Journey Stories

At Christ Church we share our stories. We share them informally over cups of coffee, in small group settings such as Education for Ministry (EfM) and at the chancel rail at various times during the year.

Sharing stories is an experience that unlocks the minds and hearts of tellers and listeners alike.

We hear of marriages, divorces, job changes, births, deaths, and moments of serendipity. We hear from life-long members of Christ Church, as well as from people who have been here for far fewer years. Each story reflects the significance of Christ Church in the life of its teller and the spiritual feeding that each receives by being part of this Body of Christ.

Here are just a few stories from our parishioners.

Carol Donlan

I have been a parishioner of Christ Church for almost twenty-five years. It was here, amid this parish family that my spiritual journey took flight. I grew up in a blue-collar town, south of Detroit, Michigan. My devout Roman Catholic family included seminarians, priests, nuns, and brothers. In my parish, the pastor had about twenty sermons, which mostly dealt with church rules. There was the sermon on the strictures of the Lenten fast, the sermon about not missing church when you go on vacation, and my favorite, the sermon on what makes a sin mortal, such examples!

I attended Catholic schools and, luckily for my faith, a Jesuit college, where I encountered an intellectual view of faith and spirituality that was a welcome contrast to the rule-based view of religion of my childhood. In 1967, my campus was touched by the riots that tore through Detroit. Years earlier, those who could had fled the city and its problems for the suburbs. I wondered where had the Roman Catholic Church been as the problems that culminated in the riots were festering?

Years passed, I met Tom, and we married. I continued to resolutely seek the intellectual, spiritual experience of college in a parish or at least a Catholic church I could attend without becoming angry by the Offertory.

Work brought us and our one-year-old to Alexandria. One Saturday we took the tour of Christ Church; in addition to the church's history, we learned that there was a nursery during services. The next day found us enjoying an outstanding sermon at the 11:15 service. We began to attend Christ Church regularly, and I found the spiritual enrichment that I had craved. It came from the Anglican intellectual spirit and even more from parishioners, Christians truly living their faith. I met them at Shrinemont, in Mothers and Others, Renew, the Christmas pageant, the greening of the church, DOCC, the Cast of 500, the Vision Committee.

Christ Church is a family of faith, a church deeply involved in the well-being of its community and the world. It's is a place to find your way into community outreach and contribute to solutions rather than ignore problems. Anything I may have given to this parish pales in comparison to what I have received. To those visiting this church, I invite you to Come Share the Journey. To the clergy, staff, and my fellow parishioners, I thank you for being guides along my spiritual journey.

 

Melinda Hudson

"Scripture tells us that we must lose ourselves to find ourselves. That was certainly true for me. I'm a cradle Episcopalian, and in my Greenville, Mississippi, house, attendance at Sunday services was nonnegotiable. I could see that church was a deeply meaningful part of my parents' lives, but I'd pass the time struggling to stay awake or playing Motown tunes in my head."

After college, I moved to Washington, threw myself into work, and spent Sunday mornings reading the papers and following news programs. My journey took me everywhere but church---volunteer efforts, politics, transcendental meditation. I strove to matter in some way to somebody, and, while rich in many ways, my life held an undercurrent of loneliness, frustration, disappointment, and fear.

Then, feeling nostalgic, I slipped into a back pew in the gallery of Christ Church for a service. The liturgy and music resonated deep within my soul; it felt like a homecoming. I continued to attend services, always choosing a pew near the back of the gallery and slipping out before anyone could catch my eye.  

I might still be in that back pew, but you, my beloved church family, drew me out. You asked me to help in this or that, to join a class or a committee. You shared yourselves with me, thought I mattered, and didn't shy away from life's hard things. With time, I could see Christ alive in you.

I wonder if you realize the full reach of your stewardship? We're surrounded by the obvious effects---the lovely sanctuary, the clergy, the lay folks, the staff, the music, the gardens. There is another meaningful effect of your stewardship---the way you have brought Christ to life for me, for my husband, Mike, and for so many others.

As I was considering my spiritual journey, the lovely lines of the Christ Church mission statement came to mind: "Christ Church embodies God's unbounded love by embracing, liberating, and empowering people, whoever they are and wherever they find themselves on their journeys of faith." On behalf of all the prodigal sons and daughters whom you've embraced and welcomed home, thanks be to God!

 

Paul Currer

It started at a forum, when the Rev. Shirley Smith Graham (now Rector of St. Martins in Williamsburg) asked us to consider participating in a mission trip to New Orleans. Having worked on my relationship with God over the years, I once again heard that still small voice asking me, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?  And I knew that there was only one answer: Here am I; send me.

I brought nothing with me, except my faith. What did I leave behind? I realized that it was time in my faith journey to relinquish my human desire to control every aspect of my life and to give some of it back to our Lord.

Yes, I did have second thoughts about the wisdom of that decision as I was about to board the airliner, thinking that I had never even been to New Orleans before and wondering, Why me, Lord? Then I remembered that God prepares us for our journeys. In this case, He had given me the gifts of experience in rebuilding homes, a love of the francophone language and culture, and a considerable interest in sharing my faith journey with others. What surprised me most was that wanting to share my faith journey was perhaps the best preparation I could have made. So I was unknowingly prepared for the journey before I even knew it.

Those whom we helped shared their faith journeys with us sometimes in words and stories, and sometimes through actions, kind gestures and hospitality. This interaction brought all of us to a common place where we had never been before.

 

Jody Jones

Jesus said, You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one lights a lamp to put it under a bucket, but on a lamp-stand where it gives light for everyone in the house. And you, like the lamp, must shed light among your fellow men, so that they may see the good you do, and give glory to your Father in heaven.

Many of the good things in my life have come to me without my knowing that I needed them or having even asked for them. I was the sixth of seven children so I had friends and playmates from the start. I was born across the street from our church where all of us were baptized and had neighbors who could make the story of my original birthday something of an adventure. Our house could easily become a Mississippi steamboat or a turreted castle so our fantasies could extend far from our town in Northeast Alabama. We went to church four times each Sunday. And so on.

I early found that worship in the evening gave me the finish to Sunday and an easing into another week of school or work or whatever the current stage of my life required. In winter the beauty of the lengthening shadows, hills that changed from blue to deep gray and the lights just coming on around the town gave substance to all the Bible verses about light I am the Light of the World lighting candles and placing them on bushels occasions to think about God, about the blessings of the day and the beauty around me often come to me in the evening. I am thankful that the labors and gifts of so many people have given me opportunities to praise God in the evening in beautiful places surrounded by music organ recitals in Canterbury Chapel when I was in College; Evensong at St Thomas Church or at the Cathedral in Washington. In the city of Toronto I became aware of people who had worked all day on Sunday and found their time for reflection and prayer at 7:00 pm in the choir of St Clements Church.

When we moved back to Virginia 18 years ago and began to attend Christ Church, I found another of those blessings not sought but really needed, in the beauty of this church the light, the order, being at worship but still in the midst of community that benefited from what was happening inside. People passing, sirens blaring and airplanes overhead wouldn't let me forget that our common life depends on each others toil. We attended church in the morning as a family. Sometimes, though, I felt it all went by so fast getting there, getting quiet, getting home for the Sunday dinner we still attempted, I really hadn't had time to listen or even to pray. So we came back in the evening for evening prayer then usually lead by a lay reader. Seeing the coming of spring, the candle lighted in the windows in winter; following the familiar words of the prayers was just what I needed to restore and order my life and to be a more agreeable member of my family. I was truly thankful to God and to all those who had acted on behalf of God to give and keep beautiful and available this place of worship. And to the people who taught my children, opened up the Scriptures and pointed me toward useful work to do within the community of our parish and the larger community where we exist. Caring is necessary but here I also found and continue to find a commitment to the investment of human and material resources to get all this work done. My husband and I are pleased, and thankful that we have the opportunity to contribute our time, abilities and material resources to be a part of the service to the people of God that happens because of this parish of Christ Church.