The architectural drawings from the Sunday, November 10 master plan presentation with Stephen Koenig are available below along with the Rev. Joe Hensley’s introductory remarks. We welcome your comments and questions which will help us discern our next steps.
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Thank you!
The following is Associate Rector Areeta Bridgemohan’s monthly opening message from our weekly e-newsletter the St. Georgian. If you’d like to receive our weekly e-newsletter, sign-up here.
“God comes to us disguised as our life.” – Paula D’Arcy
‘The Way of Love’ is patterned after the monastic rules of life. I like the analogy of a rule of life as a trellis; a structure around which the rest of our lives can grow and take shape. We all have core values and commitments that we orient our lives around, sometimes these are expressed formally as in baptism or wedding vows, and sometimes they function as an internal compass, quietly shaping our decisions and responses.
The vows in the ordination service form a trellis. In preparation for ordination, I spent some time reflecting on the vows I was about to make. One of the promises that excited me the most was: “Will you be diligent in the reading and study of the Holy Scriptures, and in seeking the knowledge of such things as may make you a stronger and more able minister of Christ?” This vow articulated a commitment to a life of intentional learning about God, our sacred story, and all of God’s creation. Implicit in that promise, is the idea that we are not expected to have all the answers and that we are constantly in a process of becoming, of growth and learning, and ultimately transformation.
Learning requires a certain posture: it embraces curiosity and questions, it relies on a desire and willingness to receive, and an openness to wonder. These are helpful postures to life in general, which is perhaps our greatest teacher. My spiritual director often refers to life experiences as “earth school”. Experiences that teach us something new about ourselves, something new about God, that expand our capacity for love and healing, providing us with opportunities to grow into the full stature of Christ. I have taken earth school classes in self-acceptance, embracing solitude, to let go of control and trust God… I’ve come to suspect that the curriculum is as long as my life! Where is learning in the trellis of your faith? What class in earth school are you taking right now? How might this faith community support your learning?
May our faith journeys never cease to be a source of learning and growth.
Yours in Christ,
Areeta+
The Honeywell Charitable Fund of the Community Foundation and Transurban Express Lanes Community Grant Program provide funds for fresh food purchases at local food pantry
Fredericksburg, Virginia (October 3, 2019) —Two generous grants from the Honeywell Charitable Fund of the Community Foundation and the Transurban Express Lanes Community Grant Program ensure The Table at St. George’s will have necessary funds to purchase fresh produce. The Table at St. George’s is a market-style food pantry that provides fresh produce and pantry items to those in the Fredericksburg region experiencing food security. The Table gratefully acknowledges the valued support of these grants.
The Honeywell Charitable Fund of the Community Foundation of the Rappahannock River Region has provided financial support for the Table since 2013. Most recently, they have awarded The Table $15,000 in grant funding. The funds will help the food pantry provide food and fresh produce to those who rely on the weekly operation of The Table to supplement their nutritional needs.
The Table will also use a grant of $3,000 from the Transurban Express Lanes Community Grant Program for fresh produce purchases for The Table’s weekly food distribution.
Additionally, both grant awards will support the continued operation of The Table in the World. This special initiative delivers fresh produce during the growing season from June to October to seniors and the affordable housing community at five local sites. The Table in the World partners include Rappahannock Area Agency for Aging, doing business as Healthy Generations.
In 2018, The Table distributed more than 160,000 pounds of food, of which 43% was fresh produce. The weekly pop-up food distribution at historic St. George’s Episcopal Church in downtown Fredericksburg continues the congregation’s longstanding tradition of providing for those in need. The Table fosters not only better nutrition for those experiencing food insecurity, but a strong sense of community among the volunteers who serve and those being served, the shoppers of The Table.
Shoppers at The Table include the young and aged, the able-bodied and the physically challenged, the unemployed and many who are working one or two jobs but are unable to earn enough to adequately nourish their families. Food provided by The Table and other such food operations can make a significant difference in the amount of food available to the people of our community, many of whom receive food stamps through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
The Table, operating since January 2012, is located in the church’s parish hall. Open every Tuesday from 9:30 – 11:00 in the morning and 5:00 – 6:30 in the evening, it serves hundreds of people from the city of Fredericksburg and surrounding counties, including Caroline, King George, Orange, Prince William, Spotsylvania, and Stafford.
The Table is grateful for the generosity of all who support its efforts to improve the lives of people living with food insecurity. More than 90% of funding for The Table comes from awards, donations, fundraisers, and grants. In-kind donations are provided by corporations and local businesses.
For more information, contact Laurel Loch at 540.373.4133 or laurel.loch@stgeorgesepiscopal.net.
To learn more about The Table and see a video on its operation, visit
https://www.stgeorgesepiscopal.net/outreach-and-mission/the-table-at-st-georges/.
Sedona Taphouse Fredericksburg has selected The Table at St. George’s for their October “Dine Out for Charity” program.
Every Monday in October, dine-in patrons can purchase a Black Angus flat iron steak or grilled salmon with a side for $8. Sedona Taphouse will donate $1 from every steak or salmon meal sold to The Table.
Thank you Sedona for your generous support!
Prayer is the glue that binds our community together! It’s time for “3P in F,” the fall edition of our semi-annual parish-wide prayer activity. Sign up–alone or with members of your household, including children–to pray for another member or household of the parish in the weeks leading up to Advent. Your name will be given to someone else for prayer. Every week you will receive a message of encouragement and instruction about ways to pray. Later this year, we’ll meet up for a fun event to “reveal” who’s praying for whom! Deadline to sign up is September 30, 2019.
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