Dear friends,
Last Sunday was Good Shepherd Sunday. I loved the setlist Eva-Elizabeth put together (listen on Spotify), and the chorus of the new song we sang has been in my head ever since: "O Good Shepherd, O Good Friend, slow me down, slow me down." Amen.
But on a less slowing-down note, we also announced two important summer updates on Sunday!
Summer Worship Location
Starting Sunday, June 4, we will be worshiping at Drew Elementary School (3500 23rd St S) for the summer. (If you missed the news that we're moving, you can read more in the March Parish Meeting Recap.)
This means our last Sunday at Randolph will be Pentecost Sunday, May 28. On Pentecost, our kids always help lead us in a multi-lingual celebration of the birth of the church and the arrival of the Holy Spirit. It's joyful, surprising, a little chaotic (much like the first Pentecost) — and a fitting celebration of the way the Spirit has always shown up and moved and made us the church in Randolph Elementary.
Drew has been wonderfully welcoming and hospitable, and there are a number of things we are looking forward to about this location:
The space is more accessible for those with disabilities as well as for van loading/unloading (no zigzag ramp past the dumpsters!)
The large multipurpose room where we'll worship is lined with windows and full of natural light
Our meeting space is right inside the main entrance, making it easier for visitors to find us
The parking lot is larger and directly outside the school entrance
There's a shady outdoor courtyard in the center of the school, next door to our worship space, which will be great for potlucks and kids
The location is right off 395 and Shirlington
The surrounding neighborhood has a rich history. Drew is in the heart of the historic Black neighborhood of Green Valley, settled by free Blacks nearly 20 years before the Civil War. The school is surrounded by historic buildings and markers, as well as a community garden and several parks
However, there are things we will miss about Randolph, including easy playground access for post-service ziplining (Drew's playground is on the other side of the campus), and especially our wonderful custodians Dennisse and Guillermo.
One of the benefits of being a mobile church is that we can simply back up the van, roll out our equipment, and worship anywhere. But that doesn't mean it's easy. All changes — even small ones, even good ones! — come with some amount of loss, and we've experienced a lot of change over the past couple years. I'm praying for us in the midst of this, and I'd love to hear your thoughts and questions.
Summer Curate
Starting this Sunday, we will welcome Russell Vick to our staff team as our summer curate. Curate is a fancy Anglican term for a clergy in training. Russell is participating in the Minority Clergy Development Program of our parent church, Restoration Anglican. As part of his program, he will spend his summer with Incarnation learning the ins and outs of a smaller church. Many of you met Russell when he preached for us in January (sermon here). Please extend a warm Incarnation welcome to him on Sunday! And I hope you'll have the chance to sit down for coffee or a meal with him over the coming months.
Looking forward to worshiping together on Sunday — it's a potluck Sunday, so bring something to share!
Love,
Amy