Rector

the Rev. Stuart A. Kenworthy

Sermonist

the Rev. Deirdre A. Eckian, assistant to the rector

Service Length

1 hour

Attendance

about 200

Sample Worshipper Dress

navy blazer, gray slacks, orange scarf, ankle-length fur coat

Intergenerational “Grinch Night”

Tuesday, Dec. 19, 5:30 p.m.

Congregational Fervor

When it came time to sing at a recent Sunday-morning service, the majority of the congregation kept their voices soft and their profiles low—which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Under the direction of organist Michael Lindstrom, Christ Church’s choir performed beautiful renditions of music by Bach and Palestrina that called for little, if any, audience participation.

Food for the Soul

The first reading came down hard on Christ Church’s would-be fashionistas: “Take off the garment of your sorrow and affliction,” read a congregant from Baruch 5:1–5. During her sermon, Eckian made an effort to pin down the offending get-up—namely “the wonderful outfit from Ann Taylor that will glitter at the office party.” In order to prepare for Christmas, Eckian said, “we must simplify our lives without falling prey to the excesses available for our consumption.”

Food for the Body

Christ Church’s coffee hour hosted an impressive assortment of finger foods. Among the snack table’s many treats were cream puffs, cookies, hard-boiled eggs, and hot mini quiches.

Overall Worship Power

Parking in Georgetown can surely be a pain, but those who thought they had a rough commute to church were encouraged to think again. Eckian’s sermon detailed the lives of priests she’d met in Burma. “Sometimes priests would have to walk three days just to catch a bus,” she said. Some clergymen would drive off-road for days in an SUV in order to reach remote villages. “I was impressed by the lengths to which people went to be together,” Eckian said.

—Aaron Leitko