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)

FEBRUARY 2013
Fair with the Belvoir Oktoberfest. Conventional Means: Increase temporary church signage to advertise upcoming events; improve curb appeal; send mailers to area newcomers; explore advertising on public access channels; seek to include info about Pohick at Mt. Vernon and Gunston Hall; enhance the Country Fair with new or different offerings that will attract more visitors. As you might guess, tackling even the above partial list will require help from the entire congregation, especially from those with certain connections and skill-sets. And so if you have access or specialized knowledge with respect to an idea mentioned above (or others that will be forthcoming) and you are willing to help out, please let one of the clergy or vestry know. We will do our best to put your time and talent to good use in the service of our Lord! While we pursue this project, its important to maintain an attitude of humility, remembering that we are not seeking to promote ourselves; rather, we are working to proclaim Christ. As one of the reflection Scriptures from our Vestry retreat stated: We have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us (2 Cor 4:7). This precept leads nicely to my next topic: the start of Lent. It comes early this year, with Ash Wednesday falling on February 13. On that day we will offer four services, each with the Imposition of Ashes and Holy Communion, at 7:00 am, noon, 4:30 pm, 7:30 pm. Aside from Easter, this is the only day of the year
Continued on page 2

The Reverend Donald D. Binder, PhD

From The Rector

ur 2013 Let your Light so Shine project is off to a great start! We had a lively forum on Epiphany Sunday (appropriately enough), with more than a hundred participants offering lots of great ideas for how we might better heed Jesus command through the use of modern technology, through the communications systems at Ft. Belvoir, and through more conventional means. The Vestry culled through all these suggestions at its retreat the following weekend, identifying the ones that seem most appropriate for our congregation at this time. These will be assigned out to one or more of our church commissions with the charge to make them happen. The vestry will review progress at each monthly meeting, adding support as needed. Heres just a small sampling of the ideas that the vestry looked at: Technology: use Facebook, Twitter, and Google Ads to attract visitors and increase parish participation; email weekly bulletin announcements; add a blog page to the website; add a virtual tour to the website; correct erroneous information on the web (e.g., Google maps listing us as closed on Sundays). Ft. Belvoir: Advertise in the Belvoir Eagle; contact the base chaplains and offer them support in serving military families; place fliers and literature at strategic places around the base and in welcome packets; offer docent tours to military groups; de-conflict the

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Pohick Episcopal Church

From the Rector: continued from page 1

when we hold so many services - and we do so because Ash Wednesday is a work day for many of our parishioners and potential visitors. We therefore want to make it as easy as possible for you to worship on this holy day. So please take advantage of one of these four services, either before or after work, or on your lunch hour. The following Wednesday (February 20), we will begin our five-week series of Lenten suppers, studies and services, starting at 6:30 pm for the potluck, with studies running from 7:10 pm - 7:50 pm, and the evening concluding with a half-hour service at 8:00 pm. Thats an investment of just two hours a week, including dinner, that will help you experience a holy Lent this year! Look for more details about the class topics in the weekly bulletins later in the month. Weve got an exciting year ahead of us! May God continue to bless our ministries as we continue in his service at Pohick Church.

Senior WardenS report

Mike Elston, Senior Warden Pohickians can be proud of the fact that they once again came through at the end of the year by bringing 2012 pledges up to date and making pledges for 2013. The parish started December with an estimated shortfall of approximately $30,000 for 2012, assuming December income was a normal amount. December turned out to be anything but normal. Contributions during the month almost completely erased the projected operating deficit and left the budget essentially balanced for the year. There was also a surge in pledges during the month enabling a much better budget position for 2013. The 2013 stewardship campaign is now ahead of the 2012 stewardship campaign both in total amount pledged and the number of pledging units. While it was not easy for the Vestry to decide to start 2013 without a budget, it turned out to be the right decision because the Congregation rallied to meet the financial challenges facing the parish. As a result, at its January meeting, the Vestry was able to adopt a budget for 2013 that, while not perfect, will ensure that the good work of the church will be continued. The Vestry also approved three requests to serve alcohol at events on church property: the Chili Cook Off, a private event, and the St. Patricks Day dinner. At its retreat in Richmond, the Vestry discussed the ideas provided at the parish forum. There will be some exciting new things in the weeks and months ahead. The Vestry also agreed on the 2013 commission assignments. In what was a first during Dons tenure, every Vestry member is in his or her first-choice commission assignment. Those assignments are as follows:

Worship Commission: Rev. Don Binder and Mike Elston Planning and Policy Commission: Don Brownlee and Tom Rivenbark Resources Commission report: Clint Herbert and John Pasour Mission and Outreach Commission: Kristina Myers Pastoral Care Commission: Rita Stankwitz Christian Education Commission: Russ Wyllie and Clay Sweetser Stewardship Commission: Jud Bireley and Tony Marsico Property Commission: Neil Sunderland Service and Fellowship Commission: Tom Buckner As always, the Vestry exists to serve the members of Pohick Church. Any questions or concerns should be directed to the Wardens or members of the Vestry.

Pohicks George Washington: Vestryman, 250th Anniversary celebration from last October was one of the church events featured in the Scenes From The Diocese section on page 29 in the Winter 2013 issue of the Virginia Episcopalian: Pohick Church, Lorton marked the 250th Anniversary of the election of George Washington to the vestry with a special event including a presentation from a portrayer of Washington. A reception also included a book signing by guest Mary V. Thompson, author of In the Hands of a Good Providence: Religion in the Life of George Washington. The entire issue can be viewed online at the Diocese of Virginias website at http://www.thediocese. net/News/VirginiaEpiscopalian.

docent Guild event HiGHliGHted in tHe virGinia epiScopalian MaGazine

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February 2013 Page 3

The Reverend Dr. Ruth E. Correll, Ed.D. confirMation and inquirerS claSSeS

From The Assistant Rector

When I was teaching in an Episcopal school in New York City, I overheard a somewhat heated theological discussion between two kindergarteners over their lunch. The Jewish girl insisted that God was born in a manger and Jesus lives in your heart. The Christian girl disagreed. She argued that God lives in your heart while Jesus lives in heaven. The variety within and among traditions can be confusing to children as they listen to their classmates tell stories from their faith, discuss the experience of first Rite of Reconciliation, describe celebrations for their bar mitzvahs, and compare the forms given to the sacraments of Holy Baptism and Communion. Somewhere in storage, I have the results of over 200 interviews my students in college and seminary and I have conducted with children in churches. We used a list of questions about various biblical and theological concepts. In general, the results proved to us that the church has a daunting task in passing the faith to the next generation. No wonder James letter cautions teachers about the extra responsibility they have before God. [ James 3:1] Sometimes responses to the questions were amusing. One 6th grade boy was asked, Tell me about the Holy Spirit. His verbatim answer was, I dont know anything about that, but it has something to do with your shoulders. He then made the sign of the cross. Speaking of shoulders - A middle school boy, when asked if it was fair that Jesus died for his sins, casually shrugged his shoulders and replied confidently, Sure, that was his job. Yes, that was Jesus job, but the boys sense of entitlement and lack of appreciation made his answer disturbing. Other results showed developmental changes. Preschoolers were quite certain that they would not have eaten the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. Middle to upper elementary children often waffled a bit. Some said they would not have eaten it, but they could understand why Adam and Eve did. Usually by junior high, they admitted they probably would have eaten it.

Answers like those reported in the above paragraph have led church officials to wait until the teen years to hold confirmation classes. Young people have reached cognitive and affective levels to be able to consider thoughtfully the basic tenants of Christianity. They also need enough self-understanding through life experience to appreciate the comfort and challenge of faith. From February until the bishops visit on June 9, about twenty Pohickians will be taking either Confirmation class for teenagers on Sunday evenings or the Inquirers Class for adults on Sunday mornings. Please keep them in your prayers: for the Holy Spirit to work in the hearts and minds of both the teachers and the students; for understanding those aspects of faith that may be new to students; for trusting God in those aspects of faith that surpass our human understanding, that is to say, for opening space in ones faith for mystery; and for wisdom to proceed with or delay the commitments of Confirmation.

The Ann Mason Guild is selling Pohick Church porcelain ornaments. The ornaments can be purchased from any Ann Mason Guild member or the Church office. Ornaments are $15 each. Please make checks payable to Ann Mason Guild.

poHick cHurcH ornaMent

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Pohick Episcopal Church

update on iSSueS in tHe anGlican coMMunion

This monthly report is part of the Vestrys 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.

Don Brownlee

The Rt. Rev. Justin Welby is, as of this writing, Archbishop of Canterbury elect. The College of Canons of Canterbury Cathedral met January 10th and unanimously elected him as the 105 archbishop of their diocese. The Dean of the Cathedral will present the results to a commission of senior bishops at St. Pauls Cathedral in London on February 4th. At that point, he will become Archbishop of Canterbury. The process requires one more ceremony: On March 21st, his public ministry will be inaugurated in a service at Canterbury Cathedral, to be attended by bishops from the Church of England, primates from other provinces in the Anglican Communion, and representatives of other faiths. In his final Christmas sermon at Canterbury Cathedral, outgoing Abp. Williams noted that recently-released census figures showed that 59% of the British people describe themselves as Christans, down 12 percentage points from a decade dealier. About those who did not, he asked, Do they wish they could believe something? Do they see it [religion] as a problem or as a resource in society? In the deeply painful aftermath of the Synods vote last month [not to allow women to be consecrated as bishops], what was startling was how many people who certainly wouldnt have said yes to the census question turned out to have a sort of investment in the Church, a desire to see the Church looking credible and a real sense of loss when - as they saw it - the Church failed to sort its business out. But Faith is not about what public opinion decides, he went on, and it is not about how we happen to be feeling about ourselves. It is the response people make to what presents itself as a reality - a reality which makes claims on you. Here is something so extraordinary that it interrupts our world; here is something that (like Moses in the story of the Burning Bush) makes you turn aside to see, that stops you short. Faith begins in the moment of stopping, you could say: the moment when you cant just walk on as you did beforeIf we find the freedom to stop and turn aside, then the world itself begins to turn into renewal. O come, let us adore him, says the carol. That adoration, that wondering gaze at the child in the

manger, is where faith is born; and where faith is born, so is the new world of Jesus and his Spirit. In his final Christmas sermon at Durham Cathedral, Bp. Justin likewise referred to the agonisingly wounding fights within the Church of England (COE), such as the one over women bishops. He said they make it very easy to be despondent about the church, while events such as the shootings in Newtown, Connecticut make it even easier to be despondent about the world. But the baby in Bethlehem calls us to a different response, he said, one which is utterly transforming of the world in which we live. The main job of the church is never self-preservation, but glorifying God. The moment we lose sight of that we lose everything we are about. The same is true for us as individual Christians. We exist to glorify God, to show that He is the Saviour. When that is our focus we find His love filling our lives and our lives changing the world around. The deeply painful aftermath of those agonisingly wounding fights continued to occupy the time of both men, and the bishops of the CoE, through the Advent and Christmas seasons and into the new year. Its House of Bishops met in December to try to find a way to recover from the deeply painful aftermath Abp. Williams referred to in his Christmas sermon: The public and parliamentary anger over a decision by the General Synod in November not to allow women to be consecrated as bishops. The bishops said they recognised and felt the profound and widespread sense of anger, grief and disappointment experienced by so many in the Church of England and beyond over the vote, and that it believed the present situation was unsustainable for all, whatever their convictions. They said the church must resolve the issue through its own processes as a matter of great urgency. They appointed a task force that will have meetings with the various interest groups in February, with the aim of having a new proposal for the General Synod to consider in July. Buried in the report on that meeting was another major announcement: The bishops had decided that celibate gay clergy living in civil partnerships would no longer automatically be barred from becoming bishops. The paragraph did not directly state the issue, but said the bishops had, confirmed that the requirements in the 2005 statement concerning the eligibility for ordination of those in civil partnerships whose relationships are consistent with the teaching of the Church of England apply equally in relation to the episcopate. A plainer way of putting this might be, In 2005 we said that gay men in civil partnerships are eligible to be ordained as long as they remain celibate. We now say that gay priests in civil partnerships may become bishops, again, provided that they remain celibate. Continued on page 5

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February 2013 Page 5

Update on Issues in the Anglican Communion,

continued from page 4 Prominent voices from the Anglican Communion in Africa immediately denounced the decision. Archbishop Nicholas Okoh of Nigeria, said it could very well shatter whatever hopes we had for healing and reconciliation within our beloved Communion. He said the CoE had bowed to the contemporary idols of secularism and moral expediencyand is [only] one step removed from the moral precipice we have already witnessed in The Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church in Canada. He added, The supposed assurances of celibacy, while perhaps well intentioned, are both unworkable and unenforceable. Bishops of the Anglican Church in North America, the umbrella organization for those who have broken away from The Episcopal Church threatened to split from the CoE as well if it continues in this contrary direction. Opponents within the CoE were particularly unhappy about the way the decision was made and announced. That would be a major change in church doctrine and therefore not something that can be slipped out in the news, it is something that has got to be considered by the general synod, the Rev. Rod Thomas, chairman of the conservative group Reform, told the BBC. He predicted there would be great divisions in the church if a priest living in a civil partnership was chosen as a bishop. **** If the disagreements within the Church of England over these issues are agonizingly wounding, as Abp. Williams said, an equally agonizing situation is playing itself out in the Diocese of South Carolina, with two groups both claiming to be the legitimate Episcopal diocese. Last fall an Episcopal Church disciplinary board in effect indicted Bishop Mark Lawrence on charges he had abandoned the doctrine and discipline of The Episcopal Church. The presiding bishop, in accordance with the canons, inhibited him from further episcopal acts. This triggered a previously-undisclosed decision by the Dioceses Standing Committee to disassociate from The Episcopal Church. A special convention soon affirmed this decision. This Diocese continues to refer to itself as the Protestant Episcopal Church in the Diocese of South Carolina; a statement on its web site notes that it dissociated from the Episcopal Church in the Fall of 2012 but continue as faithful Anglicans. Early in January, this group filed a lawsuit in state courts, asking for a declaratory judgment that, in its words, would prevent The Episcopal Church from seizing local parish properties and hijacking the identity of the Diocese, in its words would. Bp. Lawrence told The Associated Press, We are not saying the Episcopal Church cannot create a new diocese here. But they should not be seeking to supplant this diocese and assume our identity,

The clergy, people and parishes which want to remain part of The Episcopal Church likewise refer to themselves as The Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina. Their web site says, Our Diocese is reorganizing with renewed dedication to carry forward the work of our Lord Jesus Christ, just as prior generations have done since 1789. We have much to do and many challenges to meet, but we are confident that by moving forward together in unity and faith, with Gods help, we will flourish. They were scheduled to meet January 26th to elect the Rt. Rev. Charles vonRosenberg, retired bishop of East Tennessee, as their provisional bishop. He told The State newspaper, Its a sad time when a church experiences a split and there is a good deal of pain and a good deal of concern about the future as a result of such a split. But what has happened is that one group of Christians, former Episcopalians, have decided in good faith to follow a different path in responding to their understanding of the call of Christ. As the Episcopal church, we are likewise trying to be faithful to the call of Christ. Therefore, we are fellow Christians and my hope is that we will continue to care for one another and pray for another and wish each other well. The Standing Committee of the Diocese of Virginia sent a message of support to those attempting to reorganize in South Carolina. We particularly pray for those who continue to worship God as Episcopalians even without their buildings, it said. You are not alone. Episcopalians in Virginia and in other places have continued Episcopal worship without their buildings too, discovering deeper meaning in statements such as The Church isnt the buildings; its the people The experience of reorganizing has developed all sorts of muscles in our souls, and we are confident that the muscles in your souls are developing too. Things that used to seem daunting begin to happen before your eyes. Small miracles pop up in front of you and gifts drop from heaven and the Holy Spirit is at work in you and among you.
It is important to remember that despite all these controversies, the work of the Church - globally, nationally, and locally - goes on. Bishop Justin said in his Christmas sermon, Christians reach to the jagged edges of our society, and of the world in general. Food distribution, places for rough sleepers, debt counselling, credit unions, community mediation, support for ex-offenders, support for victims of crime, care for the dying, valuing those who have no economic contribution to make, or are too weak to argue for their own value. All this is the daily work of the church, which goes on every day and everywhere. We leak out into the world the love that God leaks into us. Pohick continue to leak this love through donations of food and clothing to LCAC, adult and youth mission trips, Gunston Tutors program and Community of Hope. Ongoing support to these and similar ministries helps Pohick continue to leak the love of God to those in need.

Send News!
Articles for the March 2013 Pohick Post are due no later than February 15! Forward input by email in Word compatible format to Lori Buckius, raebuck@aol.com. Design concerns & items for the Sunday Service Volunteers page should be addressed to Carmel Hodge, cchodge@aol.com.

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cHriStian education

Frances Sessums, Director of Christian Education Confirmation classes for youth who are 12 years of age or older will begin on February 10. The Revd Ruth Correll will be teaching the youth this year. The class will meet between 5:00 pm and 6:00 pm on Sundays in classrooms A and B. During the first class on February 10, there will be a parent meeting. For those interested in the class, please call the office at 703339-6572 or Frances Sessums at 703-425-2857. On Sunday, February 10, the 5th - 12th grade students will visit the Fairfax retirement home to deliver Valentine bud vases. The bud vases will be sold during the coffee hours on February 3. The cost is $10, which includes a Valentines card and a beautiful bud vase. Purchase the vase and card for a specific person or one for someone at the Fairfax that will be designated later. For vases purchased for a specific person who does not live in the retirement homes, pick up the vases on February 10 in the Common Room. The proceeds from this go to the Mission Trip! Pohicks annual Christmas Pageant was held on December 9. It was a remarkable production! The students did a wonderful job on all of their parts! Their hard work preparing paid off. A huge thanks to Beth Cooke who directed the Pageant! She did a super job of working with everyone. Thanks to everyone who helped to make the pageant such a success! During the month of February the preschoolers through fourth graders will continue with their Godly Play studies. The 5th - 12th grade students continue to study the Living the Good News Curriculum, which is a study of the weekly lectionary. If anyone would like to review the curriculum, please come by the Education office.

coMMunity of Hope
At Pohick Church, there are many vibrant ministries. One of these ministries is the Community of Hope (COH), whose mission is to take Christs love to those in need of comfort and care by establishing a community of lay chaplains united in prayer, inspired by Benedictine spirituality, and equipped with skills for pastoral care ministry. Lay chaplains (presently 21 Pohick parishioners) prepare for this parish-based ministry through 14 weeks of intensive training covering a variety of topics, including: the theology of pastoral care; listening skills; death, grief, and loss; and care for the caregiver. Needless to say, this training demands a significant commitment of time and talent, which are two of the Stewardship triads. COH chaplains believe that pastoral care is always at the core of parish life by providing a large, growing parish a means to guard against impersonality by focusing on the ministry of presence and prayer through the simple, profound, healing act of listening. Chaplains continue to grow in their personal ministry by attending monthly Circle of Care meetings and participating in continuing education opportunities. Parishioners in need of pastoral care, whether they are in the hospital, a nursing facility, or at home, may avail themselves of COH services by referral from clergy, parish members, staff, and others at Pohick Church. The COH is shaped by Benedictine spirituality based on the disciplines found in The Rule of St. Benedict, which inspires community members to work toward balance and harmony in prayer, worship, silence, holy reading, and serving others through pastoral care. So, the ministry is a School for Gods Service. This year, Nancy Bireley and Carol Heddleston are coordinating the efforts of the Community of Hope in concert with Rev. Ruth Correll. For those with questions or to learn more about this important ministry, please contact either Nancy or Carol.

Jim Hayes

tHe MartHa Guild

Connie Myers The Martha Guild will meet on Wednesday, February 6 at 7:30 pm in Classroom B. All Women of the Church are cordially invited to attend the meeting. Please contact Connie Myers with any questions. She can be reached at 703-455-4652 or jetskiing@ hotmail.com.

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February 2013 Page 7

MuSic noteS

Linda Egan, Minister of Music

This Music Notes column focuses on hymn singing. Why do we sing hymns? What can they mean to us? Which hymnals are approved and authorized to be the source of the hymns sung in the Episcopal Church, and how do they benefit our worship? How are hymns chosen here at Pohick? It may be that this column contains everything you ever wanted to know about hymn singing! We sing hymns to worship God, to deepen our knowledge of the presence of God, to share our faith with each other, to revive our spirits through the sound of the music as we sing it. Hymns remind us of all God has given us, and of all we know about God; the hymnal has even been called the laypersons book of theology. Many of us began hearing and singing hymns at an early age; later in life these same hymns can transport us back to the time when our faith was formed. We can trace the history of Gods presence in our lives through singing hymns. They provide comfort through lifes difficulties, and hope for a better future. Episcopal musicians have several hymnals which are approved and authorized for use. The Hymnal 1982 was approved for use in 1982, but was copyrighted, printed and distributed in 1985, 28 years ago. We are still authorized to use The Hymnal 1940, the previous hymnal of the Episcopal Church, as a source for hymns, but since two thirds of the hymns in The Hymnal 1982 were reprinted from The Hymnal 1940, we have not done so very often. In addition, the Episcopal Churchs Standing Commission on Church Music has prepared supplements to The Hymnal 1982, which provides us with texts and tunes written since its compiling. Here at Pohick we use the supplements Lift Every Voice and Sing II (1993), which we have in the pews and sing from at least once a month, on the third Sunday of the month when the Pohick Pickers play; and Wonder, Love and Praise (1997) and Voices Found (2003), the sources from which we reprint the bulletin insert hymns. These newer books have opened the culture of the Episcopal Church to hymns and songs which are new, and/or not necessarily from our own backgrounds. This expansion of our perspective has enabled us to keep pace with the growth of the Anglican Church by singing music from all around the world, as well as to sing

music newly composed right in our midst. It has opened our ears and our minds to the Holy Spirits action in our time. Through use of all of these collections, we have immediate access to both texts and tunes which come from the entire history of the Christian church. Here is an immediate way in which we can be encouraged by the communion of the saints, aided by their prayers and strengthened by their fellowship so that we may become partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. (BCP p. 489.) These texts and tunes are real spiritual sustenance through all the changes of life. The music committee has asked me to describe how I choose the hymns for a particular Sunday. As you know, I do this as an assistant to the rector, who has the final authority over worship. I first pray the lectionary for the particular Sunday. This means I read each lesson scheduled in the Revised Common Lectionary for the specific day, including the psalm appointed, then listen for what God says to me through it. Its a useful and nourishing and renewing kind of prayer that all Christians can use. If specific hymns seem to jump out of the texts, I note them. For instance, in January, one of the Old Testament lessons, from Isaiah 43, included, When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;...when you walk through fire you shall not be burned.... The hymn that immediately came to mind was How firm a foundation #636, which says, When through the deep water I call thee to go, the rivers of woe shall not thee overflow...When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie, my grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply. So, we sang that hymn at the 11:15 service on the day that the lesson was read. If nothing jumps out at me, I consult three books with specific hymn lists for the Sunday: they are Liturgical Music for the Revised Common Lectionary, by Carl P. Daw, Jr., and Thomas Pavlechko; The Episcopal Musicians Handbook, edited by Joseph A. Kucharski; and A Liturgical Index to The Hymnal 1982, by Marion J. Hatchett. From these lists, I choose hymns to suit the lectionary texts, the liturgical season, the specific liturgy, and our own knowledge of and ability to sing them. I always try to make the opening and closing hymns in the services very familiar. The sequence hymn is usually the hymn which follows the content of the lessons most closely. During communion, depending on the
Continued on page 11

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Pohick Episcopal Church

froM perSecution to peacekeepinG

Often leaving church on Sunday, a fellow with an armful of newspapers greets us outside. He often has at least six different newspapers and magazines; a couple of these come from Kenya and Uganda but most are published right here in South Sudan. I usually buy The Citizen newspaper. This could perhaps be regarded as the Washington Post of Juba with about 24 pages or so. It has some good international news from the wire services, several stories on South Sudan, opinion, perhaps a religious article, sports, and usually a page or two of wacky reports about aliens or something equally fascinating. South Sudan has a mostly-free press, but sometimes we see reports of problems which make you wonder about the governments position. Periodically one hears of arbitrary arrests of reporters, and in early December, gunmen killed a reporter in front of his home in Juba. Many suspect security forces were involved in this shooting. Not a good sign. But the government is taking the investigation seriously and the American FBI is involved, which is a good sign. The mostly-free press keeps the President and other politicians on their toes and helps South Sudan move in the right direction. Credit must be given to the government for supporting the press and learning how to deal with it in a free society. From the press, one can learn much about the society, even if the articles are not always clear or, as it sometimes happens, understandable. Over the last few months, I have collected a whole assortment of interesting, often amusing articles and quotes that say a lot about South Sudanese society. Sometimes the English, the official even if not the most widespread language, phrasing is humorous to American ears. On October 17, an article about secondary school students taking their final exams paraphrased the Secretary at the Ministry of General Education and Instruction Mading Manyok Ajak: He [the Secretary] warned the students sitting for their exams not to indulge themselves into examination malpractices but to write what they are taught in the classes. I guess I understand what he wants to say. Especially important for us here in the United Nations is to learn how people understand what we are trying to do. Articles often reveal misconceptions about what we can realistically accomplish. On November 27, a story titled Civil Society protests against Sudans aerial bombing quoted one of the leaders of the protest, Deng Athuai Mawiir: We demand the International Community to rescue the two peoples of Sudan and South Sudan from the Sudanese regime so that it can stop its repeated strikes in Kiir Adeim, Gok Machar and Abyei, Upper Nile and other areas and also to stop their support to militias in different areas. We also demand the International Community to allow the transport of oil to rescue the people from famine whether in the South or the north. The International Community here certainly includes the

By Bob Munson

most visible part of it in Juba - the United Nations. The UN is not able to force anyone to do anything since all decisions and actions must be defendable to a wide range of governments. South Sudan, because of the history of warfare against the northern Islamic government, is a consciously Christian country. Religion, thus, comes into the conversation more often than we are accustomed to in the United States. On October 31, Zechariah Manyok Biar tried to answer the question What would Jesus do if he were a pastor in South Sudan? in an opinion column: This is a question I cannot ignore because the same question would be in the minds of many people. The most important area in the question is the observation of the red thin line between politics and religious teaching. In other words, if Jesus were a pastor in South Sudan today, what would he do? Let me give a simple answer to this question. Jesus would beat people up in South Sudan like he did in the Temple in Israel two thousand years ago, if they are mistreating or exploiting others. What he would not do is to beat people up for a selfish reason or for his personal glorification. I have heard simple statements quite frequently. Pastors and people from across the spectrum use Christian beliefs to appeal to the government to reform its corrupt ways. Christianity is not strictly separated from the government here. Finally, on November 19, the governor of the largest of the ten states in South Sudan proposed an interesting solution under the title Jonglei Governor threatens to outlaw male idleness: The Governor of Jonglei State, Kuol Manyang, threatened Monday to legislate against idleness in his state, after being told by womens groups that many men are not doing their fair share to food production. Food security is a major issue in troubled Jonglei State, unpredictable rain and insecurity in some areas hinder efforts to increase agricultural production. Among some groups, women historically did the planting and farming while men pursued other vocations. In the last few decades, other vocations for many men was fighting a war. On the other hand, South Sudan is not self-sufficient in food and the government is trying to promote the production of even small amounts which can be sold in markets. Unfortunately other problems such as the lack of roads to actually get the produce to the markets further reduce incentives. Much of the news of South Sudan can be found on internet sites: www.Sudantribune.com and www.Gurtong.net are two good places to look. As these examples illustrate, the news in Juba provides not just an insight into the South Sudanese society but can, at times, be rather funny. Please pray for the reporters and publishers in this country for they face many dangers but are trying to help South Sudan get on the right track.

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February 2013 Page 9

Epiphany 3c 7:45a HE I 9a HE II 10:15a Forum TBD 11:15a HE II 6:30p EYC (all grps)

JAN 27

Sunday

Pohick Church Activities February 2013

28 Monday 29 Tuesday
9:30a Staff Mtg 2:30p HE, The Fairfax

30

Wednesday

9:30a Beth Moore Study 6p COH 6p Marriage Course 6p St. Francis Choir 7:30p HE II & Healing

31

Thursday

6:15p Bell Choir 7p EFM 7:30p Choir of Pohick 8:30p AA

FEB 1

Friday

Saturday

8a Brotherhood of St. Andrew 12:45p Conveynors Committee Meeting 6p Chili Cookoff

Epiphany 4c 7:45a HE I 9a HE II 11:15a HE I 6p EYC Super Bowl Party

9:30a Staff Mtg 2:30p HE, The Fairfax 7p Tutoring

9:30a Beth Moore Study 6p Marriage Course 6p St. Francis Choir 7:30p HE II & Healing

6:15p Bell Choir 7p EFM 7:30p Choir of Pohick 8:30p AA

8a Brotherhood of St. Andrew

10

Last Epiphany C 7:45a HE I 9a HE II 11:15a HE II 5p Youth Confirmation

11

6p Supper Setup 7:30p Docent Meeting

12

9:30a Staff Mtg 2:30p HE, The Fairfax 5p Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper 7:30p Vestry

13

17

Lent 1c

18

7:45a HE I Washingtons 9a HE II Birthday 11:15a HE I 5p Youth Confir8a GW Service mation & Breakfast 6:30p EYC ( Jr&Sr)

Office Closed

19

Ash Wednesday 7a HE & IOA 12p HE & IOA 4:30p HE & IOA 6p St. Francis Choir 7:30p HE & IOA 8:30p Choir of Pohick

14

Valentines Day 6p Marriage Course 6:15p Bell Choir 7p EFM 8:30p AA

15
Deadline for Pohick Post

16

8a Brotherhood of St. Andrew

9:30a Staff Mtg 2:30p HE, The Fairfax 7p Tutoring

20

24

Lent 2c

25

7:45a HE I 9a HE II 11:15a HE II 6:30p EYC (all groups)

6p COH

26

9:30a Beth Moore Study 6p Marriage Course 6p St. Francis Choir 7:30p HE II & Healing

21

6:15p Bell Choir 7p EFM 7:30p Choir of Pohick 8:30p AA

22

23

8a Brotherhood of St. Andrew 9:15a Renovation Committee Meeting

9:30a Staff Mtg 2:30p HE, The Fairfax 7p Tutoring

27

Contact the Parish Secretary, Vonne Troknya, troknya@pohick.org, to list group meetings or events on the calendar.

9:30a Beth Moore Study 6p Marriage Course 6p St. Francis Choir 7:30p HE II & Healing

28

6:15p Bell Choir 10:30a Docent 8a Brotherhood 7p EFM Tour (tentative) of St. Andrew 7:30p Choir of Pohick 8:30p AA

MARCH 1

PANCAKE SUPPER TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12

To commemorate Shrove Tuesday, the annual EYC Pancake Supper will be held in the Common Room on Tuesday, February 12 from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm.
Ticket costs: $5 for age 13 to adult, $3 for senior citizens and ages 6-12, and children under 6 eat for free. Proceeds to benefit the annual EYC Spring Retreat.

Contact Rusty Booth for more information: 703-339-6572 or rusty@pohick.org

Page 10 February 2013

3 FEBRUARY
7:45 9:00 Tony Marsico Mike Zane

SUNDAY SERVICE VOLUNTEERS

10 FEBRUARY
Stew Remaly Alan Mayberry Mo Faber John Godley Santos Garcia Grant Hodges Bill Bland Mike Wooten J. Pasour D. Brownlee Pitcock/Schmid J. Wells N. Sage J. Buckley C. Foster H. Parker R. Stankwitz J. Brimmer Wagner/Byrne

Pohick Episcopal Church

USHERS

17 FEBRUARY

24 FEBRUARY

3 MARCH
Ken Evans Tony Marsico

11:15 7:00 1:00 12:15 AM

Tom Bland Don Cooke Hal Yarwood Susan Yarwood

Rodger Jones Becky Wagner

Angela Edgemon Steve Edgemon R. Stankwitz M. Elston Faber/Buckius J. Sunderland N. Bireley, C. Heddleston A. Cannon J. MacDonald M. Merriam R. Teale, B. Wagner BJ/K McPherson Wagner/Byrne K. Kirkland

Jim Bartholomew Dru Hodges Kathy Kirkland Tom Mayberry

Randy Brooks Mike Vaughn

OPEN - UP LOCK - UP TELLERS

K. Kirkland N. Sunderland

Rick Nelson Don Homar

Matt Gurrola Susan Homar Dennis Myers Edwardene Pitcock Bill Hosp Hank Foresman R. Heddleston T. Marsico M/M Myers BJ McPherson A. Marsico E. Pitcock A. Powell J. Schmid M. Yezek R. Stankwitz M/M Evans C. Eitler

John Pasour Pehr Pehrsson Camela Speer Wes Speer

Angela Edgemon Steve Edgemon T. Rivenbark S. Remaly M/M Brown BJ McPherson A. Marsico E. Pitcock A. Powell J. Schmid M. Yezek M. Bartholomew TBD

ALTAR GUILD
J. Wells N. Sage J. Buckley C. Foster H. Parker R. Stankwitz A. Stribling

Pasour/Remaly

AM 7:45 9:00 11:15 7:45 9:00 11:15 9:00

FLOWER GUILD COFFEE HOUR

M/M Evans M/M Yezek M/M Bartholomew

Buckius Family

M/M Tom Bland M/M Thurston

M/M Heddleston

M/M Gray

Doug Smith Jackie Wells M/M Nelson J. Wells

M/M Ken Evans

GREETERS
Bill Wrench Anne Cannon

M/M Thurston Marleen McCabe Leslie Aqueron TBD TBD

M/M A. Morawski M/M Don Homar C. Knipling B. Bland

Becky Wagner C. Hodge

DOCENTS
BJ McPherson D. McHugh

M/M Randy Haufe

J. Hoffheins/M. Faber

M/M Tom Rivenbark

11:15

M/M Costa

C. Thomas

A. Cannon

The Sunday Service Volunteers Schedule is also available at Pohick Churchs website, www.pohick.org, under Ministries.

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 703-270-4300 or VolMgrNoVA@vitas.com.

HoSpice volunteerS needed

Pohick Episcopal Church

February 2013 Page 11

HealtH neWS

Carol Heddleston, Parish Nurse As many of you already know, Pohick Church has embarked on a Walk to Jerusalem. It is an imaginary walk that encourages participants to increase physical activity and also grow spiritually. There are weekly devotionals to help you on your journey. The idea of this walk was initially launched in 2002 by a parish nurse at St. Johns Providence near Detroit, Michigan. At the time of this writing we have 91 participants, but we are always open to have others join us at any time. We plan to walk for 12 weeks and arrive in Jerusalem on Easter Sunday. March 31st. It is 5,907 miles from Washington DC to Jerusalem. This means that we have to average around 500 miles of walking per week. The best part of this program is that you can walk, run, bike or do any type of aerobic exercise. The way we are calculating miles is walking 2000 steps is one mile, 20 minutes of water aerobics or any other aerobic exercise is one mile. The run to biking ratio is 1:3 (3 miles of biking equals 1 mile of running), and the run to swimming ratio is 4:1 (1 mile of swimming is equal to 4 miles of running!) There is an email address set up where participants can send their total weekly miles using the number they are given when they signed up. Please send your total miles calculated from Sunday until the next Saturday of each week. The email is: pohickwalkers@ gmail.com Weekly miles need to be posted by Monday of the following week, so the progress of the group can be announced each week in the bulletin. Look for the map on the bulletin board downstairs to watch our progress. The program is being managed by Carol Heddleston (cheddleston@comcast.net) and Deb Wainwright (deb.wainwright@gmail.com). Please contact them with any questions. As we embark on this journey, May the Lord Bless all of you and hopefully we will be in Jerusalem on Easter Sunday.

Pohicks George Washington: Vestryman, 250th Anniversary celebration from last October was featured in the Winter 2013 Virginia Episcopalian.

Music Notes,

continued f rom page 7

schedule of choirs and instrumentalists, I try to have a very devotional hymn or two which focus on the communion itself, sometimes referring to the devotion evoked by the lessons we have heard that day. Certain hymns are associated with a particular liturgy. You can count on singing Silent night on Christmas Eve, All glory, laud and honor on Palm Sunday, and Jesus Christ is risen today on Easter, for example. Although they refer to the lessons and to the theology contained in them as perceived by the hymn writers, the hymns chosen really arent meant to be primarily didactic. These are hymns for worship. In Epiphany, for example, we hear that the kings followed the star to Bethlehem to worship the newborn king. This journey and the shining of the star become metaphors for the churchs outreach to the nations. All true. But when we sing We Three Kings, we become the kings journeying to the manger to worship the newborn king. The hymn enables us to worship the newborn king now, today, as they did then. This February you will find a bulletin insert with a hymn questionnaire for you tocomplete. The rector, the music committee and I are asking for your responses to several questions about your hymn singing experience. We are also asking you for specific hymns which you would like to sing, which will be scheduled when they are appropriate to the liturgy. If you print your name at the bottom of the questionnaire, you will be contacted before they are sung. Thanks for your help! And happy glorious hymn singing!

The Purpose of Pohick Church is to be a nourishing community where Christs love is experienced and taken beyond its walls.

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 2 Lorton, VA

VESTRY GRAM
To: The Vestry

Date: _____________________ Subject: _____________________

From: Pohick Church Staff

Rector: Assistant: Minister of Music: Director of Christian Ed: Youth Minister: Parish Secretary: Finance Admin: Sexton:

9301 Richmond Highway Lorton, Virginia 22079-1519

Return Service Requested

The Revd Donald Binder, PhD The Revd Dr. Ruth E. Correll, Ed.D. Linda Egan Frances Sessums Rusty Booth Vonne Troknya Mike Morgan John Sessums

Pohick Church Vestry

Pohick Church

Sr. Warden: Mike Elston Jr. Warden: Neil Sunderland Treasurer: John Pasour Register: Kathy Kirkland Members: Jud Bireley, Don Brownlee, Tom Buckner, Reed Heddleston, Clint Herbert, Tony Marsico, Kristina Myers, Stew Remaly, Tom Rivenbark, Rita Stankwitz, Clay Sweetser, Russ Wyllie

Telephone: 703-339-6572 Fax: 703-339-9884 Church Office Email: Troknya@pohick.org Web Site: www.pohick.org