A Visit to The Falls Church

This morning I drove Route 7 (King Street, Leesburg Pike, Broad Street) to Falls Church to attend worship at The Fall Church. It is another of the historic parishes in the area, and it has memorial pew markers for both George Washington and Robert E. Lee. More recently the parish became the center of controversy as a breakaway congregation attempted to take the property with it when it left the Episcopal Church. The courts ruled in favor of the Diocese of Virgina, and the property was recently returned. A new rector has been selected and will start soon.

I arrived just before the 10:15 service began. A table with name tags and bulletins was set up at the bottom of the steps leading up to the Historic Church. An Usher made sure you were greeted and that you filled out a name tag. Inside a Greeter shook my hand and addressed me by name. Yes, I had a name tag on, but it means that people are paying attention. About 50 people were in the pews when the service started, and by the first reading there were more than 60. Not bad for a summer Sunday. There were a number of young children including infants ranging in age from a couple of weeks to a few months. I saw no sign of older children or teenagers.

After the sermon there was a children's moment. They have a small basket where one or more of the children can put an object. That object then becomes the subject of the children's moment. Today it was a small pink Etch-a-Sketch. On the whole it wasn't as bad as some I've observed, but it still felt like what Mom calls Putting Our Children on Display. The Announcements included a reminder about a meeting to discuss the implementation of a Sunday School program.

The Peace took quite a while. Some folks did make their way around most of the church. Others stayed in the pews. I did overhear a number of conversations that went beyond "Peace", or "How are you?" I know many people that deplore the way the Peace drags on in some churches, but we are a community, and this is one of the ways we share in that community. I think the larger problem is when the Announcements drag on forever, which it did seem like here. On the other hand, there was a lot of important information to communicate, and they obviously wanted visitors and newcomers to get to coffee hour, etc.

On the way out of the church a couple of people commented on my shirt (the dark blue one, Mom). Coffee hour was held in a large room closer to what I assumed is the newer larger worship space. There was a nice variety of snacks, including some healthy choices. These kinds of things are often an introvert's nightmare. However, once filled my plate and got something to drink, I made my way to a table where a couple of people were sitting. After we exchanged perfunctory greetings, they went back to their conversation and pretty much ignored me. Another woman joined us, but once she sat down, she also fell silent and ignored me.

This is a church that is in recovery and rebuild mode. They've been through a protracted legal battle, during which they worshipped elsewhere. One would think that they would want to be a welcoming community. Alas, like so many Episcopal Churches, we stick to ourselves.

This whole search process may need to progress to another level. I might have to go and interview them!

The Yankee Buys Furniture

Last Saturday I drove over (up?) to Del Ray, which is north of Old Town. I think. I'm still trying to figure out directions around here. Generally the water, the Potomac River, is to the east. After years in Connecticut where Long Island Sound is to the south, it messes with my sense of direction. Not to mention that Route 1 and I95 actually run north and south here rather east and west as they do as they pass through Connecticut. But I'll save my directionally challenged story for another time.

Last Saturday I drove to Del Ray to stop in at Not Too Shabby Consignments. It's one of those places you need to keep checking for something you might want. I've been searching for a small table to go just inside the front door. I meandered through the shop and as I turned back toward the front, there it was, right next to the shop's front door. My table. It had been there long enough that it had been marked down twice. It was the right size and the right price. It's not an antique, but it is a good sturdy piece of furniture. I bought it and took it home. It fits just where I thought it would.

Today I FINALLY drove to the Ikea store in Woodbridge and bought the chair I've wanted for a long time. Of course, just like driving on I95 back in Connecticut on a Saturday, I encountered traffic. It took me over an hour to make what should have been a 25 minute drive. Ikea stores look pretty much the same wherever you find them. I went to the chair section and noted the locations for the chair, the stool, and the cushions for both. Then I backtracked to couches because there was a sectional I wanted to look at. Comfortable, but it may not be what I want for my living room. So now the chair I didn't have room for in my last apartment graces my living room here.

I chose the brown frames and brown cushions because they work with the colors in the living room. As it turns out, they look good with my rocker, which I've had since I was 15. There's something about buying furniture. Some of my friends call it part of the nesting process. But it's also a sense of security. The table at Not Too Shabby had been in the shop about as long as I've been in Alexandria. I didn't see it until last weekend. Until today, something always seemed to come up that prevented me getting down to Ikea.

At some level, I may have been waiting until I had my three month review. Even though I knew it would be fine, even though people have been telling me all along that I'm doing a good job, there was something about passing that milestone. I'm here for a while. Even though I've only been here three months, I feel a sense of permanence I never really felt in my last apartment. Or at the Church Center during the last few years of my employment there.

I'm enjoying looking for furniture. I'm making my apartment more and more my home. In time Alexandria will be, too.

90 Days

It is hard to believe that six months ago this wasn't even a blip on my radar screen. Less than five months ago I had my first interview, and during the 40 days between acceptance and start date I packed up everything and moved south.

When the job hunt process started almost two years ago I said relocation was an option. South, however, was not a direction that crossed my mind. I pictured Boston, Chicago, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, and even Spokane (although Spokane probably would have meant major culture shock). But here I am in Alexandria, VA. From the shadow of New York City to the shadow of Washington, DC.

In some ways living in the shadow of Washington, DC, isn't much different from living in the shadow of New York City. District events dominate the news. Most important social and cultural events appear to take place in the District. Large numbers of people commute into the District for work.

I, on the other hand, have the the shortest commute of my professional life. For the first four weeks I made a two minute walk across campus from the temporary guest house. Now it's 35 steps from the front door of my apartment to my office door. Because my colleagues all work in different buildings, I walk much more than I did for any other job.

So here I am having completed my first 90 days as the Hospitality and Guest Residence Manager for Virginia Theological Seminary. I had a good review, and I feel like I'm making a positive contribution. I'm taking the first steps in building an expanded professional network that reflects this new job. I have friends that check in to make sure that I get off campus.

Having friends living in this area made the decision to move to Alexandria easier. But along with my professional network, I'm having to build a new social network, which is probably the more difficult process. Not to mention finding a new church. It's not going to happen overnight, but eventually this will start to feel like home.

And for 90 days in, I think I've made a good start.

Wash, Rinse, Repeat

This week the Penn State child abuse scandal battles with the Aurora, Colorado shootings for the top spot in the media headlines. A slight blip came today came with the sentencing of an official of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Then the media returned to the pros and cons of the NCAA sanctions against Penn State and the heroes and lessons of the movie theater shootings.

Quite frankly, I'm tired of it all. Except for the cast of players, the plot remains the same. We watched the stories of survival, the remembrances of victims, and the debates over gun control after the shootings in Killeen, TX, Colombine, CO, Virgina Tech, Tucson, AZ, and more. We followed the unfolding of investigations and prosecutions of sexual abuse cases in Boston, Philadelphia, Lackland Air Force Base, Tailhook, and beyond. We debated gun control, mental health, racism, the abuse of authority, and the keeping of secrets. As the satirical news site The Onion reported, "Sadly, Nation Knows Exactly How Colorado Shooting's Aftermath Will Play Out." In humor there is truth.

We keep having these conversations. Over and over again. Ad infinitum. But has anything really changed? We put in more security systems, but we don't limit the types of firearms citizens may possess. We write laws to protect victims, but we don't provide the support they need over time.

When major tragedies and scandals happen we reach for the giant communal shampoo bottle and follow the directions. Wash, rinse, repeat. And repeat. And repeat. Who was it that said the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result?

When are we going to stop talking about change and actually work at creating some?

The Yankee Settles in

As the real summer weather of both heat and humidity settles in, I find that I am, too. While the living room still needs furniture, and I haven't started the repurposing of the white dresser, the apartment is starting to feel like my home.

I'm still figuring out the rhythm of my job, but so far people seem pleased with my contributions to the Seminary community. I have my three month review in a few days. It hardly seems possible that my first interview for a position here was less than four-and-a-half months ago.

I can get around Alexandria pretty well these days, though I'm still haven't ventured in to the District enough times to even begin to figure out how it works in terms of finding my way around. That will change once I start looking at churches further afield.

It is always interesting adjusting to a new corporate culture. Being at an academic institution is somewhat of a double adjustment. It's not just being on staff; it's also not being a student. And this transition entails not only a new corporate culture but a new community at the same time. A new community in a part of the country I hadn't expected to be in.

So yes, I'm settling in. It will be a while before I call this area home without hesitating.

A Visit to Church of the Resurrection

I've driven by Resurrection many times since moving down here, so this week I decided it was time to visit. It sits on a hill overlooking North Beaureagard. The front entrance faces away from the street and overlooks the parking lot. Driving up and around I found a church of the same vintage as Grace Norwalk and my grandparent's church, Prince of Peace Lutheran in Brookfield. It's one of those designed like an A-frame with walls and built of brick.

I arrived at about 9:50 for the 10:00 service and got there before the ushers. The greeter was trying to make sure newcomers and visitors had everything they needed, which inlcuded Wonder, Love and Praise for this morning's service. Service music was printed in the bulletin, even though it, too, was in Wonder, Love and Priase. The Entrance and Gospel Hymns were from the Hymnal 1982, and the Recessional Hymn was from Lift Every Voice and Sing, though it was printed in the bulletin.

I also arrived before most of the congregation. About five people were seated in the pews when I went in. By the time the service started that increased to 20 or so, not inlcuding the 15 member choir, the clergy, adult acolyte, and music director. There were about 60 when the sermon started. In spite of the fact that I was not the youngest person in the church, there was not a child in sight except for the infant with the couple that sat next to me. The children and their teachers arrived as the priest began the Eucharist, so there were about 75 total in church. This is the most diverse congregation I've visited in Alexandria so far.

I reaaly appreciated that the greeter also came up to me after the service to make sure to invite me to the reception being held for a departing couple. She didn't push when I said I really couldn't stay. Before I left she handed me a small gift bag with information about the parish, a small stone with a cross engraved on it, and two business card magnets with the church's address and contact information. And of course, she made sure to invite me to come again. Just enough without being too much.

They have an interesting touch when receiving communion. After everyone at the rail has been served, before they return to their seats, the priest says, "Become what you receive." The people respond, "We are the body of Christ."

This is a parish that isn't quite sure what to do with their children. Or perhaps they're in transition. The bulletin contained a special announcement about a special pre-service praise and worship time:

Our orgnaist and choir director will lead us in praise songs that we con't nromallyt sing in our Sunday services. It will be a time to sing some different kinds of music and learn some new songs. it will be particularly suitable for families and young chyildren as the songs will be easy to learn and sing. Children can go on to Sunday School at 10:00 a.m. as we start our regular service.We will do this every Sunday through Labor Day

My first thought was wouldn't this be a perfect time to have the children participate in the entire worship service rather than coming in when the Eucharist begins?

Then I read the literature in the gift bag.

For children and youth, we offer a Church School program on Sunday mornings at 10:00 AM. Our classes are taught by several dedicated teachers in small classroom settings. On the first Sunday of each month, the children come into church at the time of the "peace" and remain with their families through the end of the service.

That may have been the reason I saw no teenagers. And since this wasn't the first Sunday of the month, either they're doing things differently for the summer, or they need to update their newcomer/visitor information. In either case, it's my belief that children should be participating in the entire worship of the church. Worship is part of formation, and Sunday School should done at another time. Before someone says that's too long of a time for children, I point out that this parish has an Adult Forum immediately following worship. That's the perfect opportunity to have formation time for all.

The parish is in transition, which many parishes in the area seem to be. Not only do they have an Interim Rector, they have an Interim Deacon. It will be interesting to see what a new Rector may be able to accomplish.

The Yankee Swelters

It's Monday afternoon, and we still do not have full power on campus. That means electricity but no air conditioning and no hot water in the entire residential complex, which consists of four dorms, two Guest Houses, the refectory, Cafe 1823, and the kitchen. Some of the rooms have no electricity either. We have the same situation in the administration and academic buildings. Fortunately the Welcome Center, the Library, faculty/staff houses, the Center for the Ministry of Teaching in Key Hall, and Sparrow Hall all have power and air conditioning.

Yesterday afternoon we made contingency plans for people staying in the dorms and the Guest Houses for the Summer Academic session and for classes. Three people asked to be moved to accommodations with air conditioning. Everyone else decided to stay in their rooms and make do with fans. I also stayed in my apartment last night. I opened all the windows and put my fan in the bedroom. It cooled off enough last night that I was comfortable enough to sleep. Once the sun rose high enough to hit my bedroom window I shut all the windows and got ready for work. Because my office is in the Guest Houses, I packed up what I needed for the day and used the Welcome Center. One advantage of having a Virtual Desktop is that I can work pretty much anywhere on campus. If I have the some additional software loaded onto my netbook, I could work just about anyplace I had an internet connection.

Today it looks like we'll be without power for another night. A couple of more people have asked to be moved for the duration. Many of us will continue to manage. Fortunately, the humidity has stayed fairly low for the past few days.

I can recall many sweltering summers. As kids we rode our bicycles places even on the worst days. I remember one summer morning my brother Scott and I rode to the public library, and the librarians made us sit down for a while before they'd let us go look at books. Scott and I argued every summer over whose turn it was to have the huge window fan in our bedroom window to cool the rest of the house, even though we both knew exactly whose room it had been in the summer before. There were days spent under the big maple in the front yard playing with plastic army men or Hot Wheels cars. Or the marathon Monopoly games that went on so long that we had to make more money for the bank in order to keep playing.

The point is that we lived for years without air conditioning. Now during the summer so many places are cooled to the point of needing a sweater. Of course, we also had many fewer appliances and electronic devices generating heat. Yesterday someone commented that they hadn't realized how much heat their laptop generated until their a/c wasn't working. Right now i'm sitting in my living room with the window open and the fan on. Even with the comptuer on, it's fairly comfortable. Although I wouldn't want to be doing anything too physical.

In fact, today would have been the perfect day to take a cooler full of ice tea and or lemonade, a chair, and a good book and set up under a shade tree for the afternoon. Maybe swelering isn't quite the right verb.