Epiphany Lutheran Church is an ELCA congregation in historic Mount Vernon in Fairfax County, Virginia.
We are a welcoming and affirming Christian community that lives with a daring confidence in God’s gracious love for all people.
Come Worship with Us
In Person or Online
Sundays at 9:30 a.m.
UPDATED MARCH 21, 2025
This Sunday’s Service
This Sunday, March 23, 2025, is the Third Sunday in Lent. Our Sunday service will be at the usual time of 9:30 a.m. We welcome Pastor Anna Anderson as our guest presider and preacher this Sunday.
On-site: Come join us in the sanctuary for the full service.
On-line: The service will also be livestreamed on our YouTube channel and also through our usual Epiphany Zoom connection. To join us on Zoom, just click on this link or follow the instructions below.
The readings are Isaiah 55:1-9; Psalm 63:1-8; 1 Corinthians 10:1-13; and Luke 13:1-9.
For those joining the service online, you can download a PDF copy of the bulletin (including music, readings, and prayers) by clicking here.
We will have a time of fellowship following the service, both in person and on Zoom.
Calendar of Events
Wed Mar. 26 - Bible Reading Group, 10:00 a.m. on Zoom
Thu Mar. 27 - Lent Book Club, 1:00 p.m., church office or Zoom
Fri Mar. 28 - Burial service for Bud Ferrin, 11:00 a.m., Arlington National Cemetery
Fri Mar. 28 - EWS Children’s Chapel, 11:30 a.m. in the sanctuary
Wed Apr. 2 - VIC Lunch meeting, “Criminal Justice,” 11:30 a.m., St. Martin de Porres Episcopal Church, 6744 South Kings Highway (see below)
In Memoriam
The burial service for former Epiphany member Bud Ferrin will take place next Friday, March 28, at 11:00 a.m. at Arlington National Cemetery. All Epiphany members are invited to attend.
Lent Book Club
During Lent, we are reading and discussing together the book by Andrew Root and Blair Bertrand, When Church Stops Working: A Future for Your Congregation Beyond More Money, Programs, and Innovation (2023). If you don’t have a copy yet, it’s not too late to join us, and we have copies for pickup in church on Sunday or in the church office.
We’ll meet on Thursday afternoons from 1-2 p.m. - join us in the church office or on Zoom - on this schedule:
Thu Mar. 27 - Chapters 5-6
Thu Apr. 3 - Chapters 7-8
VIC Meeting
The next Ventures in Community meeting will be Wednesday, April 2, on the theme of Criminal Justice in the Route 1 community. Speakers will be:
Derwin Overton, Executive Director, OAR (Opportunities, Alternatives, and Resources), a local non-profit restorative justice organization whose mission is to rebuild lives and create a safer community with opportunities, alternatives, and resources for justice-involved individuals and their families. www.oarnova.org
Capt. J. Mauro, Commander, Mount Vernon Police Station, to address ICE involvement with the criminal justice system in Fairfax County.
The meeting runs from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., and all community members are invited to attend. A light lunch will be served. Our host this month will be St. Martin de Porres Episcopal Church, 6744 South Kings Highway, Alexandria VA 22306.
VIC Spring Book Club
VIC is sponsoring a spring book reading group on Barbara Brown Taylor’s Holy Envy: Finding God in the Faith of Others. Facilitating by Bill Collins of the Baha’i Community of Mount Vernon and Keary Kincannon of Aldersgate UMC, this will be an 8-week discussion of how people of faith or no faith can find something to admire in the faith and religious communities of others and this attain to a deeper understanding of human awe before the Divine Mystery. Participants will discuss setting up a few trips to the houses of worship of various faiths in addition to the book. Tuesday evenings, 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. in the Aldersgate Library (1301 Collingwood Road, door 3) beginning April 8. For more information and to register, click here.
Calendar of Commemorations
The ELCA remembers saints and reformers of many Christian traditions on specific days throughout the year. Upcoming commemorations include:
Jonathan Edwards, teacher, missionary to American Indians, died 1758 (Sat Mar. 22)
A Puritan minister in Connecticut, Edwards is remembered as being a great preacher. Though his most famous sermon talks at length about hell, he was more concerned with God’s love. He served both as missionary to the Housatonic people in Massachusetts, and as president of the future Princeton University.
Oscar Arnulfo Romero, bishop of El Salvador, martyr, died 1980 (Mon Mar. 24)
Romero was deeply concerned with injustices evident toward the poor and powerless in El Salvador, and worked forthrightly against political repression. He was assassinated while presiding at the Eucharist in a chapel near the cathedral in San Salvador.
Annunciation of Our Lord (Tue Mar. 25)
Nine months before Christmas we celebrate the annunciation, in which the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would give birth to the Son of God. The ancient church believed that this was also the date of the world’s creation and of Jesus’ death on the cross.
Hans Nielsen Hauge, renewer of the church, died 1824 (Sat Mar. 29)
Hauge was a layperson who wished to revitalize the church in Norway. As a result of a mystical experience, he felt called to preach. Many professionals in the church feared his motives and influence, and he was imprisoned for leading unauthorized gatherings.
Connection Details
You can join our services or other events on Zoom from anywhere in the world you may be. If you’ve never used Zoom before, you may need to download some software first (it’s free and only takes a minute).
To join, click on this link: https://zoom.us/j/2886238502?pwd=RU9ZZjk1TTdKREd5YmpBN1A2dWlsZz09
or open the Zoom app and use meeting number 288 623 8502 and password 971936;
or (for audio only) call (646) 558-8656 or (301) 715-8592 – When asked for the meeting ID, press 288 623 8502 and then the # key. When asked for the password, press 971 936 and then the # key.
In addition, the service is available on our YouTube channel. If you cannot participate live at 9:30 a.m., the videos will remain available so you can participate at whatever time you can.
United Community
United Community’s “Choice Food Pantry” is located at 7511 Fordson Road. UC is currently unable to accept new applicants, but serves 65 households daily during its open hours of Monday 10-1, Tuesday 12-3, Wednesday 2-5, and Thursday 12-3. For more information about the food pantry, connecting with other available services (including rental and utilities assistance), or for how to volunteer with United Community, visit their web site here.
Food distribution also takes place at the Sacramento Neighborhood Center at 8792 Sacramento Drive #E at 12:00 noon Fridays.
Connecting With Us
If anyone is sick or in the hospital or otherwise in need, we are ready to help out and to support one another. Please let us know! The easiest way to reach Pastor David quickly is by sending an e-mail to pastor@epiphanylutheran.org.
Financial Support for Epiphany
If you are not able to join us in-person for worship and are able to continue to support Epiphany, we regularly monitor mail deliveries and so you can continue to send checks by mail. In addition, there is a “Donate” button on the web site www.epiphanylutheran.org (just scroll all the way down to the bottom) and you can make a contribution electronically using Paypal or a debit or credit card. We do pay a small service charge for online contributions, but this may be the most convenient option for many.