Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Music this fall

Hello Falls Church friends,

I’m happy to be back among you, after a summer in Chautauqua, New York. My husband and I both thought we were retiring, but he’s accepted a post-retirement job at the Chautauqua Institution and, well, here I am at The Falls Church. Life can take some surprising turns.

There is no easing back into work for me after a summer away. I spent a fair amount of time this summer planning music and putting together choirs for the ordination of priests that the Diocese of Virginia held at The Falls Church last Saturday, and for the consecration of the next bishop of Maryland taking place at Washington National Cathedral this coming Saturday. What a privilege it is for me to see the Episcopal Church at its joyful best on both of these occasions. Is there anything more thrilling than seeing a procession of church banners, clergy in their vestments, and to be part of a loudly singing congregation?

The answer I’m looking for is “no, there is nothing more thrilling than singing loudly with a lot of other people!” And you get to do that every week at The Falls Church. Whether you’re in the congregation or in the choir, you get to sing, and where else in your week are you able to do that? Don’t tell me that you can’t sing because someone told you so as a child. They were wrong. True, not everyone can sing well, but everyone CAN and should sing. And if you don’t know a hymn or a new piece of service music, give it a try anyway. Make your mistakes out loud, because you will be immediately forgiven for them. And where else in your life is that true?

If you do happen to sing reasonably well, however, I encourage you to think about joining one of the choirs (where we’ll turn reasonably well into very good).

At 9:00 a.m. we have The Falls Church Family Choir, which welcomes adults and children over 10 years old. We practice at 8:15 a.m. for the service and I try to keep things flexible and fun.
For the 11:15 a.m. service, The Falls Church Parish Choir sings a broad range of traditional repertoire. They rehearse on Thursdays, 7:00-8:30 p.m. Yes, it’s a more serious commitment, but they have fun too!

Not sure? Curious? Feel free to meet me at the organ after either service to ask your questions about choir or to talk about other ways that you might be able to participate in the music program at The Falls Church.

Sing on!

Sonya Subbayya Sutton

Director of Music

The 9:00 a.m. service premieres on YouTube at 8:45 a.m. and remains available afterwards. If you are worshiping virtually, you may follow along with the service bulletin. See the Church Calendar below for the complete Sunday schedule.

An Instructional Eucharist, this Sunday at our 9:00 a.m. service

We extend a warm invitation to join us this Sunday for a truly special experience – the Instructed Eucharist, which will take place during our 9 a.m. service!

This unique service promises not only a brief sermon but also an engaging twist. Short narrations will unravel the profound meaning behind our liturgical actions, making our worship come alive with deeper understanding.

"Liturgy" may sound like a fancy word, but it embodies a beautiful truth: it means "the work of the people." It reminds us that when we gather to worship, it's not a mere performance by a select few but a vibrant participation of all, including you!

Have you ever wondered, "Why do we do what we do?" or pondered the choices behind our scripture readings? Perhaps you've been curious about the minister's actions at the altar. This Sunday, your burning questions will find answers as we dive deep into the heart of our worship.

Prepare to engage actively in our liturgy, the collective work of the people of God. Allow the Spirit to shape us further into the likeness of Christ as we embark on this enlightening journey together.

But that's not all! Following the service, we invite you to join our Adult Forum. Here, you can ask any questions that may arise during our time together, further enrich your understanding of our liturgical practices, and deepen your knowledge of the Eucharist that we celebrate together every Sunday.

Your liturgical curiosity is not only welcomed but celebrated. We look forward to sharing this meaningful experience with you this Sunday.

Dive Deep!

Last Sunday, Fr. Burl kicked off the first adult forum of the program year talking about the various opportunities to serve, connect and get involved in The Falls Church community. Participation in the liturgy, ministries and fellowship groups are what make us a thriving parish.

But it's also a lot of information to remember. Attached HERE is a copy of the presentation Fr. Burl shared, along with the point of contact for each group. Please take a look at all we offer and please pray about going deeper with our community.

Calling all Acolytes

A part of our Episcopal tradition that is so important to the way we worship is service through acolyting. Acolytes assist the priests during the service as crucifers (carrying the cross) and torch-bearers. They are a visible part of how we live into the liturgy, literally the work of the people. All are welcome to join in this ministry, from children in the 3rd/4th grade all the way to adults. Families could even serve in a service together. Acolytes can serve as often as they like without a commitment for the full program year, and only need to commit to one of the two services on any given Sunday.

We are having a training/information session for acolytes on September 17 at 1:00 p.m. starting in The Contemporary Church (we’ll talk about logistics for both The Contemporary Church and The Historic Church). All are welcome to join us to learn more.

For more information, please contact Geoff Kannan via email.