God and the Sprinkler System

The Saturday before our Sunday wedding service a couple of weeks ago I got a call from someone at the church. "I hear hissing, and water dripping in the ceiling." This is not something I was excited to hear. For me, it brought back memories. In 2013, Epiphany experienced our own biblical flood when the sprinkler system in our building at the time catastrophically failed. It dumped thousands of gallons of water into our church (photo right). Epiphany did what Epiphany does. We banded together, cleaned up, and went on. I think we missed a single Sunday of worship. But, I knew the damage that water can do, and I also knew how bad the failure of a pressurized sprinkler system could be.

I took a moment, prayed something like "God, please not that!" and drove to church. Well, it turned out it was a leak in the sprinkler system. Not only that, but it was in a wall where it would be hard to get to. I started to wonder if it was time to call the fire department (to shut off the whole system and possibly have to cancel worship and a wedding no-less while we got the problem solved). But then we noticed something. There was a cut-off valve just for that section of pipe within easy reach in the ceiling. That is so rare in sprinkler systems, but there it was. Sure enough, we shut the valve and the leak stopped immediately! We worshipped on Sunday. Then on Monday, we got the leak fixed. The repair crew was able to take care of it in less than an hour. They didn't even have to cut into the wall.

One response to that would be to say, "well that was lucky" and not think any more about it. But that was God. That valve was an answer to my prayer, and all that stood between us and potentially having to cancel Sunday worship and a wedding. I'm thankful.

Where have you seen God unexpectedly provide for you?

God bless,

P.S. Ash Wednesday is next Wednesday, Feb. 14. We will begin Lent together with worship at noon and 7pm. Starting this Sunday, we also have daily lenten devotionals available in the entryway at the church. Please pick one up.

LAST WEEK to sign up for

Pancake Palooza!

Shrove Tuesday is quickly approaching, so this Sunday is the last weekend to sign up for Pancake Palooza. Please join the pancake fun!

Here are the details again:

Who: YOU!

What: Pancake Palooza

When: 2/13/24 at 6:00 pm

Where: Epiphany Fellowship Hall

Why: To celebrate Shrove Tuesday with your Epiphany family and with all the friends and neighbors you want to invite!

A couple of other reminders:

We'd love a donation of $5 per person to offset costs, but don't let that deter you from coming. Bob Schulenberg's band will be back again this year to provide music – yay!

Please bring a topping to share, as there will be a topping bar to allow you to do your pancake your way. Also – there will be a gluten-free option available for those who would have avoided coming because of gluten sensitivities.

See you there!

Sign-Up Here for Dementia and Christian Hope Retreat March 2-3

Epiphany will be hosting a congregational weekend focused on the theological and clinical realities of dementia March 2-3. Our speakers are Dr. Karen Scandrett, a geriatrician at UPMC, and associate professor of geriatrics at the University of Pittsburgh, and the Rev. Dr. Joel Scandrett, associate professor of historical theology at Trinity School for Ministry. Together, we will explore the medical and spiritual realities of dementia. There will be time for questions.  Please sign-up here.  If you would like to sign up but need assistance, please contact Mtr. Pamela ([email protected]).

A Report from Eden - Sermon for World Mission Sunday

Anglicanism 101 Class Starts Sunday

Are you new to Epiphany, or just want to explore in a bit more detail what following the Anglican way of being a Christian means? Have you ever wondered if Henry VIII really founded the Anglican Church just so he could divorce his wife? Starting on February 11, and continuing on Feb. 18 and 25, Fr. Peter will be offering "Anglicanism 101." This class, which will be held between 9:15 and 10am on those Sundays, offers a brief overview of Anglican history, theology and worship. Taking it also is a great step for those desiring to be formally received into the Anglican Church by Bishop Chris when he makes his yearly visit to Epiphany on March 17. Send Fr. Peter an email if you are planning on attending. He would also love to hear any specific questions you would be interested in having him address.

Altar Guild, Lay Eucharistic Minister,

and Lector Training Feb. 24

Are you interested in learning more about what our lay ministries (Altar Guild, Lay Eucharistic Ministers, and Lectors) do?  Maybe considering joining one of those ministries?  If so, please join the members of the Altar Guild, LEMs and Lectors for an orientation / training session on Saturday morning, February 24^th.  A SUMPTUOUS LUNCH will be provided after the training.  So please join us at 9:30am on February 24. A sign-up sheet will be available at the Church, so we’ll know how many folks to plan lunch for. See you there!

Livestream Moving to Youtube on Feb. 18

Our current live streaming service is ending operations, so we are moving to a new platform. We will be moving to YouTube starting February 18. What does this mean to you? If you view live streamed events by going to the church’s website and clicking on the “Livestream” link on the top, then continue to do that. If you currently receive email notifications of events that are about to start and click on the link in the email to go to the event, then you will have to register again by sending an email with your name and email address to [email protected]. Set the Subject to “Register me for live stream events”. If you go directly to our livestream page, you will need to go to https://www.youtube.com/@EpiphanyVideo. If you have any questions about this change, please send an email to [email protected].  

The Cupboards are Bare: Help with Coates Elementary Food Bags

The cupboards are bare! We are in desperate need of donations for the next monthly delivery. Each month we need 100 breakfasts, 100 lunches, 100 dinners and 100 snacks. Donations can be individual items or one-gallon bags containing 2 of each type of item. Items must be nut-free, non-perishable and non-crushable. If you’re not sure what is needed, pick up a list of suggested items on the Coates donation container by the receptionist’s desk or contact Sally Eckard ([email protected]) or Bea Long ([email protected]). 

This Week At Epiphany

Church of the Epiphany | 3863 Centerview Drive | 703-481-8601

www.epiphanyanglican.net

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