Something to Hold on to 

By Pastor Renata Eustis 

I did something different as a part of my vacation this year.  I took a week off to spend time with the girls while Paul went back to work.  (He works in a school and had to be back two weeks before the kids.)  As a part of that week, we went to Charlottesville, VA, to meet my cousins who were coming up from Florida.  We had a great couple of days together (in spite of the fact that once again we were driving in 100 degree temperatures in a car whose air-conditioner we thought had been fixed).  

One of the highlights for me was going to Thomas Jefferson’s home, Monticello.  We had a special “family” tour, led by an exceptionally dynamic guide.  She greeted us carrying a basket full of stuffed animals and other interesting things which she proceeded to hand out to each of the kids.  “Hold on to these and listen, because there will be stories about each one of these things.”  Each time she referred to one of the things, she called attention to it and then collected it back into her basket.  

Just before we entered the house, it became clear to me that these items were serving more than one purpose.  “There are lots of very interesting things in this house,” our guide said, “but they are also very old.  So I want to ask all of you to look at everything,

but please don’t touch anything.”   Depending on the age and personality of the child, this could be akin to asking them not to breathe!  But it was made so much easier by having something fun to hold on to.  

I spent so much time thinking about how ingenious this was that I didn’t catch much of the commentary about the first room.  It spoke to me of a deeper truth of holding on to our faith, not so much faith as a set of beliefs, but faith as trusting God with our lives.  If we’re holding on to our faith, knowing that it’s something important, valuable, and relevant, maybe it’s a little easier to keep from getting distracted by so much “stuff” that entices us every day.  

It could be the temptation to get our hands on more things, material things that we really don’t need to hold on to.  Or it could be the pull to run from one interesting activity to the other, unable to be satisfied with not “doing it all”.  It could even be frenzied multi-tasking, believing that what really matters is how much we can get done in a day.  It could also be the lure of relationships that are destructive of self and others but pull us in like a magnet.  We all have our times of wanting like children to touch those things we know we shouldn’t.

But if our hands are otherwise occupied, it’s easier not to touch.   If we look down and see that we already have our hands full -- full of the life that really matters -- we can turn away from those things that do not really fill us.  Trusting God with our lives, knowing that God is there for us – always -- is something we can hold on to.  It’s also something we can share.  

Like the children on the Monticello tour, we see that our faith is part of a larger story that God is telling in the world.  Within that larger story are our smaller stories of God’s activity in our individual lives.  There is a moment when each one of our  stories is shared, held up like the stuffed animal, to make the truth of God’s amazing grace clear in a way like no other.  May we share when our turn comes.

NEW PLAYGROUP FORMS 

A new playgroup is forming!  The focus of this group is for adults and young children to gather during the week for playtime and fellowship.  This group is designed to be a support for those caring for children during the day. Group members do not need to be members of the church.  We hope to have fun together, support each other, create friendships, and help our babies, toddlers, and young children to develop.  We plan to meet on Thursday mornings at 10am.  Our first meeting will be October 4, 2007. Please contact Vicar Christine at the church or clsm1217@starpower.net OR Lucia Rist at lucia.vrankova@gmail.com, 202-344-6017.

Sunday School and more resumes September 9 

By Linda Ott 

Summer vacation is over, and the Sunday School teachers are looking forward to seeing our CLC children on Sunday mornings to explore Old Testament Bible stories and learn more about Jesus.

On September 9 at 9:15am, Sunday School activities will resume. In addition to Sunday School for children over the age of six, CLC is launching a new program for children six and under called catechesis. Catechesis is experiential learning with hands-on activities and experiences that help a child connect with faith.  Carolina Glauster and Paige Sullivan will lead the classes, and the group will meet in the kindergarten room on the lower level.  

Sunday School will begin its lessons on the Prophets of the Old Testament.  Sunday School runs from 9:15 to 10:15 and is held in the Sunday School room on the lower level by the choir room.   Lead teachers for Sunday School are Fred Mills and Linda Ott.  

Lee Schray and Sylvia Glauster assist with singing and teaching new songs to the children.  

Look for more information soon about activities for the Confirmation candidates and for the teens.  

VISIONING UPDATE 

By Phil Hecht 

Although you may not notice any outward signs of progress toward beginning our renovation, things are continuing to move along behind the scenes.  On August 7, the Visioning and Stewardship Committees met with our owner’s representative Bob Waechter of JFW, Inc., to discuss the status of the permitting process and related issues.  

Bob reported that he had received comments on the construction drawings from our third-party reviewer, but that we need a civil engineering review that may take two or three months to complete.  Bob also reported that he expects to receive pricing information from a general contractor by the end of August, and that we can then send out the construction drawings for bids.  

Bob recommended a “guaranteed maximum price” approach, in which we work with a general contractor to agree upon the cost of the project.  Bob also reviewed the placement of the new electrical duct bank, which must run from Gallatin Street through the Memorial Garden and into the storage room next to the stage in the undercroft.  While the duct bank will require significant digging in the Memorial Garden, we discussed ways to minimize the scope and timing of the disruption.  The Committees will meet with Bob again on Tuesday, September 4.

More than just a pack of new crayons… 

By Vicar Christine 

The school system my kids attend provides a list of needed school supplies for the upcoming year.  Families have two options: they can buy the pre-packaged kit, which contains all the supplies, or they can purchase the supplies on their own.  The kits cost a little more money but save time.  We didn’t buy the school-prepared kit.  So, recently I took my children shopping.  The reason I didn’t buy the kit wasn’t to save money.  I had this vision that going shopping together and preparing for school together would be fun.  I wanted to be involved in the fresh start.  It didn’t quite go as planned – too many choices and too many lists (with three children who all needed different things), and lots of “Can I get this?”  Afterwards I thought to myself, “What was I thinking?  I am not doing that again next year!”  

But now, I have had some space from the craziness of the shopping, and I think I will be shopping with my kids again next year.  Much of the madness involved in the shopping was because they were there, living in the moment. Since they were excited, they were sharing their enthusiasm and anxiety with me.  Carter, Jackson, and Cooper are getting ready to embark on new adventures.  I wouldn’t want to miss out on all that goes with getting ready for a new adventure.

My life right now is full of new adventures.  In some ways I feel like my kids must feel.  Being the new vicar is both exciting and scary.   Getting ready for the new school year and being the new vicar have some things in common.  Most people would agree that school is more than just the academic learning.  School is also about making friends and figuring out who you are.  I think that’s the exciting part of being on internship this year: learning, growing, and loving.  Before me I have this clean slate just waiting to be filled with new relationships, new stories, and opportunities.  

I know that on the first day of school my kids will each come home with a new friend.  One of the amazing things I have come to appreciate about children is their ability to become fast friends upon first meetings.  I am looking forward to meeting each of you and join our journeys of faith together.  I am thrilled to have made so many ‘new friends’ already.  

My family understands that being at CLC is a new adventure for me.  They feel how excited I am.  While they didn’t go ‘supply shopping’ with me, they didn’t want to miss out on helping me, either.  The first time they were at CLC they really wanted to see ‘Mommy’s office’.  I think they wanted to see it much as they can’t wait to see their new classroom.  It provides a base for understanding.  Upon seeing my office, Jackson said, “Mom, we have to draw you some pictures to hang up.  Would you like that?”  

And you know, of course, I want them to draw me pictures.  But it’s more than the pictures – it’s what the pictures mean.  The pictures say to me that they want to be involved in my life, too, and they want me to know that they love me.  And that’s the special part!  Please come visit me and check out the art!  The people in our lives – our relationships, our church, our families – are like the supplies that God gives us for life.  I feel so blessed and thankful to be sharing in the life of Christ Lutheran Church.

   

THIS I BELIEVE….. 

By Linda Ott (a faith statement shared in Worship Service on July 22) 

I believe that God loves us and wants us all to be happy and know the peace that comes from living in the love and care of God.  I believe that God sent himself in the form of his son, Jesus, to help us mortals understand what it means to know and follow God’s will for us.  

I believe that Jesus died on the cross for us and that God sent the Holy Spirit to live in our hearts if we invite the spirit in and allow it to live there.  I believe that God shows us his presence and blessings on us, especially when we face trials.  He asks us to rely fully on him to provide us with the things we need and offers us patience, strength, under-standing, and wisdom to recognize that we cannot live without God and his love for us.  

Our faith is a response and acknowledge-ment that we cannot earn God’s grace, that it is freely given.  Our response is the way we live our lives and the place that we allow God to be active in it.  God does not alienate us, we alienate ourselves from God.  I believe that God is active and present in the world and that we have to still our lives long enough and often enough to see and hear God at work in the world.  

God’s message for us is Grace; it’s a message about love and it’s a message about being empowered to do something with that knowledge of God’s grace. My response to God’s unconditional love is to seek to know my gifts, to use those gifts in ways that are pleasing to God, and to be open to hear what it is that God is calling me to do.  

In the name of the FATHER, SON AND SPIRIT THAT LIVES WITHIN US, amen. 

THE CALL 

By Bryan G. Rowe, DSM, Director of Music 

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I; send me!” 

The above verse from Isaiah 6:8 says it all.  Those of us who have had that experience of being nudged to serve, and in particular, to join choirs, play instruments, or lend our voices in liturgy in other ways, have answered that call faithfully.  That nudge, or that desire to offer our musical gifts to God’s praise, as author Nancy Roth puts it so eloquently, is the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.  

Personally, serving the Church has been a life-long call for me -- beginning as a chorister in the Seraph and Junior Choirs as a five-year old at Grace Church in Baltimore,  remembering how the sound of the pipe organ captivated me at the age of six, how I was thrilled by the sounds of the adult choir, playing the piano for Wee Worship at age seven, making my debut accompanying the Junior Choir at age eight, beginning formal organ training at Peabody Conservatory while in high school, serving as Organist-Choirmaster in my first “real” job at age 16 -- the rest is a story that tells how I love making music for God.  Whether it is composing, playing the organ and/or piano, teaching notes to the altos, planning worship, or simply sitting in church- I feel most at home as music minister. In many ways, I had no choice about this.  It is a call that I have answered -- it continues to nudge me and to mold me so that I can better serve God as His musician.

To that extent, I am offering an invitation to those of you who answer that call, who feel the slightest of nudges, who want to sing in the choir and have not done so before, who feel called to serve God by praising him with music. I want to extend this invitation to our young people in high school as well. There are no auditions, no tests, no requirements other than your desire, your commitment to serve God, to enhance our music program with your spirit and dedication. We meet on Thursdays at 7:45 PM. 

What can you expect in return?  I guarantee that you will feel blessed to lend your voice to our music program.  You will learn much about music -- notes, composers (old and new), vocal technique, and music theory.  You will learn new choir music as well as sing the old chestnuts.  You will learn new hymns. You will become part of the music community in the church through attending rehearsals, singing on Sundays and special services, and other events such as theatrical offerings.  

I am so excited about joining the staff of Christ Lutheran, and I am looking forward to meeting all of you.  

     

Charles Joseph Mascott 

(Father of former Vicar Jeanne Befano) 

Charles Joseph Mascott, 88, of Columbia, MD, died August 4, 2007, surrounded by Grace, his loving wife of 67 years, and their six children. Born April 21, 1919, in Bridgeport, Conn., he is the son of the late Joseph and Florence Mascott.

He served in the U.S. Navy from June 1944 through October 1945.  Charles enjoyed working with plants, and after retiring from Curtis Wright Corporation in 1972 as a mechanical engineer, he continued his passion for landscaping, contributing his artistic touch to many local gardens. He liked to build and could fix anything.

He will be remembered for his humor, a great laugh, and a persistent twinkle in his eye. Charles was interred with his parents at Gate of Heaven Cemetery in East Hanover, NJ. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that contributions be made to Hospice of Baltimore/Howard County, 5537 Twin Knolls Road, Suite 433; Columbia, MD 21045.

Vicar Jeanne’s home address is 5632 Catoctin Ridge Drive, Mt. Airy, MD  21771

THE 28th ANNUAL YARD SALE 

IS UPON US -- GET READY FOR

SEPTEMBER 29 and 30 !! 

By Joanne Noll 

We made it through a muggy, hot summer with a serious drought, and now the CLC annual benefit Yard Sale is around the corner! Dates this year are Saturday, September 29, 10:00am to 4:00 pm AND Sunday, September 30, 12:00 noon to 4pm.

The garage is full and will be priced soon.  After Labor Day the undercroft will be rearranged to pile up furniture, set tables, hang signs, etc.  Don't let that stop you from bring in more stuff by "carry out" day, September 16.  You may now bring in clean clothes on hangers. No computers, please!

EVERYONE will be needed on Saturday, September 29, and 30-40 people will be needed on Sunday, September 30 for half-price day.  Last year we had lines each day.

The house clean-out/estate sale/delivery/garage crew has been working hard all year to build the inventory you see around the building. Helping so far are Lou Befano, Kendall Bentz, David Blakemore, Tim Breitbarth, Frank Malone, Beth Mills, Joanne Noll, Linda Ott, Lee Schray, Pam Sieving, Paige Sullivan, Bob & Sara Sylwester, Charles Williamson and Marilyn Zukel.  Members and friends have been delivering furniture, boxes, etc.

Here is the SEPTEMBER SCHEDULE:

SEPTEMBER 16:  After church help CARRY OUT items from storage to tables in the undercroft.  A sign-up sheet will be available.  Coffee Hour downstairs, too!

SEPTEMBER 17-21:  Daytime and evening workers SORT donations into departments.  Hours from 10:00 am until....  Bring a bag lunch.  It's fun to see what's in the boxes!  If you wish to work in the evening, please call ahead.  The jewelry team needs helpers too!  Call Janet Kelly at 301-593-4910.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm:    Special opportunity to help finish sorting.  Some cannot come during week days and may want to help. Here's your chance!

SEPTEMBER 24-28:  Day and evening workers PRICE items for sale.  We'll need lots of people every day.  If you wish to work in the evening, call ahead to be sure you can get into the building.

SEPTEMBER 29:  BIG SALE DAY, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.  Outside workers come at 8:00 am or before.  Inside workers come at 8:30 am.  NOTE THE EARLY TIMES.  There will be loads of stuff to take outside from the big garage and everywhere in the building.  We need everyone!!  The lunch crew will be on duty!

SEPTEMBER 30:  SECOND SALE DAY (half-price day) 12:00 noon to 4:00 pm in the undercroft and possibly on Gallatin Street.  It's very hectic!  We need all the help we can get!  Coffee hour and lunch downstairs!

OCTOBER 1:  CLEAN UP days begin.  Please come for a few more days to finish up.  Non-profit gleaners will be here first thing Monday.  Lunch on Monday provided by THC – a new tradition!  The more help we have, the quicker we can return to normal.  If you have ideas for leftover

donations, please contact Joanne.

The carry out day and department SIGN-UP SHEETS will be available in early September.  Give jewelry to Janet Kelly.  LUNCH FOR WORKERS ONLY will be provided.  Let Pam Sieving know if you can make a salad or dessert.  Step right up to your favorite department!!

Beneficiaries and M&B budget this year:  Transitional Housing Corporation, Lutheran Social Services, Bethany Women's Center at N Street Village, Lutheran World Relief, Community of St. Dysmas, Bread for the City, Green Door, Charles H. Fortson Therapeutic Summer Day Camp, Lifeline Partnership, Greater Washington Interfaith Power and Light, National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, Tanzania Church Missions, Latino Ministry in Langley Park, Metro DC Synod ELCA.

CALLING ALL KNITTERS 

By Marilyn Zukel 

Calling all knitters for another knitting project seafarers’ hats for the Lutheran Association for Maritime Ministry.  The mission of this non-profit organization to facilitate Lutheran participation in seafaring ministry around the world while promoting awareness and support for such ministry at all levels of the Lutheran Church.

Seafarers and fishers are separated from family and faith communities for 9-10 months a year, earning an average $465 per month.  At sea they are often battered by severe weather, which makes seafaring the world’s most dangerous profession.

Lutheran Chaplains try to assist them with all of their needs.  Since many seafarers are sent to sea without basic provisions that would protect them from the elements, one of the activities of the Chaplains is to distribute about 10,000 hats a year to the men and women who work in frigid waters.  The pattern is simple. The yarn is worsted weight-orlon, polyester, or acrilon (no wool) of any color.

Contact Marilyn Zukel for the pattern.  If you need yarn, Alice Meyer would be pleased to contribute from her big supply.  

THEOLOGICAL BOOK CLUB: READING AND SHARING TOGETHER

 By Carla B. Howery

The Theological Book Club welcomes anyone to come on a one-time or continuing basis, to share thoughts about books that aid our faith journey,  

We are meeting about once a month and we rotate who selects the book to read and kicks off the discussion (the name in parentheses).  We will meet promptly at 12:15, now in the Wenchel Chapel.  After a summer break to read trashy beach novels -- no, it was just hard to schedule a time to meet – we'll resume in the fall.

 September 23 --- Parker J. Palmer, Hidden Wholeness   (Carla Howery ) [we finish in time for Circle the Wagons luncheon]

October 21 --- Elizabeth Sifton ,The Serenity Prayer (Herb Turvey)

November 11 – Ken Wilber, Integral Spirituality   (TBD)

Please come when you can or when a book catches your attention.  And we welcome suggestions for books!

     

This graphic is the Stephen Ministry logo, which consists of a cross and a circle, together with a broken person and a whole person. The broken person stands behind the cross, symbolizing the brokenness in our lives as a result of our sin. The whole person stands in front of the cross because it is through the cross of Christ that we are again made whole. The circle symbolizes both the wholeness we receive through Christ and God’s unending love for us. As a Stephen Ministry Congregation, each of us is called to be instruments of God’s healing love for each other and all of creation. For more details about our newly forming Stephen Ministry, contact Pastor Renata, Carla Howery or Vicar Christine.

STEPHEN MINISTRY: THE CONGREGATION COMMISSIONS ITS FIRST MINISTERS 

By Carla B. Howery, Co-Coordinator, Stephen Ministry 

WE ARE ALL PART OF THE STEPHEN MINISTRY 

Stephen Ministry is based on the idea that all Christians are ministers.  The responsibility for passing on God’s love is for all Christians, not just for a chosen few.  God has given us all gifts for ministry and called us to put those gifts to use.  Stephen Ministry is a place where people with special gifts for caring ministry can use those gifts to bring Christ’s love to people in need.  If you are interested in reading some of the books the Stephen Ministers are using, contact Carla Howery to purchase copies:

Christian Caregiving:  A Way of Life  $16

Speaking Truth in Love   $14

Stephen Ministry will be part of Christ Lutheran Church’s overall caregiving, which includes pastoral care, prayer, random acts of kindness, and organized acts of kindness!   The recent generosity of the congregation in donations to Stephen Ministry at the Strawberry Festival and in the proposed budget shows the commitment of our Church.

YOUR REFERRALS ARE NEEDED 

A key part of the Stephen Ministry training is to help the Ministers know when a professional referral is needed. For example, many life events bring expected sadness, indeed sadness is an appropriate and healing response.  But what if the care receiver seems to be experiencing clinical depression?  The Stephen Minister will want to discuss that possibility with the care receiver and possibly make a referral.

If you have professional people with whom you have worked, please give us their names and contact information.   The Stephen Ministry program is trying to assemble a list of recommended professionals (counselors, psychiatrists, lawyers, job consultants) to have on hand. We will not use your name, but your recommendation of quality people is key!  Send this information to Carla Howery at Carla.howery@gmail.com.  Thank you.

FIVE STEPHEN MINISTERS ARE COMMISSIONED 

On July 29, the worship service focused on the commissioning of the five Stephen Ministers.  This first group completed 50 hours of training and is now ready to partner with care receivers.   The service included an explanation of the Ministry, a commitment of the five Ministers, the Council, and the congregation, as well as Pastor Renata, to this important outreach to our members in need, and beyond to the community. The five commissioned Stephen Ministers are:  Debbie Coker, Carolina Glauster, Carla Howery, Karin Klingman, and Linda Ott.

A bright Stephen Ministry banner has been added to the sanctuary and started the procession on July 29.  A special coffee hour followed the service.

If members (or referrals from members) are interested in being a care receiver, please contact Pastor Renata for additional details and a confidential discussion about this Ministry.

CLC TO FURNISH APARTMENT 301 

IN PARTNER ARMS II 

Transitional Housing Corporation has requested that Christ Church furnish Apartment 201 just down the hall from Apt. 205 furnished by CLC in April 2006.  Partner Arms II, THC's second building, is at Georgia Avenue and Allison Street NW.  Target date for the "hands on" move-in

of furnishings is Saturday, October 13.  Apt. 201 is two bedrooms, and we are responsible for the "soup to nuts" furnishing.  Fortunately, the Yard Sale is just around the corner, and we will be able to glean from

our wonderful inventory for most of the furnishings.  Needed at this time are names of those who would like to help with any or all phases of gathering the inventory, then muscles and vehicles on moving day.

Please contact members of the Social Ministry Committee or Vicar Christine to offer your services.  The Social Ministries Committee is Kendall Bentz, Sylvia Glauster and Karin Klingman.

Volunteer Opportunities at Samaritan Ministry 

There are lots of ways to volunteer at Samaritan Ministry of Greater Washington, but here are this month’s “specials”! 

Front Office Coordinators:  Greet visitors, respond to inquiries from the public, provide information about Samaritan Ministry, answer telephones, route and screen calls, and support other program staff at a SMGW office in NoVa, NW or SE, DC.  Abundant training and mentoring for this rewarding experience is provided. To learn more, contact Dianne Lewis, Director of Communications and Volunteers at 202-722-2280 or dlewis@samaritanministry.org.

Meal Program Volunteers:  Get to know noon-day guests at weekend/holiday meal programs and help them connect with appropriate local resources and programs like Samaritan Ministry. Specialized training on Saturday, September 15.

HIV/AIDS Support Group Dinners:  Prepare a meal for a group of 8-12 persons attending a monthly “Round-Up for persons who have attended one of our HIV/AIDS spiritual retreats.  We need families or groups who will bring meals and be present on the third Tuesday of the month at N Street Village from 7pm-8:30pm.

For more information about Meal Program Volunteering and Support Group Dinners, contact Catherine Rodman at crodman@samaritanministry.org or 202-722-2280.

A BIT OF MUSICAL HISTORY/NOSTALGIA
By Elise Fisher

Fifteen years ago Christ Church was in the midst of a grand, yearlong festival, celebrating 100 years since its founding in April 1892. The celebration took many forms. As you might imagine, music played a large part. One highlight in particular has come to me this summer as we sang the Offertory Hymn, “Come at the Summit of this Day and Hour.”  This was one of several commissions by the Anniversary Celebration Committee. The text is by Jaroslav J. Vajda and the tune by Paul O. Manz.  

Vajda and Manz are not household names. But in current Lutheran music circles they are well-known.  Vajda is a Lutheran pastor of a second generation Slovak family. He is also a poet and hymn writer and translator of hymns from the Slavic. Manz is an eminent organist and composer of hymns and organ music. You will find their names in the indices of the old green LBW and of the new cranberry book, Lutheran Worship.  Their collaboration resulted in this lovely hymn.  

Hymns consist of words and music, poems and hymn tunes, which are not necessarily born together. In this case they definitely were; Manz and Vajda consulted all along the way. Every hymn tune is given a name, something we often overlook. The name Dr. Manz gave this tune is Black Mountain. Why didn’t he call it Christ Church? Because the tune of our earlier Sending Hymn, “The Sending, Lord, Springs From Thy  Yearning Heart” was given that name by its composer, Geoffrey Simon, our organist at that time.  So where did Black Mountain come from? It happened that our organist in 1992 was Dr. Ruth Ann McDonald, who had a very different and totally nonmusical connection with Dr. Manz. They both had summer places in Colorado and often met as neighbors at the country store and post office. So when Dr. Manz was searching for an appropriate name for his new hymn tune, Black Mountain came to mind because the Colorado mountain of that name was beloved by both the Manz and McDonald families. It therefore was a sort of tribute to Ruth Ann. And another connection in this “small world” of ours! 

As a post script, I hope we’ll always remember to identify the writer of the text and the composer and name of the hymn tune of all our special hymns.   

The Ear of Christ

Janet and Dean Kelly are proud to announce the birth of their first grandchild, Zachary Vincent Kelly, born to Bryan and Amy Kelly on July 3, 2007, in Santa Monica, CA.  Janet, Dean and Sharon went to California to welcome Zachary in person on July 23 -- all 9 pounds, 11 ounces of him!

Did you see the picture of Albert Herring with Adrian Fenty in the July 26th Washington Post on page B4?  The caption read, “D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, left, talks with Ronald Moten, co-founder of Peaceoholics, after a news conference the group hosted in Southeast denouncing drive-by shootings. Assistant U.S. Attorney Albert Herring is at right.”

Olin Hudson Meyer, Alice Meyer’s second grandson, was born July 20th.  He's the second son of David Meyer and Anna Fabian.  Max, the older brother (now 2 ½), is quite entranced by his new sibling.  They live in San Francisco.  Alice will visit them the first weekend in September.

. 

Ray and Marilee Rist took granddaughter Molly on an adventure cruise in the Arctic in late July/early August. They saw polar bears, walruses, caribou, musk ox, beluga whales – and they visited several Inuit villages.

David Hecht has forsaken the cold of Northfield, Minnesota for the damp of Copenhagen, Denmark for the fall semester of his junior year at Carleton College.  He will be studying international relations with a number of his fellow Carleton students and taking as many trips to other European destinations as he can fit in between now and Christmas, when he returns.  His family is envious, and has plans to visit him.

For several years, Susy and Arty Cheston have asked us to pray for Susy’s dear friend Monnie Lindsay, who has Parkinson’s Disease.  Susy has joyfully asked to take her off our prayer list for now.  When we first started praying for her, Monnie, who lives in Omaha, was on an experimental treatment that had left her entirely immobilized.  She had a buzzer strapped to her finger and, with great effort, she could manage to press it if she needed assistance.  Other than that she could not move on her own and could not even hold up her head.  She had caregivers 24 hours a day.  Since that time, we have prayed for her as she has gone

back on traditional treatment and then as she had 3 different brain surgeries (DBS).  Now Monnie can not only feed herself, but she is even able to walk and drive.  At first glance, most people don’t even know she has Parkinson’s.  While she is not yet stable enough to work, she is active in volunteering to help others in her community, and she is congregation who met her spontaneously said, “You’re the one we’ve been praying for!”  It’s so nice that this special circle of love called Christ Lutheran Church is able to spread that love beyond our own walls.

SOMETHING NEW – A BULLETIN BOARD FOR ADS FOR CONGREGATIONAL MEMBERS          

In response to the requests of several congregation members, the Communication Committee has started a new email list for items that members want to sell or rent.  Karen has set this up; if you don’t want to receive these, please reply with “unsubscribe” in the subject line. 

For those not on email, we hope to have a real bulletin board in the church very soon. 

From time to time, a CLC member may have an ad to circulate among other members.  The Communication Committee set up a second email list to disperse this information.

There are some ground rules: 

     Copy must be submitted to Alice Meyer at bannerz@starpower.net

     Copy must be typed, preferably emailed.

     Copy may not exceed 150 words.

     Display ads are not accepted.

     E-Bulletins will run once and must be re-submitted for any subsequent publication.

     Submitters must provide: Contact name, E-mail.

Our first ads come from Carla Howery and Bob Sylwester:

“Commuter” Furnished Apartment for Rent 

* Perfect spot for someone who commutes to DC for work several nights a week and returns “home” on the weekend. 

* Maple Avenue, near Columbia Union College and Washington Adventist Hospital in Takoma Park and on the Red Line to Catholic U, UDC; on bus line to U Maryland or Green Line transfer. 

* 1 BR basement apartment with large living room, bedroom, full bath, and small kitchen [no oven]  FULLY FURNISHED 

* Separate entrance 

* Use of laundry facilities 

* One off-street parking place 

* All utilities covered, including cable TV [landline phone hookup available, but charges at tenant’s expense] 

* Wifi access 

* One person, male or female, only; no smoking; no pets 

* $750/month for someone who stays four nights or fewer 

* $875/month + security deposit for full time person 

* Call: 301-587-3971 or email Carla.howery@gmail.com

Kitchen Aid Washing machine

* About 12 years old but excellent condition.

* $60, I will deliver a reasonable distance (This is from the yard sale cleanout)

* Contact:  Bob Sylwester, 301-421-1419, bobsylwester@erols.com

CIRCLE THE WAGONS    

Once again, it is time to Circle the Wagons.  Ladies, mark your calendars now for a special Circle, Sunday, September 23, at 1:00pm. All CLC ladies are invited to come for an afternoon of relaxing fellowship away from the slings and arrows of daily life! This Circle will be a bridal shower and luncheon for Valentine Woods, soon to marry Tim Breitbach. 

The shower will be at the home of Marilyn Zukel, 8406 Holly Leaf Drive, McLean, VA.   If you wish to carpool, please contact Carla Howery at 301-587-3971 or Marty Jewett at 202-882-7490.  Carpools will form immediately after church to ride to Marilyn's home in McLean. Mark the date and earlier start time. 

Please call Marilyn at 703-356-1874 to let her know you are coming for an afternoon of fun to honor our next bride.