Pantoum

by Rev. Darren Steadman

Warm greetings Christ Church! It is such a pleasure walking the Christian journey with you all, and I want to thank you for creating such a loving community here. I am grateful to have been able to preach this Sunday, and want to share with you the poem I felt called to write based on Psalm 19. My continued prayer for us is that God's peace may be found in our holy scriptures, whenever we need it.

Blessings to all,
Rev. Darren

Stanza 1
My LORD, my rock and my hope
The beauty of your world leaves me speechless, but it's only a whisper of your full glory
Your light shines on all people, and you warm every heart
By the heat of your Love, all hearts are opened, all around the world

Stanza 2
The beauty of your world leaves me speechless, but it's only a whisper of your full glory
The letters of your law safely embrace me, and I live to fulfill your commandments
By the heat of your Love, all hearts are opened, all around the world
I will follow you; I will speak your holy name; and the words will be sweet on my tongue

Stanza 3
The letters of your law safely embrace me, and I live to fulfill your commandments
Even in the cold seasons and dark nights that punctuate the story of my life,
I will follow you; I will speak your holy name; and the words will be sweet on my tongue
I pray that my words and my thoughts are acceptable in your sight

Stanza 4
Even in the cold seasons and dark nights that punctuate the story of my life,
Your light shines on all people, and you warm every heart
I pray that my words and my thoughts are acceptable in your sight
My LORD, my rock and my hope
-

Click here for Darren's sermon.
Click here to learn about Pantoum.
Click here to read Psalm 19.

You are Here

At Christ Church, we seek to be the heart and hands of Jesus by aligning our passions and strengths with organizations that work to meet the needs of our neighbors, both locally and internationally. Throughout the Bible, we learn that God wants us to work for justice, especially for the vulnerable. Justice and mercy are core values of what we strive to do in our service through Missions and Outreach.

Through your service, your gifts, and your prayers, we go into the world, as God has called us to do, to serve others in Jesus' name.



The organizations we support include our four priorities of ending hunger, providing shelter, enhancing educational outcomes, and ensuring access to health care. Providing relief to the suffering is part of what we do, while also seeking opportunities for systemic, transformative change.

The organizations CCE supported in 2018 include: 

Feedmore and Shalom Farms: feeding programs for all age groups, cultivating healthy food and teaching food preparation as alternatives with the goal of ending hunger.

CARITAS and Richmond Habitat for Humanity: providing shelter and restoring dignity through short term housing and healing programs and safe affordable permanent housing.

A clinic in Haiti and Crossover Medical Ministries: ensuring access to healthcare to those who have no place else to turn.

St. Marc’s in Haiti and Hope and Resurrection School in South Sudan; George Mason Elementary School and Anna Julia Cooper School and Communities in Schools, Richmond: enhancing educational outcomes.

Episcopal Relief and Development, Re Establish Richmond (connecting resources for refugees in Richmond area) and Sophie House.

To learn more or get more involved, please attend the open Missions & Outreach Network meeting on Wednesday, February 13 at 6:30 PM in the Library. All are welcome! Contact Rev. Richard Pelkey with any questions.

Groundbreaking for New GMES!

I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. - Isaiah 43:19

 

Myceiun Patterson, 5th grader, is as elated as Principal Ferguson and Assistant Principal Ford

We tend to read and hear this prophecy from Isaiah a lot during Advent, as we await the coming of  the Christ child. It came to mind again this week, as our dear partners, George Mason Elementary School, celebrated a wonderful new milestone. On Wednesday, a groundbreaking ceremony was held for a new GMES! This long-awaited venture is an important investment in the lives of the children and educators in historic Church Hill. 
 

The new GMES should be completed by fall 2020.

Christ Church has been in partnership with GMES through the Micah Initiative and Communities in Schools for over a decade. We are thrilled that our friends will soon thrive in a safe, healthy environment where they can reach their God-given potential. Join us in celebrating this answered prayer! 


Are you feeling called to build relationships with the GMES family? Click here!

Because of You

When ministry happens, we see glimpses of God’s kingdom here on earth. In this series, we will share how, because of you, we see God in each other. We hope these stories will inspire you to give generously to our Annual Giving Appeal, which funds our church and the ministries done as close as Short Pump and as far away as Haiti and South Sudan.

Because of you, this happens...

A few years ago, Christ Church re-imagined its pastoral care ministry and formed a cohort of trained pastoral caregivers as part of Community of Hope, International. Since then, these compassionate listeners have served individuals facing illness, divorce, substance abuse, and death. In small and large ways, these caregivers have made a difference in other’s lives.

The caregiving came full circle this summer when two of our caregivers found themselves in need of help. “It wasn’t until my wife required emergency surgery that I fully appreciated the power of this ministry. During a hectic two days, a CCE Pastoral Care Giver listened, prayed on our behalf, and kept others informed. His presence made a stressful situation more peaceful and allowed me to stay focused. I will be forever grateful for what he did.”

Because of your gifts, we can provide personal care to those in need. Taste and see that the Lord is good.


Because of you, this happens...

When our women’s Bible studies invited women from our neighborhood West End Islamic Center to gather at Christ Church for conversation and fellowship, they hoped to extend hospitality and learn about the commonalities of our faith traditions. At the first meeting, the group quickly fell into comfortable sharing of their faith and their lives. The two groups made a deep connection and they have met regularly ever since. This summer, when a Christ Church member was seeking to help a former CARITAS client, she made an appeal on Facebook for a young mother and her son. Among the first responses were two women from WEIC who offered financial gifts toward the purchase of a new air conditioning unit. Because of you, small groups meet weekly to nurture spiritual formation, and acts of radical hospitality extend like ripples in a pond. Taste and see that the Lord is good!

Because of you, this happens...

For the second summer in a row, our Mid-High mission team spent a week serving their neighbors by partnering with local organizations all around metropolitan Richmond. Before the week’s service projects began, the youth embarked on a prayer tour around Richmond. The final stop was at the Reconciliation Statue, a landmark that recognizes the history of slave trading in Richmond and symbolizes a commitment to a new way forward based on honesty, love, and forgiveness. As they prayed for the reconciliation of our city and those living in it, our students gathered around the statue and placed their hands on its surface. People in need were served that week. Crops were harvested, schools were cleaned, meals were served, senior citizens were kept company; and the hearts of young people were forever changed. Because of you, our youth are learning that the power to transform the world lies within each of them. Taste & See that the Lord is Good!

Because of you, this happens...

When CCE first started supporting Hope and Resurrection Secondary School in South Sudan, teachers had to be recruited from neighboring Uganda as years of civil war have decimated the teacher population. This year, HRSS has its first native-born teachers. Mr. Thon Bec Ater himself was educated at HRSS and now returns to the school to equip South Sudan's girls and boys for leadership through quality education with a Christian foundation. You have made this possible. As a child, when he saw the words “Christ Church School, Virginia USA” on the wall of his classroom, Thon said it told him that Christ has a purpose for humankind, a purpose beyond humankind’s borders and colors.

Because of you, this happens...

When we gather for worship, we are changed through Eucharist, music, prayer, and fellowship. Sometimes we hear God’s call to action. When CCE collected pet food last October, a visitor asked Rev. Shirley after worship, “Will the church still be open 20 minutes from now? … Because I want to go to the grocery store and give some pet food to your pet food drive. You see, I’m new, but I’m looking for a church that cares about people. I know there are people who have to choose between buying their medicine and feeding their pets. I want to help.” Because of your gifts, worship happens at CCE, and service to our community happens, service that gives people hope for a new day.

Blessing of the Pets

Thank you for supporting GMES students

We recently received this sweet thank you note from the teachers at George Mason Elementary School. They were grateful for the school supplies that Christ Church collected in August to make sure the GMES students had all the things they needed for a strong start to the school year.

"Thank you members of Christ Church Episcopal for your gift of school supplies for our students at George Mason," the note reads. "You are always incredibly generous!"

When students have the tools they need, they can thrive. GMES is in an impoverished neighborhood and every resource shared or volunteer hour spent makes a difference in the lives of children whose families sometimes struggle to make ends meet. You can continue to make a difference by volunteering to serve at GMES -- once a year or once a week!

One motto of Communities in Schools is, "it's relationships, not programs, that change lives." Will you join in building a relationship with a student or a group of students? Here's how you can get involved:

Volunteer Needs 2018-2019 School Year

 K2 Cadre:   A monthly learning experience for the K-2nd Grade Families of GMES. Come once a month to engage with families over breakfast, surrounding an academic skill. Commitment: 1 hour a month from 8:00-9:00 AM • provide a breakfast item • build relationships with GMES families.

 Classroom Assistant:   Support the needs of a class by working in small groups and/or one-on-one with students, under the supervision of the classroom teacher. You will be matched with a teacher based on classroom needs and your availability. Anticipated times per grade level are: K: 9:45-11.00 AM • 1^st : 1:00-2:30 PM • 2^nd – 10:00-11:30 AM, though once matched with a teacher, you may have flexibility to work out a different time frame with the teacher. Commitment: 2 hours a week.

 2nd Grade Readers:  Read with 2^nd grade students or have them read to you. Support good decoding and reading habits, instill the joy of reading, and connect with the students as you work with one-on-one in short sessions.  Sign up through a Sign Up Genius system as you are able throughout the year.  Hours: Tuesday OR Wednesday OR Thursday 10.30-11.30. Commitment: Sign up when you are able to volunteer.

 Special Projects Helper:  Throughout the school year, various activities/projects occur that need volunteer support:  Kindergarten registration, Walk to School Day, School Supply support, Book Fair, Teacher Appreciation.  Be one of the go-to people when a volunteer need arises. Commitment: as needed.

 

To get involved, contact our lay leader, Jean Watkins, at jeanwatkins@mindspring.com.

To learn more about Communities in Schools, click here.

A Spiritual Reflection for September 11, 2018

BY THE REV. SHIRLEY SMITH GRAHAM

We all remember.

Even if we weren’t yet born, we remember because people we love remember the day, 9/11. I remember it as a shaking. Seven miles away from the Pentagon, I was working on my thesis in seminary, and the impact of the airplane shook the library windows. We knew, then, something was wrong.

How big the problem was kept expanding as the day went on, as we estimated the number of people dead and missing, the people who couldn’t get home, the kids whose parents wouldn’t be coming home, the people who couldn’t be home because they worked in public safety or, as clergy, were on 24x7 just to help people cope.

And the expanding awareness of how at war we’d been with an enemy many of us didn’t know hated us. We began to confront the ethical problem of being implicated in things we individually may not have realized we had a part in.

The bigness of the problem of ongoing war continued to show itself and does so still today. In 2014, I was helping a couple prepare for their wedding, but we couldn’t get to wedding planning without first dealing with this Marine’s grief -- his inability to shake the responsibility he still felt for his unit, even though they’d been home for a good, long while.

We all remember. We are forever changed. But, as the beautiful prayer reminds us, life is changed but not ended – in death, but even in life. We are people of the resurrection, not just after our mortal death but now. Hope is the thing with feathers - that perches in the soul - and sings the tune without the words - and never stops - at all.

It is Christ who has been singing in our hearts all along, even when we cannot make our minds work to recall the words of the song. It is Christ who gives us courage to believe in something beyond our ability to manufacture: healing and peace.

As we remember those who died on 9/11/2001, and pray for those who love them, we pray also for those torn apart by war and those who fight to build peace here and abroad. We pray for our friends, we pray for our enemies, and dare to hope for the day we will see the face of Christ in each other.


Philippians 4:4-9

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5 Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 6 Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, beloved whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.