Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost

August

“July heat is furious, but in August the heat has killed even itself and lies dead over us.”—Elizabeth Spencer, Fire in the Morning

I have always loved writer Elizabeth Spencer’s description of August’s heat in our mutually native Mississippi. It’s the month I dreaded as a child. August’s heat just sat there, sat on you, enveloped you, couldn’t be bothered to move, breezeless, lifeless, and achingly dull. Travels came to an end (as did work on the tractor!) athletic practices resumed in advance of the fall season, and school started in classrooms cooled only by blades of ceiling fans desperately trying to move the steamy air but with indeterminate success. August was the end of one thing and the beginning of another.



While it’s been hot here, we’ve been spared the brutal heat of the south and western portions of our nation, where the heat and the drought have been deadly, and my prayers have been constant. This morning, however, something was different. The temperature was in the upper 60s, and I drove to church with my windows down. I had a spring in my step that I hadn’t had in weeks. Surely the temperatures go up tomorrow, but today’s respite suggested that the season is changing. The shadows have been lengthening and the days shortening for a while, all certain signs that fall is on its way, and with fall a new year.

I pray that each of us this summer has had a chance to rest—as I wrote in an earlier post—and that in these months we’ve had a chance to find comfort, to spend time rediscovering ourselves in the activities that ground us; that we’ve renewed acquaintances, mended fences, or tended the gardens of our hearts, weeding out the unimportant and nurturing the valuable. The rhythms of life change for many of us in the coming weeks, and I hope you join me in the eagerness to start-up again. Blessings in these waning days of summer and prayers for a safe return to the promise of a new season of life at The Falls Church in September.

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Thank you!

Thank you to everyone who purchased headphones for our back-to-school drive supporting Homestretch VA. We were able to send all the headphones requested to support students in the upcoming school year, thanks to you generosity!

Supporting the Episcopal Diocese of Hawai'i after Wildfires



You can learn more about what is going on in the Episcopal Diocese of Hawai'i following the devastating wildfires here, and you can donate to the relief efforts via Episcopal Relief & Development here.

To sign up, or to ask any questions about being an usher email Paul Rosbolt and for greeters, email Errin Matechak.

On Sunday, August 20, we continue with our summer schedule of a single service at 10:00 a.m. Nursery will be provided on Sundays throughout the summer. There will be no Children's Chapel or Children's Formation Classes until September 10.

Ways to serve

‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ Matthew 25:40

Our surrounding communities are experiencing the most severe food insecurity situation in years, and individuals and families, particularly those with small children, are in real need of our assistance. TFC's Little Free Pantry is a simple way to share in our gifts and show God's grace in this world. You may donate in little or big ways, as often as you feel called.

Items most in need include:

Grains (oatmeal, rice, and pasta)

Proteins (canned tuna, salmon, chicken, beans, and peanut butter)

Canned fruits and vegetables

Paper products (toilet paper and paper towels)

Toiletries (soap, shampoo, toothpaste, and deodorant)

Feminine hygiene products (especially pads and liners)

Baby products (baby food, diapers, and wipes)

Although we encourage you to stock the pantry anytime, the Outreach Committee would also like to ensure a more sustained commitment to the community with a weekly sign-up. You are invited to sign up to stock the pantry by using the SignUp Genius.

The Pantry is located on E. Fairfax St. beside the pathway leading to the church doors.

Questions? Please email Meredith Fath.

Thank you for supporting our community!

Please use the Prayer List in your prayers for each other and the world. 



Praying for each other and the needs of the world is a powerful way to love our neighbors as ourselves! This week's Prayer list.

Click here to email Father Matthew to add someone to the prayer list.

If you have questions about Realm or eGiving, please contact Claire Hardie