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Next Sunday’s Readings

God gives us new life. Even when we feel dead, hopeless, and lost, God gives new life. This week we hear Ezekiel’s dramatic vision of the Valley of Dry Bones. From the bones, bleached in the sun, God raises new life. Then we will hear the story of Jesus raising his friend Lazarus from death. Do you feel like a part of you has died? Do you wish you felt more life, joy, or vitality? These readings are an invitation to eternal life lived in Jesus Christ.

Read Next Sunday’s Lessons here.

Last Sunday’s Sermon:The Wrong Questions

…After the doctor left, the mother turned to Alice and said, “You’re married to a minister. You’re a Christian. Can you tell me? Why was she born this way?” Alice replied, “I think the doctor has the right questions. How can we love your daughter? How is love being revealed by your daughter’s life and by your life as you care for her?”…

Check out my new web site and Podcast! The link below will take you to my sermons page. Now you can also subscribe to the St. Dunstan’s weekly Sermon as a Podcast through the iTunes online store. Simply search for “The Rev. David Marshall” in Podcasts or follow this link:

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id424733629

Listen to Last Sunday's Sermon Here.

How is Your Walk?

As you know, we have been working with our new mission statement and asking each of you to respond to a question concerning it each week. The section for this week is, “to walk in Christ’s love and forgiveness.” The question that is on the table in the Narthex asks us “how“ can we help each other walk in Christ’s love and forgiveness.

I am pleased that several people have already responded to that question, for it is at the very heart of who we are at St. Dunstan’s. How do we worship God together, how do we care for one another, how can we be a blessing to the community, and how can we walk in Christ’s love and forgiveness?

I want to challenge all of us, myself included, to do something this week. You don’t have to share it, and you don’t have to tell anyone what you have written unless you want to. I would like each of us to think of one thing that we have done recently that shows we are walking in Christ’s love and forgiveness. Think back to the past week or so, and remember something that you have done to make someone else’s life better. Write it down on a piece of paper. On a second piece of paper, write down something that you are going to do in the near future that will be a blessing in someone’s life and will make a difference to them. Finally, post both of these pieces of paper on your refrigerator as a reminder of your commitment to love God, and live into our mission statement.

Jesus called us to be His disciples. Let’s follow His teachings and by doing so, we will make a difference to others and we will grow in our own faith as well.

Blessings,
Mary E. Pacher

Vestry Corner

Family Game Night and Auction!  The Vestry is planning a game night for family, friends, and the greater community on Saturday, May 21. Tickets will be $5 per person. We have been advertising this event for several weeks, and have a poster in the Narthex asking for auction item donations. We've had enthusiastic responses from a number of people: we have a $250 donation for expenses or purchase of auction items; 3 church member have pledged auction item donations; and 1 person has volunteered to man a game table. Also, Cora Howard has agreed to play the piano for a "Name that Tune" game. Before the April Vestry meeting, the committee will come up with a proposed budget for the Vestry's consideration.

Legacy Giving: Sharon Pethers at the Diocesan House will be arranging for a member of the Stewardship and Development Committee to make a presentation to our congregation on this topic. Stay tuned for more details to follow. 

Bronn Journey Concert: Mr. Bronn is considering our request for a benefit concert in September. Once we hear back from him, we will publish more information.

2012 Stewardship Campaign is being discussed with possible themes being considered. The campaign will go from October to November, to hopefully provide a better picture of budgeting finances for the 2012 Annual Meeting.

Can These Bones Live?

One priest said, “I have a parishioner who has lost his job and his home. He is living in his car while he looks for work. What can we do?” Another priest said, “I am seeing this same kind of struggle in my congregation. More and more people come to us looking for help, but we just don’t have any money. What are we going to do?” A third priest bravely shared, “I myself am just a paycheck away from losing my home to foreclosure. The economy may be improving, but we are still struggling.”

This was a fireside chat with our bishop at the annual clergy conference held this week. There were lots of ideas about how the Church should respond, but none seemed sufficient. Then, we began to worship together. We prayed the service of Compline. The prayers washed over us, easing fears and erasing anxiety. The reading was a dramatic telling of Ezekiel’s Dry Bones story. As the storyteller spoke to the dry bones, we all knew that those bones are real. Those bones are the broken dreams, the homes lost, the careers interrupted and the hearts broken as families and individuals struggle in this lingering recession.

Our storyteller went on with the story:
 

Then God said to Ezekiel, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the world of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath/spirit in you, and you shall LIVE; and you shall know that I am the Lord.” (Ezekiel 37:4-6)
 

The storyteller did a beautiful job. In his voice and gestures, we all saw the dry bones come together. We saw the sinews and flesh and skin of new life become real. We were reminded that even dried, sun bleached, lost, abandoned, forsaken bones can live again.

God gives life. Jesus is the life and the resurrection. Faith in Jesus, living in Jesus gives life whatever the circumstances. We have Jesus. Together, living in Christ, we can survive anything. Anything: Job loss, foreclosure, cancer, divorce, all the worst the world can throw at us, we can survive by following Jesus. When we are walking with Jesus, we are living in God’s love and forgiveness. When we are walking with Jesus, we are walking in eternal life.

This is not a belief to accept. Walking with Jesus is a way of life. Walking with Jesus involves the practices of Christian living. That is what we clergy were reminded of in that Compline service that night and that’s what we come together for at St. Dunstan’s Church.

So come. Walk with Christ along with us. Worship, pray, serve generously, love and be loved, and discover the true, life giving joy that comes from walking in Christ’s love and forgiveness.
 

Your brother in Christ,

The Rev. David Marshall

Click here to respond to this posting in my blog.
 

Easter Flower Offerings

The Altar Guild is asking for donations to purchase flowers through Palm Sunday, April 17. If you would like to help, please put your contribution in the envelopes provided in the Sunday bulletins. Just note on the envelope or your check “Easter flowers” or “Altar Guild”. If you do not have access to the flower envelopes, just mail a check to St. Dunstan’s Church, PO Box 33029, Shoreline, WA 98133.

Don’t forget to include a dedication with your donation. It can be a memorial or a thanksgiving. We have one man who regularly dedicates his donation as a “thank you” for his family.

The Altar Guild appreciates your support for our projects. We look forward to a blessed Easter in the fellowship of our congregation.

Thank you.
Dixie Buol

Community Engagement

Greenwood Food Bank participating in the Feinstein Challenge!  Please plan to join Alan Shawn Feinstein for the 14th consecutive year in giving away $1 million to hunger fighting agencies nationwide. For every dollar or pound of food Volunteers of America can raise through April 30th, the Feinstein Challenge will match it with a dollar. This is an amazing opportunity to double the food and funds coming into the Greenwood Food Bank. Next time you go to the grocery store, please consider picking up some healthy food items for our less fortunate neighbors. Bring your donations and place them in the food box in the narthex. Cash donations are also welcome. Make your checks payable to St. Dunstan's with a notation for the Food Bank- Feinstein Challenge. Thank you for your support!

Annual Easter Outreach continues until Palm Sunday, April 17th benefiting the children and mothers at New Beginnings:  On Palm Sunday the children of our Sunday school, along with volunteers assemble Easter baskets with your donations, wrap them in cellophane and tie them up with festive ribbon.  They are delivered to New Beginnings with the hope that Easter morning will be a little brighter for the children and the mothers at the shelter. To participate, you may purchase an item and leave it in the container in the narthex marked “Easter Outreach”, or leave the shopping to us by making a cash donation.  Mark your check “Easter Outreach” and put it in the collection plate.  If you have any questions, call Kathy Newman @ 206-365-0677.