In This Issue
Next Sunday’s Readings
This week’s readings, like last week’s, are rich with images and good news. Paul makes the outrageous claim that we are the adopted children of God the Father, brothers and sisters with Christ Jesus. That is the experience of knowing, loving and trusting in Jesus that Paul wants us to share and participate in. In Matthew’s Gospel we hear the parable of the wheat and weeds. Jesus’ teachings through parables are both provocative and challenging. What does the wheat represent? What are the weeds?
Click here to see this coming Sunday’s Readings.
Last Sunday’s Sermon: Burning Sins
Paul says, "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." (Romans 8:1) And yet, we walk around carrying terrible burdens: Things we have done that we regret, things we have not done that we should have, failures we have suffered, embarrassments, doubts, and more. In this sermon I invite you to live in Christ and experience the freedom from condemnation that Paul promises.
Read or Listen to this Sermon
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http://revmarshall.com/blog/
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There's Music and Laughter in the Air
Dear Friends,
As I write this letter, I am overjoyed with the excitement that is going on at St. Dunstan’s Church. This is the week of our Vacation Bible Camp, and our campus, sanctuary, halls, classrooms, and grounds are filled with the joyous noise of children’s laughter and singing. We are so blessed !!
This year we have eleven children enrolled in VBC and have the added joy of having three fantastic teenagers who are helping us. We also have a group of dedicated volunteers and a team from Spirit 105.3 radio station that have joined us. How cool is that!
There is no greater gift that we can give to children than to make a positive difference in their life. We are doing that at St. Dunstan’s Church. The kids are learning wonderful bible stories, singing music to the praise of Jesus, creating beautiful art projects, learning lovely new prayers, having a terrific time playing games, and most of all, having just plain fun.
 I want to give special thanks to everyone who has worked hard to bring VBC together this year. I also want to give a special thanks to Bryan and Megan from Spirit 105.3. You are all a treasure and a blessing to the children and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I can’t wait until next year when we get to do this all over again!
May the children of God always make a joyful noise in their praises to Him, and may all of us continue to realize and appreciate what a blessing the children are to everyone.
Blessings,
Mary E. Pacher
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What Will You Do Now?
 On Sunday I lead our congregation in an exercise of reconciliation, repentance and forgiveness. We brought slips of paper on which we had written the burdens, disappointments, failures, embarrassments, things we wish we hadn’t done, and things we wish we had done forward, and threw them into a waste bin. Then I spoke the words of absolution from our rite for the Reconciliation of a Penitent (BCP 447).
After the service I had the satisfaction of burning all those slips of paper to ash and watching the wind blow the ashes away.
This communal act of repentance frees us to be God’s beloved people, doing God’s work in the world. On Sunday we all wrote on a second slip of paper to answer the question, “What will you do now?” Now that you have experience God’s love and forgiveness, what will you do? Who can you now forgive? Who can you now reconnect with? What challenge can you now take on? What will you do now that you have experienced being the beloved adopted child of God?
 I saw many answers to that question this week here at St. Dunstan's Church. Each morning families have dropped off their children for our Vacation Bible Camp, filling the campus and building with the sounds of happy children. On Tuesday two staffers from the Christian radio station, Spirit 105.3, came and participated in the camp. Later that same day, ten volunteers, led by Josef, cooked our first meal for Tent City 3. 104 people were fed!
On Wednesday I walked the path of our new prayer labyrinth and enjoyed the beautiful stone bench that Ben and his troupe installed. What a beautiful addition to our campus! As I was enjoying the sun dappled bench, Bridget and her crew were starting work on the new landscaping around our Columbarium donated by Tom Keefer.
Later, on that same day I received an email informing me that the women of the St. Agnes Guild will be making a $500 contribution to the Camp Huston Campership fund to allow another child to go to camp this summer!
These are all such encouraging signs of what we are freed to do and be by God’s forgiveness and love. We are indeed creating a welcoming environment, both inside and out, where individuals can come together to walk in Christ’s love and forgiveness through worship, prayer, and service to the community.
Your brother in Christ,
The Rev. David Marshall
Click here to respond to this posting in my blog.
Our New Labyrinth
We have something very new and very special that has been added to our campus. It is a .jpg "Labyrinth and Bench (2)") lovely labyrinth that has been created by our own Ben Schiffler. Ben has been an active member of St. Dunstan’s Church for many years, and he and his Boy Scout Troop have graced us with the creation of a labyrinth. This is Ben’s Eagle Scout project and it has taken many hours of planning. The labyrinth is located across from the Columbarium.
A labyrinth is a sacred journey that involves change, growth, discovery, transformation, and expands our vision of what is possible. We are all on a path in life and the labyrinth is a model of that path. There is a beautiful marble bench that Ben has added to the labyrinth, so that you may rest there during your visit. For centuries a labyrinth has been used as a meditation and prayer tool.
To attain the rank of Eagle Scout, Ben has spent many years earning merit badges and doing a great deal of hard work. We congratulate him on attaining the rank of Eagle Scout and we thank him for his gift to St. Dunstan’s Church. Job well done Ben, and we are all proud of you and your accomplishment!
Community Engagement
Benefit Concert for Japan Earthquake and Tsunami at St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral will be held Sunday, July 17 starting at 3 pm. This concert will feature the Tudor Choir, the Ave Renaissance Women's Choir, St. Mark's Gallery Choir, and the Cathedral Trio, as well as featuring musicians Brian Fairbanks and Sho Kato on flutes, Joyce Ramee on viola, Naomi Kato on harp, Naomi Shiga on organ, and Sachiko Honda on koto. All proceeds will be donated to the Nippon Sei Ko Kai (Anglican Church of Japan, Diocese of Tohoku) through Episcopal Relief and Development to help elders and migrants from the Philippines and other countries who are currently underserved by official Japanese relief programs.
Our second meal at Tent City will be Tuesday, July 26. If you would still like to get involved, please contact Father David @ 206-363-4319 or Josef Hinkofer @ 206-399-6479 for more information on this exciting new ministry of feeding at St. Dunstan's Church.
Greenwood Food Bank continues to need donations over the summer months, especially for those families with children. Please continue to bring in food. The next volunteer night to help sort food will be Tuesday, August 9 from 6-8 pm.
Upcoming Events
Stained Glass Window Memorials
Memorial contribution to our beautiful stained glass window will be accepted through Sunday, July 17th. Please keep in mind that we are blessed to have generous anonymous contributors, who have pledged to fill any gap between memorial contributions and the actual cost of the window.
Checks may be placed in the offering plate or mailed to the office: P. O. Box 33029, Shoreline WA 98133 by Sunday, July 17. Please write "window" in the memo line and include your dedication with your check.
Thank you for your support!
The Stained Glass Window Steering Committee
Flower donations are needed for the month of July! Sundays available are July 24 and 31. If you would like to give the flowers either of these Sundays, please sign the Flower Chart outside the sanctuary doors, or call Sunny Holt @ 206-417-3062.
Community of the Lamb Midsummer Meditation Morning will be held at St. Dunstan's on Saturday, July 30 from 9 am to noon. Fill the summertime day with nothing but the sweetness of meditation with the heart in communion with God. Cease doing and be the place where intercession occurs naturally and spontaneously through the Resurrection Spirit of Jesus.
The Parish Administrator will be out of the office on vacation starting July 19 through July 28. Linda will be back in the office on Tuesday, August 2 at the regular time. Please refrain from leaving phone messages for the Parish Administrator during this time, and contact the church office only during business hours Tuesday -Thursday, 8:30 am until 4 pm. If you need to speak with Father David, please contact him directly. Thank you for your cooperation.
Vestry Corner
There are so many wonderful things happening at St. Dunstan’s inside and out! Regarding our grounds, I am very happy to share the news of a very generous gift from our own Tom Keefer. This gift will provide for landscaping and maintenance for the area around the Columbarium. Tom has contracted with a landscape architect to design the area, and will also provide the maintenance for the area once the work is completed. Care has been taken to contact families who have memorials planted around the Columbarium so that they would be aware of any work that will be going on, and to make sure the project has their support. Thank you so much Tom! This is a wonderful gift not only to those who have loved ones in the Columbarium, but to all of us.
On Saturday, July 30th, there will be a Work Day for trimming the bushes and growth around the church. Please join the Buildings and Grounds team from the Vestry from 9am-3 pm, with a barbeque lunch break. We will need hedge trimmers, weed wackers, and a chain saw. If you have these tools, please bring them with you. |
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