On The Table

Friends,


This is a week of remembrances. Today, across our country, people are remembering the events of September 11, 2001 and mourning the lives that were lost on that day. And for our church, this week marks the anniversary of the loss of Will Stavlund, Mike and Stacy's precious son and Ella's twin brother. Will touched our community in innumerable ways during his short life, so tomorrow evening we would like to gather to remember his life and to surround Mike, Stacy and Ella with our love and support during this difficult anniversary. Once again, the Sisters at St. Benedict's have graciously extended their hospitality to us. We're grateful for the opportunity to gather in this peaceful oasis in Bristow, VA.


We'll begin at 7:00 PM with a dedication ceremony in the Compassion Garden, a special place on the property that the Sisters have set aside for parents who have lost children. The garden is located at the top of the hill, near where the labyrinth is, but off to the left of the house. Because it will get dark quickly, we plan to start promptly at 7:00, so please leave yourself time to park at the school and walk up the drive. If you'd like to have time to visit, pray or walk the labyrinth, feel free to come early. We'll continue our time of remembrance in the small chapel at the top of the hill, so if you're arriving late, look for us there. If you have any questions feel free to contact Jackie Bulanow (703-628-3350) or myself (703-968-7349).


Sunday we'll find ourselves back at Jammin Java for the first time in three weeks. It will be good to return to our familiar surroundings and kick-off our fall series, where we'll be looking at how Christian communities take very different forms based on the people they seek to serve, the cultural context, and the gifts and passions of the community members. This week we'll begin by looking at Church of the Saviour, a local community that significantly shaped the Adams Morgan community during the second half of the last century and whose legacy still shapes the city today. Plan to join us at 10:00 AM.


And Sunday afternoon, will mark the triumphant return of "Beer+", our informal "connecting" time, when we gather to relax, hear each other's stories and look for opportunities to come alongside one another in forming spiritual friendships. This week we look forward to hearing the stories of those individuals we missed the first time around (Maranda, no lame excuses about being in Bangladesh this time!) and getting an update on our existing small groups. If you're interested in getting more involved or finding ways to connect with other Commoners, this is the place to do it. We'll gather at the Doans' at 5:00 PM for pizza (bring a few dollars) and then meet from 6:00 to 8:00.


Mike, Stacy and Ella, you'll be on our minds and hearts tomorrow.


~Deanna

Labels: Beer+, context, memorial

Our hearts are heavy this week as we share in the loss of Deanna's dear grandmother, Alberta Schaddelee. We were honored to hear her wisdom directly several years ago when she spoke to our church, and we're praying for her whole family as they say 'farewell' and try to move forward in a world without this dear saint. Lord, have mercy.

There are a couple of Common Table gatherings to note this week:

At various times on Saturday, June 16, our spiritual formation (Beer+) groups will be meeting. If you'd like more information, you can ask a member of the Leadership Team, or submit a request to our iTeam to be added to the Beer+ googlegroup.

We will finish our Fire series with a flourish on Sunday, June 17 at Jammin' Java. Some of the more musical members of our group will be leading us, and we'll also be adding some spoken word as we consider the ways in which, like fire, our pursuit of God and his Kingdom can be beautiful and chaotic and scary and indescribable and often uncontainable. Hope you can join us at 10am.

Mike

Labels: Beer+, Fire