“Why did you go into the ministry?” the rector’s wife asked me at dinner. My response surprised me. I mean, when asked in the past, I would say something like, “God was pushing me,” or “God was working behind the scenes.” In other words, I hadn’t sense a ‘call’ or that I was being led. I had been surprised to findmyself going in this direction.

Are you a “Christmas Maker”? Take this quiz to find out:

By far the best eulogy I’ve heard to date, was given to a packed house at Truro Church in Fairfax, VA, by one of three sons of a priest friend of mine. He had an oft repeated line that gave focus and rhythm to his words:

In my house, I have trained my kids not to answer the door for a stranger. This rule began when they were really young, and now they are just in the habit.

As you look at what lies ahead:

Have you ever misheard song lyrics? You really thought you knew what they were singing until someone laughingly corrected you. Here are some misheard lyrics from Christmas songs—can you guess the originals? (Answers at the bottom.)

The youth fall retreat was a twist on the familiar this year. A twist on how we did almost everything, as we all have discovered to be true of 2020. From eating and singing, to playing and making it a day only retreat - we found ourselves awkwardly maneuvering the realities of a changed world. And yet, we awkwardly moved together. Our theme was about living generously, and it couldn’t have been more timely. A generous God who shows us how to live generously through Jesus. Below are three stories from the weekend. Thank you for praying for this part of our church family as they continue to walk with Jesus.

Parents with Teenagers - Let's Get Together! No expectations, no presentations, no agendas - just parents getting to know one another, and connecting over parenting teenagers! Including after dinner (dinner is provided every first Sunday night of the month for youth group) dessert and coffee/tea.

In preparation and anticipation for Easter Sunday, Sara, Whitney, and Abby recorded a beautiful song called Graves into Gardens by Elevation Worship. Take a moment and listen to this beautiful rendition.

Easter looked different this year, but we celebrated anyway! Thank you to everyone who participated in Stations of the Cross, whether as a reader or a participant. We were blown away hearing stories of you delivering eggs to your neighbors, egg hunts, chalk art, and other wonderful family events. Check out the beautiful chalk art above that was created by our members! Read below to hear some of the stories that we received from families who delivered Easter Eggs to their neighbor's so the kids could have an at-home Easter egg hunt.