From Anne …
Lent begins this year on February 9th, with Ash Wednesday. Lent has gone in and out of fashion (if you take the long view of fashion). The earliest mention of Lent as a time of preparation is in the late fourth century. After that Lent became more and more fancy and complicated for a thousand years or so until it became just too much. And so now for the past half a millennium, Protestants have tried to figure out what to do with it. Do we give things up, like meat, or chocolate? Or is that too legalistic, just the sort of approach the reformers opposed? Or do we take things on, like the study of a book, or an additional discipline of prayer? That approach would fit with the earliest idea of the season being a time for the preparation for baptism at Easter. In the fifties and early sixties, when the American Protestant churches were washed in the colors of soft pastels, we were particularly skittish about Lent’s dark power. So we thought of Lent as something like spring. In Sunday School the children planted seeds in little paper cups and waited for the blossoming of Easter. In those days, we didn’t know what to do with sacrifice and penance.
But we are beginning to get the idea again. Lent holds great potential for us today. Our spiritual growth comes at least in part through our active participation in the opportunity God gives us through the church’s structure of Lent. We can take on a new discipline for forty days and emerge from the experience with new insight into God’s astonishing if often subtle work in our lives and in the world around us. We don’t need to fear Lent as something dangerously legalistic that will draw us into a rigid works-righteousness approach to our faith, and we don’t need to dismiss Lent as something hopelessly antiquated. We can, instead, embrace Lent as a season that has much to teach us.
St. Luke’s begins Lent the night before Ash Wednesday, with a new study of C.S. Lewis’ classic Mere Christianity (available widely, used and in paper). Maybe you know Lewis from his Narnia series. Come read and explore with us, beginning on February 8th, 7:30-8:30, in my office.
On Ash Wednesday we’ll gather in the sanctuary at 7:30 for a service of meditation and imposition of ashes.
During Lent, as we did during Advent, we’ll celebrate the holy mystery of communion each Sunday.
During Lent I pray that each of us will let go of some way of being, some aspect of life, that we find ourselves grasping too tightly. We live in a culture where me-first is the prevailing rule, where arrogance overshadows humility, and where our best intentions are distorted by the materialism we are immersed in. The traditions of Lent offer us a way to see things differently. I hope we will share our intentions for Lent, so that we can help each other stay true to them and grow through them.
February Calendar
1 Grate Patrol delivery, 6:45 p.m.
6 Grate Patrol offering
Pew Bible Dedication
Transfiguration Sunday
8 Mere Christianity study begins, 7:30-8:30 pm
9 Ash Wednesday Service 7:30 pm
13 New member orientation after coffee hour
Guest House planning meeting
20 New members received
Church Council meets 12:45
Our turn with Shelter Dinner 6:45 pm
21 Church office closed for Presidents’ Day
Grate Patrol Offering February 6th
Our monthly Grate Patrol Offering supports the purchase of groceries and supplies to make 150 bag suppers for people living on the street.
Our next Grate Patrol night is Tuesday, February 1st. Sign up in the Wesley Room or email the church to be part of that night’s Grate Patrol team (6:45-9 pm; meet at the church).
January’s Grate Patrol offering was $96.00
Pew Bible Dedication February 6th
Fifty pew Bibles will be dedicated in memory and in honor of loved ones, and to the glory of God, on February 6th. Many thanks to Joyce Wagner for inscribing the bookplate for each Bible with her incomparable calligraphy.
Mere Christianity Study Begins February 8th
The book brings together Lewis’s legendary broadcast talks of the war years, talks in which he set out simply to “explain and defend the belief that has been common to nearly all Christians at all times.” Rejecting the boundaries that divide Christianity’s many denominations, C.S.Lewis provides an unequaled opportunity for believers and unbelievers alike to hear a powerful, rational case for the Christian faith.
This Lenten study begins on Tuesday, February 8th, at 7:30, in Anne’s office (please enter by the office door, in the back of the church.) The study will conclude on March 22nd.
New Member Sunday February 20
Those intending to join St. Luke’s as members are invited to attend a new member orientation after coffee hour on February 13th. New members will join the church during worship on February 20th. Please let Anne know if you are thinking of becoming a member.
Shelter News
Susan Keenan, St. Luke’s Shelter director, resigned from that position at the end of December, returning to New Hope Housing in Northern Virginia. We wish Susan all the best in her new position and thank her for her leadership and contributions to the development of the Shelter and Next Step Kitchen.
The Shelter board will be posting the ED position and the position of instructor for Next Step Kitchen early this month. Congregation members are encouraged to pass on information about the position opening to their own networks. For more information, contact June Kress at kressman@erols.com.
Hypothermia Shelter at St. Luke’s
The hypothermia shelter, which opened its doors before Christmas, continues to offer a warm place to stay for men when the temperatures drop below freezing. If you see someone you think has no shelter, you can tell them about the hypothermia shelter, or (for men or women) call the hypothermia hotline at 1-800-535-7532. An outreach worker will come to the person and encourage them to ride in a van to one of the hypothermia shelters. The shelter at St. Luke’s is managed by Catholic Charities, who provide a counselor and beds for our cold weather guests.
In the life of our community …
We give thanks that first cousins Sadie Evans Downing, daughter of Missy and Riley Downing, and Eilidh Elizabeth Pierpont, daughter of Kim Pyle and Roby Pierpont, received the sacrament of baptism on Sunday, January 16th . Sadie and Eilidh were surrounded by family, friends and the congregation, including their grandparents, Betty and Richard Pyle.
We thank God, too, for the completed life of Sarah Helen Rogers, who died on January 25th at the age of 88. A memorial service for Helen will take place at St. Luke’s on Saturday, February 12th, at 1:00 p.m. We rejoice with Faith and Doug Lewis, who are expecting their first child in August.
Music Notes
Ash Wednesday is February 9 and we will have a Taize style service at 7:30pm. Last year, we made use of our large altar space by sitting on cushions and benches that were arranged in a round. The feeling was one of transcendence and intimacy as we joined in repetitious, unaccompanied Taize pieces and suspended ourselves in harmonious silence-a great way to capture the spirit of Lent. We will be using Taize pieces throughout Lent to create the feeling of simplicity, longing and meditation.
Here are some other music highlights to look forward to:
February 20th- Judy Bennett, soprano, will be back with us to share spirituals in honor of Black History Month. You may remember her wonderful performance last February.
February 27th- Joyce Polifka, pianist and Denise Lindekugel, mezzo-soprano will be presenting the Bach Cantata Ich Habbe Genug ("It is enough"). Joyce, my wife, will be singing in the choir and lending her piano talents starting on this day. She recently resigned from being the Music Director at The Navy Medical Center to be able to join us in worship. Let's give her a big welcome!
March 13th- Second Sunday Series: Deke and Joyce will be presenting a four-hand piano recital featuring works by Rachmaninoff, Schubert and Chopin. The concert is at 2pm and will be the last concert this season due to the upcoming renovation project.
Join our music program in making 2005 a year of wonderful music!
-Deke Polifka
Guest House Committee Meeting on February 13th
Thank you to all who participated in our initial guest house program meeting last month. It was a great success and we now have an official committee to help move the development of the program forward. The current members of the committee are Mary Day, Allen Hengst, Charles Howe, Shalom Mulkey, Sonia Kassambara, and Derrick Wagner. Of course there’s always room for more! If you’re interested in joining us in developing this exciting new ministry please contact Shalom Mulkey at the church office or join us for our next meeting after church on February 13th.
--Shalom Mulkey
Letters…
From a former resident of St. Luke’s Shelter…
Dear St. Luke’s,
Hello, family! It is with deep regret that I leave St. Luke’s Shelter on the 10th of January 2005. However, armed with a new attitude, gainful employment, and a good spiritual base, I’m now ready to tackle the game of life. Thanks for “Next Step Kitchen” and its blueprint for success, which I have adopted. Again, thank you family so much! I feel that I have been touched by each and every one of you!!
God Bless,
Terry S.
From our bishop…
Dear friends,
Thank you for your prayers and the wonderful 2005 calendar. I am grateful for your work with Zimbabwe and particularly with your sister church, St. Dorcas United Methodist Church. I believe these relationships are helping to transform lives of United Methodists in Zimbabwe and the United States.
I will enjoy the calendar and the wonderful pictures.
Keep the faith!
-John R. Schol, Bishop
Baltimore Washington Conference
From a neighbor…
Hi Anne,
… When [my husband, children and I] had dinner with the men [at St. Luke’s Shelter] last month, I learned about the hypothermia beds opening up. Just today, I read that you had officially added the ten walk-in beds for hypothermia season. I wanted to say thank you… Once again, St. Luke’s is setting a glowing example for churches everywhere. As a resident of Glover park and homeless advocate, my hat is off to all of you. I am always impressed with the shelter’s work and the men who stay there. It is a dignified and respectful place…
-Marta Beresin
From a former member of St. Luke’s…
Dear St. Luke’s,
My school has just started the Christmas break! My bell choir had six concerts already. This afternoon we’ll visit a nursing home and play handbells. I really miss you and am planning to visit you next spring, during the spring break. How’s the choir?
Love,
Sawa Kato
Tokyo, Japan
From our one hundred year old Miss Gladys in California...
Dear Pastor Anne,
May I ask you to please put my name on the prayer list, that [my surgery] will go well and that I will have the stamina necessary for the preparation,
The surgery, and the healing. I’d like prayers for Dr. Caruth and his surgical team of doctors and nurses and for those who will care for my needs in the hospital. At my age, surgery can be a concern; but I’m putting my fears and my trust in God, knowing he does hear all our prayers….
Please remember us to our friends at St. Luke’s. May God fill your days with His love, peace and joy in this new year.
-Love, Gladys and Lorraine
February Birthdays
2 Frances Fort
16 Faith Lewis
24 Rosalyn Zulu
28 Sara Horton
Joys & Concerns
For Shalom’s mother Candy, with pneumonia
For Deke’s grandmother, recovering from surgery
For Penny, recovering from surgery and beginning chemotherapy
For Eilidh and Sadie who come to receive the sacrament of baptism, and for their families in their love and commitment to the raising of these children
For Beth Stroud, and for St. Luke’s desire to be an inclusive congregation
For the continuing blessing of the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr
For Nedi and his family
For Nikki’s sister Natalie, and for her mother
For all of the victims of the tsunami.
For Robert Jones, the driver of the Salvation Army’s Grate Patrol van, hospitalized with congestive heart failure
For St. Luke’s as we enter into the conversation about being a reconciling congregation.
Rosalyn Zulu shared the joy of her acceptance into the University College of The University of Maryland
For peace
For Matthew Scruggs, son of Joyce and Derrick Wagner, being redeployed to Iraq in January, and for the end of the war
For the Pyle’s young friend Eric
For Earl Williams’ cousin Eric, in Iraq
For our military in Iraq and for the people of Iraq, and for our leaders that they may lead with wisdom
For the children and staff of Wings of Hope Orphanage, in Haiti.
For Prince of Peace Methodist Church in Holguin, Cuba
For the community of St. Luke’s Shelter.
For those living with HIV/AIDS
For our members who are unable to attend because of their health: Emma Cox, Jeanne Goss, Lucille Dade, and Margaret Roberts.
Thanks to all who have signed up to host coffee hour this month. The sign-up sheet is posted in the Wesley Room, or you can just contact the church office if you’d like to host next month. If you’ve never hosted and want guidance, contact Nancy Smrynas at 202-965-0084
Scripture Texts for February
6 Matthew 17:1-9
9 Matthew 6: 1-6, 16-21
13 Matthew 4: 1-11
20 John 3: 1-17
27 John 4: 5 - 42
Put yourself on the map. We now have a map on the wall in the Wesley Room so that we can see where everyone is from and also the places we all keep in our hearts. Please add your places during coffee hour today.
Missed Church on Sunday?
You can still keep up with the latest prayer concerns and church events by checking the church web site, www.saintlukesmethodist.org. The Weekly Messenger appears there each week to help you stay in touch with your church family. And thanks to Derek Willis the site is always up to date and easy to navigate.