Things to look forward to this Fall…
This week - something different - a letter from the whole team! Well, not the WHOLE team - because the whole team includes every single one of you… we’re just the ones who get to make more of the decisions around here! And the decisions we have been making are ones we are so excited to share with you today. So - drum roll - “What’s happening this Fall?” I hear you ask. Well now, let me tell you….
A note from Liz:
Sept 6: deadline for vestry nominations! See last week’s ‘letter from Liz’ for more details. Nominate here! And have you signed up for a small group yet? Why not do those two things now!
Sept 13: We will celebrate our 2-year (public launch) birthday. And to do that we NEED to be together. So in Incarnation’s own style we will be ‘gathering in Alcova Heights park (near the campfire ring) at 9.30am to worship together. We will worship, we will sing (with masks), we will take communion, we will welcome new members…. And then we will linger as we feel comfortable and jump into the stream and do a stream clean-up! And then, suitably damp and grubby we will give thanks and picnic together!
What do you need to bring?
For the service: Your very own BCP2019 (we can give you one if you don’t own one yet!), a mask, a chair or rug to sit on, a water bottle/hand sanitizer/whatever will aid your comfort!
For stream cleanup you may want to bring your wellies and gloves. …
And a picnic if you are able to stay a little longer.
When should you arrive?:
Arrive around 9am to get yourself situated! We will start the service at 9.30am.
Where will we be?
Alcova Heights park: the Northern section near the fire pit. Cross the small bridge through the trees to access our spot!
And the week after Sept 13 - our small groups will launch. All on-line to begin with - which means you can join multiple groups easily! Sign up TODAY. And we will start a new sermon series on "power: good and bad" - curious? You should be! Bring a friend :)
A note from Josie:
As families enter a wild school year, I’m so grateful for this church community full of creative, flexible, welcoming friends. (Parents, please know that your Incarnation family is praying for you big-time these days.) For now, our kids’ “atrium” will continue to be God’s creation—either at home or at Alcova Heights on Sunday mornings at 9:30. Everyone’s invited to these casual, physically distanced family prayer times, and I’ll continue to provide weekly prompts that families can adapt to their particular situations. In a semi-desperate grasp at synergy for my own school-year planning, I asked Amy and Beth to coordinate their art and music selections, which the kids will use as well. This way, both kids and adults, in whatever situation (online, in person) will have another creative connection point to one another, to our corporate worship, and to a contemplation of God’s power. Plus: I will check the box for my kids’ art and music appreciation class this year!
A note from Amy:
Under Josie’s creative guidance this fall, Incarnation’s kids will be exploring three paintings by African American artist Jacob Lawrence (1917-2000). September’s work is Brownstones; October’s is Forward Together; and November’s is A Family. All of us, young and old, will enjoy these works together throughout the fall--watch for them to crop up throughout our Sunday worship, as well as on our Instagram and Facebook. And I encourage adults to go even deeper. Our fall sermons will focus on the theme of power, yet Jacob Lawrence often depicted communities who felt powerless. Explore Lawrence’s other works as a complement to the fall sermon series; his Migration Series is particularly impactful (and it’s housed in DC’s Phillips Collection for that distant day when we go places and do stuff again!).
A note from Beth:
We’re excited to be concentrating on some traditional spirituals for our Sunday service prelude this fall. In fact, we’ll be starting off each service in September with “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” a song that was written by Wallis Willis as he toiled in his work by the Red River. It reminded him of the Jordan River and how Elijah was taken to heaven in a chariot. When a minister heard him singing, he copied down the words and music, which he sent to The Jubilee Singers of Fisk University, who popularized the song that would later be featured throughout the Civil Rights movement of the mid-twentieth century. I encourage you to look up more about our prelude tune as we sing it (or hum along if you’re in the presence of others!) to begin our September services.
If you’d like a sneak peak of our October and November tunes, we’ll be focusing on “Roll, Jordan, Roll” and “Steal Away to Jesus.” As we dwell on these spirituals this Fall, remember that the church universal is made up of so many cultures and so many people who have struggled through oppression and evil in the world. We have received such a beautiful musical tradition from those brothers and sisters, and we’d like to learn lessons of lament from the Black American church community as we move through this season together.
Looking forward to seeing you soon!
with love from all of us,
Liz, Amy, Beth and Josie