The Word 1

The Word F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 5

St. John’s Church, Lafayette Square

Rector’s Corner

The Rev. Dr. Luis León

Rector

The Rev. D. Andrew Olivo

Assistant Rector

The Rev. Juan Pastor Reyes

Assistant Rector -

Iglesia San Juan

Kaye Edwards

Assistant for Church

Growth

Dr. Benjamin Hutto

Director of Music

Ministry and Organist

Michael Lodico

Associate Organist and

Choir Director

Samuel Munguia

Musician for Iglesia San Juan

Sarah Taylor

Seminarian

Dear Parishioners,

Lent approaches. The Gospel reading on the First Sunday of Lent is always a ver-

sion of the temptation of Jesus. Lent is the season of the year when we are re-

minded of the tests we experience in life.

Mark is our Gospel reading this year and Mark does not elaborate on the tempta-

tion story like Luke and Mathew do. Still wet from his baptism, Jesus struggles

with the burden that lies within the words, “You are my beloved Son, with you I

am well pleased,” the same words we all heard at our own baptisms. Just like

Jesus, you and I receive our identity at our baptism. So what is happening in the

temptation story? Obviously Jesus was being tempted, and it is not wise to say

that Jesus was tempted to set an example. As theologian Fred Craddock once

said, “Anyone who pretends an experience to set an example is not setting an

example.” Nor should we rob the event of its reality on the assumption that

temptation is weakness. Again, back to Fred Craddock, “We are not tempted to

do what we cannot do but what we can. The testing is one of strength, and the

stronger, the more capable, the greater one is, the greater the temptation.”

Temptations are not always obvious. I have never had Satan come to me and say,

“Hi, I am Satan; I am here to tempt you.” Satan is deceptive and will entice us

with idols that will gladden our hearts and nourish our souls, because that is how

we learn to believe in and depend on idols, and finally to cling to idols as the only

possible source of life.

Lent is the season when we are reminded of the reasonable temptations that Sa-

tan presents to us. We gather to pray that God will help us find a little more

courage to stand against the insidious realism of Satan and to resist what, at first

blush, always appears to be reasonable.

Faithfully yours,

The Word 2

Kwasa Visit

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Luis, Andy, St. John’s staff, Carolyn, Johnathan and Nancy:

I wish to thank all for offering such a warm welcome to our guests from St. John’s Anglican Church

(Rustoff), Cape Town. I know that they enjoyed worshiping with us on Sunday, January 4, and sharing

lunch following the service. Johnathan set up all the pizzas beforehand and Nancy helped us with a sur-

prise birthday cake for one of the students during lunch.

Carolyn also gave our visitors a wonderful tour of Lafayette Square before the service. She included

her own entertaining historic notes that made Lafayette Square come alive for a group previously having

little understanding of the Square’s storied past.

Thanks also to Hayden and Evangeline for giving the group a warm respite on Tuesday morning, January

6, in the snow following their White House tour. It was a cold morning and the welcome reinforced

the reputation of St. John’s Church as an open and welcoming parish.

By the way, the Tuesday morning visit to the White House and St. John’s was also quite memorable for

our guests due to the new snow. Most of the group had never seen snow until that Tuesday morn-

ing. Upon returning to St. John’s from the White House, several jumped in the snow in Lafayette Square

to make snow angels. It was a precious moment.

Upon their return to Cape Town, we received the following note of appreciation to share with all:

Dear Team,

We have arrived safely on South African soil. Words cannot describe our gratitude for what we have

experienced in Washington DC. The youth and I are hard at work in finishing our presentation as well

as our report which we will present in our church as well as to our Bishop of our Diocese. So we will

be sending both to you soon.

To all who made this connections possible, may God bless you.

Always Peace,

Cathy Arendse

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Kwasa Visit

Pictured below:

Robin Webber with friends from Kwasa.

Pictured right: Kwasa students at

Field Day.

Pictured right: Kwasa students

at Christmas Program.

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On February 4, the First Wednesday Concerts series

will continue at12:10 p.m. with a performance by jazz

vocalist, Lena Seikaly and the Dan Dufford Trio (Dan

Dufford, keyboard, Blake Meister, bass, and Andrew

Hare, drums). The performance, Works by Ellington

and Friends, will include the following titles:

A Flower is a Lovesome Thing – Billy Strayhorn Az-

ure – Duke Ellington Heaven – Duke Ellington Tell

Me It’s the Truth – Duke Ellington Blue Moon –

Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart God Bless the

Child — Billie Holiday and Arthur Herzog, Jr.

First Wednesday Concerts is open to the public and

lasts about 35 minutes. Please consider joining us

during your lunch break on the First Wednesday of

the month, through June, and bring a friend.

From the Register

First Wednesday Concerts

Transfers out of the Parish:

Harry Lammot Belin (inactive) – to All Saints Church, Chevy Chase, MD

Riley Temple

Those that were born:

Elizabeth Mae Ehrich who was born January 14

Ikechukwu Owunwanne who was born January 24.

Those that have died:

Barbara Thompson, who died on January 5, 2015

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Baptisms February 15th at

9:00 a.m. service

April 12th at

11:00 a.m. service

May 24th at

11:00 a.m. service

Baptismal

Class

Thursday,

February 12th, at

6:45 p.m. in the

church.

Thursday,

April 9th, at 6:45 p.m.

in the church.

Thursday,

May 21 at 6:45 p.m. in

the church.

Baptism and Class Schedule

Please note that parents or grandparents of children being baptized must be active, pledging

members of St. John’s. Adults interested in baptism for themselves must attend the Rector’s

Adult Inquirers’ Class and be active, pledging participants of the parish.

If you are interested in having a child baptized, or in baptism for yourself, please contact Kaye

Edwards in the parish office at (202) 347–8766 ext. 317 or by email at

kaye.edwards@stjohns-dc.org.

Baptism: Lyla Grace Mehrkam with parents Hilary and Noah Mehrkam.

Lily Fardshisheh (second from right) with Spencer Kosegarten.

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Conversations on Cuba with the Rev. Luis León

Wednesday, February 4, at 7:00 p.m.

Immediately after our monthly celebration of the Holy

Eucharist, join the Rev. Luis León as he leads an engaging

conversation on the changes currently taking place in Cu-

ba and its relations with the United States. Luis, originally

from Cuba, offers his unique perspective on the past, pre-

sent, and future of Cuba. While we talk we will also enjoy

some delicious Cuban food!

The Latrobe Fellowship is an active, energetic, joy-filled

group of young adults at St. John’s Church. Latrobers are

single and married adults in their 20s and 30s who find

themselves at different places in their life and on their

spiritual journeys.

Developing and deepening relationships with God and

other young adults is very important to us. We gather on

the First Wednesday of each month at 7pm for a

joyful celebration of the Holy Eucharist (Communion).

Following the service we gather together for dinner, fel-

lowship, and an opportunity to learn about food, faith,

wine, the Episcopal Church, and a variety of other topics

throughout the year.

On the Third Wednesday of each month Latrobers gather with members of St. John’s Church and other area Episcopal churches for Theology on Tap at the Bier Baron Tavern for good food and holy

conversations.

Latrobe Fellowship

Please contact the Rev. Andy Olivo at

andrew.olivo@stjohns-dc.org if you have questions, and click here to RSVP for the event.

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Adult Forum Schedule

February 1: No Forum (Annual Meeting)

February 8: Karl Weissenbach, Director of the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum.

February 15: Dr. William LeoGrande is Associate Vice-Provost for Academic Affairs and Professor of

Government at American University. He specializes in U.S. Foreign Policy with a particular interest in

Central America and Cuba and is the author of several books and articles in the field of Latin American

politics. LeoGrande will discuss Back Channel to Cuba.

February 22: Evan Thomas, Journalist and Author of Ike’s Bluff: President Eisenhower’s Secret Battle to

Save the World.

March 1: Col. (Dr.) Mark Kortepeter, Associate Dean for Research at the Hebert School of Medi-

cine at the Uniformed Services University for the Health Sciences in Bethesda, will discuss Straight Talk

About Ebola, What Everyone Should know. He also serves as Biodefense Consultant for the Army Sur-

geon General and is widely recognized for his expertise on pathophysiology of Ebola virus infection. He

has published over 50 journal articles and book chapters, as well as an infectious disease thriller novel,

Biohazerd 9-1-1.

March 8: The Rev. Susan Flanders, former Rector of St. John’s Norwood in Chevy Chase. She has also

served several parishes in this diocese, including St. Mark’s Capitol Hill where she was Associate Rec-

tor and is now a member. She grew up in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, attended Wellesley College and

graduated from George Washington University and Virginia Seminary. She will speak about her recent-

ly published memoir, Going to Church: It’s Not What You Think!.

March 22: Gigi Bradford is chair of the Folger Shakespeare Library Poetry Board and a member of the

Emily Dickson Museum Board of Governors. She has taught poetry at Politics & Prose bookstore for

almost a decade and is the inaugural recipient of the Poets House Elizabeth Kray Award for Service to

Literature.

The Forum is an adult education program at St. John’s Church. From September through May, at 10

am most Sundays, we hear from scholars, poets, and leaders in our world, and in the world of faith.

Visit www.stjohns-dc.org for updates on this year’s Adult Forum speakers or call the

Parish House office at (202) 347-8766 with any questions.

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It’s time to think about your contribu-

tion to St. John’s annual collection of

Lenten devotionals, Pathways Through

Lent. We invited you to share your

thoughts on the season of Lent by writ-

ing a brief reflection. Submissions only

need to be about 250-300 words in

length and can be inspired by the scrip-ture verse of the day or anything that

moves you. Submissions are due by Feb-

ruary 6. This year’s contributions will be

featured on the St. John’s Pathways

Through Lent blog.

Should you be interested in contributing a reflection, please send your draft to Serina Freeman at

serina.freeman@stjohns-dc.org. Call the Parish House office at (202) 347-8766 with any ques-

tions.

Lafayette Fellowship

Shrove Tuesday Pancake Dinner

Tuesday, February 17 at 6:45 p.m.

Lafayette Fellowship is sponsoring the Parish Pancake Dinner on February 17. Please join the entire

Parish as we celebrate this uniquely Anglican tradition. The suggested donation is $10 and will be col-

lected the night of the event.

Holy Week Seder Dinner

Tuesday , March 31 at 6:45 p.m.

The entire Parish is invited to come together in our traditional Holy week Seder Dinner. Please join us

as the Clergy lead us through the liturgy of a Jewish Seder dinner. We will serve a full dinner of lamb

and vegetables. The suggested donation is $10 and will be collected the night of the event.

If you have questions about either of these two events, please contact Evangeline Gravina in the Parish

House office at evangeline.gravina@stjohns-dc.org or (202) 347-8766.

Pathways Through Lent

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In Case You Missed It

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Pictured above (left to right) Picture 1: The Rev, Andy Olivo, Lyla Grace Mehrkam , and the Rev. Dr. Luis León with Lily Fardshisheh.

Picture 2: Theology on Tap. Picture 3: Christopher Jones, Jack Colver and Brandon Straub, Myles Jeffers, Luke Morrison, Mario Camara

Paslar, and Helene Burwell. Picture 4: Andrew Card. Picture 5: Thomas McLarty and Clark Ervin.

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Winter 2015 Service Schedule February 1—Fourth Sunday After Epiphany

7:45 a.m. | Holy Eucharist

9:00 a.m. | Sermon and Holy Eucharist

10:00 a.m. | Annual Meeting

10:45 a.m. | Church School

11:00 a.m. | Bilingual Eucharist and Sermon

12:15 p.m. | Reception at the Decatur House

February 8—Fifth Sunday After Epiphany

7:45 a.m. | Holy Eucharist

9:00 a.m. | Sermon and Holy Eucharist

10:00 a.m. | Adult Forum

10:45 a.m. | Church School

11:00 a.m. | Sermon and Holy Eucharist 1:00 p.m. | La Santa Eucaristía

2:00 p.m. | Almuerzo— Iglesia San Juan

February 15—Last Sunday After Epiphany

7:45 a.m. | Holy Eucharist

9:00 a.m. | Sermon and Holy Eucharist 10:00 a.m. | Adult Forum

10:45 a.m. | Church School

11:00 a.m. | Festival Eucharist

1:00 p.m. | La Santa Eucaristía

2:00 p.m. | Almuerzo— Iglesia San Juan

February 22—First Sunday of Lent

7:45 a.m. | Holy Eucharist

9:00 a.m. | Sermon and Holy Eucharist

10:00 a.m. | Adult Forum

10:45 a.m. | Church School

11:00 a.m. | Sermon and Holy Eucharist

1:00 p.m. | La Santa Eucaristía

2:00 p.m. | Almuerzo— Iglesia San Juan

Check website for updates at www.stjohns-dc.org.

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Our Newest Member

Would you like to have an article or photo included in the March

edition of The Word? Please send your submissions to

Serina Freeman at serina.freeman@stjohns-dc.org by February 20.

Bake Sale Update

St. John’s welcomes its newest member, Elizabeth Mae Ehrich who was born January 14 to parents

Rob and Anna Ehrich

On December 14, the 7th-10th grades Sunday

School class sponsored a bake sale to raise

funds for the Bishop John T. Walker School for

Boys - a growing school of the Episcopal Dio-

cese of Washington for children of low-income

families in Washington, D.C. The class raised

$1190 to support some great students and a

great cause. Thanks to all who baked goods to

add to the bounty and who purchased goods.

Our special thanks go to all the students (and

their parents) who helped, including Juliet Faris,

Annie Gardner, Jack Garland, Caroline Huett-

ner, Will Huettner, Lansing Lee, and Gabriel

Morrison, and to their mentors – Virginia Pas-

ley, Emily Raymond, Quin Pu Woodward, and Austin Magnuson.

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Vestry and Staff

Vestry

Hilary West, Acting Senior Warden

Mike Becraft

Carrie Garland

Fernando Hermoza

Marilyn Jenkins

Wande Johnson

Frank Klotz

Michelle Mangrum

Richard Metzger

John More

Avo Reid

Brian Schoeneman

Holly Sukenik

Krista Becker, Treasurer

Virginia Bader, Assistant Treasurer

Michael Jones, Secretary

Christopher R. Wall, Parish Counsel

Head Usher

James H. Czerwonky

The Parish Staff

Hayden G. Bryan

Executive Director for Operations

Evangeline Gravina

Operations Assistant

Betsy Heine

Financial Secretary

Serina Freeman

Communications Coordinator

R.J. Gravina

Program Coordinator

Victor Obregon

Sexton

Glynnis Bryant

Assistant Sexton

Prosper Daziorlor

Assistant Sexton

Dora Genovez

Housekeeper

St. John’s Church, Lafayette Square

1525 H Street, NW

Washington, DC 20005