This month I begin with some good news: in mid-November, I extended a call to the finalist in our search for a new full-time Minister of Music. She accepted and will join our church staff in January.

Her name is Linda Egan, and she brings to the position a great deal of talent and experience. Linda received her Bachelor of Science in Music Education and Organ (with honors) from Gettysburg College in 1968 and her Master of Sacred Music in Organ (with honors) from Union Theological Seminary, New York, in 1971.

Since that time, she has held long tenures as Minister of Music in several congregations in Pennsylvania, most recently at the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer in Springfield (an exurb of Philadelphia). She has extensive experience with all levels of choir direction and was known as one of the leading organ recitalists in the Philadelphia area.

Linda is also an accomplished composer, with one of her hymns included in our hymnal (#673) and another in the latest hymnal supplement. A graduate of the Education for Ministry program (EFM), she holds a deep appreciation for both the richness of the Episcopal liturgy and the ability of music to lift us to new spiritual heights in our worship.

Linda relocated to this area earlier this year after her husband John, a health care architect, accepted a position with a firm in Chantilly. They took up residence in Ashburn, where their son Ben is a Junior at Stone Bridge High School. Over the past several months they have been attending St. Gabriel’s in Leesburg. Because of the distances involved and the pastoral relations established, we will likely see John and Ben only on occasion. Nevertheless, we extend our welcome to them all, as we look forward to the start of Linda’s ministry among us at Pohick.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the members of the Search Committee for all their hard work through two search processes: Mason Botts (chair), Jackie Wells, Jud Sage, Kate Collins, Don Brownlee, Shirley Kapusciarz and Michelle Booth. Likewise, I am grateful for the continuing Interim Ministries of Susan McHargue, Gwen Frazier, Barbara Lynn and Don Brownlee. Finally, I’d like to thank you all for your prayers and support throughout this process. I know I speak for all parties involved when I say that they have both sustained us and led us to this happy outcome.

The Season of Advent begins on Sunday, November 27. In contrast to the consumer frenzy whipped up in the mass media, our liturgical commemoration is much more quietly meditative, as we seek to prepare our hearts for the joyful celebration of Christ’s birth at Christmas time. The music is more pensive, the responses more penitential.

In keeping with this tone, we will again offer our Advent Quiet Morning on Saturday, December 3 from 10:00 am to 12 noon in the Church. Likewise, there will also be ways for us to bring the joy of Christ to the needy, either through volunteering at our annual Christmas party for the homeless on Monday, December 12 at 6:00 pm or by adopting one or more family members listed on the ornaments of trees placed in the parish house. Lastly, we will have the opportunity to watch our own children bring to life the Christmas story at our annual Christmas pageant on Sunday, December 11 at 4:00 pm in the church.

Our Advent observance ends, of course, on Christmas Eve, when we will have our family Christmas service (with children’s sermon) at 6:00 pm, Carols at 10:30 pm and Festival Eucharist at 11:00 pm.

Please note that even though Christmas Day falls on a Sunday, we will be treating that day as a holiday, with our usual quiet celebration of Holy Communion at 10:00 am. Similarly, the following Sunday, New Year’s Day, we will go to a holiday schedule of 8:00 am and 10:00 am services, returning to our normal schedule the following week.

With all this ahead of us, let me conclude by offering an Advent prayer:

Purify our conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation,

that your Son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in us

a mansion prepared for himself; who lives and reigns with you,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Amen.