A Word from Laura: In Search of Liberation
I’ve always given thanks February is the shortest month. Each year a small part of me worries the month will never end, that it will always be cold, that the bulbs will never get to bloom, that Groundhog Day will become Groundhog Month, in the spirit of the Bill Murray movie. This year, as much as any, we have plenty to grieve and “winter” through, and now must include those experiencing Texas power outages in our prayers.
Yet here we are, over halfway finished with February and already in Lent. I am grateful for the fun and community that happened this past Sunday night during the virtual Valentine’s/ Mardi Gras games, led by Bill Rappolt and Will Ramsey. The spiritual connection during the post-worship virtual fellowship with members of Western and Northminster was an all-time Ash Wednesday highlight. And I’ve just learned that this week, often known for the Presidents’ Day holiday, also brings the birthday of two of my favorite women writers who are also both African-American: Toni Morrison and Audre Lorde. February does bring gifts, and I would be remiss if I didn’t add Black History Month!
The Way Home: Ending Chronic Homelessness in DC
ADVOCACY TO PREVENT AND END HOMELESSNESS IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Recently, the Free Inquiry Class learned about the challenges and solutions of the looming eviction crisis. Guest Speaker Sherry Trafford described how Miriam’s Kitchen’s (MK) is working on ending chronic homelessness and advocating for homelessness prevention programs through its The Way Home Campaign.
In addition to calling for the DC government to invest funds to end chronic homelessness for 2,761 individuals and 432 families through the provision of Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH), the campaign calls for investments in low-income housing and large-scale rent relief.
A Word from Laura: Ash Wednesday Preparation
Each year, Lent is a time when we are invited to commit to renewal in our lives and in our world. Our liturgical calendar, regardless of whether we worship in person or virtually, begins with Ash Wednesday.
Ash Wednesday at Western has always been different from Sunday worship. A small group, mostly from the Foggy Bottom community, gathers for scripture reading, prayer, a few hymns and the imposition of ashes.
Last year we continued the tradition begun with Rev. John Molina-Moore of observing Ash Wednesday with our Presbyterian kindred from Northminster. This year, their current pastor Dr. Gay Byron contacted me to see if we might be interested in continuing this tradition. I was glad she asked and that Western’s session concurred.
Session Notes
Your Session sat for its regular monthly meeting this week (by Zoom, of course).
Session meetings begin and end with prayer. This time, the closing prayer was Brian Doyle’s "Prayer in Celebration of Brief Things, for Example, Church Services." It was apropos – our meeting was unusually short.
A Contemporary Bible Study: Feb 21 - Mar 28
Western will use this resource from PC(USA) publisher Westminster John Knox Press for reading and study. Author Cheri L. Mills shares portions of the narratives of formerly enslaved individuals in conversation with biblical passages as a basis for a Lenten journey that refuses to deny the truth of lived experiences.
A Word from Laura: What’s Your Name Story
Greetings, Western Family! Thanks to all of you who participated in the annual congregational meeting last week. It was one of those meetings where we did more listening to a smaller group of people talk than sharing – an easier format for a large group on Zoom.
This week, though, we’re going to practice the unity in community a little differently! Deacons, the intercultural group, and others have been talking about how we grow our connections as a community – even more challenging given that we are worshiping using Zoom and still not able to meet together in person.