The LORD sets the prisoners free;
the LORD opens the eyes of the blind;
the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down; (Psalm 146:7)
"Rooted and Grounded in Love "
~ Ephesians 3:17
St. Dunstan's, Shoreline
Growing in Christ for 60 Years
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St. Dunstan's Weekly Message |
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Surviving the Great Recession |
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My grandparents were children of the Great Depression. We used to joke about Grandma drying paper towels so that they could be used again. (She really did that.) We describe children of the depression as frugal (or even cheap), reluctant to take on debt, and generally pessimistic about the future. People who grew up in the depression, especially those who went hungry, permanently changed the way they lived. Some were changed by the experience of receiving food from neighbors, or even complete strangers. Others were changed by the experience of giving to neighbors, and to strangers, even as they went hungry themselves.
In recent weeks I have seen several references to the recession we are in (or perhaps coming out of) as the Great Recession. I suspect that in the long run, we will not look back on this time as anywhere near as significant as the Great Depression of the early 20th century, but there are some interesting comparisons. Like that time almost 80 years ago, our Christian faith will help us get through these trying times and will even help us grow.
Christianity has always flourished in times of need. That makes sense to me. Jesus teaches us to love God with all our heart, mind and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Those are the values that allow people to survive and grow in times of need. Loving God always means reaching out to others, being committed to the wellbeing of others and to causes that are greater than our own lives.
Today we have people in our own congregation who are out of work and others who have been underemployed for a very long time. Yet, at St. Dunstan's Church we trust that we are rooted and grounded in God’s love. We take our sustenance and find our place in God’s love. Being rooted and grounded in love empowers us to do God’s work. We are called to be God’s hands and heart in the world. We are called to participate in the work of creation by loving and caring for others. Now is the time to bear good fruit.
The Great Recession challenges us to ask what God is calling St. Dunstan’s to do and be next. Where is our ministry and to whom? How can we use the gifts God has given us in this time of need? What fruits will we bear, being rooted and grounded in love?
Many Blessings, |
| Check Out Our New Web Site: sdchp.org |
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Can a web site be a tool for building relationships? I think so. In recent surveys, more than 95% of people coming into churches found those churches by looking at their web sites. We hope that our new web site will help us to make new friends!
Earlier this year several people and the St. Agnes Guild contributed a total of $2000 to help us build a new web site for St. Dunstan's Church. Our goal is to reach out to people who are not already coming to St. Dunstan's Church and let them know who we are, what we are doing, and invite them to get involved. A secondary goal is to let the members of St. Dunstan's Church know what is going on in our own congregation. We wanted to create a clean, simple, welcoming design that is easy to use. You can now see that web site at http://sdchp.org.
The first thing you will see is a simple home page with current articles and announcements. This page will change every week to let everyone know what is going on at St. Dunstan’s. The main menu is designed to help people find us, get involved, reach out to others in love, and find out about whom we are.
There is still a lot of work to do. We will be adding new content and more pictures as time allows. Other things to look forward to are recordings of sermons and video clips of worship and special events. Stay tuned! There’s more coming. |
| Join the Youth (Sandbagging) Mission, Saturday Nov. 14th |
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When rivers flood, the elderly, disabled and poor are most vulnerable. These are the very people Jesus instructs us to serve. On Saturday, November 14th, the youth group of St. Dunstan's Church will travel to Auburn to fill sandbags. This project is supported by the City of Auburn Emergency Services and is an effort to alleviate any results of flooding from the Green River. We will leave St. Dunstan's Church at 9:00am, carpooling to Auburn to fill sand bags and load them into vehicles to be delivered to people who cannot do it themselves. We will be returning at 3:00pm. We are hoping to have a great turn out for this worthy community and service project. BRING shovels and gloves and wear appropriate clothing for rain or shine. I will send more specifics about a lunch break when I write next week. In the mean time, get this on your calendar and invite your friends!!!!!!!!!! mmmmmmAnn-Patrice Ricardo, Youth Coordinator |
Plant a Flower to Honor our Veterans this Sunday |
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Dear Sunday School Families,
This coming Sunday we will be doing our annual Veteran's Day planting of pansies in the churches front gardens. We will have people in our congregation fill out memorial plaques which we will place in the gardens with our pansies. Please bring a pansie (or two) and a small shovel to help in our planting. Also, pray for nice weather for that morning. |
We should love everyone? Is God serious? |
| On Wednesday at 11:00 AM the “God in Real Life” group will ask: Does God really expect us to love everyone? Everyone?? We know God loves everyone, so a Christian should, too. In fact, Jesus said that the most important thing in life is to love God with everything we’ve got and love others the same way. But it’s not always easy to love everyone around us, is it? Sometimes we strongly disagree with other people’s political views, religious beliefs, behaviors, or something else, and it makes it hard to love them when we feel like we’re right and they’re very wrong. But Jesus doesn’t separate loving God and loving others. So maybe the best way for us to show our love for God is actually by loving other people no matter how hard it sometimes is. Maybe it’s the only way. |
| Read This Sunday’s Sermon |
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On All Saints Day we remembered all the saints who have gone before us by naming them, praying for them, and by lighting candles. As Christians, we believe that we, together with those who have died, are a part of what God is doing in creation. Together with those who have gone before us and those who will follow after us, we are Christ’s hands and heart for the world. |
| Read Next Sunday’s Lessons |
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In 1 Kings 17:8-16 we read about Elijah surviving a drought induced famine through the kindness of a widow and the generosity of God. People are calling this time, today, the Great Recession. Maybe we can learn from Elijah and from Jesus in this time. As you read the 1 Kings lesson and the Gospel for this week, consider how the widows in both stories dealt with their poverty and need. Read Next Sunday’s Lessons here. |
| Parish Events and Announcements |
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Sunday: Holy Eucharist, 8:00 AM, Henry Chapel & 9:30 AM, St. Dunstan's Church Wednesday: Holy Eucharist, 10:00 AM, St. Dunstan's. 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. Come to the Faire! The Canterbury Faire is this Saturday from 9:30 to 3:00. This fun filled event is presented by the women of the St. Agnes Guild. The Faire is a bazaar with both donated items and a variety of interesting vendors selling crafts and other goods. This is a great way to get a jump on your Christmas shopping and support St. Dunstan’s Church. We hold in our prayers Richard Lever and his family, following the death of Richard’s brother Daniel Lever earlier this week. mmm Make a joyful noise unto the Lord! The St. Dunstan’s choir leads the congregation each week in musical praise and prayer to the Lord. As always, the choir welcomes new members who wish to participate in this ministry of music. It is not necessary to be a member of St. Dunstan’s. Please speak with Marion at coffee hour or call (206-449-5537) about the choir’s exciting plans for the year. mmm “For I was hungry and you gave me food.” In response to St. Dunstan’s collections for the Greenwood Food Bank we have received the following letter of thanks: “You have helped to make a difference in our community by your kind, generous and thoughtful donations to the Greenwood Food Bank. It is my hope that you can truly feel the depth of the difference you have made to this charity… Over 3,000 seniors, people with disabilities, parents and children request food each month.” Please read the full letter on the Vestry bulletin board.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. |
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