Pohick Post, September 2015

POHICK POST

Let your light so shine (Matt. 5:16)

Pohick Episcopal Church9301 Richmond Highway • Lorton, VA 22079Telephone: 703-339-6572 • Fax: 703-339-9884

SEPTEMBER 2015From The RectorThe ReverendDonald D. Binder, PhD

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“I’m not religious - I’m spiritual.”

That oft-repeated phrase has become almost cli-ché over the past decade or so. You typically hear it used by individuals (whether Christian or otherwise) who do not attend religious services on a regular ba-sis, but who still consider themselves as somehow in-wardly connected with God. At first glance, the explosion in the use of this self-description seems both understandable and jus-tifiable. In recent decades, there has been a great deal of publicity surrounding certain high-profile religious leaders who have behaved badly in secret, only to have their misconduct exposed publicly. Likewise, there is also the recent rise in violence by perpetrators who give religious reasons as justification. While Chris-tians are most often the targets of this violence, the connection between violence and religion is enough to lead many to wash their hands of religious affiliation altogether. In other words, such persons view religious adher-ents as hypocrites at best and wish to have nothing to do with them. To be sure, there are bad actors within religious circles, and invariably they are the ones who grab the headlines. However, to lump all churchgoers with such persons overlooks the overwhelming number of Christians and other religious practitioners who qui-

etly exercise their faith to the benefit of society and humanity at large. The perpetualization of such gross stereotypes, while fashionable in some circles, is just as bad as clinging to the racial prejudices that continue to endure in our culture. Yet those who are against all organized religion form but one category of “I’m spiritual, not religious” self-identifiers. While often vocal, they constitute a only relatively small (though growing) percentage. The larger swath consists of those who were once active in a church or religious institution, but are no longer involved because their energies have shifted entirely to other concerns. Often this begins with col-lege. There, not only are young undergrads typically separated from their home parishes, but they are sud-denly inundated with curricular demands on the one hand, and extracurricular activities on the other. Both quickly consume all their energy and focus, leaving no time for participation in a religious community. Still, they like to consider themselves “spiritual” in some sense, despite this lack of religious involvement. Yet sociological studies have not found this to be the case. When people do not attend church, these studies have discovered, their internal prayer life, per-sonal Bible study, charitable giving, and commitment to their faith essentially evaporates. As sociologist Christian Smith summarizes from this research, “for most emerging adults, religious life appears to be an all-or-nothing proposition. . .When external religion is weak, in most cases so is their subjective, private, internal religion” (Souls in Transition, 253-54). From

Pohick Episcopal ChurchPage 2 • September 2015

From the Rector: continued from page 1

Christmas martConsignment and arts room

Now is the time to start looking through collect-ibles and think about sharing them with someone else. Items can be sold on consignment or donat-ed with the profits going to the Women of Pohick. Consignors receive 75% of the sale price with 25% going to the Women of Pohick. New crafters are

needed to join the group. For anyone that knows people that do a great job making gifts or crafts, please provide their contact info to Edie Bartlett at 703-780-6809 or [email protected].

these studies, he characterizes the mantra of “spiritual, not religious” as being “the myth of internal-without-external religion.” This all highlights the importance of regular atten-dance in worship and active involvement in the faith community - as it is extremely difficult to be success-ful as a “spiritual Lone Ranger.” More often than not, the “I’m spiritual, not religious” claim is simply a chant of denial. Its use first as justification by Baby Boom-ers has spawned increasing numbers of Millennials who have likewise dropped out of organized religion, which typically leads to their spiritual lives tanking as well. Jesus himself observed the temptations in this re-gard when he told the Parable of the Sower, with the seeds being variously trapped among the rocks and the thorns, as well as those stolen away by the birds. But he also highlighted the miraculous growth of those seeds that fell upon fertile ground, which yielded thir-ty or sixty or a hundredfold (Mark 4:3-20). For those who receive his words and actively participate within the Kingdom of God, their spiritual growth knows no bounds. And so, if you have not been recently involved within our Pohick Church family, for the sake of your own spiritual growth, I invite you to do so. Likewise, if you know of others, especially children and grand-children, who have fallen by the wayside, I would en-courage you to welcome them back. The fate of their spiritual lives (and yours) literally depends upon it.

Commitment In this year’s first Stewardship Corner article in April’s Pohick Post, we made the point that steward-ship is about more than money. Stewardship is about the use of the all gifts and resources entrusted to us by God for the time we walk this earth. Typically these resources are thought of in terms of time, talent, and treasure. The Bible is clear that God calls us to use these gifts to further His work here on earth. The pre-sentation of those resources to do His work is called giving. Here at Pohick, we call the promise we make to God regarding the level of giving commitment. Our key point is this: commitment is about time and talent as well as treasure. If you’ve been following our Stewardship Perspec-tives in your Sunday bulletin or Kathy Kirkland’s week-ly Pohick Tidings, you have seen numerous ways you can commit your time and talent to God and perhaps something appealed to you. How do you let someone know? On Sunday, September 13 your Stewardship Committee will host the fall Activities Fair. Please use that as an opportunity to browse the opportunities and consider increasing your gift of time and talent. In coming weeks, we’re going to expand the focus of the Stewardship Perspectives to include the third leg of stewardship, treasure. Luke 9:16-17 tells us: “Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed them, and broke them, and kept giving them to the disciples to set before the peo-ple. And they all ate and were satisfied; and the broken pieces which they had left over were picked up, twelve baskets full.” Perhaps it is important to note that this miracle started with a gift of treasure - five loaves and two fish. To the owner of those loaves and fishes, they repre-sented treasure which could have been sold at a tidy profit. But instead, he offered his treasure up to the Lord who blessed it caused it to multiply. As was true then, God’s miracles often start with gifts of treasure, watered by our time and talent, and caused to multiply. Just as a stool cannot stand on just two legs, steward-ship requires all three legs - time, talent, and treasure. With the approach of the Activities Fair, please give prayerful thought to your own commitment of time and talent and with the approach of the annual stewardship campaign, please prayerfully consider your gift of treasure as well.

Pohick Episcopal Church September 2015 • Page 3

From The Assistant RectorThe ReverendDr. Ruth E. Correll, Ed.D.

NEW DATE!Pohick’s 70th Annual Country Fair will be held on September 26, 2015. Anne Derbes is the

chair person assisted by Jeff Parker.Please plan to participate!

episCopal ChurCh WomendioCese of Virginia annual meeting

saVe the date: oCtober 15, 2015Calling all Women of the Church! Attend the

125th Anniversary Celebration and Fall Meeting and 126th United Thank Offering Ingathering of the Episcopal Church Women of the Diocese of Vir-ginia. It will be held on Thursday, October 15, 2015.

This year the meeting will be at The Falls Church, 115 East Fairfax Street, Falls Church, VA. As soon as specific details are known, they will be provided. Since the event is nearby, it would be wonderful to have as many of the Pohick ladies attend as possible. Visit the ECW website, www.ecw.thediocese.net, as the time draws closer. Pohick contacts for this event are Connie Myers at [email protected] or Hel-en Parker at [email protected].

table talk Fast food feeds our nation. Pick up breakfast in your car on the way to work. Stop by the vending ma-chines for a cheese and crackers lunch - the healthy option. Slap together a sandwich and leftovers from the refrigerator for dinner before sitting down in front of the TV to watch the news. Is there something miss-ing in this picture? Watchers of our culture observe that fewer people eat with others, even family mem-bers, than previous generations. Many eat while stand-ing at the kitchen counter or sitting at their desks at work in front of the computer screen. In contrast, we worship a party person accused of being a wine bibber and glutton. His last instructions to his disciples concerned a meal to remember him. When they wanted the reality of his presence with them, he asked them to share a piece of bread and cup of wine together. This practice would recall his gift of redemption and favor with God based upon grace rather than works. It resembled the Sabbath meal ob-served every week in Jewish homes. At both occasions, the people at the table retold the story of God’s salva-tion and invited God’s blessing and presence as they conversed. Unlike a Sabbath meal, the Lord’s Supper could be enjoyed by as few as two or three unrelat-ed people and as many as thousands gathered in one place. Thus Christianity became known as a “fellow-ship of the table.” People recognize at Pohick Church a strong sense of community with a family atmosphere. Part of that can be traced to many chances for table talk. Every Saturday morning, the Brotherhood of St. Andrew meets for breakfast, prayer, and Bible study. Commu-nity of Hope meets monthly for table talk. Women enjoy book and Bible studies. The Foyers meet peri-odically over a meal hosted by a group member. Oth-ers meet for fellowship on Friday evenings at Bozelli’s restaurant. Pohickians from Prince William County meet monthly at a designated restaurant. We host a Christmas meal with residents of a nearby homeless shelter. The list goes on and on. Please consider this your invitation to a new op-portunity for table talk.

Alpha Express begins:Wednesday, September 9, 20156:00 pm – 7:30 pm in the Annex

Please join the conversation. The Alpha Course looks at basic beliefs and practices of the Christian faith. We will gather on Wednesday nights, about twice a month, to focus on a given subject. Some examples include who is Jesus, why pray, what the Bible does, and how God makes a difference. We’ll serve pizza or something simple to eat while we watch a 20 minute DVD about the topic of the evening. Then we’ll open up the table for discussion. Come with your queries and stories. No question on the topic is off limits so please come with questions, doubts, and affirmations. This gathering will take place during the children’s choir rehearsals. Choir parents, newcomers, old tim-ers, and visitors are welcome! Feel free to stay or leave as your schedule permits after viewing the DVD. This is a great way to get acquainted with others and to explore faith in a non-threatening environment - and far better than eating alone on the run.


senior Warden’s reportReed Heddleston, Senior Warden

pohiCk ChurChpiCtorial direCtory

Photographs for the new Church Directory will be taken on September 15, 16, and 17. Please make an appointment to have pictures taken for the Directory. Pohick would very much like to have all members included! Go to the church web-site, Pohick.org, and click on the schedul-ing message to sign up. Hope to have the book ready by Christmas with the whole con-gregation represented.

July has been a busy month for the parish. As soon as the mold remediation project in the sanctuary was completed and Vacation Bible School was over, work began on the kitchen remodeling. Initial efforts included removing the old cabinets and appliances to allow for yet another remediation project, which focused on the remaining asbestos tile in the Parish Hall. The work was dirty and physical. Led by Stew and Wendy Remaley, Fred Crawford, Clint Herbert, Rodger Jones, Connie Myers, and many others, the kitchen was cleaned out over the weekend of July 18. The asbestos tile was removed on the July 22. This will clear the area for the contractor to complete the kitchen project before the busy fall schedule resumes in September. Wading through the detritus of the old kitchen on Saturday certainly confirmed that the kitchen project was long overdue as it is one area that everyone uses. One of the amazing blessings of this parish is the amount of volunteer work that can be accomplished both for the parish as well as extensive outreach ef-forts. So many of the congregation are involved in many commendable efforts: from the choir, the aco-lytes, the Country Fair, Apple Butter, the guilds, the altar guild, the Brotherhood, Hodge-Podge, adult education, and Sunday School. The list goes on. There is a willingness to try new ideas as evidenced by the Community of Hope and the Docent Guild. The par-ish is richly blessed with the talents of so many com-mitted parishioners. It is also a blessing to have clergy that share the collective enthusiasm. Thanks to all for the wonderful work that has been accomplished together. Compared to numerous other parishes in other dioceses, this parish is remarkable. Don Brownlee’s summation of the June meeting follows: Was briefed on the Mold Remediation Project. The work is complete, and awaiting a debrief from the contractor. The next step is a follow-up mold sample to be sure the problems have been resolved, and to continue to monitor for sources of water. Discussed ways to make Apple Butter more fam-ily and youth friendly, while maintaining safety. Discussed ways to make Shrine Month more af-

fordable for families. Discussed whether it is appropriate for the Gold-en Dove to sell Stonewall Jackson-related items. Continued its discussions about possible changes to the Sunday Service schedule, and possible addition of other weekend services. Approved the Treasurer’s Report. Alms and Com-mitment income for June was slightly below histori-cal levels, and for the year to date the budget is about $8,000 below expected income. Parish life expenses were higher than budgeted in June. Commitments are running about $25,000 below last year’s level. Parish-ioners are reminded of the need to keep their Com-mitments current, particularly during the summer vacation season, and consider using the automated electronic payment system.

looking for a feWgood men….or Women

WANTED: Adult volunteers to assist with the Turkey Shoot at the annual Pohick Church Country Fair on Saturday, September 26. Du-ties include site setup and breakdown, signing up shooters, posting targets, and/or assisting with the firing line. Familiarity with firearms in general and shotguns specifically is desired, but not required. All necessary training and equipment will be pro-vided. Part-time help is also welcomed. For those interested, please contact Mo Faber, [email protected], 703-440-9557.


musiC notesLinda Egan, Minister of Music

This August we learned the hymn “How shall I sing that Majesty,” a hymn new to us, by singing it every Sunday. After it has become familiar through repetition, we will sing it during the year. John Mason’s 17th century text is about our call to join with the thousands who sing around the throne of God in worship, and the need for our own trans-formation in order to join this throng who sing God’s praise. It is paired with a 20th century tune by Ken-neth Naylor titled Coe Fen. Also in August on Sundays from 8:50 am to 9:40 am in the music room, I offered a course on hymnody. Each week we looked at the content and history of hymnody through singing hymns from a specific pe-riod of the church’s worship history and musical com-position. Come sing! Music dates to save: Wednesdays, September 2, 6:15 pm - 8:00 pm Pohick Bell Choir Season Warmup. New ringers are welcome, and this is a great time for you to try ringing handbells with a group; contact Linda Egan or any bell ringer if you would like to ring. Regular rehearsals begin Thursday, September 9, 6:15 pm - 7:15 pm. Thursday, September 9, 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm, Choir of Pohick resumes rehearsals. New singers are wel-come. Contact Linda Egan or Nancy Sage, the choir librarian, or any singer so we may prepare a folder and chair for you. Sunday, September 13 after 9:00 am service - registration for St. Francis and St. Cecelia St. Alban Choirs. Wednesday, September 16, 6:00 pm - 6:30 pm, St. Francis Choir resumes rehearsals. K-3rd graders rehearse every Wednesday, and sing the second Sun-day of the month at the 9:00 am service, as well as at the Sounds of Pohick concert in June. Your child will learn how to sing beautifully and will enjoy the strong group spirit - great music lessons and great fun for this age group! Contact Barb Lynn or any parent for more information. St. Cecelia St. Alban Choir will also begin re-hearsals Wednesday, September 16, 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm. Students in grades 4-12 rehearse every week, and sing two Sundays a month, and at the Sounds of Po-

hick concert. Here’s a chance for your son or daughter to develop musicianship, knowledge of the liturgy, and use of his or her talents while serving God and the parish and having fun in the process. Contact Linda Egan, Pam or Neil Hogg, or any parent for more in-formation. The Pohick Pickers play the third Sunday of the month for communion, and for various congregational events throughout the year, including at the Sounds of Pohick concert. Contact John Sessums if you are in-terested in playing for communion, and Chris Brown if you are interested in playing for events. The Pohick Early Church Music Ensemble sings at 11:15 am services on various Sundays throughout the year, and at the Sounds of Pohick concert. See the director, TG Powell, for more information. Hope your summer was filled with rest and good music!

the united thank offering The United Thank Offering Mission: Put gifts

into the Blue Box with thanksgiving, prayer, and generosity. Take blessings out of the box for grants to expand the church’s faithfulness to God’s mis-sion.

The United Thank Offering (UTO) is a min-istry of the Episcopal Church for the mission of the whole church. Through UTO, men, women, and children nurture the habit of giving daily thanks to God. Every penny that is collected is granted, which has been the case for the past 124 years. These grants support projects to confront violence and poverty in many nearby communi-ties and throughout the Anglican Communion through direct grants and companion grants by offering hope and help.

The Blue UTO boxes can be found on the table outside of the Parish Office. Please take one and start making a daily gift. All Blue UTO boxes and UTO donations need to be returned to church by Sunday, October 11 so the donation can be taken to the ECW meeting on October 15.

Checks should be made payable to Pohick with UTO marked on the memo line. Questions should be directed to Connie Myers, [email protected], or Helen Parker, [email protected].


Apple Butter is and always has been a Fam-ily Event! Many adult Pohickians can talk at length about their memories of making Apple Butter behind the Common Room with their parents and grandpar-ents. Please do not hesitate to bring the entire family by the Church on September 18 - 20 to help with a Pohick tradition while creating lifetime memories. Please remember there are lots of ways for even the youngest family members to participate. Friday, September 18 is setup day - put up the giant tarp, haul up the firewood, set up the Common Room, wash jars, move bricks, and setup the Broth-erhood BBQ grill. It takes lots of hands only a few hours for this phase. It is always exciting to see the tarp go up and the big kettles arrive. It is always dif-ficult to sleep that night due to the anticipation of the next day’s events. We normally start early afternoon outside the Common Room! All ages are encouraged to participate in these activities. Saturday (Apple Sauce Day), September 19. The process starts with 60 bushes of apples and around 200 gallons of apple sauce will be made. The jobs include; apple cutters - removing stems and bad spots (the cut-ting is not a job for the youngest because of the use of knives but they can pull stems); apple haulers – taking apples to the tables and the slicers; kettle stirrers – many people of all ages participate in this phase. The kettles have to be constantly stirred to make the apple sauce. Again, all ages (with supervision, due to the fires) can participate; operating the separators, is also a job for all ages. It takes three or four people on each of the two machines. Always lots of adult supervision available for this effort and plenty to do for those of all ages. By the way, lunch is ordered from a favorite lo-cal deli around noon on Saturday. This is always a fun event. Clean up is late afternoon and set up for Apple Butter Sunday! Please try to come by for a few hours or all day and bring the entire family! Apple Butter Sunday, September 20. The day starts early, around 3:00 am. The first 12 hours is stir-ring the sauce! It takes 12 hours, no shortcuts. Lots of stirrers of all ages are needed! Long sleeve shirts, long pants and close toed shoes are encouraged while stirring. The sauce often “spits”, but the right clothing will usually prevent or at least lessen burns. Also much care is needed when moving among the kettles so no

apple butter is a family eVent!one accidentally runs into a kettle or a paddle. That would definitely leave a mark! The Brotherhood of St. Andrew always makes a little extra breakfast to feed the early stirrers. Canning starts around 3:00 pm. This is an event not to be missed. Roughly a hundred people partici-pate in the canning process and many more watch-ers are present! After Father Don blesses the Apple Butter, the organized chaos begins and there is a job for all. To help, please let Carolyn Brown or Pru-dence Brooks know, and a job will be assigned. They try to fill the jobs early (like the day before!) so there is no last minute panic. Some of the jobs are: haul-ers, ladlers, toppers, tighteners, wipers, table cleaners, water fetchers, boxers, stackers, and sellers! Come on out and learn about these interesting jobs. Training is provided. The entire canning process only takes about 45 minutes. It is a sight to see. After the canning, it is time clean up and put away all the gear, not necessar-ily a fun job, but a must-do. Again, lots of hands are needed. After the cleaning and hauling there is a short social event. By this time, there is not a lot of energy as over 1000 jars of Apple Butter have been canned! Please join this year for a great Pohick tradition. Fellowship and Memories galore!

the 24th annual Crab feastThe Crab Feast, sponsored by the Brother-

hood of St Andrew, will be held in the Common Room from 3:30 pm until 6:00 pm on Saturday, September 12. The menu will include crabs, fried fish, steamed shrimp, potato salad, pork barbecue sandwiches, corn-on-the-cob, hush puppies, and hot dogs for the kids. The cost is $30.00 per adult, $10 ages 4-12, and children under 4 are free. The fee includes sodas and other soft drinks, but NOT beer and wine. Beer and wine will be available and donations for these items will be gladly accepted. Please contact the Church Office or members of the Brotherhood to purchase tickets. Please di-

rect questions to Greg Wilson, [email protected] or Jud Bi-reley, [email protected].


2015 apple butter sChedule

Friday, September 18 - Apple Butter SetupNoon - 5:00 pm Setup (kettles, firewood, etc.)

Saturday, September 19 - Apple Sauce Day7:00 am - 10:00 am Wash, cut apples, andstart cooking8:00 am - 3:00 pm Cook apples into applesauce with many stirrers needed!3:00 pm - 7:00 pm Cleanup and setup fornext day

Sunday, September 20 - Apple Butter Day3:00 am - 3:00 pm Cook applesauce into AppleButter with many stirrers needed!10:45 am Apple Butter Eucharist2:00 pm - 4:00 pm Canning of the Apple Butter- All Hands Needed!4:00 pm - 6:00 pm Tear down and cleanup

Friday, September 25 - Fair Setup4:00 pm - 7:00 pm Setup

Saturday, September 26 - Fair Day5:00 am - 12 noon Cook two kettles of Apple Butter12 noon - 1:00 pm Canning of the Apple Butter

Sunday, September 27 - Fair Tear-Down Day8:00 am - 11:00 am Tear down and store items11:00 am - 1:00 pm Bratwurst Cookout

Come for an hour, a day, or a weekend!

Christian eduCationFrances Sessums, Director of Christian Education

Church School registration and the Ice Cream Social will be Sunday, September 13 after the 9:00 am service in the Common Room. Parents have the opportunity to meet the teachers and review the curriculum used for all classes. Please register each child individually, as this is very important for record keeping. If unable to attend church on registration Sunday, please register the chil-dren in the Education office on the first Sunday they at-tend church school. Ice cream will be provided for the Ice Cream Social. Donations of toppings such as syrup, sprinkles, cherries, nuts, and whipped cream are needed. A sign-up sheet is posted on the downstairs bulletin board. The first day of classes will be Sunday, September 20. As in the past, Sunday School students will leave the church during the Recessional Hymn and go directly to their classes. Classes will end at 11:05 am, and a bell will be rung at that time. Parents of preschoolers through fourth grade are asked to pick up the children at the door of their classrooms. Pohick is blessed to have many wonderful people who have volunteered to teach and help with church school. A staff roster is posted on the bulletin boards upstairs and downstairs. Thanks to all staff members for their time given to this very important ministry. Questions can be directed to Frances Sessums at 703-425-2857. Pohick’s Vacation Bible School was a great success. There were 42 students in the program. Twenty-five out-standing volunteers staffed VBS. Everyone had a tremen-dous time. Thanks to everyone who worked so hard to make the week so fun and meaningful!

pohiCk ChurCh Country fair apple pie baking ContestWhat is a Country Fair without a Pie Baking Contest?

Get a favorite Apple Pie recipe ready! The Martha Guild will once again be sponsoring an Apple Pie Baking Contest at this year’s Country Fair. The pies will be judged on Creativity (name of the pie), Appearance, Taste, and Texture. The pies must be delivered to the Baked Goods/Country Store booth by 11:00 am on Fair Day, Saturday, September 26. Pies will be judged and the winners will be announced at 12 noon. Slices of pie will be sold to those attending the Fair. Entry forms are available in the Common Room, out-side the Church Office at the top of the stairs, or on page 9 of the Pohick Post. Please return entry form to a Martha Guild member or to the Martha Guild mail slot in the Church Office by September 23. Only one entry per person. Questions? Contact a Martha Guild member or Connie Myers at 703-455-4652 or [email protected].


The Martha Guild will meet on Wednesday, Sept 2 in Classroom B beginning at 7:30 pm. Discussion will focus on planning activities and projects for the busy fall season. All Women of the Church are cordially invited to attend. Any questions, please contact Con-nie Myers, 703-455-4652, or [email protected] or any Martha Guild member.

eduCation for ministry (efm)Education for Ministry, begun in 1957 by

the University of the South School of Theology, is a unique education program. An EfM group consists of six to twelve participants and a trained mentor or co-mentor who meet weekly for two and a half to three hours over the course of a nine-month academic year.

The four-year program consists of studies in Old Testament (Year 1), New Testament (Year 2), Church History (Year 3) and Theology (Year 4). The tuition fee is $350 per year, and there is finan-cial aid available. Students need only to commit to one year at a time. For more information, please contact Charlotte Knipling at 703-946-1031. The class will be held on Monday evenings, starting the end of September and continuing through the end of May.

doCent guild The Historic Pohick Church’s Docent Guild’s first meeting of the year will be held on Monday, September 21 at 7:00 pm in the Church. The new Children’s Tour will be featured, which includes hands-on objects, role play-ing and a special take home treat! All are welcome to see this new ministry. The plan is to market this tour to home schools, religious schools, scouts, etc. The first Saturday of the month tours continue to be popu-lar, with 65 visitors on July 4, and 20 visitors on August 1. The Golden Dove Gift Shop has benefited as well. The docents have been busy over the summer, representing Pohick Church at Gunston Hall on George Mason Day, June 13, touring the new Mount Vernon Library and attending a book talk there, and touring the historic Falls Church. For more information about the Docent Guild, contact Charlotte Knipling at 703-946-1031.

martha guild neWs Visit thegolden doVe gift shopgifts for all oCCasions!

• Patriotic & military ornaments, LED flash-lights, alarm key chains, robotic calculators, cross note pads• Decorative pillows and plaques, delicious food items, toys and markers for the kids• Nautical earrings and bottle openers, love-ly scented candles, decorative pillows, jewelry, aprons, lip gloss, lotions, manicure sets• Books, Bible rulers, plaques, book marks with verses of encouragement, cross pendants, earrings• Stonewall Jackson pens, pewter cross bookmarks and baptismal bowls• Pohick Church based gifts - photographs, mugs, apple butter, cookbooks, tea canisters, Rev Bind-er’s CD, needlepoint books, & historical Vestry minutes

Open Sundays from 9:00 am to

10:00 am and 11:00 am to

12 Noon

North end of the Vestry House


ttff - it’s (almost) apple butter time! The Annual Country Fair will be here soon! It is not too early to mark the calendar to get ready to recapture the nostalgia of visiting the farm in the fall. The atmosphere of smoke wafting up from cooking fires; the pleasant aroma of spices tickling the nose; and the beautiful colors of the changing leaves can be relived at Pohick Church on September 19 and 20 as apple butter is made the old fashioned way for the annual Country Fair. It is Apple Butter Time. So, what does “TTFF” mean - it is short for Time - Talents - Fellowship and Fun. The Time and Talents of many volunteers are needed to accomplish the hard work both days - pro-cessing 80 bushels of apples into the infamous Apple Butter, which is a best seller every year. Bring a paring knife and cutting board Saturday morning, and plan to stay all day Saturday and Sunday. For those that can only help for an hour or two, please do! Any and all help is welcomed! Work starts at 7:00 am on Saturday and very early on Sunday. A complete schedule is in the Pohick Post and will be in the Church bulletin as the event gets closer. There will be plenty of work to keep everyone gainfully employed both days; and there is a great opportunity for Fellowship with the parishioners of this Great Church, and a very good chance of having just plain ole Fun. Every volunteer is needed, wanted and indispensable. Without volunteers, it just will not happen. Please try and find the Time to show up and donate all special Talents. Everyone benefits!

- The Apple Butter Gang!

apple pie baking Contest entry form

The Martha Guild is sponsoring an Apple Pie Baking Contest at this year’s Country Fair.Pies must be delivered to the Baked Goods/Country Store Booth by 11:00 am on Fair Day, September 26.

Apple Pies will be judged in the following manner:Creativity (name the pie): 1-10 points Texture : 1-30 pointsAppearance: 1-25 points Taste: 1-35 points

Winners will be announced at 12 noon on Fair Day. After judging, slices of the pie will be sold.Questions: contact a Martha Guild member or Connie Myers, 703-455-4652 or [email protected]

________________________________________________________________________

Attach this section to the bottom of pie dish.Name: ________________________________________________________________________________ Telephone: ____________________________________________________________________________Email: ________________________________________________________________________________Pie Name: ______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________Return this section to the Apple Pie Baking Contest Entry form box in the Church Office

or to a member of the Martha Guild before September 23.Name: ________________________________________________________________________________ Telephone: _____________________________________________________________________________Email: ________________________________________________________________________________Pie Name: ______________________________________________________________________________


update on issues in the angliCan CommunionDon Brownlee, Co-chair, Policy and Planning Commission

This monthly report is part of the Vestry’s ongoing effort to in-form and update the Parish about the ongoing controversies within The Episcopal Church (TEC) and the Anglican Communion. These controversies largely involve the blessing of same-sex unions, ordi-nation of non-celibate homosexuals, interpretation of Scripture, and breakdown of traditional boundary lines between Provinces. The bishops and clergy and lay delegates of The Episcopal Church took a number of important steps for the future of our Church early this summer as they met as the 78th General Convention in Salt Lake City. Many of these have received coverage in the secular press in the intervening weeks. Among the most significant: • Changed the Canon on Marriage, to provide what supporters called “Marriage Equality.” The canon’s title was changed from “Of the Solemnization of Holy Matrimony” to “Of the Celebration and Blessing of Marriage,” and language that defined Holy Matrimony as “a physical and spiritual union of a man and a woman” was removed. The current Canon requires the couple to sign a declara-tion saying they understood marriage to be “a lifelong union of husband and wife,” and that it was intended, “when it is God’s will, for the procreation of children…” That language has been replaced with: “We understand the teaching of the church that God’s purpose for our marriage is for our mutual joy, for the help and comfort we will give to each other in prosperity and adversity, and, when it is God’s will, for the gift and heritage of children and their nurture in the knowledge and love of God. We also understand that our marriage is to be unconditional, mutual, exclusive, faithful, and lifelong; and we engage to make the utmost effort to accept these gifts and fulfill these duties, with the help of God and the support of our community.” The revised Canon retains language saying “It shall be within the discretion of any Member of the Clergy of this Church to decline to solemnize any marriage,” but changes the phrase to read “solemnize or bless.” • Approved two new marriage rites, designed to be used by either same-sex or opposite sex couples. They represent slight revisions to rites that have been authorized for the last sev-eral years. Their use is subject to the discretion of the diocesan bishop. The resolution authorizing their use continues the cur-rent “conscience clause” that says “This convention honor[s] the theological diversity of this Church in regard to matters of human sexuality; and that no bishop, priest, deacon or lay person should be coerced or penalized in any manner, nor suf-fer any canonical disabilities, as a result of his or her theological objection to or support” for the General Convention’s actions on same-sex marriages. • Overwhelming elected the Rt. Rev. Michael Curry, as our next presiding bishop. The House of Bishops chose him from a slate of four nominees on the first ballot; he received 121 votes out of 174 cast. It was the first time a new presid-ing bishop has been chosen on the first ballot in the House of

Bishops. The House of Deputies then confirmed his election by a vote of 800 to 2. Born in Chicago, he has been bishop of North Carolina since 2000 and will be the first African-American presiding bishop. Bp. Shannon said of him, “I know full well that Bishop Curry has amazing gifts for vision, motivation, and encour-agement, just what we need in this time of renewal for our Church. The fact that he is to be our first African American Presiding Bishop is also clearly a movement of the Holy Spirit in these racially charged days. For it all, I am joyfully confident in the utter greatness of this humble, but rock-solid, disciple of Jesus.” • Took the first formal steps toward revising the Book of Common Prayer and Hymnal, projects that probably will take a decade. It directed the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music to prepare plans for revising both, and to bring them back to the next General Convention three years from now. • Approved two major structural changes, giving the Ex-ecutive Council more power over certain executive staff ap-pointments, and reducing the number of standing commis-sions from 14 to two, the Standing Commission on Structure, Governance, Constitution and Canons, and the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music. • Made mandatory the current voluntary diocesan budget-ary asking system, and imposed penalties for noncompliance. The change takes place for the 2019-2021 three-year budget cycle. • Adopted three resolutions dealing with alcohol and drug abuse, prompted in large part by the case of Bp. Heather Cook of the Diocese of Maryland, who is accused of hitting and kill-ing a bicyclist while she was driving under the influence of al-cohol. One recommends that candidates for ordination should be questioned at the very beginning of the discernment process about addiction and substance use in their lives and family sys-tems; one acknowledges the church’s role in the culture of al-cohol and drug abuse, and one sets up a task force to review the Church’s policies on substance abuse, addiction and recovery. The outgoing presiding bishop traditionally is the cel-ebrant at the General Convention’s closing Eucharist, and the newly-elected presiding bishop traditionally is the preacher. That traditional continued this year, with Bp. Curry saying that many of the things Jesus did were “crazy,” and we need some “crazy Christians.” “What the world calls wretched Jesus calls blessed. Blessed are the poor and the poor in spirit. Blessed are the merciful, the compassionate. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst that God’s righteous justice might prevail. Blessed are those who work for peace. Blessed are you when you are persecuted just for trying to love and do what is good. Jesus was crazy. He said, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, pray for

Continued on page 11


those who despitefully use you. He was crazy. He prayed while folk were killing him, ‘Fa-ther, forgive them; they know not what they do.’ Now that’s crazy. “We need some crazy Christians. Sane, sanitized Christianity is killing us. That may have worked once upon a time, but it won’t carry the Gospel anymore.” Noting that Mary Magdalene was the one disciple who stood by Jesus at the crucifixion, and that it was the day the Church has set aside to commemorate Harriet Beecher Stowe, he said, “We need some crazy Christians like Mary Magda-lene and Harriet Beecher Stowe. Christians crazy enough to believe that God is real and that Jesus lives. Crazy enough to follow the radical way of the Gospel. Crazy enough to believe that the love of God is greater than all the powers of evil and death. Crazy enough to believe, as Dr. King often said, that though ‘the moral arc of the universe is long, it bends toward justice.’ We need some Christians crazy enough to believe that children don’t have to go to bed hungry; that the world doesn’t have to be the way it often seems to be; that there is a way to lay down our swords and shields, down by the riverside; that as the slaves used to sing, ‘There’s plenty good room in my Fa-ther’s kingdom,’ because every human being has been created in the image of God, and we are all equally children of God and meant to be treated as such. He closed by quoting famous words written by another woman during the Civil War:In the beauty of the lilies, Christ was born across the sea, With a glory in his bosom, that transfigured you and me:As he died to make men holy, let us die to make men free,While God is marching on.Glory, glory hallelujah,God’s truth is marching on. The General Convention is the Governing Body of our church. It meets every three years, and is set up as a bicameral legislature with a House of Deputies (more than 800 clergy and lay delegates, elected by their respective dioceses) and House of Bishops (comprised of some 300 active and retired bishops.) It is the sole body in our Church with authority to amend our Constitution and Canons, set a budget for the Church, amend the Book of Common Prayer, authorize new hymnals and lit-urgies, adopt communions and covenants with other churches, and exercise many other legislative/administrative powers.

* * * The Archbishop of Canterbury expressed his “deep con-cern” about the “stress for the Anglican Communion” that the convention’s actions on same-sex blessings will cause. A state-

Update on Issues in the Anglican Communion,continued from page 10 ment said, “While recognising the prerogative of The Episco-

pal Church to address issues appropriate to its own context, Archbishop Justin Welby said that its decision will cause dis-tress for some and have ramifications for the Anglican Com-munion as a whole, as well as for its ecumenical and interfaith relationships... “He urges prayer for the life of the Anglican Communion; for a space for the strengthening of the interdependent rela-tionships between provinces, so that in the face of diversity and disagreement, Anglicans may be a force for peace and seek to respond to the Lord Jesus’ prayer that ‘they may be one so that the world may believe.’ ” A statement from Abps. Eliud Wabukala of Kenya and Nicholas Okoh of Nigeria, chairman and vice-chairman re-spectively of the GAFCON Primates Council, called the deci-sion “a mistake with serious consequences.” “The fundamental reason that it is a mistake - and the rea-son why it is so destabilizing – is that it is a significant depar-ture from Holy Scripture. This is a departure which Christians are not at liberty to make.” They added, “The determination of TEC to press ahead with changes which ignore the serious concerns of many oth-ers in the Communion, in some cases for their physical safety, shows very clearly the inadequacy of initiatives designed to create reconciliation without repentance.” Referring to those in the United States who have left The Episcopal Church over issues of human sexuality, they said GAFCON continues to “welcome and recognize Anglicans who through no fault of their own have had to disaffiliate from their original province over serious matters of biblical truth. The struggle and spirit of the remnant church must be kept alive.” Bp. Shannon said, “I trust and pray that the center held as we approved a way forward with respect to marriage equality as part of the life and witness of our Church. Rather than at-tempting to achieve that goal simply by canonical changes to be applied to the Book of Common Prayer (which would have been, in my view, certainly unwise if not illegal), the Conven-tion instead opted for the adoption of services for Trial Use, as provided for in our Constitution and Canons. The conscience clause provision for a diocesan bishop and priests honors our strongly held differences even as we move on in a matter that Episcopalians have studied, debated, and prayed about for for-ty years. Surely, it was time to take our stand.”

It is important to remember that despite all these controversies, the work of the Church - globally, nationally, and locally - goes on. As Bp. Susan observed, we consciously refuse to be a “museum church.” Our Stewardship Commission continues to remind us of the ways we at Pohick carry out that work, and spread the good News. We continue to “be the only Bible some people will ever read.” Through youth mission trips, food donations to LCAC, donations of school sup-plies and backpacks, the Gunston School tutoring program, and the Community of Hope, Pohick continues to “leak the love of God” to those in need.


Apple Butter SnickerdoodlesYield: about 28 cookies

3 cups all-purpose flour2 teaspoons baking powder1/4 teaspoon salt3/4 cup butter, softened1 1/4 cup granulated sugar + 1/3 cup, divided2 large eggs1 tablespoon vanilla extract1/2 cup apple butter1/2 teaspoon cinnamon + 1 teaspoon, divided Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside. Cream butter and 1 1/4 cups sugar in a mixer until fluffy. Mix in eggs, vanilla, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and apple butter. Beat just until mixed. Add in flour mix-ture and mix until just blended together. Chill your dough at least 4 hours. This dough MUST be cold before baking. Be-cause of all the butter and apple butter, the cookies will spread quite a bit if the chilling is skipped! Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with parchment or a silpat baking mat. Place 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/3 cup sugar in a small bowl. Scoop balls of cookie dough and roll them in the cinnamon sugar. Place on cookie sheet. It is recom-mend only scooping 2 cookie sheets at a time, then re-chill the dough for while those two trays bake. Bake cookies for 11-12 minutes for slightly un-derdone, 13-14 minutes for fully done. Cool slightly before removing from cookie sheets.Taken from http://www.crazyforcrust.com/2013/10/apple-butter-snickerdoodles/

the many uses of apple butterAlthough most commonly used as a spread on toast, there are numerous other uses for Pohick’s famous apple but-ter! Consider using apple butter to mix with cottage cheese or yogurt, to glaze a pork roast or pork chops, or on top of pancakes instead of syrup. In addition, apple butter is a key ingredient in the following tasty recipes.

Cream Cheese and Apple Butter CrescentsYield: 8 servings

3 tablespoons powdered sugar2 oz cream cheese, softened1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury™ refrigerated crescent dinner rolls4 teaspoons apple butter1/4 cup butterscotch chips1 teaspoon canola oil Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray cookie sheet with cooking spray. In small bowl, mix 2 tablespoons powdered sugar and the cream cheese; blend well. Separate dough into 8 triangles. Spoon 1 tea-spoon cream cheese mixture and 1/2 teaspoon apple butter onto shortest side of each triangle. Loosely roll up, starting at shortest side, rolling to opposite point. Place point side down on cookie sheet; curve into crescent shape. Bake 13 to 14 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 5 minutes. In small microwavable bowl, microwave butter-scotch chips uncovered 45 seconds to 1 minute or un-til soft. Add oil; stir until smooth. Sprinkle crescents with remaining 1 tablespoon powdered sugar. Drizzle with butterscotch mixture.

Taken from http://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/cream-cheese-and-apple-butter-crescents/bd1c3c71-2383-440b-a56d-20bf47639293

Peanut Apple Butter BitesYield: about 20 bites (1 tablespoon)

1/2 cup peanut butter 1 cup finely ground graham cracker crumbs1/2 cup apple butter 1/2 cup finely chopped peanuts

Stir together peanut butter and apple butter in a medium sized bowl. Stir in graham cracker crumbs. Chill for at least 30 minutes. Scoop tablespoon sized balls of the peanut butter mixture onto a wax paper lined cookie sheet (dough will be soft). Roll into uniformed sized balls. Place chopped peanuts in a small bowl and roll the balls in them to coat. Store in refrigerator; they can also be frozen. Taken from http://www.crazyforcrust.com/2013/01/peanut-apple-butter-bites/


Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday SaturdayAUG 30 31 SEPT 1 2 3 4 5Proper 17b8a HE I10a HE II

9:30a Staff Mtg 2p HE, the Fairfax7:30p Healing Service7:30p Martha Guild Mtg

6:15p Bell Choir Workshop7p Boy Scouts8:30p AA

8a Brotherhood of St. Andrew1p Docent Tour

6 7 8 9 10 11 12Proper 18b8a HE I10a HE II10:15a Teachers’ Mtg

Labor DayOffice Closed

9:30a Ann Ma-son Guild Mtg9:30a Staff Mtg7:30p Vestry

2p HE, the Fairfax6p Alpha7:30p Healing Service

6:15p Bell Choir7p Boy Scouts7:30p Choir of Pohick8:30p AA

8a Fair construction8a Brotherhood of St. Andrew9:15a Fair com-mittee Mtg3:30p Crab Feast

13 14 15 16 17 18 19Proper 19b7:45a HE I9a HE II, Commis-sion Teachers10a Sunday School Registration, Activi-ties Fair11:15a HE I/II5p EYC Picnic

9:30a Staff Mtg2p Directory Pictures

2p HE, the Fairfax2p Directory Pictures6p Alpha6p St. Cecelia St. Alban Choir6p St. Francis Choir7:30p Healing Service

2p Directory Pictures6:15p Bell Choir7p Boy Scouts7:30p Choir of Pohick8:30p AA

Apple Butter Weekend

Apple Butter Weekend

8a Brotherhood of St. Andrew

20 21 22 23 24 25 26Apple Butter WeekendProper 20b7:45a HE I9a HE II10:15a Christian Ed11:15a HE I/II6:30p EYC Fun Night

7p Docent General Mtg7p EFM

9:30a Staff Mtg7p Sheffield HOA

2p HE, the Fairfax6p St. Cecelia St. Alban Choir6p St. Francis Choir6:30p COH/COC7:30p Healing Service


10a Pohick Country Fair

27 28 29 30 OCT 1 2 3Proper 21b7:45a HE I9a HE II10:15a Christian Ed11:15a HE I/II

7p EFM8p Sheffield Rec HOA

9:30a Staff Mtg 2p HE, the Fairfax6p Alpha6p St. Cecelia St. Alban Choir6p St. Francis Choir7:30p Healing Service


8a Brotherhood of St. Andrew1p Docent Tour

Pohick Church ActivitiesSEPTEMBER 2015

Contact the Parish Secretary, Susan Hayward-Costa, to list group meetings or events on the calendar, [email protected].


The Sunday Service Volunteers Schedule is also available at Pohick Church’s website, www.pohick.org, under “Ministries.”

SUNDAY SERVICE VOLUNTEERS6 SEPTEMBER 13 SEPTEMBER 20 SEPTEMBER 27 SEPTEMBER 4 OCTOBER

7:45 8am Alan MayberryStew Remaly

Mike VaughnBecky Wagner

Rodger JonesMike Zane

Alan MayberryTony Marsico

Stew RemalyMike Vaughn

9:00 10am Chris BrownTom BlandDru HodgesMike Wooten

Edwardene PitcockDan DerbesBill PattonPehr Pehrsson

Dennis MyersDon CookeKathy KirklandFuzzy Thurrston

Matt GurrolaBath AltmanJim HellerGreg Wilson

Mo FaberJim FosterGrant HodgesJan Hoffheins

11:15 Hank ForesmanRita Smith

Angela EdgemonSteve Edgemon

Dave BillingsleyBill Hosp

Rick NelsonPaul Walden

7:00 H. Parker TBD TBD TBD TBD

1:00 D. Derbes TBD TBD TBD TBD

12:15 Bartlett/Remaly TBD TBD TBD TBD

AM BJ McPhersonA. Powell, J. SchmidM. TonkinD. TrussellE. PitcockA. MarsicoM. Yezek

BJ McPhersonA. Powell, J. SchmidM. TonkinD. TrussellE. PitcockA. MarsicoM. Yezek

J. SunderlandN. BireleyA. CannonC. HeddlestonJ. MacDonaldM. HartigR. Teale, B. Wagner

J. SunderlandN. BireleyA. CannonC. HeddlestonJ. MacDonaldM. HartigR. Teale, B. Wagner

J. WellsN. SageC. FosterJ. GeschickterJ. MullinsH. ParkerR. Stankwitz

AM K. Tracy R. Stankwitz A. Stribling J. Wells BJ McPherson

7:45 8a M/M Bireley TBD TBD TBD TBD

9:00 10a M/M From TBD TBD TBD TBD

11:15 TBD TBD TBD TBDn

7:45 8a M/M Rodger Jones Stew Remaly Edie Bartlett Rita Stankwitz M/M Biddlecomb

9:00 10a M/M Morawski Anne Cannon Hoffheins/Faber M/M Jeff Parker M/M Fred Crawford

11:15 Beth Atkinson M/M Bill Poad M/M Randy Haufe C. Hodge

OPEN - UP

LOCK - UP

TELLERS

ALTAR GUILD

FLOWER GUILD

COFFEE HOUR

USHERS

GREETERS


attention all beaChgoers!Please donate to the Docent Guild seashells, sea-horses, starfish, sand dollars, and sea snails. The Docent Guild creative craft team will turn them into ornaments for the Christmas Tree Raffle this year. Shells may be placed in a basket marked “Seashells” located in the church office. This year’s theme is By the Sea in Galilee with Jesus.

blessing of the animalsSunday, October 4 • 4:00 pmParishioners andmembers of the

community are invitedto gather at Pohick’sDogwood Chapel

for a service celebratingall of God’s creation.

70th Annual

Pohick Country FairSaturday, September 26 • 10:00 am - 3:00 pm

Pohick Church Fairgrounds Join us for a special day of fun & fellowship! • The Fair offers activities for everyone!

Turkey Shoot • Children’s Games • Moon Bounce • Face Painting • MusicGarden Shop • Country Store • Apple Butter Booth • BBQ • Hamburgers • Hot Dogs • Drinks • Much More!

Volunteers Still Needed!Please call the Church office, 703-339-6572, for more information.

floWer guild

WorkshopSaturday,

October 3 at10:00 am in the

Common Room

Coffee hourCoordinator needed

A new coffee hour coordinator is needed for the 11:15 am service. Anyone willing to serve, please contact the Church Office and leave a message. More 11:15 am volunteers are needed even if only for one service per year. It is a small gathering, usually not more than 20 - 24 people.

Christmas mart JeWelry tableGetting a late start on spring cleaning? Be aware of any jewelry that is no longer

worn, and please donate it for the Christmas Mart Jewelry Table. Profits from the Jewelry Table have been very substantial for the past few years, thanks to all the do-nations received.

Jewelry in any condition is useful. Broken jewelry is either mended or put in bags and sold to crafters. These bags are among the first items sold. Jewelry can be left in the Church Office, or call Cammie Liddle at 703-971-7548.

Pohick Church9301 Richmond HighwayLorton, Virginia 22079-1519

Return Service Requested

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

P A I DPermit No. 2Lorton, VA

The Purpose of Pohick Church is to be a nourishing community where Christ’s love is experienced and taken beyond its walls.

Pohick Church Staff

Rector:

The R

ev’d Donald

Binder, PhD

Assistant: Th

e Rev’d D

r. Ruth

E

. Correll, E

d.D.

Seminarian:

James R

ickenbakerM

inister of Music:

Linda Egan

Director of

Christian Ed: Frances Sessum

sYouth M

inister: R

usty BoothParish Secretary:

Susan Hayward-C

ostaFinance Adm

in: M

ike Morgan

Sexton: John Sessum

s

Telephone: 703-339-6572 • Fax: 703-339-9884C

hurch Offi

ce Em

ail: [email protected] • W

eb Site: www.pohick.org

Pohick Church Vestry

Sr. Warden:

Reed H

eddlestonJr. W

arden: C

lint Herbert

Treasurer: John Pasour

Register:

Don Brownlee

Mem

bers: A

manda C

hoi,

Caroline C

ockroft,

Fred Crawford,

D

an Derbes, H

elen Parker,

Edwardene Pitcock,

Z

ach Smith, Fuzzy Th

urston,

Russ W

yllie

VE

ST

RY

• G

RA

M

To: The Vestry

Date: _____________________ Subject: _____________________

From:

Documents

Pohick Post, September 2015