"If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me."
(Mark 8:34)
|
St. Dunstan's Weekly Message |
| Here we go! |
|
God is at work perfecting and completing creation. God is putting the finishing touches on the whole grand sweep of creation by imbuing all creatures with God’s Love. This process of perfecting creation is called incarnation. Incarnation is the process of God’s love becoming real and present in the flesh – in Creation and in us! OK, so that’s a lot of theological language. What does it mean in practical terms? What does incarnation look like? Well, for two thousand years people have come together to worship God by breaking bread, reading scriptures, praying, singing and doing God’s work in and through groups we call the church. We believe that when we do this we are part of a mystical reality called The Body of Christ. Together, we are Christ’s presence in the world. Together, we are here to continue the work of Christ for the world. This Sunday our Sunday School program resumes with a fabulous new curriculum, with a great team of volunteers, and with an eager group of children. A week from Sunday we will start our new Sunday evening Youth Group for high school aged youth. Next Wednesday, after our 10:00 AM worship service, we will start a Christian Education program we are calling, “God in Real Life.” We are gathering donations for the food bank and school supplies for New Beginnings. These are just a few of the things we do together to be a part of God’s work of incarnation. These are just a few of the things we do together to make God’s love real for one another, for our children, for our neighbors, and for strangers we haven’t even met yet.
Many Blessings, |
| Last Week’s Sermon – Anger |
|
The manuscript of last Sunday’s sermon, titled “Anger”, is available at http://www.revmarshall.com/Sermons/tabid/72/Default.aspx |
|
This Week's Lessons – "Who do people say that I am?”
|
|
One of the fascinating details in this coming Sunday’s Gospel lesson is the casual reference to resurrection. In Jesus’ lifetime, people spoke of resurrection, of people rising from the dead, as an expected reality. In chapter 6 of Mark, we read that people are speculating about who Jesus might be and the leading opinion is that he is John the Baptist, raised from the dead. Or perhaps he is the great prophet Elijah, returned, or one of the prophets of old (Mark 6:15). Then, in this Sunday’s reading we see that same series of speculations when Jesus asks his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” John the Baptist raised from the dead? Elijah? A prophet of old? The disciples struggled to understand Jesus then just as we struggle today. And yet, when Jesus asks the disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” he could just as well be speaking directly to us today. Who is Jesus to you? What difference does that make in your life? These are important questions. Have we tamed Jesus by making him just a famous healer and teacher from a long time ago? Or, is Jesus present, challenging us to grow, to reach out for the reality of God’s love and be transformed by the reaching? The readings for this Sunday are available online at http://www.io.com/~kellywp/YearB_RCL/Pentecost/BProp19_RCL.html. |
| Children's Choir Open House This Sunday! |
|
Children and parents are invited to the choir room after the service for a short (15 minute) exciting presentation of our music for the year. Handbells will be out and everyone can ring a bell! Let us show your children what fun singing and ringing can be. |
| Parish Events and Announcements |
|
Sunday: Holy Eucharist, 8:00 AM, Henry Chapel & 9:30 AM, St. Dunstan's Church Wednesday: Holy Eucharist, 10:00 AM, St. Dunstan's. Memorial Eucharist for Andy Tiura. After a struggle with ALS, our beloved friend and fellow Christian, Andy Tiura, died last Wednesday afternoon, September 2nd. The memorial eucharist will be held at St. Dunstan’s at 2:00 PM on September 19th, with a reception to follow. Please keep his wife Trish and his sons Joel and Eamon in your prayers. St. Agnes Guild Invites All Women of the Parish to Hear Marion Anderson's Talk on His Recent Trip to Taizé, France. The St. Agnes Guild invites all women of the parish to their first meeting of the 2009-10 year - Friday, September 11. The Guild's one hour meeting starts at 10 AM and at approximately 11 AM, Marion Anderson will share pictures and experiences about his recent trip to Taizé, France. After the presentation everyone is welcome to stay for lunch, which will be hosted by the Guild members. If you have any questions, please contact Diana Rall (206-660-9156) dtoshiba@comcast.net or Joan Baker (425-776-9059) joanruth3@verizon.net.
Families With Children – At the 9:30 service we offer Sunday School for kindergarten through middle school children. We also offer nursery care for babies and toddlers not yet ready for Sunday School. Our teachers are dedicated to the safety and Christian education of your children using a lectionary based curriculum called Seasons of the Spirit. Children come back to the service for communion. Children are always welcome in the service.
God in Real Life. On Wednesdays starting September 16, from 11:00 AM until noon, Father David will be offering a new class. We will use a variety of resources, including a wonderful video series by Rob Bell, to explore the questions that we face as we attempt to live as followers of Jesus. Where is God when loved ones are struck down by tragedy or disease? Why does Jesus talk about forgiveness so much? How can faith in Jesus actually change my life and what might that look like? Each session will begin with a short teaching or presentation to introduce a topic and then we will explore that topic as a group. Prayers for our community. St. Dunstan’s is a community bound together in God’s love. As such we support each other through our friendships, our resources, and our prayers. In addition to the Prayers of the People, we maintain a prayer list that is published in Sunday’s bulletin. If you or someone you know would like this community’s prayers, please submit the name(s) to Liz in the office. Names will be left on the list for six weeks or until St. Dunstan’s understands that the situation has been resolved. If you would like a name to stay on the prayer list longer, please tell us when you submit the name.
Welcome families with young children and older youth. St. Dunstan’s Sunday School and Youth programs will resume on September 13th. Children are always welcome in all our worship services. Please don’t worry about noise your children (or anyone else’s) might make. Their voices will join ours as we lift our prayers and hymns to God. The Parish Choir is inviting new members to sing with us as we begin the new season. There are openings in all sections. Please consider joining us, and pass the word to others. It is not necessary to be a member of St. Dunstan's. Speak with Marion at coffee hour or call (206-449-5537) about our exciting plans for the year. Youth Group at St. Dunstan's. Fr. David and Ann Patrice Riccardo will be co-leading a youth program for high school aged youth on the first and third Sunday of each month, starting September 20th. The youth will meet from 5:00 - 7:00 PM for faith, fun, food, and Christian service. St. Dunstan's Annual School Supply Drive for the children of New Beginnings continues through September 27th. You can participate by purchasing supplies and placing them in the donation box located in the Narthex or by making a cash donation. Checks should be marked "School Supplies." If you have any questions, call Kathy Newman at 206-365-0677. Please send announcements to office@st-dunstans-episcopal.us or call the office by Tuesday evening to have them included in the Weekly Message and the Sunday Bulletin. If you would like to make an announcement during the service, please let Father David know prior to the start of the service. |
Forward this message to a friend | (206) 363.4319