Weekly update week of September 24
Tuesday September 25
7 - 8:30pm Welcome Class (Auditorium).
Wednesday September 26
7:30pm Rehearsal for the 10:30am service choir.
Saturday September 29
10am - 1pm Days of the Dead Workshop
1-4pm Celebration 50th Anniversary of Loaves and Fishes
Sunday September 30
8am Holy Eucharist Rite I, the Rev. Martin Smith preaches and presides.
9:15-10:15am Forum “The Dove vs the Eagle: Baptism and Resistance” by Rev. Martin Smith.
10:10am Sharing the Gospel with Loaves and Fishes.
10:30am Holy Eucharist Rite II, the Rev. Martin Smith preaches and presides.
4pm Confirmation class.
5:30pm Misa Alegría, (Spanish language liturgy), the Rev. Sam Dessórdi Leite preaches and presides.
Morning Prayer to resume on Thursdays beginning October 4
You are invited to start your day on Thursday each week with Morning Prayer. We meet in Incarnation Chapel and begin Morning Prayer at 7:30am and generally conclude by 7:55am.
Parish financial picture update
Thank you for your continued support of the mission of this church as we enter the crucial 4th quarter.
Parishioner gifts received by August 31, 2018: $218,000
Expected amount of Parishioner gifts by August 31, 2018: $208,000
Total 2018 giving budget: $312,000
Manna and Mercy – A six week Sunday morning study/series
The series Manna and Mercy begins Sunday October 7 through November 11, 9:15-10:15am at St. Stephens Choir room.
Do you ever find yourself wanting to understand the major themes of the Bible or just want to study scripture a little more? Join us on a six week journey from Genesis to Revelation as we use Daniel Erlander's book Manna and Mercy- A Brief History of God's Unfolding Promise to Mend the Entire Universe, a 100 page hand printed paraphrase of the Bible. Part graphic novel, part understandable theology, it is written with imagination, clarity, humor and cartoons. Plus, for the bible nerds among us, lots of footnotes with sources to dive deeper into the theological questions. This book will help us look at scripture with new eyes and rediscover how it can become a means of life and grace rather than destruction and death. Please see Duncan or Elske or email them at
<duncanscottwilson@yahoo.com> and <elske.tielens@gmail.com> to sign up or let them know you are interested. Books can be purchased through the link at http://www.mannaandmercy.org/
Celebrate 50th Anniversary of Loaves and Fishes
Please, join us on September 29, from 1-4pm to celebrate five decades of our program Loaves and Fishes. The event includes: food, conversation and music from the Cromwell Jazz Quartet, acknowledgment of the financial and in-kind contributions during the past year, a recognition of Ed Bou and the Bou Family Foundation for their steady support, and a recognition of the volunteers who have helped the program thrive over the past 50 years. Come and celebrate with us.
The Days of the Dead Workshop and building Ofrendas, September 29
St. Stephen and the Incarnation is opening its doors this Saturday September 29, from 10am to 1pm to share with other churches the traditions of the Days of the Dead inherited from Latin American countries. The workshop will address the history and the cultural significance of the celebration of the Days of the Dead and will offer tools to experience one of the most important popular devotions in the Christian tradition from Latin America. The workshop also includes instruction in artwork to build the Ofrendas (altars for the dead) containing paper flowers, papel picado, bread of the dead, sugar skulls, etc. Irma Cruz from Oaxaca will teach the baking of the Bread of the Dead. The workshop is designed for English speaking participants who want to engage in the theology of the church and learn a new devotion to honor their beloved deceased. For more information, visit the video at https://goo.gl/VrqcfS and contact Fr. Sam Leite at <samdessordi@yahoo.co.cu>
Sunday Forums
The Sunday Forums are happening each week from 9:15-10:15am in the auditorium, we offer time to gather as a community and focus on some aspect of our faith and our lives. A forum topic can be whatever is part of your journey with Christ inviting us to understand God working in our lives, to better know one another, and build the community of St. Stephen's and the Incarnation. Come hear our presenters and get to know others in the community. The Forums in the following Sundays will be:
September 30, the Rev. Martin Smith will facilitate the forum “The Dove vs the Eagle: Baptism and Resistance”. Join us for a discussion of how baptism originally functioned as a “sacrament of resistance” to the violent ethos of the Roman Empire. Let’s think how the original potency of baptism can be recovered, now that the era of so-called Christendom, in which almost everyone was automatically ‘christened’, is ending.
October 7, the Rev. Susan Walker. In honor of the feast of St. Francis of Assisi (October 4) we will examine this saint’s teaching about God’s overflowing, inexhaustible goodness and kenosis, or self-emptying love.
October 14, Darien Wals, Restorative Justice Facilitator, and Suzannah Weiss, Yoga teacher in DC Public Schools, will lead us through the practice of a Talking Circle. This exercise is a core component of the restorative justice process. A Talking Circle creates a safe space to build connections and address conflict within a community. Please join us for this opportunity to engage in a process that will help us understand our calling to be peacemakers.
October 21, Joe Casazza will lead the Forum “Put all things in subjection under your Christ”: Submission to the will of God.
Diaconal Workshop Day (Bilingual)
If you are interested in discerning a call to the diaconate, attendance at the Diaconal Workshop Day on Saturday, October 27 at All Souls Episcopal Church (2300 Cathedral Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008) from 9am - 2:30pm. This will be the required first step in the process. Two persons are required to attend with you: Your Senior Priest, and another layperson from the congregation who is likely to serve on the local discernment committee. The workshop includes learning about the ministry of deacons, the various steps in the ordination process, and the structure and requirements of the formation program. At the end of the day, those interested in moving forward will receive a nomination form. You can find more information on https://goo.gl/QWQwWy and you can register on https://www.edow.org/calendar-event-details/155. Please speak to Fr. Sam Dessórdi Leite or Deacon Susan Walker for more information.
