Tuesdays starting June 19 at 7:00-8:30 pm in the Library.  Discussion and meditation on 12 Steps to a Compassionate Life by Karen Armstrong.  Writer of multiple books on religious issues including A History of God, Islam and Buddha.  After winning the TED (Technology, Education and Design) award which included a wish for a better world, she started The Charter for Compassion that would be written by leading thinkers from a variety of major faiths.  The Charter for Compassion begins:  The principle of compassion lies at the heart of all religious, ethical, and spiritual traditions, calling us always to treat all others as we wish to be treated ourselves… Each chapter of the book includes an exercise which we will use to ponder how to awake compassion in ourselves and in our world.  Moderated by Susan Conway, smkc1@hotmail.com, 301-330-4311.

This Sunday the Rite-13 class will celebrate the end of the school year and congratulate the 8th graders who are moving on to high school.  We will also discuss changes that the students would like to see for the 2012-13 school year.

the J2A class will finish up with our prayer study and celebrate our accomplishments this year, including those seniors who are graduating. We’ll also seek student’s input for the 2012-2013 school year.

The Youth Confirmation class will meet Sunday at 3:00 pm in Room 1.

Sunday’s story is the Parable of the Mustard Seed.  Wonder with your child/ren about the person who spreads the seeds.  Does s/he have a name?  Do the birds have names?  Was the seed happy while it was growing?  What could this tree really be?  Has your child/ren ever come close to this kind of tree?

On June 3, there will be no Godly Play at 11:00 am due to the Parish Picnic.

Godly Play continues through June 10.

Vacation Bible School

Ascension will not be holding Vacation Bible School this year.  If you would like information about other VBS opportunities please contact Rev. Beth at ocallaghanb@ascensionmd.org or at 301.948.0122 ext. 16.

My dog recently had a severe bout of separation anxiety. At one point I had to cancel lunch with Rev. Beth, because I was waiting for the contractor to make an emergency visit (at emergency prices!) to install a new back door.

Back story: While I was away on business, my dog went through the cat door, taking the frame with her. Several hours and several hundred dollars later, the frame was removed from her body. (Funny to look at; not so funny to deal with!) Her vet prescribed anti-anxiety meds and in my desperation to control destruction, I ordered an expensive crate, conveniently “forgetting” there was a reason I didn’t crate her: she is terrified of them! I hired a trainer to acclimate my dog to the crate.

Short story: It didn’t work.

I wanted a quick fix when there was none. As my own anxiety escalated, so did hers. It was only when I went back to basics and established “good hygiene” around comings and goings (acknowledge calmly, without excess emotion) that she began to settle down from the crisis that started when I was gone and she must’ve feared I was never coming back.

What I learned from this failed attempt to contain anxiety is that we can’t: no crate is big or strong enough to hold all the anxiety that we as humans—and animals—are capable of. Separation and anxiety are part of life. We can’t contain them, but we can pray for strength and guidance to endure them.

As I move to Knoxville I bid your prayers that my dog will settle peacefully into apartment life! I will miss Ascension, where Alex and I have made our parish home since 2003. (He is moving to Boone, NC to attend Appalachian State University.)

We can’t always stay home with our pets. We can’t always stay in the same town or parish. Because we get attached to people (and places and pets) it hurts to be separated. Yet in that place of fear and anxiety we can know that God is with us always.

Peace—Kim