Weekly update week of 9.30.19
Wednesday, October 2
7:30pm Taizé Service (bilingual).
Thursday, October 3
7:00pm – 8:30pm Fall Welcome Class in the Godly Play Room. Please see below for more details.
7:30pm Choir rehearsal (Choir Room).
Saturday, October 5
2:00pm – 4:00 pm The Day of the Dead workshop: join the Rev. Sam Leite and Misa Alegria members for a bilingual workshop. Please see below for details.
6:00pm Dinner for late 30s / 40s / 50s. Please see below for more details.
7:00pm Women's Blues and Women's Stories. Please see below for more details.
Sunday, October 6
8:00am Holy Eucharist Rite I, the Rev. Susan Walker preaches and the Rev. Sam Dessórdi Leite presides.
8:00am Blessing of the pets and doors. Please see below for more details.
9:15am Forum. The Rev. Sam Dessórdi Leite will share about Celtic pilgrimages in the UK.
10:10am Sharing the Gospel with Loaves and Fishes.
10:30am Holy Eucharistic Rite II, the Rev. Susan Walker preaches and the Rev. Sam Dessórdi Leite presides.
10:30am Blessing of the pets and doors. Please see below for more details.
11:30am Writing to DC Officials to End Cooperation with ICE. Please see below for more details.
5:30pm Misa Alegría (Spanish language liturgy). The Rev. Peter Schell preaches and presides.
5:30pm Blessing of the pets and doors. Please see below for more details.
Welcome
We welcome and appreciate the acapella song group, After the Flood, directed by John Linn who will join us for our 10:30am service on October 6, 2019.
Air Conditioning
Many parishioners have expressed concerns about the air conditioning in the sanctuary and the auditorium this summer. We wanted to let you know that we are not ignoring these problems. Mike and team in the church office are fixing as many of the problems they can as quickly as possible. For those problems we cannot fix with internal resources, we call maintenance technicians and/or mitigate the problem as much as possible. Both spaces are cooled by one very large piece of equipment located on the roof. Despite our best Preventative Maintenance efforts, we have had a series of problems with this system this summer. It's not the same problem over and over, but different problems. These problems have ranged from a faulty thermostat to a burned-out air compressor. In closing, we want to ensure you know we take safety, comfort and budget very seriously. And, as soon as a piece of the system fails, we are on the problem as quickly as possible. If you have further questions, please speak with Brede Eschliman, Senior Warden or Michele Lewis-Muzzatti, Junior Warden.
Blessing of Pets
Come to church on Sunday and bring your pet or stuffed animal for a blessing as we honor St. Francis at all the services.
Blessing of the Doors
Each of our services 8am, 10:30am and La Misa Alegria will bless one of our newly refurbished front doors of the church.
The Days of the Dead Workshop and building Ofrendas, October 5
St. Stephen and the Incarnation is opening its doors on Saturday, October 5, 2pm-4pm 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 American. 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. 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 dead. Donations to cover art material and lunch are gratefully acceptable. For more information, contact Fr. Sam Dessórdi Leite at ˂samdessordi@yahoo.co.uk˃.
The Blues Women Project presents Beauty & the Blues
Come celebrate Black women as they strive and thrive! Women's Blues and Women's Stories will be performed on Saturday, October 5, in our sanctuary. There are two shows, a 2pm matinee and a 7pm evening performance. Matinee tickets can be purchased at the door for only $5. Tickets for the 7pm evening show are $25 and can be purchased on Eventbrite or at the door. To find out more about the event please follow this link to their facebook page .
Writing to DC Officials to End Cooperation with ICE
In coordination with the Congressional Action Network, we will be writing letters to our DC City Council Members encouraging them to end the cooperation between DC agencies and ICE, specifically focusing on the DC police and DC jail. Currently, DC jail notifies ICE whenever an undocumented person is going to be released and sometimes holds them in order for ICE to come and detain them. We will be meeting on Sunday morning, October 6, after the 10:30am service to write letters to our elected officials together. Talking points and all letter writing material will be provided.
Liturgy Retreat Experience
18 parishioners from all 3 worshipping communities gathered on Saturday for a retreat & reflection on the Eucharist. The day started with a bilingual Morning Prayer led by Alex Garcia & Mary Alcuin Kelly. Our day included Bible Study with the text on the Road to Emmaus, community lunch & a talk by Martin Smith on the theology of the Eucharist. Fr. Sam prepared a number of early church readings relating to the Eucharist that everyone could take home for further reflection. At the end of the day we had the opportunity to sign up for liturgy planning teams and liturgical roles. It was a good community day.
We Need Your Help!
A group of folks picks up vegetables from the Columbia Heights (14th & Kenyon Streets) Farmers' Market every Saturday and takes them to Loaves & Fishes. If you have a car and could spare about an hour (12:30 - 1:30pm), we need help on Saturday, October 5th, 12th, and 19th. Please contact Michele Lewis-Muzzatti <mlewis0513@aol.com> or Donald Debevoise <donalddebe@gmail.com>
Fall Welcome Class
Are you new to Saint Stephen's or have you been here awhile and are interested in a deeper exploration of the Episcopal/Anglican tradition, Saint Stephen's history, liturgical and spiritual practices, and ways of living into your faith? Join us for the six-session Welcome Class, on Thursday evenings, October 3,10,17, 24 and November 7, and on Tuesday evening October 29 (in deference to All Hallow’s Eve). Classes meet from 7 - 8:30pm in the Godly Play room off of the auditorium. Contact Elizabeth Finley at <ebfinley@verizon.net> to sign up for the class or if you have questions.
Silent weekend retreat
Come join the Rev. Martin Smith and the EDOW Diocesan Retreat Committee for a silent weekend retreat Nov. 1-3, 2019 at The Claggett Retreat Center to pray, explore, and reflect upon "Living in the Communion of Saints." For more information, contact Lesley Krauland ˂edowsilentretreat@gmail.com˃.
To register, follow this link.
