Becoming Beloved Community

“‘The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed; For, in fact, the kingdom of God is among you.’” (Luke 17:20-21)

Dear St. Michael’s,
I write full of excitement and hope about the next phase of our communal life. The invitation is this: let us commit to Becoming Beloved Community. A lengthy explanation follows, but the presenting purpose is simple: How might our commitment to form God’s people in Christ’s image shape all that we do? This is not unlike much of the work we have been doing together. We’ve been on a journey to grow in kinship as a community and with our neighbors. This is simply our next step, an expansion of our understanding of community, and a new phrase for talking about our commitment to this kingdom work. You’re going to be hearing lots about it this year, so I write with an overview and invitation to Become Beloved Community.

Becoming Beloved Community, August, 2022

Below is a list of upcoming events that detail the ways in which beloved community is taking shape in our midst.

We are constantly working to better understand the full history of St. Michael's in our neighborhood, in Arlington, and in Virginia. The most recent version of our parish history was written with the explicit intention of being more holistic. On the occasion of our 75th anniversary, interviews and resources were assembled in hopes of sharing more about who we have been, and who we hope to be as a community of disciples.

Christian Formation
Weekly Sunday morning formation opportunities take place during the Liturgy of the Word for children, and after worship for adults. The hope for our time together is to move these essential Christian stories from our heads to our hearts – getting them into our very bones. In getting to the core of our stories, together, we’ll begin to give shape to the ways in which God’s story is a part of our story, and our story is a part of God’s story.

St. Michael’s Pilgrimages
Pilgrims will purposefully engage the arc of the pilgrim’s journey and the Christian connection to pilgrimage, prior to departure, during our travels, and after our return.

Bible Study with Lomax AME Zion
The Rev. Adrian Nelson, II, the pastor of Lomax AME Zion Church, is pursuing a Doctor of Ministry Degree at Wesley Theological Seminary. His final doctoral project and dissertation, will involve members of Lomax and St. Michael's. Participants from both churches are invited to take part in joint Bible study sessions, and a half-day conference (Fall, 2023). Rev. Nelson will offer Howard Thurman's Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples as a model of a racially welcoming congregation.

Voter Engagement at Fisher House
In partnership with the Voter Engagement Coordinator of the Arlington Branch of the NAACP, St. Michael's regularly seeks to provide education and support for individuals in the community seeking to register to vote. To lear more about upcoming opportunities please contact Paula Dierkes for more information.