The Augustanan
Lent 2012
From the Desk of the Pastor
Wash me clean.
For the cleansing of my soul, I pray to you O Lord.
For the life that conquers death, I pray to you O Lord.
Dear Augustanan:
These words run through my mind like a mantra as I approach Ash Wednesday, the weeks of Lent plus
the week we call Holy all climax in the words ―He is risen!‖ But more than a mantra, they articulate the
quest – my desire to know that I am washed clean and my soul is cleansed… and that my mortal, error
prone, flaw-abundant life is irrevocably linked to the life that conquers death.
Intellectually I believe this to be true. But it is a quest because my emotional and spiritual intelligence
need to re-engage this for me to live like it is true. And as I have come to know you, I also know this is a
need we share.
I invite, encourage and extol you to take on this quest at Augustana. In addition to Word and Sacrament
enriched by beautiful liturgy and music that support your quest, each Sunday will offer you a prayer
button and card. The card invites you to articulate the desires of your heart and share them with the
church, so that we can incorporate them into our celebration of soul-scrubbing baptism at our 8:00 p.m.
Vigil on the night before Easter. Wearing a prayer button will speak when you cannot, while occasionally
pricking you into consciousness of living in the presence of God. The pins also equip you to tell others
about the quest and invite them to the Vigil.
Approaching Baptism at the Vigil, I anticipate our asking God to wash us clean of the secret ghosts that
haunt us alone. We will pray that in Christ’s resurrection God will cleanse our souls and embrace us in
the life that conquers death. The baptism font will be filled and blessed afresh. While the assembly
generally affirms our baptism, I invite you to come to the font and join others in personally affirming your
baptism. Some will do this as they become members of Augustana. Another is asking the church to
confirm him in his affirmation. An event or change in your life may be saying to you that this is the time
when I want to reclaim my baptism and personally declare ―I am baptized!‖ This will be a great time to
step forward.
The quest climaxes in celebration. The vigil Eucharist will spill into a late night feast. The feast will be a
foretaste of the Easter day festival that gloriously proclaims Christ’s triumph over death on our behalf.
The day will begin and end with the proclamation ―He is risen! He is Risen indeed!‖ And in this
declaration we come to our quest’s destination – a soul washed clean in a life that conquers death.
Thanks be to God!
John
John S. Kidd, Pastor
The Quest
From Ash Wednesday to Holy Week
Lent calls you to search and pray with all your heart that God remembers you and binds you to life’s most sacred
truths. You seek to believe, to be delivered… and to be given a clean heart. You encounter Christ’s passion at the
start of Holy Week. You recognize what is given and sacrificed for you. It is beyond explanation. But with
vigilance you come to recognize the Christ through whom God washes your heart clean and embraces you in the
life that conquers death.
Ash Wednesday Services at Noon, 5:00 (Spanish) and 7:30 PM mark the starting point by imposing ashes on
your forehead and offering communion for your soul.
Sunday Worship in Lent at 10:30 and 5:00 (Spanish) will move you forward with music, liturgy, and scripture
designed to help ask life’s questions and consider God’s intentions for you. Lenten Prayer Buttons will invite you
to lift up your heartfelt concerns and add them to the Easter Vigil’s Celebration of Baptism.
Palm Sunday accelerates your Quest. At 10:00 AM, with Saint Augustine’s Roman Catholic Church and the
Swedish Lutheran Church, we will bless palms together at Meridian Hill Park and process to the Social Hall for
doughnuts and coffee. At 10:30 we bless more palms in the social hall and triumphantly process into the church
only to hear the news that Jesus entry into Jerusalem leads to his torture and death.
The Triduum (Three Days) guides us through the life giving, life taking and life triumphing events of Holy
Week:
Maundy Thursday Services at Noon, 5:00 (Spanish) and 7:30 will wipe ashes away with anointing, relive
Jesus washing the feet of the disciples, and recall the first Lord’s Supper with a Eucharist. The Evening
concludes with the somber stripping of the altar in preparation for the saddest day of the year.
Good Friday Services at Noon, 5:00 (Spanish) and 7:30 recall Christ’s inexplicable sufferings, lament human
cruelty and failure, but recognize in the cross God’s self-sacrificial gift the enables us to live. You are invited
to pause in adoration of the Cross – God’s gift that is beyond understanding that makes the life and death
difference. At 1:00 we join Saint Augustine’s in the Augustana sanctuary to start walking a Neighborhood
Procession of the Cross.
The Saturday Vigil you will carry light into our dark church where we will share stories and music while we
wait for the moment when we once again say ―Christ is Risen!‖ In celebration, you will ask God to wash
away the concerns you have lifted up during Lent and Holy Week before gladly affirming the baptism into
Christ that cleansed your soul and gave you the life that conquers death. From Baptism you will join then
feast on the bread and wine that unites you with all the saints to Christ’s resurrection. The Lord’s Supper
will spill down the stairs into the Social Hall where you will find a lush Resurrection Feast.
The Easter Day Festival at 10:30 and 5:00 (Spanish) adds guest musicians to the beauty of the morning’s choral
music and our liturgical celebration that ―Christ is Risen, Risen Indeed!‖ The Eucharist binds us to the risen
Lord.
Wednesdays in Lent – Holden Evening Prayer:
For Lenten Vespers, Stephen Padre and RuthAnn Reshan will teach and lead Holden Evening Prayer, a
vespers setting by Marty Haugen. This is a brief worship service that is simple but rich and full of singing
by the assembly with a few lessons and prayers. Those who have participated in it regularly say it is a
wonderful way to end the day and unwind from stress with musical praise and prayer to God. The service
was written as a gift to Holden Village, a remote retreat center high in the Cascade Mountains of
Washington state that has Lutheran (owned by the ELCA) roots but has become more ecumenical in
recent years. From this place, the service has been shared by members of the Holden "diaspora" as they
have carried it to other places.
A Soup and Bread Supper will be available at 6:00 with Vespers starting at 7:00. A $5.00 contribution
will be requested for the supper.
Sundays in Lent:
Adult Forum will be examining the New Testament Book of Revelation with a special video series, "Is This
the Time?: Interpreting the Mystery of Revelation." Led by Dr. Craig Koester of Luther Seminary in
Minnesota, the series will explore the meaning and relevance of one of the most difficult and mysterious
books in the Bible.
Adult Forum meets at 9:15 am in the library and all are welcome to participate in this series.
Preparation Notes
Impassioned Readers: Amanda Ducasse will coordinate, rehearse and coach those who are
participating in the readings of the Passion on Palm Sunday and Good Friday. Watch for
notices about rehearsing.
Vigilant Servers: A Vigil rehearsal for Deacons, Thurifer, Crucifer, Book Bearer, Torch
Bearers, Lectors, Lights Manager, and any others playing a part will take place at 10:00 AM on
Saturday, April 7.
T-Notes
Words from the Treasurer
Allocation of Warm Welcome Campaign Gifts
I write in response to questions raised at the annual
meeting concerning the priorities in meeting our financial
obligations over the next 36 months. The campaign was
conceived in the fall of 2011 with three financial goals: 1)
Make 36 monthly mortgage payments; 2) Create a $50,000
building repair contingency fund for major repair projects;
and 3) Offset the $157,000 additional mortgage we took on to
replace the boiler and make heating improvements. These
add up to $500,000.
Given the size of our obligations, we asked parishioners to
spread pledges and other gifts over 2012, 2013 and
2014. Only at the end of 2014 we will know the actual
amount that is given. In the meantime, a quick analysis
reveals that about $160,000 has been pledged for 2012.
With all this in mind, our financial plan is to 1) use incoming
gifts to meet monthly mortgage obligations; 2) Create a
Building Contingency and deposit funds as they become
available; and 3) At the end of 2014, determine the dollars
that are actually available to reduce the principal and
incorporate that into a new financial agreement with the
Mission Investment Fund
In 2015 we will have the opportunity to renegotiate the terms
of the mortgage and at that time make a lump sum payment
that can reduce the mortgage principal.
I will welcome your questions or comments.
Ron DiGregorio
Augustana Lutheran
Church
2100 New Hampshire
Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20009-6507
Sunday Worship Schedule
10:30 Eucharist
5:00 Misa
Office Hours:
Monday- Friday
9:00-5:00
Office Phone:
202-234-5315
voicemail: 202-234-5312
fax: 202-234-5724
E-mail:
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Web Site
www.augustanadc.org
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/
AugustanaLutheranDC
Our Worldwide Lutheran Church Family
By Stephen Padre
In the United States, big cities like Boston and New York are known for their large
Roman Catholic populations. Lutherans are often overshadowed by other
denominations because, relatively speaking, there aren’t many of us, and we’re spread
out across the country. But if you look at Lutherans worldwide, there really are a lot
of us. It’s something to be proud of, as well as what Lutherans across the world are
doing together.
One body that brings most Lutherans in the world together under one big tent is the Lutheran World Federation
(LWF). It’s a way that 145 Lutheran church bodies in 79 countries, including our national denomination, the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, which Augustana is part of, come together for some common work.
These church bodies encompass a total of 70 million Christians (mostly Lutherans, but a few from some related
denominations who are close to Lutherans). We ELCA Lutherans are almost 5 million of these; we still are the
fourth-largest Lutheran church in the world.
This makes the ELCA the expression of the LWF in North America. There is a central office, so to speak, of the
LWF in Geneva, Switzerland. Through this office, most of its work as a federation is coordinated. The biggest
part of LWF’s work, budget-wise, is engaging in humanitarian work – responding to disasters and long-term,
systematic poverty in developing countries. LWF’s programs for this, which it either runs itself or that have
become independent but still associated with LWF, operate in 35 countries.
This work covers a wide range, from helping former refugees return home to Southern Sudan after a decadeslong war to giving women in Bangladesh the skills to make silk so they can earn some money for their families. It
addresses the rights of lower castes in India and helps farmers in Central America. An LWF program in Burundi
running anti-poverty programs, for example, will be ready to spring into action to provide relief if a natural
disaster strikes, which is an additional advantage to these programs’ long-term presence in countries.
In this way, we, the ELCA and its congregations, are connected to other Lutherans around the world. The
programs run by LWF are working on our behalf in so many places, carrying out the work that Jesus
commanded us to – helping the poor, the oppressed and marginalized.
How is LWF different than the more-familiar Lutheran World Relief? LWF is the worldwide Lutheran church
family carrying out work on the ground in developing countries, and LWR is American Lutherans’ way of
engaging in the same type of work but through community-based (not necessarily all faith-based) organizations. LWF
carries out additional types of work beyond its humanitarian mission: fostering ecumenical and interfaith
relations (how Lutherans internationally relate to the Roman Catholic Church, for example) and carrying out
studies on theological issues, among others.
How can you support the work of LWF? Besides the ―dues‖ that our national church pays to keep the Geneva
secretariat running, the most direct way for an ELCA member to provide support is through the ELCA World
Hunger Appeal. Each of the ELCA’s two most-trusted partners–LWFederation and LWRelief—receives around
20 cents of every dollar given to the Hunger Appeal as a grant for its relief and development work.
Isn’t it wonderful to be an American Lutheran with the many ways we are connected to other Lutherans and
with such great partners to respond to the world’s needs?
Visit LWF’s website at www.lutheranworld.org
The Crossroad Center
at Augustana
Together at the Crossroads… Activity in the Crossroad Center is increasing as we begin 2012 and
Augustana is well on its way to establishing itself as a Crossroads Center for the larger community. We
continue to welcome members to reach out to groups and organizations to use our space for services for the
community. We have a combination of tenants and rentals who contribute to Augustana’s mission and offer
their services to the community.
Our tenants include Asian American LEAD, an after-school program that targets at-risk youth, who
occupy the space on the 3rd floor. In addition, we expect to see a daycare in the social hall during the week,
starting this spring. Semillitas Early Learning Center is a cooperative of childcare providers who, until now,
have provided childcare in their homes. They signed a lease and were expected to be in the space starting in
October but due to some difficulty acquiring all of their licenses, they have been postponed and plan to be in
the Crossroads Center starting in April.
We also have a growing number of rentals for a variety of purposes. Zumba, a Latin-music based
dance fitness class, has expanded to two nights a week, Tuesdays at 6:30 and Wednesdays at 6:00. For now
the classes take place in the social hall but as we move towards Lent, they will begin using the Community
Room. Also, in the Community Room, an Alcoholics Anonymous group with a focus on young adults has
begun meeting on Monday evenings from 8:00-9:00. They started with a handful of people and after just a
few short weeks, they are filling the room. Another frequent renter has been SpeakEasyDC, which is a
storytelling class. They meet in the social hall on the occasional Monday.
In addition to the regular renters, we have a few private functions in the Social Hall coming up. St.
Augustine Catholic Church will be celebrating Mardi Gras on February 18th, we have an inquiry for a
quinceañero in April, and we have a Swedish baptism reception in May.
We have a combination of spaces that could host parties, meetings, workshops and a variety of other
functions. In addition, Asian American LEAD is looking to sublet their 2 nd floor office space (next to the
library). This is exclusive use space, perfect for a small business or non-profit. If you or someone you know
is looking for space to rent, for a recurring or one-time event, please contact Laura in the office
([email protected], 202-234-5315).
2012
Tenants
&
Rentals
Include:
Asian American LEAD: Services for at-risk youth, Monday through Friday in
the 3rd Floor Offices
Semillitas Early Learning Center: starting April in the Social Hall, weekdays
Alcoholics Anonymous: Young Adult Focus, in the Community Room,
Mondays, 8-9pm
SpeakEasyDC: Storytelling classes in the Social Hall, Monday, 7-10pm
Zumba: Get your groove on in the Social Hall, 6:30 Tuesdays, 6:00
Wednesdays. Note - during Lent — the Wednesday class will be held in the
Community Room.
St. Augustine Party Rental: February 25th in the Social Hall
In the News…
Annual Meeting: The annual meeting of the
congregation on January 27 elected members to serve
on the Congregational Council, the Trustees and next
year’s nominating committee; adopted an annual
mission budget totaling $619,672; revised the
constitution to welcome Associate Members and
proposed a further revision to expand their rights and
privileges in 2013; and expressed gratitude to
outgoing Treasurer John McKirgan and to all who
have served and continue to serve. New Council
Members are Kevin Horsted, Rebecca Roth,
Tommie Robinson and Chris Barlow. New
Trustee is DeAnna Allen; Nominating Committee
members for next year include: Elizabeth Breuning,
Sarita Chapman, Brian Danaher, Sally Larisch
and Bob Luoma.
FootNote: A question was raised about the use of
Warm Welcome Campaign gifts to pay down the
principal of the mortgage. A reply from treasurer
Ron DiGregorio is included in this issue.
FootNote: The meeting included a lively dialogue
about the strengths, challenges and opportunities
people have observed at Augustana. Written and
spoken comments are posted on the social hall kiosk.
As viewpoints are expressed they will be shared by
email and on the kiosk.
Council Notes: Holding its organizational retreat
on February 11, The Council elected Paul Beddoe as
its convener and David Thews as Secretary. The
Executive Committee will be comprised of Paul
Beddoe, David Thews, DeAnna Allen, Tommie
Robinson and Pastor Kidd. Personnel Committee
will be comprised of Lyn Fisher-Fox, Kevin
Horsted, Chris Barlow, RuthAnn Reshan, and
Rebecca Roth. The Council discussed priorities for
the year that include strategic discussion that leads to
a plan for the future; Santa Maria 2013, Safe Church
Initiative, Crossroad Center development, Web Site
Redevelopment, and supporting the emergence of
Augustana Young Adults.
New Crossroad Center Tenant: The Semillitas
child development center will soon add a second
anchor to Augustana’s efforts to allocate its space to
serve the community with mission compatible
partners. In April, Semillitas will occupy the social
hall and atrium bathrooms Monday through Friday
from 6:30 am to 6:30 pm. Their lease agreement
began last fall. (See the Crossroad Center Update)
Person to Person Services: Augustanans provide a
variety of services on a person to person basis.
Electrician, Massage Therapist, Handyman Workers,
House Cleaners, Personal Caterers are in our midst
and looking for people to employ their skills. If you
have a skill for which you would like to be employed
by fellow Augustanans, let the church office know by
email, a letter or in person.
Knitting/ Crocheting/ Crafting Group Meeting
Twice A Month! Join us with your current craft
project or learn how to do something new! The
group meets at the Potter’s House (1658 Columbia
Road, NW) every second and fourth Tuesday of the
month, 6-8pm. Contact Laura in the office with
questions ([email protected]). Look for us on
Facebook under the group name ―Columbia Road
Alliance of Fiber and Table Artists‖ or ―CRAFTA‖.
Are you interested in helping to record or stream
Augustana’s services? Craig Shireman will train
people to record morning and/or afternoon services.
Contact him if you’re interested
([email protected]).
Affirm your Baptism at the Easter Vigil: Now is
the time to contact the pastor about your personal
desire to become a member or Associate Member of
Augustana; celebrate an anniversary, life changing
passage or special event; or simply renew your spirit
by affirming your Baptism at the Easter Vigil.
Contact Pastor Kidd at 443-844-4426 or
[email protected].
Personal Notes:
Congratulations to Steve Gorning on a new job
but regrets that it will take him and Diane Quest to a
new home in Boston. And to Karoun Demirjian on
receiving the David Lynch Memorial Regional
Reporting Award given by the Washington Press
Club Foundation to a newspaper reporter whose
work provides an understanding of the inner
workings of Congress.
Noteworthy: A small reception was held to send off
John Shutt as he relocates to central Louisiana.
Augustana will hold him in our daily prayers…
Pastor Kidd will head to El Salvador for ten days in
March for an immersion study trip to improve his
Salvadoran Spanish and explore connections that
might link Augustana to congregations there.
CALLING ALL READERS…..
Join the Augustana book group on Sunday, March 11 from 12:30 - 2:00 PM during Women's History
Month to discuss The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. Chosen by more than 60
critics as the best book of 2010, this book is a revealing mix of biography, science, medical ethics
and race. Henrietta Lacks was a poor African-American woman who was treated for cancer at
Johns Hopkins in the early 1950s. Doctors took some of her cells during treatment and those cells
became the first and most successful cell line in medical history, HeLa. If you have gotten a polio
vaccination or have taken anti-retrovirals, your life has been touched by HeLa and Henrietta Lacks.
Skloot writes scientific non-fiction in a style that reads like a novel, drawing you into the fascinating
story of Henrietta, her family and the medical community. The book is available in paperback, at
local libraries and electronically for e-book readers. If you would like to join the group but need
assistance with purchasing the book, a member has agreed to cover the cost of books for
interested individuals. Please let the office know and arrangements will be made.
If you would like more information, contact Kate Kidd ([email protected]) or Ben Culter
([email protected]).
Please join the Borg Book Group which
will begin a new book series on Sunday,
February 19th, with a discussion of the
first two chapters of The First Paul:
Reclaiming the Radical Visionary Behind
the Church's Conservative Icon, by Marcus
Borg and John Dominic Crossan. In this
work, the authors reexamine the ministry
of St. Paul in the light of recent scholarship
and attempt to develop a different persona
for the New Testament apostle whose
writings are often troubling for many
modern Christians. Anyone who enjoys
lively and provocative discussion of faith
issues is welcome to join this group. For
more information, contact Jim Hafner
([email protected]) or Bob Luoma
([email protected]). The group will
meet at 12:15 in the library.
Wednesday, February 22nd
Ash Wednesday
Services in English at noon and 7:30pm
Service in Spanish at 5:00pm
Saturday, February 25th
Confirmation Class
Join us starting at 10:00 am.
Friday, February 17th
Young Adult Happy Hour (YAHH!)
Join us at Eatonville starting at 6pm.
Sunday, February 19th
African American Spirituals Concert
featuring Michael Forest
Join us at 3:00pm. Mr. Forest is Professor of
Voice at Shenandoah Conservatory and
performs frequently with the Metropolitan
Opera in New York. Last year he sang with
the Augustana Choir in a concert of spirituals;
this year he returns for a solo recital of
familiar favorites. Plan now to attend and
bring your friends!
Tuesday, February 21st
Mardi Gras!
Save the Date for a festive Mardi Gras
evening at Augustana! Join us from 6:30pm to
9:30pm. New Orleans jazz, savory and sweet
delicacies plus a MASK-MAKING area for
everyone! Plan to bring your friends and
neighbors to this event!
Saturday, February 25th
Choir Breakfast (8:15 – 9:00) in room 118
Rehearsal (9:00 – 12:00)
Wednesday, February 29th
Soup Super and Vespers
Join us for dinner in the Social Hall followed
by Vespers every Wednesday in Lent starting
February 29th.
Friday, March 16th
Young Adult Happy Hour (YAHH!)
Join us for drinks and conversation starting at
6:00 pm, location TBD.
Saturday, March 17th
Choir Practice with Orchestra
2-4pm in the Sanctuary
Watch for additional dates and Activities in Each Sunday’s
Parish Notes!
Kids’ Page
Plan Your Quest from Ash Wednesday to Easter
February 22- April 8
___ Ash Wednesday
Receive the Mark of the Cross
___ Maundy Thursday
Be Anointed, Washed and Fed
___ Sundays of Lent
Put on your Lenten Prayer Buttons
Share your prayerful yearnings.
Read Revelation at the Adult Forum
___ Good Friday
Ponder the Imponderable.
Bow your head to the cross
___ Wednesdays: Holden Evening Prayer
Midweek Soup and Song
___ Palm Sunday / Sunday of the Passion
Triumphal Palms lead to Tragic
Passion
2100 New Hampshire Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20009
___ Saturday Vigil
Watch and Wait with friends
Shout – “He is Risen!”
Affirm your baptism.
Share the Resurrection Feast
___ Easter Sunday Festival Service
Celebrate! He is Risen Indeed!
Beautiful Music! Beautiful Day!