November 2005 Contents
The change seemed to happen over night. One day I was marveling at the fact we had made it through October with very little change in the leaves. The next day it was November, and reds, yellows and oranges glittered in the sun. It was as if nature had suddenly realized that we were moving into the end of the year rush, and she needed to kick into high gear to get things done. All around it seems like the pace is picking up and all of us are starting to kick into high gear to get things done. But as I look at my own rapidly-filling calendar, I realize that the month of November begins and ends with calls for us to be thankful. And I realize how important it is to take the time to give thanks. November 1 was All Saints Day, a day when the Church recognizes all the men, women and children of faith who have lived before us and now make up part of what scripture calls that “great cloud of witnesses,” those who are no longer physically present with us, but whose presence remains with us always. This Sunday we will celebrate All Saints Day both at the morning Eucharists and at a special service of Evensong in the afternoon. Sunday morning we will read the names of our own saints, members of this congregation and other important people in our lives who have died. And we will give thanks for them and their influence on us. Before each service there will be a sheet in the back of the church where you may list any of your own saints you would like to be remembered at the altar that day. The month of November, of course, ends with another chance to reflect on our blessings and to be grateful for them, Thanksgiving Day. This year we will have a special service on Thanksgiving Eve, Wednesday the 23 rd, at 6 p.m. I encourage you, if you are in town, to take an hour out of the hectic preparations for the next day and come to church to reflect and give thanks to the God who has so richly blessed all of us. The month of November will also give us one more opportunity to give thanks, and that is the annual stewardship campaign. In earlier days, offerings to God were made at this time of the year from the harvest. The “first fruits,” what were considered the best of all the crops, were given in gratitude to the God who made the harvest possible. As far as I know, none of us at St. Dunstan’s makes our living from the earth. But certainly the traditional harvest time is an appropriate moment to take stock of our lives, to give thanks to God, and to offer some of our riches back to God in gratitude. This month you will be hearing from the vestry and other members of the congregation about the physical and material needs of the church – how much money it takes to pay salaries, maintain our buildings and grounds, provide programs for our members, and give help to others beyond this community who are in need. That kind of nuts and bolts information is important. But you will also be hearing less tangible kinds of things about how much this community of faith has meant in the lives of our fellow parishioners. As you listen and decide how you will financially support St. Dunstan’s in the coming year, I invite you to reflect on your own lives, what this special community of faith means to you, and all the ways in which your lives have been blessed by a God of rich abundance and love. And give thanks.
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Table of Contents | Return to top Education: A Capital InvestmentThe Outreach Committee was charged some years ago with distributing $50,000 of GITS money to the capital needs of the outreach ministries we serve. (GITS was Growing in the Spirit, the capital campaign of the late 90's.) Here is an update:
She is Sierra, a very active volunteer and youth leader at Emmaus House. A sophomore at Agnes Scott, she is majoring in religion there. The $15,000 in GITS money, plus $2,200 donated to this cause by an individual parishioner, will make the difference between Sierra finishing at Scott and having to drop out. (Claiborne has pledged to raise whatever additional bridge funds are needed, over and above our one-time-only contribution, Agnes Scott's financial aid, Sierra's mother's contributions, and Sierra's earnings.) Sierra hopes eventually to be ordained as an Episcopal priest. Here is George's take on Sierra:
Here is Claiborne's: George's sister, the Rev. Anne Maxwell, who was ordained at St. Dunstan's and is now a priest at Holy Trinity, concurs. We are very pleased to be able to help Sierra, and thankful to George and Claiborne for finding her. If you would like to be a part of our decision-making in the future, please note that anyone is welcome to join the Outreach Committee. The only meetings are held on an as-needed basis after church on Sundays, so joining does not present a major time commitment. There is no limit to the number of people who can join. Many thanks are due to all those who contributed to GITS. The monies accounted for above are entirely separate from our annual giving to outside ministries, which total about 10% of the annual budget. ~Christine Bird P.S. Sierra is one of 2 youth reps to the 29 member national committee preparing a slate of nominees for our next Presiding Bishop. Sunday Afternoons: The popular film series, hosted by parishioner and AJC film critic Bob Longino, will be held November 13 and 20 at 2 p.m. at the home of AJC film critic Eleanor Ringel Gillespie. Directions to Eleanor’s house are at the church. Reservations are required. If you have signed up and cannot attend, please notify us. There is a waiting list. Child care is provided at the church.
News from the Library Committee: These four new books have been added to our Pat Hart Library and are now available to be checked out:
Jane Lamkin thanks the person at the church who left a note on her car door informing her of her flat tire, and she thanks Paul Cathcart for changing the tire for her. How fortunate to have such a thing happen in the church parking lot. Bless those that help in time of distress!
Thanks to all who have helped provision and serve Charles and Samantha and their family. They are happy in their new apartment, and their furnishing are working well. They have requested these additional items if they are available:
Deaths
Transfers Out
Belated "Yard Wok Day" Thanks: Thanks to Seth Horne, Peachy Horne, Matthew Taylor, Rosa and Wayne Lord, Paul Ruhmkorff, Nancy Knight and Keith Latimore, Bob Adams and Nancy Elliott, Mary and Allie Summerville, Ruth Roser and Josephine, Betty Loud, Pat Berman, Nanette Woodworth, and Dan Woodard for sprucing up our grounds in September!!!
Adult Christian Education:Thought provoking and challenging opportunities for Adult Christian Education abound this month. Come participate in these quality offerings.
Sunday mornings: Beginning promptly at 9:30 a.m. , led by Dr. Tom Schneider, a St. Dunstan’s parishioner with 30 years experience as a psychologist . Series Title: The Power of Anger
Medieval Miracle Play and Christmas Pageant
Our intergenerational St. Dunstan's cast will be performing the original 16th Century manuscript of the Coventry Pageant of Shearman and Tailors, a miracle play which includes Isaiah’s prophetic prologue, the Annunciation, the greeting of Mary and Elizabeth, the doubt of Joseph, and the road to Bethlehem. The second half of the presentation consists of the Luke narrative, and will include all the children of the parish who wish to participate as angels, shepherds and sheep. The congregation is invited to dress as their favorite medieval characters. Why the emphasis on Costumes?
All are invited to dress in the Late Middle Ages, Early Renaissance Period … Kings, Queens , Bishops, Jesters, Peasants, Noblemen and Noblewomen, Maidens and Ladies. Costumes can be home made, or rented or purchased at the following stores, or other places listed in the yellow pages.
A Potluck Medieval Banquet will follow the 10:30 am Service. Please watch for sign up poster, or see Rhonda Woodard. Note to Parents of all children PreK – 5th grade: There will be a dress rehearsal during Education Hour on Dec. 11, from 9:30 – 10:20 a.m. Parents need to be present to help out. We have plenty of angel, shepherd and sheep and other animal costumes! You may choose to bring your own as well. All children will come forward to create the Nativity Scene during the Luke Narration of the Christmas Pageant. It’s not too late to join the choir! See Steve Furches! Christmas Giving OpportunitiesStarting mid November, pick up a red bag for the Santa’s Gifts for 600 Children – Emmaus House Christmas Project. Each bag will have gift suggestions for a child of a given age. Please return bags with UNWRAPPED gifts to be delivered on Dec. 11th to Emmaus House. However, please include wrapping paper and tape in the bag. We will take the gifts to Emmaus House that afternoon to be organized by Emmaus House volunteers and then wrapped by St. Dunstan’s Youth as an outreach project. Other Upcoming Youth and Family Events
From the Organist-ChoirmasterThe Office of EvensongAs a formal and public expression of the Christian faith, the Holy Eucharist is certainly unequalled as the central event of our regular worship. By contrast, as a tranquil setting for quiet meditation, nothing can surpass the Office of Evening Prayer, especially in its musical form known as Evensong. The subdued light of the late afternoon—at a time when the busy world is hushed—joins with speech, song, and organ music to create an atmosphere of reflective thanksgiving and deep inner peace. The moving and evocative nature of these services was apostrophized by John Milton, who in Il Penseroso (“The thoughtful One”) wrote:
Few churchgoers today realize how fortunate they are in being able to hear musical liturgy prepared and presented with care and precision. Even a casual glance at reports on nineteenth-century church music—including cathedral music—reveals a lack of attention to quality and detail that borders on the lamentable. At a time when our modern world seems increasingly disinterested in the value of our treasured traditions, we must be thankful for those places like St. Dunstan’s where high standards are so fully supported and upheld. We are, all of us, instruments of praise responsible for returning to God the finest self-offering, in thanksgiving for the love and mercy God has shown for us. On Sunday, November 6, the congregation of St. Dunstan’s and the community of Atlanta will have the opportunity to experience a traditional Anglican service of Choral Evensong, to be sung by the St. Dunstan Choir at 4:30 PM . (An organ recital, presented by Stephen Furches, will precede Evensong at 4:00PM .) A brief history of the origins of this beautiful liturgy may add to its understanding and appreciation. The Service of Evensong has a history which dates back several centuries. The service is sung by the choir to the glory of God on behalf of all assembled for worship. In his original Book of Common Prayer of 1549, Thomas Cranmer (Archbishop of Canterbury, 1533-1556) established the classic pattern for this office: psalm-lesson-canticle-lesson-canticle. This sturdy pattern survived all the various liturgical revisions and upheavals of the following years and was ultimately cast in its definitive version in the Prayer Book of 1662, a version which is still followed today. The form of Evensong is derived from a combination of elements from the Roman Catholic Offices of Vespers and Compline, although the uniquely Anglican liturgical pattern of psalms followed by paired lessons and canticles differs somewhat from its Roman progenitors. Settings of the canticles—the Magnificat and Nunc dimittis—have played a prominent part in the Office of Evensong since the Reformation. The first canticle of Evensong, the Magnificat or “Song of Mary,” functions as a liturgical pivot, providing a transition between the Old Testament and New Testament lessons. The Magnificat, whose text is found in Luke 1:46-55 and in the Book of Common Prayer on page 65, is a hymn of praise expressing the Virgin Mary’s joy and thanksgiving at the Annunciation of our Lord by the archangel Gabriel. The second canticle of Evensong, the Nunc dimittis or “Song of Simeon,” derives its text from Luke 2:29-32 (BCP p. 66) and may be seen as a salutation to the arrival of the New Testament message. The words are those uttered in prayer by the aged Simeon, who, having witnessed the Presentation of Christ in the Temple , proclaims his faith in God’s promise of salvation and contemplates his approaching death. For the Evensong on Sunday, November 6, the St. Dunstan Choir will sing the evening canticles composed by Herbert Sumsion (1899-1995) for the Choir of Gloucester Cathedral, England . Please take time during this busy season to attend this unique event and experience the beauty of God through the offerings of God’s servants. Faithfully, Deadline for articles for the December Bellows is November 15. Please email your articles or leave them in Kim Branch’s mailbox in the church office.
Wednesdays
Our Staff The Rev. Patricia Templeton, Rector | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Our sympathy to the Yates family on the death of Charlie Yates .
