“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior…”
(Luke 1:46)
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St. Dunstan's Weekly Message |
| What do you want for Christmas? |
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My father called me today to ask what I wanted for Christmas, and I was a little surprised. I have not thought much about gifts this year, but I love presents as much as the next person. It was a gift, really, just to get the call. My Dad wants to buy me a Christmas gift! Cool! The greatest gift of all is love. I am grateful for my father’s love. I am grateful for the love of my family, my wife, and my children. What a gift it is to realize that I am loved in return! We talk a lot about loving God. Jesus teaches us that the first and greatest law is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul and strength! Well, this Christmas, remember that God loves you right back. God’s love is the wonder that is revealed in a stable in Bethlehem. God’s love is revealed in a baby, who became a man, who shows us how to love God, and who reveals how deeply God loves us. You can experience the joy of God’s love. We all can. That’s what we are about at St. Dunstan's Church. The work, service, worship and even the parties are our way of discovering, living in, and sharing God’s love.
Joy to the world! |
| Come on Sunday for our Christmas Pageant |
| This Sunday, December 20th, at our 9:30 am service, the St. Dunstan’s Sunday School will present a Christmas Pageant: “Jesus – The Greatest Gift of Love.” The pageant includes our Children’s Choir, the children of our Sunday School, and our Youth Group. The children will offer their gifts to all of us! |
| On this Wonderful Night |
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On Christmas Eve we will gather to celebrate the Birth of Jesus, our Messiah, with the beautiful music that has been so important to St. Dunstan's Church for these past 60 years. Both the 4:00 pm and 10:30 pm services will start with Christmas Carols, and special musical offerings. Then we will have a gorgeous, Candle-lit service with an engaging, fun, and beautiful message of the abundance of God’s love. We expect and are planning for children at the 4:00 pm service. The sermon will have something for them, and for those who just can’t make it through a service, we will have a table set up in the narthex (entry hall) with activities for small children. The 4:00 pm service will be held at St. Dunstan's Church. The 10:30 pm service will be held at the Henry Chapel in the Highlands. We will have maps at the church for those who need help finding the chapel. |
| Make Your Wishes Known |
| Trudy James, hospital chaplain, gave the sermon, on Dec. 13 using the themes of the Scriptures for that Sunday (Expectation, Preparation and Joy) to focus on the importance of coming out of denial regarding our own death. She explained how we can prepare for a good departure whenever it happens by asking questions, deciding who will speak for us if we cannot, and getting our own wishes in writing. She gave examples of how this work goes easier in a group and that those who make their plans often experience relief, joy and peace. Doing this work in advance is a valuable gift to your loved ones. Trudy will facilitate a planning group at St. Dunstan's in January during the Adult Education Class on Wednesdays. If there are others who would like to explore the possibility of forming a group to meet weekends or evenings, please call Trudy at 206-985-0400 or tell Fr. David. |
| Read Next Sunday’s Lessons |
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Mary responds to the news that she will bear the Son of God with grace and courage. Her song, sung to her cousin Elizabeth, is one of the most beautiful songs and poems in all of scripture: “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior…” May Mary’s example inspire all of us to love and trust in God. |
| Announcements |
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Please give Generously to our Christmas Offering! The next year for St. Dunstan’s promises to be blessed with hope, fellowship, love and spiritual growth. Thank you for being a part of this blessed community. As we end this year we are working to overcome a budget deficit and to insure that we do not have a deficit again next year. Your generous Christmas offering will allow us to start the New Year with the financial means to continue God’s work in our congregation and in the world. God is with us in real life, today, tomorrow, and always! However, the Wednesday “God in Real Life” discussion group will be taking the next two weeks off. Plan to join us January 6th, 13th, and 20th, 2010, when Trudy James will lead the group to examine how we can prepare for a good departure whenever it happens by asking questions, deciding who will speak for us if we cannot, and getting our own wishes in writing. Wish Marion all our best upon his retirement! Please join us on December 27 after the 9:30 service for a reception to honor and thank Marion for all he has done for the St. Dunstan’s community.Rejoice!! 2010 Stewardship Campaign Update! The third week of Advent calls us to rejoice in the Lord, and we have much to be thankful for here at St. Dunstan's: as of 12/14/2009, we have received 98 pledge cards for a total of $186,584. Our goal is a 100% pledge response from each family. Your pledge response is valuable information for the Finance Committee's work on the 2010 Budget. For your convenience, 2010 pledge cards and envelopes can be found in the Narthex and also in the pews. Thanks for your support! |
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