Rector’s Update: Vestry, Refugees, Christmas Eve

Restoration,

Have you read through the book of Revelation? If you picked up our Daily Prayer Guide (there are still some in the narthex), you started Revelation 1 today.  This book is a wonderful accompaniment for our Advent waiting:

“The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave… to show to his servants the things that must soon take place… Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come (these are the words we are singing in our Advent Sanctus during Eucharist!)… To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins…”  (Revelation 1)

I hope there may be space in your Advent rhythm for a quiet moment of Revelation reading each day. 

Vestry Class of 2024
To our slate of six candidates who stood for vestry, thank you. It takes courage to offer oneself for service. All six have served our congregation in myriad ways and I am grateful for their time and effort. 

To our members who voted in the vestry election, thank you.  Thank you for praying, deciding, and taking your part of the responsibility we have to choose our leaders. I appreciate it. 

The following people were elected to the vestry class of 2024. They will serve for three years.

• David Fahrenkrug
• Meaghan Maguire
• Jen Paterno

We give thanks to God for you! The words of St. Paul to the Ephesian elders shape the way we approach our time on vestry:  “In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.'” (Acts 20.35)

Serving Afghan Refugees and Loving our Neighbors
Interested in helping Afghan refugees? We are recruiting 10 volunteers to join us on the morning of Saturday, Dec. 18 as we partner with Communidad to distribute groceries for recently arrived refugees.

Volunteers will meet at the Willston Center in Falls Church and deliver groceries in pairs to four or five families in Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax, or Tysons. Please sign up here by Sunday, December 12 . Volunteers will be asked to complete a background check.

We are currently exploring a longer-term partnership with Communidad to distribute groceries on a monthly basis to Afghan refugees in our area, so stay tuned for future opportunities! 

Christmas Eve at Restoration
Last week I talked about ALL THE THINGS of Advent. Today, I want to point you to this page which summarizes what is happening on Christmas Eve.  This is the link you can text to your neighbor or share on a social media platform or email to your friend. Everybody wants to be somewhere on Christmas Eve. This is a great opportunity to invite people to be with us! We would love to have them. Our service will be in-person at 3:00, 5:00, and 8:00. We will broadcast our 3:00 and 5:00 on YouTube. I hope you can see our broadcast or join us in-person! 

Looking to Advent 3
“Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him…” (Revelation 1:7)

We haven’t yet.
But we will.
So we wait in the quiet places. 

-David