mean to say that Jesus is
the son of God and the Word of
God?
COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS
The Greens Sale is a wonderful St.
John's tradition, and we plan to
continue aspects of it such as
selling a few greens, engag-
ing children, and lots of holi-
day spirit. However, this
year's event will be different
and re-themed
"A Community Christmas."
The event will be Dec.15
from 3:30-5:00pm in Blake
Hall before the 5 p.m. Festi-
val of Lessons and Car-
ols. We hope it will bring
parish members together to
celebrate the holiday, and
welcome communi-
ty members who typically
come to the Greens Sale to the
Festival of Lessons and Carols for
worship following
A Community Christmas. Contact
Katie and Kevin
at [email protected] .
And...Following Lessons and Car-
ols the staff will host a reception
as a way of saying thank you for
the faithful commitment of the
people of St. John's.
Christmas Music at St. John’s
On Dec. 8, 11 a.m.
Excerpts from
George Frideric Handel’s
On Dec. 8, 5 p.m.
Festival Choral Evensong
A Festival of
Nine Lessons
and Carols
Sunday, Dec. 15
at 5:00 pm
St. John’s Episcopal—Georgetown Parish
3240 O Street NW
Washington, DC 20007
stjohnsgeorgetown.org
2013-14 Season
Georgetown Concert Series Underway
SPRING 2014 FAMILY CONCERT!
The Kennedy String Quartet
Kinderkonzert
Sunday, March 2, 2014, at 4 p.m. In this lively program for ages 4 and older, a string quartet from the National Symphony Orchestra, featuring, Jane Bowyer Stewart, violin, Holly Hamilton, violin, Jim Deighan, viola, and David Teie, cello, engage the audience with musical contrasts, from the technical to the emotional.Explore simple musical opposites such as high and low, loud and soft, fast and slow, then hear excerpts of the masters, Beethoven, Haydn, and Tchaikovsky. Enjoy hands-on fun with the musical instrument “petting zoo,”
which gives children a chance to get up close with the instruments.
“…a friendly and often hilarious introduction to the string quartet…
as big on theatrics as it was on playing. Hugely enjoyable!”
- The Washington Post
Can you hear the applause pouring from St. John’s? We began in October with
the brilliant recital of concert organist Nathan Laube on our magnificent new
Casavant pipe organ. Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir. November brought
the sublime sounds of the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir. Both these
events filled our church with music-lovers and brought glory to God.