by EDOW | Dec 1, 2016
By Kathleen Moore
The Fourth Annual National Vigil for All Victims of Gun Violence will take place December 14 from 7:00 to 8:00 pm at St. Mark’s, Capitol Hill. December 14 is the fourth anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. Since the shooting, an estimated 120,000 people have died from gun fire in the United States, and another 300,000 have been wounded, sponsors of the vigil say.
St. Mark’s, along with the Newtown Foundation, Faiths United to Prevent Gun Violence, States United to Prevent Gun Violence, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence and Organizing for Action, are bringing families of victims and survivors of gun violence from Newtown and around the country to Washington for the vigil, which is part of Gun Violence Prevention Sabbath Weekend.
This year’s vigil is taking place during a time of uncertainty in the wake of the recent Presidential election. “These families of gun violence victims come from all over the country, and they’ve used their personal tragedy to advocate so that no one else has to have this tragedy again,” says the Rev. Justi Schunior, associate rector at St. Mark’s. “This year, because of the election, they’re feeling very vulnerable. It’s a scary time for the gun violence prevention community, because it is unclear where this is going to be as a priority for activism in Congress. So, my goal for this year’s vigil is to surround these families with love and support.”
St. Mark’s initially became involved with the National Vigil in 2014, when last-minute meeting space was needed for the two associated days of lobbying. “The first year when we offered meeting space, there were only a handful of volunteers, but it was really powerful,” Schunior says. “Then, when we hosted the vigil last year, we had about 100 volunteers. This year, we have even more involvement and ownership. It’s just really exciting.”
Schunior notes the congregation’s involvement in the vigil is part of its growing activism. “I feel something new going on in the parish around wanting to take part in changing this culture of violence and racism,” Schunior says. “When I gather people together, they tell me, ‘We need to do something.’ I feel a new energy. And I hope that after the vigil, we come back and say ‘Well, what does this mean for us throughout the year?’”
Those planning on attending the National Vigil at St. Mark’s are asked to register in advance online. Congregations are also invited to pledge participation in the Gun Violence Prevention Sabbath Weekend.
by Bishop Mariann | Dec 1, 2016
Prepare the way of the Lord. And all people shall see the salvation of our God. Taize chant.
Many people who do not otherwise attend church will make their way to Episcopal churches all across the diocese on Christmas Eve, and others who were once part of our communities will come back for that celebration. Some will come out of family duty or tradition. Others may come wanting to reconnect with their past and to sing, in church, the carols they know by heart. Some will come, including those of us who are in church most Sundays, hoping against hope to experience something that will assure us that light does, in fact, shine in darkness, and that God does indeed come to us, as we are, in love.
For those of us in church, preparations for that night are well underway, even as we mark the days of Advent, tend to the responsibilities of life and parish, and prepare ourselves for all the other celebrations of Christmas.
I write to thank you in advance for all that you are doing now to prepare for the celebration of Christmas, and to offer three suggestions to strengthen our witness to those who will make their way to us on that holy night. These are practices that I’ve seen in churches for whom Christmas celebrations are a central part of their evangelism strategy, and they seem well within our reach. You may already practice them.
- Dedicate all of the Christmas offering to a particular ministry of compassion in your local community, or in the wider world. The particularity of the offering is important. Rather than a general offering, choose a specific place where tangible expressions of God’s love are sorely needed and where we, as followers of Jesus, choose to show up.
- Ask in advance that parish members consider giving as much to the offering as they plan to spend on gifts and Christmas festivities. The average American family will spend $900 on Christmas this year. What if we all gave an equal amount of whatever we spend to our church’s Christmas offering? Whatever the amount of our gift, we could assure our guests that their entire offering would go to that worthy endeavor. Think, too, of ways to offer electronic giving, as fewer people come to church with cash or checks. (To learn about giving by text contact Peter Turner, the diocese’s director of information technology.)
- Include in your Christmas bulletin and greeting a specific invitation for guests to return in January for a particular sermon series or educational event that you believe would have the greatest potential to offer blessing to those who attended church on Christmas. Pick a topic or promote an event that highlights your strengths as a faith community, and that also might resonate with those in your wider community.
Christmas is one of those increasingly rare times when people come to us. Thank you, again, for all that you are doing now to receive them with love and great hospitality.
With a bit of foresight, we can take extra steps to share the love of Jesus and create opportunities for our guests to find on-going spiritual inspiration and welcome among us.