Quicklinks:
-Dedicate altar flowers https://forms.gle/9MYAw6CdHjvdjH4H8
-Host coffee hour https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080445ACAF2E5-57613910-coffee#/
-Submit a prayer request https://forms.gle/ZdxuP36Commodo6L6
-Request a nametag https://forms.gle/SS27AueptdmQT64Q9
-Listen to last Sunday’s sermon https://youtu.be/kUPEcG88zfw?t=1363
-Watch Sunday School for Adults https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8yU2xXdBbcVjsKnUK8xlRnvPDb__posy
Word of the Week
Our word of the week is oblation. An oblation is an offering, and the name can refer to several different offerings that usually happen in the course of our Sunday worship. Though the Episcopal Church Glossary singles out the financial offering that is collected during the service, we also make an oblation of the bread and wine, and of ourselves, during the celebration of the Eucharist; this liturgical oblation usually happens after the memorial/anamnesis (last week’s word).
Poem of the Week
If you didn’t already know, Father Todd really loves poetry. So, as we begin this new program year, we’re introducing a new feature in the newsletter: Poem of the Week. Poems are a lot like the Bible: some of the poems will be religious or spiritual in nature, some might not seem like they are, some will inspire you and encourage you, some might bother or frustrate you, and some will be esoteric, obscure, or mysterious and you might not understand them right away if ever, but maybe they’ll stick in your mind anyway. But for our first poem, we’ll go with a perennial favorite, Wendell Berry, who died last month. This is his poem How to Be a Poet.
Sunday School for Adults
The Sunday School for Adults returns from summer break this Sunday, September 13th. We meet at 9am in the Great Hall, and we have coffee and tea to help you wake up. If you have kids, they can go to the nursery or to the Day School Chapel to help Miss Corky until their own Sunday School class begins. And if you aren’t able to join us in person, look at the top of this newsletter, in the Quicklinks section, and you’ll see a link to recordings of the previous week’s class.
Last spring, we finished the Book of Joshua, so we begin this year with the Book of Judges. This Sunday, there will be multiple stabbings, and a man will be seduced with a bowl of milk, or, as the King James Version has it, “butter in a lordly dish.” If you’re reading ahead, read Judges chapters 3 through 5.
Sunday School for Children Registration Form
Sunday School classes for children begin this Sunday, September 13th. Class begins at 9:50am in the Day School Chapel on the lower/Great Hall level of the building. If you’re coming early for Sunday School for Adults, you can drop your kids off early in either the Day School Chapel or the Nursery. Corky Hovermill will bring the kids up to the church during announcements so that they can join you for Communion; some families prefer their kids go to the nursery at this time – just let Corky know if that’s what you would prefer.
Parents/guardians, please register your children so that we have emergency contact numbers, allergy info, etc. You can fill out the registration form online by clicking here, or you can download the registration form by clicking here and email it to Corky Hovermill or mail it back to the church office (4700 Roland Ave, 21210), attention Corky Hovermill. We’ll also have blank forms available the first time you drop your kids off.
St. David’s Sunday Strollers
The St. David’s Sunday Strollers are back! Join us this Sunday, September 13th, at 3pm for a 30–45-minute walk on Stony Run. Meet in front of the church at 3pm. Everyone is welcome, including kids, and it’s a great way to get some exercise and enjoy some conversation with walking buddies. Dogs are welcome, too, on leash please. See you then!
Parish Ladies’ Night, Sept 17th
Jane Kennedy and Judith Proctor are hosting the first St. David’s Ladies’ Night for 2026-2027 on Thursday, September 17th, from 6pm-8pm at Judith’s house, 7817 Ellenham Avenue in Ruxton. Please come, invite a friend and bring a beverage for you, and to share! Parking in driveway or on the street and carpooling is always a popular option! Please RSVP to co-hostess Jane Kennedy.
Evensong, September 20th
On Sunday, September 20th at 4:30pm, join soprano Caitlin Glastonbury and the Choir of St. David’s in a service honoring the medieval mystic Hildegard von Bingen. The event begins with a brief recital featuring works of Missy Mazzoli, Cecilia Livingston, and Barbara Strozzi, and continues with the Choral Evensong including compositions ranging from Hildegard to Dolly Parton.
Parish Life: Events That Keep Our Congregation Thriving
The Parish Life Committee met on September 8th to begin planning for an exciting year of fellowship and community events. Parish Life meetings are moving to the first Tuesday of every month at 6pm, starting Tuesday, October 6th, and all interested parishioners are welcome to join us.
We invite everyone to mark their calendars for these upcoming opportunities to gather and connect:
- September 13 – Kick-Off Sunday
- September 17 – Ladies Night
- October 16 – Italian Night Potluck
And be sure to save the date for our annual Christmas Bazaar on November 21, from 10am to 3pm. We look forward to sharing these special events with our parish family in the months ahead.
Hosting Coffee Hour
The signup for fall and early winter coffee hour hosts is open! There’s one Sunday still open in October, and lots in November and December. You can use the link in the quicklinks section at the top of this email, or click here. If you’ve never done it before, there are instructions, and there will be help. Our sexton Preston will set up tables and help with beverages, and consider co-hosting with a friend to make it half as much work and twice as fun! And if you’ve never hosted coffee hour before and would like to co-host with someone who has hosted, let Fr. Todd know and he’ll be happy to connect you with an experienced host. Also, we don’t want finances to be a barrier for those wishing to host; please note that you can be reimbursed for the expense of providing food for coffee hour. Just submit receipts, along with a form available in the church office, and indicate that the expenses should be charged to Parish Life.
Parish Retreat
The theme of our parish retreat will be “Holy Hospitality,” facilitated by Dr. James Buckley of Loyola University Maryland. There will be time for learning, fellowship and relaxation, and worship led by Bishop Rabb, Fr. Todd, and Mtr. Santana. The retreat will be held Oct 2nd-4th at the Claggett Center, south of Frederick; it’s a very fine space with all rooms en-suite, comfortable gathering spaces, and a beautiful natural setting. The cost is $450 for a single room and $385 (per person) for a double. To register, contact Kelly in the Church Office; make checks payable to St. David’s Church, memo “Retreat.” ~ Bishop Rabb
Confirmation 2026
The Rt. Rev’d Carrie Schofield-Broadbent, Bishop of Maryland, will be visiting us on Sunday, December 13th, 2026. She will be offering the rite of confirmation and reception at the 10am service that day. Confirmation is for folks who are baptized and are ready to make a mature affirmation of their faith. We’ve had many adult confirmands here at St. David’s in addition to youth confirmands. The diocesan “minimum recommended age” is 15, but I will make exceptions for youth as young as 12, just talk to me! If you were confirmed already as a Roman Catholic, ELCA Lutheran, or Eastern Orthodox, or were baptized as adults, will be received rather than being confirmed. Those confirmed in churches outside of the historic apostolic succession (churches other than the ones named above) will be confirmed in The Episcopal Church. There will be classes; we’ll choose a time once we know who is wanting to be confirmed or received. The first step is to fill out this form and let us know you’re interested!
Sunday Mornings for Children
The Children’s Sunday School class (generally for kids ages 3 and up) begins at 9:50am in the Day School chapel; they join us in the church for Communion.
Our professionally-staffed Nursery is open from 9am until noon. If you want to attend the Adults class, your kids are welcome in the Nursery until the Children’s class begins. If your kids are too young for Sunday School, the Nursery is open and your kids can be there throughout the service or you can go down and get them at the offertory so that they can join you for Communion.
The 10am service is broadcast live on the TV in the Great Hall so that you don’t have to miss anything if you or your child need a break from being in the church for a few minutes during the service.
Please Pray For:
Debbie and family, Helen, Corky, Tod, Kathleen, Darlene, Robert, Mark, Jane, Quinn, Leila, Bill, Amy, Nancy, Meg, Caleb, Manish, Arthur Thomas, John, Jenny, Katie, Linda, Barbara, Eleanor K., Judy, Allison, Brendan, Randy, Peter, Dockery, Anne, David, Jim, Dianna, Will, Nathaniel, Penny, Elizabeth, Betsy, Anne, Mike, Patricia Ann, Russell, Til, Betsy, Braeden.
Serving This Sunday:
8am: Lector: Stan Klinefelter
Intercessor/Chalice: John Gould
Usher: Cristin Marsh
Altar Guild: Hugh & Liz Robinson
Flower Guild: Jenny Hovermill
10am: Lectors: Leslie Bethell, Jenny Hovermill
Intercessor: Sally O’Brien
Chalices: Bruce Lyons, Helen Reilly
Crucifer: Alex Corwell
Ushers: Cork Corckran, David Gorman
Altar Guild: Judy Pittenger
Flower Guild: Jenny Hovermill
Tech Team: Lina Nandy
Coffee Hour: Parish Life