Clergy Reflection
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
Christ is risen! At Epiphany, we pray that you are bathed in Resurrection joy and renewal in this second week of what the church calls The Great Fifty Days between Easter and Pentecost. There are sights and sounds in our liturgies, prayers and music this season meant to remind us and invite us into the reality and transformation of human life and all creation that is made possible by the love of God in Christ.
You will notice we have brought back into liturgy and song the word "Alleluia," from which we fast in Lent and Holy Week in order to revive, starting at the Easter Vigil, its pointing power toward the incarnation of our Lord and Savior into our flesh and into creation. You will see the tall and brilliant Paschal Candle beside the altar that we lit together, also at the Easter Vigil, to signify Christ as the Light of the World and the light of each of our lives. Take time to get up close to this candle if you have not already, seeing the small nails piercing its wax to signify not only the sacrifice of Christ for us, but also the solidarity with Christ for all of us who suffer in the present moment. The candle stands before us like the pillar of smoke from God that led the Israelites through their 40 years in the desert. Let the music we sing this season be added to the light of the Paschal candle and allow that grace in sight and song to bathe you in God's love and to embrace you with hope. In the Anglican tradition, our symbols are not just signposts of our beliefs, but they are also gateways of grace through which he see, hear, taste and touch the presence of God in an otherwise crowded and cluttered culture.
If you find yourself struggling to find light and hope this season, keep in mind the Gospel reading for this week. In the story of the two men walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus, we hear that Jesus arrives upon the downtrodden travelers and comforts them in their confusion, fear and hopelessness. The walk from Jerusalem to Emmaus is about 7 miles -- a long walk in hot and dangerous times for the followers of Christ. They were distressed and depressed by the death of their leader and Lord. They had heard of a possible resurrection, but they were uncertain and afraid. Who in 2017 cannot relate to some or all of these feelings?
But Jesus came to them in their valley of the shadow of his death. He listened, he comforted, and he explained the promises of God. Then Jesus shared himself with them, breaking bread and bringing his resurrection into their presence and understanding.
No matter whether you are on the mountain top of joy these holy days or laboring in the emotional or spiritual heat of a long walk through valleys of pain and struggle right now, remember this week's Gospel and the words of one of the great Negro Spirituals we sing often at our 8 am liturgy: "He walks with me/And He talks with me/And he tells me I am His own."
With love,
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Mission & Ministry
Worship at Epiphany
Sunday Readings
Thursday, May 4, 7:00pm
Church of the Epiphany
Street Sense
is honored to host Richard Hoehler here at Epiphany to perform
"I of the Storm,"
an acclaimed Off-Broadway production that explores one man's path into homelessness and his journey to self-acceptance.
Written by R.J. Bartholomew and directed by Janice L. Goldberg, the one-man performance is "an unlikely success story in which our hero loses it all and finds what he never had, including self-acceptance and a long-stifled creative bent. Ensconced on the street outside a city park our hero holds forth for all comers - musing, ranting, singing, dancing, spitting poems with aplomb. A comic tragedian, an Everyman on steroids, a Superman who does not leap tall buildings at a single bound, but takes them one story at a time. In embracing both the joys and sorrows of life, the message is clear: It's about not wasting any more time."
Doors open at 6:30pm. Donation of $10 is suggested - Reserve free tickets here.
Clothing Closet
We are in need of a couple of people to help us sort out the clothing closet in the Willard Room. Our clothing closet is very popular on Sundays, but it's a bit of a mess! Would you have an hour to spare to help us tidy it up, so that looking for clothes is an easier and more pleasant experience for our guests? Please contact Catriona if you're able to help.
This week in Epiphany History
The 1st female Senior Warden, the War of 1812 and the Lincoln Family Doctor! Be sure to
get your daily dose of Epiphany History by following
the
Celebrating 175 page
.
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Epiphany Choir at Washington National Cathedral
Friday, May 5, 5:30pm
3101 Wisconsin Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20016
The Epiphany Choir will sing Choral Evensong at Washington National Cathedral on Friday, May 5. All Epiphanians are invited to come and support the choir that afternoon.
Cathedral Flower Mart will be in full swing - offering festival foods,
children's
rides, flowers and artisanal gifts. This is a wonderful way to spend a Spring afternoon with family and friends.
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Music & The Arts
Tuesday Concert Series
May 2, 2017 at 12:10pm
 The Washington Bach Consort returns for Noontime Cantatas.
Cantata: Meine Seele erhebt den Herren, BWV 10
Passacaglia in C minor, BWV 582
William Neil, organ
Admission is free but a donation of $10 is suggested to support the Concert Series.
Epiphany Choir CD
Copies are available now for just
$15
in the church office or by contacting our Director of Music,
Jeremy Filsell
.
Guest Performances
May 6, 2017, 6:00pm - Finlandia Foundation Concert
 Modern kantele concert by Finnish artist Ida Elina at Church of the Epiphany. This program is co-sponsored by Finlandia Foundation National Capital Chapter, she is touring the U.S. as part of the
Finlandia Foundation
National Finland 100 Music Program. Tickets are $25 at the door.
May 7, 2017, 4:00pm - American Youth Philharmonic Orchestra (AYPO)
 Students will perform three concerts exploring the theme "Bach to the Future," and will conclude the season with will conclude the season with repertoire of the "future" featuring Holst's The Planets, Star Wars, Back to the Future. Please visit their
website
for more information.
Learn more about musical events at Epiphany by visiting our
website.
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Service in Mission & Ministry
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How might you become more involved in the mission and ministry of our parish? There is so much going on at Epiphany and we are so grateful for the contributions you all offer towards making this happen. There are a few areas where we could really use your help! Please have a look at the list below and think where you might feel you could benefit from and contribute to the life of our community.
The Welcome Table team are looking for more volunteers to help in the kitchen and dining room. Please contact Maria Hunter if you are interested in getting involved in this important aspect of our ministry at Epiphany (
[email protected]).
Coffee Hour after the 11am service. Pat Pickering and John McDermott do a fantastic job, but they can't do it every week. Coffee Hour can be as simple or as elaborate as we want to make it. What's important is that we have a time of fellowship after worship. Please contact Catriona if you can help (
[email protected]).
Liturgical Leaders: We are always looking for people to help with the important ministries that make our Sunday worship possible. We welcome new additions to the ranks of greeters, ushers, readers, lay Eucharistic ministers, as well as the flower guild, and altar guild. If you are interested in learning more about any of these roles, please contact Catriona (
[email protected]).
Weekdays:
Office Volunteers: We are looking for volunteers to sit at the front desk between 10am-2pm on weekdays. Bertha does a great job on Tuesdays and we're looking for others to help throughout the week. If you want to find out more, talk to Bertha and please contact Catherine in the office if you can help (
[email protected]).
Music Library: Epiphany's music director would appreciate a volunteer to help with organizing the music library, including alphabetizing, rearranging shelves, labeling boxes, and updating the music library spreadsheet. Please email Jeremy at
[email protected].
If you are interested in learning about one or more of these ministries, you can also complete our Epiphany volunteer poll here.
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Prayer & Pastoral Care
Prayer List
We invite you to add those on your heart to our prayer list.
We will pray for them aloud on Wednesdays at our 12:10 Healing Service and will add them to the Sunday list. Contact the church office with the name of the person and what we need to know about them.
Pastoral Care
If you or someone you know is in need of prayer or conversation, please contact the church office. We would rather hear from many than miss the opportunity to connect with someone.
Wednesday Silent Prayer
Come and join us for 20 minutes of silent prayer and meditation followed by a short time of prayer for the parish. We will meet in the sanctuary on Wednesdays at 11:30am. All are welcome. To find out more, contact Catriona: [email protected].
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Blogs & Websites
Episcopal Cafe
S
ite featuring Episcopal news, commentary, and meditations
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