Adult Christian Formation Opportunities, Lent 2004

February 24th - Shrove Tuesday

Grace youth serve a traditional pancake supper. There will be dancing, mask making, and general merriment. Come join the fun!

February 25th – Ash Wednesday

Ashes dispensed at 7:00 a.m., 12:00 noon, and 7:30 p.m.

Holy Week

Monday, April 5th through Friday, April 9th

Daily Eucharist service at 7:00 a.m.

April 4th - Palm Sunday

• 10:15 a.m. - Procession through the neighborhood, complete with palms and live animals
• 5:00 p.m. - Seder: Join us in the Undercroft for this traditional Passover feast

April 7th - Tenebrae Service

• 7:30 p.m. - This quiet, meditative service helps to center your for the rest of the Holy Week. No other groups or services this night

April 8th - Maundy Thursday

• 7:30 p.m. - Participate in ritual foot washing, receive the Eucharist, observe the stripping of the altar. See the amazing re-creation of the Garden of Gethsemane in the Chapel, and sign up to participate in the all-night vigil

April 9th - Good Friday

• 7:00 a.m. - Reserve sacrament is consumed at the Eucharist service
• 12:00 noon - the Good Friday Liturgy and the Veneration of the Cross
• 7:30 p.m. - the Good Friday Liturgy and the Veneration of the Cross
• 5:00 p.m. - Stations of the Cross, led by Grace youth, which involves 45-60 minutes of walking through the neighborhood surrounding the church

April 10th - Holy Saturday

• 10:00 a.m. - The Holy Saturday Liturgy, followed by communion instruction for children. Afterwards, dye eggs for the egg hunt on Easter Sunday
• 7:30 p.m. - Easter Vigil: Experience the spirit of the resurrection in this most dramatic service of the Christian year

April 11th - Easter Sunday

• Services at 9:00 a.m. (includes baptism) and 11:15 a.m. Breakfast served between services. No 5:00 p.m. service

Adult Forum

February 29 – Pretzel Sunday

No forum

March 7th, 21st, 28th - Grace Storytellers: The Last Supper

"He took the bread, broke it, and gave it to them, saying: ‘Do this in remembrance of me.’" There is no occurrence in the Bible we relive more often, but each gospel tells the story of this modest Seder a bit differently - and John, very differently. Our resident storytellers Shawnda Eibl, Pam Hamilton and Anne Sheldon (Jennie Kiffmeyer's on sabbatical but will be back soon!) will retell the Last Supper in Mark, Luke, and John (with apologies to Matthew - he's on sabbatical, too). Come, listen, discuss - and remember.

• March 7 - From the alabaster jar to the arrival at Gethsemane, Mark gives us our earliest account of the last supper, in which the sense of the sacramental is somewhat submerged in a simple sharing of bread. Storyteller: Anne Sheldon
  
  
• March 21 - Luke draws heavily on Mark, or on "Q," a source available to them both. Most scholars feel that Luke is a better writer than Mark, but his disciples are crabbier - they never miss an opportunity to argue about who's the greatest! Storyteller: Pam Hamilton
  
  
• March 28 - Our whole Maundy Thursday foot washing tradition comes from the Gospel of John - which makes no mention of the breaking of bread and the sharing of wine! Storyteller: Shawnda Eibl
  
  

March 14 – Art

Art historian and American University professor Helen Langa presents artist's renderings related to the storyteller's theme of the last supper:

The Last Supper: from Gospel Texts to Visual Art
In this workshop, we will start by reading the gospel texts out loud and connecting them to what excited you in the storytellers' presentations. What are the crucial elements that artists need to emphasize? By looking at a series of paintings from the early Renaissance to more recent works, we will find new ways to deepen our understanding of this dramatic moment, in which love, betrayal, and sacrament are such powerful themes. (And is that really Mary Magdalene next to Jesus in the Da Vinci version?)

April 4 – Palm Sunday

No forum

April 11 – Easter

No forum

Inquirer's Class

March 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th, 31st
6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Financial Office
Soup & Bread at 6:00 p.m. in the Undercroft

This class prepares anyone who seeks to be confirmed or received into the Episcopal Church, or simply desires to reaffirm their baptismal covenant. The focus of the course will be what it means to live a Christian life and expressing our faith through the Episcopal Church. This year we will be using the book The Anglican Vision, by James E. Griffiss. This volume is the first in the Church's new Teaching series and is available at the Cathedral bookstore. If you sign up early books can be ordered for you.

Instead of classroom instruction for the 1st session (March 3rd) please go see the new Mel Gibson movie, "The Passion." We will discuss it later in the course.

House Church

March 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th, 31st
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
See locations below
See the bulletin insert for sign-up information

Small groups of people have frequently been the leaven that helps a larger church to have a feeling of community; of being a safe space for sharing; of being the crucible of creative activity within a parish. The Adult Formation committee invites YOU to be a member of a house church this Lent.

House Church is anywhere a group of Christian people gather to study and discuss topics of interest, pray for the joys and concerns of the group, and be open to what gifts the spirit of God may offer.

This year's topic is community. What is it intended to be according to the Bible, what is our reality of it, how do we draw near to God and find creative energies as a result of our Christian communities? Gleaning the rich variety of resources from experts on this topic, we will examine the hallmarks of Christian community (including Biblical offerings), how it is possible to find this way of living a pathway to peace and sustenance on life's journey, and what we can do to live in ways that others "will know we are Christians by our love."

We have five sites and will match you with the one closest to your home: North Woodside, Hillandale, Potomac, Riderwood Village and Silver Spring near Layhill Road.

Prayer Group

Thursday, March 4th, 7 – 8:30 p.m. at Grace House

Beginning in March on Tuesdays at 7:00 - 8:00 p.m., you are invited to participate in the contemplative prayer group at Ascension Church. Contact the Parish Office.